Swallow Your Pride And Live Below Your Means Once In A While
Back in 2007, while looking for another adventure, I decided I needed to visit the Galapagos Islands. It’s a Unesco World Heritage site and the place where Charles Darwin solidified much of his theory of evolution. Needless to say the Galapagos were always on my bucket list.
After seeing countless articles and documentaries about them, they became bigger than their persona. A place like no other on Earth.
So I went. But while looking for a trip I noticed something peculiar. The vast majority of packaged trips to the Galapagos were boat-based “cruise-type” trips. These are not in big cruise ships but in smaller boats that hold around 30 – 50 people.
The accouterments in these smaller boats are the same as the mega cruise lines. They have luxury quarters and catered meals full of the best and most expensive Western dishes. Maybe a small pool.
I knew the Galapagos had towns and villages on the various islands, and I even knew a fair amount about the people who lived there.
Because of my National Geographic subscription (thanks Mom!) I had read a few articles about how Ecuador treated the Galapagos and the complicated dynamic of those who lived there.
Support The Locals
So here’s the problem. These boat based tours which were the vast majority of available trips don’t really support the economy of the Galapagos very much.
“The hummus in the Galapagos isn’t organic…..”
A typical day on one of these tours consists of waking up in your luxury room on the boat (anchored offshore) and having a huge Western breakfast. Then they shuttle you to one of the islands to snorkel, see the famous turtles and wildlife, or do any of the thousands of activities available.
Then they shuttle you back to the boat for lunch, and maybe take you to a different island to do another activity. Later you go back to the boat for dinner (because artisanal food) and to sleep.
Meanwhile, there are tons of restaurants and small hotels in the towns on the islands in the Galapagos! These businesses need tourists dollars, and these luxury boat tours are not supporting them.
Many of these tour companies even have their own snorkel equipment to rent from the big boat. They don’t even have the courtesy to rent from the locals!
What they’re doing is loitering offshore to exploit the amazing natural resources of the Galapagos without supporting the very people who call this amazing place home.
They’re using the Galapagos to sell more lobster tail dinners and sauna packages. All while floating offshore and having minimal interaction or impact on the locals.
What’s the point in going to the Galapagos and not tasting the local food? Food is one of the joys of life and I want to try “all the food”. Not just an expensive version of what I’m already used to from some chef who was on a third rate cooking show once.
I was having none of that. I found a (then) small company that did active adventures in the Galapagos that were set up so that you ate and slept on the islands.
Poor Is Relative
Are the Galapagos poor? Well, it is Ecuador, a third world country. Poor in relation to us in the first world – yes. But it wasn’t sub-saharan Africa poor or Afghanistan poor.
I found the hotels to be just fine, if you check your ego a bit and realize that everything isn’t going to be perfect all the time in life. In most hotels they had signs in the bathrooms saying “please do not flush toilet paper” since they had major plumbing issues on the islands.
“We can’t flush toilet paper!!?”
“But honey wait…..”
None had air conditioning, and it got hot.
One time I saw a gecko climbing up the wall in my room. He was chill, he wasn’t hurting anyone.
These things alone I’m sure would make it a no-go for most Americans. To them I say check your ego, and experience life from someone else’s perpective once in a while. It will broaden your own.
When you experience less than optimal conditions, it only serves to give you more gratitude for the things you have at home. The easy way to prevent becoming spoiled an entitled is to humble yourself now and then by living below your means.
The word privilege gets thrown around a lot these days and the truth of the matter is if you were born in America you’re privileged.
No one likes a diva, suck it up.
“HELP!! I’m being inconvenienced!”
Overall I found the food and services in the Galapagos to be wonderful, with all of the eccentricities you’d expect for a remote island archipelago in a third world country. Each day was a new adventure, with the inevitable problem or inconvenience that just made the trip more exciting.
It definitely beat waking up on a luxury cruise boat with predictable and familiar food, and no interaction with the wonderful locals whose country you were supposedly visiting.
Overall the locals couldn’t have been more accommodating, kind, and proud of their jobs. And most of all they beamed with pride at the amazing place that the Galapagos is. You could sense it in every interaction with them.
And here’s the kicker for all of you financial indepedence seekers – the trip was way cheaper than the boat tours!
Why?
Well, the local hotels and restaurants are way cheaper than the cost of the gucci western-based chef and the luxury rooms and service on the glorified yachts.
The mud they use in those facial treatments on the boat isn’t free. You’re paying a 1000% markup as compared to regular Galapagos mud.
It’s been over ten years since I visited the Galapagos. In doing research for this post I noticed that boat-based trips are still the majority, but I did see a few more land based options available, which is a great development.
And yes, they are still cheaper for the most part.
I got to see and experience one of the most amazing places on the planet for the price of sub-optimal toilets and no air conditioning. And I supported the locals with my dollar. My pride, I swallowed it.
Totally worth it.
It would be stupid to do a post about a trip to the Galapagos and not include a few pics (besides the silly ones above). So here ya go…
Sea Lions, Obviously Early Retired
Pink Flamingos In The Wild, Semi-Retired
Godzilla!
You had to be careful walking on the beaches
Lizards & Lichen
The Size Of A Fiat
Kicker Rock, Where We Dove With Sharks
A Treehouse Where We Unfortunately Did Not Stay. No Flushing Tiolet Obviously
The Sea Lions Would Swim Right Up To You & Strike A Pose
A Rare Spotted Eagle Ray During A Scuba Dive
“I slept on my neck wrong last night”
“Me too”
Once I heard a tourist complaining to the hotel staff saying “I can´t stay in these conditions for a week!”. I couldn´t help but wonder that maybe those were the conditions the staff actually lived in year-round.
It´s ironic how a lot of people want adventure and exotic places, but prefer to still have luxuries and food they are used to. Which in turn makes it less of an adventure and much less exotic.
Seriously, that’s like saying “I refuse to live in the horrendous conditions that your life is every single day!!” So rude
I agree that experiencing a destination through local channels gives you a more authentic experience and often the meals trump those in more more expensive venues.
I have never been to the Galapagos and only read about them but it does look stunning. My favorite trip I have taken so far is in Bali and I got to explore the local culture (maybe too much as I got “Bali Belly” one day but it was totally worth it. Plus that adds to the memories and definitely made the trip more memorable.
Bali is on my bucket list. I always bring Cipro when traveling to 3rd world countries. That with Immodium can make life much easier 😉
Great article! The Galapagos have long been on my bucket list! And I agree — the multitude of cruise options always seemed off somehow. Thank you for sharing on options that support the local people and economy more, give more of a cultural immersion, and likely have a much improved environmental footprint. Maybe someday I will get there.
Some of my favorite travels where I’ve become more immersed in local culture have been to Nepal and Tanzania. It is so fascinating, and as you say mind-broadening to experience life as others are accustomed to living it. Nepal too had limited central heating / a/c “options”. I remember returning from travels being grateful my toothpaste was not solid after cold evenings and not needing to drape myself in a mosquito net during hot nights. 😀 Humility, gratitude…. so key!
Been to both Nepal and Tanzania and they were spectacular! Thanks for the comment!
Privilege and perspective, by stepping out of our silos of reality we realize how good life is in North America. By changing that attitude everyone wins, the experience you have is exponentially better and the locals benefit which is most important to me.
So true dude, we do have it good don’t we?
often the best memories are of the worst experiences.
I think that if you had a luxurious holiday with no problems or anything, you would not remember it at all.
If you travel low cost and self-arranged, you get a better flavour of where you are going.
Travelling with a family is fun – you can see the city through the eyes of a child – and you are never far from adventure, excitement and danger!
Very true, adventure starts when things go wrong!
I tend to go softer on folks who are not willing or able to leave their comfort zone. I get it, and there are many reasons they may not be willing or able to.
That being said, I do agree going outside your comfort zone is a good thing. There is great value in experience contrary to what you know. It’s the contrast that helps you value what you have, or can help you grow and change into someone you may prefer to be.
I also understand that some people have a hard time getting out of comfort zones. We all have comfort zones in certain aspects of life…. To me adventure begins outside of the comfort zone
I agree 100%. In all fairness, a lot of folks do need a good kick in the ass to get there.
You haven’t lived unless you’ve had grasshopper for breakfast and hung your head in embarrassment at the American at the next table demanding ketchup. You are spot on AF. It is this ability to be like a local that sets you toward the freedom part of FI.
Demanding ketchup – yes! I think I was in El Salvador when that happened. They just kept complaining and wouldn’t let it go
Looks like a great trip. What’s the sense of going to a foreign country if you don’t actually experience it? I can find all sorts of luxury much closer to home.
Yep, hotels mostly look the same on the inside. There’s no use being in a foreign country if you just want the same darn hotel you can get at home.
we went to south american and said we were canadian. i hope to never go on a cruise ship as i’m picky about being able to leave if i don’t enjoy the company. in santa cruz, bolivia we just took a cab to the jungle and walked across a muddy river. didn’t think to consider leaches, croc’s, or piranhas until we had to cross back. nothing bad happened. i think ecuador/galapagos should extort more from the cruise lines for visiting.
i’ve literally never been on a cruise ship in my life and hope that situation continues in perpetuity. i have zero interest, seems like a floating shopping mall with an all you can eat buffet. not my thing.
need to get to bolivia, have not yet been there!
This is so timely, as I’m currently trolling for Tokyo hotels, and I’m floored by some of the complaints people make. It never even occurred to me to ask Concierge to help me with my bags or book a restaurant for me.
Any whooooo, we booked some nicer hotels in Southeast Asia, which concerned me, because I asked my husband, “Won’t the only people in the hotel be people like us?” You know, a certain type: rich-ish and NOT local. We decided to split the stays up into something local and then change over to a “luxury” place later, so we can compare. I have a feeling we’ll like the local places so much more, though.
I have a thing where I hate tours and being stuck on a boat with other tourists is basically my worst nightmare, because you have nowhere to go. For that reason, we’re not going to go to Halong Bay in Vietnam. Takes hours and hours to get there, plus the boat. Too many ways for that to be disappointing.
Exactly, like Freddy said you can be stuck when on a boat with nowhere to escape to. Sounds like you have a big Asia trip coming up, make sure you post pics!!
Great pictures. This is one of the reasons why I don’t like cruises and all inclusive hotels. I’d rather support the local businesses and get a real taste of the culture. What’s the point of going somewhere to stay in an all inclusive hotel? You can just do that at home. Well, I guess the occasional luxury is nice. I still prefer to stay in an authentic hotel and eat local food. The cruise ship and hotel food are all toned down for the tourists.
People shouldn’t complain about geckos. They’re good luck in Thailand and they get rid of bugs. They’re awesome.
Exactly Joe. To me, “all inclusive” = “boring and dull”
And all hail the gecko!
Oooommmmmggg your captions are hilarious and those photos are 300000x better than mine. Well ffffff(i) u!!! Those sea lions are adorableeeeee!
Pride is a big one whenever I feel someone to cut X. It’s “but this but that” which goes all the way can to pride and ego.
Pride and ego… we all have them but some people have too much of them 🙂
I cannot imagine going all the way to the Galapagos and then staying on a cruise ship. What the heck is the point if you aren’t going to eat the food and meet the locals? Cause the locals aren’t all just the animals, you know 😉
Even thought the animals on the island were the stars of the show, I found the people to be amazing!
Ive been reading lately that some places that are having too many tourists are now requiring you to go with a guide to control those wondering around. Not sure if that includes the Gallapogas but that would be a shame. I much prefer the non canned local version of travel. This is on the bucket list but for now it’s harder to travel too so it’s further down.
Places like the Inca Trail in Peru and Kilimanjaro require you to be guided, but I think it’s largely for safety and to provide steady jobs for locals.
Great post and looks like an awesome trip! Need to get myself down there some day…
This reminds me of my trip to Europe earlier in the year, never had stayed in a hostel before hoping around Europe and staying in one of those every city. Some of the places we stayed at were suboptimal, but hey it was all about the experience and getting to see all those cities! Wouldn’t have been able to afford that staying in 5 star hotels everywhere haha
Ah, hostels in Europe. I spend some quality time in those. You never really seem to sleep much
I have to take issue with your post on travel in the Galapagos. As a 68 year old woman, traveling alone, a cruise was my best option.
I arranged my trip through a tour company based in Ecuador. The ship I chose was small, but by no means comparable to a luxury river cruise. The cabins were comfortable, not luxurious, the food delicious, but none of it what you would find on an American hotel menu, and much of it was locally sourced. The artwork in my cabin was created by a local artist and all the souvenirs in the gift shop were made in Ecuador. There was no tv, no spa and the entertainment consisted of a nightly session with the tour guides to discuss what we had experienced that day and plan for the next day.
Most of the crew and the guides lived on the Galapagos and spent a lot of time interacting with the passengers who were not the “tourists” you spoke of so disparagingly, but people who liked to travel, and, for many reasons, chose the cruise.
We all have to decide on our own way to travel, which will change as our lives change, we all get older, lose partners, become more cautious and maybe lose the privilege of making every trip an adventure , but that shouldn’t mean we have to stop traveling.
First of all I appreciate your comment. I didn’t mean to disparage everyone who goes to Galapagos by a cruise ship, so if it came across that way my apologies. Obviously your tour seems to be getting a lot of things right, especially if they are buying food and artwork from the locals. It has been 10 years since I’ve been there, but back in 07 there was no cruise ship tour to be found like that. So to me this sounds like good progress. In addition, when I was there many of the cruise ships at the time were operating illegally by anchoring too close to the island. From what I’ve read, the Ecuadorian Navy has cracked down on that and they’ve done a better job of keeping them where they’re supposed to be.
You make a great point about having to travel different as we age, I’m with you. I’m not against people necessarily being on a cruise boat per se although it’s not for me. The issue at hand is about helping the economy of the Galapagos. So it sounds like your particular company is doing a much better job of that.
Staying local is a good idea when you can. I wonder if AirBnB has a presence on the islands? I know my wife and I plan to visit the islands some day but haven’t had a chance to look into it. It’s on the bucket list.
I agree with your conclusion that staying at a place below your current status of living does a lot to humble you in productive ways. It level sets your expectations to be more in line with most of the rest of the world. Americans have come to expect a higher status of living without realizing it.
Being at the spot which inspired the “Origin of Species” and feeling the gravity of those ideas first hand has to make up for the lack of Pumpkin Spice Lattes and other first world mainstays, right? I can only speculate at this point, but if your pictures and everything else I’ve seen are accurate, I’d have to believe that’s true.
Thanks for sharing.
Wouldn’t surprise me if AirBnB is there now, and also Pumpkin Spice lattes!
What a trip! You know how to get after it in nature. I have always felt that hiking, backing, and overall being someone who enjoys being outdoors does wonders at overcoming the “diva” aspect of person. When you get used to being outside in unpleasant situations, then you tend not to sweat the small stuff.
This is one reason I have tried to get my young kids outdoors as often as possible. Start them young…
Yes, get ’em out there!
Sounds like you had an awesome time. I stayed local in when I went to Cuba in 2016. The Airbnb was nice and we had fun mingling with the locals. I can’t wait for my next adventure like that.
Awesome, I need to go to Cuba!
A big part of people barely interacting with the locals has to do with this prevailing notion that no country is safe outside of the developed world. I was born and raised in Haiti and a lot of that stuff is overblown. Obviously you have to use common sense and not put yourself in danger but how can someone say they visited a place when contact with the local culture, cuisine, sights, and people are nearly non-existent?
There is that perception that all 3rd world countries are dangerous. I’ve been to lots of them and found it a false assumption
My husband and I vacationed in the Galapagos in June 2018. We were there for 10 awesome days. Stayed at a hotel called Descanso Del Guia. Very clean comfortable accommodation, staff were attentive and pleasant.
Since we did not pre booked anything prior to arriving there, it was pleasing to wake each morning and decide what and where we wanted to tour.
We took a 2 hr boat ride from Santa Cruz to Isabella island for an overnight and found that trip to be outstanding. Kayaked to see penguins and blue footed boobies. Hiked to “The Wall of Tears” and so much more.
Back on main island of Santa Cruz we visited the Charles Darwin ResesRes Center… informative and interesting!!.
Took a short boat ride to “Las Grietas”… another beautiful naturally created site for picnics. Tortuga bay is a must see beach. Hundreds of marine Iguanas, birds of various species, sharks and miles of white Sandy beaches.
Dining were amazing! We ate at different restaurant for every meal and love them all!
The wildlife is simply spectacular!! Sealions, pelicans and other birds fearlessly hang around the fishermen’s warf. Tortoises walk around freely, sealions occupies park park benches..just absolutely a wonderful site. People are super friendly and kind. We’re so happy that we got to experience the uniqueness of Galapagos!!
Cool, I went to most of those place on my trip except we didn’t do the Wall of Tears hike. Sounds like you also had an epic trip!
Oh wow, what amazing photography! What a wonderful trip that must have been.
Kudo’s for supporting the local folks.
Thanks!
So true about getting over your pride. Realised this year that I needed to swallow my pride big time and change how I lived.
Good Luck!
This is a bucket list trip for me as well! Thanks for your input because I know those boat tours are SO freaking expensive. Good to know there is another way to go. And you’re right, it does make you appreciate what you have. Are inconveniences are someone else’s luxury!
Definitely go!
Great read! and great photos. Experience of a life time I bet. We want to go to there so badly! Supporting local’s is a great thing to do on any trip. You get a better experience too!
Thanks Rohan!
I loved those pictures! Oh to be a sea lion…
Absolutely agreed with your points. Travelling to another country while staying in a climate-controlled, white-washed, luxury bubble isn’t much of a trip (in my opinion).
I was in Pakistan earlier this year, and that was quite the eye-opener. Similarly, I was greeted each morning by a tiny, almost translucent lizard scuttling about in the shower. Good memories!
“Lizards in Pakistan”, sounds like a great blog post title!
I cannot stand tourist traps, here or in other countries. Sometimes traveling that way is the only or best option, but for the most part my feeling is that if you’re not going to support the local economy and experience the food and interact with people, what’s the point of going (besides the awesome Instagram photos, of course)?
After I spent two separate six month stints living in places where you couldn’t flush the toilet paper, coming back to the US and our plumbing was so great!
That’s the great lifehack part of it, living below your means for even a short period of time makes you appreciate what you have at home that much more!
I’ve been reading through your articles and really enjoyed this one! This line resonated with me: “When you experience less than optimal conditions, it only serves to give you more gratitude for the things you have at home.”
I have been fortunate to travel a lot of South America, and always say there is a big difference between travelling and a vacation. When you are on a vacation and return home, everything seems dull and routine because you were in the lap of luxury for a period of time. When you travel and return home, everything seems incredible and makes you so grateful! Running water that’s temperature controlled?? Absolutely fantastic.
For me personally, I love the experience of traveling AND the gratitude you get when you finally get a sleep in your own bed. A win win in my books.
Thanks for a thoughtful article.
Great comment and very true. To me it’s the same for simply camping out a night or two. When you spend a night on an inflatable mattress in a tent you then appreciate your real bed and shower so much more when you get home.
I appreciate the kudos!