Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 3) – Rabida and Santa Cruz Islands

Rabida has red sand beaches, turquoise seas and breeding herds of Sea Lions.  Amongst the sand and rocks, large males protect their territories from a marauding band of Sea Lion bachelors, individuals of which often challenge the dominant males for the chance to mate.  Even spending just a short time with the colony, you are sure to witness a fight full of loud barks and charges.

Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the Galapagos Archipelago with a surface area of 986 square kilometers. On its south coast sits Puerto Ayora, an important harbor and the only populated part of the island.  It is a good place to buy souvenirs, mail postcards and absorb some local color.  It is also the home of the Charles Darwin Research Station, the Galapagos National Park headquarters and the Galapagos tortoise-breeding program where you can find several species of Tortoise in different stages of development, from hatchlings to large adults.

Our day started with a wet landing on the red sand beaches of Rabida Island.  All around us sea lions lay in the morning sun, many with pups.  Spotting the beach, the large dark males kept watch over their harem, and barked loud warnings to any close enough to hear. After a while, we walked away from the main colony along a shoreline path.  A short while later we came upon the bachelors.  There were a dozen or more.  Each was basking in the sun on his own rock sun bed, oblivious to our presence.

In the afternoon, we returned to the boat for another snorkeling adventure before setting sail for Puerto Ayora.  The Sulliday stayed close to the coastline of Santa Cruz on our journey.  I’m sure it was to take advantage of the spectacular views the island offered. 

A mother Sea Lion takes her newborn pup to the water for the first time

When we arrived in Puerto Ayora Harbor, it was like a parking lot.  There were boats of all shapes and sizes moored around us.  For me, it was a bit too much of a reality wake-up after living in a dream, but the crew was happy.  They would be able to go ashore and spend time with their families before we continued to our next destination.

The Harbor at Puerto Ayora

Puerto Ayora is a bustling town.  There are gift shops, restaurants, hotels, a post office and many tourists.  While we were there, we visited the Van Straelen Visitors Center to look at some of its natural history exhibits and the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the Galapagos tortoise-breeding program.  That afternoon, we took a van about 40 minutes inland to go caving in ancient lava tunnels that reminded me of a subway station with no lighting.  In the evening, we returned to the boat and spent a gorgeous Galapagos night looking at the night sky and the lights of Puerto Ayora.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 2) – Bartolome and Santiago Islands

Bartolome is a 1.2 square kilometer volcanic islet just off the east coast of Santiago Island.  It is one of the younger islands in the Galapagos archipelago.  Walking on Bartolome is surreal; paths take you through recent volcanic eruptions, extraterrestrial looking landscapes and to the summit of an extinct volcanic cone.  Santiago Island on the other hand, is 585 square kilometers and consists of two overlapping volcanoes.  Here you can walk across undisturbed lava flows that look as if they are still moving.  Once rich in vegetation, settlers released feral goats on the island in the 1880's. The goats thrived eating everything in sight and their numbers grew to over 100,000.  Their presence has severely affected the island's flora and fauna. The park service is working toward their eradication, but it still isn’t unusual to see goats or signs of their presence. Along the coastline, there is abundant wildlife - Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Lava Lizards, Marine Iguanas, Lava Herons and fur seals.  Due to the abundance of underwater rock formations, the region between these two islands is great for snorkeling.


Sally Lightfoot Crab and Marine Iguana

Our first night’s travel on the boat was restless.  Sometime around dawn, we stopped moving. There was the sound of rattling chains as the crew set the anchor, and then only the occasional creak as the boat gently rolled in the swells.  The next time I awoke, the cabin was full of light.  Denise was standing with her head through the hatch and telling me to get dressed.  We were the first up on deck and were welcomed to Bartolome Island with the sight of Pinnacle Rock, one of the most photographed landmarks in the Galapagos archipelago.

The Sulliday at Pinnacle Rock

After breakfast, we climbed aboard the Panga for a wet landing on a beautiful sand cove beach.  The water was colder than I would have thought being so close to the equator, but once on land we dried quickly in the late-morning sun.  We strolled along beautifully strange landscapes to the 114-meter high summit of the volcanic cone.  The view down to the cove where we landed passed the Sulliday and out across Santiago Island was both stark and beautifully alluring.

 The View from the Top of Bartoleme

Back at the Panga, we met up with the Captain.  He had been fishing while we were walking.  As it turned out, this was his daily routine, and fresh fish was always on the menu.  We returned to the boat and had a great swim, using the lower deck as a diving platform.  Then after lunch, we headed to Santiago Island to visit the fur seals that have made the island their home. Along the way, we walked across volcanic rock and old lava flows.  Everywhere the surf touched land there were Marine Iguanas and Sally Lightfoot Crabs.   There were Lava Herons camouflaged against the dark volcanic formations and Black Finches chattering on the cliff faces.

A Fur Seal Frolicking in the Water

In the late afternoon, we went snorkeling.  The sunlit shallows were full of beautifully colored parrotfish and triggerfish.  Our Guide told us some exist nowhere else on the planet, but you could have told me anything.  I was just happy to be on an adventure in the Galapagos Island.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 1) – Arriving in Baltra and Seymour Norte

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’.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Adventures in Guatemala (Part 4) – Antigua, the Old Capital


In 1543, Spanish conquistadors founded Santiago de los Caballeros.  For more than 200 years, it served as the seat of the military governor of the region’s Spanish colonies.  It was nearly destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1717, but it wasn’t until the Santa Marta earthquake of 1773 that the capitol was moved to the present-day Guatemala City.  From that day, the old capitol of Santiago de los Caballeros became Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala).  Today, the city has about half the population it did 250 years ago (less than 35,000 people), but much of the Spanish Baroque architecture of the time as well as the ruins of several colonial churches remain as monuments to its heyday.


Today, Antigua is tranquil yet cosmo-politan.  It has become Guate-mala's foremost tourist destination owing to its many amenities and its proximity to local attractions.   The city itself is beautiful and full of history.  With its cobblestone streets, brightly colored houses and Spanish- Baroque Architecture, It’s like stepping back in time to Spanish Colonial America.

Musicians Bringing in Their Equipment



 Antigua is small and safe, so easy to walk around.  One of our favorite places to people watch was at the communal laundries where women and children went to spend the day as much for the society as for clean clothes.  If you’re interested in chicken buses, the station is a great place to see many of the brightly colored vehicles in one place.  Everywhere, there are street vendors and impromptu markets.  For those who like history, the home of the Spanish Governor is now a museum with much of the original décor, and the ruins of 18th century churches spot the city.   In the center of town, the Parque Central is a great meeting place where there are often festivals and music.

Getting a ride home - near Parque Central

Antigua also has many Spanish language schools with very affordable programs.  If you plan to travel extensively in Latin America, it would be worthwhile taking your first month in Antigua to do an intensive Spanish course before continuing your ‘Adventures in Traveling’.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Adventure in Guatemala (Part 3) – The Pacaya Volcano

The Pacaya volcano rises to an elevation of 2,552 meters (8,373 ft) and is one of three volcanoes that ring the city of Antigua, Guatemala.  After being dormant for a century, it erupted violently in 1965 and has been in a continuous low-level (Strombolian) eruption ever since.  It has become a bit of a tourist attraction, but for good reason.  How often do most of us get to experience an active volcano?  Climbing the Pacaya volcano is a rare adventure.  If you’re traveling in Guatemala, you shouldn’t miss it.

There are two trails up the Pacaya volcano. The trail followed by most tour groups starts at the official park entrance in San Francisco de Sales. The park maintains it well.  It has rest stops, trash receptacles and primitive restrooms.  Guardabosques (rangers) are on patrol during the day.  There is safe parking and a small kiosk where you can buy needed drinks and other refreshments after the hike.  The second trail, starts from a radio tower complex on the flank of Cerro Chino.  It is a more difficult ascent and you will still need to go to the main entrance first to pay your park fees.  I‘ve heard it is the more picturesque route, but I haven’t tried it.
 
It took an hour for the van to drive from Antigua to the main entrance.  From the parking lot, we had to run a gauntlet of children selling walking sticks and then local men wanting to take us up on horseback.  The truth be told, a walking stick would have been useful, and if you don’t feel fit enough for the climb, the horses are a good way not to miss the sights.  

After paying our park fees, we had to wait until a moderately sized group had formed.  Then, a park guide joined us, gave us a few safety instructions and led us to the trailhead.

The path went steeply uphill, past farms and forest, through a meadow and eventually onto volcanic rock and sand.  This is where the climb really started.  The rock was shape and the sand was loose.  I tended to slide back with every step.  A good walking stick would’ve helped to steady my footing.  Walking uphill this way is tiring, so go slow and take the time to look at the beautiful scenery.  You’ll know you’re close when the ground gets warm and the air smells of rotting eggs.  Then, you’ll see large sulfur covered vents billowing steam and rock tubes carrying molten lava.

 
Up and down, the hike will take around four hours.  The guide will be with you the entire time, and he’ll do his best to answer questions.  The problem is that many of them only have a limited English vocabulary.  Don’t hold that against them, they are knowledgeable and helpful.  After all, you’re in Guatemala.  Ask him in Spanish.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Adventures in Guatemala (Part 2) - Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, and Chichicastenango

 Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America.  It is 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Antigua in the Guatemalan Highlands.  On the shores of Atitlan are several villages accessible only by boat where Mayan culture and traditional dress are still the norm.  The largest town in the area is Panajachel.  In the 1960s, it was a Mecca for the hippy generation, but today, Panajachel is considered a gateway to living Mayan culture and is a major destination for tourists visiting Guatemala. 

Our ‘Adventure in Traveling’ began with a crowded 2-hour van ride along some very windy roads that ended with a descent down a steep mountainside full of switchbacks.  With every turn, the view of the lake became more beautiful and I became more nauseous. It was a relief to finally step onto the streets of Panajachel.

The town is modern and there are plenty of hotels and restaurants to comfort a weary traveler.  The streets are lined with market stands and vendors that often use some aggressive sales techniques, but general, a firm ‘No thank you’ is enough to keep them at bay.

After settling into a comfortable hotel along the main street, we walked to the lakefront.  There we found a water taxi to take us to Santiago Atitlan, the capitol of the Tzutujil Maya nation.  The lake crossing was pleasant and it gave us an opportunity to see the quaint traditional lifestyle of the people who take their living from the lake.
 


Santiago itself is old and worn, and dominated by a large catholic church.  What makes the town special are its people, brightly dressed and smiling.  Along the main street you can find the shops of weavers and other artisans using century's old traditional methods.

This is also were you will find the Maximon cult.  Maximon is part Mayan god and part Catholic saint.  He comes out once a year during Semana Santa when a procession through the streets takes him to a new home with one of his attendants.  The locals believe that he will intercede with the gods on your behalf if you leave him an offerings of cigarettes or alcohol.
The following day we headed north to visit the market of Chichicastenango, held every Thursday and Sunday.  It is a big, bright, beautiful and colorful market surrounding the church of Saint Thomas.  You can buy almost anything, but most stands deal in textiles.  For any high-priced items, bartering is not only recommended it’s a necessity.

The highlands of Guatemala are beautiful and special.  They are full of interesting people, cultures and traditions.  It is a place worthy of discovery in your next ‘Adventure in Traveling’.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Adventures in Guatemala (Part 1) – The Mayan City of Tikal

Deep in the Guatemalan rainforest, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Flores, Tikal is one of the major sites of Mayan civilization. It was inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD, and at its peak, had a population of over 100,000 people.  The Mayans built the city from limestone, much of which is still standing.  Today you can see the remains of temples that tower over 70 meters (230 ft) high, large royal palaces, many smaller pyramids, residences, administrative buildings, platforms and stone monuments.


We left Flores before sunrise, heading for Tikal by van.  At 6am, we were at the park gates along with a dozen or so other vehicles.  After parking the van, it was an uphill walk along a jungle path.  We passed beautiful tall Ceiba trees and then came upon a small ruin by a large pond.  Our guide explained it was a reservoirs that supplied the ancient city and that the park had now restored it to use.






 As crowded as the parking lot was, we didn’t see many other people once we passed the visitors center.  In reality, it was so foggy that morning you couldn’t see more than 30 meters in front of you.  Who knows, other groups might have been all around us.  For me, the mist enhanced the mood.  It gave the ruins a surreal ghostly quality.  It was as if the city could still be alive just out of reach behind the thick haze.

 Later, after climbing to the top of temple IV, the sun burned a hole in the mist.  Within minutes, the sky went from gray to blue and we had a breathtaking view of the rainforest canopy and the ancient city of Tikal.













 The remainder of the day was bright and warm.  We had a chance to see Howler monkeys, toucans and parrots among the ruins.  It was another wonderful 'Adventure in Traveling'.


Sunday, April 4, 2010

An Adventure in Belize – Caye Caulker, Coral Gardens, Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley

Belize is a small English speaking country resting against the Caribbean Sea. To the north, it borders Mexico while Guatemala surrounds it from the west and south.  Just off the coast, Belize boasts the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, and between it and the mainland is arguably the country’s second finest feature, a chain of coral sand islands known collectively as the Cayes (pronounced keys).

We traveled by bus from Playa del Carmen to Belize City.  At the marine terminal, we boarded a very crowded water taxi for the 45-minute trip to Caye Caulker.  The island is only 5 miles long and half a mile wide, so I wasn’t expecting the boat to be as packed as it was.  Happily, when we reached the dock, less than a third of the passengers left the boat.  Most people were continuing to the town of San Pedro on the much larger Caye Ambergris.

Heading out of Belize City

Standing on the dock, there wasn’t much to see, white sand, palm trees, boats, jetties and a few rows of buildings.  We were staying in small beachfront bungalows at one end of the main street (actually, it is more like a wide sand path).  At the other end, there was a bar overlooking a channel cut by a hurricane that had split the island into two halves.

 The Bar on Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is stereotypically Caribbean, peaceful and slow.  Breathtaking sunsets signal the end of the day, and in the evening, the sounds of laughter and Reggae fill the air.  The people are friendly, but in true Caribbean style, it can take 20 minutes to get your morning coffee.

The island is a good place to slow down and relax, but we were there for an adventure on the reef.  First thing the next day, we met our reef guide at his shop.  We fitted ourselves with masks, snorkels, and fins from his inventory.  Then, with coolers full of food and drink, our group of ten headed to the boat.


Our first stop was at the Coral Gardens just a few miles away.  The water was clear and warm, but under 15 feet deep.  The large colorful corals that covered the area glowed in the sun-filled water.  Brown pencil coral, purple sea fans, bright orange stag horn, finger coral, yellow tube sponges and grey brain coral hosted numerous species of fish and other creatures while an immature sea turtle fed along the sandy bottom.


The next stop was the Hol Chan Marine Reserve about four miles southeast of San Pedro.  Hol Chan is Mayan for 'little channel." At the center of the reserve is a massive cut through the reef, 75 feet wide and 30 feet deep.  The sides are nearly vertical, covered with live corals and interspersed with caverns.  It is the perfect habitat for a variety of large fish like grouper as well as Moray Eels.  In the hour we spent snorkeling the cut, we must have seen six of them.

After Hol Chan, we needed a break, so we headed to the beaches of San Pedro for a picnic lunch and a look around the only real town in the Cayes.  I can’t say much about it.  It is there to serve the local population but it’s not beautiful or quaint.  We did take the time to look around, but after lunch, most of us were ready to get back on the water.

The Streets of San Pedro

We returned to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, but this time continued to Shark Ray Alley.  As the name implies the region is full of sharks and rays.  I assure you that snorkeling in the area sounds more dangerous than it is, but it is definitely an adventure.

The vast majority of the sharks are Nurse Sharks.  An adult can reach 14 feet in length and weigh in excess of 300 pounds.  Despite their appearance, they are, for the most part, docile bottom feeders.  The rays are Southern Stingrays.  Again, they can be large with up to a 5-foot wingspan, but they are not aggressive.



Our guide chummed the sharks from one side of the boat, as we entered the water on the other.  The experience of watching sharks in a feeding frenzy from a few feet away, I can only describe as awesome, but it was different swimming with the rays.  Being so close to them was exhilarating, yet the silent graceful beating of their wings was calming.  It was near perfection.

We arrived back on Caye Caulker in the late afternoon.  After taking a shower and putting on some dry clothes, we headed back to the jetty to for a sunset sail around the islands.  It was the perfect end to another experience on our ever-continuing adventures in traveling.