Travel to the Peace Asylum and then on to Isabella
In the morning, we had a good country breakfast at the same restaurant as the night before with good fresh butter, yogurt, cereal, fruits and eggs.
Afterward, we climbed aboard our Chevato to make the trip to the Peace Asylum. Qwan told us that these open vehicles were named after female goats because they could go anywhere and because of their lurching movement. The trail to the Peace Asylum was up hill and steep. We passed the scenic island graveyard with the beautiful above ground crypts and crosses - no one is like the other. Along the way there were men mending fences for cows in the hot sun and we mused at what their lives were like in such remote conditions.
Once at the Peace Asylum, we hiked to the caves that were occupied by pirates. One was outfitted with a chimney for a stove. The caves allowed the pirates to see far and wide.
Qwan showed us some crosses on the rocks that indicated someone had died there. He said that one represented the dentist's death and that Dora fed the vegetarian doctor a spoiled chicken that killed him, but she ate the same chicken and lived! So, it was a plot by Dora to do away with him.
We saw the giant tortoises within the Peace Asylum. They are gathered within a stone fence and their eggs cannot hatch in this environment. They are not indigenous to the island and they will eventually die off. They were brought to Floreana as a gift to one of the early settlers who arrived on the island pregnant. When her child was born, the baby tortoises were brought as gifts.
We were soon off on our boat trip to Isabella that took about 2 hours. We saw Blue Footed Boobies on our way.
Once at Isabella, we had lunch. We stayed at a beautiful lodge right on the ocean. The beach was pristine and the water blue. It was a nice romp in the waves!
After lunch, we visited the marine iguana breeding ground in Tortuga Bay. On this lava crusted island, you can barely walk without disturbing these animals - they are so ugly; they are cute. Red crabs dot the rocks.
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
1 day 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
2 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.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week