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Two Perspectives on Our Galapagos Journey

By : Sandy Lane and Leif Arnesen
Trip Begins July 10, 2010
Trip Ends July 19, 2010

During the Summer of 2009 I promised my grandson that the following summer, after his high school graduation, I'd take him anywhere in the world as long as he was willing to travel with me. He chose the Galapagos Archipelago.

Jul 10 - Hotel EugeniaArrival
Jul 11 - Charles Darwin CenterIn the Galapagos
Jul 12 - RabidaRabida
Jul 13 - BartolomeBartolome Island
Jul 14 - South PlazaPlazas Sur
Jul 15 - San CristobalSan Cristobal
Jul 16 - EspanolaEspanola
Jul 17 - FloreanaFloreana Island
Jul 18 - Hotel EugeniaReturn to the Hotel Eugenia
Jul 19 - Going Home

See my photos : Two Perspectives on Our Galapagos Journey

Want to go? Millennium: 10 Day Tour

I went to: Galapagos, Ecuador, Bartolome, Santa Cruz Island, Santiago, Santa Fe, South Plaza, North Seymour, Espanola, Floreana, Rabida, San Cristobal, Lobos, Highlands, Charles Darwin Center, Quito, Hotel Eugenia

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July 10, 2010

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Arrival

Hotel Eugenia, Quito

Sandy – All life offers to us is opportunity and so we, grandmother and grandson, seized the opportunity granted to us and left for the Philadelphia Airport early in the morning in the pouring rain for a flight to Miami. We arrived safely in Miami, tropically hot, and headed onto Quito – late, dark, cold and high at about 9,000 feet. Customs was easy. A cab delivered us to the Hotel Eugenia on Diego de Almagro Street. The hotel was small, clean and fine for an overnight stay. We were hungry but the dining room had closed. Breakfast was to be served at 7 AM but we were being picked-up at 6 AM. Although we were travel weary, I was so grateful to be spending 10 days with Leif. I hoped that God would bless us and keep us safe. Estoy feliz.

Leif – Philadelphia, PA to Miami, FL. Our flight boarded on schedule but we sat on the tarmac for nearly 50 minutes before take-off. Guided by our excellent pilot, our flight was quick and relaxing despite minor turbulence soon after our 10:35 AM departure. With a smooth landing in Miami 2 ½ hours later, we began a 3 hour lay-over. We spent this time getting our boarding passes for the 1,800 mile trip to Quito, Ecuador, eating our lunch, passing back through security and, of course, waiting on board. That short waiting period was painless due to our full stomachs and the excitement brewing around the final World Cup broadcast (which we later found out was won by Spain). The flight from Miami to Ecuador on LAN* did not cease to impress me. The abundant numbers of flight attendants were there to meet every passenger's requests. They provided a fresh pillow and blanket, as well as new earphones to watch our personal televisions, and a hot chicken or beef meal with complementary wine. The flight was long but quite comfortable. Afterward, our taxi ride to the Hotel Eugenia was filled with soft Latino music and occasional car horns. As I lay on one of two single beds in our hotel room recapping the events of our first day of travel, I began to think about the extraordinary adventure that was to begin to unfold in the morning. I laid down my pen and got some necessary sleep.

July 11, 2010

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In the Galapagos

Charles Darwin Center, Galapagos

Sandy – We had a short, not-so-good night at the Hotel Eugenia because of noise outside, a lumpy pillow, and a headache (I suspected it was due to the high altitude). We were picked up at 6 AM for the airport and were off to Guayaquil, a coastal town, and then to the Galapagos Islands. I saw lots of islands from the plane before we landed. We landed on Baltra, one of 3 airports in the State of Galapagos, and crossed via ferry to Santa Cruz Island where we were met by two Adventure-Life Voyages guides – I think they were both named Miguel. Baltra is a small island north of Santa Cruz. We boarded a wildly painted bus titled First Class (not) and traversed the entire island north to south to the port of Puerto Ayora. The climate was arid, but as the bus climbed to the highlands it became forested and lush. Down from the highlands to the coast it became more jungle with banana trees and mangrove swamps. Our transfer by an inflatable raft with an outboard motor, called a Zodiac (or Panga), to the Millennium immediately told my senses that the exercise of getting in and out of the Zodiac, over and over, might be the hardest thing I'd need to do during the entire vacation. The Millennium is a great boat. It is a catamaran that hosts 16-passengers, has 8 cabins, and is 25 meters long and 10 meters wide. Lunch was served immediately. We were allowed a short respite and then boarded the Zodiac for a trip to the Charles Darwin Research Center (CDRC). After viewing the exhibits, we went for a walk to observe the animals. First up were the 5 giant land tortoises weighing about 650 lbs each-- massive, lumbering, and intriguing. I'm so very glad I have seen them alive. There are several types of these tortoises nearing extinction, including Lonesome George who is the last of his type and forever at the Center for his protection. The CDRC has a baby tortoise nursery. We were told the young tortoises are kept for 3 years before release. Today I saw marine iguanas, anis, great blue herons, mockingbirds, finches, brown pelicans, land iguanas, a Galapagos mouse, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and a vibrant male yellow warbler with his red crown. The female yellow warblers are almost pea green. Later, we headed back to the Millennium for dinner and a presentation about the predominating currents (Humboldt, Panama and Japan) around the Islands. There are four natural predators in the Galapagos: the hawk, owl, Frigate bird, and snake—and each have their territory. We were ready for rest, but first we wanted to write in our journals. Tomorrow would begin with a bright and early start.

Leif – To the Galapagos. An early morning of introductions to fellow passengers on our cruise led to a bus ride together from the Hotel to the Quito Airport. This unique drive wound through deserted streets and past local runners competing in a street race. The relaxed security at the airport took only seconds to get through. On the other side of security venders sold food and sunglasses. Because we had to leave before breakfast was served at Hotel Eugenia, my grandmother and I opted to purchase breakfast at Le P'tit Cafe. This satisfying breakfast tied us over to a small meal en route to the Galapagos Islands. Our 2-hour flight filled us with anticipation about the trip that lay ahead. At the airport on Baltra we recovered our bags in an exciting state of chaos. A scenic bus ride through arid cactus-strewn desert brought us to a beautiful canal that we crossed by boat. On the opposite bank we boarded another “First Class” bus that brought us through undeveloped beauty intermittently interrupted by depressed regions of impoverished humanity. The town surrounding Puerto Ayora was quiet, relaxed and full of beauty. A scenic walk through this town, after we were introduced to our native tour guide and had lunch, filled us with wonder. We passed a beautiful cemetery, stores filled with everything from hand-crafted baskets to drums, and impressive restaurants and hotels. Our guide, Samuel, showed us around a protected area of native animals in captivity. We stared in awe at giant tortoises, indigenous finches, thriving plant life, crabs, iguanas and baby tortoises. A short raft ride back to the Millennium would begin our expedition. We ate a hearty dinner and then Samuel, our guide, briefed us on the next day's events. He taught us about the “fantastic four” (the 4 main predators in the Galapagos Islands: hawks, owls, frigates and snakes). Then we were informed about essential ocean currents that provide vital nutrients and environments for ocean life to survive. After the learning session and a quick shower, the melodic rocking over the waves lulled me to sleep.

July 12, 2010

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Rabida

Rabida, Galapagos

Sandy – Having cruised all night, we awoke to an exciting, exhilarating day. We went to a beach on Rabida for hiking and viewing the wildlife. The rocks and beach sand were an iron-rich red. Next, after donning wetsuit and gear, we snorkeled in the beautiful, green Pacific Ocean. The water temperature was in the high 60s (Fahrenheit). I have snorkeled before, but not with flippers, which took some getting used to. Rabida has a large sea lion population, as do many of the islands. It was a beautiful place. The best find was a large, gorgeous bump-head parrot fish, which was drawn to my colorful swim fins and kept swimming around my legs. Bright-red Sally Lightfoot crabs were all over the beach, as were marine iguanas. We saw large-beaked, medium-beaked, and small-beaked ground finches, doves, and lava lizards. In the afternoon we had a strenuous hike on Sombrero Chino, an island near Rabida. Saw the most beautiful sea lion pup with his mother, later nursing. His cry was like a sheep's bleat. We saw frigates, Galapagos penguins, a Nazca (masked) booby (diving sea bird), and striated heron. Leif snorkeled but I did not. My leg hurt and I went to bed early because the next day we would start at 6 AM to hike to the top of a volcanic cone.

Leif – My Grandmother and I woke up early to rent our wetsuits. After getting our wetsuits, flippers and snorkels we went to the dining area for breakfast. As usual, the food was exquisite and Teo, our bartender/waiter, provided excellent service even with a language barrier between us. Teo hardly speaks any English, so communicating is fairly difficult. After this wonderful breakfast we prepared ourselves for a hike and snorkeling adventure on Rabida, the island we had sailed to overnight. The short mile-long hike provided beautiful views of the island we were on as well as surrounding ones. We also saw an abundant amount of wildlife: finches, other birds, crabs, seals, iguanas, lava lizards and spiders. After this hike we used our snorkeling gear to explore the underwater world surrounding the coast. I saw, and took pictures of a vast array of ocean life as well as a great blue heron searching for a meal. This was my first snorkeling experience in ocean water and it took me a while to get used to it. We snorkeled for 1 ½ hours. We boarded the Zodiac, a small raft used to travel from the cruise ship to land and back again, and headed back to the Millennium for lunch. After a hearty lunch and a 2-hour break, we left our cruise ship to go on another wet-landing expedition. This three o'clock journey brought us to a new island and new experiences. We explored the island of Sombrero Chino, which is basically a large volcano surrounded by lava rock. We saw seals relaxing on the white sand beach, crabs crawling over porous lava rock and lizards basking in the sun. From this island, members of our group who did not want to snorkel and swim went on a Zodiac ride back to the Millennium. My Grandmother took the ride. Although I'm not an experienced snorkeler, I decided to swim across the 400 foot channel to an adjacent island. Off the coast I saw Galapagos penguins, a school of angel fish, a manta ray, needle fish and many other types of fish. We were picked up by the Zodiac shortly thereafter and had about 1 ½ hours before dinner. Our delicious dinner of roasted chicken, bacon wrapped fish, steamed green beans and salad replenished our worn-out bodies. After the evening briefing and dessert, I took a quick shower and went to sleep.

July 13, 2010

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Bartolome Island

Bartolome, Galapagos

Sandy –Our day started with a glorious early morning hike on a boardwalk on Bartolomé Island to the top of the volcano. My leg had been taxed by the rough terrain, but this hike was made easier by the steps. On the way down I missed a half step and badly twisted my knee. I finished the trail with Leif's aid and managed to get in and out of the Zodiac. Things went downhill by breakfast and I could hardly walk. Everyone was so considerate and helpful. I missed the afternoon excursion, but Leif had been taking and sharing excellent photographs. He's such a wonderful young man; I love him. I prayed that the Lord would please protect him. Teo, our bartender/waiter was nice. Leif said Teo would be leaving the boat Thursday because he had to take some kind of a marine course. The meals have been good. I decided not go on tomorrow's expedition so I could give my leg a recovery day.

Leif – The early morning wake-up time made it hard to get out of bed, but it was extremely rewarding. We were told that there were 365 steps to the top of the volcano that we climbed; however, this became a huge debate over breakfast between fellow passengers. The view at the top of the climb was overwhelming. A 360-degree view at the summit provided breath-taking landscapes. Although it was just after 6 o'clock in the morning, clear conditions and substantial sunlight made it possible to see for miles. We saw white beaches, crystal-clear water, craters, lava tunnels, other volcanoes and lava cacti. I could see two other passenger yachts anchored next to the Millennium. Samuel told us earlier that an average of 5,000 tourists visit this volcano every week! During a breakfast of eggs, ham, cheese, fruit, cereal and yogurt on our ship's deck, we could see about 90 passengers from the other yachts rafting over to begin their climb to the top. At this point I realized how important our 5:30 AM wake-up really was. After breakfast and a short break to digest, we geared-up to go snorkeling off the Zodiac. This snorkeling experience was nothing short of amazing. I saw countless fish adorned with a plethora of majestic colors. I saw many schools of fish navigating around large, continuous lava rock in the clear tropical water. I saw seals diving into the water with remarkable gracefulness and darting around rocks and schools of fish. After an hour spent among this marine life, we climbed aboard the Zodiac to head back to our ship. Once we reached the Millennium there was a break before lunch. Not long after lunch our ship reached a refueling station to fill our diesel tanks. I spent this time reading on the deck of the ship, drenched in warm rays of sunshine. Once we had refueled and cruised to our next destination we set off in two groups to explore Black Turtle Cove on the Zodiac rafts. During this expedition we saw brown pelicans fervently searching the water for their next meal, these interesting birds frequently landed in the water to snatch fish with their large beaks. We also saw large sea turtles in a secluded area surrounded by various types of mangrove trees. The three turtles we saw were in a mating process. The two males would take turns mating with the female. We only were able to see them clearly for brief periods while they surfaced to breathe, but this rare sight was still incredible. On our way back, we saw a male and female blue-footed booby relaxing on a lava rock formation next to a pelican and a hand-full of motionless crabs. This was the first time I had seen the infamous blue-footed bird and its physical appearance surpassed my initial expectation. Shortly thereafter we ate dinner, although the ocean waves became rough and took many peoples' appetites. Samuel's informational session brought the day to a close.

July 14, 2010

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Plazas Sur

South Plaza, Galapagos

Sandy – Plazas Sur, the island we sailed to overnight, is named after a man whose importance I don't remember. My leg was better today but not great enough to walk without hanging on to everything I could grab. I stayed on the boat. From my balcony I watched the shore with my binoculars and saw sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, swallow-tailed gulls, cattle egrets and red-billed tropic birds. Many frigate birds were all around the catamaran along with storm-petrels and shearwaters. After lunch we moved to Santa Fe Island where half the group went snorkeling. I saw sea lions and some blue-footed boobies. The Zodiac took the snorkelers to a beach area where they swam with eagle rays. Many giant opuntias (giant prickly pear cacti) were here. It appeared that the Sally Lightfoot crabs were on every island. One sea lion decided to get onto our boat's platform from where we disembark. He stayed around for a long time. An excellent dinner, grilled tuna and shrimp, was served on the balcony, which was a nice touch. After dinner we were underway to San Cristobal. The Pacific Ocean was very rough and was not for weak stomachs.

Leif – After the previous early morning climb, I welcomed the delicious “late” breakfast in the relaxing dining area. We departed on the Zodiac at 8 o'clock for a dry landing, and a 1-km hike on South Plazas Island. On the shore where we disembarked I saw huge cactus trees, land iguanas and swallow-tail gulls. Two of these gulls were picking parasites from each others' feathers. The land iguanas posed as still as rock statues for our group to take pictures within 2 feet from them. This small island is inhabited with numerous species from sea lions to crabs to small and speedy lava lizards. The terrain is quite desolate and lacks vegetation. Only cacti, small ground hugging shrubs and lava rock cover the island. A short hike brought us to the highest point on the island. On the other side of this area was a sheer vertical face of rock that stood against merciless waves below. Literally hundreds of birds flew together in a circular pattern around the crashing waves searching for food. We were fortunate enough to spot the uncommon red-billed tropic bird. Our luck held as we continued along the rocky path adjacent to the cliff edge. Soon our guide, Samuel, spotted a swallow-tail gull chick guarded on either side by its parents. The rest of our hike down to the dock was pleasant, yet uneventful. We sped back to the Millennium for lunch, a break and a cruise to Santa Fe Island where we snorkeled from the Zodiac. Although the majority of this snorkeling expedition was less fruitful then previous trips, it was still nice to swim with the abundant marine life. The most exciting sight was the numerous sea lions playfully flipping and twisting through the aqua, clear water. I video-taped their blissful behavior with my Pentax underwater camera, careful not to drop it to the ocean floor. On our next trip onto the beach we advanced farther onto the island via a narrow rock-strewn path. We saw land iguanas, lava lizards, finches, two sea lion skulls, giant cacti and a wide spectrum of colored fungi and algae. Returning to the Millennium, all the passengers feasted on a delicious dinner of chicken, grilled tuna, shrimp, rice, beans, vegetables and sliced fruit. This meal honored 4 passengers who were leaving from the San Cristobal airport the next day.

July 15, 2010

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San Cristobal

San Cristobal, Galapagos

Sandy -This morning the group went to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos' capital, to visit the Interpretive Center. I did not go because 4 hours will be spent in the town and I cannot imagine not elevating my leg for that long. So I spent another day on the boat, which was quite pleasant and comfortable, and sat outside with my binoculars. I was fascinated by all the creatures I saw, despite having seen everything before. We had a partial crew change early this morning. Teo has left and Jonathan has taken his position. We have a new chef named Fernando and a new crew member named Carlos-- nice men. The oldest crew member, Clinton, has been on boats for many, many years. The afternoon hike and snorkeling were shorter than planned since our 5 new passengers didn't board until after 2:30 PM.

Leif – A satisfying breakfast of eggs, rolls, fruit and cereal began a relaxing day on San Cristobal. A short Zodiac ride brought us to the port of the Capitol of the Galapagos, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. From this port we rode a small bus for 5 minutes before reaching the Interpretive Center. Here we were immersed in the fascinating history of the Galapagos Islands. Its history was plagued by many failed attempts, starvation, dictators, complicated love triangles, broken dreams and deaths. The only positive, successful expedition to the Galapagos before the 20th Century was achieved by Charles Robert Darwin and Captain FitzRoy. Civilization finally found a way to live in such a remote area of the world; however, there are still many problems these people face - a lack of abundant fresh water, dependence on fossil fuels and the need for agricultural practices to sustain a growing population. All beg immediate attention. After this informative learning session our group headed back to town and split into 2 groups. One group, leaving, said their good-byes and went with Samuel to the airport. The rest of us moseyed around through stores and cafes. The souvenir shops all sold nearly the same thing. I bought 3 postcards. I headed to the waterfront boardwalk for a stroll. It was low tide so many exposed rocks provided area for sea lions to rest. At noon our group headed to the pier. The Zodiac brought us back to the Millennium. For the following 3 hours we waited for Samuel to arrive with the new passengers. Both groups participated in introductory welcomes. Immediately we set off for the next island in order to fulfill the scheduled events. At our destination, Lobos Islet, I saw many sea lions and some blue-footed Boobies. These strange birds stood motionless as I crouched beside them to take pictures. Two males sat on the sandy trail protecting their eggs. The males would whistle and the females honk if we got too close. This strange chorus kept us about a yard away from the eggs. We encountered a rare Galapagos snake before we took the Zodiac back to the Millennium. Before dinner Samuel led a short snorkeling expedition to the nearby coastline. Many of us chose not to participate because of the cold water and high winds. I spent the time writing in this journal. Soon we had a magnificent dinner and Samuel's lesson. I retired to my cabin for undisturbed rest.

July 16, 2010

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Espanola

Espanola, Galapagos

Sandy – We started the morning with a great breakfast that included French toast. Every morning we have fresh fruit juice; usually we have no idea what fruit the juice comes from, but it is always tasty. After breakfast we disembarked via the Zodiac to the beautiful sandy beach, loaded with sea lions, at Gardener's Bay on Española. We were intrigued by the territorial war being fought between about a dozen mockingbirds. I have been surprised by the dearth of sea shells on these islands. Apparently they're here but must be seen on dives. This afternoon was, perhaps, the highlight of our trip – an arduous hike on Española at Punta Suarez. We were greeted by lots of sea lions and marine iguanas. These dark iguanas were molting and looked pathetic, and had red areas on their skin from their diet of red algae. They kept sneezing all over each other to rid themselves of excess salt and lay on top of each other in big, smelly piles. Right away we saw frigate birds, mockingbirds and warblers. As we started our walk, a pair of blue-footed Boobies was acting out their mating dance just off the trail. Many gulls and Nazca Boobies were on the rocks. The trail was quite rock strewn and uneven, but Samuel, our excellent guide, said this is the best possible birding trail. John, one of our crew, had come along to help me succeed on this adventure. At this point, my knee was better and allowed me to attempt the hike. John and I got almost half-way until we reached a boulder-filled ravine with a steep downgrade. We turned back toward the beach. Meanwhile, we saw waved albatross doing mating dances- what big, beautiful, amazing birds. We also saw various gulls, Darwin finches and ground doves. Sam was right, the bird life was amazing. It should be noted that fragrant Sandalwood trees are on many of these islands. Back on the boat we watched 3 sea turtles cavorting about 20 -30 feet away.

Leif –A relatively late breakfast started yet another day filled with wonder and excitement in one of the most exotic areas of the world. We boarded the Zodiac and headed for a wet landing on the beach on Española. We saw a colony of at least 40 sea lions snuggling together, waddling around and swimming. Our group was fortunate enough to witness a territorial turf war between two families of Galapagos mockingbirds. Samuel informed us that Española Island is the only place in the world where this behavior can be observed. They continued to fight to within inches from my feet. I stood motionless capturing the whole thing on video until they disbanded and flew away. Compared to this, the rest of our time was uneventful. I found marine iguanas nestled together under a small shrub. I took some pictures but left in a hurry when flies began to swarm around me. We made a quick turn-around before lunch to participate in a snorkeling expedition. I saw sea lions feasting on the millions of small red fish that lined the rocky coast. Our group swam past a partially underwater cave carved into the vertical rock cliff along the coast. We reached a relatively shallow inlet with an abundant amount of multicolored fish. The water became overwhelmingly cold so we swan back to the Zodiac. Once we were on the raft, we headed back for a delicious lunch of baked chicken, cheesy potatoes, salad, fruit, vegetable soup and bread. A full 2 ½ hour break later, we left for a 2-mile hike on Espanola. We found both sand and rocks covered with hundreds of marine iguanas. Patched with red and gray areas on their bodies from their algae diet, these iguanas lay in piles to keep warm. Farther down the trail we were presented with a rare and fascinating sight. We saw the famous blue-footed Booby courting dance. This dance, depending how well it's performed, attracts females during mating season. I was surprised that the male continued the dance while we were present, but Samuel said he must not stop or he will lose the female to another male. We came across hundreds of Nazca Boobies; many had their heads tucked under their wings, appearing headless, and the mighty Albatross. Once we reached the Albatross' mating ground, we were fortunate enough to witness their courting behavior. Both the male and female would walk around in a circle swaying their heads side to side. Then they stand facing each other and begin mimicking a sword fight with their long, hooked beaks. After watching this behavior, we began the mile hike back to the dock by an alternative route. After another wonderful meal and teaching session, I went right to bed.

July 17, 2010

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Floreana Island

Floreana, Galapagos

Sandy – I’ve had limited conversations with some of our 10 crew members. None spoke English well, all are native to Galapagos, and none has ever been to the USA. Our guide, Samuel Quiroz, was extremely nice, well-educated and well-informed. He had a reasonable answer for every question and was attentive to our every need. We really appreciated his effort on our behalf. Today we had a wet landing on Floreana Island. Samuel identified a green, a pencil, and a poisonous sea urchin, along with several shells. Our hike was easy and we headed first to a hyper-saline lagoon, then on to another beach that is a nesting ground for sea turtles (Tortuga Marina). Sea turtles climb away from the beach to softer sand, dig a crater about 3-feet wide at the top, and back into the bottom to deposit their eggs. The eggs are not incubated and when they hatch, it is important for the babies to get to the water fast. All kinds of wildlife think they're tasty. This is a lush island with beautiful landscapes. Back on the Millennium we cruised to Champions Islet for snorkeling from the Zodiac, expecting to see white-tipped sharks. None were found. Then we left to Post Office Bay for more snorkeling. It was a curious place. Ever since 1735 there has been a barrel here in which you can put mail (no postage) with the hope that someone will find it and deliver it to someone near where they themselves live. Knowing two people from my apartment complex who were here in April and May of this year, I hoped to bring a letter to them. However, either they didn't participate or it was collected already. You could wait until you're back in your home country, add postage and mail your letter, but it is much preferred that it be hand delivered. This was our last full day. Estoy triste. I had to pack.

Leif – This morning's wet landing was a short and worthwhile trip. On the beach we found many species of washed-up coral that Samuel identified individually. Later we walked onto a “sea turtle” beach that had no turtles on it, but we did find sea turtle nests with small tracks leading out of the nests to the ocean. Once we were on the Millennium we set out for Champions Islet where there was to be great snorkeling. An hour later we suited up for our snorkeling adventure and headed off in the Zodiac. The variety and abundance of marine life was astounding. It was by far the best snorkeling I had done during my stay on the Galapagos Islands. I saw many different schools of fish, many sea urchins and coral as well as a few sea lions. The sea lions fearlessly circled around us even touching us with their bodies. Had the water not been so cold I could have spent the rest of the day in this diverse water paradise. After an hour, we climbed back on the Zodiac and headed for a hot meal! Following lunch, we went to Post Office Bay where we had a chance to drop off postcards. Then we had time to relax on the white beach. After we were aboard the cruise ship, we set our course toward Santa Cruz and our journey home.

July 18, 2010

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Return to the Hotel Eugenia

Hotel Eugenia, Quito

Sandy – At 6 AM, bags and people left the boat at Santa Cruz, ultimately for the flight to Quito. At the dock, we spied our goofy bus named First Class, and took our seats. On board all 15 of us were headed home and Samuel was headed for a week off. We needed to repeat the first day’s journey in reverse, but first went on a worthwhile side trip to the highlands area. Through this area, the giant land tortoises travel, so we hoped to see some. We were certainly off the beaten track in a very lush area, and when we walked through a damp meadow we found four tortoises. It was great to see them! Later, a short walk revealed a lava tunnel about 10 feet high. We headed back on the bus and back on the ferry, to another bus that took us to the Baltra Airport. Samuel gathered our documents and ran interference for us. We offered sincere thanks and heartfelt good-byes. Finally, in Quito, we were on our own to return to the Hotel Eugenia. We went to La Ronda for a fine dinner of Corvina (sea bass) and Ecuadorian entertainment.

July 19, 2010

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Going Home

We awoke early to catch an early flight out of Quito. We arrived home in the US safely and full of memories of a wonderful grandmother-grandson adventure.

Afterword - Awesome is probably a word that should be reserved for God, but, truly, it is the word that comes to mind when I think of that magical place called the Galapagos Archipelago. We visited twelve awesome islands. Please, Ecuador, continue to protect it. I am rather old. Leif is young. We were both enormously satisfied with our experience. We're ready to “spread our wings” again with Adventure-Life Travel.

Trip Summary
From the first moment we set foot in the Galapagos Islands we were excited about what we saw and anticipated. That excitement never abated as we sailed from island to island discovering the majesty of that amazing place. Through eight days, seven nights and twelve islands and islets, we sailed, discovered and rejoiced at the world that was revealed to us under the direction of our excellent guide Samuel.

My Photo Album: Two Perspectives on Our Galapagos Journey