The Galapagos Archi-pelago is a group of volcanic islands 970 Kilo- meters west of Ecuador discov- ered by the Bishop of Panama in 1535 when his ship went off course. In the Bishop’s report to the King of Spain, along with many other things, he described the giant (galapago) tortoise from which the islands take their name.
What makes the Galapagos Islands unique is their isolation. For hundreds of thousands of years any plant or animal that found its way to the islands has been able to evolve independently of its mainland counterparts. As a result, a quarter of the shore species, half the plants and almost all the reptiles on the Galapagos exist nowhere else on earth. Even more amazing, is how related species living on separate islands adapted differently. This is what Charles Darwin observed in 1835, a realization that would prove to be key in his development of the Theory of Natural Selection.
Our travels began with a flight from Quito to Baltra. Once off the plane, the airport personal ushered us into a queue to pay our 100 U.S. dollar per person park fees. Then, they moved us to the baggage claim then into the reception area. Everyone was cordial and efficient. Once in the reception area, we had to find our guide and then wait for the rest of the group. Finally, they packed us snuggly into a van for a 15-minute ride to the pier. That’s when the adventure started. From the time we exited the van into a group of sunbathing sea lions to the morning we returned to Quito, it was an incredible experience, one that I cannot recommend highly enough to my fellow travelers.
Standing on the dock looking out over the cruise ships and tenders, I wondered which one was the Sulliday, the boat that would be our home for the next 9 days. Then I saw it standing all by itself, the only wooden boat in the Harbor. She was 64 feet long, gaff rigged and flying a pirate flag. We watched the scruffy bearded captain climb down a ladder into a motorized inflatable dinghy that we would forever remember as the ‘Panga’. When the tender reached the dock, he told us to climb in. The captain did not speak English. Our tour guide, Juan, did all the translating.
Once onboard, Juan showed us below deck. There was a galley and a good-sized dining area. Toward the bow, there were three cabins. Each slept two. Our cabin was on the port side near the galley. Inside there were two bunks and a shower/head combination. If you stood on the top bunk, you could open the hatch and pop your head out for a view from the deck. There was also one more cabin down a separate hatch from the back deck. In the old pirate movies, it would have been the captain’s quarters, but on the Sulliday it was another guest cabin. In total, there were nine passengers and five crew.
Almost immediate we set sail (or more accurately motored) for the island of Seymour Norte. It was beautiful to sit up on deck, warm sun beating down with a breeze in our face. Within an hour, we heard the sound of chain dropping as the crew set the anchor. Then, it was all hands to the Panga for our first island excursion.
It was one of the few dry landings we would have, meaning that we didn’t have to get wet. Waiting for us on the landing were several large sea lions. None was the least bit scared we were there. In fact, one even nuzzled my foot while Juan explained the island rules.
1. Do not touch the animal. However, the animals can touch you, and often do.
2. Do not leave the marked path. This is not for your safety; it’s to protect the plant life.
3. No loud noises, but regular talking is fine.
4. Take only photos and leave only footprints… No food allowed.
Over the course of the afternoon, we saw frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, lava lizards and marine iguanas. Before the sunset, we were back on the boat. That evening we ate a delicious fish dinner while the group sat around the table high on the events of the day. Shortly after we had all gone to bed, we heard the sound of clanking chains as the crew weighed anchor. We felt the rumble of the engines and the boat slowly moving toward the next destination in our ‘Adventures in Traveling’.
No comments:
Post a Comment