That night we motored until about 5:00 AM. Lana was catching a cold and spent much of the night coughing in the main topside cockpit area because the crew was sleeping on the sofas in the lounge/dinning area. At 5:00 AM we stopped at Kicker Rock. Like Devil's Crown, it is a remnant of a vertical tuff cone formation, raising almost 500 feet from the ocean. Erosion has split the rock and given it its characteristic shape. Some of the smaller boats were able to cruise between the two rocks. As we cruised into San Cristóbal harbor, we saw a huge yacht flying a Grand Cayman flag. It was well over 150 feet long and looked like the most luxurious way to travel. Oh well, next time.
As soon as we dropped anchor, the crew took our bags off first and then returned for us. We stopped briefly at the village to get in some last minute shopping before being bused to the airport. Check in was smooth and we all stopped to have our passports stamped with the Galapagos National Park stamp. Is that legal? The plane was slightly late and everyone dashed for the front and back stairs when boarding was called.
When we arrived in Quito, we were met by Ekaterina and taken back to the Hotel Sierra Madre. In separate groups we decided to visit a public market down by the Hilton Hotel. Like Peru, we were amazed by the vivid colors. Once again, great bargains were found by all. That night we sat around in the bar drinking cervesa (beer) and having a light dinner.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner