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Renee's Ecuadorian Adventure

By : Renee Noffke
Trip Begins April 16, 2008
Trip Ends April 27, 2008

My tour de Ecuador took me from Guayaquil & the coast to the incredible Galapagos Islands and finally to Quito & the highlands. I was overwhelmed by the natural diversity of this small country, not to mention the warmth of the Ecuadorian people.
See my photos : Renee's Ecuadorian Adventure
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April 16, 2008
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Missoula to Guayaquil / Guayaquil City Tour

Guayaquil, Ecuador

It was a long journey from Missoula, but I finally arrived in Guayaquil at about 11 pm. I was relieved to have my luggage in hand and to be met at the airport and taken directly to the hotel. The Oro Verde was just a short 15 minute drive from the airport.

My father, Pete, had arrived in Guayaquil the day before, and since he had never really traveled outside of the U.S. before, I was feeling a bit apprehensive about what condition and mood I would find him in at the hotel. The guy at the front desk greeted me with, "Are you Peter Noffke's daughter?" ...I wasn't sure if it was a good sign or a bad sign that the hotel staff already knew my dad by name. But before long, I was listening to stories about his exciting day in Guayaquil. He had taken a guided city tour and explored the entire river front area on his own. He particularly enjoyed all of the insights his guide gave him about life in Guayaquil. His guide also advised him about which soccer team jersey to wear in order to make friends with the locals. Little did I know that he would wear the jersey every day of the trip!

As excited as we both were to finally be in Ecuador, we tried to get some sleep before heading to the Galapagos the next morning!

April 17, 2008
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Galapagos: Bartolome Island

Bartolome, Galapagos

Since we had mid-morning flight to the Galapagos from Guayaquil, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Oro Verde. What a beautiful hotel! I was very excited to see some of my favorite Ecuadorian foods on the buffet - humitas & ceviche!

The flight to Baltra was uneventful, which is just how a flight should be. Upon arrival, we were greeted by guides from the Galapagos Legend. Everyone quickly boarded a bus and drove to a dock, where zodiaks were waiting to take us to the ship. Just in that short drive from the airport to the dock, I was already awestruck by the natural beauty of the Galapagos Islands. It seemed surreal that we were finally there, experiencing this magical place in person.

When we arrived at the ship, we were given our room key and were pleasantly surprised to find our luggage waiting for us at our room. After a delicious lunch, the ship motored to our first island visit - Bartolome. We attended a short orientation meeting and then explored the ship. There were plenty of common social areas in which to spread out. Before departing the ship, we were issued snorkeling gear and assigned a tour group and guide. I was impressed by the efficiency of the staff - It was clear that they had the routine of the cruise down to a science.

We went in groups to Bartolome Island. Some hiked first, others snorkeled first. Our group started with the hike. The island was pretty stark, without much vegetation or wildlife, although we did see sea lions, lizards, and an endemic cactus species. The soil was very dark, almost black. It was very striking. There were craters scattered across the island. And did I mention that it was beautiful?!? We gradually made our way to the top, where we had a panoramic view of the entire island and beyond. I also really enjoyed the snorkeling there. We swam around the iconic Pinnacle Rock and saw many different fish and even a shark! The air and water were very warm, so it felt great to get in the water and cool off after the hike.

After some time at the beach, we returned to the Legend and had a little time to get cleaned up before dinner. Later in the evening, we had a short briefing to discuss details about the next day's itinerary. Then we spent a lot of time out on the deck. They turned on several large flood lights, which attracted a lot of wildlife to the side of the ship. It was fun to observe. At one point, we noticed the Southern Cross constellation directly above Pinnacle Rock - a beautiful sight!

It was a great first day, and we could not have had a more perfect introduction to the Galapagos Islands.

April 18, 2008
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Galapagos: Isabela and Fernandina Islands

Fernandina, Galapagos

We set off early to visit Isabela Island, which was formed by five separate volcanoes. What impressed me about this island was the lush, green vegetation. Our guide expertly explained that the south sides of the Galapagos Islands receive more rainfall and thus are more lush and more green than other sides of the islands.

We hiked along the beach and did a short loop on a trail. We never covered a lot of ground on our hikes, but we took our time, so the guide could explain everything we were seeing. The sun was incredibly strong, and I was thankful to have sunblock, a hat, and sunglasses. We saw an incredible amount of wildlife on our short hike - penguins, flightless cormorants, iguanas, Darwin finches, pelicans, flying fish, hermit crabs, and giant tortoises. After the hike, we snorkeled at the beach. The water was a little too rough for the snorkeling to be very good, but I really enjoyed swimming along the shore and spending time on the beach.

We visited Fernandina Island in the afternoon. This island was not as lush as Isabela, but the wildlife viewing was phenomenal. The sea lions, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorant, crabs, and marine iguanas were a dime a dozen. We had to keep an eye on the ground, as to avoid stepping on the iguanas! There is only a very small area of the island that is open to tourists, but you see enough wildlife to make a visit to Fernandina worthwhile.

There was a special BBQ dinner served outside on the deck of the ship that evening. The food was delicious, and everyone seemed to mingle more on the deck than in the dining room. A few of the staff even demonstrated several traditional Ecuadorian dances. It was an enjoyable night on the ship.

April 19, 2008
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Galapagos: Santiago and La Rabida Islands

Rabida, Galapagos

We visited Santiago Island during low tide, so we walked along to beach to look for wildlife in the tide pools. There were a lot of creatures relaxing in the pools - it was like a day at the spa! I learned that Santiago Island is made of compact ash, not lava, which gives it a very different look & feel. The vegetation was beautiful - there were morning glory vines in full bloom all along the shore and huge cacti further inland. And with an impressive volcano within view on the horizon, the scenery on Santiago was breathtaking.

After our hike, we had chance to snorkel. This was probably the best snorkeling of the trip, because the water was calm and clear and the sea life was abundant. It was the first time I had ever experienced large schools of fish swimming all around me. We also saw a shark and several sea lions in the water - what a treat! I didn't expect the snorkeling to be such a highlight of our trip, but it certainly was.

After lunch, we snorkeled again, just off the shore of La Rabida island. The snorkeling here was great too - we came across a group of playful & curious sea lions in the water. I was struck by how graceful they look in the water, especially given how clumsy they appear on land.

La Rabida Island was beautiful. The earth was a deep red color, and the vegetation was lush and green. We saw a lot of wildlife on our walk, and after exploring a bit on the island, our guide took us for a ride in the zodiak along the shoreline, hoping to spot more wildlife. We saw boobies, a penguin, and several other types of birds. The afternoon was not without a little excitement - our zodiak sprung a leak when we pushed up against a rock to get closer to the penguin. So we had to return to the ship to exchange zodiaks. The guide and driver handled the situation very well, and fortunately we didn't have to test out our life jackets!

April 20, 2008
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Galapagos: Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

We spent the morning exploring the Charles Darwin Research Center. The center is definitely a working research station, rather than a visitors' center. In some ways, that was very refreshing to me - that it wasn't all dolled up and dumbed down for we tourists, but I was also thankful to be with our guide, who could explain the center's projects and aims. We saw Lonesome George, as well as many other tortoises in every stage of development.

Before heading back to the ship for lunch, we had some free time in Puerto Ayora. My dad used the time to explore more of the research station, and I used the time to inspect several of the yachts we work with that happened to be anchored in Puerto Ayora that morning. I saw the Coral I & II, Monserrat I, Valkiria, Millennium, La Pinta, and Cormorant II. It was fun to see the different styles and sizes of Galapagos yacht - each offers a very different experience.

In the afternoon, we took small buses up to the Santa Cruz highlands. It was interesting to see more of the island, as the landscape changed a lot as we moved up and away from the coast. The highlands tend to get more precipitation than the lower elevations, so there were a lot of tall trees and lush green vegetation. It was beautiful. We drove through several small communities and past several small farms and orchards - I loved seeing all of the exotic plants and trees... Sometimes in Montana, it's easy to forget where mangoes, bananas and coffee come from. We hiked through a private farm, where it's easy to spot giant tortoises. We saw a lot of them, and also learned a lot about farming on the islands. The farm was a great example of how locals can get involved in and profit from the tourism industry in a very practical and sustainable way.

April 21, 2008
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Galapagos: Bachas Beach and Finch Bay Hotel

Bachas Beach, Galapagos

Bachas Beach was our last island excursion - and what a way to end the tour. The white sand beaches coupled with the morning light were stunning. We walked along the beach, visited a couple of small lakes to see the pelicans, and swam one last time. It was beautiful. I particularly remember the distinct tortoise tracks from the shore up to the nesting areas on the beach.

When we departed the Galapagos Legend, we made our way back to Puerto Ayora via bus, boat, and taxi. We finally arrived at the dock to catch the water taxi to the Finch Bay Hotel, where we spent our last night in the Galapagos. There are no roads leading to the resort, so you must go by boat. It makes the hotel feel very secluded, even though it's just a few minutes from town. The lodging and food at Finch Bay was outstanding and definitely a highlight of the trip.

After a relaxing lunch by the pool, I headed back to town for more yacht and hotel inspections, while Pete stayed at the hotel to swim and explore the grounds. It was interesting to see more yachts, explore Puerto Ayora, and tour the hotels we use there. Overall, I was very impressed with the town - it was small and felt very safe. It's clearly a tourist town but not over the top. The people I met were all extremely friendly and helpful.

That evening, my dad and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at Finch Bay and lamented that our time in the Galapagos was coming to a close.

April 22, 2008
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Galapagos to Guayaquil

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

This was more or less a travel day. We made our way from Finch Bay back to the Baltra airport. Of course our flight to Guayaquil was delayed several hours, so we did our share of people watching and souvenir shopping (which I swore I was NOT going to do). Our flight finally departed and we bid farewell to the Galapagos Islands.

We got back to the Oro Verde mid afternoon and had some time to walk downtown and explore the riverfront area in Guayaquil. It was very nice and far exceeded my expectations.

April 23, 2008
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Guayaquil: IGTOA meeting / White Hills Reserve

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Brian Morgan and I represented Adventure Life at the annual IGTOA meeting in Guayaquil (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association). It was a great learning opportunity for me, as there were many actors present at the meeting - other tour operators, yacht owners, NGO representatives, government officials, etc. Each brought a unique perspective to the issues surrounding the promotion of sustainable tourism in the Galapagos.

While I attended the meeting, Pete enjoyed a private tour the White Hills Reserve near Guayaquil. The forest they hiked through was beautiful, and my dad saw countless interesting bird and plant species.

April 24, 2008
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Guayaquil: IGTOA meeting / Churute Reserve

Guayaquil, Ecuador

The meeting continued, and a highlight of the day for me was to hear funding proposals from local organizations that aim to involve Galapaganos in sustainable tourism activities. It was very inspiring to hear what's been happening in local Galapagos communities to move towards environmentally sound practices.

Pete had yet another adventure in the Churute Reserve. From shopping for fresh crabs to getting stuck on the river during low tide, the day was a comedy of errors, but my dad lived to tell the tale. I think he truly enjoyed getting a taste of the real, unpolished Ecuador.

April 25, 2008
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Quito: Bellavista, Middle of the World, and City Tour

Quito, Ecuador

My dad and I left early for the airport. He was flying home, and I went on to Quito. My guide met me at the Quito airport, and we drove directly to the Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve. It was beautiful and green and lush and tropical, yet still high in the Andes mountains. I can't say enough about the scenery. The lodge there was also remarkable. It feels very remote. We met Richard, who owns Bellavista, and he took us out on a hike. There is an extensive system of trails on the reserve that you can explore on your own or with a guide from the lodge. It was absolutely beautiful there - excellent bird watching. After our hike, we enjoyed lunch in the dining room, and then made our way back to Quito. I didn't want to leave!

On the way back to Quito, we stopped at the Middle of the World. It was one of those corny tourist traps that you really must see. When else am I going to have the opportunity to balance an egg on a nail at the equator, or to stand with one foot in each hemisphere?!?

I finally got to meet our staff in Quito - they're wonderful! We're in touch via phone and e-mail every day, so it was a real treat for me to put faces with names. They were all so warm and welcoming - it was touching. We ended up going out to dinner and taking a Quito city tour by night. It was great to see some of the sites and to spend some quality time with my co-workers. Quito is a beautiful city, and I only wished that I had a little more time to spend there.

April 26, 2008
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Quito: Otavalo Market and Cuicocha Lake

Quito, Ecuador

Betty, her father, and Pamela took me out of Quito to the Otavalo area. We explore the famous market there, visited Hacienda Pinsaqui, went out for chicharron (one of my favorite dishes!), and explored around Cuicocha Lake. It was an action-packed day, and I felt like we really made the most of my limited time there.

It was beautiful to see a slice of life in the rural Ecuadorian highlands. The Otavalo market was wonderful for souvenir shopping and people watching. I was completely taken with the Hacienda Pinsaqui - being there is like stepping back in time. The accommodations and grounds were absolutely charming. It's the sort of place where a person could truly rest and relax. Cuicocha Lake was lovely too - there's a trail you can hike all the way around the lake. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do that, but it's now on my to do list.

April 27, 2008
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Quito to Missoula

Quito, Ecuador

I felt terribly sad to leave - such a beautiful country and such beautiful people. It was a grand adventure! I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to go, and to share the experience with my father. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I will forever enjoy many fond memories of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

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