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Had I been on a cruise of the Galapagos, its unlikely I would have seen this special owl.
Bartolomé in the Galapagos Islands.
In all, 98 percent of Pikaias staff are from Santa Cruz.
A view of Pikaia Lodge from the entrance path.
Like many people, a trip to the Galapagos has been on my bucket list for years.
A view of Pikaia Lodge from the entrance path.
However, Im not a boat person.
Though I can enjoy a short sail or kayak, Im also prone to seasickness.
The mere thought of being and sleeping on a boat for days on end makes my chest tighten.
A twin queen room at Pikaia Lodge.
Therefore, I assumed I would probably never see the Galapagosor at least not without a lot of medications.
A twin queen room at Pikaia Lodge.
The spa at Pikaia Lodge.
The spa at Pikaia Lodge.
After all, even a land-based Galapagos trip should involve at least some island-hopping.
I definitely got my typical Galapagos wildlife tripbut I also got so much more.
A trip to Bartolome.
A trip to Bartolomé.
The town of Puerto Ayora.
Did I expect to learn about and taste Ecuadorian cacao in the Galapagos?
It hadnt occurred to me.
The town of Puerto Ayora.
But it certainly enriched my trip.
Later, I stumbled on the (tiny) local fish market.
Customers chatted as the bold resident pelican and two lounging sea lions waited for scraps.
The beach at Tortuga Bay.
Two land iguanas stalked by as pedestrians avoided stepping on them.
At the beach, we kayaked, picnicked, and swam with the localsboth human and marine.
The beach at Tortuga Bay.
At the end of the day, we were handed baby scalesia trees by the entrance to Pikaia.
I wasnt just floating around it on a boat, I was digging in.
