If you’re a water-lover, Galapagos would be your paradise. You could snorkel in a different spot every day for a year. The water colors were magnificent: turquoise, yellowish-green, jade, deep blue.

I don’t snorkle, though I often wish I could. I’ve tried many times, including on this trip. The minute my head goes in the water, I panic. Even just putting the mask on, which means I can’t breathe normally through my nose, triggers a gag reflex. I must admit I was a bit jealous when on tours and cruises, my fellow travelers returned from their snorkeling excursions with GoPro videos of swimming with sharks, manta rays, and other sealife. This is as far as I go in the water!

The sharks were harmless (or so we were told…); I think they were called white-tipped, but I’m not sure.

The Galapagos are tiny islands in the midst of a vast Pacific ocean. So it was interesting to see that their terrestrial landscape was often arid and desert-like. Towering cactuses flourish on many of the islands, sometimes growing right next to mangrove trees typically found in coastal environments.

Can you spot the Blue-footed Booby above? Hint: He blends in nicely with the rocks.