Trip Dates:		August 11-17, 2003
Vessel:		M/Y Flamingo (Ecoventura)
Visit Sites:		Genovesa, South Plazas, Baltra, North Seymour, Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Bartolome, Santa Cruz, Española
Guides:		Renato Pérez and Jose Luis "Pepe"
Participants:		Blanche Bronwit, Isabelle & Steven Carpenter, Edward Cheng, Eric Cheng, Shu-Ching Cheng, Wendy Cheng, George & Sarah Deeb, Bonnie Kolber, Jerry Kolber, Shelley Kolber, Justina Lambert, Ken Mehrling, Larissa Rosanoff-Ruch, Olivier N. Ruch-Rosanoff, Donald and Karen Young

My family booked a week-long trip aboard the M/Y Flamingo, which is owed and operated by Ecoventura (along with its sister ships, the Eric and the Letty). The Flamingo holds twenty passengers, and was a comfortable boat. Smaller boats are an advantage in the Galapagos because larger cruise vessels are not allowed to go to some of the islands, and because each boat has a limited amount of time on the island, passengers on large vessels have less time on the islands. Not long after boarding the Flamingo, we started motoring to Genovesa Island. Wendy and my mom have both been doing a lot of reading about the Galapagos, so between the two of them and our excellent guides, I am learning a lot!