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Published: December 22nd 2009
Quito to the Galapagos Islands
The day started early with waking up at 630 am and breakfast at the Hotel Cartuja which was well done. Eggs however you wanted them, toast, jam, fresh fruit, fresh juice and of course coffee. The coffee was superb. Strong and smooth, just the way we like it.
We settled our bill, made reservations for our return and had the hotel call us a cab and we were on our way. We arrived at the airport about 30 minutes early and it was a typical small airport scene, all the counters in one big room, lots of people wandering around, vendors selling sunglasses out of brief cases, etc. There were signs for the airline Aerogal, but our flight number was not listed. We stood around for a bit, looking like deer in headlights and then asked an airport person where to go. He pointed us in the right direction and we went and stood in line. Luckily it was the correct line and there were Quasar - Evolution personnel there to check us in, give us our tickets and guide us to the baggage scanner off to the side of the check in area. We took
our bags over and they scanned just the large luggage and put a tag on it, which we thought was odd. It seemed like they barely looked at the scanner when it went through, sort of like scanning the luggage was a formality, instead of serious business like it is in the U.S.. Then we took our luggage back to the ticket counter and turned it in, got our boarding passes, and headed to the boarding area and they scanned our carry on baggage and had us walk through scanners. It was all very relaxed and chaotic at the same time, but we made it through. We waited for our plane for an hour and met some of the other people that will be joining us on the boat. Our flight boarded on time and we walked out to the airplane and boarded.
The flight to Guayaquil was only 1 hour and it was pleasant. We disembarked and thought our next plane would be taking off in an hour, but it was delayed an hour, so we boarded it late and landed at San Cristobal late as well. There was free WiFi in both airports, but it was better
Waiting For Customs
The airport is so small the line for customs went out the door. It was a bit warm, but not too bad.at Guayaquil than in Quito.
Just before the plane landed at San Cristobal, there was a very quick announcement telling us that they were going to disinfect the plane. They said the disinfectant had been approved by the World Health Organization, so I was OK with it. Then the crew opened up all of the overhead storage bins for carry on luggage and sprayed it with some sort of disinfectant. Most people were taken by surprise when it happened. They also sprayed all the luggage at San Cristobal after it was unloaded from the plane. This is done to try and keep invading organisms off of the islands.
San Cristobal island is quite desert like and rocky. The airport is so small that the plane landed, taxied to the end of the runway, turned around and drove back to the airport and dropped us off. There is only one landing strip and it is big enough for a 737. We went through customs, paid our $10 transit fee and $100 park fee and then waited for our luggage to arrive. They had dogs sniff the luggage as well as the disinfectant spray. Once the luggage was cleared, they
Trudy Going Through Customs
The airport building was an open air facility with a huge roof. Sort of like a nice wooden warehouse with walls inside to separate those coming and those leaving. opened the area and just let everyone rush in and grab their luggage. It was an interesting experience (pic). On the way out they collected the luggage tags from us which seemed like an odd step in the process.
We took a bus to the port and from there we got on the pangas/zodiac boats and motored out to the Evolution. The sea was a little choppy, but not bad. We all disembarked and were told that it was time for lunch. We had lunch and met some more of the passengers and then went to our cabins briefly to change clothes as the weather here is warm, but pleasant if you have shorts and a tank top on.
Then we had the safety talk and the rule talk. Rules include the following: no food or eating on the islands, no gum, no touching the animals, no flash photos, no graffiti, no going to the bathroom on the island, no circling the animals, stay on paths, no running. Basically don't impact the environment or wildlife.
After the talk we went to our cabins to unpack and then there was an emergency drill and some practice putting the
Where The $ Goes
This poster shows where the $100 Park Entry Fee goes. Although, it may no longer be accurate as we heard that the Ecuadorian president has decided to take all the proceeds and distribute them as his government sees fit. life preservers on and learning how to prevent hypothermia in the water, if we end up having to jump in.
Then we went back to the cabin and unpacked the rest of our clothes and it was time for a cocktail or two. We discovered a new cocktail called a caiparińo or something like that. It is Bolivian and made with a cane sugar alcohol and limes crushed with sugar. Very refreshing!
I was a little dizzy from the boat swaying, but took some Dramamine last night and am hoping I can get along without it today. We got under way at 3 AM and the engine noise and increased movement of the boat woke us up, but wasn't too bad. It was like sleeping on a bed that is in a big hammock that sways all night long, sometimes more than others.
The weather here is wonderful! Warm and a bit humid, but it actually got a bit cool last night and is very pleasant this morning. It's overcast and a bit gray outside, but we are hoping that it will burn off. The food is good and there are many choices. I had the fish
Dogs Sniffing Our Luggage
Dogs sniffed our luggage and a disenfectant was sprayed on the bags to prevent any foreign organisms from invading the islands. with our first lunch - it was called scorpion fish and for dinner I had shrimp in a nice tomato sauce. The coffee and deserts are great too.
I forgot to mention that the weather in Quito was quite nice as well. In the 70's and no humidity. It was a bit gray and overcast there too.
Here are a few facts: The Galapagos Islands are 604 miles west of the Ecuadorian mainland. There is a combined total of 3,042 square miles of land spread over 24,000 miles of ocean. There are 13 main islands and 5 minor islands. The GI are a province, national park, marine reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. In 1959 about 2,000 people lived on the islands. The 2006 census estimates the total at 40,000.
Each boat has a specific itinerary designed by the G national park service. Tomorrow we get to explore our Espańola (Hood) Island - - - yippee!! Espańola is the oldest of the big islands. We will explore the west, Point Suarez, and Gunner Bay in the afternoon. Alex, our guide told us to watch out for and
Luggage Free For All
Our luggage was unloaded into a room and then inspected. Once it was cleared, they opened the area and we all rushed in to grab our bags. not step in poop from the animals as it is very stinky and watch out for the Marine Iguanas as they are the same color as the lava. We are required to wash off the bottoms of our shoes when we return to the boat.
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Mary Makaus
non-member comment
Tell me more!
Wow! A detailed description of the Galapagos! I love it. Snorkeling? wow! Adventure abounds.