82 » OpenRoad Driver
EXTRAS
Edge of the
World
T H E G AL ÁPAG O S I S L AN D S
Words and photos by Lauren Kramer
»
They stand like solemn
sentries with wizened faces,
menacing-looking claws and
statuesque bodies of green,
black and red leading to
long spiny tails. Hundreds
of marine iguanas constitute
our welcoming committee
on Española Island in the
Galápagos archipelago,
and layered one on top of
the other, they block our
pathway on a well-worn
island trail. My group hangs
back nervously, anxious at
how these prehistoric reptiles
will react to us. “Beware of
your jugular veins!” jokes our
guide, José Benavides, as he
strides past them, stepping
gingerly between heads and
tails and encouraging us to do
the same. “They’re completely
harmless.”