Hello for the last time from EGP 2A!

July 5, 2024

George and I cannot believe how fast these two weeks went by. We want to thank you all for blessing us with your people. We had the best two weeks imaginable. This group is something special!!

Day 11 was one for the books. We got to sleep in a little extra, which everyone was stoked about! After breakfast, we headed out to the bus and made our way to the Sierra Negra volcano! The bus ride there was full of hype music, getting us ready for the coolest hike of all time!

The hike up to the volcano was insane!! The views were incredible. We could see the whole tiny town of Isabela Island from the highlands! It really felt like we were in a whole different world. We spent the hike up playing trail games. William entertained the group with blind rankings! We blindly ranked everything from snacks to songs to movies! It was such a fun hike to the top, it felt like time flew by!

When we reached the top of the Sierra Negra, we were in awe. We were lucky and got a full view of the 6-mile-across crater. We could see where the volcano’s eruption from 2005 happened, as it was all lava rock! I think it’s safe to say that it was one of the coolest experiences yet. It was a crazy sight to see. We had a fun photo shoot at the top of the volcano, so be sure to be on the lookout for those!!

Our hike back from the top flew by (you know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!!). We were hungry from all of our exercise, so we hopped on the bus and headed straight for lunch! We were surprised with a lobster soup – YUM! We chowed down on our food, eager to head to the beach after lunch!

Our beach day was absolutely perfect. We blasted music, swam in the water, and enjoyed life! One big wave came, and we saw something swimming through it. Our immediate reaction was SHARK! Luckily, it was just a friendly sea lion who saw us playing in the water and wanted to be a part of the fun! Sarah and Mary got some good beach walks in and were clearly having the time of their lives! It was the most perfect time at the beach, appreciating each other’s company and never wanting to leave.

After our beach day, it was time to get ready to head out to play soccer with the local team! We walked into the game feeling confident – these kids were clearly younger than our group! It took about a minute into the game to realize we were sorely unprepared. Their footwork made us all look like rookies! Hayes was an incredible goalie and tried his hardest to help us win, but unfortunately, Team Isabela had us beat. We still tried our hardest, and everyone killed it in the game!

After soccer, we headed to the basketball courts to play against a different team. This time, we were more evenly matched. Everyone gave it their all, but we lost again 🙁 Piper said she’s ready to join the WNBA, though, after crushing it on the court! Our game ended, and we were met with homemade necklaces from the other team! It was so special.

Dinner that night was beachfront and magical. We treated ourselves to sodas and yummy food while enjoying the sounds of the waves. We laughed at all of our crazy memories from the past few weeks and savored every moment together. Whitney spent the dinner cracking jokes – she makes every moment together more enjoyable! George was also super reflective about the past two weeks and kept talking about how awesome our group was.

We ended day 11 with a wonderful Moonup. Liddy, one of our LODs, asked everyone to share a moment in their lives that changed them. It is so cool seeing everyone be so deep and vulnerable. This group has an incredible ability to get deep, and it’s been so awesome watching them grow such strong bonds with each other.

Our last full day of activities was one we will never forget!! We woke up to a beautiful day on Isabela Island and headed out to the waves to surf!! The waves were incredible, and vibes were certainly high! As our first round of surfers ran into the water, a little penguin swam by! A surreal moment, for sure. Lila absolutely crushed the waves – she kept standing up on the board like a pro! It was so cool to see. Libby also gets an honorable mention! She kept catching waves with everyone else, it was so fun!!

While some people took a break and rested on the beach, Nate couldn’t get enough of the water! He put on his ankle strap and headed right back into the water to catch even more waves. I think it’s safe to say that surfing was the best way to round out our EGP activities. The water was beautiful, the weather was great, and there were smiles on everyone’s faces.

We finished up surfing and got ready to head back to Santa Cruz Island for our last full night together :(. We all took much-needed naps on the ferry to fuel up for our big celebration of the past two weeks!

And what a night banquet was!! We fueled up before dinner with some energy drinks to get us hype for the night. We also decided that our final banquet outfit theme was PJs! Ben rocked the bedtime look, complete with glasses. We all looked so funny walking down the streets of Santa Cruz! Dinner was an absolute blast. Lee kept asking our guide, Peppo, questions about the Galapagos, eager to get his last questions in before we said goodbye to him! And then the biggest surprise of all… a man with a pan flute came in and serenaded us!! Everyone got super into it, clapping and having a blast! We loved his flute rendition of Despacito! It was so fun having everyone so hype for our big night. The night ended with an amazing final Moonup that ended in everyone jumping in the pool in our clothes! It was a night we’ll never forget!

Our final day was spent traveling, but that didn’t stop us from having fun!! We had a great Fourth of July and spent it soaking up every minute we had left together. Saying goodbye was so sad! We shed lots of tears and hated seeing them walking through security.

We are truly so blessed to know this special group of people. We had the best two weeks ever, and it wouldn’t have been the same without any of them!! So thank you so much for sharing them!

EGP 2A – stay in touch!!! We miss you already!!! 2A is officially signing out:(((

Love,

Bess and George

Unforgettable Moments in the Galápagos!

July 2, 2024

Hola from Isabela Island! Life has been crazy since our last update (in the best way)! We have so much to share!

We woke up on the morning of day 8 ready to head to the highlands of San Cristobal and learn about sustainable farming. Our day at the farm was a wonderful experience for everyone. Upon arrival, we were greeted with warm tea made fresh from ingredients grown at the farm! Our guide then started to introduce the farm. We learned that the purpose of the farm is to farm sustainably and promote native and endemic species of the Galápagos Islands. After a quick introduction, we headed out on our tour of the farm. The first stop – chickens! We all ran around the chicken coop trying to see who could catch the biggest chicken! Whitney was determined to get the alpha chicken… we all couldn’t stop laughing as she ran around chasing him! After we all caught our favorite chickens, we headed to see the Guinea pigs! They were so cute! We then went to learn more about how the farm works and got some hands-on experience! Our guide told us about how they use manure from the animals on the farm to create gas. He then led us to the back pasture area where we helped collect the manure! While it may not be the most glamorous activity, this crew had the best attitude and made the experience so fun and memorable. They got so into it, they even had our guide laughing! It was truly special seeing them so invested in the activity. Our next goal was to help spread fertilizer over the coffee plants. William and Mary get a special shoutout for their positivity and determination to help out!

Before we left the farm, we had to complete the red-hot chili pepper challenge… everyone got to pick a pepper before getting together and eating them! When I tell you that pepper was spicy… as soon as we all took bites of the peppers, chaos erupted! George and I had tears streaming down our faces, both from the spiciness of the pepper and from laughing so hard. It’s one of those special moments in life that you look back on and can’t help but laugh a little. We rounded out our time at the farm with a delicious lunch prepared with fresh ingredients and enjoyed our last few hours on San Cristobal!

After leaving the farm, we headed to the pier to get ready for our boat ride to Santa Cruz. But first, we all got some ice-cold Coca-Colas and enjoyed the view of the ocean! Life was GOOD! We had an easy boat ride to the next island, and everyone got some much-needed sleep. When we got there, we headed out on the town and enjoyed some burgers and quesadillas before exploring the town – milkshakes in hand!

Moonup that night was surely one to remember. Nate and Whitney were our Leaders of the Day and facilitated such a special night for everyone. Nate asked everyone to share a moment in their lives that they were proud of. It was awesome hearing everyone’s answers!

After Moonup, we all hung out by the hotel pool and chatted, laughed, and had the time of our lives. There was lots of dancing too! It was clear to George and me how close this group has become, and we feel so lucky to be a part of it!

Day 9 had even more adventures! We woke up and headed out to the highlands of Santa Cruz to see the Giant Tortoises! We blasted music on the way, singing along to our favorite songs. When we started getting close to the tortoise sanctuary, we told everyone that the first person who saw a tortoise would get a candy prize! What started as a competition quickly turned into candy being thrown to anyone who even said the word “tortoise”. It was hilarious! When we finally reached the sanctuary, we headed out on a walk to see all of the giant tortoises. And let me tell you, they really ARE giant! We learned all about the lives of these tortoises (they can live a minimum of 150 years?!)! After seeing the tortoises, we had an awesome lunch right on the property! And then it was time to hop back on the bus and head to the beach!

We screamed “Unwritten” at the top of our lungs on the drive to Tortuga Bay! By the end of the song, our guide asked for the name of the song to look up after the ride. We must have sounded really good!!

Tortuga Bay was one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve been to! We had a nice beach walk to get to the bay, where we all talked and enjoyed the views. Liddy and Libby were making everyone laugh by talking in funny voices the whole time! From British accents to Gollum from Lord of the Rings, they did it all! When we got to the bay, everyone headed straight for the water! Sarah and Mary wore matching bathing suits and looked like twins! They were so proud when our guide asked them if they were sisters. After some swimming, we all enjoyed relaxing on the beach with some yummy snacks. Then, a few people went back to explore the water. Hayes was the first to spot a baby hammerhead shark! He followed it around the bay for a while with his GoPro!

That night, we explored Santa Cruz a little more before going to an amazing dinner! We talked about our favorite birthdays and ranked the different birthday months. It was a blast! We then had Moonup on the roof of our hotel and closed it out with a cartwheel competition! I think it’s safe to say that we will not be going to the Olympics for gymnastics any time soon!!

Day 10 was an early morning wake-up, but it didn’t matter because it was Lila’s birthday!!! We celebrated with chocolate cake before the sun even came up! It was so fun. We then hopped right on our ferry to Isabela Island. We were immediately greeted in Isabela with snorkeling! It was insane. We saw at least a dozen eagle rays swimming along with two baby sharks! Everyone kept giving our guide their GoPros, and he would swim down what looked like 30 feet to get cool videos for us! After snorkeling, we headed out to a great lunch!

We got to spend a little time at the beach before our afternoon activity. Everyone sculpted (leader) George in the sand, and Ben kept singing along to Zach Bryan songs!

After our beach time, we headed out to the tortoise breeding center where we got to see a lot of baby tortoises! We then headed out on a walk to see some flamingos!

Our first night in Isabela was so special. We got quesadillas and burritos to go and sat on the beach and ate and listened to music while the sun went down. George R. and Lee were running around chasing each other, having the best time! Before leaving the beach, we all wanted to go for one last swim! We ran into the water, with everyone laughing and running around. It was absolutely incredible.

We then tricked everyone by telling them we were heading straight back to the hotel for showers and bedtime but led everyone to churros and ice cream! We couldn’t stop Lila’s birthday celebration quite yet! We all had full stomachs and happy hearts. We ended the day with another wonderful Moonup where we shared our happy places. We closed out Moonup with a “Moo Off,” which is where you moo at the other person until they laugh! Piper beat everyone by a landslide… she has a special talent for making animal noises apparently!!

We can’t believe that time keeps flying by so quickly. This group has really been so special for me and George, and we feel so lucky for our little family. We are so proud of how this group has come together and really bonded over the past week and a half. We don’t want them to go home!! Thank you for sharing them with us!

Adios,

Bess and George

Thank you’s:

Lee: thank you mom and dad for letting me go on this trip. It has been fun!

Mary: Hey mom and dad I love you so much and thank you for sending me on this trip!! I have had the best time ever and I am so grateful! Love, Mary

Liddy: hey mom and dad! Thanks so much for sending me on this trip! It’s so much fun! I love you! – Liddy

George: hello family, I am having an amazing time right now and I am so appreciative to have been sent on this trip. Thank you guys so much!

Ben: Hey guys I’m having so much fun right now. I am so thankful that y’all sent me on this trip. I love and can’t wait to see y’all!

Whitney: Hey Chef and Kids Lox Administrator! Lol thank you for sending me on this trip. I am having the best time! I love you baes.

Piper: thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip! I love and appreciate everything you all do for me!

Libby: Thanks mom and dad for sending me on this trip! I have had the best time and can’t wait to see you all soon!

Lila: thank you so much mom and dad! I have had literally the best birthday ever!! It is so cool and pretty here! I can’t want to see you love you!

Sarah: Hi mom and pop! Thank you so much for giving me the chance to do this! I have made so many long term friends and I have seen so many unforgettable things!

William: hey mom and dad, I miss you guys and love you both. I just wanted to say thank you for this trip, I’m having the best two weeks of my life!

Hayes: dear mom and dad, thank you and I love you both so much!

Nate: thanks for sending me on this trip! I’m having a great time. Miss you!

Update from Ecuador!

June 29, 2024

Hey families of EGP 2A!!

We are having the best time in Ecuador and the Galapagos! George and I couldn’t be more grateful for this group of wonderful people. Time, please slow down!!!

George and I waited anxiously for your people to meet us in Quito. When they finally arrived in baggage claim, we could immediately tell that this group was going to be amazing. Even though it was a long travel day and late arrival, they were eager to jump into our first Moonup and a game of mafia! William really brought the group together that night with lots of laughs as he narrated the game! We went to bed that night feeling so grateful and excited for the best two weeks.

The next morning, we woke up to a great breakfast at our hotel. And then we were off on our first activity! We drove through what looked like the jungle to a hummingbird sanctuary. We saw lots of different birds, and the group was so interested in everything our guide had to say! After watching the birds, we headed to a short little hike to the bank of a river. It was beautiful! Ecuador seemed to be welcoming this group with open arms. We finished up our time at the hummingbird sanctuary and headed out to Papallacta hot springs! These hot springs are naturally heated by one of Ecuador’s many volcanos! It felt like a day at the spa! The group spent the time relaxing in the hot spring and getting to know each other. We all really hit it off fast. We’ve never had so many laughs! After we enjoyed the hot springs, we had a nice lunch of chicken, fries, and rice! There is also so much juice here, and it has been a massive hit with this group!! We then headed back to our hotel, where we enjoyed the pool and hung out until…. Field Olympics!!!! George and I surprised the group with a makeshift Olympics. We assigned teams, had an opening ceremony, and competed in races, a soccer tournament, and even birdie on a perch! George R. crushed everyone in the foot race…. We took a quick hiatus for dinner before finishing out our competition with trivia! We quizzed the group on facts about Ecuador, with some surprise leader trivia questions! This crew is smart… while team Baños took the win for trivia, team Isabela beat everyone in overall points!

The next day was a big hit. We packed our bags and headed towards Baños. But first, a quick stop at Cotopaxi National Park! As we drove into the park, we saw a wolf trotting by our bus! Our first big view of Cotopaxi (the largest active volcano in the world) was MAGICAL! As we hopped off the bus to enjoy the view, we were met with a llama – posing perfectly in front of the volcano!! It was the most “Ecuador” view we’ve seen. We then continued on our way to horse back riding! I think it’s safe to say the entire group had the best time on the horses. Lila led the pack as we trotted along Cotopaxi – the most scenic view, a “pinch me” moment!

After our ride, we hopped back in the van, ready for more adventures. We stopped for lunch at our new favorite spot… Super Pollo!! We enjoyed our nuggets and fries before heading to our first night in Baños! Our first activity upon arrival was an intense game of charades… honestly could not have been laughing any harder!! We then headed out for one of the most fun dinners ever! We found a cool rooftop restaurant and had it all to ourselves! We played Jenga, Uno, and even got a few rounds of pool in while we waited for our dinner! Our truly memorable night ended at our new favorite ice cream spot… ice cream with cheese anyone??? Apparently ice cream with shaved cheese is the new trend in Ecuador. Hayes was brave enough to try it. His review: “it tastes pretty much exactly how you would expect it to… like ice cream and cheese.” We were all dying laughing and still can’t get over how fun that night was!

Day 4 brought even more adventures! We got some well deserved sleep-in time before waking up to a wonderful breakfast of croissants, eggs, and fruit. We walked outside where the kids expected to hop on our usual bus, but were instead met with a Chiva! We hopped in the traditional, open aired bus and enjoyed a ride to the top of Baños while blasting good music. Our first stop was an amazing lookout over the city. We stepped out onto a glass overlook and enjoyed the view. Truly breathtaking with the mountains surrounding us! We then hopped back on our bus and headed to the “swing off the end of the world!” It’s not quite as scary as the name makes it sound, but it was so cool! We then hiked back down to Baños, enjoying every moment of the beautiful view and great friends.

Our afternoon was filled with soccer. We ventured to the park across from our hotel with our soccer ball and got a game going! Lee absolutely dominated the field with his impressive soccer skills! Libby also gets an honorable mention for her awesome efforts as a midfielder and the constant smile on her face – it’s contagious! The fun wasn’t over for the day, though.

Our nighttime activity was a night to remember. We headed to Parque Aventura for our salsa lesson! Everyone jumped right into it and looked like naturals! Our teacher taught us the basic moves before spicing it up with some “flavor.” While everyone absolutely killed the salsa dancing, Mary and Ben were crowned Salsa King and Queen! They did one last salsa dance for everyone before we enjoyed a big buffet dinner! Our night ended with a big dance party and we headed home with the biggest smiles.

The next day we packed our bags before heading back to Parque Aventura for a zip lining adventure! Our first zip line took us over the river and into a little canyon. A breathtaking moment, flying from one end of the river and into the rocks. Everyone killed the first zip line, and we were all eager to continue on with more adventures! Our next stop was a swinging ladder above the roaring river below. Everyone pushed through and had the best time! After crossing the ladder, we were met with rock climbing! We finished out our adventure with another zip line! This time, we got to go in pairs! Piper and Sarah had the biggest smiles on their faces as they went down the zip line together! Our day ended with a ride back to Quito to prepare for our travel to the Galapagos. As soon as we arrived to our hotel, everyone hopped into the hot tub outside! We all sat and chatted about how excited we were for our next adventure together.

Day 7 was our travel day to the islands! Our crew was super easy and fun to travel with. We made it to San Cristobal and were welcomed with a yummy pizza lunch. Everyone was super excited. Our guide met us and took us to pick out snorkel gear before heading out to our first snorkel in the Galapagos. We headed to Darwin Beach, where Charles Darwin first landed in the Galapagos. Everyone was super stoked to see a marine iguana, sea turtles, and sea lions! Whitney especially loves the sea lions and was giggling at everything that they did! Dinner that night was enjoyed at a beach-side restaurant. We spent the dinner doing riddles! Liddy started the game that got us all into “Snaps,” which occupied most of our night. We had an absolute blast!!

Day 7 was yet another fantastic day. We woke up and headed to Isla Lobos for a walking tour of the island before heading to snorkeling. The walk around the little island was out of this world. As soon as we stepped off the boat, we were greeted by a little Lava Lizard doing his push-ups to impress the lady Lava Lizards! Frigate birds were soaring up above. We almost immediately saw a juvenile frigate bird waiting for its parents to come back and feed him! It was accompanied by lots of other little baby birds. As we rounded a corner, we saw two blue footed boobies!! As we walked, we saw more and more, some protecting their new borns! We have to say the star of the show was the baby sea lion we saw. Our guide told us that the baby could not have been more than two days old. It was the cutest! We then headed to snorkeling, where we saw lots of fish, turtles, and even more sea lions came to play with us!

Our day ended with a cooking class. We made traditional Ecuadorian food! Nate absolutely crushed the empanadas – they were the biggest hit of the night! The ceviche also got raving reviews! Even the people who claim to not like fish got seconds! We surprised everyone with ice cream to round out the day before a special Moonup led by Lee and Lila where we shared what gets us up in the morning. It was the perfect way to round out our first week together.

George and I feel truly lucky to be spending this time with this awesome group of kids. Time is flying far too quickly for our liking! We’ll check back in soon!

Adios!

Bess and George

Shoutouts:

Mary: Hey mom and dad! I love and miss you! Thank you for sending me on this Moondance because I have seen the world and met my best friends! Love, Mary

Liddy: hey guys! I miss you. I’m having so much fun! I love you!

Ben: hey guys! I’m having so much fun. Say hi to Emma for me!

George: hello family, I am having a blast in Ecuador! Can’t wait to tell y’all about it!

Lee: Hi family, I have had so much fun on this trip. The people here are nice and the sights are amazing. The GoPro is fun. Love you – Lee

Nate: hey guys! I’m having so much fun and seeing lots of cool stuff here. Happy birthday mom! Love you

William: hey mom and dad. I’m having a great time in Ecuador and Galapagos! I miss you guys very much and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!

Hayes: Hi Mom, Dad, Caro, and Brooks. Love you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon! Love, Hayes

Piper: Hi Mom and Dad, firstly I miss y’all so much!! I’m having so much fun here!! Lava you two!!

Lila: hi mom and dad I’m having a great time as always and love everyone here! Everything is perfect I promise! Think about me on my birthday 🙂 love, Lila

Sarah: hey everyone! I’m having so much fun! I have so many stories to tell y’all! Someone please let Gabe, Beau, and Emily know that I miss them so much and I love them so much! Love all of y’all – Sarah!!

Whitney: hi mom and dad. I’ve had so much fun and seen the coolest things!! It’s dog heaven over here lol. Love you, Whit

Libby: Hi mom and dad! I’m having so much fun and have seen such cool things and met the best people. Miss y’all! Love, Libby

Safe Arrival in Quito!

June 23, 2024

Hello Ecuador + Galapagos Families!

We heard from our leaders last night that all the students have landed safely in Quito and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.

Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!

-Moondance HQ