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It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most receptive to change.
Charles Darwin
After visiting the Galapagos one imagines Darwin was thinking about the iguinas when he made the above quote. The marine iguanas are interesting creatures to observe. We read the beauty of the Galapagos can’t be explained it must be experienced and we found that to be true. These marvelously blackish reptiles are a quintessential example of adaptation.
This final post from the Galapagos will finish up our time on the yacht and the two days we spent at a resort. After all, when you've spent some time working hard at observing some fantastic wildlife, you just might need a night or two of luxury at a resort. If you missed our first two here are the links.
The Glorious Galápagos Islands To toss them overboard or not?.... In the Galapagos We appreciate you following along on our journey and hope it holds some interst for you. We always appreciate messages and comments.
Beautiful Islands with Flamingos If you’ve followed our blogs the past few years you know one of our favorites birds is the flamingo. We were happy to see some last year when we were in Colombia and were enchanted by them on this trip to the Galapagos. The greater flamingo is the resident
on these islands and sadly, there are only about 500.
For us Flamingos are enchanting elegant creatures that fly with grace and have an aristrocratic strut. We were able to watch them in their natural habitat from a distance on the inland waterway. They congregate in the shallow brackish waters which are rich feeding grounds for them. Their pink color comes from their diet of small crustacenas and tiny water plants. Flamingos often stand on one leg and is assumed to be a resting position. Flamingos prefer to stay in large colonies and they mate for life.
Watching them in flight is magical and gave us great joy!
Galapagos Tortoises! Time and time again we learn from human's mistakes. In the 16
th century there were some 250,000 tortoises on these islands and by 1970 they were down to 15,000. The decline was due to using them for meat and oil, in addition to bringing non-native animals to the islands such as rats, goats and pigs. A great deal of tedious work has gone into rebuild the population to past numbers. We were fortunate to visit three tortoise conservation centers while visiting.
They protect and train
the tortoises for five years before releasing them back into the wild. These amazing creatures live to 180 years old. They live in an amazing shelter that mimicks their natural environment. They feed and protect them, while allowing them to mature and learn survival skills.They are taught how to turn themselves back over if they encounter a rock or hole that tosses them on their backs. The center focuses on reproduction and keeping these animals healthy.
For those who are interested we believe you can do volunteer work at these facilities.
We saw larger African tortoises in the Seychelles but the conservation work in the Galapagos was impressive and the habitat they have created for them is natural. We were disturbed by the barriers they kept them in the Seychelles.
Getting from point A to point B…. from the yacht to the mainland Many are in agreement that if you want to see something very special, you have to go a little further or understand that it can be a bit complicated. On our arrival, it was pretty straightforward….get off the plane, gather the group, get on a bus which takes a few miles to the
zodiac which deposits you on the boat. Getting back to the airport was a bit more complex as we had to walk about a half-mile to the dock, get on a transport skiff, arrive at a dock where you then drive almost one hour across the island, only to get on another water taxi which then takes you to a dock where a bus then finally gets you to the airport. That's a fair hike just to get to get on a plane.
The Finch Bay Hotel Our time on the Isabella II came to a close and we headed to the Finch Bay Hotel for two days of land based activities and relaxation.
We arranged for a guided tour of the Highlands of Santa Cruz. Our guide picked us up at the airport and took us on a half day tour of The Twin Craters. Some argue these are not craters but holes formed by magma domes which created empty chamber that collapsed over a passage of time. No matter, they were unexpected and we enjoyed the walk near them was lovely with the lush greenery. It is impressive how large they craters are. A short
drive and a short walk allowed us to check out some small caves in the area.
From there we stopped for lunch at Rancho Manzanillo and enjoy yet another tortoise sanctuary. After lunch we wandered the fields filled with both domed and saddle back tortoises. It is nice being able to wander freely watching them eat and interact with one another.
It was now time to head to the hotel and we were happy get settled in and relax before our ceviche cooking class. We took a ten minute water taxi to a dock and then walked about a quarter mile to our hotel.
At the appointed time we met the Chef at poolside. As it turned out this was a demonstration and not a class. The chef didn’t speak English so the assistant manager translated which went well. However, the chef had a rather mono tone and didn’t instill enthusiasm in what he was showing us. We often sign up for these classes for entertainment as much as learning. We all knew how to make ceviche and in this demonstration we didn’t learn anything new. It was a good seafood ceviche which we enjoyed eating.
We had a lovely time relaxing at the pool and in our nice big rooms and enjoying the large showers with lots of hot water and great water pressure. After we rested we met Brendan for cocktails and dinner. It is a lovely property.
Our final day on SantaCruz we took a nice trip to the Darwin Research Center. It is very well done and once again they have another sanctuary. In this one we saw many babies and that was exciting. They really are taking great care to rebuild the tortoise population with a thoughtful process. It is very reassuring.
Back on the Mainland We planned one more day with Brendan on the mainland to explore Quito a bit more. Travel doesn’t always go as expected. MJ wasn’t feeling well the last day so she relaxed in the room while Dave and Brendan did a bit of exploring. They did some walking around, just taking in the local neighborhood and thought about taking the local "hop on hop off bus" but even after talking with the Tourist Police (yes, that's what they are called), and waiting at a supposed bus stop, they gave it up and
The Twin Craters
Highland Hills Santa Cruzsauntered back to the hotel.
Papallacta Hot Springs Our last two nights in Ecuador were spent at a lovely property with thermal pools. We had daily massages, fine meals and complete relaxation. There are several local hikes available and many private and community pools for soaking. This was a lovely way to end our South American adventure. It was time to head back north....but not to our home, but rather Panama City.
Who we traveled with: Isabella II Galápagos Yacht booked via Metro Journey’s.
We opted for the Southeastern 7day/6 night trip.
SoutheasternTour Diego Zapata, Destination Expert, dizapata@metrojourneys.com. phone: 1-855-435-2093 ext. 172.
Please let Diego know we recommended him.
You will want to check out our travel companions' blog as Brendan’s perspective of our trip is far more humorous. Go For Galapagos! Choose Very Wisely Foot Plant, Not Face Plant; Exploring the Galapagos Up Close and Personal.
…. And watch for his other blogs as they publish
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bvchef
Brendan Vermillion
Great Wrap up to a Great Trip
Reading this brought back such good memories. I do agree that the cooking class was lackluster but was still fun. Loved the pictures.