Neither of us slept much last night as we were worried our alarm clocks would fail to wake us up by 4:00 AM and cause us to miss our flight to the Galapagos. Fortunately, our alarms did not let us down and we made it to the lobby in time for the tour-provided airport transportation with other fellow passengers on our boat. The majority of the passengers are later in their careers or retirees from the East Coast (predominantly New York/New Jersey and New England). We are the sole west coast representatives but we do not have the crown for longest distance traveled as a couple from London made the long trek to Ecuador.

Our flight to the Galapagos was smooth. While in the air we were able to see the famous Ecuadorian volcano (Cotopaxi) which due to the previous days’ rain and fog had alluded us. We were also able to see the coastal regions of Ecuador and some of the Galapagos Islands (most of which we will see up close and personal in the coming week). Once off the plane and through customs (there is an additional level of screening to enter the islands beyond what is necessary to enter the country) we were quickly whisked away to our vessel via bus and zodiac (a dinghy).

The accommodations on our yacht (called the Natural Paradise) are lovely. Our room features sweeping views from our cabin and private deck. For shared spaces there is a large lounge, dining area and sun deck (featuring alfresco dining options, lounge chairs and a hot tub!). In addition to the wonderful amenities the entire crew is incredibly nice and helpful.

After settling into our room and a quick (and delicious) lunch we were off on our first excursion. This first trip to see the plants and animals of the Galapagos up close was a “sea safari” as they call it. We divided into two groups and loaded back onto the zodiacs. Our naturalist guide and boat operators got us in very close to the island to see many of the must see animals in the Galapagos including seals, pelicans, crabs, sea iguanas, frigate birds, and blue footed boobies! We even saw two blue footed boobies engaging in a courtship dance as they start to do around this time of year and multiple pelicans flying around and diving headfirst for fish within feet of our dinghy. Fun Facts: (1) blue footed boobies get their distinct blue webbed feet from pigment in their feet and the more vivid the blue the healthier they are (and the better chance they have of finding a mate), and (2) the Galapagos is the only place in the world with an ecosystem consisting of lava rock, mangroves and cactus. We can only include a few pictures in the body of this post, but, as always, please check out more of our pictures and videos (including the courtship dance!) in the gallery section of this blog.

After our excursion we had some time to unwind before the activity briefing (the naturalist guide reviews the following days activities each evening) and dinner. As we have learned from our limited time on the boat the days are action packed (typically featuring two to three multi-hour outdoor activities). During dinner we learned a lot more about our fellow passengers, most of whom are avid travelers and were able to share so many great memories. We have already added a few more places to our travel list!

We are currently navigating throughout the night to our next location which is several hours away. As the sun has set and the rocking of the boat has increased we are putting our sea legs to the test. We are hoping for a good’s night sleep as we have a busy day tomorrow!