Galapagos

A photo essay

We visited the Galapagos for the first time this past August. Before reaching the islands, we spent two nights in Quito.

Quito, perched right on the Andes, is a city unlike any I had seen before. The lack of oxygen at such a high altitude took my breath away almost every second. Its historical center is a UNESCO site famous for its colonial buildings, which were indeed beautiful.

Overall, The trip was truly amazing, but this feels like too much of a common word to describe it. It was my first time experiencing nature in such a raw and personal way. Watching a newborn sea lion or witnessing albatrosses courtship in their natural environment was a beautiful and rare sight, untouched by mass tourism. Every view and corner of the islands left me in awe and reminded me of our place in this world, the perfection of nature's design, and the delicate balance between all living beings. I thought of all the damage done and our responsibility to respect and protect what is at the core and meaning of life on this planet.

Peaceful coexistence.

The landscape constantly changed as we visited different islands, each more breathtaking than the last. People asked me about our trip, and I often found myself at a loss for words. It wasn’t so much about counting the animals seen. It was about the feelings these beautiful creatures and their behaviors inspired. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, one that I would no doubt take again and again. It was a humbling experience that put into perspective our place in nature and our role in preserving it for future generations.