My mom and I also had the pleasure of going to China (spitting and all), and while the country didn’t win me over completely, it is a fascinating place. What did win me over were the amazing Terracotta Warriors and fuzzy little pandas.  Pretty awesome.

In 2016, I definitely slacked off on the blog, due to lots of work obligations and my new triathlon obsession (I finished 7 this year) which leads to lots of time on my bike, running, and in the pool. And not writing. Meh, we’ll see what 2017 brings. Well, it already brought a triathlon coach who I am super excited about working with, so there will be lots more of triathlons! Plus, a very exciting January trip to the Seychelles and Mauritius! I can’t think of a better way to start 2017.

So let’s get down to the obligatory stats for 2016, in descending order:

Miles Flown
27,083

Number of Nights Spent in Hotels/Lodges/Boats
33 (yikes, that seems like a lot)

Number of Flight Legs
27

Number of Missed Work Days
15

Number of Nights Dog Spent in Kennel
7

Airlines Flown
5 (China Eastern, United, JetBlue, American, Avianca)

Number of Days Pup Enjoyed with Dogsitter Extraordinaire
10

States Visited (> 2 Days)
8 (Virginia, New York, Arizona, Texas, Florida, California, Delaware, Wyoming)

Countries Visited
2 (Ecuador, China)

Number of Legs in Business Class
1

Number of Loyalty Statuses Held
3 (by year end: Marriott, Starwood, Hilton)

Number of Times I Traveled Without DH
5

Number of Flight Delays > 1hr
2 (in Phoenix and Houston, 12+ hours each)

Number of Free Hotel or Flight Upgrades
2 (Hotel)

Number of Barf Bags Used
Let’s not talk about that this year. Sea kayaking is like my own personal hell.

Number of Forced Bag Checks
0

Here’s to an exciting 2017! I’m going back (hopefully) to more routine posting after the holiday season is over. And let’s leave 2016 with some of my favorite memories (not favorite photos–choosing those is way too hard).

I guess I think all animals are cute. Except humans. You will not hear me call humans cute, except on rare, rare occasions. I do think DH is cute, obviously.

Well, yet again, this was an excellent snorkeling location. Minus the one very large male sea lion that was not super thrilled with DH’s closeness to his territory. We continued on our way.  We saw a lot of fish. And something I thought was a sea cucumber but now I will just call undefined. Anyway, we continue up the channel and low and behold…

I squeal with cuteness. And excitement. There are three little penguins, right beside where we are snorkeling. DH even took a photo of me with the penguins. Because, well, PENGUINS. I look bizarrely and ridiculously happy with said penguins.

So, they seemed pretty content on that rock of theirs. I mean, one appeared to be sunbathing. And I was getting cold, really cold. The panga was just a short swim away, so I decided I’d swim over and watch the penguins from the panga until everyone else was done snorkeling. A bunch of them were headed out towards open water, and open water is way colder than a narrow cove, so I opted to call it a day.

I was settling in nicely, enjoying basking in the sun–like a penguin–when suddenly the panga driver started pointing. Two of the penguins had decided to dive in the water! Of course I decided to get out, just then. DH was right by one of the penguins, with another one following him close behind, though he didn’t notice that one.

I will take no credit for this fantastic penguin photo–it’s all DH. But how amazing is this little penguin, just zipping along in the water!? So cool. And they were really buzzing around so I’m even more impressed that DH got a non-blurry shot. Man, I can’t believe I missed swimming with the penguins in the Galapagos. Next time, next time. And one more picture of one of the little penguins getting out of the water. Because no matter what they are doing, they are so flipping cute. And awkward on land.

As one of our last snorkels, this was definitely a highlight. There aren’t a lot of places you can see penguins in the world. Galapagos Penguins are the only species of penguin that can be found north of the equator. Adorable.

Enough cuteness. But really, aren’t they SO CUTE!?

First, we hiked to the top of the highest point on the island, where you can see for miles on a clear day. Like other Galapagos islands, Bartolome is volcanic, and you can see collapsed cones in the sea below, as well as lava tubes when you are walking up to the top.

The hike up is on a well-maintained trail with stairs–you could easily make it in flip flops if needed. It was blistering hot…and we went at 7 or so in the morning. We did see two other groups on Bartolome, one leaving when we came on the island and the other starting up as we were coming down. It’s a great view, but it was SO hot, that we seriously were scrambling to take pictures and get down as quickly as possible. Surprisingly, even though it’s an island, and we were elevated, there really wasn’t any breeze. Beware.

We also saw a guy sprinting to the top as we were leaving. I was just waiting to hear the news that someone died of a heart attack in the Galapagos when we were there, because he 1) was wheezing and heaving involved 2) it was over 100 degrees 3) he looked as red as tomato and 4) I’d be shocked if he could run a mile on a good day…let’s just say he didn’t look or sound like he was in shape. Why you would do that to yourself, on vacation? I just don’t know. Thankfully, I’m guessing he survived to see the next day.

We then headed to the boat for breakfast, and then promptly filed into the panga to head back to the beach for some amazing snorkeling. And some equally amazing views. Usually we snorkeled straight from the panga, so it was also fun to be able to snorkel right from the beach on Bartolome. Just wade your way in to the sharks, lobsters, pufferfish, parrotfish, rays, and more!

There were so many black tipped sharks just hanging out under a rock, plus more swimming by every now and then. It must be a good place to hang out (read: eat?). I think this was also the one place I snorkeled without a wetsuit…maybe(?)…I definitely remember getting cold, so guessing I didn’t put one on since we were so close to shore and the water was a lot warmer.

I’d like to pretend that one of us went down to take this great photo, but it was actually our amazing free-diving guide that went to hang out with them at the bottom. But give us some credit–here is our photo. Ok, ok. So it’s way worse. We tried. (Also, DH and I love to argue about who took which underwater photos…I will say I think this one was mine, but I’m sure he thinks it is his, so we’ll leave it officially “undetermined”).

Anyway, there was lots to see under the water at Bartolome, including a beautiful golden ray! I think these things are just so cute…look at his/her little face! And their color is pretty unusual, or at least something we had never seen before. Yes…I definitely am the one that took this photo. It’s a touch blurry, but in my defense, rays can swim a lot faster than me and while I’m not scared of anything in the water (except sea snakes…don’t ask), I am very conscientious of how close I am to them.

I can see why they put Bartolome towards the end of the itinerary; it is included in almost all itineraries to the Galapagos. Despite the heat, it was a wonderful stop!

Like go to the supermarket and check out the craft beer! Yes, we did that too…

But not before taking a fantastic walk out to Tortuga Bay. Santa Cruz, like all of the islands in the Galapagos, has stunning scenery and beautiful beaches. I think Tortuga Bay is probably one of the prettiest, though it does have a lot more people than some of the other islands (Santa Cruz is inhabited, so that’s no surprise). It has a expansive white, sandy beach that is really shallow for quite a ways out so it’s easy to wade and play in the waves. They do occasionally have a rip-tide there, so be aware and know your limits.

There are multiple ways to reach Tortuga Bay, but we walked in from town (Puerto Ayora). On the way there, a lot of the trail was still in the shade–but be aware, it can be a super, super hot walk–particularly on the way back when the sun is higher in the sky. Take a TON of water and remember to reapply your sunscreen.  I want to say its about 3-4 kilometers with some steep hills mixed in.

There is SO much to see on the beach–tons of marine iguanas, pelicans, finches, and so many baby sharks in the water! Like little 1-2 foot black-tip reef sharks. They are very cute and like to get in the shallows where it is really easy to see their fins. I know some people may be wary of these fellas, but they are very small and much more terrified of you than you are of them.

We kept walking along Tortuga Bay to kayak in the cove nearby.  I actually did kayak here, because it was super calm and not on the open ocean. The environment is a bit different than the rocky, barren climate we’d become accustomed to–it’s full of mangrove trees. We saw marine iguanas swimming, tons of sharks, lots of rays, blue footed boobies, and a turtle. The water is very clear so you can sit in your kayak and just watch all the sharks and rays swim beneath you–lots of young sharks here as well, the mangroves are a popular place for shark pups!

This is My Kind of Kayaking

Marine Iguana Just Swimming Along

While we had kayaks on the boat for all other kayaking excursions, we rented kayaks off the beach at this little cove, so even if you aren’t on a organized trip, you can just rent them off the beach which is nice. I didn’t see anywhere to get food or drink though, so as I said before, take that into consideration, particularly if you are walking to/from the beach. There is a water shuttle, though, if you’d prefer that route that will pick you up and drop you off at the main port.

All in all, Tortuga Bay is a great way to spend the morning if you are in Puerto Ayora.

We are two travelers that pack light, and had plenty of clothes for every day of a 10 day trip–even with some important extras tucked in. DH and I both took our Patagonia Black Hole duffel bags (raved about here), which were perfect for storing on the boat. Depending on the type of boat, storage can be tight and a soft-sided duffel is easily smushed and stuffed wherever it needs to go.

Here we go Part 1 of 2: the first 5 items you have to bring to the Galapagos.

1. Two times as much sunscreen as you think you need.

We had just enough sunscreen to get us both through about 7 days on the boat. Remember–you are on the equator and going to be in the water usually multiple times per day, which increases the number of times you need to apply sunscreen significantly, even if you are wearing protective clothing. I would estimate I fully coated in sunscreen at least 4 times a day, and rarely made it through an on-island hike without doing some reapplication. Use at least SPF 40+. SPF 20 is a joke in the Galapagos.

Now, sunscreen is known to have ingredients that aren’t so good for sea life, particularly coral reefs. In addition to our usual batch of sunscreen, we also carried “reef-friendly” sunscreen: we used Badger, available on Amazon. This stuff was really thick and a mess to get on…I pretty much despised applying it, it never absorbed and was hard to reapply if you were even the least bit damp. And it was only SPF 35, so it didn’t last nearly long enough. But I did use it when I knew we were snorkeling in a place with lots of coral. Next time I’d try Tropical Sands.

2. More than one bathing suit.

I know that it’s common to think “I’ll just get by on one suit” but let’s be real for a second–swimsuits take up zero space in your luggage and what is worse than putting on a wet suit in the morning? This goes for guys, too! Do not just have one pair of swim trunks. Not only is it nice to have more than one suit, it’s kind of gross not to, considering how much you live in your swimsuit on the boat. You can try to wash things, but washing is 1) not always recommended, considering your boat has limited fresh water, and most people would much prefer to shower than do laundry, 2) not so much fun in a tiny boat bathroom, and 3) not the best option because things rarely dry in the tropics (and when they do dry, they usually smell). Also, for women, don’t take those skimpy little bikinis if you are thinking about jumping off the boat or swimming. They don’t stay on and holding up your suit while playing in the water, well, sucks. The Galapagos is really about more function than fashion, so choose something that won’t fall off.

3. Wetsuit/rashguard/swim tights.

I freeze in a nanosecond in the ocean, so bringing a wetsuit was a no-brainer for me. Most boats have wetsuits for use on board, but I’m a total germaphobe and even if cleaned thoroughly, I’d just rather be in my own wetsuit. I used a Patagonia R1 Spring Jane, recommended for 60-65 degrees. If you have a wetsuit from scuba diving, that would work too.

Side note: who makes up these degree ranges? They are insane. It was definitely between 70-74 degrees in the Galapagos, and I barely stayed warm in the Spring Jane. Granted, I’m a good swimmer and snorkeling requires pretty much zero effort, so floating around is not how you stay warm. If you a person that runs warm, well, you’ll be just fine. DH never put on a wetsuit, never got cold, and was always the last out of the water.

Now, even if you don’t have a wetsuit, do yourself a favor and bring a rashguard–short or longsleeve, even better if it has a collar to cover the back of your neck in the water. A UPF tech shirt can definitely work in place of an actual rashguard. When you spend 60-90 minutes in the water, with the sun just glaring on your back, you don’t want to figure out you missed a spot in your sunscreen application, and it’s pretty iffy to rely purely on sunscreen for 90 minutes in salt water. And what is worse than being in pain and uncomfortable on vacation?

No Shame: Wetsuit, Rashguard, Swim Tights

I also took swim tights, so I didn’t have to worry about sunburning my legs on long snorkels. They added a touch of warmth, too. Plus, there are the occasional jellyfish in the Galapagos–rashguards and swim tights definitely help protect against those too. I got my swim tights from Athleta, but there are a lot of athletic tights with UPF protection that will work just fine.

4. Lightweight, sun-protective shirts and neck protection.

More sun protection. Bring those UPF shirts. If they don’t have a collar, it’s worth wearing a bandanna or a “cool towel” (like this) around your neck to avoid being burnt. I guess the Galapagos Islands are really awesome at teaching us all how crappy we are with sunscreen application. These are great for on the boat, hiking on the islands, as well as kayaking.

Bring fabric that is lightweight, breathes easily, and dries quickly. Patagonia, Ex Officio, Mountain Hardwear all have great UPF collared shirts that are perfect for travel (need a great deal? here are my go to sites). For more athletic-wear type UPF shirts, I’m a huge fan of both Athleta and Lululemon. Athleta usually has more UPF selections year-round, but Lululemon’s sun shirts are really lightweight and pretty. Athleta also has the best return policy in the business. (Yes, I should be paid to advertise for them, but no I’m not!). Below is the Wick-It Wader Coverup from Athleta, complete with a hood and pockets.

Do not plan on washing these shirts, for the reasons noted above–better to have one per day or one for every two days, depending on how smelly you are. Kidding. Not really. I kept one for wearing on the boat were I wouldn’t be sweating quite so much, so it definitely could go a few wears before it got pitched in the dirty-clothes bag. For your fellow travelers, don’t underestimate how mildewy and sweaty things smell after a day or two. No one likes the smelly person. No one.

5. Sunglasses (+ extra or repair kit)/croakies.

I never take two pairs of sunglasses anywhere–in fact, I often forget a pair, but one of my pairs actually broke in the Galapagos and I was so lucky to have a backup set. We were 3 days from the island with a store, and I would have had to try to bum an extra pair off another friendly guest, if anyone had one. Do yourself a favor and take an extra pair or grab one of those quick glass repair kits with extra screws and tiny screwdrivers.

Additionally, I love my croakies, and put a pair on both pairs of glasses. You are on a boat, and it only takes a split second to be staring at the shark under the boat when your glasses…fall…off…in…to…the….deep. Plus, for kayaking they are an absolute must in the event your roll your kayak. You don’t want to be in the Galapagos without a pair of sunglasses.

There you go, Part 1. Part 2 coming soon!

Any comments on these items or what you had to have in the Galapagos? Leave a message!

A TORTOISE CAMP. I mean, how amazing is that? It’s set up sort of like a safari-style camp. It’s definitely more rustic, but the food and drink was amazing. What’s better than drinking a cocktail and watching the tortoises in the sunset? Not much, that’s what.

Now, I get it. Some people see one tortoise at the Darwin Center and watch them for 10 minutes and call it good. I am definitely not one of these people…I just love watching animals. And these tortoises are just fascinating, incredible, and one of the many reasons the Galapagos Islands are so unique.

Do you know how cool it is to be able to see these giant tortoises in the wild? It’s amazing. They graze, the wander, they appear where you don’t expect them, they are just cool. The scientific name of the giant tortoise is Geochelone elephantophus–they are the biggest tortoises, and can reach 500-600 pounds. And they live to over 100 years. Pretty incredible.

Now, the Galapagos has faced lots of tortoise problems–many were hunted/poached, and many islands that used to have tortoises no longer do. Additionally, these creatures are a tad bit destructive to crops…given their size and voracious appetite…kind of like mini bull-dozers. Dogs and cats also like to prey on the young ones. But it seems, now, at least on Santa Cruz, that they have struck a balance. There are select parts of farmland that are blocked off from the tortoises, but most places the fences are created in a way that the tortoises can move to and from as they please (the bottom wire is high enough to allow them to pass but still keeps cattle in the enclosure). There are wonderful tortoise crossing signs on the road so drivers watch for them. And it seems as if, with the work of the Darwin Center and others, that these tortoises have a pretty stable population.

Now, just because these tortoises are big and well, not that speedy (though fairly efficient in their movements), don’t think for a second they aren’t wild and don’t have personalities. They, particularly, sometimes do not like to be watched.  Even if you give them their 10 foot or so radius, they will turn away from you, sigh, and almost hiss when they get irritated with your presence! Mainly turning away…especially when you finally think you are going to get a shot of their face with grass in their mouth. Crafty creatures, but then again, it is THEIR space, not ours. Plus, I’m a sucker for unsocial and stand-offish animals that sigh.

Anyhow, enough blabbering about giant tortoises, but if you are waffling on a trip and are interested in staying the night on Santa Cruz to see them, I’d wholeheartedly recommend it. Plus, it’s nice to get back on land even for a few hours…but then again, boats and I have a complicated relationship.

I’ll leave you with some giant tortoises…

They love to twist and turn and chase your flippers. They seemed to be very interested in flippers….such interesting and adorable creatures. Again, do I need to repeat my warning? Do not provoke, bother, or try to TOUCH said sea lions. Obviously.

I’ll do a separate post on Galapagos gear, but I did wear a Patagonia shorty wetsuit. I still got cold. And rash guards here are a MUST, just to protect you from the sun. You are on the equator, don’t forget. I think I was looking for starfish in the picture, but who knows–it’s fun to dive down just to see what’s down there. I’ve gotten much better at popping my ears on the way down, so mainly restricted by my awful ability to hold my breath–embarrassing for an ex-swimmer. One of our guides was an expert free-diver, and it was amazing to see him dive down and just “hang out” with the sea life for a bit.

Floreana is one of the few populated islands on the Galapagos, though we didn’t go into “town”, we could see lights as we approached the night before. Floreana is best known for the “Post Office Barrel” where British whalers used to leave messages for those coming after.

These days, the barrel serves as a fun novelty: if you are passing through, you review the postcards in the barrel and find one or two that you can hand deliver. For us, it was easy, since we live in DC and there were multiple cards addressed there. I was always a sucker for the “postcard chain game” that seemed to bee big when we were kids–where you were supposed to send a postcard to the first person on the list and so on–though they always failed. So this was fun.

It was blistering hot on Floreana, and we were all excited to be off the mainland and back to the boat in the evening.

Our boat crew–on the Nemo III–was fantastic, as was the food. Given I’m a sucker for towel art, napkin art, and other such things, I just melted over our daily fruit animal creations. I mean, a giant tortoise complete with a Sally Lightfoot crab on top?! Yea, so cute. I’m a relatively picky eater, and was a bit concerned about the food on the boat. But not only was it delicious, it was healthy, plentiful, and well prepared. It wasn’t gourmet or fancy, but it was just what you wanted after a long day swimming and hiking. There were always tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and various sources of protein. I was super impressed.

Next stop? Santa Cruz to see the giant tortoises!

Kicker Rock is this protruding rock in the middle of the ocean that looks, well, pretty much like a boot or high-top sneaker. Sunsets are just gorgeous on the ocean, aren’t they?

Snorkeling in the Galapagos is fantastic, but one of the highlights is definitely snorkeling with the sea lions. The pups really like to play, and play they do with both each other and the snorkelers! Obviously, it goes without saying* that you should never touch/feed/provoke or otherwise act stupidly with a wild animal.

*(Um, people in Yellowstone picking up the bison calf or also in Wyoming picking up the baby antelope and putting in their car with their dogs? Sigh. Since there is clearly limited common sense in the world, I feel like it doesn’t go without saying–better say it.)

Isla Lobos was the first time we had the opportunity to snorkel with the sea lions. Anyhow, the pups will swim and play with you, and all you have to do is float, paddle a bit, and watch them have a blast. It’s so much fun.  One pup was particularly interested in DH…I so wish I had gotten a photo of their encounter, but they were literally just watching each other, while DH was floating and the pup got closer and closer and closer. He/she then darted at DH, really startling him, and then started swimming and diving in circles like he was oh so very pleased with himself. More on sea lions soon, promise!

San Cristobal was simply beautiful, and the storm clouds looming gave such a beautiful contrast between sky and ocean. Tons to look at too, including lots of marine igaunas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions, and birds–including finches, a pelican, and diving blue footed boobies.

While we did have a lot of activities scheduled every day on our Galapagos trip, the wildlife and the beauty of the islands made each excursion exciting and new. Our guides were fantastic at giving us ample time to ask questions, talk about the flora and the fauna, and also just wander/explore/take pictures on our own. Traveling in a very small boat and a very small group was something that was very important to us when we selected an operator for this trip (Natural Habitat), and I’m so glad it was something we prioritized. Plus, our group was largely wonderful, so it was fun to get to know them at the same time.

Next up, the island of Floreana!

Like sea lions. Playing, lounging, eating, playing.

And this is me, hoping I never ever ever have to get into a sea kayak again.

Next, we went snorkeling in Gardner Bay. I really think that snorkeling in the Galapagos in underrated–it is the best snorkeling we’ve had and just beautiful. Gardner Bay was particularly fun, as there was a huge drop off right off the islet–about 30 feet. So you have rock on one side, and coral/fish underneath you, and then it just goes down and down and down. The water had a ton of air bubbles in it, so visibility with a camera wasn’t great, even though it looked pretty clear in person. Lots of the chocolate chip sea stars.

While we were not in season for the huge waved albatross (missed by just a few weeks), there were a ton of Nazca boobies on Espanola. They are pretty when adults, but the chicks are awkward and very fluffy. They also are demanding for food from their parents. There are usually 2 chicks that hatch, but one chick (the alpha) kills the other, often by pushing him/her off the rocks. Survival of the fittest indeed. Side note: wings are so weird when developing–look at those bones and vessels underneath.

And of course, the marine iguanas. You have to watch where you step, otherwise you step on them. They crawl over sea lions without batting an eye, and generally don’t move (unless chasing one another…rarely it seemed). Their colors vary island by island. Many of the marine iguanas on Espanola seemed to have a bit more green and less black than on other islands. With no real predators on land, these iguanas seem to have a pretty cushy life.

We also saw more types of finches, a Galapagos hawk I think, and swallow-tailed gulls.

Next stop, Floreana!

But hey, I made it through a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands (sans prescription medicine, nonetheless), and got thru some extremely bumpy roads in Bhutan with the patch. I really thought I was home free…as long as I had the patch on.

So, off we go to the Galapagos. We learned how to tip over and right our kayaks on the first day, which I strongly feel is by far the easiest part of kayaking. Maybe that’s because I would rather be in the water than in a kayak any day of the week…

I’m doing great on the boat, and hopping in the kayaks seems like a fun way to spend our second afternoon. Except the fact that there were whitecaps. And the sea was rough enough that they were considering cancelling the kayak excursion for the afternoon. Eh, we decided to go for it, even though we were by far the most inexperienced kayakers. I mean, the panga goes with you in case you need any help, and really, what can go wrong? We fall in? See my comment above–we both were far more comfortable in the water than in the kayak anyway.

Let me cut to the chase…we didn’t fall in, we weren’t that horrible at paddling, but I was green as a sea turtle and barely made it back to the boat before the projectile vomiting set in. Fun stuff. Dear husband was both irritated with me for not paddling (hard to paddle when 100% of my attention was to trying not to throw up), and also kept telling me to turn around so he could take pictures.

Do you know how it feels to turn around in huge swells when you already feel awful? Yea. There were a lot of bad words. See? I can put on a happy face when I am anything but (this is the second day and there weren’t even large swells).

Because this decision wasn’t bad enough, I decided that I should go kayaking again the next morning. Awesome idea Heather! You are so (stupidly) optimistic.

Sure, the scenery is gorgeous. We saw quite a few turtles and rays while we were kayaking too. But the second kayak ended up much the same way as the first…on the upside, DH figured out how to balance the kayak while I threw up over one side! How’s that for teamwork? We thought it was impressive.

After kayak-fun time numero dos, I was done. I was tired of throwing up, and I was there to enjoy and explore. Not curled up on the boat deck cushions. So there came the end of my kayaking experience in the Galapagos. Fortunately, there was another person on the boat that DH had a great time double kayaking with, so he didn’t miss out on anything due to my inner-ear fails. He turned into a really great paddler by the end of the trip.

I don’t really feel like I missed much in terms of wildlife (which was my priority), but I did learn that I will not be signing up for any more kayaking trips. Ever.  For what it’s worth, if you like kayaking, our trip was run by Natural Habitat and it was amazing.