The Galapagos Magic Lodge is a unique and enchanting eco-friendly lodge located on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands. Surrounded by pristine nature and breathtaking landscapes, this lodge offers an unforgettable experience for nature lovers and adventure seekers. The lodge is designed to blend harmoniously with its natural surroundings, featuring rustic yet comfortable accommodations that showcase the traditional architecture of the Galapagos Islands. Each room is tastefully decorated and offers modern amenities for a comfortable stay. One of the highlights of the Galapagos Magic Lodge is its commitment to sustainable tourism. The lodge is built with eco-friendly materials and operates on renewable energy sources, minimizing its impact on the delicate ecosystem of the islands.
The books take us back to earlier times of crisis and blame – the Reformation, the English civil war, Puritan New England. My new novel The Wheelwright’s Daughter was inspired by a landslip in 1571 that tore down part of Marcle Ridge in rural Herefordshire. It became famous; it’s still called The Wonder on OS maps. In 1586, William Camden wrote that the hill roused itself up as if out of a deep sleep and moved, roaring, for three days together. What a figure, I thought, for the terrifying dislocations of the Reformation. How might it have been understood, how might people have looked for a scapegoat? Writing in the Brexit era, with looming climate catastrophe and the rise of populism, the parallels with contemporary Britain were inescapable.
Kicked out of her home, Prunella finds her way with the help of friendly monsters in the lands beyond her village, and is whisked away on an eye-opening adventure. When Garlic wakes up with an extra finger, she finds out that she is transforming from Veggie person into a human an anxiety-inducing experience only soothed through a new journey and deep friendships.
The lodge is built with eco-friendly materials and operates on renewable energy sources, minimizing its impact on the delicate ecosystem of the islands. Guests are encouraged to participate in eco-friendly activities such as hiking, snorkeling, and wildlife watching, all while being mindful of the environment. The lodge also offers a variety of guided tours and excursions to explore the unique flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands.
Top 10 books about witch-hunts
‘I t is easy to blame the dark,” Sylvia Plath writes in Witch Burning. Stories of witch-hunts show us how the dark is given a name; they talk to us about anxiety and belief and our hunger for scapegoats. All those pious fantasies of women suckling their familiars! Witch-hunts are just a metaphor now, we hope, but we’re drawn to them as much as we ever were.
The White House witch-finder might like to tweet that he’s the hunted, but in reality it’s the marginal, the outspoken, those who lack a voice or upset their neighbours who get pursued. Those least responsible become most at fault: the wanton, the widow, the shrew. Because most of all, witch-hunts have been about controlling women’s sexuality and their tongues. When “one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs”, Virginia Woolf wrote in A Room of One’s Own, “I think we are on the track of a lost novelist, a suppressed poet”. Women writers, in particular, are recovering these voices.
The books take us back to earlier times of crisis and blame – the Reformation, the English civil war, Puritan New England. My new novel The Wheelwright’s Daughter was inspired by a landslip in 1571 that tore down part of Marcle Ridge in rural Herefordshire. It became famous; it’s still called The Wonder on OS maps. In 1586, William Camden wrote that the hill roused itself up as if out of a deep sleep and moved, roaring, for three days together. What a figure, I thought, for the terrifying dislocations of the Reformation. How might it have been understood, how might people have looked for a scapegoat? Writing in the Brexit era, with looming climate catastrophe and the rise of populism, the parallels with contemporary Britain were inescapable.
The books and stories below variously, wonderfully, follow the threads of the witch-hunt.
1. The Discoverie of Witches by Reginald Scot (1584)
“Truelie I denie not that there are witches,” Scot insists in his Epistle to the Readers, before spending 560 pages doing just that. He meticulously piles up the arguments of the witch-mongers and knocks them down; charmers, soothsayers, alchemists, conjurors and occultists aren’t in hock to the devil, he says, they are charlatans. Shakespeare drew on Scot for Puck in A Midsummer’s Night Dream and the witches in Macbeth. King James I had the book burned. I couldn’t resist giving Scot a walk-on part in my book.
2. The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson
The Pendle witch trials of 1612 led to the deaths of 12 people, including the enigmatic Alice Nutter. My Lancashire grandmother liked to say that we were descended from her but she told a lot of tales. Winterson’s defiant Alice made me wish it was true. The book bristles with magic – there are talking heads, raining teeth and deals with the devil, but there is also a fierce analysis of power and its abuses. Winterson’s stark, poetic prose ensures this stays with you long after you’ve finished reading.
Circe Invidiosa (1892) by JW Waterhouse. Photograph: Alamy
3. Circe by Madeline Miller
I thought I knew the story of the witch who turned Odysseus’s men into pigs, but Miller’s magnificent novel gives Circe her own epic. A daughter of the sun, she is banished to Aiaia where, part-god, part-herbalist, she teaches herself magic. She needs it, for it’s not only men who threaten: the gods, too, can be witch-hunters. The writing shimmers and figures including Daedalus and Odysseus are threaded beautifully into Circe’s story as she learns not only sorcery but love, and what it might mean to be mortal.
4. The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser
In Book II, Canto XII, Sir Guyon valiantly hunts down the witch Acrasia in the “Bowre of Blisse”. Acrasia is wily; she stupefies men with sex and turns them into pigs, but her bower is all music, all delight. “Gather the Rose of love whilest yet is time,” a minstrel sings - and all the birds echo his song. Nevertheless, Acrasia gets tied up and Sir Guyon trashes her bower. What keeps me coming back to Spenser’s Elizabethan masterpiece, in all its archaic lushness, is its ambivalence – it lingers wistfully over the garden it condemns.
5. Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas
Thomas shows how belief in magic and witchcraft were woven into the way people made sense of the world in the 16th and 17th centuries. The voices of ordinary people ring out from almost every page: Ursula Clarke in 1667 hoping William Metcalfe would “waste like the dew against the sun”; Lodowick Muggleton declaring that issuing curses “did him more good than if a man had given him 40 shillings”. At 800 pages, this is a bible of a book: dip in and in again – it’s worth it.
6. The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown
“Once, I scarcely believed in the devil,” Alice Hopkins begins, before widowhood forces her to go and live with her brother Matthew Hopkins, who is collecting names. We follow Alice’s attempts not only to document but to fathom her brother’s cruelty. “Turn over the stone,” she says, “and find another history, struggling to escape.” We need more of these histories.
‘A warning of tyranny on the way’ … Samantha Colley as Abigail Williams in the Old Vic’s 2014 production of The Crucible. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian
7. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
No list of witch-hunt books would be complete without Miller’s play. Through the story of the Salem witch trials of 1692-93, the play indicts 1950s McCarthyism – and Trump, and Farage, and … When the play is suddenly a hit somewhere, Miller observed, it’s “a warning of tyranny on the way or a reminder of tyranny just past”. Read or watched, the visceral clarity of Miller’s writing lingers like a catch in the breath, abolishing any reassuring sense that witch-hunts happened then, not now.
8. Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell
When orphan Lois Barclay lands in New England in 1691 she finds the ground as unsteady as the water. And well she might. Gaskell shows us a community in terrified opposition to its native forests and people. I love the way she refuses to condescend or simply condemn – she puts the reader in the middle of the panic, feeling it spread. The novella has been overshadowed by Gaskell’s novels, but it’s a small, bright gem.
9. I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé
Tituba, the “black” witch convicted in the Salem trials (she was in fact probably Arawak) tells her own story: a life that began when her mother was raped on a slave ship called Christ the King. Tituba is flawed and passionate; the Puritans denounce her, but we see her as a witch on her own terms, rejecting America: “A vast, cruel land where the spirits only beget evil!”
Yee, Reimena. My Aunt Is a Monster . illus. by author. Random House Graphic. 2022. ISBN 9780593125465.
Gr 4-8–When Safia, who is blind, moves in with an aunt she’s never met, she doesn’t expect to find out that her ex-adventurer aunt Lady Whimsy has been cursed to live as a blue, horned monster. Thus begins the grandest adventure of all as Safia embarks on a mission to derail her aunt’s archnemesis. Vibrant illustrations and lots of full-page spreads make this a whimsical, immersive romp.
Guests can visit the Charles Darwin Research Center, where they can learn about ongoing conservation efforts and see the famous giant tortoises up close. They can also take a boat tour to nearby islands to witness the diverse marine life, including sea lions, penguins, and marine iguanas. After a day of exploring, guests can relax and unwind at the lodge's restaurant, which offers delicious local and international cuisine made with fresh and sustainable ingredients. The lodge also has a bar where guests can enjoy a refreshing cocktail while taking in the panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. The Galapagos Magic Lodge truly offers a magical experience, where guests can connect with nature, learn about the unique ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands, and contribute to conservation efforts. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a wildlife lover, or simply seeking a peaceful escape, this lodge is the perfect destination for an unforgettable adventure in the Galapagos..
Reviews for "Galapagos Magic Lodge: Exploring the Enchanted Islands in Style"
- Jennifer - 2 stars - The Galapagos magic lodge was a huge disappointment for me. The rooms were cramped and outdated, and the furniture looked like it hadn't been changed since the 80s. The food at the restaurant was average at best, and the service was slow and unprofessional. Additionally, the Wi-Fi connection was terrible, making it nearly impossible to stay connected to the outside world. Overall, I would not recommend staying at the Galapagos magic lodge if you are looking for a comfortable and enjoyable vacation experience.
- David - 1 star - I had high hopes for the Galapagos magic lodge, but it turned out to be a complete disaster. The room I was given was small and dirty, with stains on the carpet and an unpleasant odor. The staff were unhelpful and seemed disinterested in providing any sort of customer service. The food was mediocre, and the lack of variety was disappointing. The only positive thing I can say is that the location was nice, but that alone does not make up for the terrible experience I had at this lodge.
- Emma - 2 stars - I was not impressed with my stay at the Galapagos magic lodge. The rooms were uncomfortable and lacked basic amenities. The bathroom was tiny and had a strange smell. The staff seemed unorganized and were not helpful when it came to arranging activities or providing information about the area. The food was mediocre at best, and the dining area was overcrowded and noisy. Overall, I would not recommend this lodge to anyone looking for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation experience in the Galapagos.