Galapagos Islands

The squad

Two weeks ago I left Otavalo, sad to say goodbye to my generous and energetic host family, the mountains and lakes, and interesting and compassionate Tandana friends and coworkers/bosses. However any reservations about leaving were heavily outweighed by my excitement around seeing two of my favorite people - my roommate from school Erin and the one and only Mary Jean aka my mom - and embarking on a trip of a lifetime with the two of them.

Erin joined me for my final night in the picturesque hills and ominous cement factory shadow characteristic of Gualsaqui. Danika dined with us, filling the Muenala Oyagata household to 12 people for the classic courtyard soccer, hair braiding, and massive, heavy, delicious feast that was dinner. The following day we hit the road, meeting my mom and Erin's dad at a beautiful hotel in Quito. The next morning we hoped on a flight to the Galapagos Islands, a dream trip to say the least.

To say I feel fortunate for the sights, sounds, and feelings I've been treated to over the last two weeks does not do justice to the unique and riveting ecosystem that is the Galapagos Islands. Not to mention the joy of drinking beers on a boat deck, in the sunshine, with the best company imaginable. I'm hesitant to try and describe what we saw, as it is a certainty that my words will fall short of capturing the bizarre and beautiful species and landscapes of the Islands. Below are some pictures that can hopefully give you a taste - 

Blue-footed Boobie

Flamingo!

Land Iguana

Frigate bird ready to mate

Marine iguanas - creepier in the water

Truly rare bread doing the frigate bird mating dance