Adventure on the cheap in the Galápagos Islands

My daughter and I landed today in the Galápagos Islands.

If you didn’t know, every year I take her on a trip for her birthday. Even though her birthday is in December, this year we had to schedule the trip around other commitments we both had.

The Galápagos is certainly a bucket list destination. And how can anyone come here, right on the equator, and not go in the water? Since neither of us is PADI certified, we’d have to settle for snorkeling over scuba.

The snorkels and masks I had brought with me when I set out on this adventure were in one of the backpacks that was stolen in Buenos Aires. (Luckily, they did not get the underwater camera housing.)

Part of the whole premise of Amazing World Adventures is traveling on the cheap without cheaping out on the fun.

This is certainly being put to the test now that finances are being stretched.

Rather than take a chance that the place we’re staying at would have snorkel gear we could borrow, or looking into a high-priced tour package, I opted to buy inexpensive snorkel gear in Guayaquil. Yes it’s cheap stuff but we only need it for two days.

Even if we end up leaving it behind, it’s still the cheapest option we had available.

One could rightly argue that you don’t go to a once-in-a-lifetime place like Galápagos and then cheap out on taking a “better” diving trip.

There is some validity to that, though I would argue a couple of counterpoints.

1. I spent less than $1,000 on this entire part of our trip. That includes her round trip airfare from Boston, our flights from the Ecuador mainland, and our lodging while in Galápagos. (Yes, I’m that good a travel planner.)
2. Because of point #1, this may not be only a once-in-a-lifetime trip. One or both of us may come back for a repeat visit.
3. Frugality is being dictated by the aforementioned theft of two backpacks in Buesnos Aires. And the subsequent need to buy a new laptop, a new iPad to hold me over until the new laptop arrived, a new camera, and even new clothing. I’m not going to whine because my life is still amazing and I will still definitely go back to Buenos Aires, but replacing all that stuff took quite a chunk out of the ole travel budget.

So for less than $20, we are going to go snorkeling in the Galápagos.

Life is good.