Galapagos & the Amazon

My time in the Galapagos was far too short, but I made the most of the time I had. I went diving and had no underwater camera, so have no pictures, but I did get to see tons of hammerhead sharks and eagle rays and lots of other marine creatures.

Eventually my time on the islands had come to an end and I traveled to Peru and spent a night in Lima. The next day I flew to Iquitos and had a quick tour of the town before I boarded my home for the next three nights, the MV Aqua. It was a gorgeous ship and there were only ten passengers total during my time on board. We spent a lot of time on smaller boats traveling up the Amazon and tributaries in search of wildlife. We saw monkies, colorful macaws, pink dolphins, and so much more. We also took a walk in the rainforest: I sweat so much, you would have thought I went swimming with my long-sleeve shirt on! The mosquitoes were terrible and there was no way in the world I would have been able to live there, but it was nice to visit.

The staff and crew of the Aqua were amazing and the food on board was delicious! I had no internet or way to communicate with the outside world, which was tough but I got through it. The Amazon is a magical place with so much biodiversity. One day we went fishing for pirannas and I was the first person to catch one! It was the only one I caught, but it was worth it because that was the first fish I've ever caught (yes, I threw it back!)! My time in the Amazon was incredible, and over too soon. But, it was time to get back to society and most importantly: an internet connection.

I flew from Iquitos back to Lima and did nothing but check into the hotel, check email and whatnot and then go to bed because I have a 5am transfer the following morning to the airport for my flight to Chile! It's going to be a long day of travel, but it will definitely be worth it! I can't wait!

From Mashpi to the Galapagos

My time at Mashpi was very nice. I had a nice mix of relaxation and excursions. We hiked in the rain down to a waterfall, as well as visited a butterfly garden where they raise butterflies. I had a nice time with the group I was assigned. One night I had dinner with the British couple, and the other night I are with the girls who worked at the US embassy. Eventually it was time to go, and I was transferred back to Quito for the night.

I was up early and taken to the airport for my flight to the Galapagos. We flew from Quito to Guayaquil to the Islands, and on the first leg of the trip I was seated next to an Ecudorian woman who had been at Mashpi and recognized me. Small world!!! She got off at Guayaquil, and the plane filled up with more passengers, and then we were off for the Galapagos! This was the first time I've ever had an aborted landing, and we had to circle around a second time to land. I was a bit worried that we weren't going to be landing after all, but the pilot was able to make the landing on the second try.

After getting through the logistics of arriving at the Galapagos and collecting my baggage, I was met by my guide and we made the journey to the hotel, which was on a different island than the airport. Along the way we stopped at a rock formation that looked like large crators, a place where there were lots of giant tortoises, and large lava tubes. After arriving at the town where the hotel is located, we had to board a boat for a small ride to the hotel. The hotel was lovely and has a beach as well as a pool (with ducks swimming in it!). It was late by the time I reached the hotel, so I chilled out at the hotel and prepared myself for an early morning of scuba diving! I can't wait!