ABC Wednesday—G is for "Galapagos"

These well-tended—by which I mean aggressively
left in peace, if that's not too much of an oxymoron—
volcanic islands have to be the most incredible
place I've ever had the privilege to visit.
(I'm pretty sure I'll be back for the letters H and I.)
What you see here in the foreground is an
ancient volcano that's now under water.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]
 

Alas, poor Yorick!

I found this long-gone bird (a pelican, I
presume) on the island of Bartolomé, in
the Galapagos.  The island is uninhabited and
we were the only humans there at that time.
I learned later (when I had to step around the
decomposing carcass of a marine iguana) that in
these protected islands things are left as they
would be if we humans weren't here at all.

[Today is Shadow Shot Sunday. To see more shadows, go here.]

Here Comes the Sun

Last Friday, I shared the sunset from this
stark yet beautiful place. I think the sunrise
deserves equal billing, don't you?
 Later, we trekked—like mad dogs and Englishmen—
all the way up to the very top of this hill 
(and the climb was so worth it for the view, 
which you can see in my banner shot).

[To see more Skywatch, go here.
To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Skywatch Friday

Okay—back to the Galapagos.  We were
anchored off the uninhabited (except by penguins,
blue-footed boobies, pelicans, sharks, herons, sea
turtles, and lava lizards) Isla Bartolomé and riding in a 
panga back to our catamaran.  That's Pinnacle Rock 
on the left and the island of San Salvador beyond.
Seriously, I can hardly express how grateful I am to 
have had this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

[To see more Skywatch Friday, go here.]