Before we dive further into this adventure a bit more on how we got here. We departed the rainforest by boat up the river to the airport for a short flight to Quito. After an overnight near the airport we met most of our travel group in the hotel lobby then where whisked back to the airport for a short flight to Guayaquil on the coast of Ecuador which continued on to San Cristobal, one of the Galapagos Islands.

For a destination that seems so exotic it does not take all that long to get here. We didn’t even change time zones until we got to the Galapagos. We spent more time in airports than we did on planes. The longest leg, from Miami to Quito is only 4 1/2 hours. There are however, a lot of legs. It helped that other than our flights to and from the US. everything was managed by Quasar, the cruise operator, including transfers and check in at the airports. Once in San Cristobal, we collected our luggage, met our guides and the other passengers we would get to know during this week.

There were 30 of us. Americans with the exception of a German couple traveling with their college age daughter. There were two couples in the 25-35 range, along with some singles, a few older than us, but most late 50’s to 60’s. This is a very active trip- you get from ship to shore via inflatable panga boats (called zodiacs in other parts of the world) then hiking, snorkling, paddling. Just getting around the small ship requires some dexterity, the stairs between decks are steep and one- up to the deck with the lounge, is more of a ladder. And since that is the best hangout spot with fabulous views and the bar- you have to be able to manage!

This is not a cruise in the general sense. The point is the environment and wildlife and everything revolves arouond that. 97% of the land area as well as the sea surrounding it is protected as National Park in order to protect the wildlife and the fragile environment. Guides are all registered and landing sites limited by number of people allowed at a time and per day. Routes are set- all the ships follow one of two routes, alternating between them. All of the ships that carry people through the islands are small. The largest carry 100 passengers- we saw a few of those- mainly in one of the 2 ports with airports where voyages begin and end; operated by major cruise lines that offer expeditions like Silversea and Lindblad National Geographic. Galapagos has a number of other restrictions- like all Ecuadorian crew, food etc. Many hold a max of 16 passengers, others like ours- 32. The smaller the ship the larger the range of spots they can visit. And they vary greatly on amenities- some are pretty basic, others, expecially the larger ships offer more amenities.

I really liked our 30 person size- small enough to get to know everyone but big enough to have some variety. The ship was well fitted out, cabins very comfortable, public spaces recently renovated. We were divided into 3 groups, which would headout together along with a guide on a panaga for our various activities. Everyone did everything, although there were some extra snorkling options and a few where they grouped the expereinced snorklers. And you could opt out as a few people did after a few snorkling ventures. They did not look unhappy lounging on the deck with a glass of champagne when we returned.

Why do people come here? This remarably untouched environmnet is home to species found nowhere else on Earth, including: Giant tortoises, Marine iguanas, the fascinating Blue-footed boobies and Flightless cormorants. Many animals have little fear of humans, allowing for incredible close-up encounters. World-Class Snorkeling & Diving  Clear waters and nutrient-rich currents attract: Sea lions, Sea turtles, Reef sharks, Rays, and schools of tropical fish.

 

It is a magical experience. Stay tuned for more on what we saw and did!