Active / Bucket List / Nature / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 20, 2018 · Last modified March 19, 2018
The expense of visiting the Galápagos aside, it really is quite a unique place and the trip of a lifetime. Being as isolated as it is, 600 miles from the nearest mainland shore, means it has unique flora and fauna that is seen nowhere else on earth. It also means...
Fair warning: the Galápagos is basically Disney for environmentalists. Expect to overpay for everything. Things in Galápagos are not just far more expensive than on the Ecuador mainland, they are even more expensive than most places in the US. Although you can wander around whichever island you are on, if...
Active / Activities / Adventure / Bucket List / Guided Tours / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 6, 2018 · Last modified March 5, 2018
For those who don’t already know, every year I take my daughter on a trip for her birthday rather than buying her stuff that she doesn’t really need. We have gone to some amazing places together. This year, for her 22nd birthday, I took her to the Galápagos Islands. Simply...
Active / Activities / Bucket List / Logistics / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 4, 2018 · Last modified February 25, 2018
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...
Off-the-cuff / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 2, 2018 · Last modified March 1, 2018
Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 2, 2018 · Last modified February 25, 2018
By the side of a busy road in Guayaquil, where basically no one pays attention or appreciates them, stand a bunch of very large cacti. I was fortunate enough to see them in full flower. The flowers on these cacti last only 3-4 days. So when I returned the next...
Guayaquil is teeming with lizards. They mostly try very hard to stay away from humans. I have seen lizards of many different sizes. From longer than my leg to shorter than my thumb. This little guy is so tiny he can actually walk around underneath the glass top of this...
Having now traveled extensively through five different South American countries, I’ve started to notice a handful of things that are common in North America but more or less nonexistent in South America. (The reverse is also true but I think most people expect to find exotic foods and such when...
Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 1, 2018 · Last modified February 25, 2018
At first glance, Guayaquil didn’t seem all that special to me. It took a while, and a bit of exploring before I started stumbling across some of the more beautiful little places hidden scattered about the city. Here is a random assortment of statuary, architecture, and other beautiful sights of...
Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 28, 2018 · Last modified February 23, 2018
About two blocks in from Malecon 2000, is a small city park. This park isn’t really advertised and isn’t a tourist destination. It’s only about one block square but is home to perhaps 100 free-roaming iguanas. They are literally everywhere! Check out the photos and video.