Galapagos and the Perfect Storm

---

Cherie and I are now back on the mainland after an incredible time sailing around the Galapagos Islands.
We have seen sharks, turtles and all types of iguana and tortoise as well as swimming with sea lions which was incredible.
However, we were conscious that this is not the sort of email people want while they are sitting in their offices at work. so to brighten up your day we can tell you about our first near death experience.
Day one on the boat and after a beautiful afternoon and even more amazing sunset we set sail on our 16 person boat for a more remote island. All was fine until about midnight when the waves picked up to something approaching those seen in the film Perfect Storm. Cherie and I were in a lower cabin and my top bunk looked out of the port hole to just above sea level when we were on flat waters, so you can imagine our surprise to be awoken by the boat pitching wildly and my port hole to giving a view alternately of the sky and then to be completely submerged by water.
The boat continued on its way and we tried to sleep telling ourselves all was ok and it would quieten down. Dozing fitfully all the while dreaming of our escape routes should the worst happen = Cheries particularly ingenius plan being that she would sleep wearing her snorkel mask and headtorch with her passport tucked into the side in case we were forced to evacuate.
After about 3 hours of being thrown from side to side of our cabin there was an even more violent wave which nearly throw me off my bunk and all the drawers etc flew across the room. after our experience earlier this year in south africa seeing the boat capsize in shark infested waters we thought this was to be our turn and we got ready to find ourselves in the ocean. fortunately this was also the point that with the guide being seasick the captain decided to change course and head away from the worst of the waves.

as day broke and the waves had subsided we had a couple of hours sleep before venturing up to find everyone else equally ashen faced from the nights adventure = we then learnt we had been in 6 metre waves and the heading towards 8 metre waves and we later heard that one of the other boats attempting the same route as us had actually capsized in the night.

But on the bright side we woke to beautiful blue skies and were swimming with sea lions later that morning.
And to end on a lighter note we had our first boozy night out with a group of people we met on the boat and after a night out we returned to our hotel where we sensibly retired whereas a danish guy with us decided to stay up drinking with some russian guys also staying at the hotel downing tequilas, pints of wodka and who knows what else. we wished him well knowing that if i joined in i would most likely have died = either from the booze or at cheries hands = and went off to bed.
the danish guy appeared at breakfast the next morning still drunk and loudly announced at our table that he had slept fully clothed and woken up in a pool of his own piss... much to his girlfriends disgust.
who says i havent learnt anything

We are now off to the Amazon to find our next adventure. We will be back on the emails on the 12th october, just after my 30th birthday.

happy birthday to frosty, nick, tim and skip and anyone else we have forgotten.

excuse the typing = cant work this keyboard.

hopefully photos to follow in day or 2...

---