Kelly Edmondson
Aug 12, 2021
“If I keep waiting to find the words to describe this place, I will never speak.”
There have been locations in my life that have been so strikingly beautiful that I have been moved to tears: The Black Hills of South Dakota; the Gap of Dunloe in Ireland; a sunrise in Santorini, Greece; the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. I felt this emotion in Galápagos on a 15 mile bike ride from the highlands to the coast. It is as if these islands have been kissed by God.
1. The terrain is stunning with cacti and active volcanos, beaches, cliffs, and craters.
2. The wildlife is the most unique in the world and they are fearless!
Tortoises, swimming lizards, blue and red-footed boobies, sharks, and sea lions. We saw them all.
3. The people are called Galapageños. None of them are indigenous.
The original inhabitants were an Irish man, pirates, whalers, and some Germans. The Ecuadorians didn’t start moving in until the 1960s. Most older people I spoke with were not born on the island, but had roots in the mainland. There are only 25,000 inhabitants of Galápagos.
4. Galápagos is safe and clean- The safest and cleanest country I’ve ever visited.
5. The Galápageños don’t receive much aid.
Because of their remote location and low population, they are not used to volunteer help or NGOs. This meant that our clinic was full of thankful people. The lines started forming at 3:30 am and they waited ALL day to be treated.
6. Darwin spent 5 weeks here and came up with a theory that denied God. I spent 10 days here and could see Him everywhere I looked.
