"Is it different from Mt. Laurel, New Jersey?"

How are the Galapagos Islands different from here (Mt. Laurel, NJ)?

Caroline

Thanks for the questions, Caroline. Yes, the island of Santa Cruz looks different from Mt. Laurel. There is less congestion here on Santa Cruz, however, the population is increasing (see the "Galapagos Population" post by Sanil). There are fewer cars, there aren't any huge shopping areas or large grocery stores, and the homes are much smaller than what we see in Mt. Laurel. People seem to life a simpler life. However, many people from the United States may think the life is harder because people here on the islands do without many of the luxuries we are afforded in the US.

But this island has its share of problems, and fortunately for us, one of these problems we don't have to deal with in the United States. It is the lack of clean, fresh water. We are not allowed to drink the water that comes out of the faucets here on Santa Cruz. It is contaminated. In our hotel, there is a container of water on the sink that we must use to brush our teeth. We also have to drink bottled water. Can anyone find out exactly how the water here on the islands is getting contaminated? Ten-point BioBuck offer!