galapagos

So...after being upgraded to business class (probably 1st and only time in my life), arrived on santa cruz island. Plan was to try and get a last minute deal when i got here, but on looking aruond prices not massively cheap. Decided to just do a few day trips to some islands and mooch around the main santa cruz for a while. Went to the Charles Darwin centre where the giant tortoises are and u can get right up close and personal with them. Also went to the lovely white sand tortuga bay which is just gorgeous and more so by the fact that hardly anyone there and no high rises built along the edge.

Went diving to gordon rocks and seymour which was amazing, sharks everywhere, white tips, galapagos sharks and in the distance hammerheads. Massive turtles that swim right up to you and huge rays. Expensive but worth it.

Did one day trip to bartolome island but was put off a bit by the 4 hours there and back and only 2 hours there. 5am start! Bartolome is one of the proper volcanic islands with the famous pinnacle rock view.

When got back to santa cruz looked for more deals and managed to get a bargain for 6 days to both north and south islands for 720 dollars (about 200 less than anyone else on the boat but that was booking on the day and to be honest the guy was quite happy to let the berth go unfilled rather than me pay less). Sharing a cabin with another Kimberley who is my age from Oz. Quite random. 1st group of folk were nice enough for 3 days but not huge amounts of fun but one guy fixed my memory cards so i could actually use my photos again so not all bad. Docked in the middle and another bunch got on who were a much better laugh. Went to Santiago, Seymour, Bartolome, santa fe, espanola and floreana. Espanola was the best, really colourful marine igauanas and amazing beaches.

The islands are stunning, everything you have seen and more. I was expecting rocky islands a bit like falklands but were amazing beaches, snorkelling with penguins and really hot. Many an hour was spent sunbathing on the deck! Hundreds of marine and land iguanas that didnt give 2 hoots how close you came, and same for sea lions. Think i went a bit overboard taking pictures of baby sea lions but so cute! Albatross, frigatebirds, boobies (blue and red footed), and on the lat day a massive pod of bottlenose dolphins alongside our boat jumping and flipping with babies too. Nice way to end the trip.

After the cruise me and Kimberley 2 went to Isabella island for 3 days, which is really quiet and much less developed. On my birthday we went on a tour round the 2nd widest active volcano in the world and then spent the afternoon sunbathing on yet another gorgeous beach. Evening obviously out for a few beverages. Next day had an amazing snorkelling trip where we played around with baby sealions in the water.

Finally after draining my bank account decided had to leave after 2.5 weeks but would love to come back one day, with a bit more money!

---

---

---