February 21, 2008

  • The Galapagos Islands were awesome.  The islands definitely belong to the animals only the humans help protect them.  We went horseback riding up to a volcano crater... 2nd biggest in the world, mind you.  Then we dropped off our horses and took a long hike inside one of the craters and it was pretty excrutiating.  The hike was hard, but we made it.  Phew.  In the afternoon, we went snorkeling where we were able to swim near sea lions, penguins, and above an array of huge and colorful fish.  While on the Galapagos Islands we were also able to get up close and personal with humongous tortoises and iguanas.  All in all... I give the Galapagos an A!

    In Quito (Ecuador), we stayed in a hostel that is located near the historical downtown of Quito.  The buildings are beautiful and so were the various churches and cathedral we visited.  We also visited a tall basilica that is modeled after the Notre Dame in Paris.  We climbed up to the highest tower of the church and I even climbed out to the ledge out of a broken window to take some photos.  Scary, but well worth it.  Quito also gets an A in my book!

    P.S.  The spanish here in Ecuador is much faster than it was in Peru!

    Tonight we are headed to Easter Island... can´t wait, but we are already depressed knowing our trip is almost coming to an end.  Only a couple more stops after Easter Island.