During our last full day in the Galápagos, Juan and I rented snorkels and headed to the “hotspot” for animal watching. We were greeted by sea lions who wanted to swim and play with us!
Pro tip: buy an underwater camera before you visit the islands. I instantly regretted not having one…
As anticipated, I saw some large creatures in the Galápagos; however, I didn’t expect to see tortoises up close. Manolo also took Juan and I to another destination we couldn’t skip, which was filled with these native species.
Interestingly enough, “galapago” meant “saddle” in Spanish, which described the shells on these animals’ backs.
Tortoises can actually live up to 150 years (the average lifespan being 120 on the islands). They can also weigh up to 250 pounds for females and 500 pounds for males! At this facility, the young tortoises between the ages of one and five are separated: fed individually, heavily cared for and combined with the older tortoises at age five.
Although the tortoises have it good on San Cristobal Island now, it wasn’t always this way (it was actually quite tragic). When Darwin visited the islands in 1835, he noticed that these creatures were so large and had lots of meat on them; tens of thousands of tortoises were slaughtered and consumed by himself and others he knew.
Thankfully this isn’t still happening today!
Manolo, our beloved taxi driver “turned best tour guide ever,” took Juan and me to a secret lagoon with volcanic views. The only visitors were the three of us and one other couple…
During our time on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos, Juan befriended a local taxi driver named Manolo. Of course, the two of them had a lot in common: Spanish is their native language, they grew up in Ecuador and they seemed to laugh at the same things (probably at me)!
Kidding aside, Manolo was one of the coolest locals we met on the island. Why do I say this? Not only was he a “salt-of-the-earth” kind of dude, but he became our private chauffeur and took us to some unique places.
Our first stop on our “non-touristy” tour of San Cristobal Island was an eco-friendly treehouse. A family generated this treehouse – as well as other rooms on the property – from 100% recycled and sustainable materials! The hippie in me loved this and never would’ve known about it had we taken another taxi…
Have you ever befriended a kind stranger while traveling? And if so, do you still keep in touch? 🙂
After a long (but very fun!) two hours of snorkeling at Kicker Rock, the group headed to a beach that was completely secluded!
There were many staggering features of this deserted area, and I can’t decide which one was my favorite…
1) the water had beautiful turquoise and teal tones
2) the sand was organic, which means that the chemicals the pufferfish can’t digest turns into the soft, velvety sand we walked upon!
3) every creature on the beach was tranquil (more posts to come on this!)
4) the views on and around the beach were awe-inspiring
5) the warm waves hitting made me feel as though I was taking a bath
The only thing I’d change? The FLIES! They bite, and they bite HARD.
Pro tip: bring bug spray to the Galápagos!
Instead of working a 9-5, Juan and I decided to spend a full day snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands!
Kicker Rock has an abundance of angel fish, sea turtles, sea lions and hammerhead sharks! Not only did we have amazing views, we were also welcomed by the nicest crew members and were able to meet three scuba divers: Anne-Marie, Lorraine and James.
Always try new things, because you never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll see along the way!
La Campana National Park is located in Olmué, Chile. Charles Darwin actually hiked here after his visit to the Galápagos Islands. It’s a must-see if you’re in the area!
Juan and I hiked the 7-kilometer trail, but only made it to the 5-kilometer mark since it was the most difficult path. Going uphill was incredibly difficult and put my physical and mental stamina to the test. With that said, however, going downhill was even worse on my hips, knees and ankles.
The hike itself provided Juan and I with a modest 6.5-mile exercise! In total, we walked 12.4 miles yesterday, and boy am I feeling it today…
Pro tip: don’t go hiking if you have the flu. This made my hike much more intolerable than it needed to be!
Pro tip #2: go hiking with someJuan special. It’ll be double the fun! 🙂
Exactly three years ago today, I was galavanting around Ireland with two good friends. The beauty of these cliffs is insurmountable and sometimes on the windiest of days, I feel like I’m sitting right where I was on this day in 2016.
Today’s post is for some of my favorite women that I’ve either met abroad or are from another country (or both)! People are the reason why I love travel as much as I do; it’s about immersing yourself in new cultures and creating strong friendships along the way. In case you’re reading this, thank you for all of the fond memories, laughs and sharing once-in-a-lifetime experiences with me 🙂
Saskia – friends since 2011 (met through foreign exchange)
Hamburg, Germany – 2012
Hamburg, Germany – 2016
Carolyn – friends since 2014 (met as roommates in France)
Aix-en-Provence, France – 2014
Anwar – friends since 2015 (met as coworkers at our SVSU Writing Center)
Saginaw Valley State University – 2015
Bethany – friends since 2016 (met as exchange students in Sweden)
Chicago – 2018
Jacomijne – friends since 2016 (met as exchange students in Sweden)
Arctic Circle, Sweden – 2016
Gloria, Jagoda & Hui Jun – friends since 2016 (met as exchange students in Sweden)
Lund, Sweden – 2016
Kaila – friends since 2017 (met as volunteers in Chiang Rai, Thailand)
Bangkok – 2017
Simply missing Kalmar’s good vibes, architecture and people more than usual today!
No matter where I am now, I will always be longing for the life I once had. It’s hard to believe that I took this photo THREE YEARS AGO. I’m feeling incredibly thankful today…
Traveling with the Traceys 