When Lindblad Expeditions gave me the opportunity to finally get to the Galapagos, somewhere I'd wanted to travel ever since I was a kid and spent hours with my nose in Dr. Doolittle and the Jungle Book, I jumped at the chance. Our ship was the Endeavor, they had just brought her up from Antarctica and this was her first warm water cruise in the Galapagos. By the time our week was through, one of the major changes on the agenda was taking out the sauna - a nice extra in icy temps - and instead putting in dryers for all the damp towels and clothes that hung over the railings!
Cabins were comfortable, nothing fancy but very functional. Bathrooms are small and basic but even my 6'5" husband could get in the shower stall. Great library/reading room, a small workout room, lots of deck space for relaxing. Meals are buffet style and even though I'm a foodie and this was not culinary excellence, I never left hungry. Days are similar to being on a safari where there is a choice of activities for both morning and afternoons with down time in between. A hike, snorkeling, zodiac exploration, kayaking, scuba diving and for those non water people the glass bottom boat (I did this one day and surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it). At then end of each day everyone gathers in the bar for drinks and nibbles while the guides recap what everyone did and saw, sometimes with video or a brief naturalist talk. It's highly enjoyable and entertaining, and makes learning fun again.
In early May the weather was a bit humid, warm but not deadly hot. It's a great time to be there, between the wet and dry seasons (although we did have one day of downpour), but also because it's the mating season so there's a lot of drama going on in the animal kingdom.
What I knew about the islands - that there is flora and fauna that exists no where else. What I didn't realize - some of it is specific to one island and none of the others. One of my favorites was the Blue Footed Boobie Bird and they were doing their mating dance complete with whistles and foot shaking, trying to convince their ladies that they had the biggest and bluest feet of all!
Most of the islands have no human inhabitants. Baltra is the island with the airport so all journeys begin there. Santa Cruz is the largest of the islands, the Darwin Research Center is located here.
Part of the magic of the Galapagos is that the animals and birds, all the wildlife, has no fear of humans. It's an amazing experience to walk on a beach with sea lions a few feet away, on a path that skirts the nest of an enormous waved albatross who just blinks at you, or to snorkeling as a penguin zips by next to you and a seal stares into your goggles.
This is a trip for those with an interest and love of nature and geology, it's what we in the travel profession call soft adventure. It's not a trip for someone who enjoys a luxury cruise with multiple dining and entertainment options, as the entertainment is the learning/experiential component as well as your fellow travelers. There are many choices of ships for every budget from the bare essentials up, the most important ingredient however are the guides. They are what will make your trip one of your most memorable. I have to say that the guides on this trip were some of the best I've encountered in all of my travels - they made every day a new and interesting adventure, their passion for the islands was infectious, seeing this world with their shared knowledge made this trip one I will never forget.
