Deciding to Go
For two months of traveling through Peru and Ecuador, I kept wondering whether I should spend the money and fly the 600 kilometers out to the Galápagos Islands. The flight was a big expense for a backpacker traveling on a very limited budget, but the idea would not go away.
Somewhere along the way, I had met Yifat from Israel, and we had been traveling together for several days. We finally decided to stop debating and just go. My plan was simple: fly out to the islands, get a cheap room for a few days, relax by the ocean, meet other travelers, and carefully handpick both the boat and the boatmates I would live with for a week.
That turned out to be one of the best travel decisions I ever made!
As soon as we met a couple cool people that we felt we could spend a week with, we all climbed aboard several boats, talked with captains and guides, drank plenty of beers with other travelers, listened to music, danced, compared notes, and slowly put together an excellent group. We were not looking for luxury. We wanted a small, energetic group of people who wanted to see wildlife, snorkel, explore, hike, and squeeze every bit of adventure out of every day.
Everything is negotiable in the tropics, and this was one of those times when not booking ahead paid off beautifully. We turned down some very nice luxury boats at good prices because we did not want fancy meals, onboard entertainment, or a slow pampered trip with touristas. We wanted to go hard every day and spend as much time as possible on the islands and snorkling in the water.
Meeting Yifat and Flying Out
Somewhere on the bus ride toward the coast, I met Yifat. I do not remember the exact village or town, but I remember that it was evening, and after one of the buses pulled away I looked around and realized she was the only person there who spoke English.
I said something like, “Are you planning to go out to the Galápagos?” She smiled and said yes. So we found a room, became good friends almost immediately, and discovered that we both wanted to the same kind of adventure.
The two of us decided to just fly out the next day and just take our chances. Our plan was to arrive, find a cheap place to stay, meet other travelers, and assemble the kind of group that wanted the same trip we did: wildlife, snorkeling, hiking, and no pampered luxury-boat nonsense.
At the small local airport, we ended up on a four-seat plane, with one of the seats taken by the pilot. He asked who wanted to ride up front, and before I could even answer, Yifat immediately claimed the seat. (Damn; wish I had been up front, since I had gotten to fly a little Cesna like that twice, about 10 years earlier, and was actually gonna take lessons until I realuzed how expensive they were).
Once we leveled off, the pilot unfolded a full-sized newspaper to read, and spread it completely across the windshield. Every few minutes he would peek over the top, make sure there were no other airplanes in front of us, and then go right back to reading. Naturally, I took pictures, because it seemed too funny not to.
When we touched down, we found a small inexpensive hostel, went out for dinner and music, and started meeting people who were thinking exactly the same thing we were. Within a few days, the two of us had become part of a group of nine travelers from six or seven different countries.
Wildlife Everywhere
The first thing that hits you in the Galápagos is how little fear the animals have. Birds, iguanas, sea lions, tortoises, and other wildlife were everywhere, often close enough to photograph from just a few feet away.
One late afternoon, we watched a tiny sea turtle hatchling crawl out of its nest and begin the long struggle to reach the water. The waves kept pushing it back onto shore, and we stood there for about ten minutes rooting for it like it was an Olympic event. Our guide told us it probably had only about a two percent chance of reaching adulthood.
When it finally made it past the breakers, we were all thrilled. Then, as we started walking away, we glanced back and saw a frigate bird circling above the exact spot where the turtle had disappeared into the water. A moment later, the bird dove and scooped it up. It was sad, but it was also Darwinism in real time.
Our Boat for the Week
After looking at a lot of boats, we finally found the one we wanted. It was small enough to feel personal, large enough to be comfortable, and run by a captain who understood that we wanted maximum time exploring instead of sitting around being entertained.
There were nine travelers in our group, from six or seven different countries, plus three crew: the captain, the cook, and our naturalist guide. We negotiated a price of $55 per person per day, which included everything: food, fuel, park fees, transportation, lodging, guide services, and the boat itself.
The only thing not included was beer. There was a cooler on board, beers were one dollar each, and the system was entirely on the honor system. Whenever you took one, you just put a mark next to your name. Everyone also brought rum, tequila, or something similar, so there was no lack of evening entertainment after dinner.
At night, after dinner and the naturalist talk, we would usually sit on top of the boat singing, playing guitar, drinking rum, and reading from books about Charles Darwin and the islands. We would talk about what we had seen that day, listen to the guide describe what we might see next, and then decide as a group where to go.
After we fell asleep, the captain would start the engine and motor through the night to the next island. The bunks were small, and the boat rocked constantly, but eventually that rocking became pretty comfortable. A few nights I skipped the bunk and slept up on the roof under the stars. It was always so cool to wake up in a cove at sunrise on a new island!
Darwin Stories at Night
One of the best parts of the trip was how much we shaped it ourselves. Every evening after dinner, our naturalist guide would explain what we might see on nearby islands the next day. Then we would talk it over as a group and decide where we wanted to go.
We had books about Charles Darwin and the Galápagos, and at night we would read sections aloud, compare what we were seeing with what Darwin had written about, and plan the next day around whatever sounded most interesting. Coincidentally, I had taken a course called Evolution as part of my Biology undergraduate degree, as well as Oceanography, Marine Biology, and so many similar courses, so this was like an awesome field camp for me!
Once we had a plan every night after dinner, and told the captain which island we wanted to visit next, he would start the engine, and we would motor through the night while we slept. The cabins were small and the bunks were narrow, but the rocking of the boat became strangely comforting. Several nights I slept up on the roof under the stars, listening to the engine and feeling like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Snorkeling Three or Four Times a Day
We snorkeled constantly, usually three or four times a day, and swam every chance we got. We were not there to relax. Most of us had already been traveling for months and could relax later. In the Galápagos, we wanted to go, go, go.
More Island Days
Some of the photos from that trip do not need much explanation. They are simply reminders of what it felt like to spend day after day among volcanic islands, clear water, wildlife, boats, beaches, and a group of travelers who all wanted the same kind of adventure.
After the Boat: Isla Isabela
After spending a week on the boat touring and visiting most of the major islands, seven of us hired another boat and headed out to Isla Isabela. There we stayed in small cabins right on the ocean for about three dollars a day.
We were the only gringos on the island, and meals were wonderfully informal. If we wanted dinner, we had to stop by the outdoor cantina several hours ahead of time and let them know how many of us would be coming.
We spent nearly a week hiking around the island every day, swimming, exploring, and enjoying the slower pace after the nonstop intensity of the boat trip.
The Volcano Ride and the Horse Race
One day we met a local guy who said he had horses and could take us up to explore an ancient volcanic rim. The whole day included horses, a truck, and a guide for ten dollars each, so of course we said yes.
The ride up took a few hours, and then we spent several more hours exploring the cinder fields on foot. The place looked like a lunar landscape, with volcanic rock, open space, and a rugged beauty that felt completely different from the beaches and snorkeling coves.
On the way back down, Anne from Canada rode up next to me and said something like, “I’ll race you back.” Then she took off.
This was only my second time on a horse, which made my next decision questionable at best. I took off after her. The closer I got, the faster she went. While blasting through a small mud bog, my animal slowed abruptly, but I kept going. I was airborne.
In the version I remember most vividly, my feet stayed stuck in the stirrups for a few horrifying seconds and my head was dragging through the mud until the animal stopped and I could get untangled. Either way, I was lucky I did not get hurt.
A couple of years earlier, I had ridden a slower horse on backcountry roads in coastal Costa Rica. That one would barely move until we reached the beach, and then it took off like crazy. Apparently my luck with horses was not improving much.
After the week aboard the boat, many of us stayed another week on the main island. One day I walked to the Charles Darwin Research Station and asked whether they ever used volunteers. They told me yes, definitely, especially with my biology background and recent Amazon research experience. Unfortunately, the director was away for a few days, and I never went back. I was having too much fun with the group, and the moment slipped away.
Afterward: North to Colombia
After three amazing weeks in the Galápagos, Yifat and I headed back to the mainland and then north toward Colombia. We had met on the road, traveled through the islands together, helped assemble the boat group, and shared one of the best adventures of my life.
Colombia was the next chapter: Cartagena, Bogotá, Medellín, salsa clubs, good food, border crossings, cheap flights, and a very different kind of travel from the Galápagos.
Continue to Colombia →
Old Links, Maps, and Notes
The original version of this page included several outside links and map images that were useful back when I first built the page. Some of those old external websites may no longer exist, but I kept the spirit of that section here.
