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is J ra Jelon- \ By Jonathan van B eee” | The Galapagos: a tiny spec in the middle of nowhere If adventure travel to remote locales is for you then the Galapagos Islands is a must for your bucket list. If, on the other hand, you enjoy cruising, then the Galapagos should still be on your list. How you see it is up to you, but seeing it, is a must. | flew from Quito to Baltra, the air- port island which is two hours away, and wondered if | could spend an entire week in such a remote place. | had planned to go to certain islands, some not accessible by cruise ships, so | stayed at a 3 unit motel (Focus on Scugog, October, 2009) and, by small boat, visited a different island each day. The Galapagos Islands were formed when two tectonic plates collided and crumbled to form the 88 FOCUS -JUNE 2015 minuscule land masses in the middle of the Pacific. They were so remote that species of wildlife mutated to adapt to the climate and terrain. Of course these islands were the centre of controversy when Charles Darwin stopped there and began to study the habitation, eventually creating his controversial, Origin of the Species. of the 19 islands is unique. The inhabitants and Eco system is so sensitive that the government takes extreme precaution in keeping it as pristine as possible. When you board the plane in Quito, Ecuador, they check your belongings and tell you not to take any food with you. When you land they check you again and any food products, no matter how well they are packaged are tossed. If you are caught breaking any rules, such as straying off paths, littering, feeding or touching the wildlife you will be asked to leave and banned from future visits and your guide can lose their license. No one in their right mind would want to petan iguana, but these crea- tures are without natural predators so they simply sit and wait for you to step over them or snap their photos. Birds are just as tame and stepping over various species, nesting on the ground, is quite an experience. stayed on Santa Cruz, a sizeable island with about 20,000 inhabit- ants. Each morning at dawn | left my motel and met the ship's captain for the day's adventure. | say ship, but please appreciate it held at most five or six people and was no more than 10 metres (30 feet) long and was quite small amid the three to five meter swells (fortunately we did not encoun- ter any storms). The trip | took was one of the best | have been on and | cannot begin to share all the sights | experienced. There were marine iguanas, which had evolved over time with webbed feet and an ability to hold their breath for great lengths of time. Lying on the ground face to face with these mammals will assure you top quality photos, and it is sometimes difficult to remember they are wild and may snap at you without warning. Sea lions are also a species which is abundant in the Galapagos. When you are snorkeling you will be tempt- ed to grab one by the fin and go for Sea lions and pelicans can be found