Sojourn of the Fittest. Cruising the Galapagos with every creature comfort

by Molly Arcst Staub

ALTHOUGH I HAD VISITED ECUADOR before, I'd long wanted to tour the country's Galapagos Islands. There, unique species inspired Charles Darwin 10 formulate his theory of evolution. But rustic hotels and small cruise vessels made me wary of traveling to this storied destination.

Finally, I found a luxury vessel, the Galapagos Explorer II (GE), which allowed me 10 lour in comfort and safety. The ship provides the largest and most elegant accommodations regularly plying these islands. Talk about soft and sweet adventure!

All aboard
After an overnight stay in Guayaquil finest accommodations, the Oro Verde Hotel, we flew to San Cristobal Island and boarded the 300-fooi-long ship. The luxurious vessel — boasting all suites, pastel decor, and artwork depicting Ecuadorian scenes and animals — carries only 100 passengers. Licensed naturalists sail along, leading twice-daily excursions and pre-excursion briefings.
Transportation on the island excursions consists of your choice of well-cushioned sneakers or hiking boots. For this and for other reasons (it’s really hot at the equator), participants should be in reasonably good physical condition. Sometimes we walked on sand, which at different beaches was white, gold, red, black or even green, depending on the lava's age and its erosion. Other limes, we walked on black volcanic lava — sometimes smooth and slick, but occasionally in hard ridges. The ship provides walking sticks, and a few passengers with mild disabilities managed quite well.
And though we sophisticated 20th-century travelers thought we knew what to expect, we were constantly amazed. As for the wildlife, we expected that each day's animals would be repetitious; yet they were always incredible. The landscape varied from lunar-looking lava to desert hills studded with cactus. One mountaintop we reached recalled Ireland's 40 shades of green, causing our group to burst into song; "The hills are alive..."

For the birds
Darwin wrote that the birds in the Galapagos were unsuspecting of man, unlike in any other part of world. Yet, he said, this fearlessness would disappear in successive generations with exposure to humans. This lack of fear hadn't diminished among most birds, sea lions and lizards we approached. We did, though, maintain the standard, five-foot buffer zone.
Although all passengers were amazed at the variety of animal life, this tour, after all, was not choreographed by Disney. Some days we spotted only a few of our intended animals. Still other species never made an appearance.
We anticipated spotting the famed blue-footed boobies — seabirds that look like gulls except for powder-blue beaks and webbed feet. Our first afternoon we motored in a panga (dinghy) and saw a pair; everyone chattered away in excitement. The next morning we cruised to Isabella Island where we saw 200! The lava formations were so streaked with white guano (bird excrement) that I dubbed it the "boobery poopery."
The next day at Bartolome, the most colorful island, we encountered various stages of black and red lava in a moon-like landscape. There, we were introduced to the world's only equatorial penguin, the Galapagos penguin: the world's smallest at one-foot high. Amid the sleek, aquatic birds, bushels of Sally lightfoot crabs swarmed the black lava rocks.
Later, we spotted statuesque flamingos probing Rabida Islands lagoon for shrimp. Marine mammals made their debut on the island's shoreline. Sea lions — sporting wide eyes and long eyelashes — sprawled across the sand with their two-week-old golden pups. "Seeing the golden baby sea lions was the high point of the trip," said Lorie Brice of Manhattan. "Some of them swam with me when 1 snorkeled. On the beach, the babies nibbled on my toes!"
Our first introduction to the huge land tortoises was at the Charles Darwin Station, a breeding facility with a few giants in an artificial setting. But a surprise was in store for us. At Steve's Farm on St. Cruz Island, we walked up to a half-dozen land tortoises that dwarfed us.
" This is like being on a safari, where you fly from place to place to see wonderful animals yet have comfort, great food and the hospitality of the crew." said Charlotte Clifford of Dallas, Texas. Wonder upon wonder was revealed during this exceptional cruise — marrying low-impact adventure with sumptuous amenities.

The Galapagos Explorer II
• Air-conditioned cabins with queen-size or twin beds
• TVs with VCRs
• Breakfast served buffet style in the dining room
• Lunch served buffet style at the outdoor pool/whirlpool
• Dinner served on linen In the dining room
• All bottled water, bar drinks and table wine complimentary
• Ship's crew adheres to sound ecological policies
• No casino or formal shows offered; crew shows include South American dances lessons
• Children above age 7 welcome; it's advisable that they know how to swim and bring their own entertainment such as electronic games, book, etc.
• Three-, four- or seven-night cruises available
• Air transportation included
For rates and reservations, contact Canodros at 011-5934-285711 or www.canodros.com; or call your travel agent.