After the morning program ended, we headed back to our rooms and changed for our hike on the glacier. We ate delicious empanadas for lunch! On the bus ride to the glacier, I sat next to Manon, a 14-year-old student from the Netherlands. We also walked next to each other for a good portion of the hike.
After the first ten minutes of the hike, the expedition leaders stopped everyone so that we could take off layers of clothing - everyone and assumed that it would be really cold, but we heated up really quickly after we started walking.
In the middle of the hike, it started to hail. The team leaders said that we could start walking back down the glacier if we wanted to, but everyone continued walking up! When I reached the stopping point, it hailed for a few more minutes, and I quickly put my gloves on. When it stopped hailing, there was a beautiful rainbow over the Beagle Channel!
On the way down the mountain, I talked to Ameera, a college student from Dubai. We discussed what our interests were, and what we planned to do after the expedition. Ameera is currently pursuing a computer science degree, and wants to incorporate her computer skills into her expedition project. Like me, she is planning to give presentations at schools when she returns home. We also compared our experiences in Dubai and San Francisco, which was really interesting because growing up, I have been surrounded by eco-friendly initiatives, while most people Ameera knows aren't very interested in the environment. We also brainstormed some possible projects that we could work on together on the ship and when we return home, and I'm really excited to start working with her!
When I was walking down, my stomach started to hurt because I had drunk my water too quickly, but it didn't take too long to reach the bottom of the glacier. On the bus ride back, I sat next to Manon again, but we were too exhausted from the hike to have another conversation.
At dinner, I had a really interesting conversation with Adel Al Tamimi. Adel works for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). I said that my impression of Dubai had been that it was like a bigger version of Las Vegas, but he quickly told me that it was extremely different. It has a completely different business model, and gambling is outlawed. According to Adel, Dubai is actually a very sustainable place, and has invested a lot in renewable energy. DEWA's goal is for 50% of Dubai's energy to be renewable by 2030.
After the first ten minutes of the hike, the expedition leaders stopped everyone so that we could take off layers of clothing - everyone and assumed that it would be really cold, but we heated up really quickly after we started walking.
In the middle of the hike, it started to hail. The team leaders said that we could start walking back down the glacier if we wanted to, but everyone continued walking up! When I reached the stopping point, it hailed for a few more minutes, and I quickly put my gloves on. When it stopped hailing, there was a beautiful rainbow over the Beagle Channel!
On the way down the mountain, I talked to Ameera, a college student from Dubai. We discussed what our interests were, and what we planned to do after the expedition. Ameera is currently pursuing a computer science degree, and wants to incorporate her computer skills into her expedition project. Like me, she is planning to give presentations at schools when she returns home. We also compared our experiences in Dubai and San Francisco, which was really interesting because growing up, I have been surrounded by eco-friendly initiatives, while most people Ameera knows aren't very interested in the environment. We also brainstormed some possible projects that we could work on together on the ship and when we return home, and I'm really excited to start working with her!
When I was walking down, my stomach started to hurt because I had drunk my water too quickly, but it didn't take too long to reach the bottom of the glacier. On the bus ride back, I sat next to Manon again, but we were too exhausted from the hike to have another conversation.
At dinner, I had a really interesting conversation with Adel Al Tamimi. Adel works for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). I said that my impression of Dubai had been that it was like a bigger version of Las Vegas, but he quickly told me that it was extremely different. It has a completely different business model, and gambling is outlawed. According to Adel, Dubai is actually a very sustainable place, and has invested a lot in renewable energy. DEWA's goal is for 50% of Dubai's energy to be renewable by 2030.