galapagos

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So Im here!!

On the last part of my journey...
galapagos.

Getting here was a pain...lots of waitingg around at quito airport when the plane was delayed. I met a nice dutch girl who speaks english so perfectly I thought she was american! Anyway she was less than pleased when she got on the plane and her seat which was 1 A didnt exist because numbering started at 1 D...very strange..but she did get a seat.
It was nice to fly over quito and appreciate its aamazing location and how hilly the actual city is..in fact even now im getting a little twinge of nostalgia for it!
We had a stop over at guayaquil 35 mins later so it seemed hardly worth taking off...by this time i was feeling a bit apprehensive, I was all settled in Quito and not so happy about uprooting!
However I do love flying..the incredulity of a metal thing with me in it being above the clouds never gets old!
Arriving at airport san cristobal was interesting. Coming in the island looks barren volcanic rock and scrub land. Onc e out of the plane on a tiny run way there are two arrow suggesting where you might like to go..in opposite directions. Once you geet in and pay 100 dollars for the privelege then everyone waits in a gaggle whilst they unloaad bags into a pile which takes ages and the police dog sniffs them all and then there is a free for all to collect bags...every time mine goes on the plane it breaks a little more..i hope it holda out two more trips..
My project coordinator met me,. fgirst impressions which turne do out to be right not very good..shes a very anxious officious lady with jumped up secretary complex.
She delivered me to mey hostal which is an arrangement by which the family of the house, a lady cqalled dorys and her 8 yr old lady live in a tiny apartment where they share a room..even though shes the owner of a hostal and a teacher at the primary school they obciously dont make muych money..
then there is another apartment fdor 2 next door where theres a kitchen etc and then three rooms upstairs. Im in one of those. Its not the most sccocial of places. Theres a korean girl who has vbeen volunteering here for alomst two years and then downstarirs there is an ecuadorean girl and a boy who is moving out on wednesday. I am going to move downstairs i think so i can use the kitchen etc when he leaves. At the moment i can use her kitchen but i dont really want to do that..i cant be bothered with the small talk. Also the 8 year old is sweet but demanding..being an only child!! Apparently there is also a us girl living in the family bit but i havent seen her yet.
So Dorys was lovely and gave me lunch and took me down and showed me around town, along the pier and to travel agents etc..which was really nice of her.
So i strolled arounfd asked about some tours etc and then spent more time watching the sea lions who have babies at the moment and just lie all over the beach sleeping..and on the pavement too. They have babies too which are sweet bedraggled lookihng things. They are totally different colours in and out of the water and make so much noise aarking at each other.
There are also galapagos crabs everywehre, som small marine iguanas and sea birds. also finches..bright yellow flying around!

The coordinator came and read rules to me for an hour..you must not drink with local men you must not bring anyone iback to your room you must not tke time off you must not you must not...real bundly of joy....her husband at least has a sense of humour. Hard to see what he sees in her.

Then last night i went to bed early desperately tryoing and failing to ration out my book so i dont finish it too soon...well its too late! It was very humid. Nothing dries here and I am sweaty as soon as I step out of the shower. It was nice to be in the quiet

Then it made me so happy to hear the cockerel in the morning../it brought back happy childhood memeories and it is so m much nicer than hearing cars..even though it was a bit early at 5 30 in the morning and followed by dog barking!

This morning I went to my placement..accomapanied by paulina grumpy pants who told the secretary i mus t sign in or else..then followed THE MOST BORING MORNING. i cant believe i wever complined about quito not needing me..there werre three doctros and two nurses and the grand total of two patients..one with diarrohea and one with an allergic reaction..exciting...i was looking at the clock everyt two mins..the people are nice but its an exercise in patience..I just wish i was here on hol and didnt have to work!!

so i left and walked back down to the sea, to an out of twon beach withmore sea lions. I confirmed a 4 sday tour starting on 22nd ocober witht he nice tour agent who came here as a volunteer two years ago met someone and stayed! So im excited about that..not least cos its two days off work! Then I wnet for drinks on the pier with the grirl emma who I met on the plane and the tour agent and watched the sea lions run along the pier with their babies hanging on. I saw a sea lion breast feeding on the pier today,, she was asleep and she had last years pup seneaking milk and making a lot of noise..she was very tolerant..They seem to be quite loving..and have a nice life of leisure.

Its actually just extremely nice to be b y the sea. The weather has been awful today but the air is soft and warm despite the wind and rain and there is something about being by the ocean that makes me feel happy and calm inside, the way other places cant...peaceful somehow. Reawakening a fantasy of living by the beach and owning horses to gallop aloong it..

so that was my day..trying to enrol on a diving course ut i find out if its going ahead tomorrow. Now im off to look at the sea lions because apparently they sleep iin a big pile on the pier when the sun goes down..

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Comments

[granny]

o yes.
The crow of a cockerel heralding the day - and any other time - is also one of my favourite sounds. Brings a smile and a sigh of happiness; all's right with the world. And the sea. Being born between sea and mountain it is a constant yearning. combined with horses you could do no better than the beaches of the cape - were South Africa not the pit of vipers is is at present, much as I love it.