Charles Darwin Station and the Highlands of Santa Cruz
Guess what? It is 6:45AM again! To the Charles Darwin Station we all head after breakfast. It is somewhat strange to be in a small town after only having life on the ship for the past few days. The Station is quite interesting and I finally have seen Lonesome George! The station works to repopulate native species of animals and also native plants. We were able to get very close to many of the giant tortoises and learned why some have saddle shaped backs, and others domed-shaped shells. I spent quite a bit of time wandering here, and reading the informative signs (in English and Spanish) and then headed out. Since we had free time after the Station visit, where did we all head? To the 1st Internet Café we saw, of course!
This was shortly after the election, and everyone was curious to see who President-elect Obama had chosen for his cabinet positions. Once we had this news, we were off to the nearest cafe for a deep cup of espresso - Galapagos style. Delicious!
After lunch, we headed back to Santa Cruz Island and drove into the Highlands. As we covered the short distance, I noticed that tortoises dotted the fields the same way cattle dot the fields of Montana. Don't bother them; they are eating grass, lumbering along at their own pace, and not bothering anyone. Weird similarities! In Montana, we have seagulls following the cattle and farmers, and in the Highlands it was cattle egrets - bright white birds that contrasted sharply against the lush green vegetation.
We visited a local farm and enjoyed fresh fruit (pumelos) and a beer. Trails were spread out across the farm, and we explored and enjoyed seeing tiny wildflowers and lots of tortoises. I couldn't help myself, and followed the example of a small girl by crawling inside a giant tortoise shell on display at the farm. I have to admit, it was easier to get into than out of! But what a tourist photo opp!!
Before returning to the Legend, we stopped off at a HUGE lava tube! We'd heard about the formation of the Islands, how volcanoes under the sea had forced lava upwards and outwards. It was a bit surreal to actually walk through one of the 20' tall tunnels left behind as the lava cooled and air dispersed. I felt transported back in time, way back!
A farewell cocktail party awaited us back on the boat, and was a lovely precursor to dinner. A few glasses of wine, a bit of dancing, and the night was over - as was my quick trip to the Islands.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.