Ecuadorian Adventure part 3

Oct 14

Today we hired our driver to take up to Guayaquil, a town about three hrs away near the west coast. We again went through the Three Crosses pass at 13,700 ft. The vegetation changes from eucalyptus trees to pine trees which are not indigenous to no trees at the highest altitudes. The valleys are U shaped from the glaciers that formed them We saw wild llamas in the Cajas National Park. We were above the clouds for part of the trip and had a brilliant sunny day at the high altitudes. 

We stopped for a toilet break at a restaurant high in the Andes. There were four or five small fires burning on the steep slopes and it looked like they had just started. We didn’t have any understanding as to how or why there were separate fires. But Adrian said they have no way to fight fires on the steep terrain so they just let them burn out. It was a reminder of how advanced and how much money is available in the US to fight fires with helicopters, and planes. As we starting going down to the lower elevations the clouds returned. The tropical jungle with fern trees and banana trees came back into sight. We saw lots of cocoa plants and sugar cane, important crops here. 

When we got to sea level there were huge tracts of land planted in crops of rice, bananas, sugar cane and mangoes. Sugar cane waste is fed to cows. Teak tress were planted right next to the road on both sides. It takes 25 years before teak can be harvested. We found Ecuador to be more advanced than other developing countries we have visited; the roads and infrastructure, guard rails, speed readers are not usually seen in developing countries we have visited.

.

Along the way. Adrian told us funny stories about how two towns got their names. Twenty-six is a town that is 26 km from Guayaquil and Egg is a town where people used to wade into the river up to their knees…hence Egg. We arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, around lunch time. After checking in to our hotel which was the equivalent to a Marriot we walk down to the river to the El Malecon, a great  gated, policed 2.5 km pedestrian area next to the river with restaurants, food carts, walkways, tropical garden, kiosks selling souvenirs  and thrill rides. It is Sunday so families were out today to enjoy this protected and safe area, eating ice cream strolling with children and riding on the carnival rides.. We ate an unremarkable, overpriced meal sitting on an upper patio overlooking the river.

Afterwards we join the throngs and walked along the river enjoying the garden and watching crazy rides and squealing riders. Those days are ‘gone by’ as my friend Penney likes to say.  We went back to the hotel and caught up on emails and relaxed. We decided to eat at the hotel and it was a repeat of lunch: overpriced and mediocre. We sat next to a large window and twice two men at separate times walked right up to the window and signaled they were hungry by putting their hand to their mouth. They appeared to be homeless. There was no way to give them money without going outside and it didn’t make any sense. When the second guy persisted an employee went outside and asked him to leave us alone. Many Venezuelans have left their country which is in terrible shape and have gone to other nearby countries in hopes of a better life. Most here seem to tolerate the immigrants and offer them handouts which was good to see given how often this doesn’t happen around the world.

The highlight of our accommodation for me was the bathroom with a tub. I love to bathe in a tub nightly but in general tubs are few and far between in developing countries. After two weeks in Ecuador I indulged and took a nice hot bath. The only reason we came to Guayaquil was to catch a plane to the Galapagos Islands in the morning.

Oct 15

This morning we caught our plane and flew to Santa Cruz. The first thing we had to do at the airport before boarding our plane was to pay a $20 tax each for the Galapagos, next we had to have our luggage inspected to make sure we were not carrying any food items that could negatively impact the islands then we could go to the check in counter to get boarding passes. There were no lines at security. Yippee. We had a 90 minute flight to Baltra. Upon arrival we paid $100 each for our tourist card which is required of everyone. However residents of Ecuador pay about $7. After collecting our luggage we took a bus to a ferry to cross a river to reach Santa Cruz. There we took a taxi to town making two stops along the way. 

The first was Los Gemelos, twin sinkholes. 

Next we stopped at El Chato Tortoise Reserve, a private reserve filled with tortoises of every size. Some were HUGE. We were glad to see that the government recognizes how precious the islands are and endeavors to protect the flora and fauna. NO one is to get any closer than two meters (six ft) of any animal. On the uninhabited islands no food is to be taken onto those islands for fear of crumbs being dropped onto the land for animal consumption. We also noted that organic food was served everywhere and I assume that any food grown on the islands is organic for protection of the flora and fauna here.

We arrived late at the hotel in Puerto Ayora and ran out to a pizza place right next door for a slice at 4:30 to hold us over until dinner. Our guesthouse was great. We were at the very back in a good room and a good shower. After ‘lunch’ we went to a booking agency and booked our trip to the San Cristobal where we will go after Santa Cruz. We walked through town, got some fruit at a little market and rested. We ate dinner outside on the main drag and had fabulous fresh seafood with fresh veggies; shrimp for me and tuna for Ron.

Afterwards we popped into some really lovely shops. My favorite was a jewelry designer who worked mainly in silver and had unusual designs. We chatted for a while and when we told her we were from Oregon she said she had friends in Beaverton. We came back to the hotel and watched PBS The News Hour on Ron’s phone.

Oct 16

Today we hired a driver to take us to a beach called El Garrapatero. The sand was stark white and the water was turquoise. It was stunning. We saw sea iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs in brilliant red coloration, mockingbirds, and finches. No flamingoes were present today. However there were two young women in skimpy bathing suits that provided a distraction for Ron.

On the way back to town we were dropped off at the Charles Darwin Research Center where 200 scientists and volunteers are involved with research and conservation efforts, the most well known being the breeding program for the giant tortoise. We also got to see some land iguanas here. 

We walked back into town and had a great sandwich where we had lunch yesterday. Food is as expensive here as in the US. But just about everything has to be shipped it. Some restaurants grow lettuce and a few salad veggies.

We visited four agencies before we found one that could book a trip to Seymour Island where we wanted to go tomorrow. The other agencies had no more openings. It is expensive at $170 per person for an 8am-4 pm trip but this will be our only trip to the Galapagos so we decided to see what we could while we are here. After booking the trip Ron got his camera and we walked out on the boardwalk across the street from our guesthouse. Pelican Bay is filled with brown pelicans and some frigate birds, herons and Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Oct 17

We got picked up at our hotel and taken to the boat for a trip to Seymour Island. The bus/boat trip took from 8:30-10:30. Then we went on an 1 1/2 walk with a guide. Strict rules were enforced: no eating on the island, staying two meters away from wildlife and staying on the marked paths. The terrain was volcanic rock and hard packed red clay. The trees are leafless and looked dead. It rarely rains there but if it does, the trees sprout leaves.

We saw hundred of frigate birds with the males exhibiting their big red puffy balloons below their necks. We got to see one pair of Blue Footed Boobies and several juveniles. Once juveniles reach adulthood (five yrs) their feet turn from pale blue to the darker blue.

We saw marine and land iguanas. The marine iguana, also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. Wikipedia

We also saw lots of sea lions. The sea lions here are much smaller than those on the west coast of the US. There are more the size of seals. Apparently they can forage for up to 24 hrs then they come ashore and rest so that explains why they are always lounging about on the shore. Our guide said their size was due to the scarcity of food. 

After our walk we were served a good lunch on board the boat. Next we visited a smaller island with white beaches made of crushed shells. It was a wet landing so we hopped out of the boat and walked to shore. Most of the group went snorkeling but Ron and I explored the island and watched the sea lions. Once in Thailand we tried snorkeling but neither of us was successful with the breathing and tended to hyperventilate every time we put our face in the water. HA! We returned to our hotel around 4:00 tired but very content to have seen such great sights today. I forgot to say upon arriving on Seymour a giant manta ray leaped out of the water and it was spectacular to witness. Our guide told us that is how the rays clean their bodies.

Oct 18

Today we got up real early before breakfast and walked to the dock with our luggage. We are traveling light this trip and I am grateful, even though I had to leave the computer at home. The trip was to San Cristobal and the boat was small, carrying 25 passengers. The ride was tortuous as the captain ran it full throttle. The boat slammed the waves and jarred our spines. It was just awful!

San Cristobal was gorgeous, surrounded by turquoise water. Sea lions lounged in the sun on the shore. We walked the five blocks to our guest house that was recommended in Lonely Planet, our go to resource for lodging. We loved this place off the main drag but very close to town. It is a white adobe two story small guesthouse with about ten rooms arranged around a courtyard filled with flowers, cacti and succulents. Casa de Laura is run by Laura and her family. We were desperate for coffee and food and Laura’s daughter told us of a nearby espresso bar right on the bay. Off we went and sat outside watching sea loins and munching our pastry and slurping our Americanos. We never found a good coffee spot here but did everywhere else we visited. Ecuador prides itself on its coffee.

Refreshed we walked a half mile to the Interpretation Center which explains the formation, history and significance of the Galapagos. It was a world class museum and a most enjoyable experience. Everywhere we have been on the islands there are signs/reminders about caring for the environment; Do Not Litter, Do Not Feed the Animals, Keep Two Meters Away from all Animals, Throw Nothing in the Ocean and the four R signs: Reduce, Repurpose, Reuse, and Recycle.

Since the islands are all volcanic I assume all trash has to be shipped to the mainland which is a big expense. Fresh water is another issue. Desalination plants are here. San Cristobal is the only island with fresh water and an airport in town. However Santa Cruz had much more to offer in terms of resources such as restaurants and shopping. All the shops here carried the same tourist items and most looked cheap and unappealing. However we could see a lot of the sights on our own here by foot which we enjoyed doing.

We ate at a new café and had a truly mediocre lunch. Last visit to that one. I had ordered a salad and it had one piece of lettuce and the rest was shredded cabbage. The avocado was good. Ron’s fish and chips looked a lot like frozen breaded fish nuggets and the fries were oily. Win some lose some. For dinner we tried Giuseppe’s, a great Italian place a block from our guesthouse. They opened two years ago. We shared a great fresh salad and a delicious pasta with fresh shrimp and Italian sausage. YUM!

Oct 19

We learned from a young woman who works for a dive shop where we booked our trip to Espinola Island of a hostel that serves a great breakfast. Our lodging doesn’t serve any food. So we headed there this morning and were pleased with our breakfast of eggs, toast, fruit and coffee, all for $5. We hired a taxi to take us to El Junco Lagoon that was formed from a collapsed volcano and the crater filled with fresh water. We hiked up a steep trail to reach the summit but didn’t have trouble breathing since the islands are at sea level for the most part. 

The lake is 2100 ft above sea level. When we arrived the lake was totally fogged in and there was a light mist, making us homesick for Oregon which is often misty. Within minutes of our arrival the fog lifted and we watched frigate bird diving into the water to rinse the salt from their feathers.  There were ducks there as well but no sun to be able to see their coloration. We walked around the lake on the trail and watched as the lake got fogged in again. Afterwards we went back to town. We got adventurous and ate lunch at a place that serves locals. It was a set lunch for $6. and the adage ‘you get what you pay for’ came to mind. We started with a soup then the meal was white rice and a fried egg. Lesson learned and I am grateful I didn’t get sick.

Afterward we walked a couple of miles to La Loberia, a beach past the airport. Along the way we met up with a young Ecuadorian couple who had just arrived from Guayaquil. They asked us if it was always cloudy here and we told them it has been sunny everyday except today. Then the sun broke out and the brilliant blue sky appeared and they were thrilled. We told them we had been to Guayaquil for a day and they said simultaneously “That’s enough for Guayaquil” Oddly enough our hosts in Quito had said the same thing. 

This rocky beach had an abundance of sea lions, a great big bunch of marine iguanas, and some shore birds. 

After taking in the sights and taking some photos we started back to town. As we got near the parking lot a taxi was letting out his passengers and we flagged him down to take us back to town. Perfecto!

We rested at our guesthouse for about 90 minutes then picked up our laundry  in town and brought it back to the room. We took a taxi at 5:00 back to the Interpretation Center and walked the trail to the high lookout point called Cerro de las Tijeretas (Frigate Bird Hill). 

Yes the place is packed with a colony of frigate birds nesting high above the Pacific. We came here for sunset pictures but once we had climbed up to this high point we saw a sign that said the park closed at 6:00. I got a wee bit anxious that we would be locked in for the night so we stayed until about 5:45 and raced back down to the entrance. I failed to mention that the center is built on lava rocks. It would be a real trick to hop on these rocks to make our way out if the buildings were locked as the trail which is built on top of the rocks ends at the main building and you pass through the building to exit the property.

On the way back to our guesthouse we decided it was time for some fine dining and stopped at a high end hotel with a lovely dining area right on the street front. It looked inviting so in we went. The restaurant MUYU has gone to great lengths to be sustainable in their practices. Their philosophy was written in the menu and we were impressed. I had a meal with mesclun greens, with tiny flowers, roasted fruit and veggies with a passion fruit dressing. OMG that was yummy. It came with a side of fresh scorpion fish, avocado and flat bread that was out of this world. I ordered a ginger lemonade and now want to try and make it. It was so peppery. Dang it was good. Ron had a lobster tail and pumpkin rice. Fine dining indeed!

Oct 20

Today was our trip to Espanola, another uninhabited island. I thought the last boat ride was bad. This one was un-friggin believable. The guide showed me where to sit to avoid the worst bumps. It didn’t matter. My advantage was I didn’t have water pouring over me the entire time like those who sat at the back of the boat. We left early, again full throttle and slapping waves, jarring our spines. At some point I wondered how we could endure 2.5 hours of this then was stricken with horror thinking we would have to repeat it later in the day. The boat hit the water so hard that water went over the top of the canopy then rained down on the passengers. It was beyond ridiculous. The motor was too loud to talk. The guide broke out rain gear for those who were soaked. There were ten of us in the boat.

Finally Espanola appeared on the horizon. This was a wet landing. The push and pull of the waves made it extremely difficult. The guide and the crew man had to hold the boat to prevent it from crashing into the lava rocks. I was the second or third person off the boat. I jumped into the water which was about knee high. As I was trying to make it to shore a wave came in knocking me over and I fell into some rocks and went under the water. Wet landing is not exactly how I woul
d describe it; baptism by immersion might be closer to the truth. My binoculars went into the water and the lenses were foggy the rest of the day. Dang. Fortunately the sun was out and I had on nylon pants just for the occasion and dried out within a half hour. There were two women our age or older and they literally couldn’t leave the beach because of infirmities. The rest of us headed out for the trip around the island. Espanola is one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos and it is covered with rocks. Our ‘trail’ was big rocks, not a path in sight. We hopped from one rock to the next. .I hopped too eagerly once and landed on a slanted rock and was thrown onto he ground, hitting so hard that I dented our stainless water bottle. Thank goodness I didn’t have the camera on me. When I fell on a safari in Africa in the early 2000’s I had my camera around my neck and wrecked the telephoto lens when I fell. Bummer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were rewarded with many wonderful sights: more frigate birds, another couple of blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos hawk, dove and swallow tailed gull, a yellow crowned night heron, the waved albatross (adult and a baby), the mocking bird, lava lizards, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions, more marine iguanas than you could count and a pair of American Oyster catchers who were migrating for the winter. It was a wonderful day. When we got back to the shore, a yacht was anchored nearby and their Zodiac captain came over and made two trips to get us all back to our boat that was anchored in the bay rather than repeating the wet landing episode. It was a very kind thing to do particularly for the two women who had physical difficulties. Next we were ferried to a good snorkeling place for those that wanted to snorkel. The rest of us remained on board. After about an hour or so the swimmers came back on board and we were served a good lunch.

Time to head back to San Cristobal. Fortunately we were going with the current and the ride wasn’t as brutal or as wet. The sun was out and about half way we were surrounded by porpoises that loved jumping out of the water to thrill us all. The captain slowed the boat and moved in a wide circle so the passengers could get a good look and take photos. It was a real thrill and a first for the two of us. We arrived back to town tired but happy. Our bodies ached from the morning trip, particularly our necks. I managed to get a nasty bruise on each hip from my two falls.

After a rest we returned to Giuseppe’s for another fine meal. The owner told us his mom was from the Galapagos and his dad from Italy. The owner was from Canada!

Oct 21

We caught a plane back to Quito arriving in the late afternoon. Ann and Jeff insisted on meeting us and taking us back to their place. The airport is way out of town, about 45 minutes with little traffic and impossible with traffic. Fortunately it was Sunday so the traffic wasn’t bad.

Ann made us a lovely shrimp dinner and we enjoyed telling them of our experiences. They are going to the islands in November.

Oct 22

Today I woke up with a cold and wanted to chill and get well because we had another horrendous journey in two days to get home. We stayed at home that day.

Oct 23

I felt better today so we took a taxi in an area of town with good shops. I had read about one that carried textiles old and new. The first shop we went to was Galeria Latina, one of the finest handicraft and clothing shops in the city. You had to be let inside as the doors are locked. OMG what a place. Everything here was a work of art, priceless, beautiful articles of clothing, wall hangings, ceramics and on and on. The prices matched the quality. We loved looking but didn’t purchase anything. We stopped at several stores and I bought a textile for our small collection and then we went to the Mercado with scads of vendors all selling the same things: blankets, shirts, scarves, etc. Ron wanted a shirt to go with his pants he had bought and I talked him into getting two since they didn’t cost much. Done! We asked at the shop where I got the textile for a lunch recommendation and we found the place close by. Magic Beans! Back to the house to rest and pack. We are getting up at 2:45 to catch our ride to the airport for a 6:00 flight. It is be a 22 hr day tomorrow getting home with layovers in Panama City, Houston (four hours) and then the 4.5 hr trip to Portland. Fortunately we have two lounge passes which will get us away from the throng of people in Houston where we have the long layover.

Oct 24

The trip home was tiring but uneventful. We got home around 9:30, unpacked and fell into bed. As Dorothy liked to say “There’s no place like home.” We agree!