New Year’s excitement kept me up for longer than I’d expected so I only got 3hrs of sleep. Morning rolled around and I got up just after 6:00am to take in one final sunrise view from the Galapagos before the inevitable farewell. The streets were pretty empty but you could tell a massive celebration took place the night before. As I strolled down to the piers, the animals were nowhere to be seen. I suppose they had their fill too and were taking a chill morning just like the rest of my group.
Back at the hotel, only a few people were up. Sitting out by the hotel patio, we chatted about our trip and shared experiences over the last 2 weeks, similar to the trip recap Esteban gave the day before. Soon a few more members of our group rolled up and the emotions started to flow. I asked Meredith to redress my wound one last time as I shared my continued travel plans for another Contiki trip starting in a few days to Costa Rica. Nigel chimed in telling me I needed to come up with a good backstory for my wrapped hand when I meet up with the next group. Everyone agreed and we all brainstormed as best we could on minimal sleep and rising sadness of the impending departure. Fending off pirates and surviving a shark attack seemed too cliché for made up wound stories but we couldn’t come up with much else so I decided to just stick with the truth which honestly is a pretty good story on its own!
Slow as the morning went, it was already almost 10:00am and we had to catch our flight back to the mainland. It felt surreal knowing that, after days of adventure, today was the day we’d finally leave the majesty of the islands behind. We all boarded the bus and headed to the airport with one last karaoke filled ride! Our time at the airport was brief and the quick flight back to Guayaquil was quite unremarkable. As we touched down and exited the plane, stepping out into the thick, humid air immediately reminded me I wasn’t in the Galapagos anymore. After gathering our bags, we said our goodbyes as we headed to our designated hotels since most of the group wouldn’t be leaving Ecuador until tomorrow.
After checking into my hotel, I called my parents to give them a debrief on my current state—open wounds, sunburns, and overall exhaustion. They offered their usual mix of concern and practical advice, though at that point, all I really wanted was food, rest, and maybe some stronger painkillers. A little while later, I walked a mile down the busy streets of Guayaquil to the Holiday Inn, where the rest of the remaining layovers were gathering for one final meetup. We sat around, chatting once again about our favorite moments from the trip, making plans to stay in touch, and delaying the inevitable goodbyes. It felt strange knowing that soon, we’d all be scattering back to our respective homes.
While sitting with friends, the hunger finally won out and I ordered a massive 600g (almost 1.5lbs) porterhouse steak! As the server brought me my order, my friends stared in awe at the monstrous slab of meat that was placed before me. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much steak at once before. With a heaping side of fries and a classic vanilla milkshake, it truly was a meal worthy of a final goodbye.
After filling up, I needed to grab some medicine before stores closed for the night so I headed out to the nearest pharmacy only a quarter mile walk from the hotel. I told my friends I’d be quick and would be back to say goodbye shortly. According to Google Maps, I could shave off 10min by taking a slight detour and so off I went. Unfortunately, I only realized too late that the detour was a dimly lit alleyway off the main road. Making my way down the dark corridor, I could see the whites of eyes staring out from the shadows. Hobbling along on my wounded leg, I casually snapped a quick video of the experience as several large cockroaches scurried around underfoot. The street lights at the other end of the alley provided a clear checkpoint for getting past all those lurking in the night. Walking with confidence and my gaze straight ahead, I emerged at the next road and over to the pharmacy. After grabbing my supplies, I decided to take the same route back. Armed with various creams, aerosols, and a bandages, I stared back at a few of those ominous figures on my return to the Holiday Inn.
Still hanging around the hotel lobby, I told my friends one final story of my alleyway adventures before inciting a big group hug and taking my leave to head back to my hotel. The mile walk back felt longer this time, my body finally reaching its limit. Once inside, I got to work addressing my battle wounds—antibacterial cream and an ace wrap for my right hand, aloe slathered over my sunburned feet, Tylenol to ease the aches, and half a liter of water to fight off dehydration. I collapsed into bed around 10:00pm for some much needed sleep. As I lay there, feeling pretty terrible, my mind ran through the possibilities: infection, heat exhaustion, dehydration, altitude sickness, food poisoning, post-trip depression, Covid… or maybe just the weight of an incredible adventure coming to an end.
No Regrets: The Only Way To Live 