I have occasionally watched spanish TV here and theres a few things I have learnt. Spanish people cannot act for the life of them, and sometimes the people do actually sound like the fast show ´Channel 9´skit (ethetheths ethethethes...Chris Waddle!)

I have managed to learn quite a bit of spanish. I can say ´Nice to meet you´. ´1/2/3 beers please´. Thank you´. ´One more´. ´Im sorry´ and ´Hangover´. haha. No, but seriously, living in a country really helps you learn the language. Plus now, whereever I go in town, I get ´Hello Teacher/Richard´and waves left right and centre from locals I have met. Its a nice feeling.

Some people tried stopping me on the street, they were holding a bible and obviously trying to talk to me about it. But they couldn´t speak english so we had to part ways. If we could have communicated I may have mentioned that they should look at preaching this stuff anywhere other than the Galapagos, as they are walking on the living evidence which inspired and reinforced the biggest theory to counter religion. I joke, but maybe its a good thing we couldnt chat.

On Wednesday I went out with friends and we decided to buy some booze and drink it on the docks near the sea. Firstly, the girl serving us alcohol was about 9...obviously covering at the shop for her parents (I hope). I would have laughed if she decided to ID us. During the night a group of American exchange students joined us, they were so loud and ´look at me´ it was unreal. I don´t think I could have done 3 years in an American University. They were hillarious sometimes also, A drunk guy just decided to do a back flip off the docks into the water and others joined...very dangerous/funny.

My last Friday and I decided to return to school as I promised the kids I would see them before I went. We did no work, just had little farewell partys during each lesson. I had ice cream cake, I was given a wooden turtle ornament, a wooden sea lion ornament, a stone turtle and a t-shirt. Plus a turtle bracelet. The people here are very proud of their turtles. In an older kids lesson I took the boys to oneside and taught them some english phrases to help them talk to Gringo (Foreign) Girls....they actually listened for once.

I promised my hostess that I would cook onetime for her and so I did on Friday. I cooked a huge portion of fish (marinated in Limes), Paprika Roast Potatoes, peppers/onions/tomatoes cooked with garlic. I had to do it for 6 people in an oven with no heating options...just ´slightly hot´, so it tested what chef-ing abilities I have. They were all very impressed and the hostess didnt charge me any board for that day because of it.

At the weeked I went to my last Island....Santa Fe. It has no people on it, just huge colonies of sea lions. We snorkeled in a area where there was just fish and nothing else....but something as big as me swam past me at such a speed, scaring me to death. I immediatley thought ´shark!´but it was a lonesome sea lion with his flipper up on one side (looking very much like a shark from a distance). Panic attack over.

We then went to a lovely beach and I just played with the waves for a good long while. On this beach there was a camping area amongst a forest of mangroves, with built in bbq´s. I would have loved to camp there for a night next to the beach, if I wasn´t leaving so soon.

To celebrate my last night I made some jelly with their local sugar cane rum in it, a whole bottle of the stuff. It was horrid. We played games and you had to do a spoonful if you messed up...hillarious faces were pulled. An Isralie guy just couldn´t stomach it, he kept cheating and spitting it out. We then learnt a spanish drinking game called ´Pyramids´but alas, it involved cards being in a square shape. I asked why they call it Pyramids, no reason whatsoever. Lots of drinks were consumed that night, aweful photo´s taken, dancing was attempted and at the end 2 friends joined me at a local lagoon to watch the stars and chill. Very nice night to end my trip here.

I am really going to miss this place. A land without routine, without health and safety, without opening hours, without westernisation, without crime and without worrys. The culture is contageous and the landscape/wildlife is addictive. Many people have extended thier stays here because of this, and I wish I could.

This group of Islands has very good reason to be considered one of the 7 wonders of the world. It captures the magic and significance of life, plus the innocence it has the potential to posess. Some of the sights I have seen are breathtakingly immense and unparalleled in thier uniqueness. They harness an unlimited amount of awe inspiring moments, and I really really hope to return here in the not too distant future to experience more of them.