The Galapagos are an archipelago of islands on the equator, off the coast of Ecuador. There are 33 main islands, plus over 100 smaller ones known as islets. Being a twitcher (I recently learned from a Brit traveler that’s what they call us birders in the UK) the island I was most interested in visiting was Genovesa, also known as Bird Island because of its rich bird life.

Unfortunately, it’s one of the hardest islands to get to. There are no ferries going there and it is too far from the inhabited islands for a day trip. The only way to get to it is via one of the cruise ships that make the round of the islands. Compared to the $20-30 dollars per day I’ve been paying for lodging throughout South America, the cruise ship tours are significantly more expensive. (Especially with that singles supplement us solo travelers have to pay, essentially paying for two people, which has always been a thorn in my side.) But–Bird Island!–how can I pass it up? So I’m biting the bullet and today will be boarding a cruise ship for a 4-day trip that will take me to Bird Island.

I’ve been to two islands so far: San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. The cruise will get me to four more (Bird , Rabida , Bartolome, Baltra). After the cruise, I plan to take a ferry to the largest island, Isabela, which will bring my total to 7. Unless I can figure out a way to get to Española, which also has interesting bird life but is hard to get to. Here is what my itinerary looks like.