Ecuador - Galapagos Islands

26th July - 3rd August ´08

Las Islas de Galapagos had inspired Charles Darwin almost 500 years ago and we were excited about exploring these extraordinary islands. We had read that the most common way to experience the wildlife was by taking a cruise (expensive...and there were rumours of several budget cruise ships sinking!), but we had made a firm decision to tackle the islands on our own. After travelling by air, sea and road for several hours, we arrived at the main hub of the Archipelago...Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. We had befriended a couple of California Chicas (Marilyn and Loi) at Baltra airport who were also travelling independant of a cruise and together we went in search of accommodation. Our initial stop on the island was Pelican Bay where the large pelicans roamed freely and fearlessly right next to us... our first taste of what made these islands so famous. Following the road northeast for a further 15 minutes brought us to the Charles Darwin Research Station where we came face to face with the Galapagos Giants. The tortoise nursery here was home to the legendary ´Lonesome George´ - a 70-something year old Pinta tortoise whose lack of mating partners for 36 years had not only made him iconic but had also threatened his particular species to the brink of extinction. Nevertheless, he had recently overcome this drought and had managed to reproduce and please his partner for about 7 straight hours (the average time for a tortoise sexual experience...pretty good). On our way back we bumped into Marilyn and Loi at a local tour operator and the 4 of us celebrated our first night in Galapagos with some shots of Aguadiente (local liquor) before having dinner - we all got on really well together and decided to venture on a tour to Isabella Island after a couple of days.

The following morning we had breakfast at Hotel Espana where we befriended the very vibrant and welcoming owners Esther and her mother Estella. Whilst Estella prepared breakfast for us in a homely environment, she recommended that we visit Tortuga Bay and explained to Preya everything we needed to know about getting there. Preya had not only struck a chord with Estella who insisted on packing a lunch for us, but also with a couple of Ecuadorians (having breakfast as well) who asked if they could join with us to the bay. This was just another example of how Preya´s ability to converse in Spanish took our experiences to another level. It opened many doors and allowed us to understand more about the indigenous people. So many people took interest in the fact that we were of Indian origin (and Preya could speak Spanish)... we had started to create a trail of friends around South America. After a pleasant 3km walk through a winding trail, the pathway opened up to reveal serene turquoise waters and unspoilt white sands - Tortuga Bay. We lay in the sun for several hours with marine iguanas abound - whilst it was an amazing feeling being so close to fearless wildlife, we wondered how these creatures felt about humans.

The following afternoon the four us boarded our sardine-packed boat to Isabella Island (the largest island in the Galapagos) - we never really realised the enormity or temperament of the ocean until we were on a small boat crashing through the waves with nothing on the horizon but more water. For 3 hours we rode the wild waters (one poor lady was sea-sick continuously) before arriving at our destination. We were transferred to our designated hostel, only to be picked up several minutes later to be taken to see some flamingoes at a nearby lake - we only managed to spot two. That evening we dined with the rest of our tour group (a fun mix of travellers - the Galapagos Gang now consisted of the California Chicas, Chilean Carola, Irish Peter, Ecuadorian Carlos, Czech Valerie, French Julian, Spanish Clara and Jordi, and us) after which we headed to the Sea-lion bar. This pier-located, ocean-view bar had a fun-loving owner... with shots of tequila and aguadiente, we ended the night dancing to Salsa, Merengue and Reggatone (a strange mix between hip-hop, techno and latin music).

The next morning we arose early to endure our most physically intense day on the islands, and one in which many people were unprepared for...the climb up volcan Sierra Negra. At 1400m above sea-level, this volcano had a major eruption only 3 years ago and its crater diameter spanned 9km (the second largest in the world). Whilst Preya was one of 6 individuals who braved the reins of a horse, the rest of us trudged through a slippery mixture of mud and manure, and rocky terrain for 7km. When the mist eventually cleared, the views of the crater and surrounding landscapes were amazing making the last 2 hours of climbing all worthwhile. Unfortunately, the misty rain intensified on the way back down creating ankle deep sludge - we had a feeling of relief and accomplishment when we were back on level ground. A quick shower and we were soon on a boat having a bay tour around Las Tinteroras - we saw penguins, blue-footed boobies, sea-lions and the ever-present marine-iguanas. Snorkelling was next on the agenda, but with the evening drawing closer, the marine life wasn't easy to see. Shattered from the day's activities, and with the help of a couple of nightcaps at the sea-lion bar, we slept like babies that night.

Although some of the Galapagos Gang had taken a boat back to Santa Cruz early the following morning, we had decided to stay on an extra night at Isabella Island with Marilyn and Loi. It was a relaxing day in which we hired a taxi to explore the island in more depth, including the Lava Tunnels and La Playa del Amor (Beach of Love). In usual tradition, we ended the night at 1am drinking shots and dancing with the friendly barstaff at the sea-lion bar - it was probably not the wisest move since we had to be up 4 hours later to ride the choppy waters back to Santa Cruz Island.

On arriving back to our base island, we checked into Hotel Espana and thereafter went in search of dive schools. The last time we had been scuba-diving was several years ago in the Dominican Republic, but to submerge in the waters of the Galapagos Islands was something that many people had talked about. Our dive master the following morning was Abram, a 23-year old latin charmer whose lack of English continually forced our Pocket Preya Translator into action. We were also joined by Carey (Carola's room-mate). Whilst we spotted many forms of marine life in the depths of the ocean, it was snorkelling with the sea-lions immediately afterwards that was the real icing on the cake... it was a liberating feeling swimming with these playful yet graceful animals. That evening we met up with Carola, Peter, Carlos and Carey for some great sushi at the elegant, bay-view Red Mangrove Inn. No doubt, because of the company we were in, we ended the night with B52 shots at Bongo Bar.

On our final day on the islands, we took a water taxi and walked a rocky trail to visit the sight of Las Grietas - a large, clear-water crevice of unknown depths where people could snorkel, swim, and dive from the surrounding cliff edges. Enroute back to our hostel, we bought a bottle of wine for our friendly hosts at Hotel Espana for having looked after us (they insisted on sharing it with us :-). And appropriately we ended our final night with good food and in the great company of the Galapagos Gang (5 still remained). During our stay on the islands we had once again met some warming, interesting and fun characters who had made the real difference whilst we were there. Next stop in Ecuador... Quito.