GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

                                       A Fabulous Experience
    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

                               

TARAHUMARA INDIANS

                                         Tarahumara Culture

        After our week in the Sea of Cortez and our ride on the Copper Canyon Railroad we hung out  for a couple of days in the Posada Barrancos, the area where one can best see the canyon,  .

       The Spanish originally encountered the Tarahumara Indians throughout Chihuahua upon arrival in the 1500's. The Tarahumara are shy and private, so as the Spanish moved in the Indians retreated for the nearly inaccessible canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara—which we call the Copper Canyon. As miners encroached onto their way of life they moved even deeper into the remote canyons. It is estimated that today there are over 70,000 Tarahumaras, making them Mexico's second largest native Indian group

       Living in caves, under cliffs and in small wood and stone cabins in remote areas, they live a simple life without modern technology. They call themselves Raramuri, which refers specifically to men. Women are referred to as mukí. Tarahumara was what the first Spanish called these

Narrow mountain path

Native American people. Rarámuri means "foot-runner. This is their means of transportation over network of narrow footpaths through the canyons. Running is what the Tarahumara are best known  for around the world. They can run down deer and wild turkeys. They also run birds till they tire, not letting them perch and rest.

       One morning we watched a display of their games and walked down a path into the canyon to see where one family lived. They live apart from each other, not in a compound or village like many native peoples. Religious, with a desire for privacy, they are known as a quiet and considerate people who are expert farmers. However, they do gather frequently for ceremonies, celebrations and races.  They make a fermented drink called Tesgüino from sprouted corn. It is quite a process and is made year round.     

      Corn and beans are staple diet products. Potatoes and apples also can be found. Some Tarahumara raise domesticated animals such as goats and cattle. Fish, small game and herbs, a Tarahumara specialty, round out their diet.

      Traditional clothing consists of a white cloth shirt, sometimes with colorful prints, white cloth pants or wraparounds with colorful belts or accessories. Cloth headbands are usually red. Sandals or huaraches are the footwear of choice, and are often made from old tires.

     Musical instruments consist of a three hole flute, rattles and violin. Their dances are simple.

     The women weave gorgeous water-tight baskets in all sizes. At the Barrancos we watched Tarahumara women weaving as they sat on a stone wall visiting with each other. The baskets were an absolute must buy item---getting them home on the plane was a bit of a challenge. I have fond memories of a great trip every time I look at the ones I bought.

PANAMA'S MOUNTAINS

                                    A Trip into the Mountains

   The mountain valleys of Panama are popular places for well to do Americans and South Americans to buy property and build retirement or second homes. The large stucco homes with tile roofs we saw in El Valle de Anton were large on big manicured fenced lots. From what we were told that is quite typical for this segment of the population. The stucco of the few smaller homes were painted with pastel colors.

   It is  the world's largest inhabited volcanic crater! Once a crater lake, this quiet village became home to Indians from the surrounding mountains who have been there for thousands of years. The flora and fauna of two continents converge along this unique land bridge.  It has a special micro-climate with its cloud forest and exotic animals and plants.

   The rich volcanic soil and year-round spring-like climate allows almost every species of plant and animal to thrive in the environment. There are countless species of flowers and trees, and hundreds of species of mammals and reptiles, as well as an incredible 500 species of birds that live in Anton's Valley.

  My perception of this valley was totally blown away. I pictured a caldera where one could see the edges and a small village in the center. Wrong! The caldera is so huge that all one can see are mountains and if one did not know he would just think he was in a valley. The ride up 2000-feet to the valley was a pretty one with many fruit trees close to the road and scattered houses that did not appear to be part of any village. I saw many banana, papaya, mango, persimmon, and palm trees.

   When we stopped at a zoo we found the temperature delightful. The rustic zoo was fun and  lovely. We had no bug or mosquito problem. Paths were well packed dirt and dry. The roots of many of the trees appear to be rather shallow as there were visible small roots everywhere. It is probably because of the frequent rain and the avoidance of deep watering.  The tropical landscape and flowers everywhere was a delight. Impatiens in all colors abounded as did hibiscus, torch ginger, anthuriums, jasmine, bougainvillea, croton and many more I could not identify.  It seemed strange to see a grove of pine trees and another of eucalyptus among all the flowering and tropical landscape. I saw hedges made out of any flower and some you’d never think about training as a hedge!  And I can’t forget the many kinds of cacti growing about. There was some good signage, especially in the frog house, and there was some very primitive hand painted signage and then there was also none. There was a wonderful frog house with 21 different frogs in large glassed enclosures and it was a thrill to actually see Panama’s icon: the tiny golden frog.

   El Valle’s one main road is called Avenida Central or Calle Central and runs east-west across the town. A main landmark is the town's public market, open 7 days a week.

           

The Legend of The Sleeping Indian Girl

   Luba was the youngest daughter of the Chief Urraca, leader of one of the Guaymi Tribes, of the sun-kissed mountains surrounding the crater.

  They called her air flower, and they knew her as a simple but rebellious young Indian girl: an inheritance of  her strong race, that fought against the Spanish conquerors for years. What Luba least expected was that she would fall madly in love with one of the Spanish officials who occupied her town. It was thus that Luba

undermined Yaravi, a brave warrior of her tribe who loved her with all his soul, but that love was not reciprocated. Seeing it was impossible to win her love, Yaravi takes his life, throwing himself into the emptiness from the height of a mountain before the sad and perplexed stare of air flower.

   Luba, not wanting to betray her town, renounces her love for the foreigner and, crying desperately, mourning her misfortune, loses herself among the bushes, extends herself on the savanna and dies.

   It was then that the hills and the valleys, in a melancholic embrace, covered her and decided to perpetuate her figure, sculpting it in a majestic mountain to remember her always.

           

SOME STRANGE TRADITIONS--OR NOT

                         Mostly Down Under  Traditions  

  Parts of Europe do some strange trimming to their linden trees. I’ve seen this several places and am always in awe, but it was most prominent in Belgium. Maybe it was just the right time of the year. The Linden tree is   deciduous so the trimming seemed severe and was most obvious. The linden tree is a decorative fragrant tree that can be long lived and grow big. It appears that the severely trimmed trees are meant to be kept medium height so they can be trimmed each year. The best answer I could ever get anywhere was, “It’s a European thing.”

  In the days of the English witch hunts the thumbs of a supposed witch was tied to her big toes before being thrown into the water, river or whatever. If she floated she was guilty and if she sank she was innocent—either way she was dead.

         

  Pierre Cardin described The Queen Victoria Building (QVC) as the most beautiful shopping centre in the world. Built in 1898 and occupying an entire city block the building is an outstanding example of Byzantine architecture. It was built to replace the original Sydney Markets. Remodeled in the 1930s it has housed a concert hall, City Library, and municipal offices. Refurbished in 1984 it now accommodates more than 200 shops. With a series of domes and domelets and exquisite stained glass windows along with extensive wood paneling the building has retained the turn-of-the-century charm. When in Sydney, Australia the QVC should be on your to see list.

            

    If you’ve been where sugar grows you may know that sugarcane is cut once a year and then regrows. After the third cutting the fields are burned and the remains plowed under.  Beans are then planted to replace the nitrogen to the soil, and then the next year sugarcane is planted to start the cycle over again.

            Australia’s Vegemite is made at the very end of the sugar process.

           

 The story was framed in our Sydney, Australia hotel room. The second part of the building was built of sandstone with Georgian flattened brick arches over the windows. Built as six terrace houses, it was known as Scarlett’s Cottages. Scarlett was a well-known lady of the night who lived and died in the area.

            Scarlett was Eric’s one true love, but although in a moment of thoughtlessness she declared her love for him, she did not mean it. However, Eric died before learning of Scarlett’s lie. It is well known that to this day Eric wanders the halls and rooms of the cottages searching and calling for Scarlett, who had met an untimely and tragic death. On occasion Eric has appeared in front of unknowing hotel staff members, questioning them of Scarlett’s whereabouts.

   We were staying in a haunted hotel! However, none of us ran into Eric’s ghost during our stay.

A really clean modern restroom:

 Our van driver detoured into Ashburton to show us an ultra modern restroom. The clean public unisex toilets were all push button. A button was pushed to close the door. Another button was pushed to dispense the TP. The toilet flushed only when the sensor activated soap and faucet were in use! Another button opened the door.

  A sign warns that at 9 minutes you will be given a warning and at 10 minutes the door will automatically open--- best that you be finished with your business! Really a very neat system. We again saw the same system at Queenstown, New Zealand Botanical Gardens.