May 28, 2016 - Guayaquil, Ecuador

We both slept well last night and were at breakfast about 7:30. Our tour guide, Anibal, was waiting for us in the lobby when we went down there at ten before nine. We were both very pleased with the tour. Guayaquil has a population of just over three million and is fairly spread out.

After the tour we spent a little time in the room before heading to an area called the Black Market which is just a few blocks from the hotel. It is a place of very small shops where the prices are known to be lower than in the bigger stores. No, I'm not a pervert but I saw enough bras for sale to cover every breast in the world. Liz also noticed.

On the way back as we were walking past the huge Catholic Cathedral just across from the hotel I noticed that a wedding was in progress so we walked in and sat down. I noticed right away that the immediate families of the bride and groom were seated on the altar with them. Pretty neat idea.

We had a late lunch and are currently lounging in our room until 6:00 when we head over to Mass in the Cathedral. Then it will be a light dinner before hitting the hay early as we have a 3:15 wake up in the very early morning.

It's been a great trip and it was even better getting to spend so much time with Liz. We haven't been together this much since our early high school years.

ILYB

    An island across the river from Guayaquil. 200 residents and no cars.

    We passed on the stairs

    Iguana ceramic sculpture 

    High density living

    Cathedral 

May 27, 2016 - Leaving the Galápagos Islands

We had our breakfast at 5:45 and it was just the two of us as we were the only ones with an early flight. Some of the passengers were staying on the boat for another two days but I had selected the five day version of the trip. Betina insisted that she get up early to say goodby. Liz and I both enjoyed her company and we spent a lot of time talking to her. She is 41, single and is a travel agent in Denmark. Betina is very much a world traveler. 

We were anchored about a quarter mile from the pier so we boarded the Zodiac for the short trip to the pier where we were met by our guide who would be escorting us to the airport. I paid about $300 extra for a guide to meet us everywhere we had a transfer and I can tell you that was money well spent. Having a guide at each transfer point removed all stress from finding our way around. They all spoke at least some English so we were also able to get some of the local knowledge. 

We met Marianna at the pier and were escorted to a taxi. On the way to the airport we stopped at Rancho Manzanillo to see Land Tortoises in their natural habitat. I was a little skeptical as the last two times we saw Land Tortoises we might as well have been in a zoo. I was pleasantly surprised. This was a very large ranch and the tortoises are free to roam. They breed and lay their eggs on the property and the eggs are hatched naturally. I did have a small problem while there. When I got out of the taxi, a pickup truck, I reached into the truck bed to remove my camera from my backpack and the driver drove over my left foot. Fortunately the tire on went over my toes and not further up my foot. It was somewhat painful but I knew nothing was broken. Needless to say the driver and guide were quite concerned. My toes are still a little sore but I'm sure there is no permanent damage. This kind of thing only ever happened to Peg. She is probably showing me what life was like all those years.

Then it was onto the ferry and a short bus ride to the airport. Everything went great and we arrived in Guayaquil on time at 1:40 where we easily found our next guide. On the way to the hotel he told us about a three hour tour of Guayaquil that his company offers with an English speaking guide. I signed us up for the 9:00 AM tour tomorrow morning and paid the $14 extra for a private tour.

We spent most of the afternoon catching up on emails and resting. We had dinner at a small restaurant where we both had a chicken lasagna. We were both pleasantly surprised with how good it was. We are now back at the hotel and will be hitting the sack early.

ILYB

    Happy campers

    A happier camper

    An empty Land Tortoise shell

May 26, 2016 - Island of Espanola, Galapagos

Wake up call was at 5:30 this morning for a 6:00 breakfast and the beginning of a busy day. This is to be our last full day in the Galápagos Islands. 

After breakfast we all loaded in the Zodiac for the short ride to Suarez Point which is the site of an abandoned light house and an area where we would see many birds. We took about a mile and a half very rocky hike. Liz and I took our time and had a great time. We saw Hood Mockingbirds, Hood Lava Lizards, Iguanas of all sizes, Galápagos Hawks, Galapagos Doves, Galapagos Gulls, Blue Footed and Nezca Boobys, many Albatross, and several finch varieties. Several of the Albatross and Blue Footed Boobys were nesting and we were able to catch site of a few eggs. All in all it was quite spectacular. We also went to the site of a "blow hole" and since the tide was up we were treated to many little "Old Faithful" type water displays.

We were back onboard the ship about 10:00 and readied for a snorkeling trip to Garner Island where we expected to see many varieties of small, colorful fish and hopefully some baby sea lions. Six of the eleven of us participated. Liz decided to sit this on out. The mask cannot be used over glasses and without her glasses she can't see well enough to see much of anything in the water. I am starting to feel much more comfortable in the water; crazy, I know. The trip did not disappoint as there were hundreds of fish and several baby sea lions that swam very close to us. 

After lunch there was a trip to Garner Bay Beach to it on the sand a swim a little and this time it was my turn to not participate. Everyone else went and I sat on the ship and read. 

Upon the return of the Zodiac to the ship we raised anchor and headed to Purto Ayora where our trip would end. It was a hour trip. We had dinner on the way and about an hour outside of port several Humpback Whales were spotted. We were never close enough to get any good pictures.

Breakfast for us is at 5:45 tomorrow morning.

    Blue Footed Booby looking for a mate

    More Iguanas 

    Nesting Albatross 

    Blow hole display

    Our cabin

May 25, 2016 - Floriana Island, Galapagos

Breakfast was at 7:00 this morning but Liz and I were both up and out on deck just after 6:00 and caught the sunrise. After breakfast we boarded the Zodiac for the short ride to Brown Beach where we saw a mating pair of Blue Footed Boobys, some Booby nesting sites, a brackish lagoon and a white sand beach where we saw a few small Stingrays in the very shallow water.

We were back on the boat at 10:00 to prepare for a snorkeling trip to Devil's Crown. Ivan, our trip leader, warned of strong currents and said only those with snorkeling experience should go. So I told him that I would stay on board ship with the best other six, including Liz, that were not going. Ivan said that I should give it a try and if I didn't like it I could get back in the Zodiac which would always be nearby. Peg was certainly with me on this one and I had a great time. I have never been snorkeling in water over my head hurts and this was WAY over my head. One of the passengers, Betina, took me under her wing and was very helpful. I was actually able to be "fairly" relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw many times colorful fish, a Galapagos Shark (about 5' away) and a juvenile Sea Lion that swam with the group for several minutes. Swimming into the current was tough and as I had already swum further than I have in my life I signaled for a pickup before I got exhausted. For me this entire event was remarkable. After another ten minutes or so we were all back on the Zodiac and headed back to the ship for lunch.

During lunch we pulled up anchor and headed toward Post Office Bay. After lunch it was back in the Zodiac and a landing on the sandy beach in Post Office Bay. During World War II the Dutch occupied this portion of the Island and had a Post Officeat this location. Of course that is all gone now but there is still a box there for people to drop postcards into. There is no mail pickup so people visiting are supposed to go through the cards and if there is one located near where you live you are supposed to take it and hand deliver it. There was one to a person in Boise so I took it and will deliver it.

Near the "Post Office" is a lava tube that extends for 200 meters and goes below sea level. It was very rough going and Liz had to call it quits after a short bit. We went in a little over 100 meters and were turned back by water.  A rather unique experience it was. Then it was back to the beach for some more snorkeling. The water was very cloudy but I got a little more experience. 

We are now back on the ship, showered and awaiting dinner.

ILYB 

    Blue Footed Booby

    "Blue Lagoon" Galapagos style

    The "Post Office"

    A visitor when we returned to the ship 

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Isabella Island, Galapagos

The Nemo I motored until about 3:00 this morning when we settled in a bay near the town of Bienvenodos. 

Wake up this morning was at 5:30 to be in the Zodiac and 6:00 for a short ride to the small island of Tintoreras. We arrived there just as the sun rose. During our mile and a half are so walk we saw among other things marine iguanas, lava lizards, sea lions, penguins, reef white tipp sharks and mangrove forests. 

Once back on the ship we had breakfast and then back in the Zodiac for some snorkeling in a lagoon by the name of Concha de Perla. Liz decided to pass and relax at the beach while I decided to get in some practice. The water was dead calm which was a great plus. I was so pleased that I had my best snorkeling ever. I stayed in the water for 45 minutes. I can't begin to name any of the fish I saw but they were mostly small and very colorful.

Then it was back on the ship for lunch. After lunch it was back in the Zodiac and back to the beach where we got into a taxi for a short drive to a lagoon frequented by flamingos. There were about a dozen in the lagoon and although in the Galapagos it was nothing special. Then it was a short walk to a sanctuary where Land Tortoise eggs are incubated. The Land Tortoise is in such decline that Park employees gather eggs in the wild and bring them to the sanctuary to insure they hatch. They are kept in the sanctuary for eight years and then released back into the wild. There were also several older tortoises being kept at the sanctuary for breeding purposes. Some are well over 100 years old. 

We then had an hour and a half to kill before getting back on the Zodiac and returning to the ship for dinner. Liz and I found a small restaurant with Wifi and were able to send the last few days blogs and catch up on emails.

ILYB 

    Sunrise 

    White tipp Sharks

    Flamingo. Wow?

    Older than me and Liz combined.

May 23, 2016 - Aboard the Nemo I

Another shitty day in the Galapagos. 

We were picked up after breakfast for a return I trip to the airport where we would meet the rest of our travel mates and board the Nemo I which was moored near the airport. You are correct; I don't have any of the names memorized yet. Maybe by the end of the trip. 

Nine of us boarded the ship. We will pick up two more tomorrow on a different island. Our quarters are quite tight but certainly adequate. We had a lunch of pasta with mushroom sauce, garlic bread, cooked carrots and cauliflower, watermelon and grapes.

After lunch we anchored near Bachus Beach on Santa Cruz Island and took the Zodiac to the beach. We took a short hike along the shoreline and then got to practice snorkeling in shallow water. As most of you know this activity is not my favorite but I am certainly going to give it my best shot. I did OK and hopefully as the week goes on I will do better and gain some confidence. A large turtle was spotted about fifty yards off shore but I wasn't confident enough to venture even that far off shore.

This evening is cloudy and breezy but still quite comfortable. We are about to have dinner. Tomorrow morning starts at 6:00 with a shore excursion. We are having a great time.

ILYB

    The Nemo I from shore

    Dining area

    Galley

    Turtle egg laying well

    Pelican

May 22, 2016 - Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

Not much to report as today was a day of leisure. 

We started with breakfast at a little after 7:00 and then showered and headed downtown for a little walking and some shopping for Liz. A lot of the stores were closed but Liz was able to find two items that she was looking for; a serape and a woven shirt. My shopping is already done...nothing.

While sitting on a bench on the pier we saw a Blue Footed Booby and a Frigate bird along with a seal on one of the benches. The skies cleared this afternoon and it got quite warm, mid 90s, so we spent much of the afternoon right on the wharf reading where there was a nice breeze.

Back at the hotel we both took a dip in the salt water pool and will be heading out soon for dinner. We get picked up just before 9:00 tomorrow morning for the trip to where the Nemo 1 is moored. I'm not sure where that is.

ILYB

    Frigate bird. Horrible picture.

    Cactus garden

    Playing on a tortoise statue 

Saturday, May 21, 2016 - Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

We were up about 6:30, showered and down to breakfast at 7:15. The transportation company was there to pick us up at 8:00 and we arrived at the airport for our 9:50 flight to the Galapagos Island of Baltra in plenty of time. There were a couple of little glitches this morning.The vouchers for our entry fee to the Galápagos Islands of $20 each and our National Park fee of $100 each, which were prepaid, were never delivered to the hotel so we had to fork out the $240. I'm sure it will be refunded. 

Our arrival into the Galapagos was on time and we had no problems at what amounted to Galapagos Customs even though we were still in Ecuador. Richard, our prearranged transportation guide, met us right outside of baggage claim. In order to reach the town of Puerto Ayora, where we are staying, we took a bus from the airport to the ferry, a half mile ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island and then a 25 mile taxi ride to Puerto Ayora. We are at Fiesta Hotel. The hotel is about a half mile from the town center and the wharf and is quite nice.

We sat around the room for a few minutes and then headed into town. We stopped at the pier for a few minutes and then found a place for a light lunch. Then it was off to the Charles Darwin Research Center and what turned out to be a small zoo at the Center. It was a little disappointing. The Tortoises were in a walled in area that looked anything but natural and the pens for the Iguanas were even worse. We are looking forward to seeing them in a natural habitat.

On the walk back to the hotel we stopped at the town cemetery which is by far the most ornate cemetery I have ever visited. Peg would have loved it. 

Liz is doing great!

ILYB

    Fiesta Hotel

    Fiesta Hotel pool and flowers

    A happy camper

    An unhappy camper 

    Wow! Not for me.

    Wow 2

Friday, May 20, 2016 - Guayaquil, Ecuador

Yesterday Liz and I found each other at the Miami airport with no problem. We had four hours to kill so we had dinner and just sat at the gate and caught up on our lives. Our plane was late in departing but we still arrived in Guayaquil on time at 1:15 AM. Guayaquil is on our Central Time and is 2 degrees south of the equator. Our prearranged transportation to the hotel was there holding a sign "RAYMOND EDWARD"....hard to miss! A little glitch in that the hotel did not have our reservation, which was prepaid. Our driver worked it out and we settled into our room at 2:30.

We managed to sleep in until 7:30, got up and had a great buffet breakfast at the hotel. It was then off to la Rotunda, a Monument Park on the Guayas River to catch a double decker tour bus of the city. Schedules are apparently not a big deal here as we waited 30 minutes after the scheduled pickup time and the bus never came. We walked back to the hotel and visited Parque Seminario which is a one square block park that is full of iguanas. Then it was back to the hotel for a little rest before heading to the History Park.

It was about a 25 minute cab ride to the History Park. The park was built by the National Bank of Equador and showcases the four different temperate zones of the Equador coastal region. The park highlighted both plant and animal species of the region. We decided to have a personal tour guide rather than just walk around. Our cab driver waited an hour and a half for us and drove us back to the hotel. The cab fare and wait time was a very reasonable $25.

We will visit the Catholic Cathedral before dinner and will most likely hit the sack early. We fly out tomorrow morning to the Island of Baltra in the Galapagos and then ferry to the island of San Cruz where we will spend two nights before starting our cruise.

    At la Rotunda

    Moored ship on the Guayas River

    Liz and an Iguana

    Iguana closeup 

    I'll have a pet iguana before a dog or a cat

    At the History Park