Awhile back, I won't bullshit you, I set off on an adventure to score with hot chicks, get drunk, see wildlife and dance the night away. Although this adventure was motivated by my wild self, the adventure took a turn and went way beyond my expectations. On this adventure, I skipped the fancy expensive tour's and did it by land, small boats and eventually a so called "Yacht". All and all, the natural splendor of the Galapagos and kindness of the Ecuadorian people opened my eyes to something greater, a spritual realm. There are 18 islands in the Galapagos, some big, some small, each teaming with life. I wasn't able to do all the islands but, several, just enough. This blog chronicle's my trip from start to finish, welcome, the adventure awaits..
As I departed the new airport of Guayaquil. My mind was swimming in expectations of the Galapagos. I imagined animals roaming around, hot chicks scantily clad laying in wait and a dense natural world both on land and sea. Sitting in my seat, I viewed my fellow passengers. It seemed they were all white and predominantly wealthy. This was interesting, were the Galapagos part of Ecuador? Where were the locals? My mind raced, this is going to interesting. Time passed by rapidly and in roughly 45 minutes. I landed on Baltra, the only airport in the Galapagos. The airport had some Ecuadorian people, most were venders. The majority of the folks had bulky expensive cameras and expensive clothes. The airport was designed strangely too, it was an outdoor airport, open on all sides. The climate was agreeable, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a clear sky with a few beautiful gals milling about. I began to ask around, "where is the local bus"" Immediately, I found a bus going to Isla Santa Cruz. It was a newer bus and didn't have a great deal of people on board. I sat with a Canadian gentlemen who didn't know a lick of Spanish. I thought to myself, this is going to be interesting.
On the bus, a few miles from the airport, the bus came to a stop. In front of us, stood a canal around a mile wide. We left the bus and hopped on a boat across the body of water. This was the crossing to the Isla Santa Cruz. Kinda funny, I was charged for the boat ride too. I believe it was a dollar however, it wasn't too important to me, it was an amazing day, the sun shown full bore on a golden brown desert scape with volcanic rocks jutting out of the azure sea. We sat in the boat and crossed a small strait to Isla Santa Cruz. After the boat ride, we hopped on board another bus. As the drive progressed. I stuck up a conversation with the bus driver. He was convivial and gave me some background on the Isla Santa Cruz. I felt bad for the rest of the bus. He essentially gave me a Spanish tour of the island and ninety five percent of the bus could barely understand English.
As the road unfolded, on the right a mine emerged, large dump trucks full of red rock were chugging around a large hole in the earth. The driver explained to me, "they are mining iron for export". That is something you don't learn everyday. There are mines in the Galapagos. We drove farther and a desert environment with cactuses changed to a much greener lowland landscape. Then out of the blue, off to the right, there was a farmer attempting to stop a large Tortoise from eating his crops. I will never forget the face of the rancher, his lips were contorted and he was raising his hands in the air shouting spanish epithets. We quickly passed the scene and came upon a woman with a table and a sign on side of the road. The driver explained to me, "she is protesting speeding, her son was killed by speeder" and further added, "the woman had been spending her days protesting since the demise of her son". It was a sad moment but as soon as emotions could be felt. We came into a beautiful fishing village, with outdoor bars and a small pier.
As soon as we arrived in the main city of Santa Cruz. I searched for a place to stay with my Canadian friend from the bus. We found a hotel for twenty a night. I researched thoroughly for a place and twenty was the best deal found, it is the Galapagos. The hotel was the Hotel España, it was clean, quiet had cable and a airconditioner. A pregnant lady was the receptionist and dueña or boss. I put my gear in my room. The Canadian bloke put his stuff in his room. And we embarked on the road to a nice bar and had some beers. If you wonder which bar, any one along the main road is awesome. You'll see they are not hard to find..
After getting a few brews we walked up the main road to the Charles Darwin Estatción home of Lonesome George, the last indigenous Tortoise living in the Galapagos. The walk was amazing, it was ninety degrees in temperture and incredible out. A desert landscape, arid and dry with azure seas around every corner in a scene of rustic Ecuador. As fate would have it, I wore hiking boots and the Canadian wore thongs. It was hot and dusty in the park. My poor Canuck buddy. His feet were red and rashed by the time the walk was over. We saw many lizards, iguanas, birds and a large group of tortoises. It was site that will stick in my mind, a true wonder of the world.
I really liked the layout of Isla Santa Cruz. It is perfect for lazy travellers. All the hotels, park and attractions are only five minutes away for the downtown area. After returning from the park. I ditched my Canuck friend. He was boring and might have been gay. Through his actions, he really wasn't interested in the ladies on the Island. This was strange to me, anyway, he had tattoos and wasn't a sailor. I come from a later generation. My pop always said, "only sailors have tattoos".
I had dinner after a short rest at a restaurant that was pricey (on the main strip). Later, I asked around and found a street of reasonable food just two blocks inland of the main street. While milling around I met a gal, a healthy ecuadoriana. We were going to have dinner the next day. What a great start, got some sun, had an adventure and met a woman. I had it all, after a few beers. I headed home, watched some cable and went to sleep. Life in the Galapagos, so far, so good.
In the morning, me and my Canuck buddy went on a Spanish guided tour. I made the reservation at the main dock in the down town area. It consisted of a tour of two reefs and las griegas de amor. I also took my Canuck friend along. I felt bad for him, the language barrier and all but, knew he was a tripper, he had a tattoo in the middle of his back. Who the hell scars themselve permanently for art, a weirdo, that's who.
The tour was fun, the group were predominantly Ecuadorian and extremely friendly. Our first stop was a shark reef, it was over cast and there weren't too many tiberones, the Spanish word for sharks. That was a let down but, I did manage to get some footage of me snorkeling. My bro made a movie while I was out in the water. The second stop in the tour occurred after a rough water boat ride, we came to a beautiful beach, red lava rock jutted out of the water and white sand was everywhere, a small dock emerged on the shore.
On this small dock, there were seals, and a small chasm toward the top of a trail. In the chasm, the water was a murky green, and boats became visible. It was surreal. We (the group) took some photos and started our decent up into the desert scape. Isla Santa Cruz is mostly desert with some springs which provide water and greenery. We hiked to a beach, a virgin beach, littered with iguanas, dark brown and grey, the iguanas were docile. I didn't touch one but, the thought had crossed my mind. We snapped photos of the beach and animals. There were a few blue footed boobies milling about. They bask in the sun with frigate birds.
We began walking once again, this time away from a beach, and came across the Italian embassy. You have to hand it too the Italians in the Galapagos. The built a castle right in a the most beautiful place on the Island. It was simalar to Sorrento but, free of people and far from the mainland of Italy.
We passing side of the Italian embassy and some large salt pool eventually winding through the desert landscape to a large cenote. It was amazing unlike any I have seen in the world. It was a large canyon around a fifty meters wide, with emerald glistening water. The clarity of this pool is rumored at thirty meters. This is famous la grieta del amor. Grieta is the word for crack and del amor means of love. If there is another crack of love besides a woman's vagina. This would be the place. Upon first view, I said, I got to jump in that thing.
Our guide lead us down a small trail to an area for entering the water. I took out my trusty fins, mask and snorkel and hoped into the water. I immediately noticed around thirty feet down, large blue and purple fish swimming near the edges. The water was warm, it was like returning to the womb. I did several laps. And upon returning, helped a young Peruana learn to snorkle, with my mask. He boyfriend wasn't too happy but, hey bro, that is life.
Upon returning to the small landing area, a group of wasps had started attacking our group. I too was stung a few times, no biggie, it is nature, right? We hiked back on the trail. The sun was blistering now, it was around ninety. We came across a small tienda or snack bar. Me and three of my new friends from the tour ordered some food. The hostess tried to give me a gringo price but, it didn't matter. Two people from the tour bought me sandwiches. That is Ecuador for you, great people and extremely giving. In my six months here, I have gotten used to the kind ways of Ecuador. In all due honesty, I may never move back.
After lunch we hiked back to the boat, the last leg was easier at sea, the sea was calm, we came into Isla Santa Cruz around three. Me and the Canuck grabbed some food which was a few blocks inland, four bucks and really tasty. I came across a nice Ecuadorian guy and his wife while eating lunch. He explained, "he had lost his camera on the tour". We laughed it off and had a great lunch. After lunch, I ditched my Canuck buddy and found a pretty ecuadorian gal. Her brother owned a rescue business, she was his secretary. I arranged a date with her for the next night at seven but, it wouldn't happen. I would soon find myself popular on this little island in the Pacific.
Nights were mellow on the Isla Santa Cruz but, excelent, uncrowded bars, reasonable drinks and few good looking gals. That night, I met a classy woman walking downtown. She was around my age and ran a joya business, jewelry in English. I made a mistake and double booked myself for two dates at the same time. I decided on Jewelry lady. I am sure the healthier gal would have been easy but, having had a few bigger gals was more in the mood for thin. Someone to be seen with a night.
My second day I went out a beautiful white sand beach to surf. The day was beautiful, warm and the white sand beaches just beckoned to me. On my way to the beach, I met a few American gals. And like most idiot gringos who visit Ecuador, the two gals didn't speak a lick of Spanish. Why do people who don't know Spanish come to Ecuador? I hate to tell you, Ecuador isn't Mexico. There isn't a great deal fo tourist and so exposure to English is limited to locals.
As to the American girls, I agreed to accompany them to the beach. The beach was pristine, white sand and wide but, the waves were too frequent for surfing. I gave it a go at surfing and in frustration apted for relaxing in the white sand. I spent a few hours with those gals but, hearing English was getting annoying, especially back in the village. If you want to stand out in town, speak a language other than Spanish. That is the same throughout Ecuador, please brush up on you Spanish skills, you won't regret it, I swear.
After departing from those annoying American gals, I had almuerzos, which is a traditional Ecuadorian lunch. It consists of a soup, juice, meat, rice and a platano. On the Isla Santa Cruz, it ran about four dollars. On the mainland of Ecuador, from a dollar fifty to three depending on the offerings. I know a great place in Quito with almuerzos for two twenty five. The food on Isla Santa Cruz was delicious, especially in the local eating area a few blocks inland. During lunch, I met a really nice Ecuadorian guy and his wife, we had lunch together. My new friend explained to me, "he was a manager at Home Depot in Miami Florida". He also complained about his job. I told him, "keep your job". I had been out of work almost three years. We laughed and after a great lunch, parted ways.
After lunch, I went on a walk and visited the gal in the Jewelry store. She told me, "I finish work at eight, meet me after". I went back to my room, watched some cable TV and took a nap. Later that night, we met and she gave me a tour of night life. We went to a nice restaurant had some cerveza nacional (Pilsener) and a snack. Isla Santa Cruz is peaceful, clean and has some nice places. Not much night life but, it is a relaxing retreat. It reminded me of a cheap Ibiza minus a plethora of hot chicks and drugs. My date went smoothly. It ended like a date in highschool. I peck on the cheek, she went to her place, I went to mine.
The next day, I took a radical departure from my agenda and booked three tours, Floreana, Isla Isabela and a three day cruise around Santiago. I booked with a group of Israelis. I couldn't help but ask them where the Palestinians were on the trip. They didn't get the joke. Well, I was lucky, my first few tours were Israeli free, just good old peaceful Ecuadorians and a few gringos. No matter what you think. It really matters who you travel with, Ecuadorians are similar to Europeans, in general, they are relaxed and respectful. Gringos like to party as well as Canadian but, are generally respectful. Young Israelis are another story. Read on for my great time with the future of Israel. They would really get to me on the so-called "Yacht" trip.
The trip to Floreana was a boat ride from hell, the rough seas sickened people on board and left me wondering. Did the Ecuadorian's who planned the trip have a clue what they were doing? After leaving the harbor, the seas got rough and the few gringos on board were already vomiting over board. There were a few young Ecuadorian children using plastic bags for their effluent. I wasn't impressed by the use of plastic bags for human waste. What about the poor dolphins, who gag on the bags. A bag looks a hell of a lot like a jellyfish, one of Dolphin's main staples.
The weather was sunny on this sea but changed rapidly, from sun to rain and back again. I would watch the horizon and see a large rock in the distance as it would become closer, it would form a monolith. We then would pass it and another land form would guide me. Around two hours into the boat ride, no more landmarks presented themselves and a bout of nausea came upon me. I heaved a little and continued to focus on the horizon. The third or fourth hour, land presented itself. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The landing at Floreana was desert like, the beach had a few red Iguanas scattered about and a outcrop of small cement houses. The beach had a dock and a cement landing. It looked like a small fishing community, boats scattered about and dogs tied to a cactus. We quickly boarded a open truck and drove into the interior of the island. It was a completely different landscape, rainforest like, high humidity and dense greenery surrounded us. It is reminescent of the entire country of Ecuador. On the coast, it is humid, green and warm. In the east, it is rainforest however, this was just an island a few miles wide, amazing.
The interior of the island, a higher elevation was cool and lush with a small settlement. According to the guide, "it was colonized in the sixties by a family of Germans". There was also zoo on the settlement, a sanctuary for Galapagos Tortoises. At the zoo, I learned all the remaining Galapagos tortoises were brought in from Europe, America and other places. Lonesome George really was the last of his species. I was unimpressed by the german settlement and zoo. In my eyes, there is no real value in colonies or man made places for animals. I prefer animals in their natural habitats and viewing homes of indigenous people, not some German transplants. However, The zoo did serve as a nice place for the Tortoises, plenty of food and a nice environment. At the farthest point of the tour (the end of the German's land), with a view of the other side of the island. There was a short visit to some Pirate caves. The caves served as housing for the blood thirsty first visitors. The caves appeared as ancient Inca ruins but, the guide stated, "they were constructed by Pirates". Strange to come all this way to learn that. We had a quick lunch back in the desert part of the island, an uneventful snorkel (just a few fish) and it was back to the hell boat.
The ride back was another rough one, the weather went from sunny to stormy. Toward the end of the voyage, the small boat felt like a prison, it just plugged along as rain pelted its exterior and waves rocked it back and forth. I was happy to hit the shore that night. I can't even remember anyone on the ride back, it was a blur, seasickness had crept into my bones. The shore was a pleasant sight around twilight. I was tired but, managed to muster up enough energy for my date, it was an uneventful night. My classy date wasn't in the mood to put out and my libido was down due to the tour from hell. We had dinner, a few beers and she took a taxi home. Around nine, I retired to cable TV and airconditioning. I did have a real adventure planned in the morning, a booked "yacht" trip.
I like to put quotations around "Yacht" when describing my next leg of my adventure. When you think of a "Yacht", you think of a large boat, with plenty of amenities and luxury. On this so-called "Yacht", the luxuries were few and boat small. To make matters worse, my original boat had a cancellation and so I was placed on another boat, a load boat, with a raucous group of loud Israelis. And no matter you went on board a whacked Israeli was staring at you. This was going to be a challenge. I am not a big fan of the state of Israel. Can't see logic in military occupations and feel the Palestinians deserve the land back. Being disturbed by a group of young occupiers. This was going to be fun! I know they are young and don't know any better but, nonetheless, I feel for the plight of the Palestinians. If someone took my land illegally, I wouldn't be feeling the love either.
Upon entrance to the boat, I was lead to my room. There was this sick israeli on his bunk, below me, coughing and hacking away. I saw this guy and said, "get me out of here". I was lucky, it was night and we eat shortly later. I liked eating on this boat, it was quiet, the Israelis had something in their mouths so they couldn't talk. After dinner and retreating to my cabin, I had trouble sleeping, the aforementioned sick person just kept hacking. In the morning, the Israelis went at it, singing loudly in Hebrew. At this point, I was thinking, what did I do to deserve this shit? Don't these people know they are not alone? I made an attempt at alerting the first mate, as to my violation, he did nothing. This seemed to be a recurring theme on first few days of this trip. I wanted peace and they wanted chao, the Israelis had taken over the boat and this Palestinian wasn't going to be pushed around. The second night there was a party and almost a fight. I just couldn't take being disturbed by obnoxious punks. I spoke with the first mate again and demanded to be placed on another boat, my original "Yacht". He agreed but,with the stipulation. I had to wait until morning, relieved, I slept through the night with the promise of a new boat upon day break.
After a short trip by small boat to my new boat. I immediately felt serenity. The fence had been lifted around my own personal Gaza strip. I was restored to the Guantanamere, my first boat. Upon arrival, I just in time for breakfast and the food was better too. I enjoyed a full day exploring the Isla of Santiago for a second time. At days end, the sun shown brightly and we stated our last leg of the trip, Baltra. We had a party on board the boat that night which was more akin to my liking, a small quiet group. I retreated to my private room and awoke off Baltra.
Baltra is known for birds, despite an Airport being a rock throw away, many species of birds are unaffected by the chaos of airport traffic and breed on the island. Blue Footed Boobie, Hawks and Frigate birds are a few of the birds on this amazing place. We took a morning hike on Baltra with a guide. The hike was amazing and there were many birds breeding. I snapped some great photos of a blue Footed Boobie baby and many Frigate birds. The birds were docile, you could get right up in the faces and snap away. Please don't use a flash, it blinds birds, they have sensitive eyes.
After an hour, it was back to the Baltra airport. I had a tough time locating my flight leaving. They would announce in Spanish and it would confuse me. At one point I ran out on the runway and a customs officer escorted me back to the gate. Thank goodness, I finally had to get a person from the airlines to help me, it was much help but, got me to my plane to Guayaquil. Thank god I survived that hellish trip. If I do it again, I am going to take the National Geographic Explorer, screw having a budget, it just wasn't worth the work.
