travel
Paradise Revisited
My first encounter with a Galápagos tortoise came when the driver of my taxi from the airport attempted a risky overtaking maneuver into the path of an oncoming bus. On the island of Santa Cruz, which is bisected by a single highway, this is a favorite sport: The white Toyota HiLuxes that serve as taxis overtake tour buses, while tour buses overtake trucks. But this time, the driver quickly pulled back behind the slow-moving car ahead of us. “Tortoise,” she explained.
TL;DR
- The author's first encounter with a Galápagos tortoise happened during a risky taxi drive.
- The taxi driver stopped an overtaking maneuver due to a tortoise on the road.
- On Santa Cruz island, overtaking other vehicles on the highway is a common practice.
- The slow-moving car ahead of the taxi was being overtaken due to the tortoise.