3/7/2023 0 Comments Quasar expeditionsFor all of the cruise line's sophistication-the white linen tablecloths, stylish terraces, gourmet cuisine and spacious accommodations-their main priority remains the environment itself. This vacation-like setting might not seem, at first, like the right place for such sobering reflections later, you realize that it's the perfect place, that this is exactly what Quasar Expeditions intended. Musing on your place in the universe is somewhat off-putting when you're seated on the deck of a fashionable yacht, watching the sunset while sipping sparkling passion fruit juice. ![]() The geography, the currents, the animals themselves have never been quite this way before, and they'll never be quite this way again. It's just a snapshot in time, everything seems to remind you. You'll remember that one small island, in the far northwest of the archipelago, is just the rocky top of a now-underwater volcano that's two miles tall. ![]() At night, your boat will surge over rolling waves, reminding you of the terrifyingly deep waters that surround the island platform. In the days to follow, your naturalists will show you how tortoise shells and finch beaks vary widely from one island to another, your guidebook will tell you that many of the islands' species are endangered and that uncontrolled immigration is seriously threatening the ecosystem. Then you get to the islands, the airplane descending lower and lower over glassy water and lava rock, touching down on a desolate landing strip, not a soul in sight, a pair of peculiar dark birds wheeling overhead. The way you see it now, they all seem to be saying, is just a snapshot in time. Our elementary school teachers taught us that the Galapagos were the inspiration for Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, the field guides wax lyrical about the islands' ever-changing display of flora and fauna, the narrator of the BBC's fantastic Galapagos documentary breathlessly informs us that the islands are in constant motion on a tectonic conveyor belt, that the volcanoes can build new islands over time or destroy life in an instant. ![]() Of course, like many travelers to the islands, I've been well–prepared for this sensation. Nowhere on earth have I ever felt so small and insignificant - such an incredibly tiny piece of a huge and intricate picture - as I did on this rocky, remote archipelago. To set foot on the Galapagos islands is to humble oneself. It’s all about animals and the power of nature in the Galapagos, but it’s nice to retire to a hot tub and a comfy bed on the Evolution.
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