Create your Trip Journal [click here]
Today was a day spent mostly either in flight or awaiting a flight. We left Detroit at 11:45AM, stopped for a bit in Houston and then arrived in Quito at 10PM. There was a bit of confusion at the busy Quito airport, but we found our driver and met one of our tour group members in the process.
We stayed overnight at La Rabida. The bed was very welcome after a long day of traveling.
We started the day with a breakfast of pancakes (yum!). We ate along side the member of our group we met at the airport the previous night and Brownie, the resident bunny.
After breakfast, we met the rest of our group and our guide, Sebastian. We were driven to the airport and were on our way to the Galapagos!
The airport at San Cristobal was very, very busy. There was a little convoy of pickup trucks waiting for our group. So, our stuff went in the back and we all hopped in. We checked in to our hotel and then set off on a hike. First, a word about the hotel. We were a little concerned about what we would find on the islands. Let me just say that we had absolutely no reason. Our hotel room overlooked the water, we had a balcony with a hammock and the room was huge. Back to the hike…We hiked to the high point of the area where we could see a statue of Darwin. We also saw our first blue footed boobies.
After the hike, some of our group decided to take a swim, but we were looking forward to trying out that hammock. It was great. For one person. Two people, not so good. Once we had fixed the hammock we went to dinner and tried our first Brahma cerveza. Quite tasty…
Again, the hotel was beautiful, however, there was a noisy neighbor…a rooster. Our friend woke us at 4AM and about every 10 minutes after that. And, not content to be left out, the sea lions decided to join in the fun at 5AM.
We had breakfast as a group (by the way, there were 9 of us total, 10 including the guide). Then we went sea kayaking!
I had never been kayaking at all and must admit to a slight fear of the water. I know, I know, I went to the Galapagos. Islands surrounded by water. I guess it’s one way to get over a fear!
We had the choice of a single or double kayak. My husband, Simon, was quite adamant about wanting a single kayak and I wanted a double. Due to the fact that there were more doubles, Simon had to give it up. We had so much fun and were able to paddle well together. It was great! I found out later he didn’t want to be in the kayak with me because he thought my scrawny dinosaur arms wouldn’t be able to keep up with him. Well, mister, I not only kept up, I set the pace! Check out the guns!
We kayaked around the mangrove-lined shoreline and went to the bay where we had hiked the first day. We saw sea lions, blue footed boobies, great frigates, sea turtles, etc. We stopped at a secluded beach for lunch (we hopped on the boat for that, don’t want to upset the beachmaster) and then took a boat ride over to Kicker Rock for a bit of snorkeling.
We snorkeled in between the rocks and saw a few fur seals, then went around the outside where the currents are much stronger. I’m not a strong swimmer, so I decided to stay close to the group. Simon on the other hand got so wrapped up in all the sea life he didn’t realize he was quite far behind us. When a group of five sharks swam directly beneath him, he realized he was alone. Fortunately, the sharks are not too interested in people, so they swam right by.
We made our way back to the boat, then the beach and kayaked our way back. Another night, another Brahma!
Today we started the day by hopping in the boat and heading to Santa Cruz. We stopped along the way to snorkel. We swam with sea turtles and a variety of fish. Once we got to the island, we hopped into kayaks and headed out to sea. The water was quite rough and the going was much more difficult than the previous day. My aforementioned dinosaur arms managed to hold out and we ended up in a little lagoon that was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. There was no sound other than the waves outside the lagoon. It was so peaceful and the water was a beautiful shade of greenish-blue. The water was still and we all just floated around in awe for a while. We also managed to have a snack while we sat in peace. It was pretty cool eating Oreo cookies* hanging out in a kayak in a lagoon. We saw an adult and a baby heron and managed to get quite close.
On the way back, we were out in front of several of the other kayaks. They couldn’t figure out why we weren’t going in a straight line. In fact, we were trying desperately to go in a straight line, however the waves were too big. It felt like for every one stroke forward we made, the waves sent us two strokes backward or sideways. So, we were kayaking in a zig-zag, up and down the waves and it was hard going. I believe there may have been some yelling going on; fortunately for our marriage the waves were too noisy for us to hear each other. But, we made it! Our guide told us about a little lagoon area we could go if we weren’t too exhausted. Riding on the high of kayaking in the ocean and surviving, we headed through the mangroves to the lagoon. Three other members of our group and about six children from the area joined us. The children were jumping off a small deck into the water. Simon took a few of them for a lesson in kayaking, which they seemed to enjoy.
A few of us met for a drink before dinner and ate the most delicious empanadas ever. Then, most of our group decided to disregard the warnings of eating off the beaten track and we headed to where the locals eat. We were given a cherry beverage of some sort, which none of us enjoyed. Then, we all had what we hoped was a chicken dish for our main course. Post-dinner conversation determined that perhaps we should have stuck in the tourist area. We did have a lot of fun though and it was all part of the adventure. And, fortunately, contrary to the dire warnings of the others in our group that did not eat with the locals, we did not spend the next day locked in the bathroom.
* According to our guide, Sebastian, Oreo cookies are America’s favorite cookies. Given the fact that he knew the answer to pretty much every question he was asked, who were we to disagree?
The day started with a visit to the Darwin Center. We got to see the tortoise breeding area, many iguanas and the star resident, Lonesome George.
After the Darwin Center, we went back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes and then were off to an area near the El Chato reserve. We did a bit of hiking and then got in the saddle...of mountain bikes. We rode downhill, very quickly to a beautiful expanse of land and trees reserved for the giant tortoises that call it home.
There were tortoises everywhere! It was amazing! There were even tortoise races. It was hard to tell, but you could see the determination in their eyes. The competition was fierce. To be able to be so close to these amazing creatures was so cool. I wanted to stay there forever. Especially since I knew a long uphill battle was awaiting me.
I made it about halfway up and then had to admit defeat and hop into the trailing pickup truck. I had a pleasant ride back with another group member. Once we were back at the hotel a group of us headed down to a beautiful beach where we could swim and explore the area.
Once we were cleaned up and presentable, a few of us decided to give thanks and have dinner together, it was Thanksgiving Day after all (although, one of our small group wasn’t American he got into the spirit of things). We went to a recommended restaurant and though we couldn’t find turkey on the menu, we had the next best thing…pizza! We all agreed it was a great way to spend Thanksgiving Day!
The water was still rough when we got in the boat to go to Isabela. Most of our group was not feeling well about 2 hours into the ride (I was luckily unaffected by the waves). In hindsight, perhaps scrambled eggs were not the wisest choice for breakfast for some. Simon actually lay down at the back of the boat so he couldn’t feel the waves so much. We stopped for a break and decided it was a good place for snorkeling. I was the only member of our group that did NOT want to see a shark swimming by me. So, what happened? A mother white-tipped shark with her baby swam directly beneath me. The three of us kind of hung out for a minute, probably all a bit surprised to see each other. I then calmly made my way back to the boat, where I could freak out in peace. Once I had gathered myself, I realized how cool it was to have seen a mother and baby shark not 20 feet from me.
We rode in the boat near the coast of the island for a while and were able to see penguins and blue-footed boobies sharing some rocks. We stopped along the way for a hike and saw tons and tons of iguanas. We have one picture that is like a puzzle, how many iguanas can you find? There was also a baby sea lion that kept insisting I take it home. It was so cute I almost couldn’t stop myself. We also saw a shark and a spotted ray while standing on an overlook into the water. I almost wiped out getting back onto the boat, but the dinosaur arms saved me again.
We went snorkeling again near the penguin area, but they appeared to be taking a break from swimming. We did get to swim with sea turtles and a sea lion came in for a close inspection of me. Where’s the camera when you need it? The water was fairly shallow in that area so we could see everything very clearly.
We arrived at our hotel after a brief ride in a pickup truck (the official vehicle of the Galapagos). Our hotel was beautiful. It was right on the beach and had a very laid back feel to it.
It was quite late when we arrived, so we had dinner and then it was off to bed.
We started the day with a ride in, you guessed it, a pickup truck to a stable on the Sierra Negra volcano. This was my first ride in the back of a truck since I was quite young. Hey, I grew up out in the county, it was allowed.
We were saddled up, on horses this time, and off to the rim of Sierra Negra. My horse had some kind of identity crisis going on and wanted to be in front of the other horses. At all times. No matter how fast it had to go. Galloping is fun!
When we had passed the rim, we found a place to tie up the horses (I’ve always wanted to say that!) and set off on foot. Wow, it was hot! It must have been over 95 degrees and there was nothing to block the sun except our hats. We were all sweating buckets. The topography was bizarre. It looked like we were walking on the moon. It was really hardened lava floes.
After lunch in the shade with our horses, we made our way back to the stables. My horse was still having some issues and really wanted to be alone, as in without me. Fortunately, I had a death grip on the saddle and he couldn’t shake me. The rest of the group had very docile horses. I think mine was having an off day. I forgive him.
When we got back to town, we had the afternoon to ourselves. We explored the small town and then headed to the beach. The water was great and so were the lounge chairs!
We had a group dinner after a relaxing afternoon. The Ecuadorian Presidential election was the next day and citizens are required to vote. Citizens are not allowed to drink alcohol for the three days before the election, so it is not sold in stores or served at restaurants during that time period. Of course, we were tourists, so we were able to enjoy some wine with dinner.
It was time to leave the islands. We had an early morning departure by boat. It was a bit chilly, but the waves were calmer than they had been on previous island transfers. Once on Santa Cruz, we hopped into trucks and were off to the airport. We said goodbye to Sebastian. He was a fantastic guide and if I ever go back to the Galapagos, I want him there!
We flew back to Quito, checked back in to La Rabida and had the afternoon free. Because our group had gotten along so well, we decided to tour the city together. We went to the old part of the city and wandered around. We followed the advice of one of the tour books for a place to dine and were very pleased. We asked if we could order beer and wine and they said we could as long as we didn’t have the alcohol displayed. So, it was poured into teacups. The dinner was great and we were all a bit sad that it was our last group meal. We had only known each other for a week, but it felt like we were old friends by the end of the trip.
After dinner, we walked around the city where people celebrated (or peacefully demonstrated against) the newly elected president. There were a lot of military people out, but it didn’t seem like any trouble was brewing. Apparently, some of them thought so as well. We saw three military men hail a taxi, throw their automatic machine guns in the trunk and hop in. Not something you see everyday.
After breakfast with Brownie, Simon and I were off to Cotopaxi. It was a three-hour drive through the city and then up to 14,000 feet. We hiked to 16,000 feet in about 45 mintues. After being at sea-level the day before, the altitude change was quite a shock. Only 50% of those attempting actually make it. We did make it, through the rain and freezing rain, with rapidly beating hearts. Because of the weather we didn’t have much of a view, but it was still great to have made it. Simon and I had brought coats, but nothing warm enough. Fortunately, I was able to fit into the coat and hat of the 13 year old boy on the trip and Simon fit into another group member’s coat. We are very grateful to them for that clothing! We made it back down to 14,000 ft. in 10 minutes!
Once back in Quito, we met up with the members of our group that remained and headed for dinner and a walk. After a sad farewell, we were off to bed.
Our flight left Quito at 7:20AM, so we were up before the crack of dawn and off to the airport. We were headed to Houston and then Detroit. This was a wonderful trip of a lifetime.
