In the Galapagos



Blue Footed Booby

Galapagos

I really had no expectations going into the Galapagos. Everyone pumps it up so much. It couldn't possibly satisfy. I pretty much expected to be let down.

It was absolutely amazing! It's pretty much a guarantee that you are going to see amazing quantities of animals, many of which are completely endemic to the Galapagos. We saw the most gigantic giant tortoises, we swam with sea turtles, penguins, sea lions (these guys are so playful in the water), eagle rays and more! We saw Islands that were over run with marine iguanas on top of marine iguanas on top of marine iguanas. Oh and blue footed boobies! This place will not disappoint. I have been converted.



Penguino!

Giant Tortoise

We made a friend at the airport in Guayaquil, on the way to Santa Cruz (the main island in the Galapagos) and as luck would have it we ended up on a cruise with her! The cruise was awesome. I wouldn't do it any other way looking back. It's just so simple and you see things you can't see on day trips. It's also a lot cheaper if you are able to wait till the day before and get your ticket right there. Our fellow passengers were pretty awesome (I think we lucked out there)! We had so much fun! (Shout out to G-man, Sandy, Han, Heety, Dan, Heather, Tory, Nick and Fabrizio Jr) We were all pretty similar in ages, and everyone was real fun and easy to get along with. The crew was amazing as well, and helped make our trip go real smooth. Lastly Fabrizio Sr was a great guide. I can't help but to think about endemic Galapagos animals in his voice and accent. And in that way, he helped make our trip pretty interesting and informative.

Marine Iguana

After getting back from the cruise, we stayed a couple more days and hung out with our cruise friends. We visited a few more sights and saw more animals but were pretty done with the islands by the end of those days so we said goodbye to our friends and booked it out of there. Back to Quito, to do the much talked about Quilatoa loop which is a 3-4 day hike to villages around a volcanic crater. We'll let you know how that goes!



Travellers notes:

Cruise:

Penguino!

We went on the Odyssey. It was pretty amazing. The crew was excellent. The boat was clean, the guide (Fabrizio) was excellent. Don't expect freebies such as open bar, or wetsuits just because the cruise was expensive. This was all extra. Food was pretty good, and they never ran out. We even had a turkey to celebrate our last day. The boat does rock, most of us took sea sickness pills at night when we hit the open sea, but I think I would have been fine without. I highly recommend this boat.

Buyers beware:

Booking a cruise online will ensure a spot on the boat, and if it's high season who knows this might be necessary. BUT, you will pay a much higher price. If you have the time to shop around and it's low season, consider buying your cruise in the Galapagos.

Hostels:

Sea Turtle

Puerto Ayora – We stayed in Galapagos Best Home Stay. It was fairly expensive at 28$ pp for a private room, with a kitchenette, OR 25$ pp for a dorm. It was clean quiet and had very comfortable beds. The hostel is a bit of a walk from the main drag. WiFi was super slow. The best thing about this place was the owner Kevin. He speaks fluent English and takes all his guests on a tour around town, and shows them the ropes.

San Cristobol – Casa Mabell. Just a block and a half off the main drag. Very cheap – 15$ pp. It was clean, comfortable, very clean and had quick WiFi, a shared kitchen and the owner is very sweet. The only downside to this place is that you can hear music from the discotech at night. And roosters, but you hear them everywhere. Bring earplugs and you are fine. Oh and it's located right by the panaderia, which sells excellent baking and enpanadas.