If you have ever had the opportunity to spot humpback whales off the tip of a ship’s prow, then you know how thrilling it is to watch these megaton mammals thrust themselves skyward, at times spiraling in an out-of-water ballet. While several theories abound about why whales breach, for those of us watching on the […]
Quasar Expeditions
An Evening Whalesong
There’s nothing like the crew’s call of “Whale sighting!” to wrap up our small-ship cruise adventure of the Galapagos Islands. We drop everything and run to two waiting pangas that will carry us into the heart of the action. “Hurry! Hop on!” We waste no time in following the lead of our naturalist guides, Alex and […]
Cruising the Galápagos Islands
8 Islands, 4 Equator Crossings, 1 Night of Choppy Seas . . . “There are no good hair days on the Galápagos Islands,” claims Roni, a fellow passenger aboard the MV Evolution. After several futile attempts to keep my own in place, I nod, letting mine whip across my face. But then we’re not here […]
Quito Rising
“Do you speak Spanish?” asks the unsmiling custom agent. “Well, no, not really, just a few words,” I say. “So what’s wrong with Spanish?” Uh-oh. “Nothing, nothing at all. I love Spanish! But . . . ” I begin to offer a host of excuses before I catch the twinkle in his eye. “Enjoy your […]