So, technically my birthday isn’t until tomorrow but today is the day I am considering my birthday hikes and honorary day! With the altitude, it made most sense to do Toco (~3.5 miles, max elevation: 18,401') today and then come back down a few thousand feet tomorrow so my body adjusts gradually down just as... Continue Reading →
Another morning, another same breakfast buffet. With another 7:30am departure there still wasn’t enough time to order from the kitchen so it was the same meal yet again. Today, I am doing the Volcan Blanco hike, but the name is a farce, it's no volcano, just a nickname for a little hill along the hike.... Continue Reading →
At least I am sleeping well given the early mornings. The breakfast buffet was the same today, and I ate the same thing as yesterday, before making my way to the meeting point by 7:20am for my scheduled 7:30am departure for Peñaliri, a full day hike spanning 9.9 miles with a max altitude of 13,160’.... Continue Reading →
Finally it’s time to really get this adventure started! I slept well last night and woke up feeling rested but very swollen and kinda funny, almost like I have a mild rash. It must be my body adjusting to the altitude and maybe it’s from using their body wash? I readied myself for the day... Continue Reading →
Serial flights don’t scare me. Pretty much everyone with whom I had shared my flight schedule with (SMF to LAX to ATL to SCL to CJC plus a 90 minute drive) had exclaimed how overwhelming and intense it was. But to me, it’s just a liner progression and I don’t understand how others see it... Continue Reading →
When structuring my adventures, I've always found it helpful to read through travel blogs and suggested itineraries to help me structure my own. Here is a breakdown of my days in the Galápagos for easy reference and some lessons I learned: Day 0: Depart US (I flew from LAX) on a redeye flight. Day 1:... Continue Reading →
So I shouldn't have drank the water yesterday. I had sent the AirBnB host a message when we got to the apartment in Guayaquil asking about drinking water, since every other accommodation seemed to have bottles or a strong filter, and he assured me that the little spigot by the kitchen sink was filtered water.... Continue Reading →
It's a bittersweet day. There's so much to still see on these amazing islands but I've been away from home ten days now and the ten-day mark always seems to be the point where I'm just ready to get home. Tomorrow I actually fly back to US soil and home so first thing this morning... Continue Reading →
I was up early this morning to avoid a rush getting ready and to enjoy my last calm morning on the water. The ship dropped anchor about 10pm last night so it had not been far from Bartolome back to Santa Cruz Island and the quiet, still boat made for another fabulous night of sleep.... Continue Reading →
Exhaustion and a sleeping pill as an insurance policy for good rest were a great combination. I slept like a rock last night. It was the first night of deep sleep I’ve had this trip and it was glorious. I woke up early, before dawn, and was actually excited for the opportunity to watch the... Continue Reading →
Taking On the World 