In Quito for some reason there was a very long wait to obtain our boarding passes and we were grateful our guide took care of this matter for us while we sat in the smoke filled waiting room.
The
airport had three gates opening out onto the tarmac. Escorted to the proper
gate, we noted a blinking neon sign saying ‘Cuenca’. We were
headed to the Galapagos via Guayaquil. However, everyone else in the area was headed
in our direction so we stood firm. Later we found out the sign had not been
changed for three years!
We
stood in line at the gate for a long time. There seemed to be a problem with
the plane and there was no reserve plane in sight. A toilet seat sat in the
forward doorway for a good while, then suddenly disappeared back inside the
plane.
We
landed in Quayaquil (why a keel) where we retrieved our luggage, walked a couple hundred
yards and boarded another plane. No one knew why!
The open-air airport on Baltra Island was quaint and reminded me of my first
arrival at the Honolulu airport in 1955---so many years ago! One
thing different was the long hour wait to get through customs. We could pay our
$80 park fee in either American dollars or Ecuadorian Sucre. Knowing the park
would not accept traveler’s checks, I had exchanged money the day before at the
hotel in anticipation of this expense. You
can imagine the fistful of money I had to equal $160 when 1800 Sucre equaled a
dollar. I handed the stack of bills to the park ranger and asked him to count
it.
The Galapagos
Islands is an archipelago
of volcano islands in the Pacific Ocean distributed on either side of
Ecuador. The Galápagos
Islands and their surrounding waters form an Ecuadoran Province, a national
park, and a biological marine reserve. They consist of 18 major and 3 minor islands and many rock
outcroppings and inlets. We had the pleasure of visiting nine of the islands: Baltra,
Bartolomé, Santa Cruz or Darwin, Espanola or Hood, Fernandina, Tower, Isebela,
Floreana, and Plaza Island. It was a fabulous experience!
Albatross mate for
life. They return to Espanola each spring, find their mate and bare their
young. In December they fly off in all different directions. Babies do not
return for five years at which time they return to find a mate
On Floreana interestingly
enough all the flowers on the island are either white or yellow because there
is only one variety of bee to do all the pollinating
Flour Beach’s sand was
snow white and a contrast to the brown sandy beach we landed on. Being a turtle
breeding ground prevented any swimming at that beach.
Years ago sailors would
leave addressed letters in a mailbox at Post Office Bay. They also would remove
any letters addressed to their destination. When they arrived in port they
would stamp and mail the letters. The custom continues today.
On Santa Cruz Island we
stopped at the rim of a sink hole, Sitting quietly we listened to the songs of Galapagos
doves and watched vermilion flycatchers.
Later as we walked downhill we stopped at a lava tunnel which I found a
little spooky.
When I walked out on
deck the next morning with my first cup of coffee I suddenly stopped short,
mesmerized by the sight of two red footed boobies perched on the bowsprit.
Tower Island is nick-named
the Islands of Birds or Bird Island for the millions of birds that
call it home. We were lucky as it was mating season for the masked boobies,
blue footed boobies, and frigate birds. We spent a good deal of time watching
them and their mating dances.
Visit Posts: Iguanas
10-19-11 Tower Island 1-28-12 More about Galapagos 7-17-11
No comments:
Post a Comment