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Published: June 22nd 2007
READY!
Galapagos and party time! I'm back in Cuenca! But for the past 10 days we have been a-sailing across the waves of the pacific like the little explorers we are, complete with sea-sickness pills, heh, discovering all the galapagos islands (of course no one has ever been there before us....) and the strange *ahem* endemic creatures that live there.
I would do a day by day account, but we all saw how that failed when I was describing my easter travels, taking me about 4 weeks to complete, and I really dont have that long, seen as we set off for COLOMBIA next sasturday! WOOP! heheh.
But there still is a lot to say of course...so here goes.
As always, not liking to miss out, we decided to catch a 5 hour coach up to guayaquil airport at 3am, to get there just in time for our flight, so we could go to a party beforehand. Which turned out to be amazing. It was in fact at El Nopal, the Mexican restaurant owned by the family of Wellington,one of the friends we've made here, the occaision for this party was his mums 50th birthday and apparently we were all invited hehe, we
Plane fun!
This was even before I realised about the food..! definately werent complaining, free amazing food, free rum and whiskey, and mucho mucho salsa! Twas a party not to be missed! So we left while the party was still going strong at 230, apparently it didnt finish till after 5am, they know how to do it here!
The plane was great....purely because, being used to european airlines we wernt used to it anymore, but they came and dished out some amazing food, and free drinks! So we were on a high from the very beginning as you can imagine. And it was my last meat for a week, cos I decided that Galapagos was a time for vegetarianism....the type where you can eat fish hheheheeh. They try to feed me so much meat here that I cant wait to escape to vegetable and salad land when I get home....
So after a few water taxis and buses and 'pangas' (little speed boats that take you up to the big boats that cant come into port) we got to our catamaran, the 'Galapagos Vision'. Well, no exagerration, when I saw the size of our cabin I was very close to having a panic attack, as was Kat I think,
Tortugas!
Two gigantic 'endemic' tortoises
and a duck...hmm and when thewy allocated us people to share withand me and soph had to share with boys (ARGGG BOYS!) heheh I was not improesed at first. But just so you all know, Jack was a very good and quiet room mate, not a single snore, he barely even moved, so much so that a couple of times I thought he might be dead....or in some kind of boat induced coma. Whereas sophie, full of cold, was snoring all night, according to Matt. Hehe. I think I was snoring a bit as well, and luisa told me that sometimes I click my toes in my sleep....so really I think the boys got thew worst deals.
Anyway, me and Jack got the best bed, cos it was biggest, but unfortunately the worst room cos it didnt have a shower....just a shower head next to the bed...hmmm, the the best placement of water instruments. So we had to steal other peoples. The rest of the boat was just as compact....only 10 passengers, and the crew seemed to slide into rooms that didnt really exist, down port holes ..... very strange. It was all very family like, we got to eat in the
Tortuga!
Not too impressed... fesh air on top of the boat. Not to mention the built in hammocks between the hulls, and the fact you could lie down anywhere on the top to sunbathe.It was best fun when they got the sails out, it was like we were on a little yacht in the middle of a massive ocean....the water was SO clear as well. You could see all the fish swiming about beneath us, and sometimes sharks too! Infact, once we must have been sailing over a particularly naturous (new word!) piece of ocean when dolphins started leaping about in front of us playing in the waves we were making, gorgeous. And then, a massive big manta ray jumped out of the water, they do this thing where they launch themselves up and spin through the air, god knows why, but it looks quite cool. hehe, also we were staying on the boat with a couple of people who were quite keen on the whole taking pictures of any single animal that appeared near the boat, so anytime something showed its face, there were these crazed looking people dashing about over the hull trying to get the best shot....Im surprised no one launched
Clear waters...
Sealions playing. themselves accidently overboard in excitement....I really hope they got some good ones...!
If you look at a map of the Galapagos Islands, we went to nearly every one.....at some point. We went hiking to see land iguanas and marine iguanas and a cross breed of land and marine iguanas, who all sneeze (more like shoot snot out of their noses, so dont get too close...) to get rid of the salt from the seawater they drink. Quite clever really. In fact all the animals we saw had special things about them that evolution had given them to get them ahead of the game. We saw lava lizards, who can grow their tails back if they fall off, although according to John our guide ( who shared much nature knowledge with us...mostly happening to be about the animals breeding habits...) if you were a lava lizard you would rather keep your first tail because the second never grows back as long as the first, and of course the longer your tail, the more attractive you are to those female lizards. heh. They also do little pressups to attract a partner. heh. funny stuff.
We also hiked to see birds.
Me and sea-lions!
Awwww..so cute. They like me! Lots of them. People who know me well, or even not that well, will know that Im not the greatest bird fan. So we saw lots of types of birds, and their babies, and their nests...blah. heh, no I got into it a bit eventually, especially with the 'blue footed boobies' initially because their name rather amused me....and they have blue feet! Which is because their feet are actually transparent and their blood is blue! CRAZY. And they make their nests by spraying their poo in a big cirlcle creating a big white pooey ring. Apparently if their chicks accidently leave the poo ring, their not aloud back in...bit harsh really, strict parenting and all that. Speaking of boobies, kat was posing with one, or a few, and it showed its approval by pooing all over her back hehehehehe. Thats what you get for trying to get in the the birds....I was right all along. Other birds we saw were frigate birds, the ones with big fat red balloons under their chins....making it very hard to move, at all. Again, the bigger the better.....
But returning to real animals, there were many many bright red crabs that were quite
Iguanas
Are actually quite scary! cool, I think I felt an affinity with them as apparently, according to soph, I have sometimes taken to walking crab stylee, without realising it. And everytime time we came to land on one of the white sandy beaches, they were scattered, or filled with hundreds of sea lions, barking at you, or sunbathing, or running away from their babies who are trying to suckle, or chasing Kat. Which is a fun activity it seems!
We also went to see the penguins! Penguins, on the equator, are they crazy, or just a bit lost?! I didnt really believe they existed till I saw it, and in celebration me and the crew, well not the boys, they were slightly unimpressed, spent the whole day singing the Pingu theme tune.
Que mas..? There was just so much that we saw...gigantic land tortoises! Bigger and older than me, and you! John kept talking about most of the animlals living on the island only having this one predator...the 'Galapagos Hog', we were all picturing this horrific gigantic pig with smoke coming out of its nose...by day three or four we were wondering why we hadnt seen a sign or even heard a
Blue Footed Boobie
In its ring of poo noise of the terrible animal that endangers the whole of the islands. I thin k it was on the second to last day, when we were questioning John about when this freakish animal comes out, that the realisation came upon us that he was actually saying 'Galapagos Hawk'. In a very strange accent. Hmmm. Bloody birds.
The rest of the animals we saw were the ones that we went snorkelling with. I love snorkelling....at first I thought my snorkel was my enemy, and was going to stop working at any moment filling my lungs with water. Very skeptical. But I learnt to trust it and it became my friend. becuase all the seas were crystal clear, the most beautiful water I have ever swam in, the views of the fish were amazing. I have bnever seen so many colourful tropical fish out of a tank...I know a few people who would be very jealous! But also in the realms of the deep ocean I swam with a blubbery octopus, some starfish, some sea turtles, sea-lions, who had much fun biting our flippers, it was soo cute, they just played around you! Also, we came across a gigantic eagle-ray, that
wsa swimming right next to us, and was bigger than our speed boat ARG! Needless to say we all squealed and panicked, quite a lot, but it was amazing. They are the strangest creatures, with strange faces underneath them. I think the best, and most amusing snorkel experience, for other people at the time, but for me to laugh back on hah, was when someone shouted, "Soph there's a shark underneath you" at which point I thrashed around screaming, imagining scenes from jaws. Anyway, it wasnt interested in me in the slightest, aparently a vegetarian, very happy just swimming very close to me....so yus, Ive been swimming with sharks! woop!
If you ever get the chance to go to galapagos DO. Its amazing. You will never see so many white sandy beaches, and black and red beaches, or clearer seas, or strange and fantastic animals, or take so many photos....if you dont run out of battery (yup Im a spazz). We spent the first three or four days not having stepped foot on an inhabited island, which is near impossible...it was very strange to see other people again after!
We spent the last couple of days on Isla
Kat got pooed on!
Boobies showing whos boss Isabela, the volcanic island, which is a sleepy little island where we camped and wrecked our bodies walking up two volcanoes in huge amounts of heat. Also the mmost hellish place to get to, a two hour speed boat/water taxi thing ride, which bounced along the sea literally banging on the surface. It sounded like the sea was gonna crash through. Felt so sick. Especially when a woman opposite started throwing up, i have never seen anyone so green in my life!
I feel you'll all be dying to know about the plane food on the way back. Just as amazing! It made our days, seen as we spent 18 hours of it travelling....by boat, camioneta, boat, bus, plane, coach....fun fun!
We were all very sad by the end, it was our last trip where the cuenca crew will be all together, as we're splitting in different directions to travel. So it was a bit of a nostalgic ending, especially as we all get along so well, seriously, I dont know how it happened, but I couldnt have chosen a better group of new people to travel with. So I am very fortunate, but very sad to be
Me and Soph on Sting ray beach
We stayed well away from those little beasts... leaving some of them (hah, you never know they could be celebrating...!) but if any of you are reading this muchas gracias por este tiempo fantastico. Muchas love!
I only have a week left in Cuenca now...Arg! So this will be transformed into a proper travelling blog! Cant wait! X
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Simon
non-member comment
What can I say? Hammocks, sharks, dolphins, birds with style, penguins in serious need of a map, beachmaster's (heh!), excersise junkie lizards!! Plus living on a boat for so long is something I couldn't do...me and water, especially salty water, have an understanding, it leaves me alone as long as I don't go near it! It all sounds pretty amazing. Simon xxxx oh yeah...and cool hats!