A biology professor of mine once said that being a naturalist was nothing like what we expected. We were used to National Geographic and the like showing us closeups of many animals and there was no ''down time'' where nothing happened. In real life you could be in the field a week and never see an animal.

In the Galapagos, I was also in National …

Today's adventure began on San Cristobal island in the Galapagos. We were fitted for wet suits and taken by cabin cruiser to the rock you see in the distance in photo 2. From the harbor it looks like one big rock, but close up it is two rocks with a channel between. It is the volcanic rock called tuff (ash which has hardened).

Before the rock, …

Today's entry is all about food. Even our small army of 6 (5 travelers and our guide) travels on its stomach. Sadly the key picture for this entry is fuzzy -- but I include it because it has the main message. All the Time Seafood. And that's not just at Betsy's Aloha Restaurant! There wasn't a day when I didn't have fish or shrimp or lobster or …

High altitude? No problem. I've been to Park City, Utah, I've climbed a mountain in New Zealand. So I was totally unprepared for altitude sickness.

Quito is nearly 9,000 feet up and for the first day or so I felt fine. I was walking a lot and enjoying the sites of old town. On the 3rd day, I met up with our guide Jonathan and a fellow tourist, …

People asked me lots of questions about my proposed trip to the Galapagos? Why there? What tour company? When? But by far, the most common and often first question was: Are you going by yourself??

As a sixty something woman, I guess folks were worried about my....not sure...safety, fun, stress? I would answer that question by saying, ''Well, …