On to Marqueses

The last day and a half in Galapagos were spent provisioning.  We got our water tanks filled up and found lots of fruits, vegetables and meat at the market in town.  On Tuesday morning we all met with the officials and had our passports stamped, one boat at a time.

We had a mass start at noon.  All boats are now underway.  Check out the position report to the right and you can see where we are all located.

Soon after we started we got the spinnaker up and sailed along in 7 to 10 knot winds at 4 to 6 knots. It seemed surreal to me.  I had goose bumps and I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real.  How many people get to do this passage twice in a life time?  Overnight the winds almost died and the captain decided it was time to motor.  With less than 5 knots of winds most of the time it is past noon on Wednesday and we are still motor sailing.

Excursions while on Santa Cruz

On our 2nd day on Santa Cruz Island we went on a tour of the highlands. The tour was arranged by Chris who is captain of S/V OM.

Our 1st stop was a coffee plantation were they also grew sugar cane & bananas. At 9:30 AM we were all tasting 55 proof rum made from the sugar cane.

                                                                  Sampling Rum

Eating sugar cane

 Later we had the freshly created sugar cane juice spiked with rum with lemon added.  The bananas were very good as well. We then went to a high view point where we had a great view of most of the island and the surrounding islands. Our next stop was a half mile long lava tunnel which was fascinating. Following a lunch of homemade chicken rice soup, fish rice and a salad followed by desert we were able to see more giant tortoises two of which were mating. Later that evening all the crews got together to celebrate Jess's birthday.

The next day we were on the dock at 5:45 for our trip to Isabella Island.  We travelled 2 hours by boat to get to the island. We then got on our bus for the day

                                                              Our Isabela Tour Bus

Our first stop was the Wall of Tears- a huge stone wall made by prisoners of the Isabela Penal Colony
between 1946-1959. It is about 1/4 mile long.

                                                                  Wall of  Tears- Isabela island

And then we climbed to a great view point where we could see the recent volcanic mountains of Isabella Island. We then drove to a second viewpoint where we could see the harbour and a small mangrove swamp.

                                                                  Majagua forest

                                         Largest Blue Ft.Boobie colony in Galapagos- Isabela Is.

                                                             Isabela Flamingos

Later we saw a fresh water stream and 4 different kinds of trees. We drove into town and in an old quarry we witnessed pink flamingos combing the water for shrimp. This was followed by a fabulous meal of bone soup, fish in coconut sauce, rice, vegetables and desert of fresh cut up watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple.  Off to see some more pink flamingos followed by the highlight of the day. We were snorkelling in water that was 6 to 8 inches deep.  There was a real current rushing over this shallow zone.  If you were patient a school of silver fish about 2 inches long would swim by your mask. Then a penguin would zip into view and flit this way and that and grab a few of the fish.  The penguin would then zip back and forth this way and that to catch. More of these tender morsels. You had to be patient and the fish would return followed by the penguins zipping in and out of you field of view.  Some of the group got videos of the penguins so I will post a link once they are posted to utube. 

We then had to endure a bumpy ride back to Santa Cruz in the motor boat.

I had an opportunity to paddle board in the Puerto Ayora anchorage with James from Blue Wind.

 A great way to end a day!

Last day on San Cristobal Island

On our last day before departing San Cristobal Island we visited  La Loberia beach. On route to the beach we got a fabulous loaf of bread at a local bakery. We also saw the local aggregate pit were they dug & ground up the volcanic rock for crushed rock for roads & blacktop. Once we got to the beach we saw sea lions with their young and lots of giant sea iguanas.

                                                                    Marine Iguana

                                                                      Lava Lizard

                                                                        Sea crab

We walked past the beach and saw lots of iquanas & crabs along the rocks w here the surf was pounding. We climbed up and were looking over a cliff where we saw turtles swimming in the bay and birds nesting in the cliffs and soaring on the updrafts. We connected with people looking for the elusive land iguana and others hoping to snorkel with the turtles at the bottom of the cliff but realizing there was no way to get down there to do that. There were others like ourselves who we're just mesmerized by the beauty and remoteness of it all.  As always when I'm sitting on shore I was fascinated with the breaking waves and the crashing surf.  After a refreshing swim in the waves at the beach and some lunch we headed back to town watching the jets take off overhead. 

Santa Cruz Island

Our trip to Santa Cruz Island was filled with swarms of birds churning up the water as they dived for fish, sea turtles swimming by and sea lions floating on their backs soaking up the sun. There was very little wind so we motored the whole way. As I watch a guy on a neighbouring boat wave a mop at the frigate birds all over his working boat I realize these islands truly belong to the birds and the wildlife here.

Upon arrival here we explored the town which now has 19,000 people and is very much geared for tourists and all the activities and trips they want to make. 

There are little shops everywhere and every 3rd place is advertising this trip or that trip to scuba dive snorkel or visit another island. Restaurants and coffee shops abound and it appears there are lots of grocery store to help us provision for the 3 to 4 week journey ahead to the Marqueses Islands. 

Yesterday 12 of us took a tour to the highlands where we visited a coffee producing farm where they also made rum from sugar cane and had bananas. We moved along to one of the highest points on the island where there was a lookout so we had a birds eye view of many of the surrounding islands and the coastline of Santa Cruz. We then visited a 300 foot deep volcanic crater. Then on to walk through a 800 meter long lava tunnel that was fortunately lit so we could see all the detail of the lava as we wound our way through the tunnel having to almost squat to get through in places. We were then treated to a 5 course meal with shrimp appetizers, chicken rice soup, delicious fish with 2 wonderful sauces, 2 different salads and dessert. We then visited the giant tortoises and caught one large male groaning as he was mating.

                                                           Overlook view of Santa Cruz Island

                                                             Entrance to lava tunnel

                                                                 Galapagos Land lizard

                                                                Giant tortoises mating

We then headed back to town where I tried to catch up on my blogs. 

Last night was another birthday party complete with several rounds of Happy Birthday to You and chocolate cake with a candle on top. Another great opportunity to get to know our fellow Blue Planet Odyssey participants. We enjoyed the full moon back on the boat as we discussed our day and the journey ahead. 

School kids and schools on Santa Cruz

We all met on the dock at 9 AM and walked to the National Park office next to the Darwin Centre. We had a great Skype call with 2 classes of kids in Pennsylvania. There 7 or 8 people from different boats there and we all introduced ourselves to the kids. Then our rally control person Kathy Parson (who wrote the book "Spanish for Cruisers" ) introduced Eduardo Escador from the national park staff who did a brief overview of the Galápagos National park and explained how climate change was affecting the floral and fauna of the park. The kids all clapped when he was done and they were asked if they had any questions for Eduardo.  All their questions were for the sailors.  We all took turns answering their questions which it appeared many had prepared in advance. My hope is the session will be posted on utube so that others can hear it.  That may be a bit of a dream as it would likely require signatures from all the parents to allow it to happen.

We then went to the Darwin centre where we saw 3 different kinds of land tortoises and some land eguanna. 

                                                              outdoor classroom

Later in the day we went and visited an outdoor school in the highlands. The buildings are all made of concrete and have no windows. It is for kindergarten to grade 12. The school is attempting to have the children have 40% of their classroom time to be in English. They have teachers from all over including Canada. The English speaking lady who showed us around told us her son who was in 4th grade got much better at English when he had a teacher who could not speak Spanish and was forced to communicate in English.  Eduardo arranged this tour for us. And his oldest daughter was there.  Following the visit Kathy presented the ladies with a BPO plaque and

 Here is Tim from S/V No Regrets after presented them with a water testing kit.  

We then went to a high school in town where Eduardo's eldest daughter attends.  The kids are now off school for their break. We met with the director of the school and 3 of the teachers. Kathy translated for the director of the school and then the English teacher told us more including information about their International Bacheloriate (IB) program. She explained the process of selecting the kid to go into the program and how hard it was for the kids as they had to take the IB exams in English. Once we were done Kathy again

Presented a BPO plaque to the school. Here we save the director, Eduardo's daughter the English teacher & Kathy. 

Eduardo's daughter then walked part way back to the dock with us. Across the street there was a celebration for day for the mother's. We saw they market and lots of great stoes that will help in provisioning on Monday. 

Trips in the Galápagos

 The second day we were here we went to the tortoise sanctuary and breeding centre and walked through seeing the tortoise of San Cristobal Island. Each island has a different species of tortoise which have evolved depending on the type of vegetation that is available for them to eat.

                  Giant Tortoises in sanctuary
 Genesis "the first tortoise hatched in this hatchery" (they won't know for another 5 years whether it is a male or female)

                                            Genesis-age 10yrs "the first tortoise hatched in this hatchery"

                               (they won't know for another 5 years whether it is a male or female)

We visited a wonderful beach called Puerto Chino where we cooled off in the ocean, saw blue footed boobies and Manta rays.  We later visited a crater lake which is the only fresh water lake in the Galápagos Islands. We later visited the remains of the home of the owner of a sugar plantation who arrived in Galápagos in 1905. He was the great great grandfather of our tour guide, Sol.  He was murdered by the convicts that were given to him to help run the plantation. He was apparently a real tyrant. Another interesting thing was that the plantation had its own currency which I'm sure help keep the workers loyal to the owner as he would be the only one who would honour that currency. We also visited a tree house which was unfortunately closed. 

That evening at 5:30 we attended a birthday celebration for one of the captains of a Blue Planet Odyssey boat with a live band and dancing. Later we went for a great meal of lobster and all the trimmings

                                                             A delicious lobster meal

                                                             dancing with the mask

                                                              San Cristobal band

The same band showed up later with an additional member and just about the time we were about to leave some masks came out & we had great fun dancing around with these hot knitted masks over our heads. A great time was had by all. 

                                                                       Kicker Rock

The next morning we headed out to Kicker Rock on another tour where we circled the rock and saw all the frigate birds, blue footed boobies, sea lions and the towering cliffs of Kicker Rock.  We then snorkelled through the cracks in the rock and around it where we saw fish of all colours and shapes, sea turtles eating the sea weed on the rocks, sharks including hammer head sharks and had sea lions almost bump into us as they whizzed by underneath us.  An amazing spot for snorkelling. We later visited a beach where we saw
rays and lots more colourful fish. We later were treated to a close up look at a pelican and a blue heron. We also saw the shells that crabs had moulted which was very interesting. 

Pictures on the way

On arrival we saw blue footed Booby. 

The sea lions welcomed us to Galápagos