The photos for the first day of our Galapagos cruise, Baltra Island and Santa Cruz are now up and available here.
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Showing posts with label Baltra Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltra Island. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
From Tearful Good-Byes to Ruff Nights
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6:30 Dry landing – closed shoes, rocky trail, frigate birds expedition
8:00 Back on board
Breakfast
9:15 transfer out.
Last night, 6:30 am sounded so very early to leave, but I was up at 4:30 and could not fall asleep again. Ron got up because I set the alarm a half hour too early, so we were up before the crew. Some were dozing in the lounge. No coffee yet! Get to work and get the coffee brewing.
Another, but the last rocky trail to execute our balancing skills is the mornings off shore experience finale, before leaving for the airport. I realized that what makes these rocky trails especially difficult with a group is trying to plan your steps from one rock to another. Sometimes I have my next stepping stone all planned, but the person ahead of me decides to either stop for a photo or back-up. While I am in mid-stride, I have to do an immediate reconnoitering to decide where I am going to land. Sometimes the results are disastrous as I sail through the air like Dumbo without the gracefulness. For someone my size, I do have narrow feet for a man. The US American male average is a D width, but mine is a C, making them too slender to keep balance all that well. Thankfully, I never aspired to being a trapeze artist.
On the frigate bird expedition we learned the differences between the Great and Magnificent versions, the latter have a purple stripe on its back. They are not cross mating birds so they stick to their own kind. Birds of a feather frock together, but don’t tolerate mixed relationships. Fortune was with us to see a few of the males extend their usual floppy red pouches until they looked like they were having one of those party contests where you hold a balloon under your chin trying to pass it on to the next person. Females are attracted to the largest distended neck and choose their mate based on a size factor. Large chicks in training were all over the trees as well, gaining their courage and getting life coaching to take off on their own. Frigates have to capture their fish without landing on the water. Their feathers don’t have the oils needed to keep them water repellent, with a drowning result if they are not careful.
Blue footed boobies were on call also. I have to admit these are the only birds I was excited to see; they are my favorites. Their feet start out a dark greyish blue, but get more vibrant as they mature. BFB bodies are not much to brag about, so if they didn’t have the blue feet, they would probably not draw any near as much attention. We never did see the red footed booby, but we did have ample opportunity for the Naszca booby.
Breakfast was ready when we returned, our last one on board this boat with this group of people. Soon, we will all set off on our different ways, trying to keep in touch via e-mail or in some cases Facebook. As time goes by, it will be interesting to see who keeps in touch. We have had people we met years ago on safaris, come to stay with us at our B and B. Maybe we can meet for a European reunion.
With all of our luggage placed in the lounge, we each did our last minute tasks: filling out evaluation forms, saying good-bye to the staff, rechecking rooms for forgotten items, and getting shoes on for the last dinghy ride this trip. Our luggage went ahead of us, so it and the bus to the airport were waiting for us when we arrived. This was the challenging part saying good-bye to the few who were not flying on with us. Then it was cumbersome yet again at when we arrived in Quito wishing well those who were going onward to other places or to home.
Once again, I was totally impressed with the AeroGal flight. We went from Baltra to Guayaquil about a 2 hour flight, left passengers there and then continued on to Quito adding another 30-45 minutes. The service on the first leg included a cold, but lovely lunch. On the second segment, it was a drink service.
Our agency had arranged a pick-up at the airport, so there was no need for a taxi. Neither the driver nor the escort knows how to reach our hotel, our third one in Quito. It is called Colonial House because the building is 200 years old and protected by the historical society. When we did approach it, I was not amused by our choice. It seemed far away from most things and not a fabulous looking neighborhood. Yet, it did get rave reviews on TripAdvisor and HostelBookers.com.
We were greeted by Paco, the first time we had heard that name here. He is young, friendly, with excellent English skills, which seemed to disintegrate as the hours passed. We arrived at 4 pm. Our confirmation stated that we could check in any time after 6:30 am, unusually early, but what the heck. However, as Paco was giving us a tour, of the dining room, kitchen, computer room, game room, and outdoor garden with patio, he was also informing us that the people in our room would not be leaving until 9 pm. What?
Ron spent some time outside talking to a Canadian couple looking to move to Ecuador so they are doing the feasibility trip to check it out along with a month of Spanish lessons in another town. There was also a professor from Colorado who came and went during the conversation. Excusing myself, I headed to a table in the garden to check e-mail and start the uploading of blog posts. Once I had a handle on it, I joined the group conversation. Oh, yea! In the garden, the hostel has chickens, including a rooster, two ducks, and four rabbits.
Deciding it was long due for dinner, our Canadian friend suggested a local Italian restaurant to which we poo-pooed and said we wanted something local. Big mistake in this neighborhood. The local cooking is primarily street meet for street meat with Mama setting up her hibachi right outside her door while she cooks mystery meat on a stick. The end all was to go to a local Ecuadorian version of a fast food restaurant. I ordered the chicken combo, which was fine until they brought the soup. I spooned the broth, found something floating that was white as fresh snow, but had claws. There was a full and complete chicken foot in my soup. Waiter, there is something foul going on here.
Arriving back at the hotel by 8:00, we half expected to be able to check in when we returned, but this was not the case. We had to wait for the others to leave the room at 9 pm and then have it cleaned. They called it the ‘matrimonial’ room as it is the only one with a private bathroom, but a single bed. There are no words to describe the fumes that were emitting from my heat, but Ron found a comfy sofa and fell asleep.
On the top floor, they did assist with the luggage, but we were located right across from the television lounge which adjoins the 2nd community kitchen. The owner seemed a little embarrassed by the delay in our getting our room, so she showed me the lovely view out the window, if we stood on one leg, leaned to the right, held on so as not to fall, and look over the other buildings.
9:47 pm there is a dog barking in the street right under our window. There is another dog competing somewhere toward the back of the building. 11:59 pm the dogs have not stopped barking. Took a sleeping aid, but still nothing has kicked in. Finishing my book and then will try. This is the smallest double bed I have slept in. Not a happy camper.
Monday, January 07, 2013
Santa Cruz Island and Pit Craters
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Charles Darwin Foundation
6:00 Luggage ready
6:15 Breakfast
7:00 Dry landing – walking shoes, Super Diego Turtle, Breeding Center
8:15 Transfer out
11:30 Back on board
12:00 lunch
Pit Craters
2:00 Dry landing – closed shoes, rain jacket
5:30 Back on board
6:15 Dinner and briefing
Coming into the lounge this morning was a challenge climbing over suitcases and other luggage. Those leaving were instructed to set it there for the crew to put on boats and take it to the mainland. These poor souls have to take a bus across the island, get on to a ferry to take them to Baltra Island and then another shuttle bus from there to the airport. They will still be with us for the start of our day.
The dinghy took us to the outer entrance of the Darwin Research Center, but we had a long walk in to the exhibition area. What Omar kept repeating is that this is not a zoo, but a breeding center to repopulate species that are losing ground in the wild. Lonesome George, the world’s oldest turtle died last June. He was 150 years old. They did everything they could to get him to mate with turtles very close to his breed and finally it was successful. The breeding was, yet the results were disappointing. One female laid 21 eggs, but none hatched. Another had 15 eggs with no babies and the third attempt was similar with 11 eggs. After George died, his body was shipped to the USA to have his DNA preserved. After the tour on the Darwin Center, we had our good-byes with those leaving us.
A few of us walked into town, the same one as last night where we hoped to get some t-shirts and a good coffee. There were some interesting buildings with modern architecture making the area fun. We walked by the ‘fish market’ where local fisherman clean and sell their fish. There are a number of pelicans, frigates, and sea lions hanging around just waiting for a hand out. We walked just about every tourist area around, before deciding to call it quits after a drink. By now our group had separated, but we did run into the Swiss couple with the Dutch woman in a restaurant. After our drinks, we split up again. Ron and I took a water taxi back to the boat for $1.25 each.
Lunch was the same fish dish as our first day, making Ron suggest that the menu is rotating again. We have not had a single complaint about the food, so it is fine if it is. Though we had lunch at the scheduled time, there are others coming to join us for the last 3 days. The 2 new Polish guys sat with us, replacing the 2 Danish. Omar has gone to the airport to get the next group coming onboard. There seems to be a change of crew or they are here only to help; it is not clear yet.
We have slowly increased in numbers like a child’s bank account. First to join us were 4 Russians, two couples. A short while later, 2 cousins from Poland were added. Last of all, were two women from Australia, causing us to lose our status as the only native speakers, but still are the only male native speakers. They had to have lunch, so our afternoon schedule pushed back.
Taking a bus, we rode for about a half hour before reaching the pit craters. These were two huge holes in the ground, but I find myself distracted by Omar’s English, so I stopped paying too much attention. Two of the Russians missed the bus, so later Omar received a call. We stopped for them after the pit craters. It turned out that Omar had told them in orientation that he would ring the bell to announce our leaving. He never did ring the bell, so they didn’t realize we were gone.
Ron was wrong about the menu rotating. Tonight was hamburgers, which we have not had before, but typically there was rice and potatoes again. The cook needs to get accustomed to heavier eaters; we almost ran out of food with the new additions getting to the buffet first.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Hello Galapagos - Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island
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Once we returned to the hotel, there was the rush of excitement. We were heading to the Galapagos Islands today. The tour company called the hotel 3 times to change our pickup time, because the airline kept changing the flight time. We went from 7:40 am to 10 am in small increments. Still there was the rush of anticipation.
When we were shuttled off to the airport, we were met by someone hired through our travel company to do a meet and greet. She stuck with us until it was time to go through security. Her English was impeccable. There were many 2 forms that have to be filled out for the Galapagos; it is like entering into another country. One is a Customs form and the other is a registration form to make sure you have left the islands.
Our flight was on AirGal on an A319 plane with a 3-3 configuration. It came from Quito, picked us up in Guayaquil and we fly to Baltra Island. As soon as you enter the airport they stamp your passport, which is neat, but they charge you $100 for the privilege. Seventy percent of the Galapagos are a national park and that is the entrance fee for any non-resident. Before leaving the airport, you have to have your luggage inspected for food or other items that may damage the environment.
Omar, our naturalist guide was waiting for us and pointed out the others in our group. We were bussed to the dock where a small boat was waiting to take us to the boat we will sail on. At the dock, there is a long bench. On it was a sea lion spread out sleeping peacefully, totally ignoring us.
Our boat is a yacht, quite small, but roomy enough to fit all of us and the crew. All totaled there are 5 Finns (all friends), an Italian married couple from Rome, a single woman from Amsterdam, a couple from Switzerland, and a married couple from Denmark. Minutes after boarding, we were assigned our rooms. We lucked out to get a room, number 4, right on the deck with a door and window view to see what is passing by. Most of the others are downstairs, below the first deck. The room is smaller than our pantry at home. Two beds are bunked one over the other with only 3 feet between the bed and the wall where the door is. This must be why they have limits on luggage. If you bring anything too large, you will need a second room just open it. With our carry-on suitcases on the bed, we can open the lid fully, but it touches the ceiling of the next bed or the roof of the room.
As soon as we were settled, lunch was served. Typical Ecuadorian and South American, the chicken was accompanied by both rice and potatoes, with white cabbage salad. You could go snow blind with all the white. Dessert was a white banana with 2 fat red grapes on either side; looking quite sexual, I don’t think it was meant to be from the looks of the cook.
Post lunch, it was post haste time. We assembled on the upper deck to get fitted for wetsuits. It is so funny for the Ecuadorians to have to outfit someone as tall as Ron and I, because they are so short for the most part. On this cruise, not only are Ron and I tall, but so are the Italian man and the Swiss guy. This truly sends the crew scattering looking for more tall suits to fit all of us. We were given diving masks with snorkels to check for size. They are rented, but the cost is nominal. The whole outfit is $40 for 8 days, less for those who are only on the ship for five days.
Turtles come to shore in the evening to lay their eggs and the eggs usually hatch at night, giving the babies a chance at survival, yet only 1 in 10 makes it to the sea. A turtle will lay 80-90 eggs at a time, not a good rate of return on the investment. While walking, we did see a number of turtles in the water; some were mating, which was obvious and enviable that they could do it while swimming. Now that is talent.
The water lizards are quite common. They absorb salt water when they are diving for food, so once on land they snort it out through their nose. There was one long flamingo, but pelicans, frigates, herons, Galapagos ducks, and some type of finch that I cannot remember the type. All of this before doing some snorkeling to check out our masks for leakage. The water was warm enough that no one bothered with the wetsuit, but the waves started to get aggressively high, making the less initiated nervous. This was only a 30 minute test run, with waves, the water is too stirred up to see anything, but swirling sand.
Back on the boat, it is relaxation and shower time, before a welcome cocktail and dinner.
Later: The welcome cocktail was a sangria type wine with floating fruit; it was too sweet for me and one of the Finnish women also commented on it. The crew introduced themselves and then we did too. Dinner was chicken of sorts, rice, potatoes, sliced carrots, and a green salad, but for those of us who did not want chicken, there was stuffed pepper. It was good, but I am uncertain what it was stuffed with. Dessert was a pass as it was cake with fruit syrup and condensed milk.
After dinner we had the safety drill, life vest examples, and then the agenda for tomorrow, breakfast at 6:30 am. There are sharks having their young, so they had the boat lights on so we could possibly see sharks, but all we were able to view were schools of small fish and some flying fish.
We will read for a short while and hit the hay, hopefully without hitting our head a million times during the night.
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