Galapagos: one of those once-in-a-lifetime things

I had the good fortune of being able to go to the very exotic and very costly Galapagos Islands this past week, and it was fabulous. The islands are famous because the species on the islands were isolated for so long from the mainland that they evolved along their own lines, and the life there contributed to the development of Darwin's theory of evolution.

I went on an 8-day cruise, which involved sleeping in a cabin with bunk beds and visiting different islands every day. We also snorkeled almost every day which was amazing. Both the land and sea animals were generally very friendly and comfortable with us getting right up close for photos and bonding. I say bonding because some of the animals, like the giant tortoises, were so impressive that they inspired an emotional response in me and I just wanted to hang out with them forever.

I'll start with some giant tortoise photos, why not:



And a cool marine iguana:



And some blue-footed boobies:



And flamingos, right up close!