Galapagos Ho!

We made it to Guayaquil after many many hours of travel, most of it en route to JFK airport. Our

shuttle from the JFK parking lot turned out not to exist, but we made the flight on time. At Guayaquil, our shuttle to the hotel also did not exist. Still, the hotel was pleasant and had room service and air conditioning to combat the 90 degree heat. We slept a bit and rode back to the airport, where we went through some lengthy (and expensive) administrative stuff dealing with not destroying the islands with foreign plant or animal life.  We got to see an entire adorable professional soccer team passing through the airport on their way to a game, eliciting many cheers and photos from adoring fans and the media.

We were upgraded on our flight to the Galapagos, which was random and pleasing, and when we got to the airport on Baltra we were greeted by a very large land iguana, no doubt hired for the occasion. Then we got to watch some happy sniffer dogs checking all the luggage (again) for outlawed vegetation and animal products.

From Baltra we hopped on a terrifyingly tiny prop plane to Isabela with a

Swedish family of six (three generations!) and flew loudly and low over islands and sea. Our hotel sent a shuttle, which existed though it was actually a pickup truck, and we checked in, admired the flamingos on the lagoon outside our window, turned up the AC, and went to eat fried fish and beer. 

Then on to the Tortoise Sanctuary, where we learned how long it takes Galapagos tortoises to copulate and what eats them, besides Charles Darwin and Herman Melville (Melville found them the tastiest of tortoises, but Darwin thought they were sub par).  

We stopped at the beach for a walk, caipirinhas and mojitos, and a stunning sunset and watched footage of Fordham's occupation back in the hotel before a basic but delicious dinner.