It was a long journey from Missoula, but I finally arrived in Guayaquil at about 11 pm. I was relieved to have my luggage in hand and to be met at the airport and taken directly to the hotel. The Oro Verde was just a short 15 minute drive from the airport.

My father, Pete, had arrived in Guayaquil the day before, and since he had never really …

Since we had mid-morning flight to the Galapagos from Guayaquil, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Oro Verde. What a beautiful hotel! I was very excited to see some of my favorite Ecuadorian foods on the buffet - humitas & ceviche!

The flight to Baltra was uneventful, which is just how a flight should be. Upon arrival, we were …

We set off early to visit Isabela Island, which was formed by five separate volcanoes. What impressed me about this island was the lush, green vegetation. Our guide expertly explained that the south sides of the Galapagos Islands receive more rainfall and thus are more lush and more green than other sides of the islands.

We hiked along the …

We visited Santiago Island during low tide, so we walked along to beach to look for wildlife in the tide pools. There were a lot of creatures relaxing in the pools - it was like a day at the spa! I learned that Santiago Island is made of compact ash, not lava, which gives it a very different look & feel. The vegetation was beautiful - there …

We spent the morning exploring the Charles Darwin Research Center. The center is definitely a working research station, rather than a visitors' center. In some ways, that was very refreshing to me - that it wasn't all dolled up and dumbed down for we tourists, but I was also thankful to be with our guide, who could explain the center's projects …

Bachas Beach was our last island excursion - and what a way to end the tour. The white sand beaches coupled with the morning light were stunning. We walked along the beach, visited a couple of small lakes to see the pelicans, and swam one last time. It was beautiful. I particularly remember the distinct tortoise tracks from the shore up to the …

This was more or less a travel day. We made our way from Finch Bay back to the Baltra airport. Of course our flight to Guayaquil was delayed several hours, so we did our share of people watching and souvenir shopping (which I swore I was NOT going to do). Our flight finally departed and we bid farewell to the Galapagos Islands.

We got back to …

Brian Morgan and I represented Adventure Life at the annual IGTOA meeting in Guayaquil (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association). It was a great learning opportunity for me, as there were many actors present at the meeting - other tour operators, yacht owners, NGO representatives, government officials, etc. Each brought a unique …

The meeting continued, and a highlight of the day for me was to hear funding proposals from local organizations that aim to involve Galapaganos in sustainable tourism activities. It was very inspiring to hear what's been happening in local Galapagos communities to move towards environmentally sound practices.

Pete had yet another adventure in …