(Galapagos: the Creatures is still a work in progress.) The Ecuador mainland is the closest launching point for the Galapagos, but it still seems worlds away from mainland life. Two flights (with a delay for erupting Cotopaxi within view of the Quito airport), bring us to the island of San Cristobal. A quick jump into…

Every night at dinner, our job assignments for the next clinic day are read. About 25 of us:  Mimi, Mckenna, the USF pre-med students, and I, rotate through each station throughout the week. Some jobs, such a medical history, and translator are limited to those of us who are bilingual, but everyone takes a turn…

The other night, Ariana, our trilingual, patient-yet-firm brigade leader, asked us if we would be willing to make an after dinner house call. Bring your emergency packs and wear boots, we are walking there, she told us. Two drunk teens had collided while moped riding on a local “road”.  Although they lived close to each…

Five months ago I basically invited myself and my 15 yr old daughter, McKenna, on the Goldsteins’ first volunteer stop of their nine month trip –to Chontapunta, Ecuador. Little did I know what I was getting us into! After 9 days of sweltering heat, torrential downpours, mud, terrifying insects, and clothes that may never be…

“There’s a small possibility the raft will capsize and you will all fall into the water, so I hope you all know how to swim!” Today was rest day during clinic week. My family opted to join half of the group for class 3 white water rafting. Not sure how the Ecuadorians classify their rapids,…

Tarps, string, and duct tape. That’s really all we need to set up our daily clinic consult rooms. We arrive early in our partner communities – lugging bins and suitcases full of medications, medical supplies, tables, chairs, drinking water, generators, tarps, string, and lots of duct tape. Sometimes we arrive by bus. Sometimes we arrive…

Zip lining, chocolate tasting, and exploring a butterfly reserve in the Mindo Cloud Rainforest. Off to our first service project in the Amazon basin with Timmy Global Health. We will be out of internet service for a 10 days, but we will update you soon!

Chontapunta, Ecuador. A bit off the beaten track – not too far from Tena on the Napo River. We arrived today after a 5 hour drive from Papallacta, home of the locally famous thermal waters. Ecuador is full of active and dormant volcanoes, and the steaming hot pools are a fortunate consequence. We are now…

I think its safe to say that we may have overpacked, just a little bit.  Narrowing down our belongings was no easy task, especially for Julia, who insisted that all 15 stuffed animals travel the world with us. We rolled up to the airport in style. 2 cars, 12 bags, 5 people, and one awful…