FUN-travel: South America – Galapagos Islands – Day 1 & 2
February 13, 2012 by Susan Clarke · 2 Comments
Day 4 – Tuesday, February 7 – Quito to San Cristobal – Galapagos Islands for 10 day cruise – cloudy, overcast, high 60’s
American Oyster Catcher
- Good News – ready to go for next adventure
Sally Lightfoot Crab
- Bad News – 7:30 am depart for airport
- Good News – 9:30 flight on time to San Cristobal w/stop in Guayaquil
- Bad News – arrive late 1 pm – very humid, high 80’s w/clouds – long line through customs
- Good News – 1:40 pm take bus to pier – then Zodiac boat to M/V Galapagos Explorer II – ship built 1990 for Renaissance – nice & small w/50 cabins & 6 decks
- More Good News – my birthday is in 5 days & my present is a cabin upgrade!
- Bad News – state of the art then, pretty dated now
Max the Marine Iguana
- Good News – life boat drill big deal after Costa ship wreck in Italy 2 weeks ago
- Bad News – forgot to pack snorkel gear – have to pay to rent
- Good News – 5 to 7 pm afternoon excursion – wet landing @ Wizard Hill
Sally the Sea Lion
- Good News – take long walk on white sand beach – see sea lions – American Oyster Catcher bird, black w/long red bill – Sally Lightfoot Crab w/most beautiful colors of turquoise, black, orange & yellow
- Bad News – water to rough to snorkel
FF (FUN-facts) – Galapagos is Central Time but to have maximum daylight stay on Eastern Time.
Day 5 – Wednesday, February 8 – Espanola Island – high clouds, warm, high 80’s
Nesting Nasca or Masked Boobie
- Bad News – 6:30 wake up
- 1st Excursion – 8 am – wet landing @Bahia Gardner Beach
- Good News – take walk on soft white sand beach – see lots of sea lions frolicking in the water & sunning on beach
- More Good News – 9:30 snorkel adventure – see 4 ft shark, big stingray, water snake, lots of colorful fish
Blue Footed Boobie
- Good News – 11 am back on ship w/good snacks
- Good News – nice lunch w/lots of food options & back to room to siesta!
- 2nd Excursion – 3 to 6 pm afternoon excursion – dry landing at Punta Suarez
- Good News – take long, slow strenuous walk over very rocky, steep, hilly terrain
- Good News – see nesting Blue Footed Boobies & Nasca of masked Boobies w/baby chicks, marine guanas, lots of baby sea lions
- Good News – see blow hole – natural split in volcanic rock creates geyser affect when waves come in
- More Good News – see huge school of frisky dolphins
FF – White sand beaches created by Parrot fish eating coral and then pooping.