Galápagos – Red Beach
The most unique feature of Rábida island is its fine red sand beach. The white waves lap up against the red sand, a beauty that would be ranked on the top among all the beaches of the world.
Galápagos – Equator Crossing
Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island. Punta Vicente Roca is located at the mouth of the seahorse-shaped Isabela Island, with intense volcanic activity. From here, northward, we cross the equator and will return to the central waters of the archipelago.
Galápagos – Chasing Dolphins
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island. It was definitely the most spectacular scene we have ever seen. We were surrounded by nearly 100 dolphins and sea lions speeding forward with us. Usually two or three dolphins were swimming side by side, riding the waves, playing and cheering. They burst out of the sea, drawing a beautiful arc, and then submerged in the water.
Galápagos – The Pirate Bay
Bahía Urbina and Caleta Tagus, Isabela Island. Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos Islands. Bahía Urbina, where we are in the morning, has the only species of tortoise that survives naturally in the archipelago. Afternoon time in Caleta Tagus, Darwin Lake is a lagoon separated from the bay by a narrow ridge. The lake is in the turquoise color and the branches of Palo Santo trees on the hills like arms embrace the sky. The scenery is very beautiful.
Galápagos – Meet the Boobies
Punta Mangle, Fernandina Island. Punta Mangle is a small bay on Fernandina Island. Here we saw the courtship of the most iconic bird of the Galapagos Islands, the blue-footed booby; and learned about mangrove's unique features that have evolved to adapt to the high salinity of the water.
Galápagos – Penguins at the Equator
Punta Moreno, Isabela Island. Punta Moreno's landing site is a vast expanse of rugged volcanic lava fields. The occasional lagoons not only nourish the surrounding plants and shrubs, but also provide a place for birds to relish. Hardly anything can grow in the barren lava fields, but only tough plants like cactus can take root among the volcanic rocks.
Galápagos – Tortoise Ranch
Santa Cruz Island. We spent our first day in Galápagos at Santa Cruz Island. We walked among the giant tortoises, learned the fascinating story of the Scalesia tree and start understanding the unique natural history about the archipelago.
Quito – Heritage
Located deep in the Andes, Quito has the best preserved 16th and 17th century Spanish-style churches. The following hundreds of years saw the bloodshed and conquest that accompanied the clash of civilizations, as well as the culture exchange and symbiosis. It is in itself a very intriguing thing.
Quito – City
Quito is located at the foot of Pichincha Volcano. Overlook the city panorama at altitude of 13000 feet on the mountain, the variety of the city's landscape, just like its rich culture and history, is much beyond my expectations.