Galapagos Explorer II … now that’s one fine ship

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about exploring the Galapagos Islands on the Explorer II.  The ship is owned and operated by Canodros who markets themselves as ecotourism providers.  There were a couple of things that I was concerned about like how comfortable would the ship be, would we get motion sickness, what would the food be like, what about the facilities [the toilets], how would we get to the islands.  Translation I was mostly concerned about comfort.

First, our arrival at Baltra and navigating the arrival process was absolutely confusing notwithstanding the language barrier.  My Spanish is minimal at best and almost totally unidirectional.  I can communicate somewhat in Spanish, but do not expect me to understand much of what you say … if you speak in Spanish.

When you land in the Galapagos, you have to declare [on a form] that you are have nothing that might impact the ecology of the Islands, but that’s a blog for another day.

Once we finally arrive on the ship we are greeted by the crew and a very persistent ship photographer, Fernando.  So far so good … the crew very carefully made sure that we safely got from the dingy to the ship.  A crewman carried our carry-on bag and took us to our room … a Deluxe suite … and showed us the room. 

The room was very nice … similar to a hotel room in terms of accommodations and size.  We had a nice bed, two chairs, a sofa, and cocktail table, as well as a minibar.  We had a lockable drawer and plenty of space to store our clothes.  Given that we were on a 100 passenger ship, the largest that the national park service allows now, the bathroom was okay … the shower and sink were fine. 

The toilet was our least favorite, it was filled with water, but the flush was a vacuum flush like what you find on airplanes.  Additionally, you were supposed to dispose of your toilet tissue in a waste basket … at least it was sealed.  I kept saying to myself that this is good for the ecology of the Islands.

Overall, this is one fine ship … the accommodations, the service, and the experience.  If you are going to the Galapagos, consider the Explorer II.

Galapagos Islands or bust …

Okay, we have been in Quito for three days and the temperature has been cool and it has rained periodically, but that’s okay, because we have gotten to see much … the old colonial city, the Otavalo Indian market, and other small towns.  The churches and cathedrals in the colonial part of the city are absolutely magnificent and ornate.  The most unfortunate aspect of Quito and the surrounding cities is the poverty and the conditions in which a lot of indigenous people live.  We have come across few beggars, most people are either trying to see some craft like scarfs or phone plans where you buy according to how much you plan to talk … seriously.  The city is also a bit dirty, but the poverty was the worst. 

After three days in Quito, we depart for the Galapagos Islands, where only one of the two airports are working … the one on Baltra.

So, we arrive at the Quito airport on our fourth day for our flight to the Galapagos Islands and waited and waited and waited.  After waiting at the airport for four hours we finally board the plane to fly to Baltra.  I have to admit that the airport process was one of the worst that we have ever experienced [which I will blog about later], but we finally arrived in Baltra about two hours after we were supposed to arrive.  I fully expected that we would miss our cruise ship, the Explorer II. 

The wait … totally worth it!  More to come …

What happened to the G.A.P. Antarctic cruise ship?

What happened to the G.A.P. Antarctic cruise ship?  This cruise ship hit ice November 23, 2007 and sank.  Fortunately, all the passengers and crew members were rescued after spending some time in life boats waiting for other cruise ships to take them aboard.

This is a trip I would like to take … I think, but I also would like to know what happened in addition to the fact that the ship was built in 1969 and struck ice.  This is one of my problems with media coverage.  This was certainly a news worthy event, the findings and investigation is also news worthy too.  I hope that this story does not get lost.

Again, this is not about blaming G.A.P., the captain, or anyone or anything else … nature happens … I just want to know what happened … prior to my trip someday.

Don’t leave home without it … travel insurance?

I largely think that insurance is a scam, but it provides one with peace of mind, especially if one is traveling to a less stable country.  Of course, this is not the only reason to purchase travel insurance … often coverage protects against trip and baggage delays, lost luggage, repatriation, medical and dental expenses, and trip cancellation.

I was talking to my travel physician who was telling me that a lot of U.S. insurance plans do not cover expenses outside of the U.S.  So, if you get sick, depending where you are, you may have to spend a lot to get health care and you may not get reimbursed.  And, that does not even include medical repatriation.

Trip cancellations due to weather or bankruptcy is another concern.  Heck, that can happen anywhere.  If I am spending my hard earned money, I sure do want some protection in the event that something bad happens.

I haven’t had to use my travel insurance and hope not to need it, but …

My path into the 21st century

In 2007, I decided to enter the 21st century in terms of cameras.  Up to 2007, I had been using a Nikon FG-20 SLR film camera that my parents bought me in 1985.  I must say that this camera has been reliable and sturdy.  The camera still take good pictures despite some of the automatic features no longer working.  In this 22 year period I had to get the camera repaired only once.  [My full disclosure -- I have no relationship with Nikon].

As digital cameras became more affordable and as quality improved, I swore that I would stick with my old reliable SLR film camera.  However, the pressure to purchase a digital camera began to mount:  

1. I was missing scenic shots [my reliable Nikon FG-20 takes a little time to set the settings in order to take a photograph].
2. The cost of digital SLR cameras have become affordable.
3. While developing film has decreased, it was becoming more difficult to find developers who use matte paper.
4. It was getting complicated and troublesome to digitize prints … why not just start with digital images.
5. Last and most importantly, digital photography does not result in any lost of image quality, even when printing.

So, after many years of consternation, I purchased a digital SLR camera … a Nikon D-80 with a 18-135mm lens.  Shame on me for not getting a digital SLR camera before now.  How many photographs have I missed?  My first trip using the camera, I took over 500 photographs over 4 days.

I still have my Nikon FG-20, but I have not used it since January 2007.  With my digital SLR, I have all the controls that I had with the FG-20 plus many more.

Why I like to travel? (Blog 1)

Greetings,

I apparently have a passion for traveling, which is probably evident given I have a travel blog and site, WalkinGates.  As far as I can remember, I have always enjoyed traveling.  As a youth, my family and I minimally took an annual holiday/vacation.  When I think about it, there are several reason why I like to travel, but should I be thinking about why I do something that I enjoy?  Why not just have fun for the sake of having fun?  Don’t overthink traveling … “just do it” [remember the old Nike commercials].

My philosophy is that everything that we do has an underlying reason, so we can continue to do something without thinking about the reason or we can think about the reason.  I want to think about the reason.  So, my purpose here is to write a series of blogs in the coming months about why I like to travel and why I want to think about it.

Among the reasons I like to travel …

The world is really a big place and contradictorily, there are a lot of things that make us similar.  People, places, and things are diverse.  Traveling is eye-opening, a learning and teaching experience, and it’s fun!