Tuesday 4th September

I'm so excited about going to the Galapagos today. I meet the rest of our group and get to know them a little more on the way. There's Ray, 74 year old Australian. There's the 3 irish trainee doctors who are around 22 years old and big drinkers. Ania and her Mum are originally from Poland but moved to Canada years ago to Edmonton. Finally there's Mark and Sophie from Melbourne. All in all a great bunch of people. I've feel like I've been blessed.

We fly to Guayaquil and stop to refuel. Guayaquil is the capital of Ecuador with around 3 million people. It's on the coast and a lot hotter here.

We fly on to Santa Cruz and I'm finally here - we meet our Galapagos guide for the day, Tony. After a bus, ferry, another bus and finally a dinghy we arrive at the Galapagos III which is moored of Puerto Ayora, the main port.

Lunch is served and once again the food is fantastic. Afterwards we're taken back to the port on the dinghy and walk along the pier to the Charles Darwin centre. On the way, we see marine iguana's, crabs which are the most amazing colour red and yellow, pelicans and frigate birds. The island is quite barren and there's not much deep soil due to the lava and ash. The prickly pear cactus are impressive - I feel like I'm in a western.

Frigate birds are scavengers, so called after frigate or pirate ships. They don't secrete enough water proof coating for their feathers so can't dive into the water to catch fish like other birds. Instead they have to steal from others.

At the Darwin Centre we get up close and personal with the giant tortoises. Their shell shape will depend on which island they are from and the vegetation that grows there. For example, if they have to push through thick vegetation or reach up high to eat leaves. One tortoise has a shell shaped like a horses saddle the spanish called galapagos, and so the islands became named.

The tortoises first came to Galapagos by sea. They fill their lungs with air and the shell floats across the water. The reason for the decline of the tortoises was because the people who first came here on ships would pick up the females and children as they were lighter than the males and take them on their ships to have for food. They would just leave them on deck until they needed them as a tortoise can live for 8 months without food or water so this was a good supply of fresh meat.

The islands are constantly evolving with the most recent eruptions taking place in 2005 on the largest island Isabella. It's a truly amazing place.

Later on we check out the nightlife in Puerto Ayora. The group are good fun. I get on well with Ania and we both express an interest in going to Rio Carnival and then onto Patagonia trekking sometime in the future. We all get water taxi's back to the boat later onand then the engine starts up around midnight and we're off to the next island. It's a rocky ride and I thank myself lucky that I've got good sea legs.

Wednesday 5th September

We arrive at Puerto Egas in the morning and walk around the island. The terraine is amazing with the colours of the black lava, red ash, green bushes and white incense treest in stark contrast to each other.

We see land iguanas which are huge, more marine iguanas which are all grey, a locust, some small lizards and a lone pink flamingo.

Then it's back on the boat for 4 hours to another island where we walk to see sea-lions, fur seals and marine iguanas swimming. We find sea turles looking down through a large blow hole into the sea.

The black lava flow is fascinating. It's so pronounced, you can see the difference between the sea cooling it and where bits further up the shore have bubbled up like mud pools and cooled on their own. Then further up again where it has smoothed out and settled and been colled by the sun like icing on a cake. Further back up the shore, the rocks are layered like pancakes.

Then it's off to go snorkelling. The visibility isn't great but I swim with two large sea turtles and see plenty of tropical fish.

In the evening we all socialise in the bar area up on deck. I love this holiday!

Thursday 6th September

After a great nights sleep we go to Bartolome Island. We climb to the top of the island and it's easy to see where the most recent eruption of black lava has spread to. From this position you can really appreciate the geography of the land. It's easy to spot other volcanoes.

We snorkel for a while and see fish, penguins, seals, blue footed boobies and a pelican.

We board the boat and we're off again over to the north side of Santa Cruz island. Thsi afternoon we walk around the nesting area of the frigate birds and the blue footed boobies. The male frigate birds have built their nests and puff out their red sack under their chin to attract a female. The blue footed boobies have chicks and are trying to feed then without the frigate birds stealing their catch.

Apparently the name boobies comes from the spanish word bogon which means someone who walks around wobbling their head. The most amazing thing about this island is the fact you can go right up to the animals and almost touch them. Certainly when you wave your hand infront of a blue footed boobie they follow your hand mesmerised so I guess I can see where the name from. But if you ask me it's probably a man that thought it would be a funny joke that stuck. ;-)

We're servied a special leaving dinner tonight of lobster with shrimp. Mmm. We spend the evening chatting away - I'm so glad I met a good group again.

Friday 7th September

We get up early to go into the mangroves this morning and see turtles, sharks, rays, and then the hightlight - a flock of blue footed boobies rise in unison from the water, circle over us, then in a sudden rush, dive headlong into the water en-mass. And we're in two small dinghys right in the middle of it. They bob around on the water for a few seconds, then take off and the show starts again. Over and over - what a way to end our trip!

We transfer back to the airport and I buy a book which features all the animals and landscapes I've just seen. I don't care that it's hardback and heavy - it's worth it.

We fly back to Quito and have one last night together. We drink cocktails and go dancing. The club is full of locals and play a strange mix of house tunes, latin music and cheese - I seem to recall doing the YMCA at one point! How funny.