Tears of Passion

I am on information overload since I have been here. It is truly impossible to properly digest the colossal amounts of facts, figures, and names that have been hurled our way since we arrived. It almost makes me wish that I had paid a bit closer attention to geography, chemistry, and biology in high school.

So, instead of bogging us all down with useless data, I thought that maybe we could play a game.

Outside of your family and friends, (they are a given in this exercise) name something about which you are so passionate that it brings you to tears. It can be anything. A song or music that triggers memories. A beautifully prepared meal. A piece of art that is so magnificent that you simply cannot comprehend its depth and breadth. What out there in the world moves you to tears?

There is much that does it for me. Years ago, I saw the original cast of Wicked on Broadway and the first time I heard Idina Menzel sing Defying Gravity I was a puddle. There's this one note that she hits toward the end..."So, if you care to find me, LOOK to the western sky." It gets me every single time I hear her do it and I sob. No explanation, just copious tears.

I've had many experiences like that on this trip and yesterday our two stops in Isabela Island brought tears on several occasions. I welled up when I caught sight of the Galápagos sea turtles fishing in Isabella bay. I felt the tears coming when the Galápagos penguins posed naturally for us on the rocks. It happened again when I saw the two brown pelican chicks in a nest off the cliffs of the island being tended to by their mother. There were the three young seal lion pups that determinedly played a game of chicken with our zodiac and were barking happily as we laughed at their games. We caught our first glimpses of the famous blue-footed Boobys and I was so excited I nearly collapsed in giggles.

My point in asking about passionate crying is not to suggest that some people are less than emotional, but rather to explain how excited I am to simply be here. The Husband, the gifted photographer that he is, mentioned that he keeps reminding himself to put down the camera and watch what is happening through his eyes and not his lens.

Sometimes, a good cry is cathartic and magical.

*Please share your passionate tears in the comments.*

A few tidbits.

1. The head waiter on this boat is determined to feed me. Krassimir (we are tight now and on a first-name basis) has been concerned about our vegetarian diet and has offered to prepare special meals for us whenever we want. There is simply no need. There is plenty to keep us fed but he is insistent every time he sees me and tells me he and the chef made a dish with us in mind. He's a keeper.

2. I love how different this trip is from other cruises. It isn't a potential eat-a-thon and there isn't 24/7 food at hand. As much as my new buddy wants to ply me with food, it isn't a constant theme.

3. The naturalists here are simply incredible. We take tours in groups of no more than ten people and each of the guides is brilliant, knowledgeable, and PASSIONATE about what they do. They are ready with answers to all of our questions and are concerned that we leave here with a better understanding of this fascinating ecosystem they call home. There is even an ecological lab aboard the ship where we have viewed various rocks, sand formations, and crystals that are native to the individual islands.

4. This trip might be a bucket list for many (it certainly was for us) but even though many of the tours are scaled for different abilities, there are some things that require a modicum of fitness level. Many of the paths are uneven and climbs to the tops of rocks or ridges require some rigorous walking. This is simply an FYI.

5. We crossed the Equator twice yesterday. They held a ceremony and gave us a goofy certificate but it was weird. Still, it was a far sight better than when Darwin did it. Check this out.