We are back from Ecuador, and speaking on behalf of everyone that went, we returned different people than we left. The Galapagos Islands were one of the most magical places I have ever been. Sea Lions would come up and lick your hand... Birds would let you get within an arms reach of their nest... Shark would swim calmly (not hungrily) along your side... Giant turtles would amaze you with their lifespan and their stillness... Thousands of iguanas would nest on a rocky shore… Hundreds of stingrays would swim beside our boat, blanketing the sea with a dark gray cover... Midnight skies would shine with the brightest of stars; the Southern Cross leaving you speechless time after time...
We were at sea for five days. Each morning we would wake up to a homemade breakfast and hop on one of two dingy boats bound for shore. We would spend hours walking the island of choice for that day – exploring the wildlife, the plant life, and the absolute purity that surrounded both. By mid-morning were typically headed back to our boat where we changed clothes and got ready for a swim... Certain days we were scuba diving and others we were just snorkeling... Our guide would take us out to an island, say jump in, and we would spend the next couple hours (and all the energy in our beings) swimming around them... He would take us in caves, pull shark (by their tails) out of their "lair," point out eels, turtles, coral, and more. I am not exaggerating when I say one day we snorkeled with at least 35 white-tip sharks or that everyday the sea lions would dive (like dolphin) by our sides.
After our mid-morning water activities we collapsed over lunch and typically found ourselves napping on the top deck. We played cards, told stories, dove off the back of the boat - everything you can imagine doing on a lazy afternoon at sea. By 3-ish (if we had not already set sail for our next stop) we were back on the dingy boats, heading towards a new island, set for exploration.
Evenings were spent over homemade dinners, celebrating birthdays (we had two while at sea), listening to Latin music, and playing games (celebrity was a big hit). By 11-ish we were all in our cabins, preparing to brave the often rocky seas that led us to our next morning’s adventures…
I will post again on the next stage of our trip tomorrow... Don't want to overwhelm or bore anyone to death with my "raves" over the past two weeks of my life... Hope you enjoy the pictures and the stories!
We were at sea for five days. Each morning we would wake up to a homemade breakfast and hop on one of two dingy boats bound for shore. We would spend hours walking the island of choice for that day – exploring the wildlife, the plant life, and the absolute purity that surrounded both. By mid-morning were typically headed back to our boat where we changed clothes and got ready for a swim... Certain days we were scuba diving and others we were just snorkeling... Our guide would take us out to an island, say jump in, and we would spend the next couple hours (and all the energy in our beings) swimming around them... He would take us in caves, pull shark (by their tails) out of their "lair," point out eels, turtles, coral, and more. I am not exaggerating when I say one day we snorkeled with at least 35 white-tip sharks or that everyday the sea lions would dive (like dolphin) by our sides.
After our mid-morning water activities we collapsed over lunch and typically found ourselves napping on the top deck. We played cards, told stories, dove off the back of the boat - everything you can imagine doing on a lazy afternoon at sea. By 3-ish (if we had not already set sail for our next stop) we were back on the dingy boats, heading towards a new island, set for exploration.
Evenings were spent over homemade dinners, celebrating birthdays (we had two while at sea), listening to Latin music, and playing games (celebrity was a big hit). By 11-ish we were all in our cabins, preparing to brave the often rocky seas that led us to our next morning’s adventures…
I will post again on the next stage of our trip tomorrow... Don't want to overwhelm or bore anyone to death with my "raves" over the past two weeks of my life... Hope you enjoy the pictures and the stories!
