In April of 2021 I went with my sister and my nieces on an airboat ride in the Everglades.
It’s the largest subtropical wilderness in the US. It’s also a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance, and a specially protected area under the Cartagena Treaty. It was breezy and a bit overcast that day, but it was probably for the best considering the bugs in the swamp can be brutal in the heat.
We visited the Galapagos Islands after a business trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2011 and I have yet to see a more splendorous locale out of all the places in the world I’ve visited. I’m always loath to revisit anywhere because there are so many places in the world to see, but I fully intend to make it back there soon.
We stayed on Santa Cruz Island, which has the largest town in the island chain even today.
The Galapagos is the only place on earth with marine iguanas, which are the only lizards who spend time in the ocean.
We frolicked with sea lions and swam with sharks!
Blue-Footed Boobies. There’s nothing more amazing than mother nature.
Grapsus GrapsusGalapagos Penguin
The red crabs were ubiquitous and the Galapagos penguin is the only species of penguin found north of the equator and one of the smallest.
It was not an easy trek out to this spot, but it was well worth it. The “trail” is not long and it is flat, but it’s also INCREDIBLY ROCKY. You’re basically balancing on rocks that are not quite as large as your feet with rough edges.
It was incredible, how the locals dove from atop the crevasse walls. The water is a mixture of fresh and salt so there’s not much aquatic life to speak of, but it’s definitely one of the coolest swimming holes I’ve ever seen.
We were lucky enough to be able to see Lonesome George before he died in 2012. He was the last Pinta Island tortoise and was known as the rarest creature in the world in his later years. He’s now an important symbol for conservation around the world.
The people at this restaurant, the Angermeyer, were so incredibly warm & welcoming. We were only a party of 4 but they gave us a table on the water even though they were closed for a private party. Phenomenal food & stunning views!
These twin craters were not caused by impact, but rather they’re sinkholes created when the volcanic roof of empty magma chambers collapsed from tectonic shifts and erosion over time. Still pretty cool.
I have hundreds of pictures from our trip to the Galapagos but what I remember most is the incredible warmth of the people and their collective environmental consciousness. It’s a unique place and if you only take one trip in your life, it should be there.
Musings of a Dragon 