The boat stopped near a very small island, or rather a sandbank between a few rocks. A family of sea lions was living there. The place was very picturesque, so I rushed to the shore, planning to warm up in the sun that had just come out of the clouds. It was my last trip before leaving the Galapagos archipelago.…

On few travels have I not witnessed the consequences of mass tourism, where not even uninhabited or protected areas were spared of overcrowding, noise, or garbage pollution. My impression was that the most pristine and beautiful places on the planet only survived because distance or access restrictions kept them away from human invasion. Tossed in the middle of the Pacific…