Spring break is traditionally a time for teenagers to sunbathe at the beach by day and dance by night. For a couple dozen Green Mountain High School students, this ritual was enhanced by a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the earth's equator to see creatures that exist no where else on our planet.

Every year, students, alumni, friends and family of GMHS Spanish teacher Bryan Keiser use their spring break to visit countries where they can use their Spanish and learn about other cultures. Over the past 19 years, Mr. Keiser's groups have visited nearly 20 countries including Spain, Peru and Mexico in recent years. This year, about forty Green Mountain residents visited Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

The four days on the islands, 600 miles off the coast of South America, included a visit to the Charles Darwin station where the group saw Lonesome George, the aged tortoise who may be the last of his species. The Coloradoans saw the station's efforts to breed endangered species that live only on these remote volcanic islands.

The group went out on a couple boat excursions to nearby islands to see the exotic birds, (like the blue-footed booby), tortoises and iguanas that led Darwin to postulate his theory of evolution. For Julio Martinez, a former GMHS student who is now studying at Red Rocks Community College, one of the highlights of the week were the snorkeling swims to see sea turtles, colorful fish and sharks.

A smaller group including Michele Wiechman, a 2007 GMHS graduate now attending Colorado School of Mines and her father David Wiechman visited a remote jungle reserve where they saw several of the giant tortoises mating. Another participant, GMHS science teacher Johanna Peperzak, noted this was noisy but not surprisingly slow process.

Both before and after the trip to the islands, the group visited Quito, Ecuador's capital city. Even though Quito is only a few miles south of the equator, at 9,300 feet the temperature was usually comfortable. Dr. Steven Krebs, accompanying his daughter Meaghan, reminded everyone to drink lots of fluids to ward off the constant danger of altitude sickness.

Although Quito and rural Ecuador has its share of third-world poverty, it was a pleasant surprise to find how modern, clean and prosperous much of the city was. The country's oil resources appear responsible for this as well as the cheap gas prices (about $2 per gallon).

After a long 12 hour trip home, the group was unanimous in their appreciation of being back in Colorado with pleasant memories that will last a lifetime.