Around the World in 180 Days with D and N: En Route to the Galapagos

On Monday, May 25 we flew from Lima to Guayaquil, Ecuador our jumping-off point for launching a visit to the Galapagos Islands. We didn't really do any sight-seeing in Guayaquil, and stayed at a Marriott facility, so it seemed like a town in the U.S. where few
people spoke English. On Tuesday we went back to the airport for our flight to San Cristobal, the first of the three Galapagos Islands on which we wil stay. We tried to check in with LAN Airlines and were directed to a long line where we had to pay a $20 conservation fee, and then had some of our luggage inspected for forbidden plants, seeds,bugs, dirt, and other contraband before we could get in another line to get our boarding passes and check our equipages. Upon arriving in San Cristobal, we snagged a taxi (they're all white dual cab pickup trucks) to the Casa Iguana Mar y Sol. It was a very pleasant accomodation operated by Patricia (from New Mexico), who designed the building, and Luis, her partner, who built it. He did a wonderful job and in addition makes tremendous breakfasts with coffee they raise and roast themselves. Papayas and bananas raised on the grounds rounded out the morning menu. Their all-around friendliness and helpfulness made our stay there memorable.