Arrival in Galapagos, North Seymour Island--June 8

I was so excited to wake up this morning, that I was watching the clock for 5 AM. Up for another fabulous breakfast of hot cereal with all kinds of goodies. A quick good-bye to the Hacienda and Faris and we were off to the airport.

At the airport, we had to xray our bags and they were locked and checked. The Galapagos are 600 miles off shore, so it was a 2 1/2 hour plane ride. I was soooo ready. Before we landed, the flight attendants sprayed the overhead compartments with "non-toxic" insect spray. Sure didn't smell "non-toxic."

Anyway, we landed in Baltra the early afternoon, got our bags, paid the $100 cash entrance fee to the national park, met our naturalist (Oswaldo), and headed out for the boat. 

Crew

This is how we got on and off the boat

We got a safety and "do no harm, do not touch the animals" briefing and we set sail. We only were going to have time for one stop the first night. Sunset is always at 6 PM on the equator. We landed on Bacchus Beach on North Seymour Island and took our first hike of the trip.

Already, we are seeing so many types of life that I've never seen before. Camera was snapping away.  And it appears to be mating and nursery season.

Male Blue Footed Boobies dance and whistle to impress their mates.

If you look close, there's a chick

Look . . .an egg

Male Magnificent Frigate Birds puff up the red pouches in their necks to attract a mate.

Look--a chick

Isn't this chick cute?

Juvenile

The Sea Lions are just so freaking cute.

The Land Iguanas and lava lizards look prehistoric. . .colorful.





















The Brown Pelican and Swallow Tail Lava Gulls are stunners.









And we saw a brown snake...apparently very rare on the island.

Back to the boat for dinner. We got the "conserve water on the boat" briefing, the "don't put paper in the toilet" briefing, and the "here's what we are doing tomorrow" briefing. We set sail for San Cristobal Island (the longest sail of the trip.) Even though I was wearing scopalamine patch, I got a little queasy like everyone else (including the guide, so I didn't feel bad) and went to bed early. I was rocked to sleep like a baby on the ocean waves. Despite a little nausea, I felt at peace and slept soundly with a smile on my face. Can hardly wait to see what's in store tomorrow.

Quito--June 7

Before going to the Galapagos, we spent  a day  on the mainland. The morning started with a fabulous breakfast at the Hacienda. The coffee was divine. They grow their own stevia plants and fresh stevia leaf is so much more flavorful than stevia powder. 

Normal breakfast is bacon and eggs, but they made us oatmeal and hot grains with cranberries and nuts. It was divine. But, the guanabana juice was amazing. I thought I would love drinking it all week. I was wrong. As tasty as it was, Ecuadorans seem to drink juice with every meal and I got awfully tired of fruit juice. More on that later in the week.  I took a look at flowers, took a picture of the pet Llama, and said good-bye to Faris before we climbed into the bus.

 

First stop was the "Center of the World." Come to find out there is more than one of these in Quito, but more on that later. This sundial was built thousands of years before the Incas, and now it is only a few meters off the Pan-American Highway.  We learned about equinoxes and solstices and the Incan calendar and how the pre-Incans could identify the equator by the sun patterns. And, they were very accurate. There are pre-Incan sites throughout South America that line up and all intersect at the Equator. It was very cool. Also learned that the globe is turned on it's side and we should look at it differently based on the way the universe turns. . .very interesting. And, of course, we took the obligatory picture standing on opposite poles of the world.

Opposite sides of the world...
but still so close

I wasn't trying to imitate Alpaca face
....but, apparently I look Alpaca

 Next, to the largest lake in Ecuador with incredible views. We saw some funny Alpaca and some poor little boys dressed in traditional costume that looked miserable. We took a picture and gave them some money. Tasted an amazing snack. . . Tostado y Chochos . . .basically corn nuts and Lupine beans. I'm told Chochos are coming to the U.S. as the newest superfood. I hope so. I ate this a few more times on the trip.

During travels I learned that Ecuador's second largest export (oil is first) is roses, and I believe it. There are lots of different regions and lots to see. Volcanos, beaches, highlands, Amazon basin. Wish I had more time. Maybe another trip. Also learned there are hundreds of species of hummingbirds and orchids in Ecuador. I didn't know that Ecuador was famous for all of these things. I have so much to learn about the rest of the world. 

Then to Otavalo market. It was a Sunday, so it was endless stalls of crafts and other assorted items. We wandered a bit. You would be surprised what you can find . . .medicinal grubs, anyone? I refrained.

 I was glad I didn't see a local delicacy . . .guinea pig on a stick. Saw some roasting on the side of the road and almost lost my breakfast. The stray cow was cool, though.

 And we had a demonstration of local musician making . . .and playing . . .indigenous instruments.

Just 330 meters . . .felt like a marathon

 
Then we took a hike around a lake that was formed when a volcanic crater sunk. It was breathtaking . . .literally and figuratively. When you are used to living in the lowlands, walking up steep steps at 10,000 feet is exhausting. My heart was beating out of my chest and I thought I might die. I was relieved to know I wasn't the only one gasping for air. There were cool sites from the pre-Incan era that are partially preserved. I think this stuff is super cool.

Lunar Calendar

Offering

Solar Calendar

Bath Ritual

Lady Slippers . . .these flowers have
a little pocket in them

Then, a three-course "lunch" at a Hacienda Pinsaqui before a drive back to La Jimenita. Apparently, three-course meals are very common, but waaaaayyyyy too much food for me. No matter how good it is.  And, lunch is around 5 PM. We drove back to La Jimenita and arrived around 9 PM exhausted. The family was so kind and gracious, they insisted we eat. So, a lovely quinoa soup it was and then bed with dreams of tomorrow in my head. 

Super cool floor . . .made out of logs!!!!