Galapagos

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Day one in the Galapagos after an early flight from Quito with our fellow travellers from Gap tours we finally arrived at our boat after a bus trip across the island of Santa Cruz then a tender across the bay of Las Gretas and picked up our boat. A total of fifteen people on the boat from Canada, Australia, America and the UK of varying ages and a great bunch. After lunch we visited the nearby Darwin Centre and caught our first glimpse of the wildlife including marine iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks, sea lions on the jetty and giant frigate birds hovering overhead. We saw giant tortoises that were bred on the island to help restore the depleted stock that had been made nearly extinct by predators including the human variety as well as rats and birds who had eaten the eggs. These lumbering giants were amazing living to over 150 years, including Lonesome George, bit of a celeb who as the last of his kind had died earlier this year and had made the world press . Just think this chap had witnessed Custer's last stand and two world wars. On the way back to the boat we walked through town past the jetty and saw sea lions waiting for scraps from the fishermen. One helped himself to a freshly caught yellow fin tuna while the fisherman s back was turned, made for a great camera shot, what a fabulous end to an amazing first day in the Galapagos.

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