Tag Archives: Galapagos Islands

If we were to do it again – what changes would we make?

Posted on December 28, 2016 by

We’re back from our 7-month trip to South America, and the trip exceeded our expectations. Even so, it’s always good to look back to assess what really went well and what we might have done differently. We’re guessing that honing … Continue reading →

Posted in South America - 2016, Trip Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Our Best of the Best: wildlife, beaches, snorkeling

Posted on November 29, 2016 by

As soon as people hear that we’ve been traveling nonstop for almost 4 years, they immediately ask “What’s your favorite country” or “What’s your favorite… ?” (Then they fill in the blank: destination to view wildlife, beach, places to snorkel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Best of Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Charles Darwin’s finches

Posted on May 11, 2016 by

Somehow, many millions of years ago, a finch arrived on the Galapagos Islands. Did it float on a raft of greenery and logs from the mainland? This was long before a boat would have carried it across the thousand miles … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Expectation vs Reality

Posted on May 7, 2016 by

We never thought this trip would happen for us, but it did. No matter how much we read about the islands, the animals, and birds, our expectations didn’t prepare us for the reality of the surprisingly diverse and wonderful adventure … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Procreation is in the air

Posted on May 4, 2016 by

It’s time to get on with it: do a little courtship, select a mate, fix up the nest, and reproduce. What’s true in other places is amplified in the Galapagos where so many birds make frantic efforts to mate in … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The big question: what’s the difference between tortoises and turtles?

Posted on May 1, 2016 by

On our flight to the Galapagos Islands, one of us napped and the other crammed like a school exam would be given on arrival. So, the big question: what’s the difference between tortoises and turtles? Did we somehow miss this … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The 1,000th

Posted on April 27, 2016 by

We had not been chasing numbers, only delighted to see new birds and record them on our list. Before we arrived in Ecuador, we had seen 970 birds on our travels across North America, Asia, Africa and Europe.   There are … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

A surprisingly creepy and dangerous place

Posted on April 23, 2016 by

When we stepped onto the sand beach, the warm summer sun and turquoise water gave us the feeling of a tropical paradise in the Galapagos Islands. Things are not always as they seem on the island of Fernandina.   As we … Continue reading →

Posted in cruise, Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Things happen no matter where you are

Posted on April 19, 2016 by

A few years ago, we slept through a typhoon in Kyoto, Japan; and now we’re faced with an earthquake in Ecuador. We were having our last dinner on board the ship, a grand finale to our week-long visit to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

one way to plan a BIG trip

Posted on April 7, 2016 by

It all started with three great destinations: Galapagos Islands off Ecuador, Machu Picchu in Peru, and Bahia Bustamante in Argentina.  How could we possibly choose between them? They’re on the same continent, so we reasoned, “Wouldn’t it be possible to … Continue reading →

Posted in South America - 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments