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Meaning of the Galapagos Islands
Galapagos originates from the Spanish word galapago, which historically meant (saddle) but also referred to the giant tortoises found on the islands, particularly their distinctive saddle-shaped shells. The islands were named by early Spanish explorers who noticed these unique tortoises. Over time, the term (Galapagos) became synonymous with the unique volcanic archipelago known for its extraordinary wildlife and role in the development of Darwin's theory of evolution.
Trip Planning
I might have my 86th birthday in the Galapagos Islands, in 2025 for my 85th birthday I went to Iceland, my 84th year was in Australia in 2024. My 80th in Dubai, Oman, India and Sri Lanka!
I even decided to buy myself more of my favorite sunglasses that have frames of either green or yellow. I want to look good when I get to the Galapagos Islands.
I have wanted for years, to see the Galapagos Islands and the animal life there. I have been to Easter Island and other islands in the Pacific.
Even the Farallon Islands 15 miles from San Francisco and the Channel Islands 10 miles from Long Beach! The Greek Islands, the Indonesian Islands, New Zealand, Fiji and more!
I saw an ad and checked out the pricing as most trips to the islands are expensive. They do have shared rooms for a basic price. Not too bad if one is only there for five days or so.
The tour company was great. They thought if I was going to be 86, better for a private tour from the start to the finish!
This link will provide you with an overview of the islands.
Overview of the Gapapagos Islands
This link will provide you with some basic information that Darwin found out about as he sailed around the islands.
Darwin and the Gapapagos Islands
Columbus Travel and Billing
My travel agent, Manuela Alves, has been so helpful and seems to know what I need to do on the trip before I do! At my age, celebrating my 86th birthday, better to be safe than sorry, especially when touring places like the Galapagos Islands that might be difficult to walk around on.
This link will detail payments for the trip to the islands.
Payment Activities for the Gapapagos Islands Vacation
Ecuadorian Money & Visa
Money: Ecuador adopted the U.S. dollar on 13 April 2000 as its national currency and on 11 September, the country eliminated the Ecuadorian sucre, in order to stabilize the country's economy. The U.S. Dollar has been the only official currency of Ecuador since then.
Visa: Most nationalities do not need a visa for tourist or business stays of up to 90 days in Ecuador and receive a 90-day stamp upon arrival. However, for stays longer than 90 days, or for specific purposes like work or study, you must obtain a temporary resident visa from an Ecuadorian consulate in your home country. Key requirements for a longer stay visa include a passport valid for at least six months, proof of financial solvency, a criminal record check, and a return ticket, with some documents requiring apostille and official Spanish translation.
Galapagos Electrical Outlets
Good news, the electrical outlets are the same as the USA.
Galapagos Map and Flag
The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago known for their unique and diverse ecosystems, inspiring
Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Located in the Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site and a National Park, famous for their endemic species and stunning landscapes.
The Galapagos Islands flag features green, white, and blue stripes.
Green represents the abundant vegetation and fertile highlands.
White symbolizes the purity of the people and the emptiness of the arid lowlands.
The blue stripe signifies the surrounding Pacific Ocean and its rich marine life.
Flight Information
I will fly into Ecuador from San Francisco and over night in Quito. I asked for an extra day in Quito as the flight times are too tight for me to relax from the flights before flying to the islands. The next day I will fly on to the Galapagos Islands.
Travel Guide Insurance
At my age, I usually take out insurance just in case there is a problem before I go on a trip.
Map of World Travels
Here are locations of places I have visited over the years!
Island Destinations - 1961 to 2026
I have created a listing so far, all of the islands I have visited over the years! The first time I went to an island was in December of 1961, over Christmas and the New Year, 1962, from the midwest to the Bahamas! Now I have multiple islands to view as I look at the San Francisco Bay!
Galapogas Islands Weather
Looks like a hot and damp time for my birthday on the Galapogas Islands!
Day 1 & Day 2 - February 01 & 02, 2026 - Flight & Hotel & Quito Tour
I will be flying in a day early so I can have a full day in Quito and get a chance to relax after spending over 20 hours in airports and flying from SFO to Miami and then on to Quito Ecuador. I will do an afternoon tour of Quito on the free day before departing for the Galapagos Islands.
February 03 - Transit Fee & Galapagos Entrance Fee
I found out I needed to pay extra to enter the Galapogas Islands and view the wild life plus the Darwin Museum. I was able to do this online also.
- Transit Control Card: $20.00
- Galopagos National Entrance Fee: $200.00
February 03, 2026
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I took an early morning flight from Quito to the airport on the island of Baltra.
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Then I took a bus to the water taxi terminal on the island of Baltra to travel to the water terminal on the Santa Cruz island.
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A driver picked me up and as we traveled across the island to the hotel we stopped at theTwins. Los Gemelos (The Twins) are two massive 280-meter-deep pit craters/sinkholes in the Santa Cruz island highlands, created by the collapse of underground magma chambers.
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Deja Vu Hotel
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Pargue National GALAPAGOS Ecuador afternoon tour.
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Tortoise like to eat, sleep and the males like to give attitude.
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Babies learning to navigate the rocky landscape!
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The two Charles, Darwin and Buntjer. This is Darwin's museum.
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Goodbye to Charles Darwin and the museum and research center.
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My fantastic tour guide took me to a late afternoon luncheon. Poor Darwin is adertised in many aspects!
February 04, 2026
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Breakfast and the Manager surprised me with a birthday cake!
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Off to the Tortuga Bay tour at 9:00 a.m. Dangerous getting on and off the boat!
Tortuga Bay is located on the Santa Cruz Island, about a 20-minute water-taxi ride from the main water taxi dock in Puerto Ayora. There is also a walking path, which is 1.55 miles (2,490 m) and is open from six in the morning to six in the evening. Visitors must sign in and out at the start of the path with the Galapagos Park Service office. Tortuga Bay has a gigantic, perfectly preserved beach that is forbidden to swimmers and is preserved for the wildlife where many marine iguanas, galapagos crabs and birds are seen dotted along the volcanic rocks. There is a separate cove where you can swim where it is common to view white tip reef sharks swimming in groups and on occasion tiger sharks.
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Greetings from a water iguana. What a wonderful sandy beach. Birds and lizards all over the place. And mangrove trees of various types, I was told the varieties are white, red, black and button!
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My fabulous tour guide actually carried a chair from his home for me to sit on and relax while checking out the view!
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A red headed lizard and a Blue Footed boobie! An enjoyable morning but now it was time to go to the highlands where the giant tortoise were mating!
-------------- RANCHO EL CHATO - Giant Tortoise National Reserve --------------
With lifespans in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates. Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years. For example, a captive individual, Harriet, lived for at least 175 years. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning "tortoise".
Galápagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galápagos Islands. Shell size and shape vary between subspecies and populations. On islands with humid highlands and abundant low vegetation, the tortoises are larger, with domed shells and short necks; on islands with dry lowlands and less ground-level vegetation, the tortoises are smaller, with "saddleback" shells and long necks. Charles Darwin's observations of these differences on the second voyage of the Beagle in 1835 contributed to the development of his theory of evolution.
Giant Tortoise National Reserve - Thousands of tortoise eating, sleeping, doing spa treatments and of course, mating season is in January and February. I was just in time for the show!
Good thing my tour guide carried his chair for me to relax and enjoy the view!
Spa day at the mud baths!
I had a birthday lunch at the farm. Pumpking soup, pasta, and my tour guide ordered carrot cake for my birthday!
I have been getting FaceTime birthday celebrations from my neighbor Trish who looks after my home when I am away! It started years ago when she accidentally FaceTimed me in of all places, Edinburgh Scotland in 2019. I was celebrating my 79th birthday. She has contacted me in Dubai, Australia, Iceland and other locations!
This eveing the hotel manager told me my travel agent told her to give me a bottle of wine on the house to celebrate my birthday!
February 05, 2026
Las Grietas
I had a terrible day and I had a wonderful day today. The last two days were so busy I was worn out this morning. I decided to skip the tour. I went back to bed, and I got up, I went back to bed and then I had breakfast. I thought this is dumb, you’re only here three or four days and you’re gonna miss out a day so get your act together. I got picked up and went to a boat and we went to the location we were visiting and was I unhappy. We were going to see this big cut in the volcanic rocks and the walkway was about 3/4 of a mile long, 4 feet wide and nothing but rocks. Round rocks, square rocks, rectangular rocks, some 6 inches long and some 2 feet across all tilted and sand in between. It was terrible, especially when you’re 86 years old the guide held my hand almost all the way, and sometimes two of his associates hung onto my arms or pushed me up the steps of the stone walkways.
By the time I got to the point where we were going to look at the hole in the volcanic rock and some water in the bottom of it, I have had it. I thought I was going to pass out. Then, of course we had to go back to the ship or I should say the boat. They almost carried me there, three of them. I felt bad, they said they do it all the time so not to worry.
Good thing I had three people to hold me up the mile long walk to the hole in the volcanic rock. On the left my official guide and on my right, two of his assistants. A married couple and so nice to me, hanging onto my arms to ensure I made it to the end of the line. Was it worth it, not sure. But I did make it but I am warning everyone, if your age or balance isn't in top shape, I would advise against taking this tour. Better safe than sorry! The guide said not to worry if I took so long as they were used to taking care of tourists! So nice.
I didn't try to walk down the five story wooden stairs as it was over 80 degrees F and my legs were worn out. Would I make it back to the boat?
We got back to the ship and they decided that the 10 people on the ship might want to go take a quick swim. So they went and I laid down as the crew made me a little bed to sleep on. I felt a little better and then it was time to go back to the dock. But first, who was going to tip the guides and the crew?
To Tip or Not to Tip, that was the question. The tour guide and the two helpers were with me all day. After the swim and viewing the Blue Footed boobies the tour guide placed two cans on the deck covered with fake dollar bills. He said donations would be apreciated. Everyone sat there and finally a woman put a few coins in the cans. I pulled out a bunch of money and gave two ten dollar bills to the man who had helped me on the walk. I motioned him to give one to the woman. He gave her both and I shook my head no but everyone laughed. They were married!
I gave the tour guide two twenty dollar bills and everyone gasped. He put a twenty in the can for the guides and one in the can for the guides. Everyone was impressed and laughed and clapped. The guide said it was my 86th birthday and everyone sang Happy Birthdy to me!
The hotel only serve breakfast, but the manager, whose parents own building, was so nice and ordered me a big hamburger and french fries for dinner tonight. While waiting I took a nice swim in the beautiful swimming pool. The travel agent had given me a bottle of wine last night. So I had a nice big glass of Chardonnay and a wonderful hamburger and french fries for dinner for the last night.
Good thing I did the tour when I was 86 because if I was any older, I would’ve never made it. I do have a big bruise on my left arm from them trying to lift me up 4 feet from the boat to the dock so just a warning to everyone, if you can’t step 2 feet high and then jump another 2 feet high you’re never going to make it on some of the tours in the Galapagos. But not to worry, there are plenty of things to see and do without too much trouble.
February 06, 2026
Going home was just in reverse. Transportation across the island, an hour and pouring down rain. It cleared up and the driver went with me on the water taxi across to the other island where we got on a bus to the airport. The driver went with me to ensure I had my boarding pass. We then heard that the plane would be four hours late, no reason given. Finally flew to Ouito but was so late I didn't go to a hotel. I and the travel agent decided to cancel the hotel, pay me back the cost, and just sit there for the flight to Miani.
February 07, 2026
Finally landed in Quito and stopped for a snack while waiting for the gate to open for the flight to Miami. It was going to be a long night and day.
Declaration of Goods
To be presented at the Quito Airport as one is processed to enter or leave Ecuador. Many documents are completed online as of 2025.
Home Sweet Home
I arrived home around 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning and caught a cab to get home as fast as possible and relax and look at my view from my living room and bedroom.
Created
on 2025.08.20
>
Updated on
2026.02.10