Sunday, June 15
First, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I flew from Isla Baltra in the Galapagos back to Guayaquil today. I can't say I was excited to leave the Galapagos, but it had to be done. I was lucky enough to spend over two weeks out there and will treasure that time for the rest of my life.
Back in Guayaquil I met up with Greg and Alice who I had met on Isla Isabella in the Galapagos. We had a few beers together and watched Ecuador take on Argentina in a World Cup qualifying match. Ecuador was up one goal until Argentina scored with less than a minute to go in injury time. It would have been a huge win for Ecuador, but they definitely showed they can compete. Liga de Quite takes on Fluminense from Brazil on June 25th in the first match of the Copa Libertadores final and an Ecuadorian team has never won the cup, so keep an eye out if you are interested in fútbol.
I booked my bus to get to Quito for tomorrow morning. Unfortunately they have no direct buses, except on Sundays, so it will be interesting. It is supposed to take 9-10 hours, so I hopefully will make it to Quito sometime tomorrow. I have no idea what kind of bus I'll be on, but is was only $9 so I'm not expecting much. I will then leave Tuesday afternoon to fly back to the states. It has been a great run for me here down in South America and couldn't have met better people.
As promised, here is a link to learn more about the Sharkwater film I saw a few days ago in the Galapagos: http://www.sharkwater.com/. I would again encourage you all to watch it if you can as it will open your eyes to the destruction we are causing to sharks and other marine animals. I would also ask you all to visit Sea Shepherd's website (http://www.seashepherd.org/) to learn how you can help protect sharks and other animals in the ocean that are vital to our existence. Watching Sharkwater and spending over two weeks in the Galapagos has changed me and I hope to contribute to the cause of saving our oceans as soon as I return to the states. And, I hope I can encourage others to do the same.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Final Days in the Galapagos
Saturday, June 14
It was not easy getting up at 5:45am for my last dive in the Galapagos, but I did it. With a wicked headache, I joined up with the rest of the dive group and headed back to Gordon Rocks. As we jumped in the water for our first dive, I could tell it was going to be a much different day from my last dive at Gordon Rocks. The current was incredible strong and the swells were creating large waves that threw me and the rest of the divers all over the place. I happened to be in a spot with a very strong up-current as well, so I had to fight to get below the surface...I ended up using a fourth of my tank just getting down to 20m. The current remained incredibly strong below the surface as well, which forced us to alter our dive plan and swim outside of the rock formations, which prevented us from seeing any hammerheads or other sharks. Because of the conditions, we moved our second dive to Plaza Sur where we had a nice, relaxing dive. We got to see a large marble ray (probably about 2m across), a large scorpion fish, a group of three eagle rays, and lots of fish. While it wasn't how I wanted to end my diving experience in the Galapagos, I can't really complain as I had 3 great days of diving before today.
I leave tomorrow morning to return to the mainland of Ecuador. I will hopefully be staying the night in Guayaquil so I can see the first match of the finals for the Copa Libertadores between Liga de Quito and Fluminense. I will then try to catch a morning bus on Monday to get to Quito, where I have my flight back to the US on Tuesday afternoon.
Friday, June 13
I spent most of the day on Friday at a nice beach just outside of town. It was a nice relaxing day. In the afternoon I went out to Bill's boat, Fuerte, to join him and the rest of the crew for a few drinks. We then all had dinner on shore. Bill, Julia, Will, and Alan are heading off to Isabella in the morning, so this was my last chance to seem them. Bill, Julia, and Will called it an early night after dinner, but Alan and I bee lined it for Limon y Cafe for a few more drinks before he had to set sail. I was scheduled for my last dive in the morning, so I was hoping not to stay out late or drink too much...easier said then done. Alan was able to convince to stay with him and continue our drinking escapades until the bar closed...around 2am.
Thursday, June 12
I took the morning boat back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. I then spent a good part of the day getting photos uploaded and hacking away on the internet. In the evening, I went to the Charles Darwin Center to see a movie called Sharkwater. The movie was made to bring to light the shark killings that are happening world wide and the problems it is and will cause to our environment. It was an incredible film and I would strongly encourage everyone to see it and tell their friends about it. I will find more information about how you can see it and will post that shortly. After the film I met up with a friend of my parents' who had sailed their boat from the British Virgin Islands to the Galapagos, Bill Strong. Unfortunately his wife, Shelby, had to return to the US and wasn't able to join him for the Galapagos leg of their travels. But, I had dinner with Bill, Julia (the chef on board), Will (Julia's husband the captain of the boat), and Alan (a South African friend of Julia and Will who was joining them on the boat for a few months). It was great catching up with all of them and hearing about their travels through the Panama Canal.
It was not easy getting up at 5:45am for my last dive in the Galapagos, but I did it. With a wicked headache, I joined up with the rest of the dive group and headed back to Gordon Rocks. As we jumped in the water for our first dive, I could tell it was going to be a much different day from my last dive at Gordon Rocks. The current was incredible strong and the swells were creating large waves that threw me and the rest of the divers all over the place. I happened to be in a spot with a very strong up-current as well, so I had to fight to get below the surface...I ended up using a fourth of my tank just getting down to 20m. The current remained incredibly strong below the surface as well, which forced us to alter our dive plan and swim outside of the rock formations, which prevented us from seeing any hammerheads or other sharks. Because of the conditions, we moved our second dive to Plaza Sur where we had a nice, relaxing dive. We got to see a large marble ray (probably about 2m across), a large scorpion fish, a group of three eagle rays, and lots of fish. While it wasn't how I wanted to end my diving experience in the Galapagos, I can't really complain as I had 3 great days of diving before today.
I leave tomorrow morning to return to the mainland of Ecuador. I will hopefully be staying the night in Guayaquil so I can see the first match of the finals for the Copa Libertadores between Liga de Quito and Fluminense. I will then try to catch a morning bus on Monday to get to Quito, where I have my flight back to the US on Tuesday afternoon.
Friday, June 13
I spent most of the day on Friday at a nice beach just outside of town. It was a nice relaxing day. In the afternoon I went out to Bill's boat, Fuerte, to join him and the rest of the crew for a few drinks. We then all had dinner on shore. Bill, Julia, Will, and Alan are heading off to Isabella in the morning, so this was my last chance to seem them. Bill, Julia, and Will called it an early night after dinner, but Alan and I bee lined it for Limon y Cafe for a few more drinks before he had to set sail. I was scheduled for my last dive in the morning, so I was hoping not to stay out late or drink too much...easier said then done. Alan was able to convince to stay with him and continue our drinking escapades until the bar closed...around 2am.
Thursday, June 12
I took the morning boat back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. I then spent a good part of the day getting photos uploaded and hacking away on the internet. In the evening, I went to the Charles Darwin Center to see a movie called Sharkwater. The movie was made to bring to light the shark killings that are happening world wide and the problems it is and will cause to our environment. It was an incredible film and I would strongly encourage everyone to see it and tell their friends about it. I will find more information about how you can see it and will post that shortly. After the film I met up with a friend of my parents' who had sailed their boat from the British Virgin Islands to the Galapagos, Bill Strong. Unfortunately his wife, Shelby, had to return to the US and wasn't able to join him for the Galapagos leg of their travels. But, I had dinner with Bill, Julia (the chef on board), Will (Julia's husband the captain of the boat), and Alan (a South African friend of Julia and Will who was joining them on the boat for a few months). It was great catching up with all of them and hearing about their travels through the Panama Canal.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Isla Isabella, Galapagos
Wednesday, June 11
Greg and Alice left on the 6am boat back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz this morning, so I had no more friends to hang out with. I decided to check out the various sights on the island that I had missed. I began the long walk (about 6km each way) to Muro de las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears) that was created by prisoners who used to be kept on Isla Isabella. Along the way I made several stops at sights. La Playita and Paya del Amor were two picturesque beaches filled with iguanas and a few herrons. Los Tunos was brackish-water lagoon. Tunel del Estero was a cave right near the shore filled with salt water and tons of crabs. Pozo Redonda was another brackish-water lagoon, but it had crabs I had not seen before on the Galapagos. These crabs had one giant claw while the other claw was tiny. El Estero was a little beach in the middle of a mangrove forest, but the unique thing was the poisonous trees. My next stop was Muro de las Lagrimas. There really isn't a lot to see here, but I did spot a giant tortoise. I guess he was wondering what all the fuss about the "wall of tears" was too. As I was headed back to town, I stopped to climb up to the viewpoint from Cerro Orchilla. As I was climbing the stairs, I tripped and dropped my camera. While it was only about a 2 foot fall for the camera, it seems to have done enough damage to prevent it from turning on again. So, my pictures from this trek could be my last. I am not happy with myself right now.
Tomorrow morning I will board the 6am boat back to Santa Cruz. I am hoping to meet up with my parents' friends who have finally arrived. They sailed their boat from the Bahamas to the Galapagos and arrived on Tuesday morning. I then may also try to get another dive or two in before I finally leave on Sunday for the mainland of Ecuador.
Tuesday, June 10
Tuesday morning I decided to do a guided tour up to the Sierra Negra volcanoe. As we started our drive to the starting point of the tour the clouds moved in and rain began to drizzle. Our group, 16 people, jumped on horses and began the 1 hour or so ride up to the crater of Sierra Negra. The horses had been ridden by tons of tourists and it became obvious when they would not respond to any commands. But, with the help of our guides, we made it to the crater. However, we could not see a thing. The clouds had completely engulfed us and as we stared over the edge of the rim, we could see nothing but thick, white for. We then hiked down the north side of the volcanoe towards Volcanoe Chico, a small parasitic volcanoe that was formed when all of the magma could not escape from the maid eruption site. During this hour long hike the fog did clear for a bit and we could see down to the shore. We also saw amazing lava formations, lava tubes, and colors created from the different eruptions.
After the volcanoe, I met up with Greg, Alice, and a few others to go snorkeling at Las Tintoreras, just off the southern shores of Isabella. We were told that this was a good place to snorkel with white tipped reef sharks. Unfortunately, we did not see any white tips, but we did get to snorkel with about 15 sea lions and 20+ penguins. After not seeing any sharks, we headed into a lagoon surrounded by mangroves where all these sea lions and penguins were hunting for their dinner. They had no problem with us being there and the sea lions seemed to really enjoy our presence as they played and swam all around us for more than 30 minutes.
Greg and Alice left on the 6am boat back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz this morning, so I had no more friends to hang out with. I decided to check out the various sights on the island that I had missed. I began the long walk (about 6km each way) to Muro de las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears) that was created by prisoners who used to be kept on Isla Isabella. Along the way I made several stops at sights. La Playita and Paya del Amor were two picturesque beaches filled with iguanas and a few herrons. Los Tunos was brackish-water lagoon. Tunel del Estero was a cave right near the shore filled with salt water and tons of crabs. Pozo Redonda was another brackish-water lagoon, but it had crabs I had not seen before on the Galapagos. These crabs had one giant claw while the other claw was tiny. El Estero was a little beach in the middle of a mangrove forest, but the unique thing was the poisonous trees. My next stop was Muro de las Lagrimas. There really isn't a lot to see here, but I did spot a giant tortoise. I guess he was wondering what all the fuss about the "wall of tears" was too. As I was headed back to town, I stopped to climb up to the viewpoint from Cerro Orchilla. As I was climbing the stairs, I tripped and dropped my camera. While it was only about a 2 foot fall for the camera, it seems to have done enough damage to prevent it from turning on again. So, my pictures from this trek could be my last. I am not happy with myself right now.
Tomorrow morning I will board the 6am boat back to Santa Cruz. I am hoping to meet up with my parents' friends who have finally arrived. They sailed their boat from the Bahamas to the Galapagos and arrived on Tuesday morning. I then may also try to get another dive or two in before I finally leave on Sunday for the mainland of Ecuador.
Tuesday, June 10
Tuesday morning I decided to do a guided tour up to the Sierra Negra volcanoe. As we started our drive to the starting point of the tour the clouds moved in and rain began to drizzle. Our group, 16 people, jumped on horses and began the 1 hour or so ride up to the crater of Sierra Negra. The horses had been ridden by tons of tourists and it became obvious when they would not respond to any commands. But, with the help of our guides, we made it to the crater. However, we could not see a thing. The clouds had completely engulfed us and as we stared over the edge of the rim, we could see nothing but thick, white for. We then hiked down the north side of the volcanoe towards Volcanoe Chico, a small parasitic volcanoe that was formed when all of the magma could not escape from the maid eruption site. During this hour long hike the fog did clear for a bit and we could see down to the shore. We also saw amazing lava formations, lava tubes, and colors created from the different eruptions.
After the volcanoe, I met up with Greg, Alice, and a few others to go snorkeling at Las Tintoreras, just off the southern shores of Isabella. We were told that this was a good place to snorkel with white tipped reef sharks. Unfortunately, we did not see any white tips, but we did get to snorkel with about 15 sea lions and 20+ penguins. After not seeing any sharks, we headed into a lagoon surrounded by mangroves where all these sea lions and penguins were hunting for their dinner. They had no problem with us being there and the sea lions seemed to really enjoy our presence as they played and swam all around us for more than 30 minutes.
Isla Santa Cruz...continued
Monday, June 9
I woke up early on Monday to go to the AeroGal ticketing office to see about changing my flight from the Galapagos back to the mainland of Ecuador. I was successful and moved my flight to the upcomng Sunday, June 15. Afterwards, I met up with 2 Canadian girls I had met on the island, Julie and Laurie, and headed to Las Grietas. Las Grietas is a small channel of water between to cliffs (like a canyon) that is filled with brackish water...fresh water from the highlands and salt water from the ocean. The real reason people go here is to cliff jump. There are several spots on the cliffs where you can leap from, depending on how high you want to go. I started the day with a back flip from the lower ledge, about 8 feet above the water. That did not satisfy me, though, so I made my to the top of cliffs where the water was about 45 feet below. The tough part about going this high here is that the landing area is not big...the safe landing area is only about 10 long, so you have to be careful about not jumping out too far or not jumping out far enough. A group of locals had just showed up when I was about to jump, so I did not have a lot of choice as to whether or not I was going to do it. I jumped and about mid way down I realized that I may have jumped out a bit too far. I ended up landing about 2 feet from the far wall, but was safe. However, Julie had failed to get a good picture, so I decided I needed to go again. My second jump was much better, but I did not trust Julie to take the picture, so Laurie was in charge. Hopefully her pics will come out better.
Then, at 2pm, I caught a speed boat to Isla Isabella. It was about a 2.5 hour trip through some of the roughest waters I have ever been on. Three minutes into the trip we had one guy vomiting off the side of the boat. Not a good sign. And, lucky me, I had the seat at the back of the boat and was continually get sprayed and dripped on. But, we all made it safely to Isabella.
Sunday, June 8
Today I was doing the most difficult and demanding of the Galapagos Islands, Gordon Rocks. Gordon Rocks is located on the east side of Santa Cruz and is known for its strong currents, but also for its sightings of hammerhead sharks. Sunday was quite rough on the water and the current was strong below the surface. We spent about 30 minutes underwater for our first dive, but saw no hammerheads...just sea lions, white tipped reef sharks, and lots of fish. For our second dive we decided to go to the same spot and look some more for the elusive hammerheads. During this dive we got to see a sea lion hunting, which turned into one of the more memorable moments during my diving in the Galapagos. The sea lion caught a large fish in its mouth and immediately blood began spilling from the kill. The white tipped reef sharks nearby quickly picked up the scent and chased after the sea lion. I'm guessing the sea lion made it out of the water with its kill, but they went quickly out of our view. With about 4 minutes of air left in our tanks before we had to head up for our safety stop, we were hanging on to a group of rocks where the current was very strong. After a few moments there, we were treated to the sight we were all waiting for...a small group of hammerhead sharks. There were about 6 or 7 of them and we got to watch them for a few minutes before we had to make our way to the surface. What a sight! Hammerheads have to be some of the strangest looking creatures on this planet and they are a wonder to watch and see in person.
Saturday, June 7
I woke up early Saturday morning to meet up for my dive to Beagle Rocks, a small group of rocks just south of Isla Santiago. This dive site is not listed on any of the dive maps at the shops on Santa Cruz and our dive master, Yen, said it is off the beaten path but a great spot. It turned out to be just as he said. The first dive was pedestrian as we saw some white tipped reef sharks, turtles, and loads of fish. During our time between dives we were snorkeling near the southern edge of the rocks and spotted two giant manta rays. Yen thought they were about 4 meters wide. Because of the thick wetsuits we were wearing, it was nearly impossible to dive down very far to get close to them. But, the manta rays continued circling the area for the next 20 minutes, so I got to see them several times and get within a few meters of them. For our second dive, we started along the wall of the rock where we had seen the manta rays and slowly made our way to the shallow area where the mantas had been circling. We were lucky enough to spot one of the manta rays again, although only briefly. Seeing those manta rays, I think, was the highlight of my diving career. Those animals are just so beautiful and graceful in the water.
For dinner I met up with 3 Canadian girls who I had met on the island. We ate one of their apartments. I ended up getting into an argument with them about introduced species on the islands. One of the girls is living on the islands and is working at the Charles Darwin Center. One of the things that the islands are trying to do is rid the area of introduced species, especially those that are killing indemic animals. This girl adopted 2 cats while living on Santa Cruz, and I made the the mistake of asking her if that was a conflict of interest, as the Darwin Center was trying to rid the islands of animals like cats. I was then bereated for the next little while for my question...I was told that I was only a tourist and didn't understand the problem or the solutions for it. I definitely didn't make new friends that night. Good times!
I woke up early on Monday to go to the AeroGal ticketing office to see about changing my flight from the Galapagos back to the mainland of Ecuador. I was successful and moved my flight to the upcomng Sunday, June 15. Afterwards, I met up with 2 Canadian girls I had met on the island, Julie and Laurie, and headed to Las Grietas. Las Grietas is a small channel of water between to cliffs (like a canyon) that is filled with brackish water...fresh water from the highlands and salt water from the ocean. The real reason people go here is to cliff jump. There are several spots on the cliffs where you can leap from, depending on how high you want to go. I started the day with a back flip from the lower ledge, about 8 feet above the water. That did not satisfy me, though, so I made my to the top of cliffs where the water was about 45 feet below. The tough part about going this high here is that the landing area is not big...the safe landing area is only about 10 long, so you have to be careful about not jumping out too far or not jumping out far enough. A group of locals had just showed up when I was about to jump, so I did not have a lot of choice as to whether or not I was going to do it. I jumped and about mid way down I realized that I may have jumped out a bit too far. I ended up landing about 2 feet from the far wall, but was safe. However, Julie had failed to get a good picture, so I decided I needed to go again. My second jump was much better, but I did not trust Julie to take the picture, so Laurie was in charge. Hopefully her pics will come out better.
Then, at 2pm, I caught a speed boat to Isla Isabella. It was about a 2.5 hour trip through some of the roughest waters I have ever been on. Three minutes into the trip we had one guy vomiting off the side of the boat. Not a good sign. And, lucky me, I had the seat at the back of the boat and was continually get sprayed and dripped on. But, we all made it safely to Isabella.
Sunday, June 8
Today I was doing the most difficult and demanding of the Galapagos Islands, Gordon Rocks. Gordon Rocks is located on the east side of Santa Cruz and is known for its strong currents, but also for its sightings of hammerhead sharks. Sunday was quite rough on the water and the current was strong below the surface. We spent about 30 minutes underwater for our first dive, but saw no hammerheads...just sea lions, white tipped reef sharks, and lots of fish. For our second dive we decided to go to the same spot and look some more for the elusive hammerheads. During this dive we got to see a sea lion hunting, which turned into one of the more memorable moments during my diving in the Galapagos. The sea lion caught a large fish in its mouth and immediately blood began spilling from the kill. The white tipped reef sharks nearby quickly picked up the scent and chased after the sea lion. I'm guessing the sea lion made it out of the water with its kill, but they went quickly out of our view. With about 4 minutes of air left in our tanks before we had to head up for our safety stop, we were hanging on to a group of rocks where the current was very strong. After a few moments there, we were treated to the sight we were all waiting for...a small group of hammerhead sharks. There were about 6 or 7 of them and we got to watch them for a few minutes before we had to make our way to the surface. What a sight! Hammerheads have to be some of the strangest looking creatures on this planet and they are a wonder to watch and see in person.
Saturday, June 7
I woke up early Saturday morning to meet up for my dive to Beagle Rocks, a small group of rocks just south of Isla Santiago. This dive site is not listed on any of the dive maps at the shops on Santa Cruz and our dive master, Yen, said it is off the beaten path but a great spot. It turned out to be just as he said. The first dive was pedestrian as we saw some white tipped reef sharks, turtles, and loads of fish. During our time between dives we were snorkeling near the southern edge of the rocks and spotted two giant manta rays. Yen thought they were about 4 meters wide. Because of the thick wetsuits we were wearing, it was nearly impossible to dive down very far to get close to them. But, the manta rays continued circling the area for the next 20 minutes, so I got to see them several times and get within a few meters of them. For our second dive, we started along the wall of the rock where we had seen the manta rays and slowly made our way to the shallow area where the mantas had been circling. We were lucky enough to spot one of the manta rays again, although only briefly. Seeing those manta rays, I think, was the highlight of my diving career. Those animals are just so beautiful and graceful in the water.
For dinner I met up with 3 Canadian girls who I had met on the island. We ate one of their apartments. I ended up getting into an argument with them about introduced species on the islands. One of the girls is living on the islands and is working at the Charles Darwin Center. One of the things that the islands are trying to do is rid the area of introduced species, especially those that are killing indemic animals. This girl adopted 2 cats while living on Santa Cruz, and I made the the mistake of asking her if that was a conflict of interest, as the Darwin Center was trying to rid the islands of animals like cats. I was then bereated for the next little while for my question...I was told that I was only a tourist and didn't understand the problem or the solutions for it. I definitely didn't make new friends that night. Good times!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos
Friday, June 6
On Friday, the whole group (Niels, Jamey, Jodi, Jessica, and me) took a day trip to Bartolome for some hiking and snorkeling. The hike up to the top of the volcano was easy and it provided some remarkable views. We then went snorkeling for a little over an hour. The snorkeling here was fantastic. We got to swim right up to penguins, sea lions, and white tipped reef sharks.
Friday night was my last with my travel companions and really the last time I would see them here in South America since I schedule another dive that was leaving early Saturday morning. The last month or so was great...in large part to the company of Jodi and Jessica. Its going to be strange not traveling with them...even if I only have about 2 weeks left. They are heading to Buenos Aires and then they are off to tackly Africa on June 16th. Good luck Legal Nomads!!
Thursday, June 5
Niels and I met up with our dive group at 6:30am and headed to the far side of the island where we would get on our dive boat. We had a 2 hour boat trip to reach the first dive site, Cousins. Cousins is a small, rocky island just off the coast of Isla San Salvador and is supposed to be great site for lots of fish and sea horses. We did see tons of fish, white tipped reef sharks, and some sea turtles, but had no luck with the sea horses. And, unfortunately, Niels ran into some problems and was unable to make the dive. The first dive lasted about an hour at a depth of 20m. After returning to the boat, we had a snack and snorkeled around a bit before moving to our next dive site off Isla Bartolome. Our second dive of the day was nice. There was tons of fish and I spotted a few moray eels. We also got to see eagle rays, sea turtles, and more white tipped reef sharks. I think I also saw a 6 or 7 foot Galapagos shark just before heading up for my safety stop. The highlight of the dive, though, was a quick spotting of a hammerhead shark.
Wednesday, June 4
We spent the majority of Wednesday at Bahia Tortuga. The bay is about a 40 minute walk from town and when we arrived, we stepped onto a pristine white beach that was being pounded by waves. We walked to the far end of the beach where mangroves lined the water and where several iguanas were hanging out. We then made our way to a smaller beach that was in an area completely protected from the surf. I spent the day walking around the area and doing a little bit of snorkeling. After returning to Puerto Ayora, Niels and I booked a dive trip for the following day. We will be heading to Cousins and Bartolome, which is supposed to be one of the best dive sites that can be done in the area.
On Friday, the whole group (Niels, Jamey, Jodi, Jessica, and me) took a day trip to Bartolome for some hiking and snorkeling. The hike up to the top of the volcano was easy and it provided some remarkable views. We then went snorkeling for a little over an hour. The snorkeling here was fantastic. We got to swim right up to penguins, sea lions, and white tipped reef sharks.
Friday night was my last with my travel companions and really the last time I would see them here in South America since I schedule another dive that was leaving early Saturday morning. The last month or so was great...in large part to the company of Jodi and Jessica. Its going to be strange not traveling with them...even if I only have about 2 weeks left. They are heading to Buenos Aires and then they are off to tackly Africa on June 16th. Good luck Legal Nomads!!
Thursday, June 5
Niels and I met up with our dive group at 6:30am and headed to the far side of the island where we would get on our dive boat. We had a 2 hour boat trip to reach the first dive site, Cousins. Cousins is a small, rocky island just off the coast of Isla San Salvador and is supposed to be great site for lots of fish and sea horses. We did see tons of fish, white tipped reef sharks, and some sea turtles, but had no luck with the sea horses. And, unfortunately, Niels ran into some problems and was unable to make the dive. The first dive lasted about an hour at a depth of 20m. After returning to the boat, we had a snack and snorkeled around a bit before moving to our next dive site off Isla Bartolome. Our second dive of the day was nice. There was tons of fish and I spotted a few moray eels. We also got to see eagle rays, sea turtles, and more white tipped reef sharks. I think I also saw a 6 or 7 foot Galapagos shark just before heading up for my safety stop. The highlight of the dive, though, was a quick spotting of a hammerhead shark.
Wednesday, June 4
We spent the majority of Wednesday at Bahia Tortuga. The bay is about a 40 minute walk from town and when we arrived, we stepped onto a pristine white beach that was being pounded by waves. We walked to the far end of the beach where mangroves lined the water and where several iguanas were hanging out. We then made our way to a smaller beach that was in an area completely protected from the surf. I spent the day walking around the area and doing a little bit of snorkeling. After returning to Puerto Ayora, Niels and I booked a dive trip for the following day. We will be heading to Cousins and Bartolome, which is supposed to be one of the best dive sites that can be done in the area.
Galapagos Tour - Day 5
Tuesday, June 3
We woke up early Tuesday morning to go to the Charles Darwin Center on the island. The center was a little disappointing, but we got to see several giant tortoises and the famous Lonely George. Lonely George is the last giant tortoise of his species in existence. They have placed him in a pen with several female tortoises of a similar species, but he refuses to mate with them. So, it looks like he will be the last tortoise of his species ever to live on this planet. It is amazing how old he looks. After the Darwin Center our boat group had its last meal together. We happened to also have breakfast with a group of doctors who were volunteering on the island. They were all dressed up in clown outfits and we couldn't figure out why until one of the younger doctors refered to the apparent leader of the group as "Patch". It turns out it was Patch Adams and he was just as goofy as I would have imagined.
After breakfast, I said goodbye to most of the boat travelers...all except Jessica, Jodi, Jamey, and Neils, who would be staying on the island for a bit longer. We all checked back into the hostel we had stayed the night before and then decided to check out part of the island. In the afternoon we rented bikes and hired a taxi to drive us and our bikes up to the highlands area of the island. We first went to a tortoise sanctuary where we could walk around a protected area with giant tortoises live. We then made our way back to the entrance of the sanctuary where there were 2 giant tortoise shells were kept. We took turns climbing into the giant shells and making complete fools of ourselves.
The next activity for the day was exploring one of the lava tubes that was created during the formation of the island. The lave tube we visited was over 2km long...although we only had time to explore the first kilometer. The tube itself was enormous...probably about 10 meters wide and 15 meters tall. Once we finished exploring the lava tubes, we rode our bikes the 9km or so back down to Puerto Ayora. We capped the day off by watching the Copa Libertadores semi-final match between Liga de Quito and America. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but because of the point system, Liga de Quito won and will be playing in the finals. This is the first time an Ecuadorian team has ever been in the finals of the Copa Libertadores, so the island's inhabitants were understandably ecstatic.
It is great to be back on dry (and stable) land again. While the Friendship boat was in desperate need of a tune-up, I had a great time on our boat tour and am very happy that I did it. The group on board was fantastic and I know I will stay in touch with many people I met during the previous 4 days. For anyone interest in doing a boat tour on the Galapagos, I would highly recommend it. I would also be happy to provide any recommendations for booking a trip and what boat to take or areas to see, so please contact me if I can help.
We woke up early Tuesday morning to go to the Charles Darwin Center on the island. The center was a little disappointing, but we got to see several giant tortoises and the famous Lonely George. Lonely George is the last giant tortoise of his species in existence. They have placed him in a pen with several female tortoises of a similar species, but he refuses to mate with them. So, it looks like he will be the last tortoise of his species ever to live on this planet. It is amazing how old he looks. After the Darwin Center our boat group had its last meal together. We happened to also have breakfast with a group of doctors who were volunteering on the island. They were all dressed up in clown outfits and we couldn't figure out why until one of the younger doctors refered to the apparent leader of the group as "Patch". It turns out it was Patch Adams and he was just as goofy as I would have imagined.
After breakfast, I said goodbye to most of the boat travelers...all except Jessica, Jodi, Jamey, and Neils, who would be staying on the island for a bit longer. We all checked back into the hostel we had stayed the night before and then decided to check out part of the island. In the afternoon we rented bikes and hired a taxi to drive us and our bikes up to the highlands area of the island. We first went to a tortoise sanctuary where we could walk around a protected area with giant tortoises live. We then made our way back to the entrance of the sanctuary where there were 2 giant tortoise shells were kept. We took turns climbing into the giant shells and making complete fools of ourselves.
The next activity for the day was exploring one of the lava tubes that was created during the formation of the island. The lave tube we visited was over 2km long...although we only had time to explore the first kilometer. The tube itself was enormous...probably about 10 meters wide and 15 meters tall. Once we finished exploring the lava tubes, we rode our bikes the 9km or so back down to Puerto Ayora. We capped the day off by watching the Copa Libertadores semi-final match between Liga de Quito and America. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but because of the point system, Liga de Quito won and will be playing in the finals. This is the first time an Ecuadorian team has ever been in the finals of the Copa Libertadores, so the island's inhabitants were understandably ecstatic.
It is great to be back on dry (and stable) land again. While the Friendship boat was in desperate need of a tune-up, I had a great time on our boat tour and am very happy that I did it. The group on board was fantastic and I know I will stay in touch with many people I met during the previous 4 days. For anyone interest in doing a boat tour on the Galapagos, I would highly recommend it. I would also be happy to provide any recommendations for booking a trip and what boat to take or areas to see, so please contact me if I can help.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Galapagos Tour - Day 4
Monday, June 2
We arrived just off Puenta Cormorant on Isla Floreana in the morning to a gorgeous sunrise and about a dozen black tipped reef sharks swimming around our stern. After breakfast we went onto the island to explore. We landed on a quiet protected beach that had brown sand with a green and red tint to it. This beach, because it is protected from the waves, gets it sand from the nearby moutains, so it takes on the color of its surroundings. From the beach, we headed inland to a large lagoon that was home to several flamingos. From there, we made our way to the other side of the island where there was a pristine white beach that is known as a popular spot for nesting turtles. The beach itself was littered with small sand balls that come from the resident ghost crabs. As the crabs search for food in the sand, they create these tiny balls and deposit them all around their holes. We also spotted several sting rays in the shallows of the ocean and in the tide pools. We then returned to the beach where we landed and were treated to a show put on by two sea lions pups who were wrestling in the shallows.
After boarding the boat, we made a quick trip to Corona Del Diablo, a formation of rocks just off the coast of Floreana. We snorkeled here for about an hour. It was incredible. We started by snorkeling completely around the rock formations where we spotted a few reef sharks and hundreds of thousands of fish. I then made my way into the middle of the formation where the water average about 3 or 4 meters deep and was several degrees warmer. Here I found 2 more sea lions who played with me for about 10 minutes. I also found several underwater caves that I could swim through that would take me back outside the rock formation. I tried taking pictures with a disposable underwater camera, so I hope they come out. The views going through these caves was remarkable. I was then reluctantly forced out of the water by the boat crew and we made out way back to the boat.
Our next stop was Post Office Bay, also on Floreana. Post Office Bay is aptly named for the "post office" that was established there in the early 1800s. It is actually just a box where mail can be dropped off and it will then be delivered by the next person to arrive on the island who happens to be traveling to the destination spot of the addressed letter. We all rifled through stacks of postcards and I picked up 8 that I will put postage on and mail when I return to the states. Just beyond the "post office" was a small lave tube that we were allowed to investigate.
We then boarded the boat for the final time. Before getting going, I needed a water break and quickly climbed to the boat to do a few flips into the water. We then set sail for Isla Santa Cruz where we would be spending the night on land. It was about a 6.5 hour trip, but the sea was much calmer today and provided for a fairly nice ride. We arrived in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz around 6:30pm and had our last meal onboard. Our group was then ferried onto the land (they actually had us where life vests for the first time in the dingy...must have some regulations in Puerto Ayora) and put up in the Lirio Del Mar hostel. From there we made our way to one of the two bars in the area, Cafe y Limon, where we celebrated our survival of the trip and spent our last night together as the Friendship group.
We arrived just off Puenta Cormorant on Isla Floreana in the morning to a gorgeous sunrise and about a dozen black tipped reef sharks swimming around our stern. After breakfast we went onto the island to explore. We landed on a quiet protected beach that had brown sand with a green and red tint to it. This beach, because it is protected from the waves, gets it sand from the nearby moutains, so it takes on the color of its surroundings. From the beach, we headed inland to a large lagoon that was home to several flamingos. From there, we made our way to the other side of the island where there was a pristine white beach that is known as a popular spot for nesting turtles. The beach itself was littered with small sand balls that come from the resident ghost crabs. As the crabs search for food in the sand, they create these tiny balls and deposit them all around their holes. We also spotted several sting rays in the shallows of the ocean and in the tide pools. We then returned to the beach where we landed and were treated to a show put on by two sea lions pups who were wrestling in the shallows.
After boarding the boat, we made a quick trip to Corona Del Diablo, a formation of rocks just off the coast of Floreana. We snorkeled here for about an hour. It was incredible. We started by snorkeling completely around the rock formations where we spotted a few reef sharks and hundreds of thousands of fish. I then made my way into the middle of the formation where the water average about 3 or 4 meters deep and was several degrees warmer. Here I found 2 more sea lions who played with me for about 10 minutes. I also found several underwater caves that I could swim through that would take me back outside the rock formation. I tried taking pictures with a disposable underwater camera, so I hope they come out. The views going through these caves was remarkable. I was then reluctantly forced out of the water by the boat crew and we made out way back to the boat.
Our next stop was Post Office Bay, also on Floreana. Post Office Bay is aptly named for the "post office" that was established there in the early 1800s. It is actually just a box where mail can be dropped off and it will then be delivered by the next person to arrive on the island who happens to be traveling to the destination spot of the addressed letter. We all rifled through stacks of postcards and I picked up 8 that I will put postage on and mail when I return to the states. Just beyond the "post office" was a small lave tube that we were allowed to investigate.
We then boarded the boat for the final time. Before getting going, I needed a water break and quickly climbed to the boat to do a few flips into the water. We then set sail for Isla Santa Cruz where we would be spending the night on land. It was about a 6.5 hour trip, but the sea was much calmer today and provided for a fairly nice ride. We arrived in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz around 6:30pm and had our last meal onboard. Our group was then ferried onto the land (they actually had us where life vests for the first time in the dingy...must have some regulations in Puerto Ayora) and put up in the Lirio Del Mar hostel. From there we made our way to one of the two bars in the area, Cafe y Limon, where we celebrated our survival of the trip and spent our last night together as the Friendship group.
Galapagos Tour - Day 3
Sunday, June 1
We arrived safely to Española early on Sunday morning and had breakfast in Gardener Bay. We then hit the island for some hiking where we mostly saw sea lions sprawled out on a beautiful white sand beach. We also ran into Jon and Lucy here and saw the gorgeous boat they had managed to book...the Anahi catamaran, which came complete with a jacuzzi in the back of the boat. After a bit of hiking, I hit the water for some snorkeling. I headed out to a rock about 150 metes off the beach where I got to swim with several sea lions. The sea lions were incredibly playful and would hang around for about 5 minute stretches before getting bored with my obviously poorer water skills. But, I would run into more sea lions every few minutes. On the side of the rock furthest from the beach there were incredible schools of fish. It was incredible to dive down and swim through them as the school would completely surround me.
After snorkeling we all loaded back up on the boat, ate lunch, and then headed to Punta Suarez on another part of Española. We hike for about 2 hours here and got to get within inches of crabs, colorful marine iguanas (as opposed to the all black iguanas we had been seeing previously), sea lions, the largest species of the lava lizards, nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, mocking birds, Galapagos hawks, and the albatross. The albatross here are the only colony of the birds anywhere in the Galapagos. They were absolutely gorgeous. Its funny to see how beautifully they could fly only to watch them minutes later awkwardly trying to walk on land. The blue-footed boobies and albatross were in their mating and nesting period, so we got to see the different "dances" the birds would do in order to attract a mate. The blue-footed boobies are absolutely ridiculous to watch as they perform their "dance". We also got to see a fairly large blow hole that would spray water several meters in the air when large waves hit the rocks.
After eating dinner back on the boat, we started toward Isla Floreana. It was another long ride and the water once again did not permit for a night of smooth sailing. I tried sitting on the top deck for a while, but was being thrown around so much that I couldn't last long. We also found out that this would be our last night on the boat. The boat was going into to dry dock for repairs, a paint job, and a cockroach cleaning...I guess we were on the last boat trip on this particular vessel before the high season starts here, so we were lucky enough to have the boat in its worse possible condition.
We arrived safely to Española early on Sunday morning and had breakfast in Gardener Bay. We then hit the island for some hiking where we mostly saw sea lions sprawled out on a beautiful white sand beach. We also ran into Jon and Lucy here and saw the gorgeous boat they had managed to book...the Anahi catamaran, which came complete with a jacuzzi in the back of the boat. After a bit of hiking, I hit the water for some snorkeling. I headed out to a rock about 150 metes off the beach where I got to swim with several sea lions. The sea lions were incredibly playful and would hang around for about 5 minute stretches before getting bored with my obviously poorer water skills. But, I would run into more sea lions every few minutes. On the side of the rock furthest from the beach there were incredible schools of fish. It was incredible to dive down and swim through them as the school would completely surround me.
After snorkeling we all loaded back up on the boat, ate lunch, and then headed to Punta Suarez on another part of Española. We hike for about 2 hours here and got to get within inches of crabs, colorful marine iguanas (as opposed to the all black iguanas we had been seeing previously), sea lions, the largest species of the lava lizards, nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, mocking birds, Galapagos hawks, and the albatross. The albatross here are the only colony of the birds anywhere in the Galapagos. They were absolutely gorgeous. Its funny to see how beautifully they could fly only to watch them minutes later awkwardly trying to walk on land. The blue-footed boobies and albatross were in their mating and nesting period, so we got to see the different "dances" the birds would do in order to attract a mate. The blue-footed boobies are absolutely ridiculous to watch as they perform their "dance". We also got to see a fairly large blow hole that would spray water several meters in the air when large waves hit the rocks.
After eating dinner back on the boat, we started toward Isla Floreana. It was another long ride and the water once again did not permit for a night of smooth sailing. I tried sitting on the top deck for a while, but was being thrown around so much that I couldn't last long. We also found out that this would be our last night on the boat. The boat was going into to dry dock for repairs, a paint job, and a cockroach cleaning...I guess we were on the last boat trip on this particular vessel before the high season starts here, so we were lucky enough to have the boat in its worse possible condition.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Galapagos Tour - Day 2
Saturday, May 31
The day started off with a 5am cruise to Plaza Sur, a tiny island just off the east coast of Santa Cruz. We had breakfast at 7am and then headed on to the island. We were greeted by what has locally been dubbed the "Welcoming Committee", which consists of about 30 sea lion pubs and their mothers. It was as if they were trying to impress us as we pull the dingy up to the makeshift rocky landing, playfully swimming all around the boat and wrestling with one another. We stepped onto the island and had to literally walk around sun bathing sea lions and marine iguanas. From the docking area, we walked up the coast looking at tons of sea lions, lava lizards, marine iguanas, and land iguanas. Plaza Sur is the only place in the Galapagos Islands where the marine iguanas inter breed with land iguanas due to their close proximity. We then made our made to the far side of the island where a group of bachelor sea lions had made a home on top of the cliffs over looking the Pacific Ocean...along with hundreds of frigate birds and swallow tailed gulls. Here I also got my first glimpse of a blue-footed boobie. As we were leaving the island, the "Welcoming Committee" came out again in full force. Twenty or so sea lion pups followed our dingy around for a few minutes doing their best imitation of dolphins.
Once back on board the Friendship, we headed to Isla Santa Fe for lunch and more exploring. Santa Fe is just off the southeast coast of Santa Cruz. After lunch, and before heading onto the island for some hiking, we needed a water break so a couple of us climbed up to the top deck and did our best to impress one another with dives and flips from the boat. Once on Santa Fe, we saw hundreds of sea lions, lava lizards, Darwin finches, mocking birds, and a forest of Opuntia cacti. We were hoping to spot some land iguanas that can only be found on Santa Fe, but had no luck. The mocking birds were incredibly fearless...I would never had imagined a bird would dare get this close to humans on purpose, yet there they were, coming right up to us and chirping in hopes of getting into our water bottles or finding a scrap of food. After about an hour of hiking we got to jump in the water for some much needed cooling off and another chance to snorkel. Here I saw my first Galapagos sea turtle as well as more eagle rays and thousands of fish, most of which were clumped together in schools so large and dense it seemed like I would never pass through.
We spent our second night on the boat on the move...a 6 hour trip from Santa Fe to Española...that was not for the weak of stomach. I'm not sure whether it was the boat or the sea, but it was a fight to stand upright or remain on the top bunk for much of the night.
The day started off with a 5am cruise to Plaza Sur, a tiny island just off the east coast of Santa Cruz. We had breakfast at 7am and then headed on to the island. We were greeted by what has locally been dubbed the "Welcoming Committee", which consists of about 30 sea lion pubs and their mothers. It was as if they were trying to impress us as we pull the dingy up to the makeshift rocky landing, playfully swimming all around the boat and wrestling with one another. We stepped onto the island and had to literally walk around sun bathing sea lions and marine iguanas. From the docking area, we walked up the coast looking at tons of sea lions, lava lizards, marine iguanas, and land iguanas. Plaza Sur is the only place in the Galapagos Islands where the marine iguanas inter breed with land iguanas due to their close proximity. We then made our made to the far side of the island where a group of bachelor sea lions had made a home on top of the cliffs over looking the Pacific Ocean...along with hundreds of frigate birds and swallow tailed gulls. Here I also got my first glimpse of a blue-footed boobie. As we were leaving the island, the "Welcoming Committee" came out again in full force. Twenty or so sea lion pups followed our dingy around for a few minutes doing their best imitation of dolphins.
Once back on board the Friendship, we headed to Isla Santa Fe for lunch and more exploring. Santa Fe is just off the southeast coast of Santa Cruz. After lunch, and before heading onto the island for some hiking, we needed a water break so a couple of us climbed up to the top deck and did our best to impress one another with dives and flips from the boat. Once on Santa Fe, we saw hundreds of sea lions, lava lizards, Darwin finches, mocking birds, and a forest of Opuntia cacti. We were hoping to spot some land iguanas that can only be found on Santa Fe, but had no luck. The mocking birds were incredibly fearless...I would never had imagined a bird would dare get this close to humans on purpose, yet there they were, coming right up to us and chirping in hopes of getting into our water bottles or finding a scrap of food. After about an hour of hiking we got to jump in the water for some much needed cooling off and another chance to snorkel. Here I saw my first Galapagos sea turtle as well as more eagle rays and thousands of fish, most of which were clumped together in schools so large and dense it seemed like I would never pass through.
We spent our second night on the boat on the move...a 6 hour trip from Santa Fe to Española...that was not for the weak of stomach. I'm not sure whether it was the boat or the sea, but it was a fight to stand upright or remain on the top bunk for much of the night.
Galapagos Tour - Day 1
Friday, May 30
I flew from Guayaquil to Isla Baltra in the morning. Jodi, Jessica, and I met our guide and several other people who would be joining us on our boat once we arrived on the island. We then gathered our belongings and made the quick drive out to the docks to board the Friendship boat that would be our home for the next 4 nights. When we arrived on the docks, we were greeted by several sea lions and iguanas who had made the area the home. It was my first introduction to the animal life here and it was just like I had heard...the animals have absolutely no fear of humans and you can get right up next to them with no fear of being attacked or them scrambling away. The boat was more or less what I was expecting for what I had paid...it was old, small, and over flowing with cockroaches. But, I got a great feeling from the group I would be traveling with and was ready to get started. Our group consisted of 3 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 Brit, 1 Dutch, 2 Israelis, 1 Chinese, 1 Brazilian, and 6 Ecuadorians.
Once we had all 16 passengers on board (plus 7 crew), we headed out to Isla Santa Cruz for Playa Bachas. Here we got our first real taste of animal life on the islands. We saw tons of crabs, pelicans, frigate birds, marine iguanas, and a lagoon with a few flamingos. After hiking around the island for a bit, I was able to strap on my fins, mask, and snorkel and get a glimpse at underwater life in these secluded islands. The snorkeling was not great, but I did get to see tons of fish (including parrot and puffer) and a few eagle rays.
After about 40 minutes of snorkeling we all re-boarded the boat and headed out to Itabaca Channel between Santa Cruz and Baltra to spend the night. We had an incredible sunset and enjoyed it from the top deck of the boat. I then got to spend my first night on the boat (I had the top bunk...with about 10 inches of space between the mattress and ceiling) and tried to sleep despite the noise coming from the engine room and other creaking spaces of the ancient boat.
I flew from Guayaquil to Isla Baltra in the morning. Jodi, Jessica, and I met our guide and several other people who would be joining us on our boat once we arrived on the island. We then gathered our belongings and made the quick drive out to the docks to board the Friendship boat that would be our home for the next 4 nights. When we arrived on the docks, we were greeted by several sea lions and iguanas who had made the area the home. It was my first introduction to the animal life here and it was just like I had heard...the animals have absolutely no fear of humans and you can get right up next to them with no fear of being attacked or them scrambling away. The boat was more or less what I was expecting for what I had paid...it was old, small, and over flowing with cockroaches. But, I got a great feeling from the group I would be traveling with and was ready to get started. Our group consisted of 3 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 Brit, 1 Dutch, 2 Israelis, 1 Chinese, 1 Brazilian, and 6 Ecuadorians.
Once we had all 16 passengers on board (plus 7 crew), we headed out to Isla Santa Cruz for Playa Bachas. Here we got our first real taste of animal life on the islands. We saw tons of crabs, pelicans, frigate birds, marine iguanas, and a lagoon with a few flamingos. After hiking around the island for a bit, I was able to strap on my fins, mask, and snorkel and get a glimpse at underwater life in these secluded islands. The snorkeling was not great, but I did get to see tons of fish (including parrot and puffer) and a few eagle rays.
After about 40 minutes of snorkeling we all re-boarded the boat and headed out to Itabaca Channel between Santa Cruz and Baltra to spend the night. We had an incredible sunset and enjoyed it from the top deck of the boat. I then got to spend my first night on the boat (I had the top bunk...with about 10 inches of space between the mattress and ceiling) and tried to sleep despite the noise coming from the engine room and other creaking spaces of the ancient boat.
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