GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, ECUADOR
- Temperature: 25ºC
- Distance biking: 34 km
- Animal species spotted: 20+
- Islands visited: 3
- Money spent: 7%19#”4& €
Leaving behind the cold but beautiful Peru, we were excited about Ecuador, its nature and warmer climate. Surprisingly we found the country - at least Guayaquil, the biggest city of Ecuador - very American. Their currency is the US Dollar, they drive huge pick-up trucks, and speak - at least to us - in English. Everything is a bit bigger here - just like in America.
We spent 2 nights at a charming airbnb, being guests in a bigger house with other guests and a charismatic boss lady running the house. I could not fathom our luck as I noticed they have a piano and a hot tub. I have not played in about 16 months, so trying the keys gently felt good, but I realised I had forgotten most of the songs I know by heart… I need to play more often. The hottub felt like heaven after a long day walking and sightseeing. We visited Las Peñas, a colourful barrio on a hill with a lighthouse on top. Beautiful views over the river and the city. The food here is amazing, specifically the seafood, which we had plentifully. Not sure if it was all the eating and drinking, but I lost a tooth filling and had to make a trip to the dentist. Luckily it happened here as Ecuador is known for excellent and affordable dental care. I can confirm that is the case!
The highlight of the trip probably for everyone visiting Ecuador is the Galapagos Islands. It has been a dream for both of us since childhood. And now we are here! I need to pinch myself to realise these things. Everything is changing so fast and we are moving on to new countries so quickly that I sometimes fear I am only dreaming. But no, I am not sleeping, I am awake, and I see the world with amazement. It is incredible and lucky to be able to see all this on site. The islands are really well kept and maintained. Well, they bloody should be, we pay so much to visit.
We found nice lodging on the Santa Cruz Island, which is usually the base for all land-based travellers (most people do a 6-10-day cruise around the islands, but we could not afford it), and settled in for 4 nights. Exploring this island turned out to be a treat as on the first day we saw several gigantic tortoises, even a couple mating. These individuals live in captivity at the Darwin center, which was a bit sad, but we do understand the reproduction of these great animals has to be secured somehow. We were glad to hear that their numbers are up. We also saw marine iguanas, huge pelicans and other large birds, as well as small sharks near the pier.
On the second day we rented bicycles and rode around the island visiting Los Genelos, a giant volcano crater and El Chato a nature reserve for the Galapagos tortoises. Here they get to roam free and they seemed happy in their mud ponds. After about 34 km of cycling, we walked an hour to Tortuga Bay, a beach where the turtles hatch and make their way to the sea. Of course, we did not witness this as it’s not the season. Behind the beach is a beautiful lagoon with clear water, sea turtles, rays and marine iguanas.
Organised tours break the bank for most people, so we ended up doing just one. Based on feedback from other travellers we chose Isla Pinzon, which supposedly has the best snorkelling. We set off early in the morning with a group of 7 in a fairly small speed boat, rode an hour on the bumpy sea to a shallow water near Isla Santa Cruz, zipped on our neoprene suits and goggles and hopped to the rather cold (21ºC) water. Within minutes our guide pointed to us giant sea turtles, as well as other sea creatures. Later we rode to another location, Isla Pinzon for some more snorkelling and it was all worth our while. We saw a Galapagos penguin, five blacktip sharks, several schools of colourful fish, and best of all, we were surrounded by sea lions, a mother and a pup, playing around us, not minding us at all. They came so close the pup touched my arm. It was a magical moment, something that one never forgets. Later, back at Santa Cruz, our new friend Scott and us walked to Las Grietas, a volcanic hole with mixed salt and fresh water, perfect for a dip, and great views on the way. The whole day was a success, and we ended it with lobster and beer at the local fish market Los Kioscos - dozens of fish restaurants side by side.
Our last day was spend at Isla Isabela, on a do-it-yourself tour. We took the ferry early in the morning, landing at Isabela around 10. The way was so bumpy, two of the 30 passengers on the boat threw up! I’m glad I had the nausea pills with me. Riding around the island on our rental bikes we saw dozens of sea lions just lying around the benches and streets. At the beaches hundreds of iguanas and other type of lizards were warming up on the black rocks. A few pink flamingos were standing on one leg in a pond nearby the beach. All these animals! They make me so happy. Although we only had about 5 hours of time to spend here, it was all worth it. Getting ready to board the boat again in the afternoon we saw another penguin and a sea turtle swimming near the beach. It was just magnificent!
Prior to landing to Galapagos I had mixed feelings about the islands. I was excited about the animals but on the other hand I feared the islands would be a disappointment nature-wise. I think I was right. It was all worth it just for the animals, but the nature and the overall feeling at the islands was not the best I have seen. Had we more time and money, doing a cruise would probably make a huge difference on the overall experience. Well, maybe when we are old and rich and not able to walk or bike anymore, we can just wave to the sea lions from our cruise cabin balcony!