1. Charting the Galapagos Ecuador March 21-28, 2015 EF Tours

2. Argese website Argese website Cochrane website (under Tigers) Cochrane website (under Tigers)

3. Argese’s Flights Departure: March 21, 2015 6:20 a.m. American Airlines #955 to Miami 9:45 a.m. American Airlines #1673 to Quito Arrive at 1:07 p.m. Return: March 28, 2015 6:05 a.m. American Airlines #932 to Miami 3:20 p.m. American Airlines #1525 to RDU Arrive at 5:30 p.m. *** Quito is in the same time zone, but does not switch to Daylight savings. Therefore, we will be 1 hour behind in Quito and 2 hours behind in the Galapagos. We depart at 6:20 a.m. I will be at ticket counter at 4:30 a.m.- please be no later than 5am!!

4. Cochrane’s Flights Departure: March 21, 2015 11:00am Delta Airlines Flight #1294 to Atlanta 5:35pm Delta Airlines Flight #673 to Quito Arrive 9:50PM Return: March 28, 2015 11:30PM Delta Airlines #680 to Atlanta 8:30AM Delta Airlines #1294 to Raleigh We depart at 11:00am. I will be at the ticket counter by 9:00. You should be there NO LATER THAN 9:00! *** Quito is in the same time zone, but does not switch to Daylight savings. Therefore, we will be 1 hour behind in Quito and 2 hours behind in the Galapagos.

5. Flights Continued Contact the airlines at least 72 hours prior to departure for any in flight meal requests. Argese departs at 6:20 a.m. - I will be at ticket counter at 4:30 a.m. Please arrive NO LATER than 5 a.m. Cochrane departs at 11:00a.m.- I will be at the ticket counter at 9:00- Please arrive NO LATER than 9:00 a.m.

6. Medications PLEASE pay your doctor a visit before we depart! Visit cdc.gov or consult your physician. Because of the high altitude, travelers with heart conditions and high blood pressure may be affected. Many travelers find the seas quite rough so motion sickness medicine is also recommended. (Hep A, Typhoid. Hep B, rabies, yellow fever, malaria, etc.)

7. Baggage Each traveler is allowed one checked bag, one carry on and a personal item. Check bag cannot exceed 44 lbs for the flight to the Galápagos Islands. As we will be changing hotels throughout the tour, each traveler MUST be able to COMFORTABLE carry his/her own luggage. While we want you to be prepared, please be cautious of over packing. Here is the link for the policy if you’d like to check it out.Here

8. Carry-on bag The EF backpack is a perfect carry-on bag. Here’s a short list of things travelers might need on the first day of the trip. These should be packed in the carry-on in case the checked luggage is delayed. Please include the following in your carry on: Passport Money Toothbrush and toothpaste Hairbrush Contact lens case/glasses (to sleep comfortably on the plane) A change of clothes (in case luggage is delayed) Medication Any valuables (Check tsa.gov for current security requirements.)tsa.gov

9. PACK LIGHT, BUT SENSIBLY ALL travelers should pack light and only bring as much as will fit in one suitcase and a backpack. Travelers will be responsible for loading their luggage on and off buses and into hotels. We recommend that travelers carry any valuables, medications and an extra change of clothes in their carry-on backpack and bring this with them on the plane. Clothing & accessories: SHOES: Comfortable walking shoes (sneakers) Closed toed, waterproof sports sandals (Keen/ Merrell) Flip flops for hotel/ pool/ beach CLOTHES: T-shirts/ shirts Shorts / pants Sweatshirt / thermal Light jacket/ windbreaker waterproof recommended Socks /Underwear (at least 10 pair) pajamas Plastic bag for dirty clothes Hat/ sunglasses Bathing suit/ towel

10. Weather – Quito Weather – Galapagos

11. Toiletries Group leaders will bring a standard first aid kit. Leaders will also have release forms for administering small quantities of over-the-counter medications to your child that we would like for you to sign today. Don’t forget these: Toothbrush / toothpaste Shampoo/conditioner – travel size Soap – travel sized body wash is recommended Deodorant Hairbrush/comb Sunscreen Bug spray Empty water container Any medications (in addition to a copy of any prescription) – Motion sickness, anti diarrheal, pain reliever, Benadryl, altitude band/ crystallized ginger Toilet paper/ tissues Spare set of contact lenses/glasses Hand sanitizer Hand wipes (wet ones)

12. Other Camera with charger/ extra memory Travel Journal Small Spanish – English dictionary Travel games/ cards Binoculars- optional Snacks – protein bars; nuts/ trail mix Empty water bottle… so we can keep refilling it! Expert topics (to be discussed!!) Bring electronics at your own risk. Contact wireless providers to see what fees you may incur while on tour. (WHATSAP- free texting if you have Wi-Fi) Portable charger for electronics Leaders are not responsible for lost items.

13. Documents Passport—it is required on this tour. Remember to bring your own photocopies of it (in case it is lost) and leave one copy at home. Your leaders will also have a copy.  Keeping passport and valuables safe!  Neck pouch placed under clothing  Make copies of passports prior to departure.  Be sure to sign your passport beforehand! Copy of any prescriptions (Customs officials may want to verify that a container's contents match its label, so all medication should be carried in its original container.)

14. Arrival We’ll meet our EF Tour Director once we have cleared customs and claimed our baggage. We will load a bus from the airport. We might not check into our hotel until the end of the day, so be sure to have Quito essentials ready. Our dedicated Tour Director swill be with us the whole time to handle logistics and provide suggestions for activities All EF Tour Directors are trained to handle challenging situations and emergencies that might arise Have 24-hour access to worldwide EF offices

15. - Bring cash (American dollar- nothing bigger than a $20.00 bill) - ATM card or prepaid debit card. -We are responsible for lunches on the mainland, tipping and spending money. Expect each lunch to cost $10-15 (5 days). Drink refills may not be included in lunches. - Call the bank prior to departure to alert them of the trip; foreign purchases sometimes result in a hold on bank accounts.) - ATMs are the best way to get money. - Don’t bring traveler’s checks! Money

16. Tipping Below is the tip guide that was sent to us by our tour consultant. We are going to ask that we collect the money before departing, so that we can give these tips to the appropriate personnel without having to collect it at each stop/location. Bus/ Boat Driver – (7 days) ($3 per participant per day on bus) = $21 Tour Director – (7 days)($6 per participant per day) = $42 Total per participant = $63.00 ****We would like to collect $70.00 to have a little back up just in case. If we do not use this extra $7.00, your child will come home with it! ****

17. Itinerary Day 1/2: Quito Day 3: Baltra/ Santa Cruz Day 4: San Cristóbal Island Day 5: Floreana Island Day 6: Baltra to Quito Day 7: Quito/ Otavalo/ Cotacachi

18. Hotels We do not have specific hotel information yet. Hotels will vary in amenities/ we will stay in tourist class hotels. Hotels may not have Wi-Fi or TVs.

19. Rooming arrangements  Students: 3 or 4 to a room/Adults: 2 to a room You will find out your room assignment when we get to each hotel!!  Visiting rooms  No student of the opposite sex is allowed to visit hotel room.  Meet in the lobby or sometimes a designated game room every morning/ meeting time.

20. During the tour  Typical day  Knock on doors/call rooms if needed  Down for breakfast – “head” check  Get items for traveling for the day or check out of hotel  Morning tour or morning travel to next destination  Meal times will vary depending on daily activities.  Back to the hotel at night.

21. Responsibilities and discipline  Keeping track of students  Count, count, count!  Curfew  Set by leaders based on itinerary  Bed check  Check every night, at least once  Knock on door. “Who is it?”  Checking inside the room

22. Things you may want to know….  Leave keys at the hotel desk before going out.  Air-conditioning is less common  Having to pay for condiments in McDonald’s  No FREE refills.  Cannot flush toilet paper  May have to pay for toilet paper.  Pickpockets are EVERYWHERE.

23. “Group roles & expert topics” Each student traveler will be assigned an “expert topic” for research. Topics will cover various aspects of what makes Ecuador unique. It is the responsibility of each student to research and present their findings to the group. (very informal!) They may want to create a print out, book mark, or sticker to summarize their findings. Adult travelers can choose to participate as well Topics to follow…

24. When will you hear from your traveler? We will try to contact you on Day 1, time pending Wi-Fi connections. You should NOT expect a daily phone call. Students will post to blog/mass email each evening pending computer access and Wi-Fi connections. If there is an emergency, the best way to contact us is through the hotel or tour director.

25. Next meeting: Wednesday, March 4 th at 6:30! We will discuss: Hotel information Flight information Contact information Expert topics Phone numbers for airport Last minute updates/unanswered questions Etc.!

26. Questions?? Time for questions, comments and/or concern….

27. Just a MUCHAS GRACIAS to all our parents and travelers for making this trip happen! ¡¡¡Mil gracias por venir!!!