GALAPAGOS: Enchanted Islands
LAX to Miami - overnite in Miami - Miami to Guayaquil - overnite in Guayaquil, Guayaquil to San Cristobal, walk from airport to harbor, zodiac from dock to the good ship National Geographic Islander. The Islander was home and transport for the next eight days - from December 7 to December 14, 2014 on the
adventure of a lifetime!!
I can't believe what's ahead!!
It's outta this world!
WHAT A THRILL! At age 65, going on an "adventure" type trip was a little scary, but once I'd slung my leg over and thrown myself onto the rubber lip of the zodiac a couple of times, the 'scary' feeling disappeared and excitement took over. That first day, after the usual boat safety drills and orientation, we rode the zodiacs to Cerro Brujo or "Wizard Hill." The water was warm, clear and an indescribable shade of turquoise. Sunset came early but not before we'd gotten our first taste of the "enchanted islands."
ITINERARY
DAY 1: San Cristobal: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno/Cerro Brujo
DAY 2: Española: Gardner Bay/Punta Suarez
DAY 3: Floreana: Punta Comorant/Champion Islet/Post Office Bay
DAY 4: Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Station/Highlands
DAY 5: South Plaza/Santa Fe
DAY 6: Santiago: Sombrero Chino/Sullivan Bay
DAY 7: Genovesa: Darwin Bay/Prince Phillip's Steps
DAY 8: Baltra
How the route thing works
Galapagos National Park is a sensitive ecological area, so the government of Ecuador restricts the number of ships and tourists, especially as it relates to the smaller islands. The way Nat Geo works is this: (this is what they told us as of 2014) there are two endemic species that are the most desirable for bird watchers - the waved albatross on Española and the flightless cormorant on Fernandina and Isabela. If you don't specify a preference to Nat Geo, you are booked on the Española route. If you take a second trip with Nat Geo, you are placed on the Fernandina/Isabela route. Or, you can request to reserve a specific route before making your reservation. I didn't have a preference - being from the Central Coast, I had seen many cormorants, but had never seen an albatross - so this route was great!
This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so I chose a company that I thought would be the most expert in wildlife expeditions - National Geographic. I was not disappointed. I booked in June for a December trip, with the flight from Miami to Guayaquil included in the price. Nat Geo's attention to detail was reassuring. They emailed an Expedition Guide that included the itinerary, weather, packing list, binocular guidelines, a section on the ship National Geographic Islander - covering shipboard services, amenities, email-phone-internet services, as well as a whole section on Expedition Photography (plus a pre-tour webinar on photography specific to the Galapagos and even recommendations on selecting the right camera for wildlife photography on land and underwater). At this price, you don't want to mess up by bringing the wrong camera or lens - I found the webinar extremely helpful.
The camera I chose for land photos was a "bridge" Sony RX10 - great choice (patting myself on the back).
