Create your Trip Journal [click here]As in my other trip with Adventure Life, the company did a great job of getting us safely to our hotel, which was right near a bustling intersection of pubs and restaurants. A perfect way to start the trip and unwind from the travel day!
Had a nice time here - great food, friendly people, and a really fun side trip to the equator. Go check it out, and take a picture with one foot on each side of the equator!! Even though it may seem like a touristy thing to do, the demonstration of the Coriolis effect is INCREDIBLE, and there is something kind of cool about straddling the equator. They even had us balancing eggs and firing darts through a blowgun at a target. It really was a lot of fun.
... with lost luggage. My bag ended up temporarily "missing", but was recovered by an unbelievably patient and hard-working crew. How do you guys find these people? Ended up the pre-voyage festivities on a gorgeous rooftop pub up the street from the docks.
While waiting for our transfer to the ship, we hung out on the dock for a little while. The dock is quite a comical scene of diving birds, passing sea lions, and criss-crossing rubber boats. I was able to get some funny video which shows the very entertaining organized chaos of the whole dock area.
I only wish I had taken better notes of what we saw on each island, so that I could remember which bird went with which area, since many of the species on the islands are endemic. I'll have to trust the photos to serve as reminders, and make a note to myself for the future - WRITE THE STUFF DOWN!!
All I can say is that each and every stop brought us face to face with creatures, landscapes, and experiences that ranged from jaw-dropping, to humbling, with dashes of excitement and comedy thrown into the mix, as well.
Waking up early and coming up on deck to see a beach littered with sea lions bathed in the light of the sunrise is an image I will never forget.
Swimming with them in the afternoon was indescribable.
A couple of the passengers got a little bit seasick on a rough sea, but they didn't take their meds. I had no problems at all. Advice: take the pills ... they work. Full disclosure: I also used the patch for the first couple of days, but since we did so much snorkeling, I gave up on it soon enough.
Felt a bit like Gilligan's Island for a while there, while our tiny ship was tossed in an overnight storm. It just added to the journey and to the experience, though, and we were all excited to tell of our survival on the following day. The same fearless crew that found my bag and navigated the waters was up early to make our excellent breakfast, as usual.
Again, not remembering which creature went with which island is a bit frustrating as I write this, but I just happened to remember the nesting boobies, and how they simply stood in the path unconcerned by our presence. That is probably the most amazing thing of all about this place - they didn't seem to know our history, and seemed to range from either unconcerned or playfully curious, in the case of the sea lion pups.
It is worth noting, though, that these are wild animals, and we were reminded of that fact by a BIG male sea lion while we were snorkeling nearby. He was barking loudly for us to stay away, and we did!! You'll never feel threatened by them, though ... it's more a matter of mutual respect. Awesome concept, eh?
With all the talk of wildlife, it's easy to forget about the wonderful scenery and the tranquility of the bays where we anchored. Pastel colors and beautiful sunsets never grew tiresome. We were there in dry season, and it was remarkable. I can only imagine what it must look like in full green mode. I will just have to go back to check it out!!
Tired, happy, and almost out of memory space on my camera cards, it was time to reconcile ourselves with the need to go back home. One more night in Quito and another meal at the tremedous Argentinian grill near our hotel, and we'd be on our way.
Wow.
Don't even hesitate. Who know how much longer this place will remain as it is now? Don't take the chance of missing it. I will absolutely return to see some of the islands I wasn't able to visit this time, in a different time of the year, probably, just to see the difference in vegetation, etc.
My advice on when to go? Tomorrow.
