The fact that he can cook, let alone bake a cake with all the movement of the boat, is a feat in itself. (Costa, the cook during my Tanzanian Safari last year was another magician) After dinner Aldo briefed us on the plans for tomorrow before passing an envelope around for tips to the crewmembers. Since we leave at 6 AM tomorrow, I turned in shortly thereafter.
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I had set my alarm at 5:15 AM and it did work. The problem was that my Alarm was still set to mainland Ecuador time that was an hour ahead of Galapagos. I tried to doze from 4:15 AM for an hour or so. I was nevertheless ready for departure by 6 AM. We left the boat for Caleta Tortuga to observe Marine turtles. We reached the place in 15 minutes after which the outboard engine was shut off to preserve the morning stillness. We paddled around the area for an hour. Though we spotted half a dozen sharks (no more than 6 feet in length) lying at the bottom of these waters (which are no more than 8 feet in depth), we did not spot any Marine Turtles. Since we were up early, I did get some good pictures of the Sunrise (I usually have a headache during Sunset). We got back to the boat and finished breakfast by 7:30 AM and the dinghy was set to leave at 8 AM to drop the 6 people (who had completed their 8 day / 7 night cruise) at the Airport in Baltra.
Since the 4 of us who were on the cruise for 3 more days had nothing better to do, we boarded the dinghy and set off for the Pier along with the rest. We reached the pier after 15 minutes and waited for a bus to take us to the airport. We got one within the next 5 minutes. Baltra is predominantly a Navy/ Airforce base and the bus was driven by a person in Battle fatigues! We reached the Airport 20 minutes later. While the departing 6 checked in, I wandered around the shops at the Airport. I purchased a decent map of the Islands, along with some stickers of some native animals.
Since we had to wait for the arrival of the Aircraft (which would have 6 new passengers for our boat), we had at least an hour to kill. The Charles Darwin research station has a small office at the Airport. I picked up a pamphlet on their activities (www.galapagos.org). Bought a T-shirt by the World Wildlife fund (WWF) depicting a Giant Tortoise. I felt that I ought to spend some money here, since it helps the island's economy as well as the WWF. The flight arrived and we introduced ourselves to the new members of our cruise. There were 2 Australians, 2 Swedes, an Englishman and a French-Canadian. Except for the French-Canadian, (who spoke only French and Spanish) the rest were quite conversant in English. We got back to the boat around 10:30 AM. I spent a little over an hour writing my diary before having lunch. One of the Australians was a vegetarian as well. Misery needs company! We were to sail to Islas Plazas.
I had a siesta during the 2-hour ride to Islas Plazas. I woke up around 2:30 PM, after we anchored at Islas Plazas. After a 10-minute ride on the dinghy, we reached the island. The landing was a sight in itself. All the steps at the landing were occupied by Sea lions sunning themselves. Aldo had to politely chase them away, before the dinghy could dock and we could climb the steps at the landing. Scores of Sea Lions young and Old were sunning themselves on the rocks. After a couple of steps into the island we spotted our first Land Iguana. The Land Iguana can be identified by the yellow colour of its upper body including its forelegs. The Marine Iguana is black/ gray in colour. The Land Iguana is also much larger than a Marine Iguana. We encountered more Land Iguanas as we continued to walk across the Island. We were able to get within 2 to 3 feet of these creatures.
With a Telephoto /Zoom lens, one can obtain great pictures of these animals. On the far end of the Island where the cliffs drop 20-30 metres down to the water, we spotted Sea Lions. Aldo explained that these creatures had lost out in the battle to gain prime real estate (near the landing area) and have been banished here. Prime real estate is an essential component in wooing members of the opposite *** and to nurture the young offspring. These seals laboriously climb these rocks day after day and lie here for most of the day. Sometimes they just give up and die here. We spotted a rotting carcass of a Sea Lion confirming this theory. It is always sad to see these magnificent / playful creatures die. We spotted Blue-footed Boobies and Masked-Boobies. The Blue-footed boobies are especially magnificent up close. If you cannot afford a fancy camera with a zoom lens, get a binocular before visiting these islands. We spotted more Iguanas and Sea Lions before returning to the boat around 4 PM.
Since the 6 people left in the morning, we (me and my roommate Theo) occupied one of the cabins on the upper deck before the new group arrived. This was accomplished by Theo, who told one of the crewmembers to shift both our belongings from our Old to our new cabin while we were away at the Airport. This was a good cabin. The water from the Shower was really forceful and we had a flush toilet (unlike the lever in the previous cabin). I had a shower before spending time writing my travel log until dinnertime. We were to sail to Espaniola after dinner. This was to be a 9-hour journey and it would be our first all-night sailing.
Aldo informed us during dinner that the captain had fallen sick and required medical attention. This necessitated a change in Itinerary. We would sail tonight to Puerto Ayora where the captain could get some medical assistance on the shore. We would do the activities at Puerto Ayora tomorrow instead of Tuesday (May 25, 1999) as Originally planned. I taught the new members of the group to play hearts and we spent the 2-hour ride to Puerto Ayora doing just that. We reached Puerto Ayora after 10 PM and the Captain was taken to shore by 3 other members of the crew. I turned in for the night.
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I woke up at 6:45 AM and taking advantage of the minimal movement of the boat, I proceeded to have s shave. There were no unfortunate incidents during this process. Owing to this additional activity, I was late for breakfast. We left the boat at 8 AM and reached shore about 8 minutes later. We walked to the Charles Darwin research station. It was a 25-minute walk. Aldo took us to see the Giant Tortoises first. We came across 6 Male tortoises. These were rescued by the folks at the research station from people who kept them as pets. One of them had pockmarks on his shell, which Aldo explained as bullet marks fired by the Personnel at the Base who kept him as a pet and used his shell for target practice! I am truly glad to see these animals live after such abuses. We walked around to see 'Lonesome George' who is the last of his species. Since he has neither siblings nor descendants, the species will disappear after his death. Truly Sad.
We saw a whole lot of baby tortoises bred under the station's captive breeding program. The Station's Marine Iguana Captive breeding program is closed to visitors. I purchased yet another Map of the Islands along with a Cap (containing the logo of the Charles Darwin research station) primarily as a show of support to help the research center. They need the money. I spent some time in one of their exhibit halls that explain the formation of these islands, the native species and the introduced species and the effect of the introduced species on the ecosystem. It was quite interesting.
Since the dinghy would not be back to pick us up until noon, I loitered around the harbour wandering into as many shops as possible. All of the items are quite expensive here. They can be purchased in Quito for 60% of the price being quoted here. (Yes, there is certainly a line - however fine it may be - between helping the local economy and being taken for a ride!).
I got back to the boat after noon and had a short siesta after lunch. We left the boat at 1:30 PM for our afternoon visit to Puerto Ayora. A pickup truck was waiting for us at the dock. We boarded the same and travelled inland for 45 minutes before being taken to 2 huge volcanic craters. The Area around these craters is thick with vegetation. We walked around trying to spot birds native to this island. After spending around 30 minutes here, we headed to a place called 'Lava Tunnels of Love' (No, I'm not kidding). These are enormous underground caves / tunnels, through which molten lava flowed millions of years ago. We had to pay an entrance fee of US$ 2. One can rent a flash light (a definite must) for an additional charge of US$ 1. I had my own and hence did not require one. These caves are a must see. They are huge (20 feet across and 20 feet in height) and are filled with volcanic boulders. Walking through these caves from one end to the other (roughly a mile) is quite an experience.
We got back to the port around 4:45 PM and Aldo informed us that the dinghy would pick us up at 6 PM. Some of us sat down at a nearby restaurant and ordered some fries and sodas. Puerto Ayora had a population of 12000 and the place was really alive in the evening. We got back around 6:30 PM and I had a good shower. The drive to see the Volcanic Craters and the Lava tunnels was a dusty ride. One should wear a dirty set of clothes (if possible) while riding to these places. After our dinner, Aldo informed us that we would be sailing to Santa Fe at 4 AM tomorrow. The journey to Sante Fe would take around 2 hours. Aldo also wanted to know if we wanted to go to town. We agreed and decided to leave at 8:30 PM. There are water taxis available at the quay and cost US$ 1 (per person) to drop you back at your boat. Sounded like a good deal to me. We visited a couple of Bars and clubs in Puerto Ayora and partied till 12:30 AM. We took a water taxi back to our boat. There is a good police presence around the Quay area, so it is quite safe even at night.
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The boat departed Puerto Ayora around 4 AM for the Island of Santa Fe. The 2 hours was one heck of a roller coaster ride. If I wasn't too careful, I could have easily fallen off the bunk bed. I slept through most of the ride. We reached Sante Fe around 6:30 AM. We left for the island after breakfast. We had a wet landing on a beach filled with Sea Lions. We walked around seeing the flora of the island and also spotted Land Iguanas, which were a marginally different species from their cousins on Islas Plazas. Santa Fe is famous for giant Cactuses that have adapted themselves to the Island and are quite tall. After an hour of walking around the island, most of the group opted to swim / snorkel back to the boat. I took a ride on the dinghy back to the boat.
We departed Sante Fe around 9:15 AM and set sail for Isla Lobos and San Cristobal. The 4-hour ride started on choppy seas. After an hour and a half of sitting on the deck, I went up to my cabin. I promptly fell asleep and woke up around 2 PM. The boat was nearing Isla Lobos. After lunch, Aldo informed us that we would start our visit to Isla lobos around 3:30 PM. During the 45 minute waiting time, I read the recent issue National Geographic. (The only book/Magazine I had bought with me apart from my Travel guide).
We had a dry landing at Isla Lobos around 3:40 PM and had to chase a few Sea Lions before we could climb the steps at the landing. We saw the Galapagos cotton plant and its flower before we spotted Frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. The Male frigate bird has a red sac near his neck, which looks beautiful when inflated (Probably holds true for Males of all Species?). In addition to serving as an attention getting device, the inflated sac also helps scare away lesser predators. When larger predators approach, they are attracted to the Male frigate bird (due to the inflated Red Sac). After gorging themselves on the male frigate bird, they do not feel the need to go after the female frigates or the young frigates. Quite a sacrifice by the male frigate bird to save his companion and their offspring (Probably holds true for the Male Members of all Species?)
We observed the blue-footed boobies up close. Their partnership ritual is quite intriguing. The Male collects branches for a nest and drops them near his feet. If a female were to pick up a branch, she expresses an interest in the male and the 2 live happily ever after. (Am not sure it works for the Species known as Homo sapiens) I took a number of pictures of these birds. We had a wet boarding and reached the boat around 5 PM.
After a shower, I was informed that the boat was heading for San Cristobal, which was 30 minutes away. We would anchor at San Cristobal for the night and depart around 2 AM for the 4-½ hour ride to Espaniola. Another rocky ride, I presume. Aldo's family lives in San Cristobal and he was planning on visiting them. Since the captain would have to pay port fees, we docked about 20 minutes from the port to avoid paying these fees. If we had been willing to pay the money, I guess we could have seen the town of San Cristobal. I was not sure if the others were up to it. After dinner, I played cards till 10:30 PM before turning in.
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The journey to Espaniola started around 2 AM and I managed to sleep through most of the rocking and rolling of the boat. We anchored at Espaniola around 6:45 AM. After breakfast we left for the island around 7:30 AM. It was a dry landing at Espaniola. During the 2-hour walk around the Island, we spotted Blue Footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, Sea Lions, Marine Iguanas (of a different Species) and Large Lava lizards. The new species that we observed up close was the Albatross. It is quite a magnificent bird. We returned to the boat around 10 AM and immediately set sail for another part of Espaniola. We reached there a little after 11 AM. This was to be a new type of landing. The dinghy would carry us to a midway point from where we were to swim to land. Aldo called it a 'Swim Landing'! Needless to say, I opted out. I did not even take a ride to the beach since all that was present there were Sea Lions. I have seen so many of them in the past week that it doesn't excite me anymore (I would definitely have not made this statement 7 days ago. What a difference a week makes!).
After lunch we set sail for Sante Fe around 1:15 PM and arrived at Sante Fe around 6:30 PM. We were to set sail from Santa Fe in the wee hour of the morning to North Seymour. After a shower, I had dinner where the Cook baked us a Cake (since 4 of us were leaving the boat tomorrow). We visit North Seymour early tomorrow morning (6 AM) before proceeding to Baltra to take the flight back to Quito.
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For some reason we did not reach North Seymour until 7 AM. North Seymour was famous for its Magnificent Frigate Birds. For some reason, were too enthused when we saw these birds. We spent around 45 minutes walking on the Island before returning to the boat. After breakfast, we tipped the Crew (US$ 15) and Aldo (US$ 10). I exchanged e-mail / addresses with the members of the group. We were landing at the same pier from where I started my journey 7 days ago. The captain had radioed earlier and a pickup van took us to the Airport. During the ride, the slip of paper containing all the names / addresses of my fellow passengers, flew out. I cursed my carelessness.
On reaching the Airport, I check in and found out that there were too few passengers going back. It was funny how one sees a lot of familiar faces on these trips. (I noticed a lot of people who had travelled with me from Quito, a week earlier) I sent a note through Aldo to the Australian couple to obtain the names / addresses of the folks on the boat and mail the same to me. The flight arrived at 9:30 AM. The security people obliged me by hand examining my 30+ film rolls. We departed at 10 AM. I declined the breakfast on the plane. We reached Guayaquil around 12:30 PM. After changing planes, we departed for Quito around 1 AM. The ride to Quito from Guayaquil seemed a short one. We reached Quito at 1:40 PM. After bidding farewell to the Swiss trio, I went out of the Airport terminal and was greeted by Fabian. It was a good feeling to see a familiar face. We chatted during the 20-minute ride to the Hotel. I was greeted warmly by Marcos and his family on reaching the hotel.
After checking in, I took a shower, picked up my stuff from the storage locker and packed by bag. On reaching the lobby, I was given a message. It was from Sara (one of my trip mates on the Bolivia / Peru tour) and she was staying at a hotel nearby. On reaching the hotel, I did not find her. After leaving a message for her, I bumped into her on the way out. We caught up on our activities since we departed in Lima 10 days ago. After exchanging some money, I settled my dues at the hotel. Sara and Myself went to a local reptile house where we saw a whole lot of snakes, most of which were native to Ecuador. We followed it up with some souvenir shopping where I wound up buying 4 T-shirts for US$28. The same shirts would have cost me at least US$45 in the Islands.
We went to a cultural performance. It was an Andean Ballet called 'Humanizarte'. It turned out to be some modernist stuff. I did not like it. We headed to a Tex-Mex restaurant where I had an enjoyable dinner. We bid adieu and I returned to the Hotel. I return to Estados Unidos tomorrow. It has been a Good trip. I am Glad I did it.
References
The Incas - Empire of Blood and Gold
By Carmen Bernand
Published by Thames & Hudson, London
ISBN: 0 500 300 402
This deals with the Spanish Conquest, life of the Native peoples before and after the Conquest, Hiram Bingham discovery of the ruins etc.
South American Handbook
Edited by Ben Box
Published by Footprint in the UK and by Passport Books in the USA
Though I used this as a 'Guide' book during my month long travel, I would definitely not recommend it. Instead one should explore other books (Notably those published by Moon Publications) to use as a reference during your travels.
Lost City of the Incas
By Hiram Bingham
Written by the Man who discovered the ruins of Macchu Picchu.
The Origin of Species
By Charles Darwin
This is an excellent book. One must have an extraordinary interest in Natural History and an abiding interest in the theory of Evolution to finish this book.
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Rec.Travel Library: The World - South America - Bolivia - Peru - Ecuador
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