The Enchanted Isles

Day 1 - Wow

First an apology... we (I) took over 500 photos, and we couldn´t get the list shorter than what we´ve uploaded. I´m sure you´ll enjoy them all though.

So after you get over the pollution and rubbish all over the... oops. Wrong story :) We landed in the Galapagos after a short flight where we could see the volcano tops popping out of the vast pacific on a short runway with just a hut there to greet us. I dont think its been too long a time since the passengers needed to climb down from the aircraft via ladders. The airport was basic. A great introduction to a land that is one of the remotest in the world, and certainly seems protected and destined to stay that way.

We knew we had to find our rep, and he came, wild haired and as we were about to find out encyclopaedic to meet us. Sergio told us to wait for the luggage, and after it had been x-rayed for the second time to try and detect any kind of life that we may be bringing to the islands, all the luggage was laid out for the new batch of tourists to scurry after and claim. Which we did well, and not knowing if we were about to share the next week with the person that we could have elbowed out the way, the entire process was very polite.

Next the part wed been hoping would go well... meeting the others. There were six americans, Jan and Josie: 2 volunteers from Quito; John, Daryl, Ginny and Peter from St Louis on a holiday. Bill and Verena, coming to the end of their 2 month holiday, Andy and Tamsin, in the middle of their year long holiday, Werner and Ursula, at the start of their year and Cathy and Lindy, two aussies also at the beginning of their travels. Everyone was great, so we felt a little smug looking at the other people we could have been lumbered with!

So off we go to the boat, after the required Ecuadorian wait for the bus, and on the dock there are sea lions relaxing on the bench! It was a bit of a shock, but wow! We even had to step over a baby sea lion to get to the ramp onto the boat. So far what people had said about having to step over animals was true! Wow again.

Boat life consisted of three big meals a day, and snacks between them. So of course the fist thing we did once we were on board was to eat lunch. The meals were all delicious and this was a good way to start the trip. Next off we were warned that we were going to see some sea lions on the island we were off to, but not to get too emotional about them as we´d see many many more. We landed on Baltra Island, Bajas beach. And I was blown away by the sea lions. They were so numerous and so friendly and so curious. And even with the warning the 16 of us got too emotional and the flashes didn´t stop! There was a long walk, where we saw Sally Lightfoot crabs, at about 3 inches across, Iguanas, and some pink Flamingoes. Then we went snorkeling, and saw many many fish. Parrot fish, surgeon fish, sting rays, and more.

What an introduction to the enchanted isles. I could tell I was about to have an amazing week!

Day 2 - South Plaza, Failed Diving, Santa Fe

I was excited and Andrea was anxious; today was the day we were off to dive in the treachorous currents of the Galapagos! The day was arranged so that we could see all the attractions of the island and still fit in the dive to see Gordon Rocks. After a huge breakfast, we were off at 7-00 to see the south island of the Plazas. Or south plaza. Once we landed all the people who´d been getting too emotional over the sea lions found out why they hadn´t needed to... there were hundreds of them all over the place. Again we needed to step over them to get onto the island.

Once on, we got an idea about just how different each island is. This one was covered in red and green vegetation, with strange hairy cactusses poking up all over the place. The other thing that was obvious from here is that there are other groups apart from us... and we needed to fight for our time on the islands. Getting up early would no longer be a problem!

The islands held all manner of wildlife. We saw the obligatory sea lions, marine iguanas, some birds, and unfortunately no dive boat. We got back to the boat and the captain was annoyed with them and promised in his strange manner to sort it out. He had a mate. Words we really wanted to hear right then :)

In the afternoon we went to Sante Fe. A wonderful snorkel where we swam with sea lions! What an experience! They are so curious and come right up to you and then stand on their heads, or swim around you. Very very cool. There were also turtles which were so peaceful to swim with.

On the island we saw different iguanas, of the land type, and saw the beachmaster in action! Patrolling the beach and all his wimmin. And then when he felt like it he´d come onto the beach to cause a fight. Normally an entertaining sight to see all the other virile males that had seconds previously been chatting up all the girls high tail it for the top of the beach! Those clumsy looking tail fins can be fast when they want to get away from a barking ´bitchmaster.´

A rough ride had Andrea staring at the horizon, but at least the room was air conned!

Day 3

This morning we had Espanola in store for us. More sea lions on Gardner Beach. We snorkelled starting in a cave. The water was cold, but the sea lions were once again a load of fun.

In the afternoon we went to Punta Suarez, where we saw more sea lions. This was a bird island, and apart from the once again alien vegetation, we saw Albatrosses, boobies, Tropicbirds, and to Sergio´s delight, the ´Dance of copulation´of the Albatrosses. I am always a fan of animal mating rituals, and this was another one for the books. They clatter their beaks for a while, stare at the sky, flutter their wings and start again. Wonderful to see it, but when it´s happening two meters away from you, it takes on a different complexion!

The last attraction of the island was the blow hole. A formation of rocks where each wave sends water ten to fifteen meters into the air, very much like a whale blowing. Cool. It started raining now, the dreaded garua strikes! and we head for the boat. The weather for the entire trip was very good, much better than predicted.

Day 4

First off was the island of Santa Maria. It was a cloudy misty morning, and Santa Maria is a small island. The lake that takes up a large portion was tranquil and quiet, and filled with pink flamingoes. I think that at this point I had been tainted... the animals are just too fearless, and we´d seen so many! But the flamingoes were still wonderful to look at for a while. Next off we went to go fish for some sting rays - with our feet! (Take that Kie!) Apparently the Galapagos sting rays off this beach don´t sting unless you trod on them. So off we go. At the first sign of a tickle on my toe and I´m screaming like a girl and sliding my way out the sea! I didn´t need to feel bad for too long though. John was soon putting my girl impression to shame with a dance thankfully caught on video :)

The afternoon had more snorkelling in store. There was a crater in the middle of the ocean, and it was our destination. The inside was filled with starfish and fish, the normal borning galapagos overload of life! But the outside. Now the outside was interesting. First of all it dropped meters very quickly, but more importantly because we saw sharks! And I happened to have the disposable camera handy, so we have a shot of a shark. And if you look very closely you can see it! Again, a wonderful afternoon. The galapagos are a paradise, and I don´t think it is possible to be disappointed with them at all.

It ended with a trip to the post office. It started as a barrel, and not is a pile of debris with addresses written on it. The idea is that you leave your post there, and sailors going in the other direction deliver them for you. I have a postcard addressed to someone in greenside, and I left one for the village cafe in st margarets. Lets see if mine gets there...

Day 5

Today was diving day! We were out by 7, and on the boat heading back to Gordon´s rocks, the place to be apparently. Well, if you weren´t on a diving tour to Darwin and Wolf. (Seems there´s a fair amount of smugness attached to visiting these two exclusive isles) I was excited, and somewhat nervous about the duration of these two dives! There was a nice german guy with us too.

So off we go diving, and what dives they were! First one and we saw hammerheads. First they were far off, but the second time we saw them they were much closer. The grace and speed as they move through the water was something to watch. Neither of us were intimidated by the sharks, strangely enough. We also saw a herd (flock? school?) of rays. Mainly eagly rays, but with some golden ones thrown in. That was amazing too, to watch them drift over us, lazy and effortless. Wow. Also saw a scorpion fish, and a huge sting ray; probably 2m accross. A galapagos shark, bigger than the other sharks, but a fair distance away. During the safety stop a white tipped reef shark came drifting by, only about 3 or 4m away, again, a sight to behold!

Once we rejoined the rest of the cruize we found out that we hadn´t missed much at the Charles Darwin Research Center. The afternoon had two big holes in the ground in store, made by lava leaving gaps underground that get filled by the ground above. Some birdwatching where I oddly enough saw the object of the walk, a vermillion flycatcher, and then a tour of the "wild" tortoises. They are BIG. Sergio was most excited when he heard the noises of "the land turtle copulation" and we saw an interesting site.

Day 6

Rabida the red beach. Red due to some strange mutation of the lava. The iguanas here were huge! and we saw a pair of oystercatchers. We also saw white tipped reef sharks about 2m from the beach! The snorkelling was only fair today, but still had some fun with the turtles.

Pto Egas was a port with two different types of lava, all very lunar. We saw some big birds, three types of heron, lava, blue and another that I didn´t write the name down for! The lava made a nice place for the fur seals to rest. They hunt at night, but because of the thickness of their fur they need to keep cool during the day, so they stay close to the water. They are also more shy than sea lions, so we only saw the two.

There was a hole in the ground that looked and sounded like a flushing toilet. Very funny.

Day 7

Startling to feel like the cruise is coming to an end... we start with Bartolome, the island with the pinnacle of rock. It has hundreds of little baby volcanoes all over the island, along with some lava tunnels, and a view!

Saw boobies and penguins. The penguins are so quick underwater! And great fun to watch. Snorkelled with a puffer fish that I tried to excite (they look amazingly funny when puffed :) but couldn´t. The beach was filled with coral instead of sand, so interesting again.

The chinaman´s hat looked exactly like a chinaman´s hat, and the snorkelling was interesting, but a little devoid of life. We missed 5 sharks... The sea lions on the beach were great fun. There were a couple of babies that were just too cute, and about 5 year old ones that were jumping on one another and really having some fun, probably for our pleasure!

The last delight for the day was a hole in the lava where igauanas went for the night. How funny to watch them creep up to the hole and then slide in. The hole was in the ground.

Day 8

The last day. How quick a week can go. Thankfully the tour was organised enough to give us something to do on the last day, so we unloaded on North Seymour and saw a whole lot of birds. We saw the frigate birds with their red pouches inflated, and doing the mating dance. Boobies, and some massive iguanas. It was an educational tour as we found out about the life stages of the frigates and boobies, and how the frigates are taught how to steal food from the mouths of other birds! And how so many boobies don´t learn how to feed in time and end up as skeletons on the beach.

Then off to the airport... but it was a tour I´d recommend to anyone. What a week!