Travel
The Galapagos Sky live aboard
dive boat anchored near The
r h di e site off ar in sland
in the Galapagos Islands in
Ecuador
massive and delicious gourmet
r a a t ff t an m h mor
The hotel scene in Guayaquil is
considerably more limited than in
ito o
r th
ro r
Guayaquil delivers a solid business
hotel experience with all the
services and amenities you’d expect.
on t
t off y th ro o n y
PHOTOS BY ERIC MOHL, AMOS NAUCHOUM,
FERNANDO CLARK AND PROVIDED BY THE M/V
GALAPAGOS SKY
Whales sharks are
also seen in the
Galapagos Islands
and their massive
forms, up to 50 feet
long and 66,000
pounds, dwarf
divers
unappealing exterior. In the
Guayaquil’s Las Peñas riverfront
n i h orhoo yo
n
an ion
del Rio Boutique Hotel. Finished in
1926 as the home of a wealthy
businessman, it was opened as a
hot
y ar a o o o in a i
year renovation which included the
restoration of original furnishings
like elaborate crystal chandeliers,
rugs, religious statues and amazing
wall and ceiling paintings that were
done on canvas by artists in Europe
then sent to Ecuador on ships. Rooms
1 and 2 are particularly atmospheric
and have great views of the wide,
ambling Mississippi-like Guayas river
just steps away.
What to pack (in addition to
the obvious)
• A sturdy wide-brimmed hat with
a strap to wear while warming up on
the sun deck and for land excursions
• Lots of dependable water resistant
sunscreen (I relied on KINeSYS
Performance Sunscreen as
I always do)
• Lightweight outdoor pants and
a long sleeve shirt in addition to
shorts and tees in case you need to
shield your arms and legs from sun
• A long-sleeve skin for snorkeling
since during some seasons the water
is warm enough to snorkel in without
a wetsuit but you’ll still need to
protect your back and arms from
the sun
• Seasickness medicine such as
Scopolamine (which is not sold in
Latin America) and non-medicinal
remedies like Sea Bands if you are
prone to motion sickness
• A copy of My Father’s Island
by Johanna Angermeyer for an
n r tan in o ho h man na y
arrived in the Galapagos
Island quirks
• Ecuador uses the US dollar as its
offi ia
rr n y
• The mascot for the Philadelphia
hi i
a
a t am i a tiona
animal called The Phanatic which is
said to have been born in the
Galapagos
ti
ar ann in
Galapagos Islands National Park
• The Galapagos Islands are one hour
ahead of mainland Ecuador but some
boats in the Galapagos remain on
mainland time.
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