Galapagos Islands

This was the perfect end to our trip, after seeing some of the world’s oldest and most impressive architecture, learning about different religions, political systems and cultures, we were ready for a lesson in natural history. Upon arrival, we were greeted by sea lions as we took what would become one of our modes of transportation, a zodiac ride, to our home for the next three nights, the Galapagos Legend. This was a ship that held up to 100 guests, and only our group had run of the ship. Getting our sea legs, we were delighted to find that our luggage did, in fact, fit in the rooms that were much more spacious than we had feared. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate when away for a month!

We had two very full days learning about the birds and animals of the Galapagos, as well as its history and Darwin’s expedition. On land, the animals we observed included iguana’s, sea lions, crabs, snakes, an owl, and birds such as the blue footed boobie. Our fellow travelers were divided into three camps: those who laughed at every mention of the word boobies, those who found no humor in the word, and those who thought it was sophomoric to laugh, but laughed the hardest of all. You can guess which group we were in.

We also had some amazing experiences snorkeling with giant sea turtles, the sea lions, the sea iguana’s, starfish, and a seven foot sand shark. Luckily, only the sea turtle decided to chase Jane, not the shark that was oblivious to our presence, several yards below us. As usual, Jane was the one pushing to go in the water as often as possible, and we were lucky to have one of our new friends, Alec, join us on every venture. We considered ourselves the three musketeers of the water. Seeing the sea life was incredible, from fish to mammals. The variety of star fish was beyond anything that we had ever seen before.

We finally had some time to relax on the boat, despite that fact that we did everything on the schedule. Spending time with our new friends was very special, and bonds were formed that we hope will stay strong for many years to come. Of course, the pisco sour drinks that even Jane enjoyed on board might have helped along the relaxation process, too.

One of the things that we will never forget from our trip was the time that we sat in silence with some of our new friends taking in the grandeur of the islands, and the majesty of the birds and animals. Seeing the beauty before us made us marvel that because of the incredible protections that are in place to preserve the islands, we were seeing what Darwin had seen. We hope that it will be there in that state for many generations to come.