Galapagos!

We left Tena and took the long 4+ hour bus ride back to our Airbnb near the Quito airport. We were exhausted so after a pizza dinner, we went straight to bed. We had to get to the airport at 6:00, which was thankfully only a 5 minute drive away. We dropped off the majority of our luggage at a storage unit so we just had small backpacks, and hopped on a plane to the Galapagos!!

Before we landed all of our bags got sprayed down. They try to prevent any invasive species, from bugs to plants, from reaching the islands. As soon as we got off the plane, Maddie and I both said, ICELAND! The volcanic landscape is very similar to what we saw there (minus the cacti and other more tropical vegetation!).

We had to have our bags xrayed (3 times) to make sure we weren’t bringing in any putside food or plants. We payed our Galapagos fee (Auguste got 1/2 price as an Andean citizen!) and hopped on a bus, then a water taxi. Our Airbnb host had arranged a driver for us. He took us to see a few sights first thing! First stop was Los Gemelos (the twins) lava craters. The two craters were impressive and they were surrounded by a scalesia forest. The scalesia are found nowhere else on earth but the Galapagos and they are home to a huge number of plants and animals that are endemic. They are home to many species of Darwin’s finches, among other things. So we did a quick hike around the craters and started to take in the truly mind-boggling land of the Galapagos!

Then, we got to see the giant tortoises and a lava tunnel!! It was SO cool to see these giant tortoises, some that are as much as 200 years old. We walked around a preserve that is designed to be optimal conditions for them (basically they cut the grass!) but the tortoises roam wherever they want and aren’t kept in the preserve. As we were driving toward it, there were tortoises just wandering through fields and across the road. They are truly amazing and ypu can’t help but wonder what they’ve seen in their hundreds of years.

A quick drive from the tortoise preserve was a lava tunnel. The Galapagos are all lava rock, formed by volcanoes. Lava tunnels are areas where lava flowed and the outer edges cooled and hardened but the interior lava continued to flow forming a tube. The one we walked through was just amazing! Pictures don’t do it justice. Our driver dropped us off at one end and we did the 20+ minute walk through and he picked us up at the other end. It was fascinating!!

At this point it had already been a very full day at it was only about 2:00! We made a quick stop at a market to grab some groceries and then we’re dropped off at the dock where our Airbnb host was waiting for us.

A quick word about our Airbnb:

I had originally booked a little room in the town of Puerto Ayora. But over the last week I had time to do more reading and it seemed it might be a bit loud and surrounded by more of a late-night crowd than we were looking for. I happened to find a listing for a small “Yellow Room” stay that could only be reached by boat, was quite rustic and said “if you don’t like bugs, spiders and wildlife, don’t come!” It sounded perfect and miraculously the exact dates we needed were available!! So I canceled the other room and rebooked, hoping I hadn’t just made a huge mistake. I had not! Sarah, the owner, is British but has lived here for 30+ years. Her husband, Franklin, was born on the beach here and has never left. They are a HOOT! They picked us up in a little boat and we set off.

To be honest, the boat started to feel a bit small for the weather conditions as we went over fairly large waves and got soaked in salt water. But I figured a lifetime on the islands meant they knew more than I did! We took in the sites as Sarah pointed out birds along the way. We saw our first blue footed booby! We pulled into a cover surrounded by cliffs and mangroves and Sarah announced we were home.

She showed us around our little studio space and the grounds, included how to walk to catch the water taxi, where the kayak and snorkeling equipment is and what to watch out for (don’t try to step over a sea lion…they do appreciate a bit of space!). She had lovely snacks waiting for us also. Auguste decided he needed to swim immediately so the kids took a quick dip and then we all needed food and an early night again.

It had been a very full, gorgeous and intense day. Just absorbing the fact that we are in the Galapagos was a lot!! What an amazing day!