Bartolome and Santiago Islands
I feel happy, so happy. This is a small word, but the right one to describe my state of mind in this very moment, just happy! This is my first time on board the Islander, the new ship of Lindblad Expeditions in the Galápagos Islands, and I feel as though I have been here before, and at the same time as though I have never seen these islands in the past. Why am I having these contradictory thoughts? I feel as though I have sailed on the Islander previously because of the warmth of crew and staff. We recognize in each other’s eyes that we are part of the same big family, we share an equal love for nature and conservation; we look out for our guests in identical caring ways. Many of my old Lindblad friends work now on this new boat, so the connection with this ship is deep and sincere.
Why am I feeling as though I am in Galápagos for the first time? Because I am seeing the islands through the eyes of the Islander, through the experience of the Islander. Each ship has a unique soul, a distinctive smell and sound, and as the ship is our home while we visit the Galápagos, I am smelling and feeling these islands through the gentle soul of the Islander.
I saw the islet of Bartolome today through new eyes: as the first island in the first complete day on our itinerary. And what a wonderful way to start a trip! Bartolome doesn’t have much vegetation; therefore, it is easy to understand how Galápagos was at the very beginning, how everything started out: lava flows, spatter cones and cinder cones. One of the few species we found on this young island was a lava lizard, and everyone became crazy about it! Was it a male or a female? Was it unique to Galápagos or not? The wonder in everyone’s eyes about this first wildlife sighting just amazed me. Sometimes we forget how fantastic things are, just because we are overwhelmed by amounts of larger animals. This morning however, we marveled at a lava lizard! And we marveled at the penguins that shared our first snorkeling outing and the parrotfish and the nesting pelicans. Santiago Island in the afternoon exposed us to colonies of both sea lions and fur seals; we discovered tidal pools and Galápagos mockingbirds, yellow warblers and marine iguanas. Every little happening of today’s total experience has enriched my life. I feel just happy, so happy!
I feel happy, so happy. This is a small word, but the right one to describe my state of mind in this very moment, just happy! This is my first time on board the Islander, the new ship of Lindblad Expeditions in the Galápagos Islands, and I feel as though I have been here before, and at the same time as though I have never seen these islands in the past. Why am I having these contradictory thoughts? I feel as though I have sailed on the Islander previously because of the warmth of crew and staff. We recognize in each other’s eyes that we are part of the same big family, we share an equal love for nature and conservation; we look out for our guests in identical caring ways. Many of my old Lindblad friends work now on this new boat, so the connection with this ship is deep and sincere.
Why am I feeling as though I am in Galápagos for the first time? Because I am seeing the islands through the eyes of the Islander, through the experience of the Islander. Each ship has a unique soul, a distinctive smell and sound, and as the ship is our home while we visit the Galápagos, I am smelling and feeling these islands through the gentle soul of the Islander.
I saw the islet of Bartolome today through new eyes: as the first island in the first complete day on our itinerary. And what a wonderful way to start a trip! Bartolome doesn’t have much vegetation; therefore, it is easy to understand how Galápagos was at the very beginning, how everything started out: lava flows, spatter cones and cinder cones. One of the few species we found on this young island was a lava lizard, and everyone became crazy about it! Was it a male or a female? Was it unique to Galápagos or not? The wonder in everyone’s eyes about this first wildlife sighting just amazed me. Sometimes we forget how fantastic things are, just because we are overwhelmed by amounts of larger animals. This morning however, we marveled at a lava lizard! And we marveled at the penguins that shared our first snorkeling outing and the parrotfish and the nesting pelicans. Santiago Island in the afternoon exposed us to colonies of both sea lions and fur seals; we discovered tidal pools and Galápagos mockingbirds, yellow warblers and marine iguanas. Every little happening of today’s total experience has enriched my life. I feel just happy, so happy!
