Farewell, Floreana

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At this point you’re probably thinking, “jeez, are there iguanas and sea lions everywhere?” Yes, 1000 times yes. So, so many iguanas and sea lions. But I mean, that’s…why we came here. And this is free, so quit your complaining. There is a post office with postcards from around the world. They’re unstamped, and you’re supposed to find one near your home that you can deliver in person. Sure enough, there was one for Brooklyn Heights. Too bad I accidentally threw it out. And too bad our tour guide never mentioned the post office, so none of us had postcards ready to go. Oh well. Finally, check out this shot of Layla and me in the “chiba,” which is a form of transport that’s kinda like a cross between a pickup truck and a wooden box. No doors, no windows, no seatbelts, NO RULES. “Chiba” means female goat in Caribbean Spanish, and it also apparently is a term for weed. So there’s that.

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Morning in Floreana

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Waking up early after a long night out in Floreana (yes, there is such a thing as a “bar” on this 150-person island), we strolled along the black sand beach admiring the sun-gathering sea lions, crabs and marine iguanas. I’m including a few photos of our hotel (if you can call it that…what’s hot water?), the cute restaurant where our meals were served, and one of the many Siamese cats roaming around.

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Farewell, Santa Cruz

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Oh wow, this was by far the rockiestĀ boat trip. I was really looking forward to it, and it was fun for the most part, but had I known how choppy the waters would be I probably wouldn’t have sat at the end next to the engines. I got so wet that my emergency beacon triggered. Still, who can complain when you’re next stop is Floreana Island?

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More of Aventura Lodge

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Of our three Galapagos resorts, Aventura is probably the most complete, and this was certainly our best room. It’s not far from Puerto Ayora’s main street, and lots of things were walkable. No beach, but sometimes it’s nice to be on the marina. As you can see we had plenty of marine visitors. I cannot oversell how frequently we would be tripping over sea lions and marine iguanas.

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Galapagos Hotel Preview: Hotel Cally by Red Mangrove, Isabela

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Fact: Galapagos’ airport is kind of awesome.

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Evidently this airport is brand new, as a colleague later told me when he was there it was simply a landing strip. It’s a small terminal with your basic amenities, and the indoor/outdoor design makes sense. It’s the setting, though, that really drives home that you’ve arrived in an otherworldly place. Cactii and sparse vegetation are everywhere, and in the distance one can see many volcanic islands and blue water. Such a nice welcome!

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Galapagos Hotel Preview: Wittmer Lodge, Floreana

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More of Rincon de Puembo

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All said and done, we were here for 6 hours total, with maybe 4 of those being sleep. I’m not gonna lie, it’s a basic hotel, but it’s near the airport and nice enough. No window screens, one pillow, and an extremely light breakfast. Still, fine.

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Business Elite Upgrade!

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The group of 5 people joining on this trip will henceforth be known as “the Canadians.” We landed in Quito around 11pm and got through customs in an hour, nearly crushing people to death on the escalator notwithstanding. I kid. Sadly, the Canadians lost 4/5ths of their check bags. Super unclear where and when they will see them again. Our flight was nice! AO partied with flight attendants, LB took a nap, and I upgraded.

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Galapagos Hotel Preview: Aventura Lodge, Santa Cruz

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Quito, Ecuador to Baltra, Galapagos

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Quito Hotel Preview: Rincón de Puembo

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