6/8/13 - Day 1
Today was the day - the start of my Galapagos trip. It was sad to leave Andrew behind, I wish he could have come, but I knew he would have fun seeing the other parts of Ecuador like I had.
I got picked up from the hotel early by the tour company, Unigalapagos. We arrived at the airport where there was a special queue for people going to the Galapagos. I had to buy a transit card and also have my bags scanned before checking them in. I boarded my flight on time and started the journey, flying from Quito to San Cristobal island via the city of Guayaquil. I was sat next to an Aussie couple and basically just chatted with them the whole way.
I was met at San Cristobal airport by our naturalist guide, Galo, and I also met some other people on the boat - a couple from the US and their young daughter and a tall German/American called Steven who was to be my roommate for the next 4 days. We were driven to the boat, the Anahi yacht, where we went aboard and met everyone else. The other passengers included an English couple and their 18 yr old son, a Swiss couple, an American-Indian couple and their two children and a Japanese couple. Most of the passengers had been onboard for longer itineraries. We had a quick briefing, were shown our cabins (very nice) and sat down to a delicious three course lunch.
After lunch we left in a bus on our first excursion to the interpretation centre on San Cristobal island. This centre gave a great introduction to the geography of the Galapagos, it's history and plans for the future. The centre also had a resident giant tortoise called Pepe.
After the centre we walked up to Tarjetas Hill, a lookout where Galo pointed out different species of finches and mockingbirds. The Galapagos is famous for it's finches, Darwin's finches. They all evolved from the same species to now have different shaped beaks for different uses. From the hill we could see a view over the nearby town and some of the islands in the distance.
We returned to the boat, passing sealions lazing on the jetty on the way. At 6:30pm Galo called a briefing and we all gathered in the lounge area as he talked us through the next days plans, then we walked up to the top deck bar to have welcome cocktails with the crew. They all introduced themselves in Spanish with Galo translating (turned out I was the ony tourist on the boat with any Spanish) and we made a toast.
Afterwards was another 3 course dinner and then it was time for the first nights sleep. Although I was wearing travel sickness bands I had started to feel a bit queasy so I dosed up on some sea sickness tablets before bed.
At about midnight I woke up to the sound of the engines as we started our navigation to the next island on the itinerary, Española. I found the journey quite choppy (apparently it wasn't compared to some of the ones the others have made during the trip) but I popped some more pills and wasn't ill. I soon got used to the rolling and sound of the waves crashing against the boat. I could definitely feel the peaks and troughs of the waves but eventually the boat rocked me back to sleep.
7/8/13 - Day 2
I woke up just before the breakfast bell at 7am. Breakfast was a delicious spread - the chef cooked eggs to your liking and you could help yourself to cereal, yoghurt, ham, cheese, bread and a wide selection of fruits. There was freshly squeezed juice on the table and teas and coffees.
After breakfast we all boarded the zodiacs (locally known as pangas) and headed towards the island. We landed at Suaraz Point and Galo led us on a walking tour. As we disembarked the panga we were greeted by bright red crabs covering the rocks and marine iguanas lazing in the sun. We walked further and came to a clearing full of sea lions. They're funny creatures and remind me of dogs, lying around sleeping and barking at each other when they are disturbed. Galo gave excellent information about all the animals. The rest of the island was mainly about the birds. We saw finches, mockingbirds and hawks and then came to the waved albatross nesting area. We observed these large, beautiful birds and their fluffy grey chicks easily as they were nesting so close to the paths. We saw lots of the adult birds doing a courtship dance, where they knock their beaks together like a mini sword fight. The Galapagos authorities are trying to protect these birds as they were endemic to Galapagos (only found here) but sometimes they migrate and are killed by Peruvians for food. As they mate for life, if one of the couple is killed it can cause all sorts of problems and mess up the harmony on the island. We walked to a cliff edge which Galo calls the Albatross Airport. As they are such big birds they need a little help for takeoff and they use the cliff edge as a runway. As we circled back around the island we passed a blowhole. The swell was quite big and as the waves came in they blew out of this blowhole, maybe 15m into the air. We continued walking and past the blue-footed booby nesting area and saw these extraordinary animals. Their feet really are bright blue and no scientists know why. Some of them had nested right on the path so we got very close - its amazing that they are not scared of humans, but they never learnt to be.
It was time to return to the boat and when we arrived there were snacks and drinks waiting. We had some free time before lunch and some people chose to go swimming. I thought I'd save myself for the afternoons snorkeling instead.
We had another lovely lunch and then after lunch we navigated for 25mins to Gardner Bay, our next stop for the afternoon. At 2pm it was time for snorkeling. The captain helped deck me out with a wetsuit, snorkel, mask and fins. We all jumped into the pangas and were whizzed over to a small rocky island. As we approached I could see lots of sea lions playing in the water and chilling on the rocks - these were to be our snorkeling companions! We jumped in (the water was extremely cold even with the wetsuit) and began swimming. The sea lions darted around in front on us, doing circles, coming really close to our faces and playing with us. It was wonderful. Turns out these very cumbersome animals on land are very graceful in the water. We circled around about half of the rock outcrop, before the panga picked us up and we retuned to the boat. There was hot chocolate waiting for us to warm us up and more snacks.
Once dry we headed out in the pangas again to land at Gardner bay. This was a pristine white sandy beach with sea lions resting on the sand. I walked along the beach taking photos and then Steven and I decided to do more snorkeling. We swam out to a small island near the beach. It was quite a swim but there were lots of fish to look at. Out there we spotted two small stingrays and one large one hidden in the sand. On the swim back to the beach Steven and I had our heads above water talking. As we put our heads back under we were startled to see a large turtle swimming only a metre or two in front of us. It was so beautiful, and to think we could have missed it! The extra snorkeling had been a success and we returned to the boat smiling from ear to ear. To make the day even better it turned out that the American couple and their daughter had accidentally been assigned two cabins on the boat when all they'd ever wanted was one. They offered this extra cabin to Steven and I so that we could have our own room.
Another briefing, dinner and some chatting with the others and it was time for bed. During the night we navigated to Floreana island but the seas were a lot calmer and all the activity and excitement of the day had made me tired so I slept extremely well.
8/8/13 - Day 3
Our first stop after breakfast was Cormorant Point. We walked ashore, greeted by sea lions and marine iguanas yet again. There were seashells and pieces of coral on the beach and Galo gave us a rundown on all of it, including the different sea urchins. We walked to a viewpoint of a brackish lake and in front of us were 20 beautiful bright pink-orange flamingos. As we watched they started to cluck, all put their heads in the same direction and walk in a line. Galo said that it was the start of the breeding ritual which only happens once every 3 years and that we were very lucky to see it.
We walked further around the island to a beach and as we were approaching we saw a large turtle making its way slowly across the sand and into the surf. The mama turtle had just laid eggs in the sand dunes of the beach. You could see her tracks all the way from the nest to the water - magnificent. As we walked along the wet sand Galo pointed out dark silhouettes of baby stingrays in the shallow water. There were loads of them and they sometimes gave us a fright as the waves washed them in and close to our feet.
As we started to make our way back to the pangas we passed another lookout for the lake and this time the flamingoes were right up close to the fence. We could see their colours and features even more vividly.
We returned to the boat on the pangas and after a snack the boat navigated around Floreana island to our next location. It was time for a snorkel around Corona del Diablo (Devil's crown). This is an old submerged volcano so all that's above surface is a jagged circular rock. The captain himself led us on this snorkel as even he didn't want to miss it - apparently it is some of the best snorkeling in the Galapagos. As soon as we got in we could see why. There was an abundance of fish and lots of coral. The current pushed us around the outside of the crown so we didn't have to swim for the first section. We saw a large eel and also a white tipped shark! As we rounded the crown we had to swim against the current to get inside the crater itself, it was quite tiring but the sealife made it worthwhile. Unfortunately we didn't see a hammerhead shark which is what we all had our fingers crossed for.
After snorkelling and a quick shower we had a delicious BBQ lunch on the top deck of the boat - fish, chicken, beef, plantain and loads of salad.
After lunch we went ashore again to Post Office Bay. There was a wooden barrel nailed onto a wooden post. The night before Galo had given us all postcards with pictures of albatrosses and seabirds on. He told us to write the cards and then when we got to Post Office Bay we could post them... no stamp necessary. The idea is that you "post" your card into the barrel but also pick up some postcards from the barrel that are addressed to your home country. When you return you take these postcards with you and post them to the recipients. In this way, the postcards end up being posted... it might just take a long time! I picked up two for the UK and one for Australia to post - fingers crossed mine makes it to mum and dad's house eventually too. Apparently the system dates back a long time to when sailors and whalers used to stop at the island. Postage done, we walked to the lava tunnel. A few of us had torches so we were divided among the group to help the others. We descended down the steep entranceway which had a low roof, down some wooden steps and into the tunnel below. It was very large, and very rounded. There wasn't far to walk into the tunnel but we sat down on some rocks and Galo gave us a rundown on the history of the Galapagos and in particular on the history of Floreana island. Many people have tried to live here, some successful, some not so. Norwegian immigrants were sold the island as "the last paradise" and they wanted to come and set up a fish cannery, but the dream fell through as it was nicer harder to live here than they imagined. A married couple called the Wittmers came and they were so committed to returning to nature and only eating vegetables that they took a rock each and knocked out all their teeth. In hindsight they realised this wasn't the smartest idea but they didn't have enough money to buy two sets of false teeth so they only had one and shared it. There was also the German baroness who came to the island with her three lovers. She wanted to build a luxury hotel but it was too hard to get supplies and workers. A few years later the baroness and one of her lovers went missing, never to be found and another of her lovers was poisoned. Locals always say that Mrs Wittmer did it.
We left the lava tunnel and returned to the beach where it was time for our last snorkel. We swam along a rocky bay edge and saw fish, a stingray and a green turtle. I swam alongside the turtle for as long as I could before it ducked deeper and into the open sea. They are so beautiful!
We went back to the boat and after a short rest where we filled out comment cards for the trip (I ticked all excellent) and left tips for the crew it was dinner time. Just before dinner we returned to the top deck and had another complimetary cocktail as we thanked the crew and toasted them for all their hard work. Dinner was delicious yet again and I splurged on a half bottle of white wine as it was the final night. We navigated the three hours from Floreana to Santa Cruz island before 11pm and then fell asleep bobbing in the harbour.
9/8/13 - Day 4
We were disembarking the boat early and had to be packed, breakfasted and on the pangas by 6:45am. I felt quite sad to leave to be honest, it had been such a great experience and the crew and other passengers were all lovely. The pangas dropped us at a jetty for the Charles Darwin research centre on Santa Cruz island where Galo guided us around and taught us all about the giant tortoises and the breeding program they are carrying out at the centre.
After the centre all the other passengers, bar Steven and I were heading to the airport to catch their flights out. We took some final photos and said our goodbyes, then the bus dropped me at my hostel "Galapagos Best Homestay". Kevin, the owner, was there when I arrived. I checked in and then he gave me an orientation tour of the town. He was very friendly and pointed out good restaurants, where the ATM was and left me at a tour agency he recommended. I was starving (early breakfast on the boat and I'd felt a bit seasick so not eaten much) so I walked to a place called Galapagos Deli. Here I bought breakfast for $5 which included homemade bread and jam, scrambled eggs with ham, juice and tea.
I decided that today I would go to Tortuga bay so after breakfast I rented a snorkel, returned to the hostel to get my swimming costume and then headed to the bay. The bay is famous for being the most beautiful beach in the Galapagos, maybe even in all of Ecuador. It was a 2.5km walk one-way down a paved walkway, passing through cacti and shrubs and lizards baking in the sun. When I reached the beach I turned right and walked another 1.5km as I was told the beach had strong waves and undercurrents but the lagoon at the far end is sheltered. On the walk I marvelled at the extremely fine wide white sand and passed rocky areas with marine iguanas basking on top of one another for warmth. Once I reached the lagoon I sat on the sand and relaxed. There was a man renting out kayaks which I quite fancied but they all seemed to be double ones. No one was snorkeling, a few people were swimming but I preferred to just relax. After an hour or so I began the walk back to town and I've got to say I was pretty tired by the time I got there! I decided to treat myself to a waffle and ice cream to give myself some more energy.
It was time to plan my next days activities. I visited some tour agencies to ask about day trips but the one I really wanted to go to, Bartholomé, was fully booked. I ended up booking with Joybe tours as he was quite honest with me - he said my cruise itinerary had been so good that I probably wouldn't see anything new on an island day tour so instead of spending the $100-120 for that, he recommended the half day bay tour on Santa Cruz for $30. That sounded good to me and I had more plans for the following afternoon anyway and booked a taxi through Kevin at the hostel to take me up to the highlands to see the giant tortoises in the wild.
I browsed some of the souvenir shops and was seriously tempted by an "I love boobies" (the blue footed kind!) tshirt. I returned to the hostel to relax before heading out at 7:30pm to meet Steven from the boat for dinner. Our naturalist, Galo, had recommended a street called Calle de Los Kioskos (kiosk street) where they close off both ends and set up tables and chairs in the street and sell local food. We found a popular set of tables and ordered some seafood, myself the prawns in coconut sauce and Steven the grilled fish and we shared the plates. It was a very pleasant dinner and felt good to be in the hub of things and eating where the locals eat. I said my goodbyes to Steven afterwards and wished him luck on his travels. He was a really nice guy, and a good roommate for the night we shared the cabin, and if Andrew and I go to Berlin we will definitely look him up.
10/8/13 - Day 5
I had breakfast in my room this morning before heading out on my half day bay tour. When I arrived at the meeting place I was surprised to see I was the only English speaking tourist there - more Spanish practise for me! The boat set off and we headed much further than I thought, out of the harbour and towards some large rocks in the distance. The ride lasted about 25mins and was quite choppy. I ended up lending my travel sickness bands to an Ecuadorean girl who introduced herself to me, Andrea. She could speak English and kindly offered to translate what the guide told us. We reached La Loberia, the rock outcrops I could see from the shore, and there we saw lots of seals swimming and sunbathing. Our guide also told us there were lots of sharks in that area and that sometimes the bull (big male) sea lions swim and bash into the sharks to protect the lady sealions and babies. We made our way back across the bay and climbed ashore where we walked past a small lagoon called the Canal del Amor (love canal) and to another small lagoon called the Canal de Tiberones (canal of the sharks). Looking down we could see dark silhouettes of small Galapagos and tiger sharks resting in the shallows. Apparently they come into this sheltered area to rest during the day and hunt later on. We followed a rocky path to a small beach called Playa de Los Perros (beach of the dogs) and saw lots of marine iguanas and crabs resting on the rocks. We returned to the boat and on our way to the last stop of the tour we had a chance to do some snorkeling in the sea. About 4 or 5 of us went in but the mask they gave me was awful and kept letting water in. I saw some colorful fish but that's about all. We went ashore and walked the 15 minutes over volcanic rocks to the lagoon known as Las Grietas. Here I donned my wetsuit, a new snorkel mask and swam the length of the lagoon. The water was crystal clear and blue and there were quite a few fish in there. I swam up and down three or four times before Andrea told me we had to go.
That was the end of the tour and I had time in town to grab a takeaway sandwich and cookie from the Galapagos Deli and race back to the hostel for my next tour. Kevin had booked a taxi to take me up to Las Primicias, a ranch in the highlands. Two Spanish guys from the bay tour and another girl from the hostel, Lindsey, wanted to come too which was great because we could split the cost of the taxi. We drove the half hour or so into the highlands. Our first stop was to a large lava tunnel. We walked the 400m length of it and it was quite amazing. It looked like a man-made tunnel, it was such a perfect shape. There was one part in the middle where we had to crawl under a gap about 80cm high, but it was only a metre or so long so not too scary. After the tunnel we drove to the ranch. We changes our shoes for wellies and our taxi driver acted as our guide, leading us through the grass and vegetation looking for giant tortoises. They were amazing - with such old, wise looking faces. They are wild on the ranch so it was a much better experience than seeing them behind the stone walls of the Charles Darwin research centre the day before. We could get within two meters of them for photos and see them munching away on guava fruit, it was great. There was a small souvenir shop so I bought a tortoise made of marble to remember the experience.
I had some time to rest back at the hostel and chat to the owner Kevin and another German guy staying there called Alex. Lindsey, Alex and I all decided to go into town to get some dinner together. We went to a recommended restaurant called Isla Grill where I ordered a delicious white fish dish with pineapple and almonds and as it was my last night in the Galapagos treated myself to a glass of wine. On the walk home we bought ice cream and watched a street performance by a local dance crew.
Well, my time in the Galapagos had come to an end. I was leaving early the next morning to catch my flight back to Quito and catch up with Andrew. It had been a wonderful 5 days and I felt quite sad to say goodbye to it all. It really is a magical place... and I'm already planning my return (with Andrew in tow).
Chao for now Galapagos!