Ambience – Nature is the master of this…I return to late evening canoeing along the narrow water ways of the Amazon basin. The darkness of the forest and the light still filtering in through the canopy. Hitting the tiny inhabitants of the river bed. The sounds of the rainforest tell you …you are not alone.
For many reasons of course. When I think of these wonderful islands, my dream was, and is, that animals can live together without fear, and that they tolerate us humans – they are not afraid of us, but rather curious instead…
I made friends with many animals – but we were not allowed to go closer than 2 metres from any animal. Except from trying to pass them on the paths of course…The wonderful thing is that they approached us instead – and that, is true magic.
This mockingbird was really communicative – jumping up and down on the tree trunk, hiding, but still keeping an inquisitive eye on me. I know I lost a bit of my heart there…
The birds here are yellow warbler and mockingbird, then iguanas and sealions.
Nature is fantastic. Everything to me. This time I was really living my dream.
Thank you for being featured, Cee! Always an honour.
This week’s challenge of Old and New made me think of a snapshot taken with my phone as I passed by these youngsters trying out a new shell (!)- of a 250 year-old tortoise. Not a great shot, but – fun!
For more of Old and New, click here.
My good life depends on how much quietness and contemplation I can find time for. Ailsa’s theme this week – and every week… – breathes of Life.
My choice today is also for a belated Happy Birthday to you, Ailsa, and wishes for a Happy New Year! Thank you for hosting the Travel theme – always a great joy to read and participate when I can.
Feel the quiet prescence of this lovely young sealion, standing on the warm beach – just in front of me – with her eyes closed…living in, and enjoying, the moment. No fears, Mindfulness, the sealion way.
Skyr is a delicious Icelandic youghurt that has been a part of Icelandic cuisine for over a thousand years. It is traditionally served cold with milk and a topping of sugar. For a short while Skyr was available in our local food store (after my constant wishing for it…), but as it was rather expensive…I think they did not make enough profit from it…so, Iceland is the only option to get it…
But I love the taste of it and I love its Name!
Islas Plazas and their beautiful land iguanas were spectacular. The yellowish males are highly territorial and engage in head-butting battles to get rid of intruders. We saw two fights and the winners…took it all.
Land iguanas eat cactus fruit and other parts of the cactus, but in general they cannot climb it …instead they choose a cactus plant as their own, lie down under it and wait for a fruit to fall into their mouths…
This brave iguana had managed the impossible though…and its friends on the ground were eagerly waiting for it to drop something tasty to them…
After watching it for a while, we noticed something happening on the ground below…
…and the 100 cm long winner took it all – at least he took their place in waiting!
Before sailing with our ship, Cachalote, we went to the fishmarket in Puerto Ayora. On our way, we were constantly reminded of Darwin and his famous finches, and how repulsed he was by the marine iguanas, famously referring to them in his journal as “imps of darkness.” Personally I must say I love them both! I also love their surroundings and the way they exquisitely blend in…More than once I almost trod on them. Juan, our naturalist guide, was constantly warning us not to touch any animals here.
When we finally reached the fishmarket, we got a full blown show the next half hour!
Always aware of the importance of their precious islands – do not catch the wrong fish!
Keep the Galápagos Islands the way they are – serene and unpolluted. 200 000 tourists a year visit them. Maybe Ecuador has to slow down a bit to save this treasure for the future?
Leya 
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