Leaving on a Jet Plane

A year ago, Ed and I began entertaining the possibility of traveling to the Galapagos Islands, a place that has been on my bucket list for years, especially since my good friends Matthew and Jerry made that trip ten years ago. We spent months researching tours, boats, schedules, weather, health concerns, altitudes, and, of course, wildlife. We got vaccinations. We watched youtube videos and read several books, from Kurt Vonnegut's Galapagos to Jonathan Weiner's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Beak of the Finch. We've learned a thing or two about shifting tectonic plates, the diversity of beak size in the thirteen species of Darwin's finches, the sad story of Lonesome George (a Pinta Island tortoise who was the last known individual of his species and considered the rarest creature in the world until his death in 2012), the eradication of goats and donkeys on the islands, and the Ecuadorian political chaos that threatens the fragile archipelago.

Our research led us to our choice of tour company, a decision based largely on the number of islands included as well as the opportunity to travel on a small ship of only 40 guests. When we discovered that this tour could also include a visit to Peru and the incredible Machu Picchu, we decided why not? Might as well cross two things off the bucket list. And so, last June, we took a deep breath and booked this dream adventure. And by this time tomorrow, we will be on our way, flying from Miami to Lima. To say we are excited would be an understatement.

Other than a jet plane, our modes of transportation will include five short flights between cities and the islands, six nights on the expedition cruise ship Isabella II, short journeys by panga, kayak, glass-bottom boat, and snorkel fins. We are especially looking forward to our journey to Machu Picchu aboard the Hiram Bingham, considered one of the ten most scenic train rides in the world.

Other than seeing the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, our time in Peru will allow us to explore the cities of Lima and Cusco, high in the Andean mountains. We'll visit the Maras salt fields, the Ollantaytambo ruins in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and farms that are home to Peruvian Paso horses and alpacas. Our lodging includes a sanctuary lodge and a 16th century monastery. We will be toasting our adventures with pisco cocktails (a uniquely Peruvian brandy) and sampling Cacao Republic chocolates, the best in Latin America.

In the Enchanted Islands that we will visit (San Cristobal, Genovesa, Santiago, Isabella, Fernandina, and Rabida), we'll hope to see not only Darwin's finches, but also frigate birds, storm petrels, flightless cormorants, and all three varieties of boobies: Nazca, red-footed, and blue-footed. I am especially looking forward to sighting the only penguins found north of the equator. And aside from the famous tortoises of the Galapagos, we'll be amazed by the fur seals, marine iguanas, sea stars, sea anemones, and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Yes, Ed's photography skills will likely be responsible for hundreds of pictures, and I will share the best of them with you as soon as I can.

I am well aware how fortunate I am to be able to embark on this journey. I am grateful beyond words. I'll let Mark Twain inspire your own bucket lists:

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.