2008 taught me lessons like every other year. May be a better way to put is – 2008 refreshed childhood lessons. The biggest lesson refeshed this year (it is officially 2008 at Banos, Ecuador as I type this in) was one to admire, respect and care for nature.

Amidst talks of global warming, climate change, polar ice melts, decrease in number of every other animal my lesson was refreshed. The first part of my learning started in 2007 as I visited Hawaii. At the Volcano National Park as I stood over lava flows for the first time in life, I was in awe. New life, new land was being created below my feet. Red hot bubbling lava beneath my feet – the foundation for new lands, new species and new wonders.

Second part of my refresher course was by means of Ike. Hurricane Ike was the first time I faced the fury of mother nature, face-on. Hour after hour as the winds howled outside and I sat in an indoor room with a candle to keep me company, I remember the mesmerizing fear it brought in me. Later as I took a look around town, seeing giant age-old trees down, roofs torn apart mercilessly I was in shock. For all that I was no where close to Galveston and was off TV.

During Ike, I experienced first hand the fury of nature – the power of nature and honestly it scared me. There were few minutes when I wondered if nature was taking its revenge on us for exploiting her to a point of no-return.

After Ike, the destruction scarred me. I will never forget the filled to brim bayous and fallen trees and shattered homes, and broken glass. Houston was luckily safe and we were safer but it did have a deep impact on me. And 7 days without power was another experience.

After Ike, I made conscious efforts to be “greener”, to protect and not abuse nature. But there are things that have seeped deep inside me like the comforts of the AC and heater, the comfort of 2 cars at home, the convenience of plastic bags and throwing out old habits has been a tough ride.

And my final part of my refresher course started during my vacation – the vacation I am currently enjoying as I type these words. Other than a mention in science books when learning about Darwin’s theory Galapagos Islands was literally unknown to me. R – the photographer always dreamed about going there and off we went to Galapagos.

I did read a lot before going there but nothing prepared me for the islands really. The clear blue skies, the sparkling water, the flora, the fauna, the marine life all in perfect balance awed me. Like every tourist, I clicked pictures, posed next to sea lions and iguanas but my eyes picked in sights and my ears heard stories that I wish I never saw or heard.

Stories of illegal fishing trawlers, 50 male sea lions with the penis cut off and left dead (the penis is considered to be an aphrodisiac), sharks with fins cut off left to die, tourists trampling over native plants and iguanas just for the best picture (yes me included), cruise ships plying hundreds of passengers polluting the waters, whale watching and other activities for tourists that are sure to disrupt life, plastics and more plastics and it left me sad. I know the Galapagos islands depend a lot on tourism to keep their conservation efforts but it made me wonder the price we are paying for it. The islands showcase amazing diversity – penguins in the equator is just an example. The seas are so rich of nutrients, plant life and marine life and it would be a shame to see them all been destroyed for the sake of tourism and revenue.

My learnings during my vacation does not end at Galapagos. It continued on to mainland Ecuador as I dutifully posed in front of Cotopaxi – an active volcano and numerous other dormant and extinct volcanos, it continued as I heard stories of ash covered lands, Inca building designs to safeguard against tremors, it continued as I saw the lava flow paths and dutifully documented them in my digital memory. Banos where I am currently is right next to Mt.Tungurahua and I am watching Mt.Tungurahua strew out ash and smoke at an alarming rate. The mountain last erupted in 2000 and it is believed to erupt once every 10 years or so. Another eruption is soon expected.

Volcanoes are nature’s destruction and creation. In Banos I see roads tended unpassable, parks covered with lava from the last eruption. I see nature in its rawest, in its wildest and I fills me with wonder and amazement.

2008 reminded me to play safe with nature just the way I was told to be careful with matches as a child. In pursuit of something it is unfair and unhealthy to disrupt nature.

A lesson refreshed!