Darwin, Dragons and Don’t Trip on the Usual — My Galapagos Sojourn

After months of work, procrastination, and a healthy dose of laziness (not necessarily in that order), I finally sat down to write about my travel to the Galapagos Islands – that legendary archipelago where Darwin met his eureka moment. Here’s my five-day cruise through evolution’s playground: where sea lions do yoga, iguanas sneeze salt, and the sunsets look Photoshopped by the Gods despite my poor photography skills…

Arrival in Galapagos: Into Darwin’s Playground

Yes, I know — I’m late. But when you’ve wandered where Darwin once wondered, time takes a different meaning.

It began in Quito and Guayaquil, and then that magical hop to Baltra Island in the Galapagos islands, home of the world’s first eco-airport — proudly declaring, “Primero en el Mundo.”

My welcome committee? A sea lion sprawled across the sand, snoring gently, with my Crocs as a plaything.

The Galápagos doesn’t do formalities. It simply allows you to arrive.

Santiago: Of Toilets and Playful Company in Galapagos

At Santiago Island, the landscape looked half-Martian, half-moody-volcano. The path wound past Darwin’s Bath and the infamous Darwin’s Toilet — a natural stone hole where the tide flushes through like, well, you get the drift.

The highlight, though, was in the water — where a few young sea lions joined me mid-swim, circling with mischievous grace. I floundered; they flaunted. Evolution, it seems, favours the playful.

Rábida: Of Red Rocks and Blue Feet in the Galapagos

Rábida Island is like an abstract painting come alive — ochre cliffs, blue sky, turquoise water, and one proudly awkward bird: the Blue-Footed Booby.

Clumsy on land, poetic at sea, this bird dives like a missile and resurfaces with its prize, shaking off the water as if embarrassed by the splash.

And then came the lake — flamingo pink, mirror calm, and, ironically, toxic. A co-traveler observed that
the flamingoes there survive because they need that toxicity. Deep, right? Evolution doesn’t do comfort zones.

Somewhere in the background, the sun painted the sky in colours that would make Turner jealous.

Isabela: Of Tortoises, Hawks, and Beers with Darwin

On Isabela Island, everything slows down. The Giant Tortoises lumbered across trails like wise monks who’ve seen civilizations rise and fall.

I learned that Darwin didn’t exactly “study” these creatures — he ate them. The HMS Beagle left the Galapagos islands with 30 live tortoises for dinner. Evolution, it turns out, has an appetite.

Overhead, Galápagos Hawks perched like judges, watching evolution unfold in slow motion.

Later that afternoon, redemption came in a chilled bottle of Santa Cruz Brewery Porter, the first beer brewed in the Galapagos islands — with Darwin’s bearded face staring sternly from the label.

I raised it anyway. “Here’s to you, old chap,” I said. “And to those who don’t trip on the usual.”

Galapagos’ Tagus Cove: The Lake of Contradictions

At Tagus Cove, after a zodiac ride and a leg-burning climb, we reached the emerald expanse of Darwin’s Lake — serene, beautiful, and completely toxic.
A natural membrane separates it from the sea. Beauty with a warning label.

Nearby, Flightless Cormorants went about their business — birds that once flew but later evolved to dive instead. Why fly when your lunch swims?

Fernandina: Where Dragons Still Live

If there’s one island in the Galapagos that makes you believe in time travel, it’s Fernandina — the youngest, most pristine, and most alive.

Marine Iguanas on lava fields

Thousands of Marine Iguanas basked on the black lava like dragon statues.
The dead lay beside the living. The skeletons that were picked clean were a raw reminder that nature recycles better than we ever will.

The air shimmered with heat, salt, and silence.
“Thar be dragons,” I whispered, watching two iguanas duel over nesting ground — evolution live on stage.

Fighting iguanas

Santa Cruz: Of Tunnels and Old Souls

Back on Santa Cruz Island, we wandered through lava tunnels — cathedral-like caverns carved by molten rock long ago.

Outside, at Rancho El Chato, giant tortoises soaked in muddy pools. They were a bit like retirees in a spa… Lying absolutely still… Once in a while they would lift their heads to give a slow, world-weary look – a look that said, “You humans really overcomplicate this.”

They eat, rest, eat again, and live a century. Clearly, they’ve understood what “don’t trip on the usual” truly means.

As we sailed away, I saw the farewell sky just off Santa Cruz in the Galapagos!
A volcanic sunset that looked like the Earth itself blushing.

Final sunset over sea

Epilogue: A Toast to Evolution in the Galapagos

That evening, as our ship sailed back toward Baltra, I remembered old Darwin… I opened another Santa Cruz beer as a toast to him. Darwin looked up from the bottle, Strangely, he looked disapproving but resigned.

I raised it to the sea, to the creatures, to evolution, and to slow living. Man, there’s something beer with sunsets, no?

Here, on these islands, everything reminds you that progress isn’t about speed. It’s about adapting, quietly, beautifully — without tripping on the usual.

Want to head to the Galapagos? Contact Beyonder Travel…

There are some more short posts that I have written about as part of the Galápagos Creature Chronicles — snippets from the wild classroom that inspired Darwin (and humbled me). Here are some – check them out:

• The Lazy Lion of the Sea – Sea Lions
• The Grumpy Sunbather – Marine Iguanas
• The Bird with Blue Shoes – Blue-footed Booby
• The Original Slow Traveller – Giant Tortoise
• The Island that Breathes Fire – Fernandina & its Owls
• Darwin’s Toilet in Galapagos – Santiago’s Darwin’s Toilet