And so...
We are pulling out the mega-sized Ziploc bags, loading up on anti-emetics, fretting about waterproofness, (we really don't want another fiasco like Iceland) dusting off mi español, and are heading out to yet another far-flung dot on the globe.
I am fairly certain that when Charles Darwin signed on to be the young naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835, he could barely imagine what kind of seismic convulsions he would later send through the world of scientific research. His voyage aboard Captain Robert FitzRoy's vessel forever altered not only the way that humanity viewed its own beginnings, but also how it saw its partnership with the other creatures with whom it shares the planet. His discoveries and observations of both the flora and fauna of the Galápagos Islands are still studied today with both amazement and, more importantly, through a modern scientific lens that further enhances our knowledge of endemic species and natural selection, and allows for clear-eyed thought about how to protect the earth. Darwin would probably chuckle at the modern debates about his theories clashing with some religious opinions. While never an admitted atheist, he did espouse agnosticism in his later years but he saw no conflict between his ideas of evolution and creation.
"Science has nothing to do with Christ, except insofar as the habit of scientific research makes a man cautious in admitting evidence. For myself, I do not believe that there ever has been any revelation. As for a future life, every man must judge for himself between conflicting vague probabilities."
Darwin's religious views changed markedly after his voyage on the Beagle. His orthodoxy was replaced by a pragmatism that could no longer be denied. His collection of specimens from the Galápagos archipelago was truly groundbreaking and stunning in its comprehensiveness. We humans all owe him a huge debt.
The Husband and I are excited to walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin. We can't wait to see the preserved and protected wildlife that has been allowed to survive and thrive thanks to the care and caution of the Ecuadoran people. We are eager to learn more about conservation, environmental patterns, natural selection, and Darwinism. We are open to it all and ready to engage with our hosts on their terms and in their natural homes.
In the next ten days, I plan to flood this space with photographs of natural wonder and awesomeness. I hope to regale my readers with a travel anecdote or two (hopefully amusing) and I want to immerse myself in a place that I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd see. I hope that some of you come along for the ride.
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”~W.B. Yeats
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