Bartholomew & Santiago Islands
We have succeeded. The Polaris, the staff and boat as one, have taken us from island to island in the archipelago assisting us to fulfill the once in a lifetime dream to visit and experience the mysterious Galápagos. As Brent Bruning said, we have gotten to the ho-ho pont, German for “high point.” He described it as getting to a point in an adventure where one finds ultimate enjoyment and tranquility; in other words, the trip, at that point, is a success. This trip has definitely been a climax in many of our lives—the volcanoes that are barren yet breathtaking, the omnipresent vistas of azure sea and sky, and last but not least the naïve creatures that take no notice of our footprints through their islands.
Today, our day commenced with a strenuous sprint to the top of the primordial precipice of Bartholome. After numerous photographs, we trekked back down returning to the boat in order to ingest, yet another, marvelous meal. Then, we disembarked the pangas onto sand to hike the dunes. A group of sharks swam at the end of the beach, while marine iguanas sun bathed on the opposite end. Afterward, we snorkeled and played with fur seals, penguins, while boobies dove for sparkling salemas. Following the snorkeling, another amazing Ecuadorian lunch was in store for us while we navigated our way to the island of Santiago. Although the two of us did not go on the walk to Punta Egas, Lindsey Payne said, “To me this was the prettiest island.” While all of ya’ll obviously had a great walk, the crew and the two of us dominated on the soccer field.
Indeed, our adventures have ceased here on the Polaris, but our memories will never be forgotten. The Galápagos are a place of beauty and represent a perfect equilibrium between tourism and environmental protection.
We have succeeded. The Polaris, the staff and boat as one, have taken us from island to island in the archipelago assisting us to fulfill the once in a lifetime dream to visit and experience the mysterious Galápagos. As Brent Bruning said, we have gotten to the ho-ho pont, German for “high point.” He described it as getting to a point in an adventure where one finds ultimate enjoyment and tranquility; in other words, the trip, at that point, is a success. This trip has definitely been a climax in many of our lives—the volcanoes that are barren yet breathtaking, the omnipresent vistas of azure sea and sky, and last but not least the naïve creatures that take no notice of our footprints through their islands.
Today, our day commenced with a strenuous sprint to the top of the primordial precipice of Bartholome. After numerous photographs, we trekked back down returning to the boat in order to ingest, yet another, marvelous meal. Then, we disembarked the pangas onto sand to hike the dunes. A group of sharks swam at the end of the beach, while marine iguanas sun bathed on the opposite end. Afterward, we snorkeled and played with fur seals, penguins, while boobies dove for sparkling salemas. Following the snorkeling, another amazing Ecuadorian lunch was in store for us while we navigated our way to the island of Santiago. Although the two of us did not go on the walk to Punta Egas, Lindsey Payne said, “To me this was the prettiest island.” While all of ya’ll obviously had a great walk, the crew and the two of us dominated on the soccer field.
Indeed, our adventures have ceased here on the Polaris, but our memories will never be forgotten. The Galápagos are a place of beauty and represent a perfect equilibrium between tourism and environmental protection.
