Losing a staring contest against wild animals, only at Galapagos

Wildlife takes on a whole new meaning at this group of islands off the coast of Equador. It's truly a unique place. Galapagos Islands. It felt like I returned to nature for a mere 5 days as civilization was restricted to only a handful of cruise boats. Furthermore, it was as if the wild animals did not care at all about human presence. We were not part of their food chain. We didn't pose a threat. So they calmly blink at you, only with curiosity.

It was expensive though. I had orgaized the 5 day/4 night cruise months ahead of time and had already paid the total in full. Even for a basic cheap cruise, it ate 1/3 of my budget (or whatever budget I used to have). But unfortunately, a cruise where you sleep on board is the only way to really see all of what the islands have to offer. I chose the more "wildlife oriented" route, which included the Floreana, Espanola, Santa Fe, and North Seymour Islands. Each island offers a drastically different landscape and species though only a few km away.

For this entry though, I think it's much better to just let the pictures do the talking. Nature was and should be the highlight of this trip.















- Ryoji