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.
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.
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.
At the end of the trip we all agreed this, our first snorkeling excursion, was among our top activities of the whole trip. We saw all sorts of fish, a white tipped reef shark, and a raw among other things. It was immediately after our kayaking trip, and thank goodness we didn’t do them in the reverse order. We were pooped! Poor LB lost have of her snorkel almost immediately, and a few of us were stung by what might have been tiny jellyfish. Still, an adventure! Continue reading
Sea kayaking was never listed on any of our [constantly changing] itineraries, so it was a pleasant surprise to do this on our first full day in the Galapagos. Currents were occasionally strong, and paddles sometimes fell apart, but it was fun. I spotted a blue footed boobie, and we caught sight of a quick-moving sea turtle too.
Alright, here’s the deal: There were a lot of tortoises on this trip. Like, a lot. Still, this was our first real sighting of them. Baby (up to 30 or so years old) tortoises live mostly near the coast — wear the soft sand allows their mothers to make nests. Then they slowly migrate up to the highlands, where we found them on this private reserve. Rather than parcel out his land for farming, this landowner chose to open up his space for tourists to watch tortoises in their natural habitat. The fences surrounding the land allow the animals to come and go as they please, and the fruit trees provide plenty of food.
Also, no one mentioned on the itinerary, at the hotel, or in the car that the place is crawling with fire ants…hence the boots.
Evidently this airport is brand new, as a colleague later told me when he was there it was simply a landing strip. It’s a small terminal with your basic amenities, and the indoor/outdoor design makes sense. It’s the setting, though, that really drives home that you’ve arrived in an otherworldly place. Cactii and sparse vegetation are everywhere, and in the distance one can see many volcanic islands and blue water. Such a nice welcome!
Lady Boy Time 