Island-Hopping in the Galapagos by Suzanne Wright I have a boyfriend who is addicted to the Discovery Channel (isn’t every man?) So, when I mentioned a six-day cruise to the Galapagos Islands, he was happy to put down the remote control. Made famous by Charles Darwin following his 1835 sailing expedition of the islands, the Galapagos Archipelago conjures up exotic images. Located 600 miles west of Ecuador—nearly on the equator—the fabled islands are a living museum of evolutionary changes. Although it’s the smallest country in South America, Ecuador has the greatest biodiversity in the world. The whole of it is a protected area. After arrival in the appealingly faded capital, Quito, we overnight at the modern, clean and comfortable Five Points Sheraton (President Clinton has bunked here as well, according to the bellman). The next morning we leave the hotel at (ouch!) 4:30 a.m. for the two-hour flight to Guayacil and onto Baltra, one of the few islands inhabited by humans. We clear customs, paying a $100 per person entrance fee to the government for conservationist efforts and are warned not to touch the animals or take anything from the islands. My passport is stamped with a cute hammerhead shark logo that says “Parque National Reserva.” At Baltra, we board The Ambassador I, a handsome 250-foot long vessel that accommodates 100 passengers. Our rooms are small and simple, but we do have a real (if miniscule) shower. After lunch, we set sail for Bartolome Island. During our guided hike, we encounter one photographically perfect animal after another: small brown penguins, blue-footed boobies and fluorescent orange crabs. After our welcome dinner, we sail onto Isabella Island by moonlight. Our schedule goes like this: wakeup at 6 a.m., breakfast at 6:30 and disembarkation by panga boat at 7:30. We take a long hike and see a variety of birds and some “arid zone” vegetation. But it is on the afternoon visit to Fernandina Island that I feel, for the first time, I am somewhere prehistoric and far, far from Atlanta. We encounter colossal plains of aa (spiky) and pahoehoe (smooth/ropey) lava, just like in the Hawaiian Islands. Very nearly camouflaged on the black rocks are huge colonies of marine iguanas, one- to two-foot long creatures with a “crown” of spikes running down their backs. When out of the water, they keep their heads up, eyes half-shut, placidly sunning themselves, ignoring us shutterbugs. They occasionally expel excess salt from their noses, causing us to jump and laugh in mock fear. Groups of sea lions are either hamming it up in the cove waters or sleeping in the sun. We get nearly within nose-rubbing distance, unless it’s a mother with a pup; then we keep a respectful distance. We also spot lava lizards, flightless cormorants and pelicans along the wave-lapped rocks. It really is the Discovery Channel come to life. The water is remarkably blue and calm and our sailing is smooth. The sky is azure, punctuated with a few cumulus clouds. During the night, we cross the equator not once, but twice, to arrive at the charming seaside town of Puerto Ayora and the Darwin Station, home to those massive, lumbering TV star tortoises, many of whom are 100 years or older. We pinch ourselves, so giddy are we to see these creatures in their natural habitat. About that time, a middle-age fellow joins us in ogling the tortoises. He, too, is a Discovery Channel devotee. “But if I don’t spend more time hiking and less time with the remote control, I may attain the girth of those beasts—without the attendant glory,” he says, with a laugh. His wife grins. “Worth leaving the Lazy-Boy, huh?” When to Go: Beautiful year-round, low season in the islands is generally April and May and September and October, when you may find lower prices and fewer passengers onboard boats. In peak season, boats may be booked months or even a year in advance; so plan accordingly. For more information: I traveled with Tara Tours of Miami; www.taratours.com or 1-800-327-0080, a tour operator that specializes in South American destinations with mid-priced accommodations.
			Above: The Galapagos Islands are famous for their rare wildlife and beautiful waters.