For my grandparents, the trip that took them to the Galapagos Islands was more a fairy tale than reality. The journey was an odyssey of discovery - of the islands themselves: rough, rocky and teeming with exotic animals and plants. What began as an attempt to escape the social problems a mixed race couple faced in the mainland back in those days, ended in a love for the Galapagos and a dream of having a life there. Since 1931, this couple has struggled in a harsh and difficult land. Hunting for survival, delivering their own babies, building their house with lava rocks; they did manage to survive. The vivid accounts of my grandparents led me to believe that the Galapagos could be another Utopia. A few individuals and families tried to make a go of it, though very few succeeded.
In the same way they did, other people started arriving, and the increasing population eventually formed the town known as Puerto Ayora, that happens to be my home. In the last two decades, this remote place which used to hold so little attraction has become an extremely popular destination for visitors from all over the world.
Today's visitors are very much a part of the Galapagos history, for tourism is one of the best hopes for the preservation of the islands.
