The Galapagos or How I Learned to Believe the Hype
The wake-up call from our Quito hotel came much earlier than I would have preferred, but it was hard to feel groggy or grouchy when you are about to be in a place like the Galapagos. Once again, security was a breeze and after a brief stop in Guayaquil (thankfully no transferring necessary) we were on the islands just 90 minutes later.
The welcome committee. A constant sight at both wet and dry landings (Jeff Rottschafer)
Our guide and driver were waiting for us outside the baggage claim, and after a very short van ride we were getting on the dingy to bring us to the Ocean Spray, our home for the next 5 days. We had barely even left the shadow of the airport before our guide started enthusiastically pointing out the wildlife that was already everywhere. Look! A pelican! And over there, a marine iguana! Check out those sea lions! A blue-footed booby! Our cruise had not even started, but the iconic wildlife couldn’t wait to show us that the hype was real. Our amazing cabin aboard the Ocean Spray (Jeff Rottschafer)
Aboard the cruise we had a quick briefing, ate a delicious lunch, and then prepared for our first excursion in the Galapagos: snorkeling by Pinnacle Rock, Bartolome! I at first that that my Montana blood was hearty enough to handle the chilly waters of the Humboldt current without a wetsuit, but I was proven wrong very quickly, so finding the right fit was the next step. The first rule of wetsuits is that if they are comfortable, then they likely are too big, so the trick was finding the smallest suit that you could actually still squeeze into. Before our first snorkel in the Galapagos! Those wet suits were badly needed (Jeff Rottschafer)Enjoying our private balcony while on Bartolome (Jeff Rottschafer)
As we took the panga ride out to Pinnacle Rock, Nico expressed some hesitation about not being a very strong swimmer. However, our guide Harry quickly set her fears aside, proclaiming “No need to worry! We have the Ring of Happiness!”. The ‘Ring of Happiness’, should you be curious to know, is the bright orange life preserver, that our guide brought along for every snorkel stop. Not only do you benefit from the extra buoyancy, but you also have the added bonus of being near Harry’s expert guidance, as he leads you to the best places to see all kinds of marine life.
Upon splashing in the water, I was almost instantly greeted by the view of 100’s of starfish, as well as a sea turtle lazily paddling along! Soon this turtle was joined by another, as I swam above and beside them, as our group slowly made its way along the coast, passing by large schools of fish that I could not even begin to name. Even though the sea was quite choppy and the water was cooler than expected, I still was not ready to get out about an hour later as the rest of the group boarded the panga, excitedly talking about all the cool stuff we saw (octopi, eels, and a shark were among that highlights that I did not personally see). Nico did not make it on this snorkel trip, but I still had to go (Jeff Rottschafer)
After getting back to the boat (and having a quick jacuzzi soak!), we did another excursion to Bartolome, but this time on land. Upon landing we were greeted by a group of sea lions sunning themselves on the landing by the shore, who were not especially happy to see us. After awkwardly slinking off into the sea (at which point they became graceful mammalian torpedoes), we took their place greeted by the alien landscape of Bartolome Island. The surrealist volcano-influenced landscape of Bartolome (Jeff Rottschafer)
As with all of the islands in the Galapagos, Bartolome owes its existence to volcanic activity that mostly happened millions of years ago. What these means is that the landscape is made of more than 130 eroded cones, giving it a nearly Martian feel. To add to this otherworldly feeling is the lack of many animals aside from the occasional lava lizard, land iguana, and of course the colony of sea lions spinning around in the surf below. Everyone, of course, knows the Galapagos for its unique endemic wildlife, but it’s just as fascinating to wander around a lunar landscape in a small group, as your guide (Harry in our case), expertly explains nearly every detail you could possibly imagine on this small island. One of the first views of Pinnacle Rock from our balcony. (Jeff Rottschafer)
Perhaps the highlight of landing on Bartolome is the view that rewards you as you summit the hill. Pinnacle Rock is about as iconic of a landscape as you can imagine in the Galapagos, but it’s even more magnificent from above as you see the thinnest part of the island far below flanked by beautiful white sand beaches on both sides. Oh, Pinnacle Rock. You're just too damn photogenic (Jeff Rottschafer)
We still had about 30 minutes until the daily briefing and dinner after this excursion, which seemed like just the right amount of time to get another quick soak in the hot tub on the Sun Deck. Surprisingly, I was the only one with this idea, so my first evening in the Galapagos began as I took in the view of Pinnacle Rock, seemingly close enough to touch, from the Jacuzzi without another soul in sight. As the sun set and the moon began to rise, I couldn’t believe my luck to have such a moment in a place so special.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
7 hours ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
22 hours ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
5 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.