We say goodbye to our wonderful guide Vico this morning. Vico was born and raised in the Galapagos and his intimate knowledge and passion for the islands have endeared him to us. He has also been wonderful with the boys. We join another group for a short morning tour of the Arnaldo Tupiza tortoise breeding centre. The tortoises on Isabela island were nearly extinct and this breeding and release program has wonderfully boosted their numbers again. We also take a short hike through some mangrove areas to view a flamingo lagoon. After our return and a quick lunch, we board the fast boat again for our trip back to Santa Cruz Island. The 2 hour boat ride has lost a bit of the initial charm and it is also incredibly warm, we are not feeling that great by the time we arrive back in SC. We did however see some dolphins and possibly sharks (debated amongst the passengers!) during the ride. After checking in to the Red Mangrove for our final evening, we take a stroll through the town of Puerto Ayora. This town is quite cute but touristy, all shops are souvenir oriented (with hugely inflated prices from mainland ecuador). Steve almost buys the ''I Love Boobies'' t shirt but somehow resists. We pass the small port where fisherman are chopping up their fresh catches for the locals. There are pelicans and sea lions everywhere hoping for falling scraps! A mother seal barks away her baby who recoils sheepishly away and hides behind us as we watch the scene unfold. I will miss these beautiful animals and these extreme close encounters!
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.