After two weeks of killing time on the Ecuadoran coast it was finally time to head to the Galapagos Islands. My two biggest concerns before the cruise (which, by-the-way, is NOT cheap by any standard and non-refundable) were catching dengue fever or getting food poisoning. Luckily, I was able to steer clear of dengue. Bad news was that I came down with a solid case of food poisoning the night before we were supposed to catch our flight to the Galapagos.
After a sleepless night I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to make it to the airport. Thanks to Brandon and the pharmacy system down here I was able to feel well enough to stand up and take a taxi to the airport. The pharmacies down here are great! You just tell the pharmacist your symptoms and they give you what you need. You don't need a prescription from a doctor and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Well, we made our flight, the meds kicked in, and I made it to the islands feeling much better. From the airport we were bussed to the dock where our yacht awaited us...the 89 foot "Guantanamera". Including us, there were 16 passengers. Due to the fact that touring the Galapagos is not cheap, the majority of yachts seemed to contain retirees. We were lucky to have a relatively young crowd on our boat (20's - 30's). There were people from Ireland, France, Spain, Australia, Canada, and Holland.
Well, where do I even start with trying to describe the Galapagos Islands? Basically, they are a chain of volcanic islands (many still active) that sit on and around the equatorial line. Because of their position on the globe, there are three different ocean currents that pass through the islands. The combination of the ocean currents and the isolation of the islands led to the development of unique wildlife...many species are found nowhere else in the world. The Galapagos Islands are probably best known for their role in the development of the Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Needless to say, Brandon and I were SUPER excited to get onto some islands, check out the animals, and take some killer pictures.
Funny story...
The first day a half was great! We were able to get some great shots of sea lions, different types of iguanas, and birds. Then, the fateful wet landing on the afternoon of the second day. Like the few previous landings, this seemed just as simple. The dingy pulls up to the beach and everyone hops out in ankle-deep water.
Brandon was the first to get off and being the gentleman he is, he gave me his hand to assist me off of the boat. Turns out, I'm not as sure-footed on boats as I'd like to believe. Those of you who were with us at Buccaneer Weekend in Catalina would probably agree.
Well, I had my new, kick-ass digital camera (remember my old one was stolen in Costa Rica last year) in its case, securely attached to my belt so that it wouldn't fall in the water...what better place to put it?
I took one step onto the tube of the dingy and was fine. I decided to push my luck with a second step on the wet dingy tube rather than stepping off of the boat and...whoosh...my foot slipped out from under me and I found myself totally soaking wet in ankle deep water. Of course, I was laughing about the scene until Brandon pointed out that I had the camera on my side that was completely soaked.
I had hope that the camera would be fine because it had been in the case and BARELY any water had touched it. Turns out technology is pretty sensitive...the camera turned on for a split second, but that was it. It was like watching a dying person take their last gasping breath. We spent the next 6 days walking around like outcasts without a camera in the Galapagos.
BUT, not all was lost! The animals and scenery were unforgettable. You could walk up to ANY animal on the islands and they wouldn't flinch. I've never been a huge aficionado of birds, but there were some great species out there. We saw blue footed boobies, red footed boobies, Nazca boobies, frigate birds, finches, flamingos, and huge albatross. As for land roamers, we were able to see 200 kg tortoises and huge land iguanas.
We were able to do the best snorkeling either of us had ever done in our lives. We swam with penguins and sea turtles, played with sea lions, hovered over manta rays and eagle rays, and saw tons of beautiful fish...even the fish wouldn't swim away from you. But I'd say the highlight of our snorkeling outtings was running into hammer head sharks.
I've seen lots of reef sharks while snorkeling or scuba diving, but hammer heads are another story. They're BIG and they're FAST!! I'll admit is was a bit freaky because in my previous experiences with sharks they were usually just relaxing and cruising along the bottom. With hammer heads it was quite an experience.
I was actually really lucky to get a good look at three who swam be me at about a distance of 6 feet. Brandon was right next to me, but was looking the other way and missed the up-close view. By the time I could get his attention, they had almost disappeared into the blue...that's how fast they move. It was AMAZING, but I'll admit that being in the water with an animal that big and that fast is a little intimidating.
Other than our camera casualty (which we replaced in Lima), we had a wonderful experience in the Galapagos. Hopefully, we can get some people we met on the boat to share their pictures with us. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience (I'm not just saying that because it was expensive) and would recommend stopping by if you're ever in the area :)
After a sleepless night I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to make it to the airport. Thanks to Brandon and the pharmacy system down here I was able to feel well enough to stand up and take a taxi to the airport. The pharmacies down here are great! You just tell the pharmacist your symptoms and they give you what you need. You don't need a prescription from a doctor and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Well, we made our flight, the meds kicked in, and I made it to the islands feeling much better. From the airport we were bussed to the dock where our yacht awaited us...the 89 foot "Guantanamera". Including us, there were 16 passengers. Due to the fact that touring the Galapagos is not cheap, the majority of yachts seemed to contain retirees. We were lucky to have a relatively young crowd on our boat (20's - 30's). There were people from Ireland, France, Spain, Australia, Canada, and Holland.
Well, where do I even start with trying to describe the Galapagos Islands? Basically, they are a chain of volcanic islands (many still active) that sit on and around the equatorial line. Because of their position on the globe, there are three different ocean currents that pass through the islands. The combination of the ocean currents and the isolation of the islands led to the development of unique wildlife...many species are found nowhere else in the world. The Galapagos Islands are probably best known for their role in the development of the Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Needless to say, Brandon and I were SUPER excited to get onto some islands, check out the animals, and take some killer pictures.
Funny story...
The first day a half was great! We were able to get some great shots of sea lions, different types of iguanas, and birds. Then, the fateful wet landing on the afternoon of the second day. Like the few previous landings, this seemed just as simple. The dingy pulls up to the beach and everyone hops out in ankle-deep water.
Brandon was the first to get off and being the gentleman he is, he gave me his hand to assist me off of the boat. Turns out, I'm not as sure-footed on boats as I'd like to believe. Those of you who were with us at Buccaneer Weekend in Catalina would probably agree.
Well, I had my new, kick-ass digital camera (remember my old one was stolen in Costa Rica last year) in its case, securely attached to my belt so that it wouldn't fall in the water...what better place to put it?
I took one step onto the tube of the dingy and was fine. I decided to push my luck with a second step on the wet dingy tube rather than stepping off of the boat and...whoosh...my foot slipped out from under me and I found myself totally soaking wet in ankle deep water. Of course, I was laughing about the scene until Brandon pointed out that I had the camera on my side that was completely soaked.
I had hope that the camera would be fine because it had been in the case and BARELY any water had touched it. Turns out technology is pretty sensitive...the camera turned on for a split second, but that was it. It was like watching a dying person take their last gasping breath. We spent the next 6 days walking around like outcasts without a camera in the Galapagos.
BUT, not all was lost! The animals and scenery were unforgettable. You could walk up to ANY animal on the islands and they wouldn't flinch. I've never been a huge aficionado of birds, but there were some great species out there. We saw blue footed boobies, red footed boobies, Nazca boobies, frigate birds, finches, flamingos, and huge albatross. As for land roamers, we were able to see 200 kg tortoises and huge land iguanas.
We were able to do the best snorkeling either of us had ever done in our lives. We swam with penguins and sea turtles, played with sea lions, hovered over manta rays and eagle rays, and saw tons of beautiful fish...even the fish wouldn't swim away from you. But I'd say the highlight of our snorkeling outtings was running into hammer head sharks.
I've seen lots of reef sharks while snorkeling or scuba diving, but hammer heads are another story. They're BIG and they're FAST!! I'll admit is was a bit freaky because in my previous experiences with sharks they were usually just relaxing and cruising along the bottom. With hammer heads it was quite an experience.
I was actually really lucky to get a good look at three who swam be me at about a distance of 6 feet. Brandon was right next to me, but was looking the other way and missed the up-close view. By the time I could get his attention, they had almost disappeared into the blue...that's how fast they move. It was AMAZING, but I'll admit that being in the water with an animal that big and that fast is a little intimidating.
Other than our camera casualty (which we replaced in Lima), we had a wonderful experience in the Galapagos. Hopefully, we can get some people we met on the boat to share their pictures with us. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience (I'm not just saying that because it was expensive) and would recommend stopping by if you're ever in the area :)
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