The #Galapagos Lava fields from above // @intothemidst Apart from the human damage inflicted, the Galapagos was pristine. I can't say what exactly made me fall in love with it. The place maintains its wonder that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution. However, it goes without saying that it has changed since Darwin's day. For a long time it was a secluded haven for Pirates, merchants, sailors and fishermen from all over the world. After a long stint of Ecuadorian dictators, the first democratically elected PM laid claim to the islands for Ecuador in the 20's, uniting the islands that were split between the French and Spanish for a long time. Then came the second world war when the US posted around 8000 troops as a strategic outpost a training facility on Baltra Island (now the airport), they did their usual damage, bombing some of the outer islands for target practice and eating any wildlife they could get their grubby mitts on. Since then however it has been rightly declared a national park and become the centre of the world for research of wildlife diversity and evolution. ? @newman_ #intothemidst #summersitejourneys #Galapagos