“One of those flash epiphanies of travel, the realization that worlds you’d love vibrantly exist outside your ignorance of them. The vitality of many lives you know nothing about…Travel gives such jolts.” -Frances Mayes, A Year in the World
It all began a long time ago with a barren mound of cooled lava. Situated around 1000 kms. off the coast of mainland Ecuador, the remote Galápagos Islands offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where the reality really does match nature shows.
And no, Darwin didn’t discover the island. He didn’t even come up with the Theory of Evolution either. it was Jean-Baptiste Lamarck who first proposed the theory of the transmutation of species. But I’m getting distracted.
There’s hardly a place on this planet like the living laboratory of the Galápagos Islands, and for many, a pinnacle on their bucket list. It’s a new dimension. The beating heart of nature. Fuel for the sole.
Everything is slow here, the walking pace, the service, the Wi-Fi.
I wear sandals with what is determined to be an overly exuberant pair of socks to prevent chafing. They are a heathered oatmeal colour, and I feel that they lend my travel outfits a special warmth and authenticity. And khaki shorts with deep pockets, like a local.
The Galápagos Islands are of the most fervently protected places in existence, with a treasure trove of animals found nowhere else on the planet, many endemic.
This is one of the few places where animals and humans cohabit peacefully as the animals never experienced humans as predators. You can get up close and personal without them being afraid of you. There were times when I had to literally step over animals to get where I was going.
Every cruise, every tour, and therefore every traveler can spend only a limited time at each destination according to a schedule every travel company has to follow. You must be with a certified guide, as you are not allowed to walk on the islands independently.
There are more sea lions than people. They are the charismatic stars and “welcoming committee” of the islands’ coastlines.
Seeing a sea lion in the Galápagos is like seeing buffalo in Yellowstone. In Yellowstone, the first time you see a bison, you slam on the brakes, stop the car, and just gaze at these majestic creatures. By Day Three, you’ve seen so many that you just want them to get off the road.
Or if you’ve been on safari in South Africa, they’re like the equivalent of a springbok – they are everywhere.
Each day brings new Attenborough-esque encounters. Because where else in the world can you have an eye-to-eye staring contest with wild animals and lose?
Every group needs a clown. Blue-footed boobies are the poster child for the Galápagos. These clumsy, comical birds are mesmerizing, admitting sounds that previously I’ve only heard from the washing machine. They hop from one blue foot to another in an awkward moonwalk, kicking out one foot in a sort of endearing ritual dance, heads bobbing in unison. They are curiosity personified.
In the olden days, men only dressed up on special occasions, and while the suit might have survived months in mothballs, the socks invariably continued to get worn – to death. Hence why he spends half the evening pulling them up, attempting to look the part. It’s an extension of preening and it’s astonishingly accurate.
As so with the blue-footed male boobie, except he doesn’t wear socks. Instead, he proudly displays his colourful feet, hoping to woo a potential mate. Instead of flowers and chocolates, the male boobie presents small sticks or stones, or rearranges small pebbles in a circle.
The male frigate bird also has quite a neat party trick. When a pretty girl frigate is in sight, he puffs his bright red neck, inflating it to a ridiculous size. He will then spread his wings, make a loud warbling sound, and point his head to the sky. Very impressive, if I may say so.
Meanwhile a female will circle overhead, carefully assessing her options. She can take her time and usually has many potential suitors. When she sees a particularly good-looking male, or a box of chocolate covered almonds – she will fly down to join her chosen.
Frigates lack the ability to take off from water, they simply soar for days and even weeks on end. They also have this remarkable ability to sleep using only half of their brain, meaning that they can sleep even while in the air.
Now why couldn’t Darwinism give us this adaption, cause who really can sleep on an airplane? Probably one of the things that confounded Charles for years.
So, what do you ladies think? Team Frigate or Team Booby?
Then the iguanas. Their look? Straight out of Jurassic Park, rugged, and very punk rock. And surprisingly chill.
As far as wildlife watching goes, they pretty much just sit there motionless and stare at you. Every island has its own version, sporting different sizes and colours as if the Galápagos Islands was hosting their own reptile fashion week.
And then a trip to the highlands of Santa Cruz. This was the main reason I wanted to come to the islands — to walk amongst Galápagos’ most iconic residents, the giant tortoises.
I had barely stepped onto the reserve when our guide pointed out a tortoise a few yards away. This was a male and was probably over 100 years old. He seemed to have his eye on a nearby female who was completely covered by her shell. Probably just not her type.
Tortoises seemed to appear at every turn, copy after copy of “ET’s” face, seen across the landscape from almost every viewpoint. I do a few dance steps when I come within a couple of metres of a tortoise. He weighs over 270 kilograms!, moving at the speed of a rock. What a sense of ancestry! It’s overwhelming.
Tortoises take the intermittent dieting fad to epic levels as they can go without food or water for 12 whole months. Although, they do love Manzanillo fruits, the only indigenous toxic plant in the Galapagos. For humans, touching the sap causes dermatitis and eating the fruit can be lethal.
Can you think of anything better than sunshine smitten secluded islands boasting pristine beaches of silky, powdery white sand, and water glowing turquoise?
Here there are no crowds, no sea of beach umbrellas, nor waiters maneuvering frosty piña coladas.
Unfortunately.
But you may have to share space with sea lions, turtles, pelicans, and a few iguanas.
We watch Darwin’s Finches and Frigates fly by as we lounge on white sand, soft as flour. There are Red Sally Lightfoot crabs scurrying across the volcanic rocky outcrops, feeding on whatever they can find (sounds eerily familiar, although I draw the line at ticks). Herons wade nearby, adding to the peaceful vibe.
We take a leisurely stroll along a path bordered with prickly pear and candelabra cacti,all well defended with a barrier of spines.
We took the full day San Christobal 360º tour, complete with the Galápagos handshake: the action used when a person must hold the guide’s arm to embark or disembark a boat.
As the name suggests, it took us on a full circle by speed boat (note the word “speed”), around the island, giving us the chance to see every side of the island’s diverse landscapes, getting off every so often to snorkel and encounter wildlife.
It was incredible to witness the island from different angles and a whole bunch of people throwing up off starboard.
Next, I’ll be heading to some lesser-known spots that Rick Steves highlighted on PBS. I can go without air-conditioning for a few minutes. Stay tuned.
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