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Machu Picchu and the Galapagos for our 10th Anniversary

By : JULIE BLEAU and SYLVAIN TOURANGEAU
Trip Begins May 22, 2010
Trip Ends June 5, 2010

Celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in beautiful Peru and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. A trip of a life time!
See my photos : Peru-Ecuador: 10th Wedding Anniversary

Want to go? Islands and Incas, Galapagos Odyssey: 7 Day Tour

I went to: Galapagos, Peru, Ecuador, Bartolome, Santa Cruz Island, Isabela, San Cristobal, Charles Darwin Center, Cusco, Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu Ruins, Quito, Machu Picchu, El MaPi, Ollantaytambo
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May 22, 2010
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From North America to South America

Lima, Peru

After months of preparation and days of packing, we are finally ready to go.

It’s 3am and the alarm clock goes off. We are both awake and excited to go. My husband had cereals and orange juice while I was finalizing my suitcase. We got ready for our Green Ride Shuttle from Fort Collins to Denver airport. Our ride arrived at 4:10 am. We watched the sunrise, said goodbye to the Rocky Mountains filled with snow and arrived at the airport at 5:30am. At 6am we had checked-in, passed the security and were having breakfast before taking off at 8:47am for Los Angeles-California.

At 10:15am we landed in LA and the fun began. We picked-up our bags and a luggage cart and literally ran from terminal 7 to International terminal 3 to check-in for Lima-Peru. We arrived at the counter, waited about 20 minutes before checking-in. Got our tickets, left our bags and hugged each other. We looked at each other and said: “That’s real now, we are flying to Lima-Peru!!!”

At 1:20pm we left LA-California to Lima-Peru. We had a wonderful flight on LAN Airlines. Great service, lots of movies to choose from and very good meals too. We each other had a nap before landing to Lima around 11:55pm. Tired of a long day of traveling, we were excited to arrived in Peru. Picked-up our bags, got through customs and crossed the street to our hotel for the night “Costa Del Sol-Ramada”. Five minutes easy walk. Checked-in, showered and went to bed around 1am. It was hard to fall asleep with the noise coming from the parking lot. At every 30 seconds, a whistle was heard…and on top of that, the phone rang. My husband and I were looking for the phone. I realized that it was on my bedside. I picked-up the phone and said: “Hello!” “What time is it?” someone asked me. “Are you trying to reach reception?” I asked. “Yes” the voice answered. I told him: “ It’s 1:30am and you reached us instead!” “Thanks-Bye!” the voice finally said. I looked at my husband and wished him a good short night sleep.

May 23, 2010
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Lima to Cuzco-Sacsayhuaman

Cusco, Peru

We woke-up at 6am and went to have breakfast. Nice little buffet with pastries, eggs, all sorts of tea including mate de coca (coca tea). Having read that coca tea is very helpful for high elevation, I decided to have one that morning. On the envelope, it also specifies that coca tea is good for digestion system, energy level to only name a few.

At 7am, we had checked-out, and crossed the street to the airport. At 7:15am we were ready to go to Cuzco. Our flight was at 9:05am…I really felt the vacation approaching fast. In few hours we would be in Cuzco, having our first visit of Peru with our private guide.

Lima-Cuzco flight was smooth and exciting. We even had a snack (for only 1:20mins flight). Cuzco airport is doing some renovations, so there was a little delay in getting our bags. We did not mind…we were in Peru!!! After 20 minutes we spotted our bags, picked them up and reached the exit door to feel the warmth of the air of Cuzco and read my husband’s name on a sign. Here is our transfer. Very nice guy who walked-us to the taxi and we left. 10 minutes later, we arrived to Taypikala Hotel. Got our room and met our guide: Marco Palomino. He asked us what we wanted to see in Cuzco. My husband asked him if we could go to Sacsayhuaman, Quarikanchan (temple of the sun, moon), and Santo Domingo Convent with the Virgin of Pomata. Marco’s eyes just opened wide and were very excited to hear about those suggestions. Had another coca tea and agreed on a time to meet.

At 2:30pm we headed-up to Sacsayhuaman. It was a warm sunny afternoon, perfect to explore this first Inca architecture. Amazing giant stone work perfectly fitting together without using any cement or mud. After few hours there, we went up to Q’enqo. We saw our first lamas. Ending back to town to visit the Santo Domingo Convent. This place was a special place to see the two cultures (conquistadors, Inca) together. The arches and inside court reminded us of Mont Saint-Michel-France. Quiet place with again the amazing stone work.

We had dinner at Ami Manera where we tried Alpaca, quinoa with cheese and a delicious appetizer made of potatoes, avocadoes and cheese. From the restaurant, my husband and I walked back to our hotel passing by the Plaza the Armas. Safe walk and very calm atmosphere.

May 24, 2010
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Pisac-Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley

We left around 9am to Pisac. On our way we saw magnificent landscapes, mountains, met a man with his two llamas. This man had a positive energy and splendid smile. We stop for a little snack. On this property there was a guinea pig “condo”, and llama.

Pisac (temple of the sun, temple of the moon and the observatory) was a very calm place. Fascinating to see all the agricultural terraces and the stonewalls’ work.

Calca was our stop for lunch at 2pm. Quiet restaurant with nice views and breezy.

Ollantaytambo was our next destination. We arrived there and the sun was starting his descending. We got time to visit the fortress named Araqama Ayllu, along with the Temple of the Sun, Puma Hall, Royal Hall, Princess Baths. Amazing and impressive views of the Inca City, the mountains and the sunset. Ollataytambo is a great city that kept his Inca taste and traditions.

After visiting the church, we enjoyed a wonderful tasty dinner. We both had Alpaca Ravioli with a creamy rose cheese sauce. Best pasta I ever ate. I also drank a coca tea (mate de coca), which was very refreshing.

We experienced the city’s festivities in the honor of the Saint Choquekillka. We saw parades of the masks, of the drunks and an all night long party. The party with music and dancing started around 5 pm and finished at 5 am.

Even if I had coca tea, I slept like a baby that night even though all the chaos happening in the city. My husband could attest to that since he did not sleep at all that night.

May 25, 2010
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Machu Picchu Train

Machu Picchu Ruins, Peru

We left with our guide Marco to the Ollantaytambo bus-train station. Since January 2010’s mud slides, some bus transportation is available to visitors to access the train station some 30 minutes away. We got so early to the train station that even if there was empty places on the train we needed to wait for our train to arrive. It was a chilly morning with the light wind. We saw people heading to the Inca trail, and we learn how to play “Titicaca” game card with Marco, our guide. We played for at least one hour before our train arrived. We got on board of the vista dome train. Got a snack on-board, coca tea and great views. Arriving Agua Calientes, we had a walking transfer to our magical hotel “Machu Picchu Pueblo”. Checked-in and ran back to the bus station to catch the next bus to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu: Nervousness, and excitement I felt during our 20 minutes ride from Agua Calientes to Machu Picchu Gate. We get out of the bus, head-out to Machu Picchu entrance-gate. Lots of people in groups are discussing and talking together while having snacks. My husband and I follow Marco our guide and step across the gate…it’s approaching now, our first view of Machu Picchu. Wait a minute, Marco keeps talking and explaining how this wonderful site has been discovered, what was its purpose during the Inca time and more. It seams to me that he would never stop (I am impatient to see what I’ve been waiting for almost a year). Marco is the best guide I had in all my years of traveling around the world, but this day, this time…is for Machu Picchu; can we go now? (Of course, all that “babbling” was actually an internal process of my mind) After Marco finished his speech, he asked us if we were ready to finally see “Machu Picchu” and we were. As much as my mind was running few minutes earlier, now my heart started to pound faster, and as we walked the short passage between big stones I could feel the welcoming and peaceful sight of Machu Picchu. Now, it was pure silence (in my mind and around us). Peaceful, bewilderment, just no words to describe this magnificent beauty, view and feeling. You need to experience it to understand. Sitting on this bench overlooking the terraces, the city, and Huayna Picchu the most pictured mountain of this city.

Marco guided us through Machu Picchu while explaining the history of this world’s wonder. We explored and observed: the west agricultural zone, the temples zone, the three windows temple, the astronomical observatory, the temple of the condor, the temple of the sun, the fountains, the Intihuatana. Marco knew this place so well that we could extend our time until it closes. As the three of us were walking towards the exit, I saw by the storage area, an animal that kind of looked like a big squirrel with rabbit’s ears. I shook my head thinking I am dreaming, but I could still see the bushes moving… That’s when I told Marco and my husband. “Excuse-me, don’t laugh, but I think I saw an animal with a big squirrel tale along with rabbit ears, does it make any sense to you?” Marco left a small laugh and told me I just saw a chinchilla. WOW! I was lucky, and not crazy J

What an amazing day! Since the park is closing at 5 pm, we left and took the bus back to the city of Agua Calientes. That’s where we said goodbye to Marco and thanked him for a great time learning and experiencing Peru with him.

We went back to our room, changed and took the direction of the restaurant. We had our dinner included and we were hungry. We sat down by the window. This dinner was so good. Carrot cream, pasta con verdures (pasta with veggies) and home made ice cream for dessert.

After enjoying a great dinner, we put on our swimsuit and went for a short dip in the hot springs. It was very relaxing before going to sleep.

May 26, 2010
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Orchid Guided Tour at Machu Picchu Pueblo and Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Peru

It rained all night and still we can hear the rain this morning. Ah well, that’s why all is green and lush around here. My husband and I put on our raincoats and head-up for breakfast. Buffet style and eggs to order as well. Delicious meal once more. After breakfast, we go back to our room to finish packing and to get ready for our orchid tour and visit of the premises at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. I knew that it’s not really the time for orchids, but it’s raining and the garden of the hotel is really big and nice. We wanted to enjoy the site a little bit before heading back to Machu Picchu for the rest of the day.

Little anecdote here…I am ready to wash my teeth and while walking towards the sink, I see a black spot on the towel that is on the floor. I am thinking what a big mosquito that is while approaching. Very quickly I realized that this mosquito is in fact a black spider of about 1-½ inches in diameter. I stepped back and pack my toothbrush and told my husband I would clean my teeth at the lobby. I did not want to kill the spider, nor walk by it and taking a chance to have it bite me. So I put on another towel, closed my bag, shook off my boots before putting them on. We left the room and the spider in there. We told the lady in the lobby about it while my husband was making fun of me…the nice attendant was so nice and took my side. She also told us that one morning after it rained all night, she found three spiders in her room. I was looking at her and told her that for now there was only one in our room and I was very happy to be in the lobby instead of the room.

Putting our bags in storage, and our rain gear on we are ready for our tour. We learned that on the premises of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel, there are 162 bird’s species, 108 butterfly species, and 372 orchid species. We walked around like detectives looking not for clues, but for orchids. Some of you might think: “Well, they are easy to find and big enough!” I thought that too, but some species are so tiny that you need a magnifier to see all the details of the flower. While walking around, we say the Cock of the Rock, the national bird of Peru. This bird is very rare and hard to see. We were not only blessed by the rain, but by this bird’s short presence. Our guide showed us where the land slid during the last mudslides back in January 2010. We walked the same path the 3,000 people did to catch the helicopter to get out of there at that time. The hotel ground lost some 8 feet on the side of the river and the train tracks. The land is still very nice and filled with butterflies, birds, orchids, all sorts of trees and quietude.

Early afternoon we took the bus ride up to Machu Picchu…and checked-into the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel at the feet of the gate of Machu Picchu. We had a great view over the bus station and the mountains in the back. It did not matter where we could see from our room’s window; we were at one minute by foot of the entrance gate. You cannot get closer than that.

Entering Machu Picchu’s site for the second time was different. We knew the map of the place. We just relaxed and enjoyed the place by breathing deeply and exploring the two of us this great place. Lamas and alpacas were there in the agricultural zones, tourists taking pictures of them along with the landscape. We walked up to the Inca Bridge, and through the workers’ section. My husband had a close encounter with a lama who wanted to pass where he was standing. After taking a picture, my husband stepped on the side, and happy lama kept going on the path by my side.

Our dinner was included at the Lodge and we had reserved for 6:30 pm. We were the first one in, but soon the restaurant filled-up since the hotel was full capacity.

My husband enjoyed a green salad and an alpaca steak with potatoes and veggies. I enjoyed a salad as well and coffee fettuccini and veggies. Very special taste those pastas. I almost forgot about the homemade bread. The cheese bread was just so delicious (warm, crusty, tasty and yummy). We had an Inca group that came to play music for the guests in the restaurant. Very relaxing music mixed with flute, guitar, and drums. A night to remember: great dinner, by Machu Picchu sides.

May 27, 2010
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Machu Picchu-Intipunku and More

Cusco, Peru

Waking up at the Sanctuary Lodge, by Machu Picchu was a luxury we loved. We had planned to sleep up to 6:30am, but the buses were already arriving and excitement in me made me get up at 5:40am. We both got ready and left to the gate. I was discouraged to see all those people in front of the gate, but I soon discovered they were groups waiting to get in…. so the two of us entered quickly and headed straight to the stairs in the direction of the Guardhouse. We wanted to see the view of the city from that point at sunrise…we were not the only one with that idea. We walked the stairs, took breaks, watched the view and finally got on top. Wow! Even if we’ve been there the previous days, this view was always amazing and looked different depending of the time of the day with the sun’s shadows and clouds coming in. After taking pictures we descended back to the exit to enjoy breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant.

Big buffet set-up on the bar, and made to order eggs. After eating a great breakfast once again, we were ready to start our last day with Machu Picchu.

The first thing on the list was: walking-up to the Sungate (Intipunku) the last 1.5 miles of the Inka Trail. Amazing walk filled with more stones monuments, flowers, lots of butterflies, and the view of the sungate…in the clouds. At this time of the day (morning), clouds are low in the valley and they come and go. We got lucky to see cloudy Machu Picchu, partially cloudy valley and clear view. We experienced the first view of Machu Picchu seen by the people walking the Inka Trail after few days. It is breath taking. Very quiet, relaxing and peaceful view.

After coming back from our walk from the sungate, we explored the Royal enclosures, the Ceremonial Rock, the Main Square for the first time and walked on the entire site hand in hand stopping to watch the view, witness the lamas, alpacas and chinchillas playing or hiding in their homes.

In mid-afternoon it was time to say goodbye to Machu Picchu. We sat down on the bench we sat down the first time we visited. I was feeling so calm, at peace and relaxed. I was looking at Machu Picchu, the mountains and tears were running down my cheeks. I am blessed to be here. I am so lucky to have seen this amazing wonder and experienced it with my husband.

It was very hard to go and leave the bench. I felt like I wanted to stop the time and stay there…but we had to get back to the hotel.

We had time for late lunch. We enjoy great food and great service. Picked-up our bags, took the bus for Agua Calientes. It was pouring rain. We reached the train station. We relaxed at a table while looking at some of our photos.

We had a great train ride. Arriving at the train station, we follow the pack to take our bus to Ollantaytambo. It was still raining a lot. We finally got into a bus and left the train station. Goodbuy Machu Picchu…

The bus ride was very nice and easy, until we came to a stop. We all looked in front of us to see only red lights for miles in front of us. We were stuck. We did not know what was going on…neither did the driver at the beginning. After waiting for 10 minutes, someone called the driver and let him know that there were four trucks stuck in Ollantaytambo and nobody could move. I forgot to say that it was still pouring rain outside. We waited a very good 2 hours in the car trying to find out what was going to happen. Suddenly, the rain stopped. We learned that we were only 10-15 minutes walk from Ollantaytambo market. My husband and I decided to walk back to the bus station to meet our taxi that was waiting for us to transfer us from Ollantaytambo to Cuzco. We had a plane to catch early the next morning.

I put on my headlight, picked-up my walking poles and we left. It was such an adventure. We arrived at the market and then I realized that we had another 20 minutes or so to walk and reach the taxi. No problem, we know where we are, the rain has stopped and a very kind boy confirmed us that we were on the right track for the bus station.

Arriving at the bus station, it was like on a movie-premiere. Everybody was looking at us, but nobody knew who we were…when we found the sign with my husband’s name, we made a very happy guy. His wait was over because we walked to meet him… several fellow drivers high-fived our driver and off we went!

The ride to Cuzco was about 2 hours…we arrived at the hotel right before midnight. Checked-in, got our bags and got to sleep after a warm shower.

May 28, 2010
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Lima-Quito

Lima, Peru

We woke-up early, got breakfast and our lift picked-us up at 7:30am.
Our flight from Cuzco to Lima went well. At our arrival, nobody was there to direct us and we ended up getting lost in the international terminal. As we were connecting for another flight from Lima to Quito, we followed the connection signs as we always do in situation were we need to catch another flight. In Lima, it’s not working the same way because there is the departure tax that we need to pay. Finally, found our way and got stuck in line…we then learned that someone at security checkpoint left a bag. Everyone got out, the police and dogs got in. After at least 15 minutes waiting in line and worrying about catching our next flight, the line started moving again as the police officer passed us with his dog.

Taxes paid, security screening passed, we could now relax at the gate. We met people from Australia who were heading to Brazil.

After a short flight to Quito, we finally arrived at the hotel Eugenia. We walked to the JW Marriott Hotel and had dinner there. My husband enjoyed an Ecuadorian appetizer made of cheese. I had a delicious potato soup with cheese and avocado. He continued with pastas and I had a piece of pizza.

Going back to the hotel was exciting because we needed to pack for our cruise to the Galapagos.

May 29, 2010
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Quito

Quito, Ecuador

At 9am, Anhil our guide for the day, picked-us up. First we drove to the “Reserva Geobotanica Pululahua”, an old volcano transformed into a green valley after several thousand years. Then we went to “La Mitad del Mundo”. It is a nice site, if you go to Ecuador you simply cannot miss this place – now we have bragging rights to say we walked the middle of Earth ! Actually, the site is 240 meters away from the true center of the earth… but who cares!! We visited all around Quito: Old town (Centro Historico), Plaza Grande, Calle Sucre and the Church (Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus), the Plaza and Monastery San Francisco, El Panecillo and the Virgen of Quito with an overview of the city, and the Basilica del Voto Nacional. It was a great day of touring and discovering Quito. We ended the day dining at the JW Marriott 2 blocks from our hotel and then called it a day.

May 30, 2010
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Quito-Galapagos-Baltra Island-Santa Cruz Island (Las Bachas)

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

We woke-up this morning with excitement and anxiety…After breakfast, we put on our patches against seasickness. We were ready to go.

Waiting in the lobby, I started to be very nervous as I was watching the clock. Our itinerary stated that our flight was at 9:30am and it was almost 8:30am and our shuttle was nowhere to be found. The helpful lady at the desk called the tour operator because we wanted to know when to expect the shuttle, but mostly we did not want to miss our flight to the Galapagos Islands!!! Five minutes later we got a call letting us know of the flight time changes and two minutes later our shuttle arrived at the hotel. I was relieved. It took not much than 15 minutes to get at the airport. Arriving there our wonderful guide-transfer at the airport greeted us, picked-up our bags and gave us our tickets. We were ready to go. That was quick…no wonder why we did not need to be there hours prior to departure. After passing security, we arrived to the terminal and waited at our gate. Filled-up forms and papers needed before entering the Galapagos Islands. We were pumped-up with energy and excitement once more…few more hours and we will be there.

After a very nice and relaxing flight, we finally landed on Baltra Island. The immigration section was well organized with its automated direction showing us the next counter available. It was very productive. After showing us our passports and papers, we paid the park entrance fees and waited to pick-up our luggage. It was warm in the hallway, people excited, impatient and bumping into each other to get first in line. We stepped on the side and waited our turn. Our luggage were not available yet…we were the second flight to arrived. When the guard allowed us to enter after showing our luggage’s tags, we quickly picked-up our bags and met Peter, our Level III naturalist guide on board of the Odyssey yacht. He will be the man showing us around for the next 5 days and in hindsight, he was outstanding ! Breath in and breath out…we are in the Galapagos. A short 5 minutes ride from the airport to the port by bus before taking a water taxi to the Odyssey yacht…our new home for the next few days.
On board, the Captain and his crew welcomed us. Great people. We also met the other 14 adventurers on board with us. It was time for lunch and left Baltra Island to reach the North of Santa Cruz Island. After lunch, we visited “Las Bachas”. We walked on the beach and explored our first island of the Galapagos. We encountered marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies with a feeding frenzy, Sally light-footed crabs, pelicans and saw a nesting site for sea turtles. While people from the group enjoyed snorkeling, my husband and I walked on the beach realizing our lucky we were for being here in the Galapagos Islands. I witnessed a marine iguana getting into the water while another one surprised me by being so close to me on the beach.

We returned to the boat using the zodiacs. Arriving at the boat, nice snacks and great fresh juice were awaiting us. Carlos and the cooking crew made sure we had something in our belly after walking on the beach and snorkeling. We had time to change and get ready for dinner. Great dinner-buffet.
Peter, our guide, briefed us on tomorrow’s schedule and we retired to our room.

May 31, 2010
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Bartolome Island

Bartolome, Galapagos

I woke-up hungry after a great night sleep. Lucky, breakfast was ready. This morning after breakfast, we took the zodiac and headed for the shores of Bartolome Island. That’s it… to our right, some movement on the shore: our first sighting of Galapagos penguins ! Our zodiac was able to get as close as three feet from them. Amazing ! We continued along the shore towards a dry-landing spot and saw two Galapagos sea lions enjoying the sun under the watchful eyes of a blue-footed booby. We landed, and hiked the volcanic landscape of Bartolome Island watching Galapagos cacti and lava lizards to “THE” photogenic sight of the Galapagos: Pinnacle Rock flanked with crescent-shaped beaches separated by a rare patch of green. Blue sky, sunny day, spectacular view with the Odyssey by Pinnacle Rock !

In the afternoon, we are ready to snorkel the Galapagos. Having brought with us our wetsuits and snorkel gear, we are ready to go. Even if we are close to the Ecuator…the water is cold: this is winter time and the water is barely at 60 Fareinheit. Wetsuits were welcomed. This snorkeling spot was amazing! Many schools of fishes, starfishes all around the ocean floor, white-tipped sharks, and two penguins swam with us. There is not much coral here but we were not expecting it either: winter in the Galapagos means marine life, and we had plenty around us !

Back on board, nice pineapple juice and snacks. Carlos made me a special berry juice because I am allergic to pineapple. This juice was one of a kind, so delicious and filling too.

After snorkeling, we arrived at Santiago Island and visited Sullivan Bay. We walked on lava flow, few adventurers sat down into one of the cave. Amazing lava cacti growing on a landscape taken straight from the moon, few flowers and birds are living there. All the lava covering the ground amazed me. My imagination made me see different designs in the lava. It was a very interesting walk on this lava flow and very different than on the Big Island of Hawaii.

I told you about patches against seasickness, well those things really work. That night the boat was rocking while we were traveling towards Isabela Island. You all need to know that our room was on the upper deck. Because it’s winter season in the Galapagos, the ocean can be more agitated. Lucky for us, the patches held on in the back of our ears and we had a good night sleep.

June 1, 2010
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Isabela Island

Isabela, Galapagos

Woke-up early and was laughing at the agitated night the ocean gave us…but we were both feeling fine and rested. Breakfast and off we left for Puerto Villamil where we took an hour-long bus ride to the Volcano Sierra Negra. We saw birds, lizards, and beautiful landscapes. We were lucky: no clouds and we were able to see the whole caldera. As we left the sight, patchy clouds were starting to creep in it. On our way back, we stopped 20 minutes to a village of only 3,000 people. We did some shopping and found ourselves very nice T-shirts of the Galapagos Islands and took a stroll on a nice and calm little beach, a rare sight in the Galapagos. Hump back on the bus for our ride to the shore. Zodiac ride from the shore to the yacht were great snacks were there for us.

We ate lunch and afternoon deep snorkeling; meaning we jumped from the boat. The water was very cold that day. That when your investment in bodysuit pays off. The snorkeling sight was by the lava caves formed in the ocean. Some tunnels were even formed there and someone found a dead-end. The clarity of the water was pour to clear at different spots. I saw penguins swimming fast in front of me. As I was looking for my husband in the water, I turned my head to left and then right. That’s when I saw this amazing huge 6-7 feet span sea turtle right in front of my nose ! The water was troubled a little and she was eating off the lava caves sides. Wow! I let my head out of the water and screamed: “Sea Turtle!” while pointing the way. All of the other 14 people from my group came to take a look and try to take a picture of THE sea turtle. Thanks to my husband we all saw it. If I was not searching for him, I would have never seen this great turtle, who by the way swam right under us as she left the lava coast to swim in the open ocean: it elegantly glided not even an arm’s distance from us, and we were breathless in our tuba.

We went back on the zodiac and straight to the yacht. Had a bit to eat, showered and changed into our hiking gear. We all left with Peter to explore another area of Isabela Island (Tintoreas). To get on shore, we used once more the zodiacs. Along the coast, we saw penguins, seals, marine iguanas and more crabs.
It was an amazing walk. We saw seals posing for the paparazzis, iguanas relaxing all around us (on the rocks, on the road, one on top of each other), birds flying around, a lava tube that white-tipped reef sharks are using to sleep and rest (my husband counted 15 !) alongside several small fishes and another big sea turtle. We encountered a heron in the small lake and a baby seal swimming in his private cave surrounded by humans-paparazzis. This was a sad moment for me…seeing people trying to take pictures of this young seal right at the entrance of his cave.

On our way to the zodiacs, there were more seals sleeping on the ocean beach and excuse-me on the path too. It was a little like a slalom walk: passing around seals and iguanas without walking on anyone’s tale (that was challenging at time since those guys don’t move). Why would they…there is nobody to hurt them? One of our boat-mate wanted a picture with the seal… she got too close and my husband just had the time to yell to get out of there… she did right on time and the seal started barking at her… “this is MY territory missy!” She kept all of her bunny and got her picture from a safe distance. Later on, our guide told us a story that once he had one visitor who needed 20 points on her bunn… People, this is nature, respect the animals !

Back on board, snacks and dinner and another rocky night. Before going to sleep, we went on the deck watching for the stars. We were in Bora Bora a few years ago and the Galapagos sky is as magnificient, with plenty of flying stars to make whishes… please don’t make this vacation end ! The time to go to bed… In the middle of the night I busted into laughs. The chair was moving from one side of the room to the other, the cabinet’s doors were opening and closing, taking tour the bathroom door. It was like a ghost’s movie. All was moving in the room, but one thing stayed on: the patches. What a great invention…and good thinking of us bringing those for the trip. They turned out to be very handy. (I am not advertising for any medication, I am just saying that without them, I would not have a great time that night on board…since I have a sensitive stomach.)

June 2, 2010
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South Santa Cruz Island

Charles Darwin Center, Galapagos

This morning, we leave to visit the giant land turtles. After a 45 minutes bus ride we arrive to the Primicias Ranch: the home of giant land turtles. At the information center, we saw and touched a giant turtle shell. Even some guys stepped in the shell to feel how it is to be a turtle.

We walked in the forest for about 90 minutes searching and looking for turtles and some finches. I confess to you that my first item on the list was to see the giant turtles (sorry beautiful finches, but you cannot win this one).
The first turtle we met was eating on the side of the road. She got shy a little and retracted her head…we kept going and found another one taking a bath. Few others taking sunbaths. The last one we saw was a baby one. It was curious and not that shy compared to the older ones we saw. She was charming too.

It was now time to get back on the bus and explore the Highlands, lava tunnels and the “Gemelos” which means: Twins referring to the two volcano’s cheminees separated by a road. Great view of a volcano now taken over by vegetation and life. Leaving the Twins by bus in the direction of the zodiac to get back on-board of the Odyssey.

After lunch, we had the choice to go at the beach, or stay on the yacht before our next tour of The Charles’ Darwin Research Center where we will be visiting “Lonesome George”.

My husband and I decided to take that time to pack our suitcases since the night might be rocky again. We enjoyed our relaxing time on-board while only two people left to the beach.

At 2:30 p.m. we all left with Peter to visit Darwin’s Research Center. It was amazing to see the turtles there. Baby turtles kept safe in their enclosures, giant iguanas, and poor Lonesome George, the last of his kind, who really seamed tired and lonely. After another great visit, we have free time in Puerto Ayora to do some shopping. We found a nice polo shirt for my husband with the Charles Darwin Center logo.

Back on board, briefing for the next day and it’s dinner-time….our last dinner on-board, so lets enjoy it!

June 3, 2010
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San Cristobal

San Cristobal, Galapagos

This morning is our last on-board the Odyssey. Time flies so quickly when you are having fun! I enjoyed a great hearty breakfast before our last tour with Peter. The good-byes of the crew were tough, but that’s life. Bags are off to the airport while we are visiting San Cristobal Island (Kicker’s Rock- Leon Dormido, the Natural and Human History Center, and the Port Bequerizo Moreno).

The interpretation center was filled-up with interesting information about the islands, the habitants, the animals, the history, the climates and the future of the islands.

I left my hat in my suitcase thinking that we were only going to be inside for the rest of the morning until we head-up to the airport…I was wrong. My husband and I got an unexpected time in town, by the beach and among all the sea lions. Before walking under the sun, I bought myself a great hat that flips sides. One side is with the blue-footed boobies and the other side is with the Galapagos Research Center logo. That morning was filled-up with great experiences once again. By just walking on the sidewalk, we encountered sea lions every 5 feet. Some were sleeping in the steps of a quiet cove, others were sleeping by their mom’s or just playing together in shallow waters. The cutest moment was after taking a picture of three seals sleeping by a boutique. One of them heard my camera focusing with its little noise, woke-up and made a bigger noise and made me jump. After laying back down, the smallest one of the three scream, the biggest being the mom, flipped over her back allowing her baby to feed. My husband and I were at 5 feet of them, looking at them and hearing little baby sucking it quickly. He was very hungry. A great gift from life just right there…Thanks. My husband took a quick stroll on the city’s beach to take a picture of a male seal parading… he actually stuck a pose for my husband.

Time to get back at the meeting place for our last bus ride of the Galapagos Islands. Direction: Airport. We arrived at the airport some 5 minutes later, no kidding. Thanked Peter for a great time and great tours of his Islands (Peter grew-up in the Galapagos). Waited in line for the security to get to our gate and fly to Quito.

Our flight back to Quito included a stop in Guayaquil. We arrived in Quito a little before 5pm. Got our bags, transfer to the hotel and left for diner once again at the JW Marriott. Back at the hotel, final packing, showering and we played “Titicaca” card game we learned earlier in our trip…right before visiting Machu Pichu.

Time to go to bed and rest before our final day tomorrow in Quito before heading back to the US.

June 4, 2010
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Quito-Lima

Quito, Ecuador

This morning was the first one where we could sleep-in if we wanted. So at 8am, we got-up, and went for breakfast.

At 9am we ordered a taxi and left for the Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanico), we then visited the Vivarium with all the reptiles you can find in Ecuador and South America. After visiting the garden and the vivarium, we walked in the Shopping Mall El Jardin. Took a taxi back to the hotel, and walk to a café of the JW Marriott Hotel. I had a hot chocolate and a pasty made of cheese (chocolate caliente and pan de queso) while my husband tried a Malbec from Peru. We took this time together to relax, and review our pictures from our wonderful trip. After spending few hours there, and chatting from time to time with a very nice hostess, we walked back towards the hotel and stopped for an early dinner at a street restaurant called Spaghetti; it was excellent and a nice way to end our vacation. Our ride for the airport was at 5:30pm we had plenty of time to eat and enjoy our last meal in Quito. At the restaurant, I ordered pizza and my husband languini-pastas. For dessert, I tasted a great lemon cake and my husband tried the cheesecake. Our meals were delicious. We had great food and service in what seamed to be a locals’ favorite restaurant.

5:30pm sharp, our shuttle picked-us up from Eugenia Hotel to Quito Airport. We got there very early. We checked-in, passed security and waited for 3 hours at the gate. Our flight left around 9 pm. We reached Lima at 10:55pm and got an easy way through the airport this time around. The connection signs were the right ones to follow. On our way to the gate, we stopped to do some window-shopping, and read few magazines headlines.

We sat at the gate for another two hours, and played cards.

June 5, 2010
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Lima-Los Angeles-Denver-Fort Collins

We sat down in the plane around 12:30am on June 5th. A little tired, but happy to get back home even though I would stay on vacation longer. “All good time has an end”, I could hear my dad say.

I had great service on-board, good meals, great movies and about 4 hours of sleep. My husband, who usually does not sleep much in a plane, managed to have some 6 hours of snoozing time.

Arriving in LA at 8:25am. We had to be bright eye and bushy tale…because we had to pass through customs, pick-up our bags from terminal 3 (international) and run to terminal 7 (domestic) to check-in again for our final flight from Los Angeles-CA to Denver-CO. Lucky line number one…we got stuck for about 30 minutes. I asked politely if we could take another line because of our time restriction. This great lady understood our challenge, but could not help at this time because no line was moving. She kept passing and looking at us. Another agent made us change row. That one was also very busy and not moving. Finally, the first lady came back to us and made us change row for the last time. We got out of there in no time after talking to the customs’ agent. I felt like in the Amazing Race Show, except we needed to pick-up our bags. The bags were there. My husband and I took a cart, put our bags in and looked for the exit. We were racing…our hearts were pounding. We exited and ran through 4 terminals in warm LA. We finally arrived at the ticket counter, printed our boarding passes, gave our bags and headed out to the final security check-point of the trip. We could breath now that we were all set. Passed security, arrived at our gate. Relaxed and called our parents to let them know we arrived in the US and were ready for our next flight home.

We had a very good flight from LA to Denver. We even arrived 30 minutes earlier. That meant we could take the earlier shuttle to Fort Collins. I called the shuttle company and had us moved from a 4pm pick-up to a 3pm pick-up. All went well. We arrived home at 4:30pm, left our bags and hiking boots then drove to the restaurant.

What an amazing long day!

What an incredible, amazing, unbelievable journey we had together for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. It was indeed: a trip of a lifetime, with memories that will last forever.

I want to thank my husband for this incredible adventure we had together and for all the love and support he gives me everyday.

I want to thank Adventure Life and their partners for this great trip!

1-5 of 45 imagesMy Travel Photo Album


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