July 8, 2024 Travel to Quito, Ecuador
Yay - the day has finally arrived for David, Lily, and I to begin our adventure with Tauck Bridges Tour to the Galapagos. Robin dropped us at the ATL International Terminal where we checked in with Delta. The actual process went quite smoothly, so we had enough time to grab dinner before boarding our flight!
We settled in for our five-hour flight hopping to catch up on our movies. Our trip was smooth, and in no time we were clearing customs in Ecuador, South America. As we waited for a few other passengers, we met another Tauck family from northern Virginia/Maryland - Susan, Jacey, Juliet, and Carly. Everyone was so excited. The bus ride to downtown Quito was easy, as well as the check-in to the Swisshotel where we were served the MOST delicious cake! Everyone was ready to sleep, safe and sound on another continent!
JULY 9, 2024 - HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY, DAVID!!!!!
While the room decorations weren't Pinterest-worthy, it still made David smile! We slept in a bit, and while we were getting ready, there was a knock on the door. Oh wow, the hotel sent up a lovely birthday cake for David and the nicest letter wishing him a happy birthday.
The view from our room was stunning! And at night, it was even better with the gorgeous twinkling lights.
We went to the hotel's restaurant for the breakfast buffet, which was quite impressive!
The hotel's concierge arranged a driver for us ($12.00 per hour) so we set off for the TeleferiQo, a giant cable car that travels to the top of a local mountain. The view from the top was astounding, for we could see the entire city of Quito, which is 9,000 ft above sea level. Lily and David immediately made friends with several local dogs while I ordered hot cocoa. We enjoyed a snack and the view before descending the mountain.
At the base, before the exit, was, of course, a gift shop where Lily found a bracelet and the softest stuffed animal made of alpaca. I sent a message via WhatsApp to our driver, who promptly picked us up in his beautiful BMW. Next, we went to the Mercado to do some power shopping. I found so many treasures, and David found a stuffed turtle.
Since it was David's birthday, he selected our lunch destination, which naturally was MacDonald's! We invited our driver to have lunch with us. We had such an enjoyable time visiting with this local.
Back in the hotel, David and Lily rested while I walked around the corner to the Maxi Supermarket to buy distilled water. Then, David and I went to the gym for a workout.
Our hotel arranged a taxi to take us out for David's birthday dinner. Before our trip, I had found a restaurant, Trattoria Pizzeria Napoli, on Trip Advisor for dinner. We were NOT disappointed!! The ravioli and pizza were delicious! Afterward, the sweet owner, originally from Naples, Italy, arranged a taxi to take us back to the Swisshotel. We called our family back home so that everyone could wish David a happy birthday, and what a great way to spend your 15th birthday, David!
July 10, 2024 - Exploring Quito
We began our day with another delicious breakfast at the Swisshotel! Then we met our Tauck Tour Director, Wendy Rodriquez, and the rest of our traveling partners before boarding our luxurious coach bus. There will be 19 travelers in our group - a perfect amount!
First stop, Intinan Equator Museum on the equator!
We had a blast performing all the science experiments that can only be done on the equator! Lily became an "Egg Master" for being able to balance a raw egg on the head of a nail.
Next, we traveled to the Middle of the World City where we were able to stradle the equator, visit a museum, and shop.
For lunch, we traveled to a caldera of an active volcano (yikes) to dine in El Crater Restaurante. The view was spectacular and the food, although we weren't sure what we were eating, was delicious. Best of all, the kids were able to run around outdoors and pet a llama!
Our next stop was the colonial section of Quito. We visited the cathedral, walked the square, and finally enjoyed refreshments and the view from the rooftop of Hotel Casona. Wow, just wow!
After a quick workout, shower, and wardrobe change, we went to our Welcoming Dinner. I was surprised, as well as David, when the group had a Happy Birthday Celebration for David's 15th birthday. Seems like David is enjoying a birthday season. We were also entertained by a traditional Ecuadorian Dance Group.
We definitely did Quito justice!
July 11, 2024 Quito to Baltra to Santa Cruz
We woke early today as we traveled from our Swisshotel at 6:00 AM to the Quito International Airport. Wendy did an excellent job getting us to our gate for our 8:30 AM Latam flight to Guayaquil to Baltra, Galapagos. She packed snacks for us to enjoy while we waited on the plane to take off to Baltra. Also, she had warned us that entering the Galapagos was like landing in another country. We even received a Galapagos stamp in our passport. Once off the bus, and onto the dock, we immediately spotted unique crabs and drum-roll.....sea lions!
Everyone put on life jackets, and we stepped onto our first of many panga (zodiac) ride!
We checked out our new Cabin 226 and were quite pleased!! After lunch, the kids were fitted with their wet suits and snorkel gear. Then we boarded our panga to go explore Santa Cruz.
Our first wet landing to take our first hike. Immediately, we came upon Sally Light House Crabs with amazing coloring.
We barely turned a corner, and we saw a gorgeous pink flamingo.
As we continued our hike, he spotted a Galapagos goat!
Then we came upon many land iguanas!
Our director, Wendy, had us do a few family poses:
As we were concluding our hike, the sun was setting. I was so appreciative of David's help during the hike. He was constantly reaching his hand back in case I needed help.
We met our crew back on board and then enjoyed a fabulous dinner prepared by a chef trained at the Cordon Bleu Institute. The food was almost too pretty to eat!
What an incredible first day in the Galapagos!
July 12, 2029 Isabela Island & Fernandina Island
We all slept great last night. After breakfast today, the kids will be enjoying their first snorkeling in the Galapagos. I went to the Panga with them to be their official photographer. We were exploring the island of Isabella this morning. I enjoyed all of the gorgeous sea birds as we headed out to the snorkeling spot. We saw blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, flightless cormorants, and brown-eyed somethings.
The water looked VERY cold!!! But the kids were so ready to dive in!
I could hear Lily squealing when the sea lions were around. The sea turtles were circling the kids. David mentioned that his body never warmed up to the chilly water of the Pacific. Soon, everyone was gathering back on the Panga to return to the Santa Cruz.
Once back on the ship, the kids showered and rested. After lunch, David and Lily played games in the game room, while I attended a cloud class. The adults used Ipads to feed information into NOOA and NASA regarding the clouds in our area.
The kids attended a class with the Captain of the ship to learn all about navigating in the Galapagos. I actually enjoyed an hour to myself reading in a very comfortable lounger on the front of the ship.
Next, we boarded the Panga to cruise over to another island, Fernandina, filled with marine iguana! I forgot that these lovely creatures spit all the time to rid themselves of the salt from the salt water!
They really are the creepiest-looking creatures. Luckily, there were lots of adorable sea lions around. The was a mom feeding her baby, and a very loud, obnoxious male warning everyone about us humans on his island!
Wendy decided to take pictures of David and Lily.
There were so many cool things to take pictures of - the crabs, plants, Galapagos hawk, sea birds, marine iguanas, and our Tauck group.
Before we knew it, the sun was setting and it was time to return to the Santa Cruz II. Again, I was so proud of how David and Lily were always making sure that I was okay! Love those kids!
We showered, the kids went off to join the other kids, and the adults enjoyed a well-deserved happy hour. Dinner was delicious, and the kids played for a while, but then we all crashed into bed. Day two was amazing!
July 13, 2024 Santa Cruz Island
Today, we'll spend the day on Santa Cruz Island! We boarded our Pangas at 0830 to travel to an actual port. Immediately, Lily spotted a sea lion resting on the dock.
We boarded our bus to drive a short distance to the Galapagos National Park Charles Darwin Reseach Center.
As we enter the Research Center, we start to spot various birds - mocking jays, goldfinches - and of course, turtles.
Wendy treated all the kids to ice cream before boarding our bus for an Ecuadoran Sugar Cane and Coffee Plantation where we take turns husking sugar care.
Oh, I forgot to mention that this plantation also makes moonshine and chocolate. The kids were astounded that I let them sample the moonshine, which they did not enjoy!
There was this vividly bright pink tree that was fun to take pictures.
It was time to drive to our next destination for a delicious lunch before donning boots to walk among the Galapagos giant tortoises.
Back in town, we shopped for about an hour when the kids wanted to return to the ship with their friends. So after, I saw them off, I power-shopped for about another hour before taking the last Panga (of course) to our ship.
Yep, he was still there, resting. Back on board, I quickly showered, then enjoyed my favorite cocktail (secret recipe of the bar tender's) while participating in an auction to raise funds to support the Galapagos Scholar Foundation. This allows students who have never left their Galapagos Island to travel on the Santa Cruz exploring all the other islands.
Luckily, I will have to remember that 20 is my lucky number, for I won the Galapagos Map signed by all the Santa Cruz officers.
July 14, 2024 Exploring Floreana & Champion Island
This morning we took the Panga's to the Galapagos' last formed island, Floreana for a beach landing. Immediately, all the sea lions came over to greet us. Lily truly was in heaven!
I spotted several Blue-footed Boobies - my personal favorites!
There is this really cool mailbox that has been in the Galapagos since 1793. Pirates and people have been leaving mail in this mailbox for visitors to sort through and hand deliver. We found a couple of ATL addresses which we'll deliver once we are home! Plus, we mailed three postcards!
Afterwards, I visited with others while David and Lily did some beach snorkeling and frolicking with friends.
Back on board, we showered, had lunch, and enjoyed some free time. I attended a lecture while David and Lily painted Blue-footed Boobies and made banana splits.
Now it was time for another deep-sea snorkeling trip. I was a bit concerned because the water was quite choppy, but the kids didn't seem to mind at all!
While they were snorkeling, I was busy taking pictures of the various wildlife.
We returned our snorkel gear, showered, and dressed for our final hike on Champion Island.
We hiked from one side of the island to the other. Along the way, we saw flamingos and plenty of birds. Champion Beach looked like a picture of paradise.
The beach was so peaceful and serene. I was captivated by a frigate flying overhead.
A true high-light was this Blue-Footed mother and her baby!
We had a farewell reception on the ship where a wonderful slideshow was presented. Truthfully, the pictures just don't do it justice, but our memories will!
Dinner was an art show, as always!
August 15, Baltra to Guyaguill, Ecuador
Time to say farewell.....and what a difficult farewell it was. I kept encouraging the kids to memorize every beautiful moment of this magical place. We rode the Panga to the dock where we boarded the bus for the airport. Lily always enjoyed sitting next to Wendy!
All the kids enjoyed playing cards and laughing together.
One final land iguana came to tell us goodbye at the Galapagos Airport, while his friend ignored us.
Our flight to Guayaquil was uneventful and in no time we were at the Wyndham Hotel. The kids quickly changed into swimsuits to enjoy a last swim with their friends.
Our farewell dinner was delightful!
We said farewell to all our new traveling friends, exchanged emails, and promised to stay in touch. Then, I tried UNSUCCESSFULLY to check us into Latam Airlines. Finally, after hours of attempts, a Delta rep explained that because I was traveling with minors, I had to physically check into the airport. I had already hired a driver for the next day, so I knew where our first stop would be!
August 15, 2024 Guyaquil to Quito to Atlanta
After a delicious breakfast, our driver and guide, Sandy and Diana, picked us up at the hotel for our tour of Guayaquil. We took a detour to the airport where Diana had our boarding passes in less than 10 minutes! We drove over to Iguana Park in the city.
We crossed the street to The Cathedral, a lovely church.
Next, we drove to the Malecon to stroll down their boardwalk.
Next, we strolled through downtown.
We had noticed a cable car running across the river. Our tour guide explained that it was cheaper for people to live on the island, come into the city by cable, and go back home by cable than live in Guayaquil. We asked if we could ride the cable over and back. Diana said it would cost $8.00 each, which seemed very reasonable, so off we went to ride the Aerovia.
The views were amazing. We were ready for a snack, so Diana and Sandy took us to their favorite French Bakery for heavenly croissants, lemonade, and coffee. We enjoyed the croissants so much, we ordered a second one to split.
It was time to return to our hotel for a nap, since no one slept very much the night before. I had arranged to keep the hotel room until 3:00 PM. Best $60.00 I ever spent. After a rest, re-pack, and quick shower, we checked out of the Wyndham for the airport. We left around 7:30 for Quito where we had a three hour layover. David watched some sporting event in a TGIF type restaurant while Lily and I shopped.
One more adventure before leaving Ecuador.....minutes before our zone was called for our flight, my name was called over the intercome. Once again, I was "randomly" selected for a "random" search. In 2016, this happened to me - same airport!!!! The officials wanted me to leave David and Lily unattended while I went into some secluded room to be searched. I politely told them that I would NOT leave my grandchildren unattended, so they allowed the kids to come with me. We waited and waited while the entire plane boarded. Finally, as the last passengers (minus one other gal) we boarded the plane. Now, I was REALLY exhausted. I nodded off a time or two of our five hour flight back to Atlanta. We arrived at 0515 hours, whisked through customs, claimed our luggage, and was in a Lyft headed for home by 0615 hours. I was so proud of David and Lily. They really are THE BEST travelers. As soon as we arrived at the house, everyone crashed, with a smile from a trip of a lifetime.
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