Day 5 (1/5/20):
After a bumpy bus ride and crossing cattle we arrived at the volcano Sierra Negra in the morning. Hiking to the lookout point of the caldera was a great experience. It was a little difficult due to the incline but enjoyable. While hiking we passed by a guava plant. The guava plant is an invasive species which started out on a small private farm and expanded. The guava is notorious for hurting the native vegetation. Unfortunately, it is impossible to eradicate the guava because cutting down the tree will spread seeds and chemicals would hurt other plants. Tortoises contribute to this issue when they eat guava and it spreads through their excrement.
When we arrived at the lookout point I was amazed by how large the caldera was. Sierra Negra is an active volcano which last erupted in 2018. Smoke is an indicator that a volcano may erupt and records of previous eruptions may be examined to estimate years an eruption is likely. Seismic activity monitors may also be consulted but there is no reliable and accurate method to precisely predict eruptions. Some scientists believe that volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are linked but currently there is no significant scientific data to support this. Discussing eruptions while standing on Sierra Negra was scary but the view was worth the risk. Standing by the caldera I noticed there was lush greenery and we could hear many animals even though there was an eruption 2 years ago. Vegetation survives eruptions because a typical lava flow will not not evenly surround the mountain due to varying pressure during the eruption and uneven landscapes. When the regions that were burned by the lava regenerate they may contain a variety of species that are different from regions on the opposite side of the mountain.
After visiting Sierra Negra we had lunch and then started our next activity, biking to the Wall of Tears. Although I was warned that the bike ride would involve lots of hills and a gear bike ( I’m a cruiser fan) I felt confident that I would still enjoy the ride. I was very wrong. It was amazing to ride by marine iguanas and a few tortoises but this bike ride was very difficult for me. The bike ride to the Wall of Tears was aptly described as the “bike ride of tears” for a few of us. Visiting the Wall of Tears was an emotional experience for me as I gradually realized what the wall symbolizes. I knew that the wall was constructed by prisoners as a way to occupy them but I had no other background knowledge than this. I was shocked by the size of the wall. It was constructed over the course of 13 years and was not only very tall but also wide. I was more shocked to learn from our guide Diego that a majority of the prisoners were incarcerated for political reasons or pickpocketing. I had assumed that the majority of the prisoners were sent to work on the wall if they had commited serious crimes on par with murder. In addition to many of the prisoners being convicted for petty crimes, many people died from hard labor. The prisoners were expected to carry large stones from the coast to the wall which was an almost impossible task. The records about how many people actually were sent to this area are unclear. Visiting The Wall of Tears was very emotional because I had no idea about the true circumstances surrounding the construction of the wall. I hope that the wall will continue to act as a reminder of a past that should never be repeated.
Later in the evening, Taylor and Evan gave a presentation about Chevron (Texaco) and Ecuador. Prior to the trip I read a lot about the history between the oil company Chevron and their connection to Ecuador. Chevron while extracting oil from Ecuador knowingly violated multiple protocols which allowed for severe environmental degradation. Taylor and Evan went into great detail about multiple aspects of the relationship between Chevron and Ecuador including extraction practices, the court case in New York and Ecuador, and the impacts of the oil on the environment. While discussing the impacts of oil this fact from their presentation stood out to me: “It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only 1 gallon of used oil to produce 2.5 quarts of new, high-quality lubricating oil”. I hope that in the future more oil companies will see how Chevron was put under severe public scrutiny and change their extraction practices in developing countries. However, it is important to note that Chevron still refuses to acknowledge the harm they have caused and they still owe Ecuadorian citizens fair reparations.
When we arrived at the lookout point I was amazed by how large the caldera was. Sierra Negra is an active volcano which last erupted in 2018. Smoke is an indicator that a volcano may erupt and records of previous eruptions may be examined to estimate years an eruption is likely. Seismic activity monitors may also be consulted but there is no reliable and accurate method to precisely predict eruptions. Some scientists believe that volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are linked but currently there is no significant scientific data to support this. Discussing eruptions while standing on Sierra Negra was scary but the view was worth the risk. Standing by the caldera I noticed there was lush greenery and we could hear many animals even though there was an eruption 2 years ago. Vegetation survives eruptions because a typical lava flow will not not evenly surround the mountain due to varying pressure during the eruption and uneven landscapes. When the regions that were burned by the lava regenerate they may contain a variety of species that are different from regions on the opposite side of the mountain.
After visiting Sierra Negra we had lunch and then started our next activity, biking to the Wall of Tears. Although I was warned that the bike ride would involve lots of hills and a gear bike ( I’m a cruiser fan) I felt confident that I would still enjoy the ride. I was very wrong. It was amazing to ride by marine iguanas and a few tortoises but this bike ride was very difficult for me. The bike ride to the Wall of Tears was aptly described as the “bike ride of tears” for a few of us. Visiting the Wall of Tears was an emotional experience for me as I gradually realized what the wall symbolizes. I knew that the wall was constructed by prisoners as a way to occupy them but I had no other background knowledge than this. I was shocked by the size of the wall. It was constructed over the course of 13 years and was not only very tall but also wide. I was more shocked to learn from our guide Diego that a majority of the prisoners were incarcerated for political reasons or pickpocketing. I had assumed that the majority of the prisoners were sent to work on the wall if they had commited serious crimes on par with murder. In addition to many of the prisoners being convicted for petty crimes, many people died from hard labor. The prisoners were expected to carry large stones from the coast to the wall which was an almost impossible task. The records about how many people actually were sent to this area are unclear. Visiting The Wall of Tears was very emotional because I had no idea about the true circumstances surrounding the construction of the wall. I hope that the wall will continue to act as a reminder of a past that should never be repeated.
Later in the evening, Taylor and Evan gave a presentation about Chevron (Texaco) and Ecuador. Prior to the trip I read a lot about the history between the oil company Chevron and their connection to Ecuador. Chevron while extracting oil from Ecuador knowingly violated multiple protocols which allowed for severe environmental degradation. Taylor and Evan went into great detail about multiple aspects of the relationship between Chevron and Ecuador including extraction practices, the court case in New York and Ecuador, and the impacts of the oil on the environment. While discussing the impacts of oil this fact from their presentation stood out to me: “It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only 1 gallon of used oil to produce 2.5 quarts of new, high-quality lubricating oil”. I hope that in the future more oil companies will see how Chevron was put under severe public scrutiny and change their extraction practices in developing countries. However, it is important to note that Chevron still refuses to acknowledge the harm they have caused and they still owe Ecuadorian citizens fair reparations.