Rachel and I traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in December 2008. We spent a few days on our own in and around Quito, then departed with Intrepid Travel to the Galapagos Islands. Because I already edited the photos and uploaded them to Facebook, I'm just going to link to my albums there and provide narration here. You do not need to be a member of Facebook to view the photos.

We arrived in Quito and enjoyed an afternoon in the old city. We ate at one of Quito's nicest restaurants for dinner, with great views of the city. Day 1 photos

Day two, we went to the equator, and rode the gondola up the volcano to over 4,000 meters for spectacular views of the city (when it's clear, at least). Day 2 photos

Day three, we hired a driver and braved the Ecuadorian highways on the road to Otavalo, about two hours north, home of the largest craft market in South America. We also stopped by Cotocachi for lunch and perusal of leather goods, for which that town is famous. Day 3 photos

The next day, we met up with the Intrepid group and toured the old city of Quito on New Year's Eve. Day 4 photos

Christmas day, we flew to San Cristobal, the Galapagos, and went to an interpretation center, on a two hour or so hike, ending up at the beach with sea lions. Day 5 photos

The next day, I got to go SCUBA diving at Leon Dormido, a top dive site in the Galapagos. Visibility wasn't great, and there was a lot of surge, but we saw rays, 2 kinds of sharks, fish, starfish, and lots of other great stuff. Day 6 photos

Next day was a boat ride to Floreana, which took us to the best snorkeling site I've ever seen. Afterward, we did a hike on Floreana Island and then traveled to Isabella Island. Day 7 photos

Next day was a 16km hike to the (still active) Sierra Negra Volcano. Then we hiked through a lava field, which was pretty amazing. Afterward, we went to a tortoise breeding center. Baby tortoises! Day 8 photos

The next day, we went to the Wall of Tears, built by convicts in a harsh desert environment, and hiked back to town. We saw some amazing baby sea lions and massive iguanas, among other things. Day 9 photos

The next day we hiked through a lava tunnel and saw giant tortoises. Then we traveled to Santa Cruz Island for the night. Day 10 photos

Last full day in the Galapagos, we went to the Charles Darwin Research Center, then traveled back to San Cristobal for New Year's Eve celebrations there. The NYE celebration was hilarious. Ecuadorians apparently burn things at New Year as a way of bringing good fortune. Day 11 photos

New Year's day, we flew back to Quito, and I got a few pictures at the docks before we left. Day 12 photos