DANGERS & ANNOYANCES

ANGERS & ANNOYANCES

The Galapagos islands are much safer compared to mainland Ecuador; however, it's always important to keep your belongings in a safe place (either a money belt underneath your clothing or the hotel safe). Don't go swimming in Turtle Bay and leave your things in your shoes.

The biggest, real danger of The Galapagos, though, is the sun. You must protect yourself no matter how dark you naturally are. Use lots of sun protection and hats. Put sunscreen on places you forget about (your fingers and toes). Put heavy sunscreen on your lips and nose as well. Swim with t-shirts when you're snorkelling. In the hotter times of year, I even recommend swimming with long, light pants. It's worth it to protect your skin.

And don't forget to protect your eyes. You need to bring sunglasses -- good quality ones.

Coupled with the burning sun is dehydration. When you are in the Galapagos, you are going to sweat a lot, losing both essential waters and salts from your body. Take time to drink, drink, drink! Also, bring some saltines or ritz crackers to replenish the salt in your body. Avoid alcohol and drink water!

Finally, many people experience motion-sickness in the islands. Some of the evenings can be pretty rough -- especially if you're on one of the smaller boats. Take motion sickness pills 1/2 hour before the trip commences. Try ginger or peppermint to ease your upset stomach. After a couple of days, most people grow accustomed to the movement of the boat. Plus, any discomfort is shadowed by the spectacular islands themselves!