Associated Press
March 14, 2007

Laura Bush Tours Galapagos Islands

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) - U.S. first lady Laura Bush  toured the Galapagos Islands on Wednesday, the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador said.

Bush had heard much about the Galapagos, whose rich biodiversity inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and she "wanted to see and enjoy their beauty for herself," said Ambassador Linda Jewell.

The first lady has visited other tourist sites in the last week while accompanying her husband, U.S. President George W. Bush , on his Latin American tour. She hiked the ruins of a 17th-century Portuguese fort in Uruguay and took in the remains of a sprawling ancient Mayan city on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Aaron Sherinian told The Associated Press that the first lady's Galapagos visit "is personal" and that she has no public appearances scheduled.

He added that the embassy does not know her itinerary.

The Galapagos Islands, located 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) off Ecuador's Pacific coast, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for their exotic flora and fauna including giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies.

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