We just arrived in Guayaquil on the coast of mainland Ecuador after spending 11 days in Galapagos! It is very humid and warm here and we have made good use of our 50 spf sunscreen. We are also working hard on our Spanish :)

For our first full day we visited Floreana island to see Giant turtles and a research center. Then we spent a little time at the beach winding down before heading back to stay a couple of nights in Puerto Ayora. The town was very lively and fun to walk around. It was tourist-friendly and was very much a beach town focused on diving, snorkeling, and sightseeing.

The 2nd day we went for our first snorkelling adventure at Kicker Rock, which is a big dive destination. We didn't realize it at the time, but it is a deep water snorkel area and we were greeted by a mass of playful sea lions upon our arrival. The water had strong currents and large swells that were a little much for me (diana) so I spent much of the time clinging to a rope and ring that our guide was carrying :) Little did I realize that I would be spending much more time in the water over the next 8 days....

We spent the next 8 days on a motorized sailboat with 12 other people. I (this is diana) would need to spend some serious time writing out a blog entry that effectively conveys what a phenomenal 8 days it was, but I will try to give some points of interest that might give some idea of what it was like.

Before I get into the activities on the cruise, I must say that the whole experience far exceeded our hopes and expectations. We originally planned to do a 4 or 6 day cruise, but after our ordeal getting to Ecuador and then seeing Vince's smiling face upon arrival we decided instantly that having 8 days would be a good way to transition into this whole travel thing.

First and foremost - being on a boat with 12 other people could go a number of different ways. The way it went for us could not have been better! Our boat had people from Scotland, England, Australia, Holland, Finland, Denmark, and of course the three of us from the states. Everyone was so friendly and easy to get along with, and we definitely felt a strong connection with people by the end of our journey.

Our guide Martha, was delightfully friendly, funny, knowledgeable, and skilled in terms of wrangling 14 people to keep us on schedule. The crew was great too - very friendly and helpful. And the food was amazing. I don't know if I have ever had an 8 day stretch where I have consistently eaten fresh fish and vegetables in such mass. We were also very impressed with the attention to the environment and preserving the fragile ecosystem of Galapagos.

We took close to 2000 photos between our two cameras, but we have only been able to look through the first 600 or so. We have chosen a few photos out of that first batch to load onto this blog under the album: Galapagos Islands.

We took the cruise itinerary outlined in red dashes here - http://www.thebeagle.com.ec/Itineraries.htm

Islands visited:
Santa Cruz, Santiago, Genovesa, Isabella (for 3 days), Fernandina

Land animals:
We saw and interacted with literally hundreds of animals including giant turtles, marine iguanas, land iguanas, crabs, snakes, herons, hawks, frigates, red-footed boobies, blue-footed boobies, finches, doves, and so many other specific kinds of birds that I can't begin to list them.

Sea animals:
We swam with turtles, penguins, hammerhead sharks, black tip sharks, galapagos shark, eagle rays, sting rays, manta rays, various types of sea lions, flightless cormorants, pelicans, any other birds that dove into the water, and lots and lots and lots of fish. And when I say that we swam with them, I mean we really swam with them in a natural and non-contained area.

Hikes:
In addition to the snorkeling, our itinerary included various walks and small hikes, including hiking to the top of Sierra Negra - the 2nd largest volcanic crater in the world (2nd to Kilimanjaro). We also got to hike for some amazing views on Darwin volcano.

Highlights:
We had a amazing experience with what I like to refer to as a "gang of tortugas". A few of us were in the water checking out the giant sea turtles when a little while in we realized that they were checking us out with much more interest. They surrounded us to the point where we didn't really have a direction to swim that didn't involve touching a turtle (which is a major no-no). A couple of the turtles even tasted us with gentle nips. I must say that it was both one of the main highlights and a little freaky. The turtles were HUGE and to have them surrounding you and without fear did remind us that we were mere visitors in their world.

Another major highlight for me (diana) was the snorkeling. You may or may not know that I just really learned to swim a couple of years ago, and I have always had a pretty strong fear of water. So the idea of being on a boat for 8 days and snorkeling almost every day was quite intimidating for me. I am happy to report that neither of us missed a single snorkel activity (or any other activity for that matter). And I got to the point where I felt pretty okay in the sea water. I'm still a little nervous with the idea of the ocean, but overall I felt a major win with snorkeling! And Charley was happy that I released his hand from the death grip by the 3rd snorkeling trip :)

Most memorable moments:
1. It was a breathtaking view at Sierra Negra volcano. It just so happened to be Charley's birthday that day and we sang Happy Birthday to him while we were at the top. Then he got to hear variations of birthday songs from Holland, Denmark, Finland, and Ecuador. It was very sweet and touching. Later that evening, the chef even made a special cake for Charley and decorated the cake with "Feliz Cumpleanos Charles". The cake had candles and we all sang to him again.

2. The last night before we left, our new friend Lola brought out her Ukelele for the last time on our cruise and played for us as the sun went down. It was something out of a movie.

Tomorrow we will make our way to Peru! Hope all is well!

C&D

p.s. Charley says thank you for all of the thoughtful birthday wishes!!