Galapagos, Ecuador and Easter Island.

There are highlights every day but some stick with you. On our first full day out we ascended the Prince Phillip’s Steps on Genovesa Island. There we were greeted by a short-eared lava owl crouched in a crevice – Wow, now that was a treat and a great start to our Galapagos exploration.

Blue-footed boobies landing and taking off just metres from us, frigate birds feeding their chicks, cheeky mockingbirds, inquisitive seals, giant tortoises, swimming with the turtles – Wow!

On arrival at Easter Island another special moment – a familiar, friendly face welcoming us to the most isolated island on earth.

Sabrina, our affable and very knowledgeable guide, greeted each of us with an exotic frangipani lei and we were off to explore Easter Island. The moai proved as tantalizing and secretive as ever.

Ecuador’s mainland

Ecuador’s mainland tuned out ‘excitometer’. We arrived at Otavalo in time for the local cattle market, a very different experience to markets back home. Cows, bulls, pigs and sheep, cluttered and tethered in ramshackle ‘market’ pens. Chickens, roosters and assorted others lay around or strutted about depending on the mood. Buyers and sellers chatted, haggled and checked out deals.

Days of one ‘wow’ moment after another!

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