un lobo marina y dos pinguinos

As a high school student, I reluctantly took Biology class. The only moments that I loved taking that class was  when I learned of the different ecosystems around the world. I remember learning about the Galapagos Islands and thinking “I would love to go there someday”. Through studying abroad in Ecuador the first semester of my senior year, I was able to live my dream within a week of landing in Quito, Ecuador. While I was in the Galapagos Islands, I was able to see a variety of different ecosystems in one area of the world and on various islands. I was able to take this photo to the right while I was on a dinghy, bobbing up and down in the middle of the ocean. Can you spot the two penguins and the sea lion?

Who would've thought these would all be in the same place?

While I was in the Galapagos I was fortunate enough to have an experience that most people I know have not. I was able to be in an environment where in the same ecosystem there was a lake, shrimp, pink flamingos, hardened lava, cacti, and a very distinguishable sky line in the midst of the ocean. I was so utterly amazed that there were flamingos and lava in the same place, on an island in the ocean. I had to take a picture including all the elements of this amazing environment.

My trip to the Galapagos Islands was a great start to my adventures in Ecuador.

This photo was taken at Korea’s iconic Seoul Tower, also called Namsan Tower. I waited specifically till after my program ended when my mother and uncle would visit me to go to Seoul Tower.  I wanted to share this experience with my family because of what this tower represents and show them the beautiful view from the top, also, it is a popular filming location for Korean dramas and movies.  From old times, there was a story that if lovers make a wish at a shrine on Namsan, it comes true.  Since that, this place became a symbol of the place of promising an everlasting love for couples with hanging a lock together and throwing the keys off the side of the cliff.Seoul Tower is a common place to find young couples in love.  I thought this place displayed Korea’s romantic culture at its best.  Coming to Seoul, I became very concious about how many couples there are and how much P.D.A. (public display of affection) they show to each other.  This wall of locks is just one of many other walls that are completely covered with locks.  My mom and uncle along with myself were amazed at how old some  were as well as how many different languages we found written on them.  Our day ended by riding the cable car down the mountain and eating dinner at a nearby shopping area.  I will never forget this day when my mom, uncle and I were on the top of Seoul and surrounded by peoples’ promises of endless love.

At the University of Western Australia there is a week of study before finals even begin and, coming from Willamette, this felt like an eternity.  Lets be realistic here, I wasn’t going to be productive during this time, so I flew across the country to Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, with a few international friends and an Australian friend.  We explored the city and went on the scenic great ocean road.  Whilst on the coastal drive we were passing through a grove of eucalyptus when suddenly I spotted them: wild koalas!  While I was beyond excited the first time I saw some Aussie wildlife in zoos, nothing compared to stumbling upon them unexpectedly on my various adventures.   I, of course, made my friend stop the car immediately, so that we could admire their awesomeness.

What’s the point here?  Well, for starters, I am pro at spotting cute, fuzzy animals and secondly, that one should take every opportunity presented in life that will add to ones happiness.  I did this often while abroad and from it learned a great deal about myself and saw some pretty amazing things.  The only times I ever regretted while in Australia were instances when I decided I couldn’t do something do to time or stress.  To not doing something that will add joy to your life is never the right choice.  Oh, and my exams?  No worries, they went just fine.

This is one of several Quokkas (Setonix brachyurus), a species of marsupial, that I encountered on Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth. They previously lived on the mainland but now are mostly confined to a few small islands after the introduction of foxes and feral cats. This picture reminds me of all the strange animals (mostly with pouches) and plants that I observed in Australia. It often felt like I was on a different planet.

]]> http://blog.willamette.edu/~llc_tellus/2011/09/09/369/feed/ 0 http://blog.willamette.edu/~llc_tellus/2011/02/23/190/ http://blog.willamette.edu/~llc_tellus/2011/02/23/190/#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:16:25 +0000 Christopher http://blog.willamette.edu/~llc_tellus/?p=190

My heart pounds as I take the plunge on the Nevis in New Zealand, over 134 meters above a little creek at the bottom of a canyon. This was one of the most exhilarating moments of my trip.

Now I know it is completely nerdy, but I love Harry Potter. So when the opportunity to go to the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1 arose, I jumped at it. And while a movie premiere does seem a likely place to have a significant international experience, it was absolutely amazing! Hundreds of people from all over the U.K., Europe, and the rest of the world, gathered in Lancaster square with the hope of catching a single glimpse of J.K. Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, or Emma Watson. It was chaotic with excitement buzzing all throughout the air. It was, and yes pun intended, magical to be see that many people bonding over their love of these stories.

The volume and variety of noise was astounding. We had spent an amazing night listening to the sounds of the forest and absorbing our first clear view of the Milky Way, and awoke the next morning before the sun rose in order to be out in our canoe as the Amazon Rainforest woke up. In the heart of the rainforest along the Cuyabeno River in northern Ecuador, the most chaotic jumble of noises can be heard best at dawn or at dusk, when the sun is low in the sky and animals’ activity is high. Our guides paddled the canoe, all the while looking around and listening intently for the clues that we were oblivious to. Having grown up in indigenous communities in the area, our guides were familiar with the patterns of the rainforest and could read the natural signs with ease. They directed our gaze toward toucans, ospreys, kingfishers, capuchin monkeys, and pink freshwater dolphins, and awed us with their knowledge of how the diverse array of creatures interacted with and benefited from one another. When we disembarked from the canoe and began exploring the reserve on foot, I lagged behind for a moment. I closed my eyes, and sunk my boots into the ground. This forest, which smelled and felt in many ways like any forest in the Pacific Northwest, was no ordinary forest: it was the Amazon Rainforest, pure and simple. Surreal, untainted, untouched—one of the many treasures I found in Ecuador.

Fútbol is most definitely the national pastime of Uruguay. A small section of the national stadium’s upper bleachers, this photo is from a game called el clásico, a match that happens once a year between Montevideo’s two most rival teams: Nacional and Peñarol. The crowd’s energy fills the stadium, at this game and at all games, and reveals the true uruguayan spirit – singing, yelling, chanting, and drumming their solidarity for their team. Going to the games, and talking about the teams and players with friends is a treasured memory I have from my time in Uruguay.

This picture is of the Old Town district in Quito, Ecuador.  In this area of Quito one can see clearly the remnants of Spanish colonial rule. One of the main lessons I took away with my from Ecuador is the fact that big cities are not as different around the world as I had once thought. A big city is a big city. I found I could thrive in Quito and it has in turn given me the confidence to travel more and explore other big cities around the globe. The people may speak different languages, have different customs, or value different ideals, but you will find most of the same infrastructures and institutions in Quito, Ecuador as you would in San Francisco, California. This, to me, is very reassuring.