Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands. (edit: backed up photos link below)

Well what can I say, definitely one of the highlights of the trip so date. I think this place makes you think differently about the world.

these extraordinary island feels like you've stumbled upon another planet. Its literally full to the brim with plants and animals, some endemic to the islands, and found nowhere else on earth. Amazing stuff. (yes photos will follow.)

Things like Blue-footed boobies (birds), sea lions, gecko's and prehistoric land iguana's, and they all act so friendly and relaxed, as if humans are nothing more than photo crazy onlookers.

getting on these islands was prity sore on the pocket mind you. But we didn't go for the 'cruise package' option, and decided to do it our own costumed way. Which i think worked out great, and not near as expensive as some people paid. (1400 pounds? Ouch!) we paid a fraction of that! So it was good choice for us budgeting folk.

we landed on the main island; Isla Santa Cruz. And went to see the Bahia Turtuga (Turtle Bay). Here we seen loads of iguana's, pelicans and flamingo's living freely on this dramatic but people free beach. Then went to see the Charles Darwin research centre, where the current studies are the Galapagos Turtle's their behavior and development. Interesting.

we moved onto the next Galapagos island called Isla Isabella. went on a tour with a few other travelers. First up was a visit to the still currently active volcano of Sierra Negre, we traveled here by horse back, which was a good laugh. We walked through some lava tunnels that were about 15 feet high. These are underground tunnels that lava once flowed through when the volcano erupted. Was cool to see the markings the lava made on its way downhill from years back. very interesting indeed.

lastly we landed on the last of the human inhabited islands called San Cristobal. giant turtles everywhere! went snorkeling after and swam with young seal lions, there very playful.

over all we squeezed in as much as possible in the 6 nights we planned for. And it worked out really well, as we basically done most of what the cruise would have seen with the exception of some smaller non-human inhabited islands.

so from here we're going down further south, and crossing the boarder to Peru, to meet up with people we met in Rio. I smell an Inca trail...

travel cd005 backup -- Galapagos