Charles Darwin - the Name and Theory Associated with the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands represent natural beauty and stand as the symbol for the origin and evolution of life on Earth.  Equally, they represent the Earth’s past and future conservation and preservation efforts.  Ecological interaction with the planet is epitomized in the way humans interact with the animals, marine life, birds and even the land itself.  This is a most phenomenal archipelago, and Charles Darwin played a major role in making it so.

While Charles Darwin did not discover the Galapagos Islands, he is the name most associated with their history and recognition.  For it was Charles Darwin, a young naturalist, who came to the Islands, observed the plant, marine, bird and animal life and designed the intellectual premise known as natural selection or survival of the fittest.  His thoughtful interpretation of what he saw and recorded changed human thought and understanding of the world around us forever.  He saw continuity and coherency despite the diversity on each island and was able to merge these observations into a cogent scientific process that explains how life on earth evolved.

The Galapagos Sky

Recently, I decided to focus my camera on the sky in the Galapagos Islands.  Our sky is a phenomenon unto itself.  Together the ocean currents, the volcanic mountains and the wind create constant natural forces that affect and change the sky above us.  The mornings may be overcast or sunny. There may be a rainbow or glistening sun over a volcano.  As the sun rises in the sky, it may be covered in haze, blazing in a bright blue sky, or filled with puffy white clouds.



At sunset, the ball of fire sets in arrays of oranges, yellows and reds, sometimes bathing the surrounding lava in a golden glow.  At any time of day, it's filled with marine birds.  The sky here is always changing and always beautiful.

San Cristobal's Wind Project - The Galapagos Eco-Lodge's Commitment to Fuel Conservation

The Galapagos Eco-Lodge is committed to the environment and sustainability in more than words. It is not just our personal philosophy, but a pledge that we put into action every single day.

At the heart of this commitment is the elimination of environmental impact from the use of fossil fuels. Already, fully 60% of our power usage is from wind turbines.

San Cristobal Island is my home and the location of the Galapagos Eco-Lodge. It is also the site of one of the most dramatic and important conservation efforts anywhere in the world – the San Cristobal Wind Project. As such, it makes it an ideal spot for the eco-tourist and, indeed, for anyone interested in preservation and conservation of our planet.

What I Learned From a New York City Poet

This is a very personal post. This is a short story of how I learn something from my guests on every journey.  It's also a story about how I continue to appreciate and love not only the Galapagos Islands, but the unique position I find myself in as I am able to share with my guests this wonderful world I call my home.

Recently, a friend of mine was in New York City when she came upon a sign at Battery Park, the place where you take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. She sent me a picture because, she said, I would find it ironic. She was right.

Here’s the photo:

I can’t even enjoy a blade of grass unless I know there’s a subway handy, 
or a record store or some other sign that people do not totally regret life. Poem by Frank O'Hara.

I have to admit, the poem shocked me. When I first read it, what I felt is that whoever wrote that urban poem and I have totally different life visions. We approach life from opposite perspectives. We would never see eye-to-eye on nature and the environment, conservation and preservation, peaceful existence and comfort, fulfillment and satisfaction, ecology and evolution.