Set 9,000 feet above sea level and surrounded by volcanoes, we will spend two nights in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. During the day we’ll visit the city, markets and churches populated by the descendants of Incas, Spaniards, Germans and French. Straddle the globe at the Equatorial Monument with one foot in the Northern and the other in the Southern Hemisphere. You have to be flexible to survive. Then we are off for San Cristobal Island to begin our cruise aboard the Galapagos Explorer II , the most luxurious ship cruising the archipelago. Since we’ve chartered it just for our winners our itinerary is at our discretion and we’ve made it a good one. Suffice it to say the wildlife and terrain will show you the sheer dramatic power of adaptation. Snorkel with baby seals, hammerhead sharks and flightless penguins. Galapagos Archipalego’s diversity of animal life is second only to Austrailia’s Great Barrier Reef. You will be captivated by the sights of nature everywhere you look.