Off to The Galapagos Islands

Friday 29th September 2006. Quito, Ecuador.

Leaving Quito for the Galapagos I am able to appreciate the beauty of this volcanic landscape. Looking down from our flight is like viewing a lunar landscape. I am so glad to be back on track. Some dreadful things have happened to me, but I am also beginning to recognise how fortunate I am. I have the opportunity to see this continent first hand and today I embark on a journey to one of the worlds natural wonders.

In 1535, the Bishop of Panama, Fray Tomás de Berlanga, discovered this archipelago. Ecuador did not actually annex the islands until 1832.

How can I possibly feel low when God has given me this opportunity. As I sit here waiting to begin leg two of my flight I remain consumed by thoughts of what if the night of August 24th/25th had been different? Yet I know that my focus must be that I have been given a second chance and as such I must embrace it with all I can...Roll on the Galapagos!

We fly into Baltra Island, where the US Air Force built a strategically significant base in 1942 to aid control of the Panama Channel in time of war. We descend through the most beautiful cotton wool clouds and my first sight of the islands is of the brownest landscape I have seen, and boy did we come in at it at an angle.

The first thought I have on landing is that the rest of the world must seem so strange if you were born and spent your formative years in such splendid isolation. My second thought is the realisation that this is the first time in my life that I have visited an archipelago in the Pacific and I am consumed by the realisation of why I am here...your roving reporter is back in business!

On the drive across Baltra to the ferry for Santa Cruz the landscape is beautifully barren and I see silver trees for the first time in my life. They look sprayed for Christmas, and then I come across branches that seem copper and others that are golden in colour. If I tell you that the trees are naturally a purple colour, how do you think they attain these different shades?

On the ferry to Santa Cruz the luggage rides atop the boat (just like on the buses I experienced on the mainland). The water is the bluest I have ever seen.

Santa Cruz is the hub of the archipelago and Puerto Ayora is the principle town, although not the islands capital. The settlement of Puerto Ayora was established only in 1926 due to the location of a fish factory by a Norwegian company.

After being well warned about what you could bring to the island I was amazed that the guy at the airport simply asked me if I was carrying food, flowers etc. I said no and he did not even check. I am also amazed at the amount of vehicles I have seen already between Baltra and Santa Cruz.

To give you an idea of how warm it is here, we cast almost no shadow, the sun is right above us.

From the warmth of the dock we climb up into the transition area with moss covered trees and into the humid area of Santa Cruz (the Scalesei) to Los Gemelos which is a collapsed membrane formed by the sinking of the earths crust. It is not a crater as there is no Volcano underneath. The Scalesei is lush and green and rich in agriculture.

We then arrive in Puerto Ayora.

The first permanent settlers to the islands arrived in Puerto Villamíl on Isabela Island in 1893. Floreana Island though had a penal colony established in 1833, but until the Puerto Villamíl settlement the islands had simply been a base of Fur Seal hunting (which reached its peak in the 1790's and decimated the tortoise populations) and Whaling. A staggering fact is that in the 35 years between 1846 and 1881, 4.5 million gallons of sperm-whale oil was harvested in the Galapagos. By 1848, some 13 years after Charles Darwin visited the islands onboard the Beagle the Floreana tortoise was extinct. Human pressures causing ecological destruction.

This afternoon we hike in Los Gemelos and then head off to view Giant Tortoises which are now in the mating season. The tortoises populate farmland at this time and in the form of true ecological partnership the farmers move their livestock to higher ground leaving the fields free for the tortoises. The economics of ecology are simple here...

Farmers previously would destroy the tortoises who invaded "their lands" (despite the fact that the tortoises had been mating here throughout natural history). To prevent this decimation, the farmers now give over "their land" in this mating season and in return earn an income from the tourists who come by the bus load to see these tortoises in this open air zoo.

My day is complete with a walk through a lava tunnel and then back to the port for dinner and a night sail to Floreana.

Saturday 30th September 2006. Floreana, The Galapagos.

I wake up this morning in an idyllic setting off the coast of Floreana Island. We land at Point Cormorant and view the flamingo's in the lagoon. Taking the island path we come across the most stunning deserted beach where we go paddling with the stingrays, which are all around our feet.

I've been to hell in South America; today I have come to heaven on earth. The deserted beach turns out to be a favourite nesting area for the Green Pacific Turtle which builds both a large and a small hole. The large hole is constructed by the turtles flippers whilst the smaller hole is constructed with the tail. This smaller hole, known as the Chamber, is where the turtle will store its eggs.

It was in 1905-06 that the California Academy of Sciences conducted the first ever comprehensive survey of Galapagos wildlife, yet it took until the 1950's for the creation of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park. There were environmental efforts during this time such as the 1932 American expedition where scientists transferred 70 land iguanas from Baltra to North Seymour as an experimental population. Yet there were also disasters such as the decision of the Ecuadorian government in 1946 to establish a penal colony on Isabela where the settlers developed the tortoise-oil industry.

The little hills around us here on Floreana are tuff cones. That is to say, they are not rock, they are made of ash.

I watched Sand Pipers and Sea Lions in action today and I even got to see Galapagos Penguins.

The highlight of my trip though was going snorkelling for the first time in my life. This was undertaken in open sea off Floreana Island. The water was very deep and the current very strong, but I was in good hands being supported by Jessica Clabo, a most delightful young lady from Minnesota who is a member of my tour group and who took kindly on the pathetic beached whale that was me.

We saw a White Tipped Reef Shark up very close, shoals of fish, the largest Star Fish imaginable and I got to swim with three very friendly Sea Lions.

In the afternoon we head to Post Office Bay and I carried on the tradition by posting a card home. The most amazing thing was that I collected a card to deliver from Helensburgh; Colquhoun Square to be exact. Helensburgh is my mum's home town and where most of my family live.

We descended deep into a nearby lava tunnel before heading off again in the dingy for our hike up to the Viewpoint of The Baroness.

On the dingy ride we again saw Galapagos Penuins, who are the second smallest penguins in the world. Only the Blue Penguin in New Zealand is smaller...we can check this out when we travel together in the land of the Kiwi. The dingy ride also allowed for viewing of White Tipped Reef Sharks and Sea Lions.

Recognition of the Galapagos importance was strengthened in the 1950's. In 1958 the Congress of Zoology endorsed the proposal to establish a research station which would support Galapagos conservation. After all, in 1954 scientists had declared that Baltra's land iguana population had become extinct, marking one of the fastest known extinctions of a reptile population. The establishment of the Galapagos National Park came in 1959 when the government of Ecuador declared a park area representing 97 percent of the 7,900 square kilometre land area in the archipelago. The following year the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands was formed.

Sunday 1st October 2006. Española Island, The Galapagos.

After breakfast we head on to Española to get up close with Sea Lions, Iguana's, Blue Footed Boobies and the Masked Booby. All around there seem to be Albatrosses who nest close to the cliffs because they are big and heavy and they use the strong winds to assist their take off. The Albatross is the biggest bird in the islands with a wing span of over 2 metres.

We also get to see the undisputed 'King of The Galapagos', the Galapagos Hawk.

As we head to Gardner Bay the boat is circled by Frigatebirds who seem to have followed us on our short trek. The afternoon is then spent snorkelling before we take to land to view more wildlife.

The 1960's represented the beginnings of major conservation work in the archipelago. This was the period when the remaining 14 tortoises on Española were brought to the research station for breeding and repatriation. 1964 marked the opening of the Charles Darwin Research Station located in Puerto Ayora and the following year the Charles Darwin Foundation opened the Reptile Rearing Center with tortoise eggs from Pinzon being brought to Santa Cruz for incubation and the raising of the young in the protection of captivity. By 1966 long-term botanical monitoring had begun and in 1968 the National Park began operating. As for those Pinzon tortoises, repatriation began in 1968.

Monday 2nd October 2006. Santa Fé Island, The Galapagos.

Today is spent hiking on both Santa Fé and Plazas Islands and enjoying nature in what can only be described as an open zoo.

Arguably the most famous event in the Galapagos of the twentieth century happened in 1971 with the discovery of Lonesome George, the last surviving Pinta Island Giant Tortoise. The 70's also marked greater recognition of the importance of the island's with UNESCO naming the archipelago a World Heritage Site in 1978. This was also the year when the National Park removed the last of the introduced goats from Española in an attempt to further conservation.

Tonight we have a cocktail party to say farewell to the rest of the tour group. I will be the only remaining passanger to meet those joing the Galaven II (our boat) tomorrow.

Tuesday 3rd October 2006. Black Turtle Cove, The Galapagos.

I have really enjoyed the Galapagos, and in particular the company of my fellow travellers. People have been so friendly and I have been able to relax free from fear. It is interesting though that I am beginning to feel that a period of over one year travelling is too long. This may be due in part to the assault, yet I was beginning to feel homesick before the attack. It is one thing to vacation and take a holiday from day to day life, it is quite another to be constantly on the move. Life becomes transient with a constant change of faces. I am coming to the realisation that I need stability, i.e. a constant. It may well be a different experience if you have a travelling companion? It may well be a different experience if you are 18 and have not yet known the "anchors" of life?

It seems strange to talk of loneliness when people are all around and yet the loneliest of times can be in the midst of a crowded room.

The new tour group arrive and after lunch we hike at Las Bachas.

In 1982-83 there was a strong El Niño that caused a dramatic fall in the populations of many Galapagos species. Particularly badly hit was the penguin population. The following year (1984) UNESCO declared the Galapagos a Biosphere Reserve. The islands though were to be hit again in 1997-98 by a second strong El Niño which led, in part, to the decision of the Ecuadorian government to enact a special law restricting migration to the Galapagos and bringing into being the Galapagos Marine Reserve (the second largest in the world in 1998). The reserve covers 138,000 square kilometres. 1998 also saw the establishment of environmental education centres on three of the inhabited islands and Project Isabela to restore Santiago, Pinta and Isabela.

Tonight we have a very bumpy ride to Santiago.

Wednesday 4th October 2006. Santiago, The Galapagos.

Today we hike on both Santiago and Bartolomé and enjoy the natural wonders of the archipelago.

I am suffocating myself imagining a past that never was as I journey through the 'what if' senarios that would have prevented the attack on me and the robbery of my sense of self-belief and my security.

Bartolomé is a beautiful island with the softest warm sand. We enjoy some relaxation time before our hike to the lighthouse and one of the most spectacular views in the archipelago.

The day is rounded off with a joyful dingy ride to watch the playful penguins.

It is easy to see why the archipelago has been feted with awards. In 1999 the Charles Darwin Foundation won the UNESCO award for contribution to environmental management and conservation; the same year in which the Galapagos inspection and quarantine programme was initiated. This programme is unique in the world as it is both a quarantine system with the primary goal of conserving biodiversity, whilst operating a secondary goal of protecting human health and agriculture and in so doing it protects a province from the rest of the country. No other such model exists globally.

The dawning of a new millennium brought with it the first comprehensive inventory, assessment and baseline study of the biological resources of the Galapagos Marine Reserve conducted by the Charles Darwin Foundation. In common with threats to marine life around the globe the Participatory Management Board established a five-year fisheries calendar to regulate the harvesting of commercially important marine species and established coastal zoning for the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Thursday 5th October 2006. Santa Cruz Island, The Galapagos.

Today we learnt that in reptiles the male is twice the weight of the female to allow him to take control and mate. A very interesting fact is that the Galapagos Mockingbird is unique amongst mockingbirds globally in that it can only imitate a few calls due to its limited exposure to other birds.

We are again hiking amongst the wildlife and enjoying the wonder of nature. There is no snorkelling today but we take to the water in the dingy to enjoy the coastline and its rich ecology.

On Seymour Island we are exposed to the mating rituals of the Frigatebird and some mating Iguanas.

The importance of the work of the Charles Darwin Foundation was recognised in 2001 with the award of the J.Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize honouring four decades of conservation in the Galapagos. This same year UNESCO extended its World Heritage Site status to the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Despite all the efforts 2001 was also the year in which the entire endemic flora of the Galapagos was added to the Red List of Threatened Species by IUCN. Indeed a Galapagos Plant Specialist Group was also created.

In 2003 the government of Ecuador enacted a Law for Total Control of Introduced Species in Galapagos.

Yet alongside problems come successes. In 2004 the number of tortoises repatriated reached more than 3,000 and the invertebrates reference collection expanded by 83% to include 158,000 specimens of native and introduced species found in the archipelago.

And the awards keep coming. The BBVA Foundation of Spain honoured the Charles Darwin Foundation in 2004 with its Biodiversity Conservation award and the same year the Ecuadorian government presented the foundation with the Commander of the Order of Honorato Vasquez award for the Charles Darwin Foundation's contributions to the fields of science and environmental education.

Santiago was declared free of feral pigs and Pinta free of feral goats in 2001. Such eradication work is vital because from the earliest days humans have presented the greatest threat to the archipelago's ecosystem with the introduction of non-native and often invasive species and the over-use of resources.

The Charles Darwin Foundation exists to produce direct conservation through its scientific departments in vertebrate ecology and monitoring, terrestrial invertebrates, botany and marine research and conservation. The focus of its applied scientific work is concentrated in two areas: native and endemic species and the introduced invasive species.

Study is undertaken on the biodiversity impact of climatological phenomena such as the El Niño, and the impacts of human activity on the ecosystems complexity, stability and connectivity within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The work in studies ranging from those on the Cactus Finch to climate change is increasingly of growing international significance.

The greatest threat to the islands still remains the human population. Over 30,000 people live on the four inhabited islands and around 100,000 visitors flock to the the archipelago every year. It was humans after all who brought in their wake the feral pigeons, feral cats, donkeys and goats which threaten highland vegetation, Galapagos Rails and other native species.

The eradication of introduced and often invasive species is aimed at the recovery of endemic and native species of wildlife, flora and fauna.

Baseline research cataloguing and tracking populations of Galapagos species is aimed at a sustainable future based around protecting and restoring native species.

Invasive species remain the greatest single threat to the biodiversity of the Galapagos. Introduced plants such as the rapid spreading blackberry, introduced animals such as the feral goat and invasive species such as the fire ant and dengue mosquito all threaten the eco-system. We need to remember that introduced plants crowd out native species and compete for the scarce soil and water resources of the islands.

Research thus needs to examine not only how healthy populations interact and use the ecosystem resources, but it must focus on the impacts of parasites, diseases, predation, climatic events and other natural occurrences.

The Galapagos presents a unique array of native and endemic species.

On land, differences in the age and height of the volcanically formed islands allow exploration of the effects of climatic and positional variations on species range, distribution and behavioual characteristics. In the sea the convergence of warm and cold currents creates a unique field laboratory for examination of the impacts of climatic conditions and underwater structure on both cold-water and tropical marine ecosystems.

Today the Galapagos retains 95% of its original biodiversity. The Charles Darwin Foundation provides scholarships for Galapagos natives and Ecuadorian nationals to develop their expertise in research and environmental education alongside scholars from around the globe. Such work is vital to understanding the complexities of ecology, society, culture and economy in the islands. The key to the future must be stewardship.

Discovery is always ongoing. In 2004 terrestrial invertebrate specialists conducting research on the biology and ecology of the archipelago's invertebrate fauna discovered 10 new species. These discoveries were made in conjunction with Project Isabela allowing access to the highly inaccessible areas of Santiago and Isabela where certain species previously thought extinct were to be re-discovered.

Friday 6th October 2006. Santa Cruz Island, The Galapagos.

This morning we head for the Charles Darwin Research Centre the highlight of the visit being to see Lonesome George before we head to Baltra and our flight back to Quito.

Flying back to Quito over a thick blanket of cloud I appreciate natures wonder as I view the backbone of the Andes peaking through the clouds to greet me. It is especially spectacular when I see a mountain top shrouded in snow welcoming me along my journey.

Tonight I dine once again at Siam in Quito and at last I am beginning to feel back on track. I dine with Colin, Natasha and Janice who joined my tour Tuesday and who have been great company. Hitting the tiles, I feel like the old Glover is returning!

Saturday 7th October 2006. Quito, Ecuador.

The Galapogas and Education.

Stewardship is the key to the future preservation of the archipelago. The Charles Darwin Foundation has a broad educational programme devised for the islands that includes the sponsoring of Ecuadorian (particularly Galapoganian) students through scholarships in the completion of related undergraduate studies. This programme allows for the mentoring and training of undergraduates in conservation, science and education.
The foundation also hosts national and international students and professional volunteers in the day-to-day functioning of the research station.

Beyond these traditional academic routes though the foundation plays a leading role in the Galapagos community. Through its grants programme it supports initiatives working with farmers on integrated pest control; it collaborates with fishermen's wives in finding economically viable alternative employment; it designs capacity-building workshops to offer the skills, knowledge and expertise to care for the environment to the local population; and it cooperates in the training of Galapagos quarantine inspectors to name just a few areas of the foundations operations.

All of this is coupled with the traditional educational routes of field trips; learning days; specialist staff going into local schools to teach science lessons; hands-on workshops; brochures; and 'environmental' camps.

The Charles Darwin Foundation's mission is "to provide knowledge and support to ensure the conservation of the environment and biodiversity of the Galapagos Archipelago through scientific research and complementary actions"; I am grateful to the Charles Darwin Research Station for giving me an insight into how they deliver on this mission.

I have really enjoyed my time in the Galapagos and I am so pleased to be back on track with the project delivering on the aims I set out to achieve. It has been a roller coaster of a ride, but it has been a journey round myself in which I have learnt a great deal. I believe that you never stop learning and I look forward to the lessons this project holds for us all.

More information on the Galapagos Islands can be accessed in the Facts Box section of the project website under Ecuador.

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It was a joy to open my e-mail today and find a mention from Wez and Rob the greatest captins of St.Nicks that ever lived.

To put you in the picture, Wez and Rob were my House Captain and Vice House Captain last year in St Nicolas House, my empire of 5 years.


Dear Will
Me and Rob just want to say hey and find out how you are? We hope
eveything is going ok for you and you are enjoying yourself?
Me and Rob are haven so much fun at Uni, we have made friends with a
great group of people and are also really happy with our courses. The night
life in Chichester is not great but we have a lot of good nights out in
Brighton. You must come join use when you get back, it will be great to hear
all the stories.
Best Wishes
Wez and Rob the greatest captins of St.Nicks that ever lived.

One of the greatest joys of being a teacher is your students. I am so proud of all my former students and it is always a joy to hear from them, particularly at the moment.

Oh, and yes...I am looking forward to that night out in Brighton (which is after all my adopted hometown!).

As I sit here tonight having my last Quito meal at La Crêperie I watch the street life unfold infront of me. Straight across the road a young man is peddling passports (and with them misery). He has about five and he is striking a deal with the bouncer of the restaurant opposite. One passport appears to be American and another is European.

I am wondering what he is thinking?

These goods are obviously the booty of muggings if not assaults. Does he know the misery and heartache such muggings cause? Indeed, does he care?

I cannot believe my eyes as the trade is being conducted in full view of two policemen. As I watch the trade I am somehow immune to the episode. I know the misery such activity causes and yet I am powerless to act against the proceeds of this crime...Am I complying through my ignorance of the wrong being played out in front of my eyes? or am I just realistic enough to know that there is nothing I can do. The muggings have obviously happened and I cannot alter that, and if the police won't act what can I do?

The Only Thing To Fear Is Fear Itself.

Well I've done it. I have overcome the first hurdle and I am now in Amsterdam awaiting my onward flight to Quito. I shared the most pleasant of company on the flight from Glasgow with two Greek ladies (the daughter of the group had just been to Glasgow University for her PhD interview).

I have a sinking feeling in my stomach. They have just announced a flight to Gatwick, and I want to go home. The truth is I never wanted to leave ever again. It was so comfortable and safe at home yet I know that I had no option but to get back on the project as soon as possible or my fears would eat away at me.

It is immaterial what was stolen from me. The key point is that the muggers stole my security, my feeling of safety, indeed my self-belief. I know in my heart of hearts that I will enjoy the remainder of the year and that I will meet many fascinating people and that I will be all the richer as a person for the experience. Yet all the rational/logical arguments in the world can't kill my fears.

Even before the attack I was realising that 14 months of travel is a long time. The reality is not the fast paced edited highlights of a BBC documentary enjoyed from the comfort of your armchair. It is life with all its highs and lows.

Before the attack, and even more so since, I don't like life in Ecuador. But this is only one mans' opinion and I would be the first to praise the countries natural beauty. Never in my life have I travelled anywhere and not wanted to return. This is the case with Ecuador, but I would qualify this by saying that I always seek to understand a country and as students of our global environment you too should seek to understand both why I might not like this country and the causes that are the seeds of the problems that form the base of my discomfort.

Tuesday 26th September 2006. Quito, Ecuador.

Impressionism and expressionism lie in the way we see. My impressions of Ecuador will be very different to those of people who view the same situations through different eyes. Likewise I will express my impressions in a way that is unique to me and it must be said that these are coloured by my personal experiences and in this I recognise my bias.

This is one of the times in life that you have to go and do 'it' on your own. No-one else can face my fears. In reality I am facing one of those rare experiences where one gets the opportunity to "find yourself". My dear friend Ann told me before my original departure that I would return a changed man altered in ways as yet unknown.

Facing the consequences of my mugging and assault gives me the opportunity to test my strengths, to get back up from the knock and go forward; or I could let it defeat me. I have had a great deal of support, in particular from my family and a few very close friends, but you can lean on no-one else when life sends you hurdles like these. Your only option is to jump the fence.

We all know that life is never better than when we are walking the straight path. Yet life has a habit of throwing unexpected turns in the road. When this happens you are actually being given an opportunity. Invariably it takes time to realise this, but you must recognise the potential for growth if you are to turn the curve sensibly and return to the straight and narrow enlightened by your experiences.

Whatever the follies of my project thus far, it cannot be in the interests of me or my students for fear to prevail. Indeed, it is not ignoble for me to cling to the hope that many people can learn from my experiences. After all, education is a way of building bridges to moderate the poverty and isolation that can lead to such violence (as inflicted on me by my attackers)that all too often characterises the Western view of South America. The whole point of this project lies in my aspiration to share the prosperity and opportunities of the 21st century through education.

In a way that robbery was the best thing that could have happened to me. It let me go home, share time with my family and find out just how marvellous they really are.

Life is all about timing. Sometimes you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I am beginning to realise that no matter what life throws at you, you must never miss the opportunity to spread your wings and soar.

Despite having stayed in my hotel all day today (mainly due to fear) I met with a driver (I had worked with on my earlier visit) in the hotel lobby tonight. It filled me with pride that he was amazed I had returned and that he said that many people would claim that they would get back on their project but it takes some strength to be back so soon.

You need to be a bit crazy to quit your job and set off touring South America. I am back because I am an adventurer at heart and education is what I do, and love, after all.

Quito though is a capital city. It is relatively modern and I know I am safe. That said, my fears were compounded during the night. I awoke around 3am to hear screams from the street below. Moving nervously to the window (one wall of my room is a full plate glass window) I could see over the low lying block in front that a skirmish was taking place a street away. The police arrived moments later but the assailants had fled. My sleep was again disturbed around 4.30 am to the sound of a car alarm and approaching the window I got to see some joyriders steal a vehicle. But this could be Liverpool or Manchester and I need to get things into perspective.

Wednesday 27th September 2006. Quito, Ecuador.

Up with the lark and down for breakfast. I intend to venture out today. I have flights to book to allow me to move on from Ecuador and I have a blog to write. Most importantly, I need to re-join civilisation.

On retuning to my room my door is ajar. Nothing appears to be missing and I can only assume that the cleaner has forgotten to close it. You cannot allow paranoia to set in.

I did venture out today to book flights to get me back on to the project route in Lima. I will update you when I know exactly what is happening between the end of the Galapagos tour and my joining Markham College in Lima.

The cost of this attack keeps mounting and it was another $600 today for flights...and trust me that was a good deal. Anyway, I still need to get accommodations sorted etc, so this is turning into a real adventure.

Due to my fears at night I decided to go and eat a very large lunch late in the afternoon. It is such a shame I am in Quito for 3 days and staying in my hotel.



Hi Will,

I am glad to hear that you are going on with your life. I know it is easy
for us to say take it easy and don't worry about it - but always
remember life goes on and it is short - so a bit of advise - only try to
remember the good things in everthing you do and anywhere you go.

Remember the good times we had on our trip - and always be cautious!

May your angels always be with you.

take care & be well,
Carmen

Thursday 28th September 2006. Quito, Ecuador.

Things just keep getting better in tourist unfriendly Ecuador. Despite having quoted me a price both on the telephone and via e-mail, my hotel are now doubling the price as I attempt to settle my bill.

The good thing about this debacle is that I am getting back a little to my old self. I argued my case and we finally got the matter settled at the original price.

I have even had the courage to take a walk around the vicinity and did not fear for my every move. I dined at a cheap and cheerful Indian restaurant where I met and shared conversation with a delightful young man called Adam who heads back to blighty and university next week.

I Believe

As I prepare to return to South America I will confess to much more than trepidation, the reality is that I am terrified about going back. What fills me though with PRIDE is the love and support I have experienced through what has been a very difficult period in my life.

So often in life we fail to tell those that are closed to us just how much they mean. It is only at times of tragedy that we think of all the things we have left un-said. How often I have heard people regret never telling someone that they loved them.

One positive thing about being beaten, bloodied and left for dead on the streets of Northern Ecuador is that it makes you realise just how fortunate you are.

I mean this in more than the simple material comforts that we all take too much for granted in the developed world. What struck me most of all was the fact that I am the richest man alive. I have a wealth beyond the dreams of Kings because I was fortunate enough to be born into a loving family who went to extra-ordinary lengths to secure my return home, to comfort and support me and to help me re-build.

I am the luckiest man alive to belong both to a very large family and yet at the same time to a very close family; none more so than my parents, my sister and I.
When God placed me with a family he could not have given me greater wealth than becoming my parents son. I never want to have the regret that I did not tell those I hold most dear just how much I love them. My Friends and wider family know this I am sure...But I want my parents and my sister to know that I LOVE THEM much more than words can ever say.

So many people have told me that my horrific experience in South America will take a long-time to get over, many people think I should spend my time be-moaning that which is lost. It has been traumatic but life has to move on and you can never regret all the tommorrow's you have to share when you are sharing them in the love and warmth of a family like mine.

One of my favourite songs is "The Wind Beneath My Wings", a song which poses the question "Did you ever know that you're my hero. [That] I would be nothing without you? Well I do fly higher than an eagle , but it is not a solo flight...the success in all I do comes from my family and friends.

When I was a boy, Glasgow was the centre of my universe. A daunting metropolis of gargantuan proportions. By the time I was an adult London had filled this void, and by my late 20's it was NYC. I love them all and they serve to remind me that there is a great big world out there for us all to find if we want to open our eyes and allow ourselves to learn.

I have had a rainy day, that's all. My glass is half-full not half-empty (memories here for all the students I have coached through Oxbridge entrance). The experience of August has taught me a great deal which I will share as time goes on. As my Mum always tells me "You can be all right today and all wrong tomorrow" and, as usual, she is correct. No-one can predict the wheel of fortune, but you will have a far greater engagement with life if you ride it rather than being a spectator.

I set out to make this project exciting for students and that is how it will remain.

My dear friend Alice sent me a message of support that summarises all those I have received...

I believe...
in mind over matter;
in the human spirit to prevail;
in miracles and blessings; both great and small;
in possibilities;
that hurdles in life are meant to be jumped over, not as something to stop us.
I believe in you!

Too often we think that it is never the right time to tell someone you love them, trust me on this It is always the right time...you may never get a second chance.

God Bless you all and here's to a successful year now we have successfully jumped the first hurdle together.

Will
X


Dear Will,
A quick note to wish you well on your wanderings. I bumped into Anne in Dorking yesterday and she's totally rooting for ye. I'll be priming the students on the Galapagos Islands: we're currently looking at sectors of industry so they'll ask about what primary, secondary and tertiary activities are undertaken there and what impacts they have.
All the best, mate,
Peter.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU NEED TO CLICK ON HEADINGS TO ACCESS THE PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE SECTION.

Roll with the punches.

This project is about education and I want to share with you some thoughts from a great educator that I was lucky enough to share many happy times with...
In 1999, I was appointed Academic Director at The Brighton College School of Excellence and my PA was a wonderful lady newly arrived in England from South Africa. Both she and her husband possessed a remarkable intellect and we very much became a family. Although I was younger than both their children I became very much part of the Fikuarts' life and I learned a great deal from Ian.

Ian Fikuart was a Rhodesian banker with that true Scottish grit that was the backbone of the British empire. He went on to become a university professor in the United States and a leading entrepreneur in South Africa. Sandi always comments on how many qualities Ian and I share and that is a true compliment!

Very much a spiritual person, Sandi is a font of advice when I am in need and Ian always has something to say from beyond the grave...had you known him, you would know that Ian always had something to say.

Throughout his career as an educator, Ian taught commercial skills to a great many business leaders, yet in the mould of a great educator, his greatest talent lay in people skills.

I did not get to know Ian until illness had seen him lose both his legs and given him a plethora of health problems that would have floored a lesser man. Yet, I knew Ian when he was at his greatest. He was volunteering with disaffected youth in the Brighton and Hove area, managing the residents association at Eaton Manor and he was a leading light in the stroke club, to name just a few of his merits.

Ian knew life's traumas better than most and he had known his down times, yet he always told me that "when life deals you lemons, you make lemonade"...whatever happens make your negatives positive.

Thank you Sandi for reminding me of what I can offer these project students, if I only make a tenth of the man Ian Fikuart was then I will know greatness.

I will keep our date for dinner back home in Hove in September 2007, and as you so rightly remind me, by then the building blocks project will have opened the eyes of so many to the opportunities we can all find in education.

My Inspiration...My Kids!

I know that the last two weeks have been a living hell for me. I have not found it easy to deal with the sudden, unexpected and unwarranted interruption to this project and the imposition it has placed on both my life and my health.

I am as yet, not ready to discuss my feelings more openly, but maybe in time, and possibly through the project book, I will be able to be more candid about the realities of this trauma.

You can't keep me down for long though and the attack has only served to make me more determined to go on and to produce even greater results for the project participants around the globe.

In the first few weeks, some lovely work was produced by the students in South America and some strong bonds were being formed between students world-wide. I have a project to deliver on and I will do this to the very best of my ability whatever obstacles are placed in my way.

The one reality about adversity is that it can be overcome. It can also inform and help others. I am already seeing that through the website and the comments I have been able to make to individual students (who are personally planning to set off on GAP years in the near future) just how my experiences may help prevent them suffering in quite the same way.

My inspiration for this project and my motivation was always the young people it might help. I share with you now just a few quotes from e-mails that I have received recently from my own students.

I was feeling that having given up everything, car, home and job, to fund this project that there was no future for it or for me. But I am a teacher. I do inspire my students and I have been made patently aware in the last few weeks that this is a project that goes beyond education for examination to education for life. I have also been made aware that I have inspired in students and colleagues a love that I would never have known had this incident not occurred.

In life we are sent many trials. What makes us the person we are is how we deal with these and how it shapes the person we become. You should always strive to be the best you can be and help others along life's sometime lonely road.
*****************************************

Dear Mr Glover,
Have only just returned to school and read your latest blogs. I’m very sorry to hear about your ordeal. I pray that you were not badly hurt and that you are quickly recovering. Please email to let me know how you are.
God bless
Dana


Hey Will (sir) it's Emily Macfarlane
Chris R texted me saying u where back from South America as u got badly
beaten up I really hope u are ok.. u cant have been there long I was gonna
email u once back at school too see how things were going...
You would have had the pleasure of my company in class this year if u had stayed, oh the banter we could have had.
Anyway i do really hope u are ok, and it would be cool to hear from you
love Emily x


Mate
Aw no that is appalling news!! hope everything has been sorted and the
arrangements made.. Hope apart from this mishap the trip will go as planned.
Anyways I hope your trip is able to resume soon, very sorry to hear about your
misfortune.
Would be nice to see you soon
Love Oli


Will
Well that sucks, I couldn't reply cos I was on a mini holiday, hope you get better...
Chris


William -
Are you ok? I was so concerned something like this would happen.
Genuinely, I don't even think you should go back on the project for your own well being - you have been there a couple of weeks and look at what's happened.
Be sensible about this - speak when your home.
Love
Francesca X


Will
I'm so shocked and sorry to hear about your past week's happenings. I
can't imagine how much it has been a shock to your system. I know
that under your Mum's TLC, you'll be good as gold in no time at all!
We better be seeing you in December!
Keep the peace going,
Tom

Dear Mr.Glover, I was recently informed of what happened and I hope you are alright. I'm glad to hear that it has not dampened your spirit, and that you are determined to go on.
Keep in touch.
Tim.


Will
YOU HAVE TO GO BACK, WILL. It's such an amazing opportunity to learn, to grow, to experience, (how much you are going to benefit from it as a teacher and as a person).

I am not exactly aware how to put it, I think in life there are some things we just have to do and it is not about how much time it will take, how far we will have to travel, how many hardships to overcome. Even when we are setting off with trepidation
sometimes we know we have to carry on and this is how I feel about this project. I know that you have to carry on and then how proud you are going to be next year
coming back, knowing how much you have achieved, with this wonderful sense of self achievement.

Regarding the website donations, to be frank with you , I just think you seem to be such a successful and literate person that most would simply not think that the project would significantly benefit from donations. This is what I mistakenly thought.

Lots, lots of people support, admire (and even envy) you and I just wanted to contribute(even a bit). I will be with you with all my heart- and I'm sure many people are. Your path has 'heart' just follow it.

However hard it is, remember how priviliged you are, you are my best teacher
you are so smart, literate, intelligent, you know so, so, so much about virtually everything and now you have this wonderful chance. Trust me, be grateful and enjoy.

Don't feel 'stupid' you are neither stupid nor 'do stupid things', all that happened was that you had accident. It happens. So what. It could have happened to anyone, literally anyone.

You would be stupid only if you abandon the project. There are so many people behind you. But the key is YOU, and later what you can do, with the knowledge you will garner.

I do apologize if this e-mail is a bit lengthy, but well I just want you to know how much I care about you completing this project

I know you will do GREAT!!!!!
Holding fingers crossed,
Maciej.

I need to remember that storm clouds can be the most beautiful of all clouds...Enjoy the skies that I witnessed over Ecuador by clicking on this pages title.

Support

"Saturday, September 2, 2006
IT'S NEVER OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The power to hold on in spite of everything, to endure,
this is the quality of a winner.
Your greatest glory is not in never failing,
but in rising every time you fail.

It's your constant and determined effort
that will eventually break down all resistance
and sweep all the barriers before you.
Persistence means taking pains to overcome every obstacle,
to do all that's necessary to reach your goal.

All great achievements require time.
Endurance is the crowning quality of success."
I receive these (above) notes every from The Daily Guru- and as I read this one I thought of you!

I am glad you plan to continue the project- it needs you!
hope to hear from you soon
Susan


Dear Will,

I have just read your blog and I am really happy to know that so many
people have written to you giving support and encouragement. I know I
would not feel any different from what you must be feeling right now if
the same had happened to me, i.e. fearsome, guilty and in doubt. But
Lorraine says mistakes and mishaps are there for us to learn from them,
not to put us down. The reason why we feel so disheartened is probably
because we all want the world to be perfect and our plans to work out
beautifully and flawlessly. But reality is reality and good and bad will
always be there, whether in the streets of Quito or in Central Park
NYC. I feel sometimes these "accidents" happen to give us the opportunity
to retrieve to good within ourselves so that we can move one step
ahead; more focused, better equipped, definitely stronger and certainly more
humane.

I hope you are feeling a little bit better by now, in the company of
your family and friends.

I look forward to seeing you again in December!!!! We need your help
and guidance for preparing students for the English Speaking Union
Competition.

Do keep in touch
Cuca

Rebuilding. The photographs in this section have served to remind me of why I need to continue...for the Good Times!

It was all going so well. The feedback from across the globe was most positive and I really believed I was making a difference.

The ONLY outcome I can allow from this trauma is that I make it through to the other side. I am an intensely private person in many ways and I cannot believe that I am telling the world my problems in such an open manner. It was not meant to be like this.

The violation of being beaten and robbed does make me fear the world around me, but I know that I still have the opportunity to make this project work, to link students around the globe and to offer participants a greater understanding of our relationships as brothers and sisters.

Having lost all my project fundraising which I held in local currencies this has meant that the future of this project has been placed in jeopardy. The reasons for holding the funding in this way were practical, if now viewed in a very different light.

What I have learnt is the difference between money and wealth. I have lost a great deal of money, but money is only a means to an end. Wealth is very different.

I am wealthy beyond belief and no-one can ever take that away. This project was conceived out of a genuine desire to create understanding and to help promote educational opportunity in the young. In its first month it has been very successful and the potential for further growth is immense. I cannot allow this set-back to pull me down. The economic reality is that it will take month's longer now to pay off the project debts when I return to the UK. My journey across the centre of South America is now lost...but there are a further eleven months that can be recovered and that can deliver on the project aims.

That wealth I spoke of is my family and friends. It is not monetary but human. My family went to extraordinary ends to repatriate me and have full medical checks conducted. The messages of support that have flooded in from around the world make me realise just how valued I am by others. It may have been an expensive lesson to learn, but I am also seeing some very positive personal reactions that only a time of crisis can facilitate.

I note that one of the questions to the project this week is from Attica, currently in 6th year at George Heriots School.

He wanted to ask a few questions regarding [my] travels through South America.

What inspired you to undertake such travels around S. America, and why did you chose S.America over any other place in the world?

And when you decided to travel, how did you go about it? I'm quite interested in travelling myself, i.e. taking a year out, and I don’t know where to start.

I realise that if my experiences can prevent what has happened to me happening to just one other person then my experience will have been positive.

I am finding it difficult to cope with the aftermath of my experience, however I hope over the next few weeks before I return to South America to make it clear both why I must return and also to try and understand why the thin veneer of humanity that we term civilisation breaks down.

My experiences offer the perfect opportunity for student participants to examine topics such as law and order in the developing world; issues of personal safety and mans' inhumanity to man.

Will