I don't have a B game.

One of the exciting reasons to be back teaching in the States is access to professional development. One of my favorite places in the world is the Nature and Science Museum, so what could be better than a museum class designed for science teachers :) Three days of classes, hands on activities, lectures by professionals, university credit and a $300 stipend. Nice.

Of course I signed up for the class and after the first two classes we were given a homework assignment. The class was about how to incorporate more data into the classroom. Kids need to get used to seeing data and interpreting it. It just so happened that I was contemplating teaching my acceleration unit using cheetahs instead of the all so traditional cars. I found some cheetah data and jumped right in.

For our homework we had to create a science fair type presentation of our lesson. They sent us a rubric and told us there was a prize. Now, I'm competitive enough as it is, but mention a prize and a prize that I actually want and forget it. I went all out. I don't care if this was just a formality, or that everyone was getting the credit no matter what. My parents taught me to do anything to the best of my ability. That poster represents me. When I'm not standing there that poster is who I am. My values, my work ethic, my creativity. Why would I do it half ass? How did my parents instill this quality? Why do people do things to a minute portion of their ability? Why don't people play to win?

Yesterday was the final class and we had a "fair" of our projects and there were several judges from various science fields and guess what... I won.

That step off the edge

Just west of Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic there's a overgrown path on the side of the highway that leads to La Penita (the "n" is supposed to be an n-ya, I just don't know how to do that in blogger). The limestone cliff has been beaten and battered by the salty sea and here lies a perfect spot to test your guts, or stubbornness, or both. I don't really like jumping off high places, or the way it makes me feel, until after the fall. That step off the edge. The sentence just felt like it needed to stop there - that step off the edge. I did scream all the way down, and according to Laura my terrified scream is the exact same as I'm having fun scream. That could be a problem in the case of an emergency.

Heaven is a place called Playa Fronton

Looking for heaven? Look no further, it's right here on earth, which is exactly where it should be, and we should realize that and totally appreciate it.

You need directions? Well, you can probably find a heaven right where you are, but if you'd like to go to the one I just visited you'll have to get your way to the DR and drive out to the tip of the Samana peninsula and get on a boat to Playa Fronton.

Not convinced? Let me show you this...

Don't like aerial views? How about this...

or this...

You don't believe I was actually there, huh?

Well, this is the view from my tent. Yup, I was sitting inside my tent, organizing my stuff (I forgot how much I enjoy setting up a tent), when I looked up.

Did you know that on the Chaco website you can upload photos of all the places your Chacos have been? I bought these beauties in 1996 and they've stepped on a lot of heavenly places...

A little coral reef snorkeling in the gorgeous waters...

Enjoying the reef from outside the water...

I actually was there with a group of students from my environmental science class. We were learning from a group called Reef Check. The reefs are in trouble. We collected some data, had class in the sand, snorkeled, rock climbed, hiked, watched the sunrise and star gazed. It was truly a spectacular three days.

Dino Tracks 101

Dinosaur tracks, footprints, traces, trails... the fossil evidence left behind when dinos roamed the earth millions of years ago. You need a nice sandy or muddy surface and a dinosaur to tromp across it, then you need it to get covered and stay covered, compress under pressure and turn to rock and, finally, get exposed millions of years later.

You can see from part A that an indentation is made by the dinosaur foot in soft sediment (deepness can depend on not only the size of the dino, but how soft the mud is as well). In the underlying layers there can be undertracks, which are just parts of the lower sediment layers that receive an indent, but are not the exact surface the dino was walking on. Usually these undertracks will not be as distinct or have claw marks. The layer above fills in the track itself, and forms a natural cast, if this consists of different sediment it can form a unique cast of the print itself.

In an area with the right aged rocks you can search under overhang layers and find tracks... which is exactly what I did on my drive from Cochabamba to Torotoro, Bolivia. 

We stopped for lunch at a site of a newly built bridge. The river was trickling down the almost dry bed and snaking its way through the canyons...

The bridge itself was the only shade around, so we headed under to find a cool lunch spot. The distinct layers of sediment weather and erode differently, depending on the resistance of the sediment. Shale (ancient mud deposits) erode faster than sandstone. These shale layers break apart, fall out of the outcrop and the more resistant sandstone is left. Under that bridge last week is where I looked up and exclaimed, "Hey, those are dinosaur tracks!" Natural casts actually.

How does this happen? What is going on?

Imagine: A quick, three toed carnivore is running across a section of mud near a lake... as he runs he leaves behind footprints and in the really mucky areas he sinks deeper than in the drier areas. He's off to another spot, when the rains start. This time it's a heavy rain. Pouring. Flash floods bring sediment from the higher areas onto the mud flat and all those three toed tracks are filled with a fine sand. The storm lasts for days and the original layer is being covered by meters of sandy flow. The rains stop, the area dries out and in a few months the rains repeat and repeat and that footprint layer is buried forever. Well, not really forever, because then the continent crashes into an ocean plate and the earth rises into the air and forms mountains. These mountains are high up and this time the rains cause erosion. Chunks of rocks break off and make their way down river for more layer building, but that original layer has now resurfaced and we are ready to see it. Voila the tracks that were left 100 million years ago are now back on the surface!

If you are lucky the original surface was nice and flat and the dino left a long trail of tracks... Here you see a trackway left by an Ankylosaur type dinosaur.

Notice that the ankylosaur was not "turtle like" nor did it walk like an alligator. Dinosaurs had and upright stance with legs under the body instead of sprawled out.

Do you want another look at those tracks?

This photo was taken from outside our room at our hostel in Torotoro, Bolivia.

Notice that I said that these tracks were left by an ankylosaur type dinosaur. Tracks have their own classification system that is NOT the name of the dinosaur. Unless you find the skeleton still stuck in the footprint there is not enough evidence to say exactly which dino made the track. Instead tracks are divided into their own categories...

Can you identify the type of track from the photos?

Notice the claw mark on the middle toe. Can you see the pad impressions on the right toe? Imagine the soft mud as this therapod races across the surface.

Using my foot for scale, this is an obviously big track. Huge, roundish tracks, with a bit of overlapping between the back foot and the front foot.

Sauropods are my favorite dinos...

Whoa...

This is actually a close up of one of the tracks on a huge slab near the El Vergel waterfall in Torotoro.

Ye-haw I love dino tracks!

25 July - Day 51: Island hopping and Baby Powder Showers

My new showering strategy is to have as little contact as possible with the frigid water and to simply douse myself with baby powder. I even resorted to putting baby powder in my hair. I understand the energy requirements to heat water, but it is really cold here - they tell me the coldest it's been in two decades and I can not bear to put my head under a shower of ice cold water. Imagine it's a 50 degree day and you decide to bathe with the yard hose.

Six more nights... six more - I hate thinking that way - wishing my time away, but I just got off a 2 1/2 hour frigid boat ride, the sun has not peaked through once today (even though I've been on three different islands) and I would pay $20 for a nice HOT shower!

I started my day in San Cristobal - jetted over to Santa Cruz - and have just arrived on Isabella. After a total of 5 hours on a boat I'm not looking forward to the boat trip scheduled for Tuesday. I managed to keep all my food in, but it's probably because at 6:30 am I drugged myself with two mareols and then I swallowed down one more for the afternoon ride. I probably should have taken two more and just passed out because the last ride was rough. It was a smaller boat and at times we were entrenched in a wave and couldn't see the horizon for a few seconds. That and slamming down in the waves was enough to bring up anyone's lunch. I listened to my IPOD and that kept my mind busy.

My first reaction upon arrival to Isabella is... ewwww, ugly. My hostel overlooks a vacant lot with an old dirty matress and laundry hanging. The "port" is not a port at all and just a dock that leads to a street. I don't have a sense of orientation yet - so maybe I'll feel better when I do. I usually catch on to directions fairly quickly, so we'll see how I do when I get some daylight hours.

  My hostel doesn´t look that bad, right? Well here´s the view across the street...

Bummer, really because the places on the beach are really nice...

Isabella is the largest island and made up of 6 volcanoes. Sierra negra is the 2nd largest crater in the world! The port here, Puerto Villamil, has 1000 residents and is referred to as "off the beaten track" (I'd say...) My guidebook doesn't even include a map of this town...

The plan for the week is three day tours and two free days. I've got my fingers crossed!

24 July - Day 50 : Lions (sea), iguanas (marine), and birds (boobies) - OH MY

Another really pleasant day. I left my hostel in search of some breakfast and ran into one of the volunteers from Jatun Satcha. She´s close to my age, from Germany, and I didn´t really get a chance to talk to her at the reserve... we decided to get breakfast together. After we ate she mentioned going to La Loberia - the beach about 40 minutes walk that everyone went to yesterday. She wanted to go back and enjoy it without so many people, so we ended up hanging out all day. It was great.

La Loberia (oh wait for the photos) is known for lots of sea lions, marine iguanas and birds - oh good - I like all of those things! Of course the weather wouldn´t cooperate and we almost turned around because of the rain, but at that point we were already soaked and kept going. I am so glad because we, of course, saw tons of sea lions, but sea turtles as well! the infamous turquoise water was surrounded by black igneous rocks and the white beaches composed of broken sea shells and purple urchin spines. Who doesn´t love frolicking sea lions? It was too cold to swim, but I did have my bathing suit on for the 2nd time this ENTIRE summer!

We hiked up to a cliff, winding our way across the sharp lava. At the top of the cliff we saw birds - a few Nazca boobys, but mostly swallow-tailed gulls with their red eye circle and red feet.

It´s true, when you travel alone you can meet some really cool people. I deserved this - after babysitting - and the reserve "camp".

We took photos, talked and hiked. My stomach was digesting itself by the time we got back into town.

I really needed this type of day. Full of exercise, but relaxing at the same time, good company, along the coast and cool animals to observe. Now this is that I was expecting!

Tomorrow I´m off bright and early to catch the 7 am boat to Santa Cruz, then to the 2 pm boat to Isabella... My last week...

20 July - Day 46; People pay to do this?

At the reserve... and... it´s really beautiful, really...

you ready for the BIG BUTT... whew - deep breath- bugs, so many that you need to wear a bug hat. OK I can wear one, too bad no one told me to bring one, I actually own a bug hat and have it in Bolivia with me - that way I wouldn´t need to borrow a moldy, stinky one. Work - manuel labor - I actually enjoy a bit of manuel labor and when you are on kitchen duty you get out of work, but I´d much rather be in the reserve working than in the kitchen!

Reforestation of native species is the goal. Pull out the invasive blackberry bushes - which have taken over and are covered with nasty thorns, and plant native trees. I planted 8 trees today! That´s cool. Everything is covered in mud. The last place did a really good job cleaning up even when someone broke the rules and walked with their boots in a forbidden zone. This place appears to make no effort to clean and even though they force you to take off your boots the floor is covered in dirt and now your socks are filth. A nice brush-like broom would fix this problem.

Lunch was OK - rice and meat - you are in charge of washing your own plate - in cold water with a nasty sponge - my mom would have a heart attack.

OK - I´ve saved the best for last and I haven´t even had the full experience yet... the sleeping quarters! I´m sad that they other guy planted the bed bug idea in my head because the matresses are repulsive - all of them. I´ve sprayed the crap out of one with bug spray and then they put sheets on a different bed. Oh - it´s gross. I asked about a blanket or something - and they were like, "oh" you didn´t bring your own sleeping bag? Well... nooo... just like the bug hat, that wasn´t on the "list". Damn, now I have to use a sleeping bag from here. How am I ever going to sleep? I´m repulsed just thinking of getting into that bed. I´m trying to think back to girl scout camp... when I was - what - 8 years old... I don´t remember the sleeping quarters - were they gross?

14 July - Day 40: Puky McPuker

What a morning. My boating experience is so limited that I didn´t know how to mentally prepare myself for today´s tour of Academy Bay. My inner ear fails me more and more as I age and I don´t know if I´m going to get sick. Should I skip the trip? What to do? Should I eat breakfast? Daniel, one of the guides, picked us up at the hostel and took us to our restaurant - ok - I should at least have some eggs and toast. Feeling good we head for the dock. This is a "special" glass bottom boat - the only one here. We join two other families and our guide, Edwardo, and head off.

It´s rough, the water. Super turquoise and beautiful, but the overcast sky and swells are bringing back thoughts of stormy seas. Maybe in a past life I died at sea...

We go to a group of volcanic rocks - 25 minutes from the port - and immediately spot sea lions. Awww, so cute! We stay in one spot looking at the crabs, birds, sea lions and my body is fighting to keep control. No big shock - my body fails. A group decides to snorkle - 1st of all the water is cold - 18 degrees C, and rough, big enough swells to look undesirable, it´s cloudy and well that´s all I needed to not jump in. In my mind I realize that getting out of the boat is a good idea, but the dizziness has set in and now the puking starts. Just three times - enough to empty my stomach - whew - so much for those eggs. We are rocking while the snorkelers snorkle. I am concentrating hard. Deep breaths, calm, find that still happy place inside.

The group jumps back in - blue lips and all. We are off again and I´m in full concentration mode. Oh thankfully the walking part is next. We get out of the boat and view a white tipped reef shark resting spot and then head for playa de los perros - which actually has nothing to do with dogs. Here the whitish sand blinks in contrast with the black lava. Turquoise water slaps the shore and - wait - look - marine iguanas! Swimming! Sunning! How Cool!

I guess said fast to non native speakers, marine iguanas sounds like marijuana. Imagine the excitement on someone´s face when the guide shouts - "LOOK - marijuanas!"

Back on the boat we don´t go far before another walking spot - this time to a canyon-ish area with brackish water. With the overcast sky the water isn´t very inviting, but it was quite relaxing to chill on land for a while. I just have the shakes a little now, so as long as I don´t make any sudden movements I can stay upright.

Made it back to Porto Ayora and was able to fill my empty stomach with some rice and fish. After a little siesta we headed to Tortuga Bay. The path was a little longer than we expected and went on and on.

I guess now might be a good time to introduce you to my travel companion. As of a month ago I was the only person signed up to do the trip. When I checked into my hostel in Quito - two days before- I discovered that there was someone else signed up... I was glad actually - after 5 weeks alone - I am ready for a travel companion.

The next morning I met her. She speaks only English and in a super southern accent. She shares that she is from Alabama and living in a trailer in a trailer park with a pit bull and a pit mix. Twenty two - which means she was born in 1988 and if I´d followed the southern way - could literally be my daughter. She is THAT generation - the one that cannot put down her cell phone which in addition to being a phone has internet. I wonder why people don´t just be with the people they are texting. If you can´t put down the phone... move closer to the person you are texting all day. My pet peeve - hanging out with someone that cannot stop texting or worse, talking on the phone. I know I sound like an old lady... I am.

Come to find out, my travel companion has brought a large rolling suitcase, a hand suitcase, a backpack and a shoulder bag. We are doing a lot of moving around... staying in several different places... WTF? It´s a good thing she´s blonde and tiny. How did I end up with the perfect white trash southern girl for a travel companion?

So far she has needed help with everything! After bragging about having taken Spanish all through school - she asks me how to order a bottle of water. This is good actually - I can relax and speak English most of the time, but am being forced to be the one to communicate with everyone else. I need this responsibility.

Next stop... volunteering in the highlands of Santa Cruz...

Day 7: Freaking cool basilica

Remeber the basilica I told you about the other day? Well I decided to go explore after school today. I walked from school (I love being able to walk places) to the north side of Old Town. The Basilica sits up on a slope and overlooks the city. In the guide books they say to be sure and climb the tower, so that's what I did...

Here is the Basilica, in all it's glory, sitting on the hill...

When you get closer to the church you see that the gargoyles are representative of animals native to Ecuador...

See the anteaters? How cool! There were many different animals represented...

monkeys...

and alligators... there was also turtles, jaguars, iguanas, but I was on the wrong side of the sun. I'll have to go back in the morning when the sun is shining on the front of the church.

So I walked around to the side and bought a $2 ticket to go up the tower. I had no idea what I was in for...

In the narrow staircase I came to the first floor and there was an overlook into the church.

Sorry it's so dark...

Finally I get to an arrow that points - this way to the tower... ok, I thought I was in the tower... nope I have to walk across this makeshift bridge first.

Ok, this looks totally safe. Hey, what is that at the end of this wooden path way? Is that a metal ladder?

Yup, it is...

Phew. I made it. Wait, what is that over there?

Shit, I don't like the looks of that! I think I'll just stay here and enjoy the view. Wait, what will my family say when I tell them that I went to the "almost" top of the tower. That is lame. Ok, deep breath, you can do it...

Ok, I'm at the stupid top of this thing... I don't like it one bit. It's windy and cold up here. Hey, the guide book says it's over 300 feet up!

Don't look down! Crap, I looked down. I could only hope to impale myself with some sort of gothic metal rod on the way down...

Ok, ok, I'll try and enjoy the view.

Damn there's a lot of houses out there.

Ok, it's time to go back down. Whew, I am all worked up and my stomach, which hasn't been normal in a few days is now in knots. I know people like adrenaline rushes, but I feel a bit queasy. I think I'll just head back to the bottom as fast as I can.

OMG, see that tall spire? That's where I was. Time to sit on a bench and relax for a minute. Now my head is filled with spanish and my guts are grumbling... nothing like traveling :)