Galapagos
Puerto Ayora, Ecuador
(writing from Quito, Ecuador)
Two weeks ago, we were walking through Quito, Ecuador looking for a last-minute tour of the Galapagos. It's technically "low season" right now, so we thought we might be able to get a good deal that would match our typical $15/day budget. We saw a sign that said "2-for-1" last-minute outside one agency, and walked in feeling hopeful. When we heard the deal the travel agent had, we were both ecstatic and devastated--the 2-for-1 deal was on one of the most upscale luxury tourboats in the entire Galapagos. Even at half-off, we were looking at more (way more...) than double what we had hoped to spend for 8 days. But the travel agent (who came highly recommended by our guidebook) said that it was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, because the
ship is typically fully booked up to a year in advance... It has the best guides, fabulous services onboard, and goes to the best places. We walked out, telling the agent we would discuss over lunch. We didn't have a lot of time to decide, because the tour left the very next morning, and we'd have to get the money out in cash to pay for the plane and boat tickets.
We debated for about 10 minutes--and then we had a revelation. We remembered the incredible gift that Zach's grandmother, Muffy, gave us for our wedding, and realized this was *exactly* the kind of opportunity she had intended it for. Thank you, Muffy!
The trip was worth every penny. It was one of the most amazing and memorable parts of our year so far--and no doubt, one of the most spectacular trips we'll ever take. The wildlife is unbelievable--both on land and underwater (we did a little snorkeling and diving as well). The animals have been protected for so long that they aren't scared at all of people--we swam with sea lions and penguins (who knew that there are penguins here at the equator?!), got up close and personal with 150-year-old giant tortoises, and watched the mesmerizing and hilarious mating dance of waved albatrosses from ten feet away.
We ate like kings, were pampered endlessly, and learned an enormous amount from the fabulous guides and crew. As we marveled at the finches, we thought a lot about our friends Becca and David, who celebrate Darwin's birthday--we can't imagine anyone who would love this living laboratory of evolution more.
Here is an infinitely small selection from the mountain of photos we took over the course of the week:
The infamous "Lonesome George" -- over 150 years old and still chasing the ladies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have nothing on us...
Baby sea lion, chillin' on the beach
Cactus skeleton against the Galapagos sky--no story, just pretty.
Marine Iguana--one of our friends on the boat suggested all the iguanas ought to be wearing Harley Davidson leather jackets.
Puerto Ayora, Ecuador
(writing from Quito, Ecuador)
Two weeks ago, we were walking through Quito, Ecuador looking for a last-minute tour of the Galapagos. It's technically "low season" right now, so we thought we might be able to get a good deal that would match our typical $15/day budget. We saw a sign that said "2-for-1" last-minute outside one agency, and walked in feeling hopeful. When we heard the deal the travel agent had, we were both ecstatic and devastated--the 2-for-1 deal was on one of the most upscale luxury tourboats in the entire Galapagos. Even at half-off, we were looking at more (way more...) than double what we had hoped to spend for 8 days. But the travel agent (who came highly recommended by our guidebook) said that it was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, because the
ship is typically fully booked up to a year in advance... It has the best guides, fabulous services onboard, and goes to the best places. We walked out, telling the agent we would discuss over lunch. We didn't have a lot of time to decide, because the tour left the very next morning, and we'd have to get the money out in cash to pay for the plane and boat tickets.
We debated for about 10 minutes--and then we had a revelation. We remembered the incredible gift that Zach's grandmother, Muffy, gave us for our wedding, and realized this was *exactly* the kind of opportunity she had intended it for. Thank you, Muffy!
The trip was worth every penny. It was one of the most amazing and memorable parts of our year so far--and no doubt, one of the most spectacular trips we'll ever take. The wildlife is unbelievable--both on land and underwater (we did a little snorkeling and diving as well). The animals have been protected for so long that they aren't scared at all of people--we swam with sea lions and penguins (who knew that there are penguins here at the equator?!), got up close and personal with 150-year-old giant tortoises, and watched the mesmerizing and hilarious mating dance of waved albatrosses from ten feet away.
We ate like kings, were pampered endlessly, and learned an enormous amount from the fabulous guides and crew. As we marveled at the finches, we thought a lot about our friends Becca and David, who celebrate Darwin's birthday--we can't imagine anyone who would love this living laboratory of evolution more.
Here is an infinitely small selection from the mountain of photos we took over the course of the week:
The infamous "Lonesome George" -- over 150 years old and still chasing the ladies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have nothing on us...
Baby sea lion, chillin' on the beach
Cactus skeleton against the Galapagos sky--no story, just pretty.
Marine Iguana--one of our friends on the boat suggested all the iguanas ought to be wearing Harley Davidson leather jackets.
posted by backandzella at 2:36 PM
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