Author Archives: ladyboytimeadmin

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Las Tintoreras Snorkeling Part 2

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After getting past the crowded part of the marina where the boats were anchored, we came to a narrow point where the current coming from the lagoon was, shall we say, strong? It was sort of like I was swimming for my life…because I was? I was paddling as hard as possible and using both arms, which was not easy given the oversize underwater camera case. There were moments when I’d look down at the seafloor and notice I was actually moving backwards while swimming forwards. Oy. Well, it ended up being worth it just to spot these rays, which I would later learn are rough eagle rays. I was the only person to see them.

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Las Tintoreras Snorkeling Part 1

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This was the longest and most dynamic of the three snorkel trips. We took a car back to the marina we had arrived at two days prior. There we donned our wetsuits and snorkel gear and waded into the marina. We swam by boats and anchors, and as you can see there were starfish, sea cucumbers, and LOTS of urchins (the green things). So, so much uni. The only negative part was when the current got super strong, but we weren’t supposed to stand up for balance because we’d crush the sea urchins. I’m not gonna lie…I sacrificed a few.

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Organic Farm Lunch

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Leading up to the trip we were super excited about hiking the world’s second largest volcano. Early on the trip we were warned by other travelers that if people in your group don’t want to go to the volcano, you might not be able to. Well as we got closer to that day, we heard more and more dire warnings. “It’s muddy and uphill for hours.” “We’re not really supposed to dissuade the guests, but…none of the guides thinks this is a worthwhile activity.” “If there are any clouds, which there usually are, you can’t see anything.” So on and so forth. Instead, we slummed it on the beach (see previous post) and enjoyed ourselves this totally random [and free] lunch on an organic farm. We were dropped off by a pickup truck and collected again by it. The hotel staff wouldn’t let us ride in the back of the truck, but on the way back the driver smiled and gestured for LB and AO to jump in the back. Truck selfie! Oh, and that’s a chicken feeding a mouse to her children. I was like, “I just ate your grandfather!” Like the farm owner, the chickens  didn’t speak English.

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Isabela Lodge’s Beach

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Here’s where the middle toe met its fate, but it was worth it. The photos come close to describing the beauty, but not quite. Just to reiterate: this was steps from our resort in Isabela. It was practically empty almost the entire time. There were marine iguanas, fish, and all sorts of birds everywhere. In the mangrove I found this bird fishing. Just, amazing.

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Playita, Marine Iguana Beach

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Playita is tucked away in the national park section of Isabela not far from our hotel. As you can see it was full of marine iguanas. We probably saw the largest reptiles at this beach. Our guide thought a few were probably several decades old. Marine iguanas are the only modern lizards that hang out in the ocean, and they are found in the Galapagos only. They dive into the water to eat algae, and during the day they return to the rocks to absorb heat. It seems like at Playita they can do both at the same time, and indeed we did see some of them eating. This algae was even more vivid in person. Oh, and several aged cacti were found here.

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Flamingos!

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This was a quick stop to check out a community of flamingos in a brackish lake. Fun fact: these are the same pink flamingos one finds in the US and Caribbean, and their presence in the Galapagos makes their official term “American flamingo” problematic. Also, check out one of our many sweet-ass Isabelan rides. Though you lack a door handle on the inside (wrench = good enough), you do you yellow Pregio, you do you.

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Isabela, Can’t Complain

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After what was by far the most relaxing boat trip so far (dolphins! video…coming soon), we made it to Isabela. Isabela is just the best. We all agreed we could spend a whole week here. Our hotel, while not actually part of the Red Mangrove complex (yes, we left comment cards), we were otherwise basically within a few feet of free food, drinks, a gorgeous beach, sundry shops, and a view of one of the many volcanoes on the island. And wow, that marina. Crystal clear blue water, animals everywhere, and lots of people milling about getting ready to scuba and snorkel. Isabela is so laid back and conscious of its natural beauty.

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Farewell, Floreana

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At this point you’re probably thinking, “jeez, are there iguanas and sea lions everywhere?” Yes, 1000 times yes. So, so many iguanas and sea lions. But I mean, that’s…why we came here. And this is free, so quit your complaining. There is a post office with postcards from around the world. They’re unstamped, and you’re supposed to find one near your home that you can deliver in person. Sure enough, there was one for Brooklyn Heights. Too bad I accidentally threw it out. And too bad our tour guide never mentioned the post office, so none of us had postcards ready to go. Oh well. Finally, check out this shot of Layla and me in the “chiba,” which is a form of transport that’s kinda like a cross between a pickup truck and a wooden box. No doors, no windows, no seatbelts, NO RULES. “Chiba” means female goat in Caribbean Spanish, and it also apparently is a term for weed. So there’s that.

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Floreana Tortoise Preserve and Pirate Caves

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Floreana has a long, strange history I won’t go into here. Basically there were some pirates, then the Wittmers came from Germany, and now it’s an island with 150 people and one of the few natural sources of water in the archipelago. There are no longer any native tortoises here, because sailors were careless in mixing species and leaving them here. So the national park decided to set up an enclosure and let the tortoises live out their lives in peace. Here we learned about the “sweet dream” trees whose flowers produce a compound akin to Rohypnol, so from here on out we joked that we’d be sweet dreaming people if they didn’t stay in line.  Continue reading →

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Morning in Floreana

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Waking up early after a long night out in Floreana (yes, there is such a thing as a “bar” on this 150-person island), we strolled along the black sand beach admiring the sun-gathering sea lions, crabs and marine iguanas. I’m including a few photos of our hotel (if you can call it that…what’s hot water?), the cute restaurant where our meals were served, and one of the many Siamese cats roaming around.

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Snorkeling Take 2

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After the bumpy boat ride, it seemed that only Team LadyBoyTime were up for the sunset snorkel on the beach of our basically majestic beyond words Floreana hotel. Well, rip currents be damned! Donning our wetsuits for the first time, we set off in search of sea turtles. “Where are they, Juan,” I gurgled through my snorkel several times? “Over here,” he replied, pointing as jagged rocks darting in and out of focus. Alex and I made our way over, as a sea lion broke the surface to get a quick glance at us before darting away. I’m not going to lie, the water was pretty cold and dark, and not just a few times did I think I was going to beach on a rock and/or drown. At the last minute we spotted this huge, slow, amazing sea turtle. I followed him/her for a few minutes, and before I knew it everyone had made it back to shore. “Michael, what are you doing?” “Sea gurgle turtle gurgle.” Spoiler alert: I didn’t drown. Then the sun set over the ocean horizon — our only chance to see such a thing on this trip.

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