EJ Latitudes 1/08.qxd - Frontiers Elegant Journeys
EJ Latitudes 1/08.qxd - Frontiers Elegant Journeys
EJ Latitudes 1/08.qxd - Frontiers Elegant Journeys
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
MADE FAMOUS BY CHARLES DARWIN, THE<br />
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ARE AN ENCHANTING<br />
DESTINATION YOU WILL NOT SOON FORGET. At<br />
first, they appear desolate. Yet, these rough and<br />
rocky islands are home to wonderfully strange and<br />
abundant wildlife. Like Darwin some 200 years<br />
before us, you will marvel at the highly adapted<br />
creatures that have no innate fear of man and are<br />
found nowhere else on earth.<br />
Galapagos<br />
In March of 2008, I had the incredible opportunity to experience<br />
the Galapagos through the eyes of Lindblad Expeditions<br />
on board the Polaris. Their crew and naturalist guides make<br />
you feel as if you were a part of it all; their passion and devotion<br />
for creating informative encounters with the islands turned<br />
me from a vacationer to an explorer. You not only just observe<br />
the wildlife but also interact with it.<br />
Everyone became actively<br />
engaged in the excursions,<br />
and the crew picked a nice<br />
balance of interesting things<br />
to do daily, from swimming,<br />
snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking<br />
to enjoying the thrill of a<br />
glass-bottomed boat. Lindblad<br />
supplies all the equipment<br />
that you might need. The dining<br />
experience emphasizes<br />
fish, fresh vegetables and fruit,<br />
Anne Uram with blue-footed boobie<br />
often served with an<br />
Ecuadorian flair. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style. You select<br />
your evening main course at breakfast time from an imaginative<br />
menu, picking from several appealing alternatives. Vegetarians<br />
will do just fine. Service is excellent and attire is informal.<br />
You go to the Galapagos to learn about and explore a unique<br />
place on earth, and Lindblad helps you accomplish this goal.<br />
Understanding that expeditions should be fun as well as educational,<br />
children are always welcomed. It’s a shared social experience<br />
from beginning to end.<br />
Since 1997, the Polaris has been Lindblad’s flagship in<br />
the Galapagos. In May of 2009, Lindblad will reposition<br />
the Endeavour from Antarctica to the Galapagos to<br />
replace the Polaris and join Lindblad’s other Galapagos<br />
vessel, the Islander.<br />
This year will be a banner year to visit the Galapagos Islands as it<br />
sees the 200th bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the<br />
150th anniversary of his book, On the Origin of Species. To<br />
inspire, excite, discover and share, local residents will hold special<br />
celebrations to commemorate his legacy and how his scientific<br />
theories have impacted the world.<br />
Anne Uram<br />
To commemorate Charles Darwin’s<br />
200th birthday and the 150-year<br />
anniversary of the publication of his<br />
On the Origin of Species, Abercrombie<br />
& Kent and Travel + Leisure are offering<br />
a transformation vacation to the<br />
Galapagos Islands, October 22-November 1,<br />
2009. Randal Keynes, Darwin’s great-great-grandson, will be your<br />
host as you explore the Galapagos on board the 48-passenger<br />
Eclipse. Highlights of this departure include a private visit to the<br />
Charles Darwin Research Station, participation in the inaugural<br />
festivities for the new Darwin Facility on Santa Cruz Island, and<br />
attendance at a reception at the British Embassy in Quito,<br />
Ecuador, with guests representing the Charles Darwin<br />
Foundation. Call Susie Gavlik for more details and to check availability<br />
for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.<br />
57
Change language