Julia Zhu & Gregory Thompson

Julia & Gregory

August 28, 2010

Julia Zhu & Gregory Thompson

Julia & Gregory

August 28, 2010

Thank you for visiting our Honeymoon Registry!

To everyone making the trip whether, near, far, or in spirit, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are so excited to share the big day with our friends and family and your presence is really the best gift of all.

So what is this website all about? Well, we have been fortunate enough to already have a houseful of furniture, kitchenware and and every other household do-dad you can think of. So instead, we decided on a travel registry to a take a trip of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon Rainforest. We'll travel deep into Ecuador through the amazing Amazon and stay at a lodge owned and run by the indigenous Sani Isla community where all money is reinvested back into the lodge and towards improving the community's quality of life. This part of our trip will be especially interesting for Gregory since he is scared to death of snakes! On the second leg of our adventure, we'll tour 3 different islands in the Galapagos Archipelago including Santa Cruz, Isabela and Floreana where we'll see some of the most amazing species on earth and yet again, try to avoid the snakes for Gregory (what a wimp!).

We'll do our best to document our experience via photo and include it in your much-deserved "thank you" note.

Thanks again and we can't wait to see you at our wedding (or earlier!).

Love,
Gregory and Julia

We're going to Amazon Rainforest and Galapagos Islands!

8/30-At 2am we'll leave LA and arrive in Quito, Ecuador that afternoon. We'll stay at the lovely Hostel de La Rabida in Quito and get our first taste of Ecuadorian cuisine!

8/31- We'll take a short 30 minute flight to Coca, Ecuador and then board a small boat that will travel up the Napo River for 3 hours. Once we reach the Challuacocha stream, we'll then board a dugout canoe and paddle for 30 minutes to Sani Lodge where will stay for four nights and hopefully see an anaconda for Gregory!

9/4- Fly back to Quito and stay overnight at the charming Hotel Patio Andaluz in the old historic center of Quito and tend to Gregory's snakebite wounds.

9/5-Fly to the Galapagos and tour the islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela and Floreana through Red Mangrove tours and hang out with the sea lions and race a giant tourtoise or two.

9/9-Fly back to Quito and stay again at the Hotel Patio Andaluz where I'm sure we'll be exhausted!

9/10-Fly home to LA and get started right away on thank you cards for the wonderful honeymoon all of you made possible!

Our Registry

  • $0-$100
  • $100-$150
  • $150+
  • All
Cancel
Our First Breakfast in Bed at the Marriott as a married couple - Breakfast in our jammies, what could be better? Mimosas required. :)
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Honeymoon Eve - After months of preparation, we are now finally married!!! We would like to unwind by spending the day at a Spa followed by a quiet dinner for just the two of us at The Bazaar Restaurant in Beverly Hills.
$12500
6/6
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
New Backpacks since rolling airport luggage won't cut the mustard for this trip!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
We're going to be walking alot so Julia's heels and Gregory's tennis shoes aren't gonna cut it. We need some good hiking boots!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Quick-dry, quick-zip, hats, shirts, jackets, quick everything clothing and other necessities are essential for South America so we can stay dry and don't miss a beat!
$10000
5/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Guidebooks so we can read up on what we'll be seeing and Gregory can research all the snakes!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Airfare from Los Angeles to Quito. The most important part is getting there!
$17500
4/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Our first night in Quito we'll stay in the Newlywed Suite at the Hostal de La Rabida which is a charming hotel in the old area of Quito.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
A romantic dinner to celebrate our first night in Quito with a bottle or two of local wine. There are so many great restaurants and we can't wait to try the Ceviche!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Our 30 minute flight from Quito to Coca is the beginning of our Amazon adventure!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
A motorized canoe ride that will take us down the Napo river for 3 hours and once we reach the Challuayacu stream we'll switch to dugout canoes and paddle for 30 minutes until we finally reach the lagoon at Sani Lodge.
$12500
1/2
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Dinner and our first night in our thatched roof cabana. Later that night we'll venture out on a short night hike with a naturalist guide. Gregory will need a drink or two to relax since Ecuador has 235 species of snakes!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Hike the Chorongo Trail with our private tour guide where we'll take a canoe ride and hike for 5 hours while seeing birds, caimans, monkeys, giant anteaters and poison-dart frogs.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Lunch and hike the Swamp Trail with our private tour guide where we'll hopefully see some reptiles and watch Gregory scream like a little girl!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Dinner and our second nights stay at the lodge. After dinner we'll go out with our private tour guide to view Caimans (their eyes glow red at night, scary!) which are the largest Crocodiles in South America.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Breakfast and a visit to the 100ft. tall birdwatching tower built around a giant Kapok tree. We'll see White-Throated Toucans, Bare-necked Fruitcrow and maybe Red Howler Monkeys asleep in the treetops!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Lunch and piranha fishing on the lagoon! Hopefully we'll catch some and then we'll watch the sunset from our canoe with our newly caught carnivore friends.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Dinner and our third night at the lodge after spending a day in the jungle where we'll rest up and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Amazon.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
1 hour and 30 minute canoe ride to the Coto trailhead where we'll enjoy the flora and fauna of the Amazon. After lunch, we'll visit an indigenous family and witness firsthand how they are self-sustainable.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Dinner and drinks on our last night at Sani Lodge. After dinner, we'll embark on either a night hike or go Caiman watching. At this point, Gregory will most likely be too scared to do anything, but let's hope he conquers his fears!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
We'll depart Sani Lodge in the morning and take dugout canoes down the Challuayacu stream until we hit the Napo River where we'll switch to a a motorized canoe for 3 hours and take in our last sights and sounds of the Amazon!
$12500
2/2
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Our 30 minute flight from Coca to Quito! We have to get back to civilization so we can rest up for the Galapagos!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
A romantic couples massage with champagne and local fruit away from the snakes to ease our aching bodies from all the hiking and running around.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
We'll spend the night at the historic Patio Andaluz Hotel in the Old Town Quito. We'll have a romantic meal and a bottle of wine (or two)! We better get a good night sleep for our departure to the Galapagos the next day!
$24000
1/1
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Our flight from Quito to the Galapagos about 620 miles off the Pacific Coast of South America. We are so excited to visit these isolated islands which are home to some of the strangest and most unbelievable wildlife on Earth!
$15000
4/4
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Visitor fee to the Galapagos National Park. The islands served as a living laboratory for Charles Darwin, the renowned evolution theorist. We will be exploring the islands for 5 days!
$13000
1/2
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island and snorkeling with Sea Lions, Sting Rays and Baby Reef Sharks in the shallow, emerald waters of Tortuga Bay. We'll then witness the nesting site of the famous Marine Iguanas.
$12500
2/3
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Our first night on Santa Cruz Island at the Red Mangrove Adventura lodge!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Breakfast and a trip to the "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers and a visit to a 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep.
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
A sail to Floreana Island and a visit to a cove called "Luz del Dia" (Light of Day) where we'll see marine iguanas, penguins, sea lions, rays and tropical fish. Yes the iguanas actually swim!
$12500
3/3
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Our second night in the Galapagos at the Floreana Lodge where we'll have our own cabin which is right in front of the ocean on the black lava surface! How romantic!
$25000
1/1
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Visit the Asilo de la Paz (Peace Asylum) where an artisan spring that attracted whalers and pirates as well as the Cueva de los Piratas (Pirate's Cave) where pirates carved a temporary shelter out of the soft stone.
$10000
1/2
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
A sail to Isabela island where we'll cruise by Isla Tortuga loaded with frigates and blue-footed boobies (birds:) Once we arrive, we'll see sea turtles, sea lions and penguins as though looking through glass through the amazingly clear water!
$12500
3/3
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
A walk through a jagged lava field and see marine iguanas and a small canal full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. Afterwards, we'll snorkel in a shallow bay surrounded by mangrove and see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions and penguins!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Our third night in the Galapagos at the luxurious Isabela Lodge with awesome ocean views. Isabela island itself is one of the most volcanically active places on earth so cross your fingers!
$25000
1/1
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
A visit to Long Beach, the most beautiful white sand beach in the Galapagos and then the "Muro de Las Lagrimas" (Wall of Tears), a unique contruction built by the backbreaking of prisoners of a penal colony centuries before!
$12500
2/2
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
A visit to a breeding center for the giant Galapagos Tortoises and the only place to view the rare, remaining flat backed (so-called 'tabletop' shells) Galapagos tortoises, many of which still bear the scars of volcanic activity from Sierra Negra!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
A sail back to Santa Cruz and a visit to the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station which is primarily a scientific operation that conducts research and assists other researches within the Galapagos National Park and Galapagos Marine Reserve.
$12500
2/3
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
A couples massage to treat ourselves and enjoy our last night in the Galapagos with the addition of some bubbly!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Our last night in the Galapagos at the Aventura Lodge where we'll have a cocktail and the best view of Puerto Ayora's bay!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Airfare back to Quito - the mainland! Time to say goodbye to the Galapagos Islands!
$15000
4/4
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Our last night in Quito and one more night at the beautiful Patio Andaluz Hotel. We'll be ready for rest and one more romantic night out in Quito!
$24000
1/1
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
An evening partying in Quito's world famous salsa clubs and "penas"!!! Private salsa dance lessons from a professional salsa dancer. Let's see the white man dance!!!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Transportation costs to and from the airports, hotels and restaurants. We aren't gonna walk if we don't have to...it's our Honeymoon!
Gift Fulfilled
Cancel
Tips for our naturalist guides at Sani Lodge and the Galapagos who will bend over backwards to ensure we have a great experience and support their way of life.
$10000
5/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Throughout the trip we will be purchasing souvenirs of this amazing journey. Help us decorate our apartment with memories of our trip with local art and handicrafts!
$10000
4/6
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Cancel
Airfare from Quito back to Los Angeles where we'll reflect on the trip of a lifetime...and Gregory will have nightmares about all the snakes he saw!
$17500
5/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
$000
Continue to Checkout