Well we got here safely and are having a brilliant time. The journey was very arduous though. With a nine and a half hour wait at Heathrow airport for our early morning flight and finding it impossible to get any sleep, we were pretty exhausted even before leaving the UK. Our flight to Spain took a couple of hours and we had to wait in the plane to be bussed to our next terminal which was new, different than the last time I flew with Iberia. By the time we got on the plane for Quito we were so glad to be able to finally relax. Having forgotten to ask for aisle seats I was surprised to be granted one on the flight to Spain. On the second plane however, someone was in my seat when I got to it and didn´t want to move. This worked out in my favour because his seat was next to an exit and I had loads of leg room - it was also an aisle seat. The only drawback being the seat was narrower due to fitting the tray in the side and I was wedged into it pretty tightly and there was a tug of war getting the seatbelt closed too. I had to breathe in hard!
That flight was pretty good. I slept a couple of hours until the first meal was brought and managed to doze off here and there so that it did not seem like 12 hours. I was sitting next to a young Swiss girl who was off on her first south american adventure so we had lots to talk about. It was so exciting when we were approaching arrival in Quito and then to finally land. Exiting the airport I immediately saw the guy carrying the placard with our names on it and soon we were installed in the Hotel Quito van and on our way to the hotel which was absolutely lovely. Ros and I were sharing one of the casitas in the gardens, vastly spacious with a double bed each and a lovely bathroom. After a quick shower and change we went to meet Layla who had arrived earlier, and went to the rooftop restaurant on the 7th floor and had a nice dinner. Mine was medium grilled lamb steak which was absolutely delicious.
After that we were all pretty tired. We checked with reception that transport had been sent for Carol´s airport arrival, booked our alarm calls for the following morning - 3 am in my case, 4 am in theirs, and soon were snug in our beds - it really was heaven to lie down after being awake so long. Unfortunately I was rudely awakened an hour before our alarm call by the television coming on loudly. I nearly levitated getting it turned off before it woke Ros, and then couldn´t get back to sleep. So got up and had my shower and organised my cases again (one of which had frayed away on the journey and the other had a dodgy handle. We all met in Reception at 4.45 and the hotel organised our taxi to the airport. There we were unable to check in early as hoped, had to wait until 6 am for the office to open so we could pay our departure tax first. Then when checking in, tour groups were pushing in, 50 people at a time, and individual passengers were ignored! It was really chaotic compared to Europe.
Soon our plane took off for the Galapagos with one stop en route at Guayaquil. We landed at the Galapagos islands, Baltra airport, about 10.30 where we were met by Emily and her husband Mauricio through whom we had booked our Galapagos tour. They had arranged everything, being met on arrival and taken to our hotel in Quito, transfer back to the airport, the flights to Baltra, hotel and yacht cruise in the Galapagos etc. It was great to meet them. They soon organised getting our luggage onto the ferry over to Isla Santa Cruz and a short boat trip later we were driving to Puerta Ayora about 40 minutes away. We stopped first at Santa Rosa because Emily wanted to show me the painted tortoise by one of her school projects, which my donation had helped pay for. We took a few photos there. Then arriving in Puerta Ayora we went straight to our hotel, The Red Booby Hotel, our home for the next 2 nights, and we were very impressed. We were on the top floor with two adjoining huge bedrooms and a bathroom for the 4 of us, double beds etc. All the bed linen and towels are embroidered with the Red footed Booby bird on them - some of these items can be bought and we were tempted to buy a towel with it on as a momento of our stay here.
Emily and Mauricio left us to get settled in and came back for us at 1 pm and we strolled down to the Sol y Mar hotel which is where I wanted us to have lunch together and we had a lovely time there - a couple of cocktails each (margarita followed by a pisco sour) and I chose coconut encrusted huge shrimps for lunch. We were on a patio by the side of the water, unbelievably turquoise water dotted with boats, pelicans and boobies diving into the sea. Best of all there was a sealion stretched out under one of the sunbeds who didn´t even budge if someone got on the sunbed. There were also marine iguanas and their babies - I was really enchanted with the cute little baby ones who let you go right up to them. This lack of fear on the part of the animals is incredible. Also nearby was the hote´s resident one winged pelican called Julian who lets you walk to within a yard of him before backing away. It really was the perfect perfect spot to while away a few hours and unwind from all the travelling.
Afterwards Layla and Carol headed back to the hotel for a siesta and Rosalind and I set off exploring. The rest of the day was great, browsing in shops, just finding our bearings, watching kids playing in the park, activity on the water with fishermen, hoards of basking sealions etc, pelicans hovering by an outdoor fishmongers - one kept sidling up to the fish and was just about to pounce when the seller spotted him and shooed him away. We went back to the hotel to change in the early evening and as the others were still sleeping left a note as to where we would be the next few hours, and went out again. We walked in the opposite direction and found hoards of tiny shops. In one we asked the proprietor if he could make two more holes in Rosalind´s belt which he kindly did and then gave us a banana each! When we tried to pay him he would not hear of it. He was so nice. Finally about 9pm we went into a Bar Restaurant called The Rock and had a cold Ecuadorian beer called Pilsner. They were playing brilliant rock music in there and the food being carried by to tables looked so delicious we decided to eat something light and had a delicious fish chowder. Upon leaving we booked a table for 4 for the following night.
Next morning we had a fantastic breakfast - tall glasses of pure guanaba juice just made that morning, bowls of chopped fruits, with cereal to put on top and all engulfed in delicious pourable strawberry yoghurt. This was followed by bacon, egg and sweet pancakes and delicious coffee. I felt as though I couldn´t each another thing all day. It was whilst eating breakfast I noticed a computer for hotel guests use so here I am sending the first message. We have one more night in this fantastic hotel and then Mauricio and Emily are collecting us at 9 am tomorrow to take us to our yacht, the first class Yolita 2, for our 8 day cruise of the islands. So my next message will be in about 8 or 9 days.
2nd email sent from the Galapagos
We have had such a fantastic day here today that I am already feeling sad at leaving this dear little town tomorrow. After that great breakfast Ros and I decided to walk to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Two hours and many little shops later we hadn´t got very far and ended up in the Sol y Mar hotel again to enjoy a cold beer on the terrace with the sea lion and marine iguanas. We languished on sunbeds there for about an hour and then decided to walk back and drop off all our purchases. Back at the hotel Layla and her Mum were just off for a ceviche lunch and we agreed to meet up at the Rock bar and restaurant in the evening as planned. Fortunately Ros and I wore our hats because the sun was beating down so strongly. The weather here is absolutely glorious and apparently is much the same all the year round. It was quite a long walk until we entered the National Park where the Charles Darwin research station is situated and once inside we walked miles and miles enjoying the birds, plants and animals. I can fully understand now why Charles Darwin was so fascinated by all the finches here - there are so many varieties - and they are so fearless too and will come within a foot or two as long as you make no sudden moves. The varieties of lizards were fascinating too. In fact we had to walk quite carefully in places not to actually step on any. The only thing I didn´t like were the giant grass hoppers and the huge bees that are black all over but fortunately none alighted on me. Later we came across land iguanas and finally tortoises beginning with the little ones in captivity to really large ones, all of whom would let you go right up to them without appearing worried. We saw one guy tap the shell of one of them and Rosalind gave him a good ticking off. In a shop in the grounds I bought a fantastic book of naturalist photography as well as yet another blue footed booby t-shirt, one of the indigenous birds here that I absolutely adore. Overhead were loads of frigate birds whirling in the sky, sea lions frolicking in the sea. We have so fallen in love with Puerta Ayora and are already regretting not staying longer here. We hope to come back here in 2 years time and that time I would definitely want to spend at least a week here. The people are so lovely, really friendly, and one feels perfectly safe walking about at night, much safer than we would be on the mainland.
Ros and I both bought large textile bags today - me because one of my cases is falling apart - unfortunately I had not noticed how badly it had frayed until we were in London airport and it was too late to do anything about it then (it has been much used over the past year or so on all my trips to London). At least I can more loosely pack it and redistribute things in the textile bag instead. I´m looking forward to being able to unpack for a week once we are on the Yolita II tomorrow though. Apparently there will be lots of snorkelling while we are cruising but unfortunately I won´t be doing any of that unless it is from the shore. Emily said I would be given a life jacket and helped by our guide, but when I asked about sharks and she confirmed they were in those waters I decided not to. Ros has brought her wet suit with her and is really looking forward to all the snorkelling, especially in the extinct volcano crater on one of the islands.
We finally got back to the hotel about 7 pm where we got ready and went out to dinner. We had a very enjoyable time there - the food here is absolutely sensational and difficult to choose what to have. I ended up with three starters because they were all so amazing - a plate of mixed bruschettas, cajun shrimp with dips, and another bowl of that delicious coconut and seafood chowder. I quite fancied the pecan pie as well but was too full up. Even the drinks menu was amazing and three of us went for the fresh fruit juices which were unbelievable. Blackberry, strawberry and banana which were like smoothies and the glasses at least a pint in size.
2nd email sent midway through our Galapagos cruise
We are halfway through the cruise of the Galapagos islands and it is absolutely amazing. Words cannot describe the beauty of this wonderful place. After dinner tonight we were able to come ashore at Puerto Ayora and having done a last quick tour of the shops I bought a dress and top and more postcards. I have been keeping a journal since the cruise started which unfortunately I do not have with me so my next email will go into more detail of what we have been up to. The Yolita II yacht is really luxurious with a huge lounge area with leather sofas, beautiful curtains, a bar and the dining area of three large round tables that each seat 6. Even the chairs around the tables are beige leather to match the sofas - there are mirrors everywhere with etchings of Galapagos animals and fish on them too. Outside there are upper and even higher upper decks strewn with tables and chairs, sunbeds etc. The food is amazing. I especially enjoy the delicious breakfasts that are substantial here and are varied so differently each day. And finally our cabins are out of this world. Ros and I were lucky to get a cabin to ourselves each, which has full size beds and enough space to fit another couple of beds in. Lovely bathrooms too. This was certainly a surprise on a yacht which caters for just 16 guests and 11 crew look after us.
We have visited a different island each day and I will describe these in more detail at next internet opportunity and make sure I have my notes with me. Today we were at Floreana island. After breakfast I was the only one to stay behind while the others set off in dinghys for snorkelling and diving off the Devil´s Crown rocks - where they jumped in and were carried by the currents, and they saw sharks and massive manta rays as well as many colourful fish. I´m too afraid of the sharks to even be tempted to try snorkelling and cannot even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to haul yourself back into the dinghy. When they came back we had hot coffee and biscuits and were soon settled in the dinghys and off to the nearest shore where the sand was tinged green because of the lava crystals within in. We walked inland and saw a huge flamingo lagoon, climbing higher to a viewpoint where we could see the whole lagoon and the sea in the distance. An abundance of different trees including one smelling of incense, another with feathery leaves and gorgeous yellow flowers. Eventually we came back to another beach which felt like a Robinson Crusoe island, with the aqua marine sea rolling onto soft white sands. It was heaven paddling in these waters - with our shoes on because of the risk of stepping on stingrays - apparently this is most unpleasant! We saw several of them in the water as well as sea turtles. We lingered on this glorious beach for an hour before getting back in the dinghy to return to the yacht for lunch. As we pulled away from the shore a baby sea lion appeared and was playing with us, diving under the dinghy to the other side, looking up at us and then diving under and back to the other side - it was so cute. Next we saw two penguins swimming and tried to take photos but I think I got several shots of empty sea because they appeared so briefly before diving under again.
Back on the boat we had lunch whilst the yacht sailed to another bay and we went back ashore. First we went to the 18th century postal barrel to post some cards - this was the way mail was sent by the whalers a century or so ago. The idea here is for future visitors to post the cards on our behalf. Rooting through them I found one addressed to some people in Cornwall and another to an address in Bozeman USA which is very close to where my niece Becky lives on the Flynn ranch in Montana. As soon as I can find a post office and buy some stamps I will get them in the mail. I sent mine to Colin and wonder if someone will mail it before I get home in September. Then we went back to the bay and had a couple of hours fun in the sea. It was impossible to relax on the sand as I kept getting bitten and ended up in the sea practically the whole time. Not all the islands have these biting insects but those that do are a real pain - the horseflies are 3 inches long, there are huge black bees as well as a type of wasp with a long thin body. Three or four bites later I gave up and stayed in the sea. The others were snorkelling and we saw a swimming penguin and a sea lion who came really close to them and seemed to enjoy the interaction with humans. A shark was also circling the bay but it didn´t put them off snorkelling. As soon as I knew a shark was present I stayed right on the edge, even though seeing the penguin come so close to shore I was temped to go in further. It was a gloriously hot day. Half our group went down a lava tunnel underground before the swimming and snorkelling session but I did not fancy that as it was steep steps going down in pitch black darkness, slippery underfoot plus a stretch where you had to bend double to get through and ended up in icy cold water - and with no other way out but back the way they had come. Not my idea of fun!!
We got back to the yacht about 3 pm and set sail back to Santa Cruz island where we are now. Ros and I made a beeline for the upper decks to relax on sunbeds knowing that on the journey to Santa Cruz there was a good chance of seeing dolphins and perhaps even a whale. No such luck though. The further we got out to sea the windier it got and the yacht was rolling from side to side as it moved through the waves. I enjoyed that hour of brisk sea air before going back down to the lounge and relaxing until it was time for dinner.
The reason for coming back to Santa Cruz today is that 10 of the passengers are disembarking having only taken the shorter length cruise. We will all be visiting the Charles Darwin centre after breakfast and then the rest of us having a bit longer in town whilst those 10 are driven by bus to the airport. We will come back to the boat for lunch and then have a bus journey ourselves into the highlands where we can see giant tortoises in the wild. When we get back after that, ten new guests will have arrived, 10 women from Brazil so we will be 16 females! Among the earlier group were two young Turkish guys and one other man. This morning they were asking how we slept because being in a cabin on the upper level they hardly slept a wink. They were woken by banging their heads together and the bed was sliding all over the room. They couldn´t believe that I had slept through it, although being on the lower level it probably didn´t seem quite so bad.
I will write about Monday and Tuesday´s cruise experience in my next email. I think I can remember Sunday now. Emily and Mauricio arrived at the hotel for us and our first visit was to the local hospital so that Layla could be seen by a doctor, due to her having an infection caused by a tooth extraction just before she left Hawaii that required antibiotics. This was undertaken quite quickly and was totally free of charge. We then had the long bus ride to the airport as many of the other passengers were coming in that morning. Baltra airport is on another island so involves a short ferry ride and another bus before arriving at the airport. We had to wait an hour or so there until Emily and Mauricio handed us over to Washington, our guide during the cruise, and soon we were all boarding another bus to take us to the bay where the yachts were moored. It was quite funny on arrival to see all the benches covered in snoozing sea lions! We were taken to the Yolita II yacht in dinghys and all of us were very impressed with the it which was only in its second week of cruising, a totally brand new boat that was built in Guayaquil. We were allocated our cabins and then served a really delicious lunch.
A couple of hours later we were on Baltra beach, saw a flamingo lagoon, and several varieties of birds, before returning to the beach for a couple of hours snorkelling. I went in the sea and really enjoyed swimming there, until someone told me later they saw a sea snake and a stingray by my feet. That quite put me off doing anything more than a paddle thereafter. It was on that beach I got my first load of bites as there were horseflies and black bees there too. One has to go in the sea to get a respite from them.
We are so enjoying this cruise of the Galapagos - seeing all these animals and birds in the wild who are totally fearless is amazingly uplifting. Rosalind is enjoying the deep sea snorkelling and has seen an amazing variety of colourful fish. I´ve never seen her look so happy as she is right now. Little birds, varieties of Darwin finches will carry on pecking the ground right at your feet and show no alarm whatsoever. The marine and land iguanas just look at you and then carry on sleeping or relaxing in the sun. The marine iguanas feed on algae on the ocean bed and get cold when they dive to eat, so have to stretch out on rocks to warm up again in the sun before venturing into the sea once more. The land iguanas feed on the cactus trees of which there are several varieties, tall and short. They patiently wait until the fruit drops, then roll it on the ground to remove the spines before eating it. Each island has different species of both land and marine iguanas, different colours. We´ve also seen lava lizards which vary in colour from island to island, and watching the sea birds is fascinating too - especially the blue footed boobies who divebomb into the sea for fish. Whirling high overhead are the frigate birds who are also very beautiful. Last night a chick landed on the platform at the end of our yacht, black and white feathers with huge black eyes. It walked among us without any fear but was having dificulty getting airborne again. Finally Washington gently picked it up and launched it over the rail and it took to the skies.
