We had a nice breakfast and then went to the pool. We had put huge clips on the chairs to stake out our chairs and we clipped our towels to them before we went to eat and they were there when we returned. We sat at the pool for a while and it started to rain so we left the towels and clips and went back to the room.
When the rain stopped we went back to our chairs and we see someone’s bag with shoes and a pocketbook under our towel. WTH??? Again?????
I sat down while Allan got us a drink and the people came back. I said… ummm…didn’t you see the brightly colored clips attached to the towels which means…these are our chairs!!???? They didn’t say anything. Just took their stuff and left.
I find it unbelievable that people just don’t care. They hope you won’t be back for a while and in the meantime, they’ll use the chairs. One of the staff told Allan, people do it all the time even though it isn’t right.
“ We’re gonna need a bigger ‘clip’!” (Jaws quote. Sorta!)😂😂😂
We had lunch and sat by the pool until it was time for our photo shoot. Ray came over to chat for a while with us and she asked if we were going to the manager’s party. We said of course and she said they are mentioning the head staff at the party and she said to me… when they mention my name, come up and give me a hug. I said I’ll do better than that. And I did my two finger whistle for her. She was impressed.
Our photographer Kwame was adorable and he did a great job posing us. The staff do not accept tips. When we told him how old we are he couldn’t believe it. He kept saying you both look so much younger. It was nice to know he really meant it since there was no tip involved.
When we came back to our room to get ready for the party we were invited to, there was a bucket of champagne on ice waiting for us. We’re not sure who sent it. It might have been Ray or maybe they sent it to all returning guests who were invited to the party.
The party was really wonderful! You can see from the picture of the menu that they went all out. They introduced the staff and when Ray’s name was mentioned, of course, I ran up and hugged her.
We sat with two other couples and also a staff member, Pat, who works at the loyalty area to book future trips. We had great conversations all night and really enjoyed the food. We are seriously thinking of meeting with Pat to book another Sandals vacation for the future.
We were given a bottle of rum as a gift and all in all, it was a lovely evening.
We see the cruise ships coming and going from our balcony.
We’re gonna need a bigger clip!!
Our clips are much bigger than they look in the pic.
We saw two huge cruise ships sail into the harbor this morning and I could watch them sail by as I showered. It’s a pretty neat idea to have the window in the shower looking out over the water.
We went down to the pool area that overlooks the ocean and staked out two chairs. The chairs are plentiful but it seems people grab them early and keep them for the day. The chairs we took faced the crashing waves of the ocean with the pool behind us, so a rather perfect spot.
We had breakfast and then spent the morning reading and lounging at the ocean. It’s a perfect day… Warm with a beautiful breeze.
We went back to the room to call the photo place to arrange for our free photo shoot and from our balcony, Allan spotted someone in the chair we had staked out. (The staff at the resort told us if you find a chair, put something on it and it’s yours for the day. Of course we wouldn’t keep it for the whole day, but if you want to go to lunch or get a drink, you should be able to save your chair.)We had clothes-pinned our towels with big bright clips to our chairs, so we were surprised someone would sit in one. We made our phone call, and went back down to the pool. The girl was sitting there and I said “I think you’re in my chair”!
My mind went back to our Panama canal trip when I got up early in the morning to save chairs for Allan, myself, and our friends, so that we had front row seats going through the canal. Hours later, but still early morning, a Canadian woman comes and starts arguing and telling me I couldn’t save chairs. (She didn’t know I was a Queens NYC girl and was already fantasizing about her being tossed overboard… By me, because she was now annoying me!) I told her “I can save chairs… and I did!” Now she’s yelling at me and pulling my chairs away. I’m holding on to them for dear life…when suddenly, all the other people who got up at 5 with me to save chairs for friends and family started telling the lady… “Leave her chairs alone. If you wanted chairs… You should have gotten up early like we did!” YES!! Victory!! The lady hung her head and slunk away. So I was hoping not to have to toss this girl, who was sitting in my chair, into the ocean for taking a chair that obviously belonged to someone else. But she meekly stood up and said sorry and walked away. Nice try sweetie…but no dice!
We stayed at the pool and had a drink and then went back to our room to get ready for lunch. Allan spotted from our balcony, a guy cutting and serving coconuts, so we went down to check it out. He wielded the machete like a pirate, cut the coconut top off, shaved the bottom, stuck a straw in and we added the rum. The coconuts are green and have not ripened yet, so the water inside is not sweet. It was okay… but not very tasty. I prefer the ripened coconuts. They say the coconut water is healthy so I guess I got my vitamins… along with the rum. (Does the rum cancel out the vitamins??? Who knows! )
We decided to have pizza for lunch. We ordered Margherita pizzas and they said it would be about 15 minutes and to take a seat at one of the tables and they’d bring the pizzas to us. We waited for quite a long time and finally Allan went up to see where the pizzas were. They were in the warming oven. No one brought them to us. We opened the box and saw that the pizzas were not the margherita ones we are used to. I don’t think they know about basil. I took one slice and thought it was pretty awful so I didn’t eat it. Allan didn’t think his was that bad. Since I was still hungry, we went over to the main restaurant and I had a delicious salad.
We went to the quiet pool for an hour and then went to the bar for a drink. Allan went to get cookies and came back and said there was an event going on at the pool so off we went to check it out. They were giving out drinks and also tickets to win prizes. One of the guys gave me a ticket and lo and behold… my ticket number was the first called.
I won a saucer and kind of urn with a lid from the gift shop. It probably is used for bath salts that could be put by a tub, but could be used for anything I guess. Allan happened to go by the gift shop and he saw another one on the shelf. The cost: About $100 if you were to purchase the whole ensemble – saucer and urn.
While we were there, Ray from yesterday went by and hugged me and insisted I take a photo with her. She says if we need anything, just let her know. She’s so sweet and it’s nice to have a staff member looking out for you.
Had dinner at the English pub. They have Guinness which I enjoyed and Allan had a Shiraz. Allan ordered the fish and chips and the fish was trout so I passed on that thinking it might be fishy, but Allan said it wasn’t. I had a really good burger.
We chatted with another couple who said that someone told them that the Sandals in Grenada is really good. Might be something to investigate for the future.
It’s Carnival night and the steel drums are playing. Love listening to them. Then, while the music played, finished off the day with a nice warm soak in the soaking tub on the balcony. So glad we opted for that extra.
You can see the ocean thru the shower window in this pic.
Before going to bed last night, had a lovely soak in the tub on the balcony. It is spacious and very relaxing and nice after a full day of travel.
We slept great and took a shower in the walk-in shower which is really very nice and roomy. There is a window that looks out into the room and you can see the ocean as you shower.
And then it was off for a bite to eat, but before we did, we got towels at the pool and clipped them to a lounge chair to stake out a place to sit. We went to the buffet which had all the usual offerings and after breakfast, Allan went back to the room to get his kindle and I walked over to sit in the lounge chair. That lasted two seconds!!! My entire bottom was soaked!! Apparently, the pads on the chairs don’t drain and since it poured yesterday, they were filled with water. I’m not sure why they use those kinds of pads on the chairs. They are very comfy since they are padded, but not the best after a rain. I went back to the room to change and hang my wet shorts and undies on the rack and since we have a balcony, I’m sure they will dry quickly. As I was standing on the balcony, one of the Sandals employees was walking by and waved and I waved back. More to come on that.
We took the orientation tour and found out a few new things we didn’t know and we found out where all the restaurants, etc. were located. The guide gave us all a choice of drinks to enjoy while we walked. Allan is very happy that they have single malt scotch at most of the bars, but he opted for a red wine. I’m just happy with the margaritas. Before we knew it, it was lunchtime.
Everyday the theme changes for lunch at the buffet and today it was British food. Allan was hoping for bangers and mash, but no luck. He tried a few other options and he said they were good, especially the Welsh meatballs. I had a huge and delicious salad.
We went to the quiet pool and did some reading and I took a dip in the water. It was nice and warm once you got in. The ocean was off limits because the water was a bit rough so they flew the red flag. We had a drink and then went back to the room to shower to get ready to go to the wine tasting event.
Unfortunately, we received a phone call that the wine tasting was postponed till Wednesday, so Allan and I went for a glass of wine on our own and then took the shuttle to the Italian restaurant Armando’s. The shuttles come very frequently and it’s a great way to get around.
While we were waiting for the shuttle, a Sandals employee came over to talk to us. While we were talking she said I saw you today on the balcony. I remember your beautiful white hair and those eyes. Don’t know how she saw my eyes from a floor below but it was sweet of her. Her name is Ray.
Dinner was stellar. We sat outside and watched the sunset. I had a delicious appetizer and lamb chops for the main course. Allan had bolognese but he’s picky about his bolognese and he didn’t think it was the best he’s ever had. We were sitting talking and happened to mention Ray and how she had seen me on the balcony. Lo and behold… Ray walks by just as we were talking about her. So freaky! We had another nice chat and hopefully will see her tomorrow.
We went back to the main area to listen to some music and then it was to bed. They were playing 60’s and 70’s at the pool. Perfect way to end the evening.
Sunset at Armando’s
You can look out thru the window in the shower…over the bed …and to the balcony, and see the ocean while you’re showering.
We were up bright and early as the car to take us to the Philly airport arrived at 4:30 am. Our driver Tim was wonderful and he charges significantly less than other car services we’ve used. He will be waiting for us when we return to Philly at midnight in 8 days.
We usually fly from Newark airport and have never flown out of Philly. It was an adventure. Getting our luggage tagged and onto the conveyor belt went fairly quickly and then we had to go through security. They didn’t care if you had TSA pre-check or not so the line was very long. Suddenly a worker came over to us and said to follow him to go to another area that had no long lines. So off we went…following him like little ducks. We walked and walked… and then had to go thru the parking garage. We were like… where the heck is he taking us???? But true to his word, we finally got to where he told us to go and the line was indeed small…mainly because this line DID accept those who had TSA Pre-check. Going through security was great. We didn’t have to take out phones, Kindles, or liquids. Just had to take off our coats so that was wonderful.
We had a small bite to eat in the lounge and then left to go to our gate. The plane was already boarding and as we were going through, the agent noticed we had not signed our passports, so we had to get off the line and take care of that. In our defense, our passports are brand new… first time being used…and we didn’t notice the place for signatures.
We had received an alert from American Airlines that our flight might be delayed because of weather, but the plane arrived on time and the sun was beaming down just as we were getting ready to board the plane.
We arrived in St Lucia and our luggage came quickly. We had already filled out the immigration papers before we left, so we breezed through immigration and went in search of our driver to take us to the resort. Someone right away tried to take our bags saying he was from Sandals, but we said no thanks… just need to find our driver. When he realized he wasn’t going to be tipped for handling our bags, he told us to go through these two doors with “Sandals” in big letters above the frame, but it really looked sketchy. (Been reading and watching too many murder mysteries.). We went through anyway and Viola! We were greeted warmly by the real Sandal’s representatives and they took our bags and we boarded the van to take the 90 minute drive up and down the mountain roads with hairpin turns the whole way. Many times the van was at the edge of the road with a sheer drop. Yikes! Our driver was excellent and we arrived at the resort and checked in. Everything was awaiting us and since we are return guests, we received a lot of perks. Free photo shoot, cocktail and dinner party one evening, wine tasting another night, $50 towards the spa, and a martini night.
The grounds are still decorated for Christmas and everything looks very festive.
Our room is nice and overlooks the ocean. It’s so soothing hearing the waves crashing onto the shore. The room is not as large as the room we had in Antigua at Veranda Resort, but it has plenty of storage and closet space. It has a nice spacious bath with walk-in shower as well. The balcony has a soaking tub with privacy curtains and a table and chairs to enjoy watching the ocean.
We had signed up when booking the room to take advantage of the “Club” category which entitles us to concierge service, so we were able to book the three restaurants that you have to make reservations for without any problems using the concierge.
We were very hungry since we had traveled all day, so we got in the courtesy van to take us to the restaurant Soy. It’s sashimi, sushi, as well as other offerings and it was delicious. We really enjoyed everything and then…we ordered seconds. After dinner, Allan had dessert and I had….another order of traditional rolls. They were that good!
It started to pour but fortunately we were inside the over-hang so we stayed dry.
The courtesy van took us back to the main lobby. Our room isn’t far from the lobby and we are very close to one of the restaurants where breakfast will be served each day.
We had an after dinner drink in the pub and went back to the room to just relax. Tomorrow we’ll go on the tour of the resort.
sunrise in Philly airport
View of pool and ocean from our balcony
The club lounge for a welcome drink
Soaking tub
Our room
A rainbow greeted us
Soy restaurant.
Delicious!
Allan’s dessert
The Christmas lights that are shining all over the resort.
Please scroll down to find the beginning of the trip.
September 23, Monday – September 24, Tuesday Disembark ship • Fly to Quito • Fly to U.S.
Accommodations: Wyndham Quito Airport
We enjoyed our final breakfast aboard the Archipell II, said goodbye to the crew, and off we went to visit the Interpretation Center on San Cristobal Island, to learn about the history of the Galapagos, its volcanic origins, and how ocean currents and climate have affected the islands.
We walked around the quaint town of San Cristobal and then we took the bus to the airport to fly to Quito. Check in was very easy and we landed in Quito about 5:30 pm. We were given a day room at the Wyndham Hotel so that we could freshen up and repack our suitcases for the flights home. We enjoyed a farewell dinner buffet at the hotel and then it was time to bid adios to our guide and fellow travelers.
Pablo could not stay to be with Allan, me and another traveler, to help us get to the airport since once again, Ecuador instituted a curfew starting at 10 pm and the streets had to be vacated since the electricity would be going off. People traveling to the airports were exempt from the curfew fortunately, but Pablo needed to make his way to his home before the 10 pm curfew.
A shuttle from the hotel arrived to take us to the airport and check in was a breeze. Since we had to be at the airport three hours before our flight, we spent the time relaxing in the Star Alliance lounge and boarded our plane at 12 am.
We flew to Houston, went through customs and immigration very efficiently and then boarded our next flight to Newark.
From the Amazon, Machu Picchu and everything we experienced in Peru, to cruising around the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, what a wonderful and an amazing adventure it was!! We learned so much, experienced so much, tasted so many different foods, and met wonderful people. It was a fabulous trip!!!
But as always, it’s nice to be back home.
See you next time!
A sea lion hopped onto our zodiac to say goodbye to us. (Just glad he didn’t hop in when we were in it!!!)
Last night we continued to watch the documentary Satan Comes to Eden about the first settlers to the Galapagos, arriving on Floreana Island. It’s an unbelievable story. The German doctor Friedrich Ritter and his partner Dore Strauch were the first inhabitants. The story takes many turns…two other couples arrive…there’s jealousy, hate, and…history suggests…murder. If you can get the documentary on YouTube, it’s worth watching.
Allan and I didn’t feel like hiking this morning so instead we cruised for an hour in the zodiac. We were hoping to see the red footed boobys. We did see them but they were too far away to glimpse their feet. It was a nice ride and the cliffs were beautiful.
We had a nice lunch and then decided to just relax for the rest of the day. We watched football (my Giants won!!) and enjoyed a glass of wine before dinner.
Dinner was delicious as usual and we went off to bed early since we disembark from the ship and fly to Quito to catch our flight to go home. Our flight leaves at 12:05 in the morning, so we won’t be home until Tuesday.
It was a fabulous vacation and we are so glad we were able to see Peru, the amazing Amazon, Machu Picchu, Ecuador, and the Galapagos. Each section of the trip was fabulous.
My last post will be tomorrow when we are home.
Allan and I are in the cabin labeled for the Booby bird.
The scenery on our cruise.
Seagulls
Blue footed booby
LEON DORMIDO – SAN CRISTOBAL or “Sleeping Lion”, otherwise known as Kicker Rock, is one of the Galapagos’ most well-known rock formations.
It was another night of rocking and rolling as we made our way to the next island – Isla Espanola. We had a nice breakfast and then we went off in the zodiac to cruise around to see the wildlife. So much wildlife to see everywhere, especially birds.
We then took the zodiac to the beach and we enjoyed walking along the sand and just relaxing. We saw the bones of a whale, as well as sea lions lounging on the sand, small birds hopping all over, large birds living on the cliffs, and the occasional lizard.
We came back in time for lunch and the chef made a delicious ceviche dish. In addition to that dish for an appetizer, he also served lasagna, vegetables with palm hearts, and coleslaw.
After lunch we went on a nature walk. Pablo said it would be rough climbing over rocks. Rough was an understatement!!! OMG! We climbed over huge rocks, lava, stones, and slippery rocks. We had to time getting out of the zodiac with the waves to get to the stone pier which wasn’t easy.
The walk took about 2.5 hours and we did see some fabulous birds. Albatross, Boobys, and many more. We even saw Albatross doing the mating dance which was unbelievable to watch.
When we walked back, the pier was under water so we had to climb up lava to get to the zodiac. That was not fun. I told Pablo along the way that he should have added 3 exclamation marks to the daily activity chart after the word ‘rough’. But, by the time we were walking back and had to climb the lava, I told him that 5 exclamation marks would be more like it.
We had bbq for dinner on the ship. I wasn’t very hungry, but it really was very good.
Then Pablo started talking about tomorrow’s activities and he said that there’s a new rating, thanks to me, for the difficulty of the walks from now on. Tomorrow’s walk will be 5 exclamation marks in terms of difficulty. Yesterday’s was 4 exclamation marks. Too funny!
Early to bed since we have breakfast at 6:30 tomorrow to get started on the activities.
Cave we entered on our zodiac ride
Sea Anemones bright orange
Sand sea star
Male Magnificent frigate bird inflating his throat pouch which they use to attract females during the mating season.
White booby.
Pelican
Along the beach we stopped at.
Little lava lizard catching ants for his meal.
Whale bones
The chef putting together a ceviche dish for our lunch. White fish, shrimp, octopus, lime juice, cilantro, onions, mustard, salt, broth from the white fish and the shrimp, tomatoes, and different colored peppers.
Delicious! Served with popcorn and plantain chips.
Lasagna and sides
Babaco fruit
Tons of iguanas on our walk
This is what we had to walk on. Yikes!
Boobys
Albatross doing the mating dance
Walking over the rocks and passing wildlife up close and personal.
We all went to bed very early last night, right after dinner. The ship was rocking and rolling due to the Humboldt current and it took a while to get used to. I started the scopolamine patch and am feeling fine. The door to our closet was banging all night. Allan tried to fix it during the night, which was tricky since he could barely stand with the waves rolling, but the repair was to no avail. Today we’ll have to see what we can do.
When we use the toilet, we cannot throw the tissue in the toilet, but instead, put the tissue in the wastebasket. If we accidentally flush the paper, we have to tell the crew and they have to get rid of the blockage. It’s such a force of habit to throw the tissue into the toilet, that we have to make a concerted effort not to.
The zodiac we ride to and from the ship in, is similar to what we used in Antarctica. It’s a little tricky entering because the ship is bobbing up and down and the zodiac is bobbing as well. The crew on the zodiac and on the deck of the ship give us a hand to get in. Once you get in, you kind of stagger to sit on the side of the craft since the waves are pretty strong and the raft is going up and down. The only thing I don’t like…there’s nothing to hold on to once you’re perched on the side of the craft. The driver does go slow, and we have to wear life vests, but fingers were crossed that we didn’t fall in.
We arrived at Floreana Island and had to swing our feet over the edge and wade in the water up to our calves to get to the beach. Allan and I had on water shoes so that worked great.
The minute we landed, the sea lions came to greet us. The difference between sea lions and seals is… sea lions have ears as well as strong bones in their upper fin (scapula and humerus) to allow them to “walk”. Seals on the other hand propel themselves on their bellies. A group of sea lions is called a harem.
There were tons of sea lions including moms with babies. When a female gets impregnated, it takes about 6 months until the birth of the baby. She nurses the baby after it’s born, and will go into the water at some point and leave the baby behind. That means she’s ready to be impregnated again. When that happens, the new pregnancy sits off to the side of her body for about 6 months so the mother can continue to nurse the first baby. Once the first baby is a year old, it goes off in search of his own food of fish in the water. At that time, the mother can now continue the pregnancy of the new baby she’s carrying. Mother nature is amazing!
The Galápagos cruising itinerary is filed with the conservation authorities of the Galápagos National Park. Park biologists periodically review it, and they have the authority to make changes to the plan to minimize our impact on the ecosystems of the islands.
After visiting with the sea lions, we spotted a blue footed booby with her young. Pretty amazing to see.
We walked a bit further and saw in the distance, some flamingos standing in the lagoon. The flamingos are actually orange and not pink. We were able to witness the mating dance which was very lucky indeed. It was hard to photograph however because they were so far away.
Later in the morning, some people went snorkeling but I decided not to. The water is very cold. And I think it was a good decision since it was overcast and the people who snorkeled said it was dark in the water so you couldn’t see much.
We enjoyed another delicious lunch and at 3 o’clock, we boarded the zodiac to go to a very unusual post office. Post Office Bay – Galapagos does not have employees, stamps, or even walls or ceilings. It’s a place where the concept of old fashioned hand delivered postcards still holds true.
Back in the whaling days, sailors would be far away from home and missing their families. The sailors set up their own unique way to get mail to their loved ones. The system was simple: any passing sailor could leave a letter in a big wooden barrel and at the same time, he had to check if there was any mail going near to his home that he could deliver himself when he returned home. For example, a sailor who was finishing his journey in London, England would take any mail with a London address. When he finally reached port he was then responsible to deliver it. Bearing in mind that whalers could spend two years or more at sea, this was a very slow mailing system – sometimes letters were delivered more than a year after written.
We participated in the tradition by addressing the postcard that we bought in Quito to ourselves, and turning it in. At the same time, we searched through the piles of postcards to see if there was a postcard with an address near to our home that we could deliver. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one postcard near Bethlehem.
We hope a visitor to the Galapagos post office finds our postcard one day, takes it to their home in Pennsylvania, and knocks on our door to deliver it. It could take years, but it’s fun keeping up the tradition. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any that we could deliver. They did have one from Kenya and one from Istanbul.
We got back in the zodiac and saw sea lions, iguana, brown pelican, crabs, and blue footed boobys.
At one point, a sea lion was playing with us – going under our boat and surfacing right at our side. It was really fun.
We came back to the boat and had a special meeting with the crew and a drink. They all introduced themselves and then asked that we do the same. Each person gave their name and where they lived, but of course, I had to go the extra mile. When it was my turn I said…
“Me llamo Irene. Vivo en Estados Unitos en Pennsylvania. Yo tengo cuatro ninos. Soy una abuela. Yo tengo tres nientas y tres nientos. “
What a brown nose! 😂😂😂
Dinner was really delicious. Perfectly baked fish with salad and potatoes and strawberries for dessert.
The sea lions came right up to greet us
Awwww
Sea urchin
Pregnant sea lion
Our ship
Blue footed booby. (Photo courtesy of Dave)
Flamingos (photo courtesy of Priscilla)
Flamingos. (Picture courtesy of Dave)
This sea lion was bitten by a shark.
Darwin Daisy
Booby birds. Notice their blue feet.
Beautiful colors and cacti
Going through the mail to see if any postcards are near our home so we can deliver to the person who left them at the post office. Unfortunately, there was not a postcard from Pennsylvania.
Brown Pelican
Look closely to see the iguana and the colorful crabs.
September 19, Thursday,Quito • Fly to Galápagos • Embark Galápagos small ship
Destination: The Galápagos Islands
Accommodations: ARCHIPELL II CRUISE
We were up before dawn to check out of our hotel by 5:30. Having hot water in many of the rooms on our floor in the hotel has been an issue the last few days. And by an issue I mean… not existent. So, we couldn’t take a shower. We washed up in the sink and then went down for a light breakfast and coffee.
The bus took us to the airport and check in was a breeze. We boarded our plane and off we went. We had to fill out a lot of paperwork stating that we weren’t carrying any fruit, nuts, etc. in our suitcases. We also had to fill out a Galapagos form that we turned in and the other half we keep and turn in when we leave.
We had to make a stop and change planes, but everything went very smoothly for re-boarding. We were not given anything to eat on the plane, but they did have tea and coffee. Allan and I asked for a glass of water and it seemed like a huge inconvenience to the flight attendant. She brought Allan’s and I told her to just forget it. Before the plane landed in the Galapagos, the crew came by and sprayed the overhead bins with I am guessing was an insect spray.
We arrived at Baltra Island’s Seymour Airport and turned in our declaration forms. We boarded a bus which took us to a ferry and we landed on Santa Cruz Island, the second largest of the Galápagos Islands. During the ride, Pablo told us that fishing without a license is illegal in the Galapagos. If a boat is caught without a license, the boat is seized and the fisherman is fined and put into jail. Then, the boat is taken out to the ocean and sunk! The government really means business when it comes to illegal fishing.
Our bus was waiting for us and we went to visit the El Chato 2 Ranch – a private tortoise reserve. The Galapagos Islands are actually named after the tortoises, as the word Galapago means horse saddle in Spanish. When the early Spaniards arrived, they rode the giant tortoises like horses for fun.
The tortoises are abundant on the reserve and they spend their time here during their migration between the coast and the highlands. We were issued rubber boots and then went to walk along the paths to find the tortoises. We didn’t have to look very far, since wherever you looked, there were tortoises. We observed them up close and personal and Pablo gave us an introduction into their mating habits, how to tell males from females, and a lot of other interesting facts. He mentioned that a male tortoise can weigh as much as 650 lbs.
After spending time with the tortoises, we went to a giant volcanic lava tunnel where we walked down lava steps and then walked through a cave where lava once flowed, leaving behind the hollow tunnel with the volcanic rock above. It was pretty amazing to see.
We boarded our bus once again and took a water raft ride to the Archipell II, our home for the next four days.
Upon arriving, Pablo told us how to don our life jackets in the event of an emergency, and also showed us where to store the shoes we will be wearing when off the ship. We cannot wear those shoes onboard as they don’t want any soil transferring to the ship from the different islands we will be visiting.
We had a delicious lunch – fish, spinach pasta casserole, salad, onion, palm hearts, and tomato side dish and fresh fruit for dessert. We can fill up our water bottles each day with fresh water from the cooler. There is a bar on board and we can start a tab if we’d like.
Our cabin is small, since the ship can only accommodate 16 passengers, but we have plenty of drawer space and a nice shower. Allan and I have one of the two double bed cabins.
We had a really good dinner. The chef on this ship is amazing. Everything is delicious!
We are going to bed now. Busy day tomorrow. Since the ship will have WiFi on occasion, hoping to keep posting. Buenos noches.
On the drive to the ferry.
Our boots
Hello! Pablo figured this tortoise was about 130 years old.
In the lava tunnel
This is the watercraft that we take whenever we leave our ship to go touring.
September 18, Wednesday Quito • Botanical Gardens • Mindalae • Cable Car
Destination: Quito
Accommodations: NH COLLECTION QUITO
This morning we were able to sleep in as we didn’t need to board our bus until 10 am.
Allan and I always sign up for alerts from the US embassy when traveling to different countries. Today we got an alert from Quito, Ecuador saying:
“The Ecuadorian government announced a series of nationwide overnight electrical outages from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.from September 18-19. Scheduled outages may persist past the currently scheduled dates due to the ongoing nationwide energy crisis. U.S. citizens should monitor official announcements from the Government of Ecuador for changes to the power outage schedule. The Ministry of the Interior announced corresponding overnight curfews during the power outages, which limit freedom of movement with limited exceptions for essential workers and airport travel. Accommodations.S. citizens should comply with curfews, local laws, and the Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Ecuador. U.S. citizen residents and travelers should expect heavy military and police presence throughout Ecuador during these periods, which may include check points on roads. Be aware that power outages may affect traffic lights, emergency response, power in buildings (including elevators) that do not have independent generators, cellular service, and the internet. U.S. citizens should exercise caution during electrical outages, especially during periods of darkness, including taking measures to protect personal safety. We recommend planning for power outages by stocking up on essential items, such as food, water, medical supplies, and other personal items. International airports in Quito and Guayaquil will remain fully operational during the electrical outages. Travelers should monitor their flight status closely. Travel to and from the airports is permitted during curfew hours for individuals with a scheduled flight. U.S. citizens traveling to or from the airport for a scheduled flight should carry their flight itinerary and passport.”
WOW! We’re actually flying out early tomorrow morning to go to the Galapagos, so we’re hoping we won’t be affected.
Anyway, after breakfast we drove to the Botanical Gardens. Pablo narrated the tour and we saw some beautiful flowers, trees, and the highlight… orchids. So many different varieties, each one more beautiful than the last. Then we sauntered by the rose garden and savored the aromas. Ecuador grows and sends roses to every part of the world. It was a nice botanical garden and we were lucky to see many cacti in bloom as well as other plants that don’t bloom very often.
After the gardens, we visited the Mindalae Museum. This museum gives insight into the traditional culture of the Ecuadorian people. It is spread throughout six rooms in five floors, each with a unique theme: Shamanism, Andean Worldview, Clothing, Ceramics, Natural Fibers, and Amazon Worlds.
The building has an opening which has been called ‘The Eye of the Sun’. It is through this opening that for both the summer and winter solstices (June 21st and December 21st), and the equinoxes (March 20th and September 22nd), a column of light shines through each of the five floors, all the way to the bottom. These dates were key events for the ancient people of Ecuador. Since we were very close to the September equinox, we could see that the sun was almost to the window. On September 21…it would be there and would shine down through all five floors.
We saw displays showcasing the clothes of the indigenous people of Ecuador and also their musical instruments.
We had lunch at the museum, which was very good, although I did not care for the pumpkin soup.
After our tour, Pablo arranged for taxi cabs for 8 of us to ride the Telefériqo cable car which promised a dramatic ascent to over 13,000’ up the volcano. It took about 18 minutes and when we got to the top, the views were magnificent.
We returned to the hotel and began packing our small carryon for our trip early tomorrow to the Galapagos. We will leave at 5:30 am.
Sharon, Dick, Allan, and I decided to go back to the Chinese restaurant we went to the other night for dinner. We started to order and our waiter, who did not speak English very well, kept saying that the items we wanted to order were not available. Only a few appetizers were available, a few soups, and some entrees. We were so shocked and disappointed. We couldn’t get the steamed dumplings or the red bean paste dumpling. So Allan and I both ordered the wonton soup with pork, chicken, and shrimp and I ordered a spring roll. Our waiter brought our drinks and said we had to order now. We weren’t happy, and didn’t understand, but we complied. Our dinner orders arrived and we asked for another round of drinks. The waiter said he couldn’t do that. We needed to leave. We were not understanding, and then it dawned on Sharon. The electricity cut and the curfew!!!! The waiter and staff wanted to get home before the lights went out. We understood and quickly ate and went on our way.
So after dinner, we went to the hotel across the street from our hotel and had a nightcap. Hotels have generators fortunately, and our waiter told us that management was putting the staff up in rooms for the night, so they wouldn’t worry about getting home.
Then it was back to our hotel for hopefully a good night’s sleep.
This might be my last post for a while since I don’t think I will be getting cellular or WiFi while in the Galapagos. I will be writing my posts everyday and when I can, I’ll post them.
The Quito Botanical Garden
Water lilies blooming
Such an unusual flower
The orchids were beautiful. So many varieties.
Even a cactus was blooming
At the Mindalae Museum
If we had been a few days later, the sun’s rays would have been directly over the windows that line up on all five floors.
