The first thing to strike me about the Galapagos is how volcanic and desert-like it is. It has cool cactus trees all around, and is hot. It truly does look antediluvian, like a place where reptiles rule. But after you climb into the mountains in the middle of the island, it is tropical, with rain and banana trees. We saw the famous giant tortoises on a preserve way up in the mountains. They can move surprisingly fast for something that can weigh up to 600 pounds.
Of course, we are here for the people- about 30,000 of them on the islands, most of them on this island in this town. I am amazed how big Puerto Ayora is, a good-sized town with a huge tourist trade on a beautiful bay. People are very friendly, very typical Latin America. And looming over everything is the seemingly omniscient presence of Charles Darwin, who is like a patron saint here.
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