I met Giovanni and Carlos outside my hostel around 6am, another early wakeup call but I didn’t mind - I was off to the Galapagos! We arrived at the airport without any traffic delay and in good time. Giovanni handed me my Galapagos Transit Card and escorted me inside and through all the checkpoints, which despite being a seasoned traveler, I found tremendously helpful as Galapagos flights require several logistical stops once inside the airport. We met a Petrel representative at the check-in counter, who promptly delivered my boarding pass and, along with Giovanni, escorted me to the security gate. I felt confident knowing that should anything go wrong, these two would be there to assist me! This was not a flight I wanted to miss.
The flight was quick, with just a short stopover in Guayaquil to pick up more passengers, putting us on Baltra before noon. Our guide was waiting for us outside baggage claim, and we boarded a shared bus to the Santa Cruz water taxi. The wildlife adventure started almost immediately; we spotted several giant tortoises on our bus ride to Puerto Ayora, as well as a massive sea lion lounging on the town’s main docking point. A sign of what was sure to be a good week!
