The Galapagos or How I Learned to Believe the Hype
The wake-up call from our Quito hotel came much earlier than I would have preferred, but it was hard to feel groggy or grouchy when you are about to be in a place like the Galapagos. Once again, security was a breeze and after a brief stop in Guayaquil (thankfully no transferring necessary) we were on the islands just 90 minutes later.
The welcome committee. A constant sight at both wet and dry landings (Jeff Rottschafer)
Our guide and driver were waiting for us outside the baggage claim, and after a very short van ride we were getting on the dingy to bring us to the Ocean Spray, our home for the next 5 days. We had barely even left the shadow of the airport before our guide started enthusiastically pointing out the wildlife that was already everywhere. Look! A pelican! And over there, a marine iguana! Check out those sea lions! A blue-footed booby! Our cruise had not even started, but the iconic wildlife couldn’t wait to show us that the hype was real. Our amazing cabin aboard the Ocean Spray (Jeff Rottschafer)
Aboard the cruise we had a quick briefing, ate a delicious lunch, and then prepared for our first excursion in the Galapagos: snorkeling by Pinnacle Rock, Bartolome! I at first that that my Montana blood was hearty enough to handle the chilly waters of the Humboldt current without a wetsuit, but I was proven wrong very quickly, so finding the right fit was the next step. The first rule of wetsuits is that if they are comfortable, then they likely are too big, so the trick was finding the smallest suit that you could actually still squeeze into. Before our first snorkel in the Galapagos! Those wet suits were badly needed (Jeff Rottschafer)Enjoying our private balcony while on Bartolome (Jeff Rottschafer)
As we took the panga ride out to Pinnacle Rock, Nico expressed some hesitation about not being a very strong swimmer. However, our guide Harry quickly set her fears aside, proclaiming “No need to worry! We have the Ring of Happiness!”. The ‘Ring of Happiness’, should you be curious to know, is the bright orange life preserver, that our guide brought along for every snorkel stop. Not only do you benefit from the extra buoyancy, but you also have the added bonus of being near Harry’s expert guidance, as he leads you to the best places to see all kinds of marine life.
Upon splashing in the water, I was almost instantly greeted by the view of 100’s of starfish, as well as a sea turtle lazily paddling along! Soon this turtle was joined by another, as I swam above and beside them, as our group slowly made its way along the coast, passing by large schools of fish that I could not even begin to name. Even though the sea was quite choppy and the water was cooler than expected, I still was not ready to get out about an hour later as the rest of the group boarded the panga, excitedly talking about all the cool stuff we saw (octopi, eels, and a shark were among that highlights that I did not personally see). Nico did not make it on this snorkel trip, but I still had to go (Jeff Rottschafer)
After getting back to the boat (and having a quick jacuzzi soak!), we did another excursion to Bartolome, but this time on land. Upon landing we were greeted by a group of sea lions sunning themselves on the landing by the shore, who were not especially happy to see us. After awkwardly slinking off into the sea (at which point they became graceful mammalian torpedoes), we took their place greeted by the alien landscape of Bartolome Island. The surrealist volcano-influenced landscape of Bartolome (Jeff Rottschafer)
As with all of the islands in the Galapagos, Bartolome owes its existence to volcanic activity that mostly happened millions of years ago. What these means is that the landscape is made of more than 130 eroded cones, giving it a nearly Martian feel. To add to this otherworldly feeling is the lack of many animals aside from the occasional lava lizard, land iguana, and of course the colony of sea lions spinning around in the surf below. Everyone, of course, knows the Galapagos for its unique endemic wildlife, but it’s just as fascinating to wander around a lunar landscape in a small group, as your guide (Harry in our case), expertly explains nearly every detail you could possibly imagine on this small island. One of the first views of Pinnacle Rock from our balcony. (Jeff Rottschafer)
Perhaps the highlight of landing on Bartolome is the view that rewards you as you summit the hill. Pinnacle Rock is about as iconic of a landscape as you can imagine in the Galapagos, but it’s even more magnificent from above as you see the thinnest part of the island far below flanked by beautiful white sand beaches on both sides. Oh, Pinnacle Rock. You're just too damn photogenic (Jeff Rottschafer)
We still had about 30 minutes until the daily briefing and dinner after this excursion, which seemed like just the right amount of time to get another quick soak in the hot tub on the Sun Deck. Surprisingly, I was the only one with this idea, so my first evening in the Galapagos began as I took in the view of Pinnacle Rock, seemingly close enough to touch, from the Jacuzzi without another soul in sight. As the sun set and the moon began to rise, I couldn’t believe my luck to have such a moment in a place so special.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
