Ok, random trivia. The Galapagos Islands are officially named the Archipelago de Colon; they are part of Ecuador and sit 960km off the Ecuadorian coast. They are also about 90% national park. The only way to walk on the islands is with a Park Naturalist/guide. These islands were the inspiration for Darwin’s Origin of Species. The islands are famed for their vast array of wildlife, much of it endemic. (Pick word I learned). The islands are most famous for the Giant Tortoises that are found there, but I think the birds provided a more spectacular show. But I get ahead of myself. I still had to get there and that was an adventure in and of itself. I was currently some 900 nautical miles away in Panama. (One nautical mile is about 1.15 statute miles … ... read more

This is the trip report from my trip to Chile back in 2004, before I started blogging everything. Cliff Notes Chile is a country of spectacular scenery, friendly people and excellent food. My three weeks there were quite amazing, and I hope to go back. I will try to describe in words and pictures the adventure, but it really can’t be done. I expected Patagonia to look a lot like Alaska. Simply stated, I was correct. However, when I was taking in my surroundings I never thought: “yeah this looks like Alaska”. One main difference is the number of fjords in Chile—many more than I saw in Alaska. Other than that the differences are almost too subtle to explain. So you should go to both and compare. Chile does have an abundance of wildlife, mostly birds. ... read more