We headed back in time to the deceivingly desolate Galapagos Islands for a cruise through Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Santiago, and Bartolome Islands. We then then continued to the lush Amazon Basin, where we enjoyed four days exploring the forest floor and canopy surrounding Sacha Lodge.
A hemisphere apart (Sullivan Peraino)My current coordinates are 45'N, 79'24''W. I am barreling toward the equator at 538 miles per hour, bound for Quito, Ecuador. Hooray! I made it on the plane this time - with eardrums intact. I am headed to Ecuador for 11 days. We arrive at 10PM and then board another plane in the morning to... begin drumrole... THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS! We are cruising for 5 days on the Grand Odyssey, a 16-passenger luxury yacht. On Friday, we then fly from Quito west to the Amazon Basin. My biodiversity level for the month of September is going to reach a record high. I am so excited! We arrived at the Casa Aliso Hotel after midnight, and while the restaurants nearby were closed, the staff made us ham and cheese sandwiches and brought a bottle of Argentinean wine to our room. We felt welcome in Ecuador right away!