A week in the Galápagos Islands
I got away this past winter to the Gal á pagos Islands. I had been to mainland Ecuador before, which I loved but never to the Gal á pagos. The weather was lovely during my stay, with a bit of a breeze but most days were very warm and the blazing sun pretty constant. The water is pretty cold there but I did snorkel and more on that later. Some wore wetsuits I wish I had but being Canadian I could manage. In Galapagos National Park all protected areas require that you use a national park guide who is a native of the Islands. The only people who can live in the islands now are those who are born there. Even those born in mainland Ecuador cannot live and work on the islands, anymore. I was really impressed by the national park guides' knowledge and care for animal welfare. The guides really make sure that people stay back from animals and stay on the trails and are subject to heavy fines, if people break the rules; such as flash photography, touching the animals or staying too long ...