ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS COMMUNITY CONSTRUCTION
This trip focuses on providing construction support to a series of community development projects in a mountain village a few hours from the capital city of Quito. After acclimatizing in Quito for two days, students head into the mountains to stay in a village near the worksite. Students interact everyday with locals who will be working with us. Each day, after working, trip members can play games and participate in activities with students at the local school. This trip is sure to improve all trip member’s Spanish language skills.
After a week of working hard, we head to the Cotopaxi Reserve where we will campout and summit the famous peak. This climb is not technical, but does require participants to be in relatively good physical condition.
The trip concludes with an excursion to the Galapagos Islands. Days are spent learning about the many endemic species of the islands, conservation methods and challenges, and getting up close and personal with all sorts of creatures on land and in the sea.
Ecuador & Galapagos
Dates
Year-Round
Group Size
10-20 Student
4 Trip Leaders
Max 8:1 Student/Adult
Tuition
$3800
*not including airfare
THE TRIP AT A GLANCE
Community Construction
Rural areas of Ecuador struggle to receive public funding and rely on their own community or international help to develop public systems such as schools, water systems, medical clinics, electricity etc. In consultation with local leaders, Padma selects a construction project for any village we work with based on importance and necessity to the community. Students work mixing and pouring concrete, cutting and framing structures, or working alongside engineers to place lines for water or electricity.
Spanish Immersion
A massive dormant volcano caldera, here we will hike along the caldera ridge overlooking the Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde, the blue and green lakes with their starkly different water color. Forests of hydrangeas and views of the Atlantic abound before descending to a village for a late afternoon lunch.
Cotopaxi Peak
A legendary dormant volcano, Cotopaxi is a spectacular and imposing peak in the middle of a high elevation desert. Students head to basecamp and spend a day exploring the region and checking out glaciers and other worldly views.
Galapagos Islands
The trip concludes with a multi-day conservation based guided tour of three islands. Time is spent between learning about the unique land based flora and fauna, and scuba diving or snorkeling to hang out with the swimming iguanas, seals, and all sorts of underwater creatures seen nowhere else on the planet.
Quito
The highest elevation capital city on the planet, Quito boasts ancient architecture, beautiful mountain vistas, endless sights to see, and all sorts of delicious cuisine. Trips begin in Quito where students can acclimatize to the elevation, wander the city, and learn about Ecuadorian culture and history.
