This morning, Tuesday the 12th September, I arrived on the Galapagos Islands, The experience was quite amazing, but almost didn’t happen. I was checked in for my flight from Heathrow all the way to Galapagos, Baltra, with the transfers in Bogata, Colombia and Guayaquil, Ecuador. I met the Southampton students at Guayaquil airport, went through the important biosecurity checks to get the documentation to get onto the Islands, and then dropped off my bags! I had my boarding pass, given to me in London!
We all got to the gates, I was filled with excitement and the anticipation of getting to the Islands…..
It nearly didn’t happen. My seat, 27C did not, could not, exist on a plane that had only 25 rows of seats.
What would I do? I played the ‘I have to get these students to Galapagos card’, and offered to fly seated on the toilet!
The Chief Cabin Attendant was really helpful, but it still wasn’t looking good…. I had one more card up my sleeve…. “It’s my birthday!”
A seat was found, and not only that I was treated to a mimosa. Although only 8.45am in Ecuador, it was 2.45pm in Southampton. The mimosa was delicious, and I settled into my seat, able to enjoy Darwin’s recounting of his visit to the Galapagos, beginning on September 15th, 1835……