Journey.Connect.Create

The beauty of the place we’re staying is we really don’t need to go anywhere to take in the beauty of the Galapagos. We have the sea and tons of wildlife right out our door. I was up early again to watch the sunrise with my iguana buddy. It was stunning of course! We had a lazy morning and then decided to go to the little Germans Beach right near our home. The kids did some snorkeling and we enjoyed an almost empty beach. As we were relaxing on the beach and Auguste was just exploring, he announced he had seen an octopus! We gathered around the rocks to wait and watch and sure enough, a curious little octopus popped out! We had so much fun watching it for a bit. Such a cool sighting and made us happy we stayed close to home instead of going on an excursion! We headed into Puerto Ayora on the little water taxi to get something to eat later in the afternoon. We stopped by the art gallery that our host owns and she gave us some sweet gifts. On Fridays they close the Main Street and have v...

Both children are dealing with a bit of travelers tummy, so we opted to not do any activities involving long walks today. Maddie and I went into town for breakfast and to grab a few groceries while Auguste had a slow morning. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the water taxi, which takes maybe 5 minutes to cross the little inlet into Puerto Ayora. So not difficult, but takes a little time. When we got back we decided to take the kayak out. After situating all three of us into the kayak, we set out for a beautiful paddle in Franklins Bay! We paddled along the mangroves, saw lots of crabs, iguanas and pelicans. We spotted a blue footed booby on the cliff too! There was a little inlet tucked into the cliff that was so amazing! The water was bright turquoise and it was quiet and so beautiful. We’re so lucky to be in this spot and have the kayak right here off our own dock! Just amazing. After our kayak, we booked a time to visit Las Grietas with the company just outside the gate. Las Grietas i...

It turns out the Galapagos are in a time zone an hour earlier than Ecuador! So after a blissfully quiet and dark night, I was up before 5:00. Auguste has a bit of stomach upset last night so he was up early too. We decided to head out to the pier for the sunrise. It was gorgeous!! Our iguana buddy from last night was still there soaking up the last of the warmth from the cement! We had a slow morning and just enjoyed the sea breeze and lovely little spot we’re in here. It’s so cute! We decided to head into Puerto Ayora to scout out a few things. We grabbed a water taxi and then wandered through town and saw the fish market spot. It was more or less closed up for the day, but a few lazy sea lions were still there as well as pelicans and iguanas. I made the children pose for a few cringy photos, which you can tell they loved: We were headed in the direction of the Darwin Research Station so decided to book a tour. We had about an hour wait so went to the beach and it was gorgeous! August...