I spent a somewhat sleepless night waiting for the mysterious room mate to materialize, but she did not. Fortunate for me....I ended up with a room and a cabin to myself which was heavenly.
A flight to Galapagos via Guayaquil was surprisingly up market; we landed in pouring rain...onto G1or the Pelikano, Gap’s most basic boat, for lunch and then we weighed anchor. On board were a Canadian family of 4, 4 couples - 2 young German, a retired Danish, and an Aussie one, a young Pommie lawyer and myself.
We spent 3 days on board, well fed, but not well watered - the bar had run out of wine, and the beer supplies were minimal, but a good time was had by all.
The wildlife was as stunning as I had anticipated, and unbelievably approachable.
Sea lions sauntered over the jetties and slept on the pylons. Frigate birds, the male with a vermillion pouch at his throat, hitched a ride on our boat or soared along with us in the slip stream. Peculiar pelicans with brown feathers and grey feet, perched for hours on our zodiacs. Thousand of brilliant orange and blue crabs scuttled across rocks at the water's edge, stalked by patient herons. Flamingoes balanced precariously on one foot as they slept. Others preened and stretched nonchalantly, totally ignoring our presence.
And my favourite, the blue footed booby...it looks like a sort of caricature, with it’s blue eyes and webbed feet, and bluish beak. It’s called a booby because it dives from a height of up to 40m after large fish, and is only successful every10 - 15 attempts! (It’s a fishing process that has caused them to develop air bags in their cheeks, but they still suffer brain injury and blindness, and are destined for a short life!!!) Alas I was so excited to see them that I didn’t check the setting on my camera, so the photos are none too good.
We saw hundreds of marine iguanas, lying atop one another for warmth during the night. They freeze like statues as we approach, perfectly camouflaged against the basalt rocks - they stay totally immobilized as we stare at them, transfixed....
The outer islands, so recently formed, are stark and barren in the dry season; hardy cactus are all that survive... but the unseasonal rain now has left many flushed with green. The earth is so young, erodes so easily; many hillsides have slipped into the sea. Sands vary from island to island ...white, golden, black and red....
The islands are growing through frequent eruptions of it’s volcanoes.... lava flows from the 1906 eruption seem frozen in time as they flowed around other pinnacles and plugs on their way to the sea, then solidified. It’s like living in a geology lesson!
And the snorkeling is nothing short of dazzling! We’re blessed with clear water, a wonderland of life and colour...purple and orange, black and yellow...
Tropical fish of every colour and description dart past rocks covered with a bright orange algae; schools of tiny striped fish the size of white bait form huge glittering balls as they flit this way and that, acting as one....it was surreal to swim down amongst them...
We dived down and swam along with turtles, floated over the top of white tipped reef sharks; of iridescent parrot fish, all green and pink and orange...
Two penguins torpedoed past me, so lithe and graceful under the water, so clumsy on land. They’re only about 10 cms taller than the fairy penguins.
A marine iguana grazed my hand on one occasion in his haste to get out of the water....took ten years off my life!
And the tortoises - huge, lumbering, pinheaded, and none too intelligent. They’re really ugly, but I’m sure their mother loves them....
Lonesome George, the last of his race from Pinta Island, was asleep and hiding in his enclosure - the world is apparently still waiting with baited breath for him to reproduce with his new hybrid companions...
Alas it was over all too soon...Galapagos is a fascinating place, a weird wildlife wonderland. If ever I was to return, I would stay for a week, (not just 3 days), to see more of the islands, and I would take an underwater camera!
It's no huge disappointment to head back to Quito though.... though it's the end of my South American sojourn - I've been here for almost 4 months; I'm soooo excited about flying to New York and seeing Chris!
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