The one thing that kind of made me a little uncomfortable in the Galapagos, although it was among the greatest experiences in my life, and without a doubt the most beautiful place I´ve ever seen, was the amount of development and the level to which the Galapagos caters to tourists from around the world. For example, the hotel we stayed in, Hotel Mainao, was absolutely gorgeous. It looked like something out of a Dr. Suess book, with wavy white walls and twisting stair cases to our quaint but comfy accomodations. The hotel is located in Puerto Ayora, a city--yes, city-- of 20,000 people on the southern end of Santa Cruz island. Everywhere you looked there was a nice restaurant, an artisan shop selling crafts that could easily be found in Cuenca or Otavalo, and most likely came from Otavalo, or an upscale art gallery catering to the rich world travelers of Europe and the US. The restaurant near our hotel in which we ate most of our meals was pretty superfluous. It was delicous and had a great view of the bay, but it felt a bit odd to be eating five star meals in one of the world´s most protected and beautiful natural areas. But still, it´s fairly difficult to get to the islands, and even more difficult to stay there for an extended period of time. I´m pretty sure that to stay there longer than a short visit, one has to either have been born there, have a job there, or marry someone who lives there. Hopefully the area can stabalize its growth and not threaten the amazing and unique natural environment that it has already slightly disturbed.
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