Friday, March 2, 2012

KISSED BY A PENGUIN; Fishducky Friday

If you love animals as much as I do, put a trip to the Galapagos Islands on your bucket list!  We’ve traveled to a lot of places & had some wonderful vacations, but this was the absolute best!
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The Galapagos Islands are off the coast of Ecuador.  We took a plane from California to Florida, then another plane from Florida to Ecuador.  From there we were shuttled to the islands in a small boat, disembarked & boarded our cruise ship.  It took a long time to get there, but it was well worth it.  These islands are where Charles Darwin studied the animals & developed his theory on the evolution of man.  Whether or not you subscribe to his theory, these islands are a MUST SEE!  
It is illegal to kill or even bother the animals so they have never developed a fear of man.  When our shuttle boat brought us to the pier, there were seals sprawled out on the steps.  
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They’d occasionally look up at you, but they lay there like giant blobs.  You had to carefully step over them.  After all, it’s their island, not yours—you’re just a visitor.  When you take this trip I recommend that you use a small cruise ship.  We used Lindblad Lines, which were great.  There were about 60 passengers.  A small ship like ours could go places that the larger ones couldn’t get into.  We “parked”, at one time, in the caldera of an extinct volcano. (A caldera is the depression that’s formed when a volcano collapses into itself. Nature then fills it with water.)  I loved when we crossed the equator.  They told us that we could tell when we were crossing because we would feel a small bump.  I think some people actually thought they felt that bump.
We traveled to each of the islands by a zodiac; a small power boat that held about 15 people.  Our guides (college students who were studying the islands) took us on walking tours.  We saw marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins (only 16-18” tall), beautiful red & yellow “Sally Lightfoot” crabs (named that because people thought  their color & movements looked like a cabaret dancer), seals (including lots of babies), giant tortoises (who can weigh 500 pounds & live over 150 years) & MANY other animals, some of which are found nowhere else on earth.  You had to step over or around these animals, too.  There were birds everywhere—some of them quite odd.

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 We saw red footed boobies & blue footed boobies.  We saw frigate birds puffing up their red neck sac to attract a mate.  You’ve heard the term, “a feast for the senses”—THIS WAS IT!!
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On one island, my husband decided he didn’t feel like walking.  Instead, he said he would just sit on a large rock on the beach, wait for us & enjoy the beautiful sunshine.  He was just about to sit when the rock moved!  The “rock” was a large seal who turned his head to see who was sitting on him, not that the seal really cared!  We went snorkeling in wonderfully clear waters (there were also beautiful fish) & one woman had a penguin come right up to her, face to face, & touch (kiss?) her mask with his beak!  She told us a seal had a “kissed” her at the pier, too.
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My husband originally wasn’t excited about going—he went because he knew I had always wanted to go.  He now agrees—THIS WAS OUR BEST TRIP EVER!!

My husband has taken me around the world, but I always found my way home!----fishducky  

48 comments:

  1. This sounds like such a beautiful, wonderful adventure! :)

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  2. Definitely putting this on my bucket list - sounds like such an amazing experience.

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    1. Color me jealous--this is a trip I'd love to take one day!

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    2. ELISA, TRISH, & CROWE--It was FANTASTIC!!

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  3. I've been there, too. I went to the Galapagos for a conference we organized, and I also saw all those wonderful sights. I also got food poisoning, so one of my memories is not so pleasant! :-)

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    1. DJAN--The food on Lindblad was delicious. They served what you would expect at a very good American restaurant & also offered a local dish at each meal. Nobody got sick. (We never ate in town.)

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  4. Thanks for taking me on this trip via this post. Sounds amazing. I hope to see more of the world soon.
    It sounds like you have a great travel partner.

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  5. What a wonderful account of your holiday to the Galapagos Islands. This is exactly the kind of trip we would enjoy, too, but it's not likely we'll get to doing so any time soon. Such a happy picture of you and Bud. Your broad smiles said it all!

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    1. STEPH & DES--I hope you get to go sometime. There's an AMAZING world out there!

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  6. That looks like a fantastic trip. Color be jealous.

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    1. JOSHUA--You & CROWE are apparently color coordinated!

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    2. I'm wearing grey today, not green. I wasn't expecting to be jealous apparently. Or envious. Or even invidious or covetous. Now I'm just rambling. I blame the migraine meds.

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  7. Wow that sounds like a wonderful trip, be such fun to see all the animals who don't go running at the first sight of man. Unless some killer ones come after you haha..oh and who can pass up a chance to see boobies..LOL...didn't think I'd let that one pass did you?..hahaha

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    1. AAW, c'mon, PAT--you've seen boobies before! Maybe not red footed or blue footed, but I know nothing about your personal life....

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  8. Please pack me in a crate and take me with you next time. I'll wear some astronaut diapers and not be one bit of trouble. I promise.

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  9. What a great trip, fishducky. I hope to see the Galapagos someday. My daughter has been there. She said the sea lions walked up to her and tickled her toes with their whiskers.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Yeah, but did she ever sit on one?

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    2. No! But she got food poisoning on the flight from Florida to Ecuador because she ate pasta cooked in water that was not appropriate for an American stomach. She recovered after the first day on the yacht and had plenty of time for snorkeling and exploring.

      More love,
      Janie

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  10. Fantastic adventure. I've seen documentaries on the Galapagos and was just enthralled by the beauty of it and variety of living things there. Thanks for sharing this with us and I wish I could have seen your hubby's face when the 'rock' turned its head. Ha!

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    1. His expression was priceless! How often does a "rock" turn to look at you?

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  11. Wow what a wonderful trip I would love to take such a trip lucky you..........maybe one day I will but I won't hold my breath...........lol

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  12. I am so jealous! I have always wanted to travel to the Galapagos! It sounds amazing. I loved your description and your pictures. It is a place I must visit in my life. THanks for sharing!

    ~Jess

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    1. JO-ANNE & JESS--It IS on your bucket list, isn't it?

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  13. It looks and sounds like a wonderful trip. Love the picture of you and your hubby. I'll bet he looked twice before sitting on anymore rocks!

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  14. Sounds like a trip of a life time!! I love that you were able to enjoy nature in all its original form and beauty!! xo HHL

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  15. Wow! What an amazing experience - such a thrill! Thanks for posting the photos for us :)

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  16. DARLENE, CELIA & JEMI--I can only repeat--it was our BEST TRIP EVER!!

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  17. No matter how many times I read this story I love it and am jealous every single time. You my friend are fascinating. Oh and btw of course you are sitting in the back of the police car with me and Elisa. I call window.

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  18. So damned JEALOUS!!!!!
    This is a DREAM trip I would LOVE to take even though I am terrified of flying AND cruising!!!

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  19. MELYNDA--I get dibs on the other window--Elisa can sit in the middle!

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  22. This would be high on my list of dream places to visit. What a wonderful, unforgettable trip! You can add my to the envy list. Great pictures! :)

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  23. JENN--We have never been injured while flying or cruising. I wish I could say the same for driving & WALKING!

    RITA--That's getting to be a long list!

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  24. Given the opportunity I would love to visit.

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  25. Good to know....maybe after I swim with the dolphins I will look into a trip like this.
    You did an excellent job fishducky.

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  26. LindyLouMac--If you can possibly do it, DO IT!!

    KT--Thanks! My son & daughter-in-law had a private swim session with dolphins. You can watch it at
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoT-y2iSuH0

    It looked like a blast!!

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  27. I'd like to go to the Galapagos. Here's something funny though. My wife is from Ecuador. She moved to the U.S. when she was 32. She has never been to the Galapagos and has no interest in going.


    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out
    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge
    Blogging from A to Z

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  28. Dear Fran,
    I've never thought of visiting the Galapagos islands, but now I'm eager to get there! And I so enjoyed seeing that photo of you and Bud.

    Fran, I admire you so much for all you've done for Melynda. Besides being a stand-up comic, you are a woman who knows what being a real friend means. Blessings on you and your family.

    Peace.

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    1. What can I say besides "thank you"--& PEACE!!

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  29. My wife will enjoy reading this because she loves penguins and I think I just added the island to my own bucket list.

    Splitter

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    1. GO--ABSOLUTELY!! You'll love it, but take a small ship. We loved Linblad!

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