(via notanotherhealthyfoodblog)

kennyinecuador:

Isabela

We arrived to Isabela island on Saturday, and we immediately realized how lucky we were. The roads are made of sand, the beach is clear and beautiful, the animals do not fear us, and the people are friendly as can be. If there exists a paradise, Isabela is probably it.

The best part: completely unpretentious. It feels like I’m still in Ecuador (which I am!), where the people are proud of how tranquilo their home is. In fact, I learned during my 3+ months here that “muy tranquilo” is the biggest compliment you can give a place and the people who inhabit it. Isabela is perhaps the definition of tranquilo. No rush, no crime, no croud. Just the beach, radio, and wildlife.

We keep hearing comparisons between the Galapagos and Hawaii: both are volcanic islands in the Pacific, both built an economy around tourism, and both have uncertain futures. However, there is a lot that is different about the islands. Geologically, the formation of Galapagos is much more complicated (there are 3 tectonic plates moving in this geological “hot spot”). Additionally, 99% of Hawai’i was never declared a national park and, as far as I know, there have never been limits placed on tourism there (the Galapagos has an annual cap of 100,000, though a guide told us they went over that last year). Finally, Hawai’i attracts a different crowd. This goes back to Isabela’s “unpretentious” quality I mentioned before. All of the tourists we’ve met here have been nothing but friendly and seem to be genuinely interested in the ecology, geology, and natural beauty of Isabela. We’ve met a few other tourists like ourselves, but most of the people we’ve met have either been students, photographers, geologists, or birdwatchers. And none of them would be caught dead in a resort-like high-rise hotel on Waikiki beach. Like us, they seem to be more impressed with Isabela’s tranquilidad. It’s a pretty special place.

On Sunday (Mother’s Day!), we hiked Volcán Sierra Negra, the volcano with the 2nd largest diameter in the world. At one point, Daniel (the wonderful guide) told us why he loves working as a guide on Isabela:

“Es importante entender la historia de nuestro planeta. Galápagos es especial porque nos enseña cómo era antes. Entender el pasado nos ayuda con nuestro presente/ It is important to understand the history of our planet. The Galápagos are special because they show us what it was like before. Understanding the past helps us with our present.”

I am happy.