GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

I had expected a tropical paradise in the middle of the ocean so I was a bit taken back by the ¨other-worldly¨ landscape of the islands. The galapagos islands were formed out of volcanic activity in a hot spot in the middle of the ocean so they have never belonged to a continent - all vegetation and animals have come by way of the sea - Survival of the Fittest at it´s best. The landscapes of the islands are mysterious, eerie and beautiful: jagged dark flat volcanic landscapes peppered with cactus; white beaches and turquoise waters; mangrove forests creating a lime green reflection on the water; a spectrum of red, grey, brown, green and black mountains formed from various eruptions over the years.

The wildlife, being the sole inhabitants of most of the islands, own the galapagos - sea lions, sharks, turtles, sting rays, red and blue footed boobies, pelicans and various other sea birds. It is an animal lovers trip, especially swimming with the playful sea lions, vegetarian sharks, giant turtles among the coral that has formed on the lava rocks beneath the sea.

I took a 4 day boat cruise around the northern islands and then spent another 2 days on the island of Isabella where I took a horse back trek to the 2nd largest crater @ 10KM across - on one side of me I had this large black crater and the other side of me a glorious landscape overlooking the ocean. We took a bit more time and hiked across the red and black dried volcanic rivers to two other craters and soaked in the scenery at the top.