LiveGreenNOW

In March, I left my cosy little hamlet city of Perth in Western Australia to embark on my first (but hopefully not my last) South American adventure. But even living in one of the most isolated cities of the world did not prepare me for this remoteness, this kind of quiet; the immense kind that shuts off all the brain chatter and forces you to listen. It would take me time to adjust to this new environment but once I did, it became very difficult to leave it behind as I continued my travels.

I travelled to Ecuador with a group called Global Exchange based out of San Francisco. Our goal was to explore the connection between the destruction of the environment and human rights violations by diving into the Amazon jungle and talking with affected local families, indigenous leaders, and environmental organizations.

One dreary January evening, in my Irish city home, I realised how inexcusable it was that I had been harbouring a dream for four years, without giving much thought to fulfilling it. The object of my dream was The Galapagos Archipelago. Having studied conservation management, The Islands held a special, almost mythical, appeal for me. So, I packed my camera, along with my courage, and set off alone for the adventure of a lifetime.

Given the state of our media news coverage of a struggling economy, wars, and popular Karaoke contest winner, it’s a much welcomed tranquil voyage during this rainy weekend to catch up on a couple of the volunteers’ adventures and pass along their tips in order to plan one’s next adventure, whenever it may now be.