I do feel there should be a law that anything christmassy should start on 1 Dec only and before that, incur a strong fine but i went against that today having done a Brownie craft day and went to the RSPB christmas craft day. Ali really does work in the most amazing place, in the grounds of a nature reserve and walking through the trees reminded me why I love autumn so much, a crisp day but the sun was shining so brightly.
We love welcoming people to St Neots and look forward to the point when we aren't taking people on a day trip that we don't have a clue about. This time we went to Cambridge and took the park and ride with the family, without a map but we followed our noses to a craft fair, then managed to walk through one of the amazing university campuses without paying the entry fee and spent the majority of time watching people punting, for that one person that missed their footing and went sploosh. The variety of passengers were interesting, from the person with way too much money who had a punt and guide to themselves, to the people on a date, to the 12 people filled boats of Asian tourists. We do love Cambridge, and in the autumn, it really showed off it's colours. A bit of shopping in the market where all of my family decided I don't suit hats so I've gone for comedy value with a hat with ears, and then it was time to leave. Trouble is, the next people we take there, we won't be able to find our way again so it will be a whole new experience.
Well, what you don’t ever think about when you book a holiday is how long it will take to get home. We left the islands on Sunday, had a night in Quito with altitude insomnia again, then on a plane to Guayaquil, one of the most dangerous places in Ecuador, then onto Madrid, then to Heathrow, then to Bristol and then eventually back home on Wednesday. Coming home is always the harded part, you don’t have anything to look forward to but working to earn the money to go away again.
I’ve never been to a place where I’ve almost been brought to tears when leaving. The truth is that I loved Galapagos and I often get asked which destination has been my favourite, but I think Galapagos has to win hands down. It has the best of everything that Ali and I love, the environment, the wildlife and the complete isolation. They also have the respect for the environment that I wish the rest of the world has. It just goes to show how humans have affected wildlife too when you visit an island where the wildlife just consider you as another animal, not a threat.
We met some wonderful people on the trip. We were the youngest by 20-30 years with an approximate average age of 60-70, and we loved it. Our group of 6 was fun, we ate together, laughed at the dynamics between different groups that have formed. We accidentally got the wrong tickets before we left as we had Peter and Graces tickets, but you can’t help but think this was meant to be as we have ended up being friends and look forward to seeing them soon. Who else would loose their luggage, loose two teeth and still be positive and smiling? They joined us when no-one joined Ali and I on our dinner table, and we shared so many giggles together.
Yes, it’s the most expensive place I’ve ever visited, but it was Ali’s dream holiday and she loved every second. Just one dream holiday to go, to Antarctica.
What a sad day, it’s always sad leaving a holiday but it almost brought me to tears leaving this paradise place. An early start as I like to get some quiet time reflecting, but a lot of other people were doing the same so it wasn’t so quiet. We watched the numerous black tip sharks, the blue footed boobies, the pelicans and dolphins playing around the ship and then it was time to say goodbye and have our last zodiac to the place we started our journey.
To say the airport was bustling would be an understatement, it was build by the US military forces and is pretty much a barn, no windows but long benches to sit on, similar to the old fashioned railway stations. However, fill it with hundreds of people. No duty free, just some stalls outside the airport, a very loose search of your bags and then you were on the plane. It was quite a shock to the system to not be herded. The sad thing was seeing our naturalists welcoming the next influx of guests who will be boarding the ship. We watched them coming through arrivals, all so excited to have just landed on paradise.
A charter flight is the way to travel with your towel on arrival, table cloth, blue footed boobie embroidered napkins which are now in our suitcase and proper cutlery. And the best bit, no limit on liquids at all! Back in quito and to the mariott where our journey all began a week ago. We had a shopping trip to the local markets, then for our last supper in Quito. Trouble is the altitude has got to everyone, it feels like we can sleep now.
Our penultimate day in ‘the last paradise’, and it really is. Where else do animals not flinch when you go near them and where the population respects the environment so much, they keep it pristine. The morning started with an unusual sight, of land and houses. Every day we have been so isolated away from people and life, it has just been us, the animals and the natural environment that it was hard to comprehend seeing people again. We visited the Charles Darwin research station, although it felt more like a zoo than a research place. We saw the different types of giant tortoises and the baby ones. We also saw the famous lonesome George, the last of his species, a $10,000 reward is up for grabs if you find him a make. Then a bit of shopping in the main hub on Santa Cruz island, then back on the zodiac for an art and jewellery exhibition.
Our last afternoon trip was to see giant tortoises in the while. On route we walked though a huge lava tunnel, saw a barn owl sleeping and then onto the ranch to see the tortoises roaming free. We passed so many on the way, including one that wanted to walk along the road instead of the grassland, however the impatient truck wanting to pass ended up in the ditch. We walked through a meadow of over 20+ giant tortoises that didn’t flinch when you came close. You were even allowed to put on one of the shells. I’m still amazed that the tortoises backbone is welded to it’s shell, on the cartoons a tortoise could take it’s house off and on. It really was a fantastic end to the holiday.
Back on board for an excellent slideshow of the trip, our last supper and bed very tired. Ali watched the sharks before bed.
Another early start, and back on the zodiacs, this time to visit Santiago to see fur seals (although I still can’t tell the difference between a seal and a sea lion). Another wet landing onto a volcanic beach with black sand, and then off on the long walk in search of fur seals. We walked over the lava fields and this time arrived at pools with lava bridges, with turquoise blue sea with the fur seals resting. Ali got to see her favourite bird, the oystercatcher. We saw lava gulls, grear blue heronlava heron, yellow crowned night heron, ruddy turnstone, sandpiper, Sanderling, yellow warbler, Smooth billed ani, marine iguana, lava lizards but before all that, we saw a huge pod of dolphins circling the ship.
Then the best ever snorkelling, the water was so clear, you only went a few inches when I was met by a sea lion pup swimming directly towards me and then quickly twisting. The topical fish were amazing, the colours of oranges, black, rainbow fish were amazing but the best bit was by far the sea lion pups, they twisted, turned, swam directly by the side of you. They mimicked your every move so I would dive down and they would follow but in a much more elegant way. They swam directly to my mask, and then quickly twisted by the side of me. The smallest seal pup was playing with a flipper lost by someone else, when I retrieved it, it just stared at me right in the face as those it couldn’t comprehend why I was taking its new toy. They really are like puppies and swimming with them is something I will never forget.
A Mexican lunch and the afternoon lecture was done in small groups with our naturalists from Galapagos talking about their lives on the islands and growing up in paradise. 95% of islanders are very conservation aware, however education and healthcare is very much lacking on the islands. It was also the last straw of people asking us if we were sisters, my automatic response now is that ‘we are engaged’. I still find it funny when people say ‘that’s ok’, as though we are seeking approval but I know it’s nothing vindictive, they just don’t know what to say.
Our afternoon excursion was on the Island of Santa Cruz, and a very different terrain, every island has been so different. This island had very red dry soil. We had a very welcome dry landing, and over the lava field onto the beach and more marine iguana’s. We are getting quite complacent of marine iguana’s. We saw an inland lake with WImbrels and black necked stilts then walked to the top of a vantage point to a great view over the islands we have visited, Isabela, Bartholme, Baltra and Santiago. On route we saw the yellow land iguana’s. Unfortunately this is our last day in utter islation, tomorrow we are back in civilisation and seeing people. We have been on our own on the islands, just us and the animals. All good things must come to an end, but tomorrow is going to be a highlight, the giant tortoise at the Charles Darwin research centre.
This trip really is exhausting, very early starts and long walks on the day, it’s no wonder the trip has a health warning. The morning started getting over full at the buffet breakfast, then it was back on the zodiac to Urbina Bay on Isabela Island, the largest in the Galapagos and made up of 4 volcanoes’ collided together. The sand was completely black, and is one of the Galapagos newest islands, sadly the ones further to the right that we have already visited such as Espanola are slowly dying and will eventually be gobbled up by the sea. All of the islands move to the eat, and the hotspot (currently under Fernandina) makes new islands.
As soon as we arrived on Isabela we were greeted by 11 Galapagos hawks just watching us from the trees and stood on the sand, they followed us throughout the walk, they were all adolescents so very intrigued about us. We saw the huge land iguana with their yellow skin and the piece de resistance…the giant tortoise in the wild. We saw a couple of babies (only 8 years old), then an older one of about 15 years old but still these were small compared to how large they are going to get. I was really looking forward to seeing the tortoise, I have to get one when we get back (a normal size, not a giant one). We saw lots of Darwin’s finches, turtle nests and then it was back on the zodiac to visit one of Galapagos newest island and highest. En route we saw dolphins in the water. This trip really does feel like we are walking through an open zoo.
The afternoon lecture was on the difference between tortoise and turtle. In fact they are all turtles but the English language decided to have 3 names, tortoise, turtle and terrapin. They told us what a tortoise has in it’s house, it doesn’t have shelves or a kitchen, but the top of the shell is it’s backbone! It was a fascinating talk, and half way through we were interrupted by a Brutas whale in the distance. This really is paradise.
After lunch we sailed to Fernandina, the newest of the islands and directly over the hotspot which is comforting to know (new being a few million years only). The island is by far the highest of all the islands, and we had a rare dry landing, however it was directly onto the lava fields which were fascinating. We walked over the glass like Aa lava which is formed from the most violent eruprtion, we wandered over the creeping lava with it’s rolls and the flat smooth lava. As we approached the island there were so many Marine iguana’s and turtles swimming in the water. We did the long walk this time, to see the flightless cormorant, with it’s bedraggled wings that it doesn’t use to fly anymore as it just walks into the water.
We sat at a turtle pool for a long time watching the turtles pop their heads above the water, similarly to the whack a mole game when trying to photograph them. But without a doubt, the biggest thing about this island is the number of marine iguana’s, 3000 of time! They were everywhere, warming themselves up in the sun. They lie on top of each other, use each other as cushions and we freakily had to walk through them. All the while they don’t even flinch but oh my, the smell was awful. We walked over the lava field for so long that the lava started to look like marine iguana’s. I watched a sea lion pup playing with a stick in the shallows, they are so puppy like. We walked past the sea lion crèche and watching iguana’s sneezing the salt out of their nose and then back on board the ship to watch whales, dolphins, tuna being thrust to the top of the water and the feeding frenzy from the birds above. A great sun set ended another day in paradise. .
Another day, another island, this time we are back to Snata Cruz where we began our journey but this time we were at Bachus beach. We watched as the crew unloaded the zodiac of our food supplies as well as a cross trainer (needed after the amount of food we are consuming). Off we went on the zodiac’s for a wet landing on the beach, we saw the fins of sharks, a mother and baby. We walked along the beach, seeing turtle nests, some so fresh that the eggs must have only been laid 2 hours ago, you could see their tracks as they pulled themselves up the beach.
We saw the marine iguana’s slide through the water, brown pelican, ghost crabs (that unfortunately eat turtle eggs) and the reason we came here…flamingo’s. We watched one fly over head with black under it’s wings and we watched them feeding from the pools. Flamingo’s intrigue me as they feed up side down and they legs really don’t look like they can support their weight. We watched as they did a kind of dance to bring up their food from the silt.
Then it was time to snorkel again, unfortunately visibility was bad so we just saw some tropical fish but the warmer water was appreciated. The same can’t be said for the afternoon snorkelling where hypothermia was possible and I had to warm up by laying in bed for quite a while after a hot shower.
After the lecture on the geology of Galapagos, we got to experience it first hand by visiting Barthholme island where we went on a zodiac ride to see the 2nd smallest penguin, the Galapagos penguin. We saw brown pelican, lava gull, boobies and pinnacle point. After the ride we snorkelled of the water was absolutely freezing, who would have thought that the equator would be so cold but it was oh so worth it. As soon as I got in I followed a turtle for quite a way, then a ray. We swan over to Pinnacle point to see star fish, the chocolate chip star fish, lots of carol, rainbow fish, yellow tailed fish and bobbies darting into the water. Following the turtle has to be one of the highlights of the trip. While I was snorkelling, Ali was getting eaten alive by mosquito’s so back on the boat to warm up, dinner, then another early night.
I can’t sleep, I’m too excited about today – snorkelling with turtles, sharks and rays. It’s the first time I’ve been deep water snorkelling, you can’t touch the floor and we are going straight off the sides of the zodiacs but I really can’t wait, already have an adrenalin rush. The sharks are friendly, no cages, just us and the sharks so I thought I’d post this now, just in case they don’t turn out quite so friendly.
Success, I’m alive. What a day, it started at 5am, I seem to be making a habit of waking up at 5am so I thought I may as well see the sunrise. I was so early that I scared the bar person, I don’t think they get many others sat in the bar at 5am. Today we are at Floreana, home of the infamous baroness story, she is still lost, we didn’t find her. But we did find lots of other things.
Zodiac ride to the island, then a walk over to the white powder beach, complete with stinging rays. We passed the flamingo lake, complete with just one flamingo and one Great blue heron. We saw lava gull, turtles, ground finches, Sally lightfoot crabs, seals, sanderlings, sharks, boobies, wasps and bees.
Then it was time to leave, I left Ali on the beach while I went back to the ship to don the wetsuit and snorkelling gear. The 20 minute zodiac ride to Champion Island was the best yet, with the chopping water, we sped across the Pacific ocean to the island. It was very chopping, and we were told that we should only do it if we were confident. But there was no going back, off the sidew of the boat into the unknown. As soon as we went in, there were two white tip sharks beneath us, so elegant.
The shoals of bright coloured fish, with the sea lions hunting made me swallow gallons of sea water, you just couldn’t look away. It was surprisingly deep, the seals played with us and scared me when it swam directly for me then underneath me twirling around. It was such an amazing experience, so glad I did it but gosh the water was cold, it took me a long time to warm up again.
After lunch we watched the BBC film ‘Galapagos’, and what was very amusing was that everyone fell asleep! We just looked around the room as people’s heads nodding up and down, the people with their head back and mouth wide open, the people trying to hide it but there was more people asleep than there were awake. Not a reflection of the great film.
Then back on the zodiacs for a tour of Floreana’s sea life, this time above the water. We saw the black sea turtle, the Galapagos penguin, the only penguin to live on the equator, the white tip shark resting in an inlet and the semi plamated plover. It’s no wonder this tour comes with a fitness warning, Ali and I are shattered and we are the youngest by about 20 years.
