Here I am, sitting in the pitch dark of our cabin, with Frank gently snoring next to me and the lights all off so I can see the nothingness outside..... Well, not really nothinigness at all. The stars are out and the huge wake from the Galapagos Legend sends ligh into the utter darkness out here. The boat is rocking away beautifully, up and down, side to side and the wake is making that lovely swishing noise. We have huge windows in our cabin and no walkway on the outside, so the curtains stay open at night too - pretty much all the time.
I really dont know how to describe these past few days - we are exhausted, but in a good way. There is so much to do, so much to see and so much we just refuse to miss out on, that we fall exhausted into bed before I can even try to write it all down.
The two days in Quito before we came here to the islands, was just amazing. If any one of you ever want to come to Ecuador, please ask for Gustavo - he is an excellent guide and really gave us two amazing days. We went to Otavalo Market on Saturday which was just amazing. He left us there alone to wander through the colors and smells, weave through the indigenous people and soak up some of the culture here. What a lovely time that was....... open sacks with spices, dead chickens with their feet still on, pork cooked whole and smelling delicious - but still looking at us which prevented any thoughts of eating them! We found guavas and happily bought 4 to munch on right there and then. It was such a happy time just wandering around and finding small little treasures. There were tons of tourist things, but this was also a market for the locals and it was very well used too.
There are a good many "social programs" going on here to help the locals - one of them was that we pick up one of the girls selling beautiful cloths, (they know the guides already) and take her a few miles down the road to another market area where she would catch the bus back to place one again. The point of this? Well, along the way, this 15 year old indigenous girl sang songs to us that brought tears to my eyes. There she sat in the back seat and gave us something that no money could really buy - it was just totally awesome. Christina was simply beautiful and it strikes me now that she probably had a different name and I never asked. And then we looked at the cloth she was selling - so soft, vibrant colors and just irristable, and we bought 4 of them. Just lovely.
After the market, we went for a simply delicious lunch at a 300 year old building that .......well, it had something to do with the wine making many years ago - no wait, not wine... Oh hell, so much information in so little time has me all befuddled. I will think about it and hopefully will find the right thing sometime - but it was a beautful place to sit and have lunch. Another good choice, Gustavo!
And then up to the Sacred Waterfall in the area. There was not too much water in it, but it was still beautiful. Apparently the locals come here to the ceremonial masks blessed before ceremonies and such. Yes, this still goes on here. Life here is so very different from the USA. Its much more basic and closer to the real roots of life. Herbal medicine is well used and well combined with modern medicine as well. Not everything is pre-packaged, safe or perfect by a long way. Walking around from the hotel at the end of the day was lovely - we would wander down the road in search of somewhere that we could buy fresh fruit and bread - we were always way too full up after lunch to want a full supper. We never felt anything but totally safe. Of course one is careful but there was no need to take off my earrings as someone suggested. It's lovely here, really lovely.
On Sunday we headed out early again - this time to Mindo. We went to see the hummingbirds and also the butterflies. We had heard that this drive was about a 2 hour drive - "depending on how brave your guide is".......... We took just over and hour and a half, winding our way through the most incredible scenery. The hills towered waaaay above us, filled with a mess of different plants and trees, all placed perfectly by mother nature. It was just amazing. The traffic on the way there was not too bad, so passing on a solid white line on a blind curve was not too bad...but on the way back - well that was different. No, seriously - I was not worried for a single moment, give or take a few, but the driving in this country is definitely something different. Gustavo was excellent, but I just know that there is absolutely no way that I would ever be able to drive here and live to talk about it - Frank neither!
Anyway - off we went to see the hummingbirds......and they gave us a simply beautiful showing. There were so many of them that I could literally just point in the same place and happily click away and know that I would get some really good shots - and thats how it worked. This allowed me also to look at the whole picture, not only through the camera lens. And then we went for a walk through the Cloud Forest.
It's called the Cloud Forest because the clouds come from the coast, hit this range of mountains and go no further. The forest is lush and green and filled with many different birds. We huffed and puffed our way up high into some hills, seeing a stunning toucan along the way, many flowers and some really amazing scenery. We used many stops to catch our breath. I know, the elevation cannot take all the blame for our short windedness........
And then we met up with the crowd from the Manatee Amazon cruise! There they were, all gazing in expectation high into some or other tree and when I yelled hello, a good many sets of binoculars left the trees and were focussed on us. It was so good to see them again! We hung with them for a few minutes and then moved on down teh road..Funny how accustomed one becomes to people after just a week, and how easy it is to miss them afterwards.
Then it was off to the butterfly place.. I really wanted to see some transparent butterflies. I had told a friend of mine that I was going to photograph on just for her, but she passed away just before we got here.... but I was still determined to get one for her. And we did! We saw the most beautiful butterflies - blue morphos, transparent ones and other really pretty butterflies... Its so quiet in that area where they are..... The butterflies are being bred there and then most of them released into the wild. Many hummingbirds whirred around as well as we sat and had lunch. Just a magic time.
And then, with all three of us really tired, we headed home to the hotel in Quito again... We had planned on going to a resturant where they had a show planned for the evening, but neither of us could do more than a short walk to the local store again. We did go up and have a glass of wine in the hotel lounge where we could look out over those magic city lights again. Then off to pack and fall exhausted into bed.
And so now we are here, miles and miles away from the mainland in an incredible place. The seas here are picking up, and when I look out of my window I can see the moon shining through some fairly weak clouds, but casting a simply beautiful silver road across the ocean right to my window...... This is just glorious.
We left Quito at around 6am on Monday morning, flew via Guayaquil, which is further south in Ecuador, and then out to Baltra airport on the gALAPAGOS ISLANDS. iT WAS CLOUDS MOST OF THE WAY, BUT WE MANAGED TO SEE SOME SIMPLY AWESOME VIEWS OF THE ISLANDS RIGHT AS WE GOT REALLY CLOsE IN. tHE PEOPLE ON THE BOAT SAID THEY WATCHED OUT PLANE COME IN AND SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE "AN INTERESTING RIDE"... HMMMMM. i REMEMBER THINKING THAT WE BANKED A BIT STEEPLY AND CHOSE NOT TO ASK FOR ANY MORE DETAILS. wE LANDED SAFELY AND WITH MUCH EXCITEMENT.
Ok, I have just noticed the caps - but you get it like that - its dark in the cabin and I have the lid of the laptop pulled almost on to my fingers so that I can look outside at the ocean going by without too much light disturbance.... So I am no9t going to correct all those caps - but I was not shouting... just in awe of the fact that we are here and that it is totally amazing.
Anyway - after landing, we had a short bus ride to the jetty where we got about the pangas/zodiacs that would take us to the cruiseship. We had a welcoming party of a few sealions lying on the bences there, all sleeping way and not bugged by us at all. Then off to the Galapagos Legend where we were shown to a lovely cabin with two HUGE windows with a never ending perfect view.
Its a whole lot different on this big boat, especially coming from the Manatee where everything is a whole lot more personal. The Galapagos Legend is not too big to be impersonal and we quickly learned to recognise faces and after day two, we feel quite at ease.
Anyway - we have been on a good few walks, have seen frigates, frigates with that huge red baloon under their beaks, baby frigates that are all fluffy and white and quite happy to have us so close, The blue boobies are really odd with really blue blue feet and sharp eyes that just sit and look at you with no fear at all. They fly by really close and dont worry when we are close to their nests at all. There are many different little birds all over, the bright yellow finches are the most colorful. And the Iguanas! Oh my - those really look like dragons! Some of then are absolutely hugs with yellow skins and spiky deals sticking up on thier backs. All over the place are the drag marks from their tails and holes in the ground that are their nests. They dont run from us at all and if we are in the way and they want to pass - its us that moves! Quite amazing. Some have this strange orange color to them, others are pitch black, some huge and then others as small as our standard house lizard. And all the time the figrates just hang in the air above us. I have to say that I keep hoping that they have not yet had thier meal of the day!
Today we saw manta rays, sharks, pink flamingoes and more birds. Seeing the pink flamingoes against a backdrop of black lava is quite amazing. Also the Sally Lightfoot crabs are incredibly colorful on those black rocks. The island we walked on this afternoon delivered a stunning view of asure blue waters with distant islands dotting the horizon - just delicious! And then after the walk, we went snorkeling. Frank and I got all togged up, but did not stay in long at all. It was the end of a long day and the water and air had cooled off qite a bit and .well.... it was just too blasted cold! So out we got again and found that it was not long before even those with full wetsuits came shivering their way onto the beach again. The underwater camera did a good job, but there was nothing to see. Maybe next time.
After getting back to the ship, we quickly showered and headed to the back deck to a good BBQ. We all sat out on deck with the moon shining on the waters, eating a lovely meal cooked right there in front of us all. And this brings me to where I started - the moon shine (no no, not moonshine!) in the water right outside my window, the boat bouncing its way to San Christobel Island where we will be in the morning and me just loving it too much to get some much needed sleep!
We are both tired, very tired and know that we should probably have spaced this vacation out a bit - but are still enjoying it all tremendously. The food on board it great and it almost feels as if we are constantly eating. Both of us are finding our clothing a tad loose, so many all the walking is doing something good to our waist lines, despite the endless good food. Each night after supper, we get a briefing to let us know what is in store for the next day.... I fell asleep in tonights briefing, but am sure that I will not be left behind.
Tomorrow we will see the giant tortoise as well as the the albatross. We will be in the town on Christobel Island for a while too and will have the chance to buy some local goodies too.
Now off to bed with two very tired eyes, a fully brain and a smile planted firmly around my face. This is just wonderful, Ilove the movement of the ship and bet its going to rock me to sleep like nothing before.
Love and light
Annie
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