More from the Hilton Colon, Quito

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Gotta have that executive lounge access. It sounds weird to be excited to arrive at a Hilton, but damn did those free canapes and cocktails come in hand. Also, as it turns out, WiFi that allows you to browse websites and upload pictures without failing ever 3 minutes is totally a good thing. Who knew?

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Farewell Santa Cruz…and Galapagos

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Instead of going to what would have been my fourth tortoise center, I decided to hang back at the hotel, relax the broken toe, and drink a few beers with the sea lions. They were like, “oh hey, you’re back? Cool. Do you mind if we eat a snake and then maybe nurse our babies? That’s cool? OK great. You’re fun.” You do you, gross marine mammal monster things, you do you.

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Isabela Lodge’s Beach

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Here’s where the middle toe met its fate, but it was worth it. The photos come close to describing the beauty, but not quite. Just to reiterate: this was steps from our resort in Isabela. It was practically empty almost the entire time. There were marine iguanas, fish, and all sorts of birds everywhere. In the mangrove I found this bird fishing. Just, amazing.

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Isabela, Can’t Complain

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After what was by far the most relaxing boat trip so far (dolphins! video…coming soon), we made it to Isabela. Isabela is just the best. We all agreed we could spend a whole week here. Our hotel, while not actually part of the Red Mangrove complex (yes, we left comment cards), we were otherwise basically within a few feet of free food, drinks, a gorgeous beach, sundry shops, and a view of one of the many volcanoes on the island. And wow, that marina. Crystal clear blue water, animals everywhere, and lots of people milling about getting ready to scuba and snorkel. Isabela is so laid back and conscious of its natural beauty.

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