What do they say about too good to be true...?

Trying to keep the dream alive,  I was on Intrepid Travel's website looking at South American trips.   They are the tour company that Mom and I used for our Africa trip.  I was drooling over some trips to Galapalos, when I stumbled across one of them that was only $1.  ONE DOLLAR!!!  For eight days!!!!  What could I do but deposit my common sense at the door and hand over my identity and credit card information.  Did I mention --> ONE DOLLAR!.  So even though we may not be going at all, Val and I are booked on an Intrepid Vacation to the Islands.

ONE DOLLAR!!!!!!!

What can go wrong. (Don't answer that). 
_______________________________________________
Here is the Trip Info sheet. http://www.intrepidtravel.com/tripnotes/GPME#Acoupleofrules

Here is the trip confirmation they sent me:

Trips

Classic Galapagos

Start24 February 2012 Quito, ECUADOR
Finish02 March 2012 Quito, ECUADOR
Passengers: 2 - Joanne Cumberland
- Valerie Cooper

Trips Total $2.00      

Summary

Total Price	2.00
Less Payment	2.00
Net Owing	Fully Paid

UPDATE:  believe it or not, they want us to pay more than a dollar!!!!  ha ha, we are going to risk it and book a Galapagos trip when we arrive. 

This might not happen...

We have been doing our research.  We got some advise from Paul, bought the newer, bigger Ecuador Guide, harrassed our awesome travel agent MaryLyn multiple times, but we are hitting some roadblocks.  Actually Val is hitting roadblocks but all for one and one for all.  First VIHA (Val's employer - stalkers, please disregard) can't approve her vacation time for February until mid December.  That means we won't be able to book flights and Galapagos tours until very close to our departure date.  Which could mean higher costs and reduced options.  We can live with that.  So we pay more and take a leaky boat with a creepy crew:  Val and I have endured worse. 

But now Val has just found out that her condo strata is about to approve major work on her building which may seriously cut into our trip funding to the point that there is no funding and no trip.  So, at this point, we wait.  Stay posted single follower (Mom). 

This might happen...

So Val and I have been throwing around the idea of going to the Galapagos Islands for a few years but between work, school and other vacations for me and Val's job and new condo, it has been on a back burner.  But now I have no classes next winter, Val has a break at work in Feb/March and we both have a bit more money/credit.  But the real impetuous is that  Paul went to Ecuador last year and saw a bazillion birds.  Well, I can't let that challenge go by without meeting it by going too. 

Val and I went camping last weekend and read the whole Ecuador and Galapagos section out loud (which, I'm sure thrilled our neighbours) and highlighted anything that sounded even remotely interesting (everything!). 

Val reading before dinner

Val still reading after dinner

So today I quasi-booked my vacation time at work and picked out my Ecuador bird book.  Val has checked out flights and they aren't as expensive as we thought (if we fly out of Seattle and spend a night in Miami cough).  So now, Val has to convince her work to give her the few vacation days she will need.  And we have to bribe Paul with free beer to spill on his insider knowledge of Ecuador. 

Cross your fingers.