Galapagos Islands on the Amigo boat

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After a stressful time booking this trip (don´t ever use Sangay tours in Quito - instead go to www.Galapagosoptions.com) I was excited to be started my travels.
Having been out for a crazy night on Friday to numerous bars and Bunglow 6 in Quito I opted for the movies with Dan and Vince thinking it would be a tame one and knowing I would have to be at the airport for 6am. How wrong could I be as the guys wanted to party and as you know me I can never really say no. Anyway finally made it to bed at 2.30am and then rose at 5am. My Ecuadorian host wouldn´t take no when I mentioned breakfast wasnt necessary. Instead she was up and bid me farewell. Havent mentioned this, but I had a week with an Ecuadorian family. $15 a day for my own room with bathrooom, and three meals a day. Great food, but a really useless shower where you had to cup your hand to collect the water.
At Baltra airport I met my group and was delighted that I wasn´t going to be spending 8 days with the loud brash american tourists which had jumped on our bus. Instead there were 15 of us - a mixture from Germany, America, Canada and Australia.
Really glad I moved to the boat Amigo from the Yolita as it was bigger and I ended up with my own cabin. Would have been interesting if I had shared as there wasn´t space to swing a cat.
Over the 8 days we travelled to a number of islands and took a hike (well saunter) and snorkel every day.
Saw fantastic wildlife as the pics demonstrate and although it had been expensive it was worth every penny. I couldnt believe how volcanic and arid the islands were and also how close one came to the animals. Not quite sure where all the National park entry fees ($100 a person and in 2007 there were 200,000 visitors) as the information centres were really run down and not very informative. I have been told to read a book titled ´Plundering Paradise´. Aparently the fee is going up to $500 in 2008 as a way of restricting numbers. If they wanted to restrict number you could reduce the 4 flights a day. This action will unfortunately make it even more restricted to the wealthy ones and deprive nature lovers of a magical place.

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