Skip to main content

What I Learned In The Galápagos: Part II

If you missed Part I, here it is.

11. You might get a free weekend in Quito if you try to get home during a hurricane.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

12. AKA most underpublicized tourist attraction, TelefériQo (aerial gondola lift) on Pinchincha Volcano to Cruz Loma lookout, one of the world’s highest at 12,943 feet.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

13. If you're scared of heights, share your gondola with kids.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

14. Panama hats are made in Ecuador.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

15. At the middle of the world (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo) you can balance an egg but not walk a straight line. Water flows both counter-clockwise and clockwise (straight) down a drain due to Coriolis effect.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

16. iPhones are popular here too.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

17. You say you want a revolution? Public protest erupted in Old Town Quito on September 12, 2017 over former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa’s government amendments.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

18. Sometimes way too much gold works. The spectacularly ornate Jesuit church, nicknamed La Compañía, is one of the most significant works of Spanish Baroque architecture in South America. There's gold leaf and gilded plaster everywhere (no photos allowed inside).

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann
Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

19. Not even the crew is jaded. When orcas dance around the ship at dinnertime, get up close.

Image
Judith Beermann
Judith Beermann

20. Everyone connected with Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic is passionate about preserving, reveling in, and telling the world about the unique and breathtaking life in the Galapagos.