Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands easily, without a doubt, without question, exceeded every possible expectation that I had. The place is simply unbelievable. I suppose that before seeing the islands, I expected to see tropical scenery, palm trees, beaches, coconuts, and obviously the most talked-up examples of wildlife: Darwin´s finches, the giant tortoises and sea lions. When we landed on Baltra, what I saw took me by complete surprise. The landscape looked like Arizona. It was rocky, and covered in prickly pear cacti. The water was a clear beautiful torquoise, and the coasts were rugged outcroppings of black lava rock. However, if Ecuador is considered a diverse geographic area, with a wide variety of climates in a small area, the Galapagos should be considered one of the most diverse zones on the planet. On the central island of santa cruz, with one half hour drive, one can see the crystal clear ocean, desert scrub land, basically what I guess I´d call "chaparral" ...or something like that, and almost like tropical forest in the highlands, with banana farms, thick woods, and misty hill tops. It just amazed me how much variety could be found on the islands. My favorite island... hmmm... I´m torn between South Plazas and Isabela.
South Plazas was a tiny rocky island, covered in sea lions and land and marine iguanas, and was a huge nesting area for tropic birds, gulls, and boobies. The earth was a shockingly bright gray, mottled with vibrant low red succulent plants that the land iguanas fed upon, along with huge prickly pear cacti. The combination of bright reds, grays and greens, along with the torquiose blue of the ocean was beautiful.
But Isabela was nearly indescribable. The main bay was full of reef sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, and tropical fish, and the huge beach that overlooked the bay was beyond pictueresque. It was absolutely massive, white and sandy, with gorgeous palms, and the pink sunset was pretty much perfect. But it wasn´t just some tropical paradise for lounging and sipping coconut milk through a straw. The island is home to the 2nd biggest caldera in the world, a massive expanse of gorgeous, flat but wavy black lava fields surrounded by verdant green cliffs, 10 km across. it was absolutely mind blowing.
After snorkeling and scuba diving mere feet from sea turtles, sea lions, huge peaceful rays, white tipped reef sharks and hammerhead sharks, and hiking along with finches and blue footed boobies and iguanas, it´s going to be an odd transition to arrive home to a few feet of snow.