Galapagos, 4 - 15 November 2016

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Today, we had a wet landing with LARGE waves, on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island at Bachas Beach.  The name comes from the mispronunciation of the word "barges" by the local population during the 1950s when WWII barges broke their moorings and ran aground on the beach.  We began our two mile walk (Option 1) when immediately a flock of blue footed boobies flew over, landed on a gigantic rock and started preening themselves to distribute the oil on their feathers. We also spotted hundreds of Sally Lightfoot crabs, flamingos, sea lions and pelicans.

Back on board by 1130 hours as we sailed to our next destination, North Seymour Island. Luckily, as we headed to the port, we were close to the airport, with CELL SERVICE!  I needed to book a flight using Delta Skymiles, but had no Internet Service.  So, when I called Delta, I told the sweet rep, "Listen, I'm calling from Galapagos, who knows how long my phone service will last, plus I'm paying a dollar per minute, so we need to talk FAST," which she did!  Mission accomplished!  Back to North Seymour Island.  This island is just north of Baltra and was formed through a series of uplifts of lava that was originally erupted underwater.  These sporadic uplifts took more than a million years to bring the island to its present level.  North Seymour hosts one of the largest colonies of frigate birds in the Galapagos. We left around 4:45 for our Option 2 excursion:  Zodiac Ride and Short Walk.

We had a dry, "cliff" landing and immediately saw frigate males with huge inflated red chests, blue footed boobies, and land iguanas. 

Then, right in our path, we watched adorable baby sea lions playing!

I could barely leave these two!  Next, we encountered a flock of frigates and blue footed boobies.  The frigates were buzzing and dive bombing us, which was I thought was amazing, when we came upon a blue footed booby and her new baby!

This walk was the epitome of everything I ever hoped to see on Galapagos, minus the tortoises!

Loved, loved, loved this day!

Galapagos, 4 - 15 November 2016

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Trump wins!  Well, that news certainly created a stir on our cruise!  The way we found out was that someone received a text since we had no Internet or cell service.  So, on with our day.  First stop - Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island. As we were waiting for the our excursions, a sea lion hopped onto the zodiac, looked around as if to check things out, and then slipped back into the water. We loaded onto our zodiac for Option 1:  Dry landing onto a lava ledge, then long hot hike, about 1.5 miles over black rocks, footing often uneven.We hiked over this blackened lava landscape that was nothing less than a geologic wonderland. At every step we saw the hardened twists and turns of lava that flowed during a volcanic eruption in the 1900's. It was an overcast day which made it perfect to hike on the black igneous rock.  We did have to be careful of every step because the lava cracked easily and broke off.  We saw a tiny lava monster, one lonely cactus and many "pioneer plants" - weeds growing in the rocks.

After lunch, Rob napped and I went to the gym, embroidered on the veranda, and even took a short nap before our afternoon excursion.  We visited Bartolome Island, one of the most spectacular settings in the Galapagos.  As a relatively young island, it's volcanic origins are easy to see.  The view from the top of the island is perhaps the most famous in all the Galapagos.  We took an amazing zodiac ride along the coast where we saw sea lions, penguins, pelicans, frigates, and plenty of Blue Footed Boobies!

After dinner, the very talented Naturalists on our cruise performed several Ecuadorian songs. They are simply too adorable!

Galapagos - 4 - 15 November 2016

Tuesday, November 8, 2016
  Today we slept in as our Option 2 excursion, the Zodiac Ride, didn't depart until 10:00 AM.  So, off we went to explore Elizabeth Bay, Isabela Island, which is one of the westernmost points in the Galapagos. Our scenic zodiac ride within the sheltered inlet offered views of a wide variety of wildlife in the mangrove ecosystem to include penguins, turtles, diamond stingrays, manta rays, flightless cormorants, and

 blue footed boobies.  The highlight of our ride was when a blue footed booby flew directly over our Zodiac while the naturalist was saying, "Now remember, the feet will be tucked in, so you won't really see anything" when all of a sudden the blue footed booby fluttered his adorable blue feet for all of us to admire!
    Our afternoon included an extended Zodiac Ride and Short Walk, Option 2, in Tagus Cove.  Historically, this site provided shelter for wayfarers and was one of the areas visited by Charles Darwin in 1835.  We hiked up the side of a volcanic tuff cone to an amazing view of Darwin's Lake.

While it is "Election Day" back home, we're oblivious some 600 miles off land in the middle of the Pacific.  There's something to be said about not having Internet nor cell service!

Galapagos, November 4 - 15, 2016

Monday, November 7, 2016

Today, we visit Santiago, also called James or San Salvador Island. Our visit takes us to one of the islands' most popular sites, Puerto Egas, where a salt mining operation existed until the 1960s. And we're off to our first excursion:  Option 2:  Short Walk/Optional Snorkel - wet landing for a short walk on mostly sand and a few flat rocks.

During our hike along the grottos, we saw ground finches, lizards, Galapagos hawk, herons, Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, yellow warblers, and my personal favorites, Galapagos fur seals and sea lions with one week old pups!  Lucky us, we witnessed a sea lion puke and a hawk poop after attacking a heron!

Back on board, I recorded our amazing morning for future blog posts since we have NO Internet  while out on our verandah as we sailed to our next destination, Rabida.  We arrived around 3:00 PM, and our Option 2:  Zodiac Ride and Snorkel departed at 3:45 PM.  Each Zodiac held 16 folks and the drivers were AMAZING!  They maneuvered the Zodiac into the tightest places, then made sure that each side had optimum photo opportunities. The landscapes here are visually stunning.  The island is the top of an old volcanic cone bathed in crimson.  The rocks and sand are hued brilliant red and sit amid coves of clear blue water. We had a wet landing on the beach, complete with our wet suits, fins, masks, and snorkels.  We had been told that the water was chilly, but the sun was so warm that the water felt pretty nice.  While snorkeling, I felt something brush my tush, and I thought that it was Rob being fresh, only to discover that it was a playful, curious sea lion.  Turns out, both sea lions in the cave came out to play with all the snorkelers.  After our swim, as we were getting ready to leave, this adorable guy came up onto the beach and actually posed for pictures!

Each evening around 7:00 PM, a briefing for the next day's activities was held in the Discovery Lounge.( One bit of information, which I had not received prior to our trip, was that we should avoid wearing bright colors such a red, orange, pink or yellow, because it confuses the pollinators!) After the briefing, we'd sign up for either Option 1 or Option 2 for both the morning and afternoon excursions.  Option 1 was usually a bit more strenuous than Option 2, and a third possibility was simply taking a Zodiac ride after all the folks for Option 2 had departed. What a day! 

The meals are DELICIOUS!  The food is fresh, beautifully presented, and sized appropriately.  Wonderful South American wines are served daily.  Our new buddies, Ed and Kathy, have also introduced me to chocolate martinis.  Uh - oh!

Galapagos, November 4 - 15, 2016

Sunday, November 6, 2016

After a lovely breakfast with Kathy and Ed, we boarded the bus for the Quito Airport to catch Avianca Flight 1686 to Balta, Galapagos.  It was a sunny, glorious day, and the economy Avianca seats were actually nicer than our Delta Business seats!  As we were about to land, three flight attendants came down the isle.  The first one opened each overhead bin, the second one sprayed some sort of disinfectant into the bin, while the third one slammed the bin shut.  They systematically did this throughout the plane!  Guess the folks on Galapagos don't want us bringing any cooties around!
After landing, we took a short bus ride to the pier where we boarded Zodiacs to our Celebrity Xpedition.

Upon arrival, we enjoyed a champagne toast, then settled into Cabin 504, our home for the next week.  After unpacking, we went back up to the Discovery Lounge for our safety briefing and life boat drill. By now, Rob was ready for his retirement nap, so I ventured off to the gym before our sail away.  From 1700 - 1800 hours we "circumvented" Daphne Island where a finch study has been on-going since the 1980s.  While out watching the wildlife, I spotted numerous frigates, pelicans, dolphins, and various other seabirds.

We enjoyed delicious local fish for dinner at a table with a delightful newly wed couple, Rachel and Eric, as well as three other lovely couples.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Galapagos, November 4 - 15, 2016

November 5, 2016

After a lovely breakfast on the ninth floor of the JW Marriott, we met the other passengers of Celebrity's Xpedition for a city tour of Quito.  The sun was shining gloriously and the temperatures were absolutely perfect - great way to begin our journey.  We boarded the bus for our first destination, Basicica del Voto National, or the "National Basilica" of Ecuador.  Inside, there is an open heart carved where you can see the most famous statue of Quito - a protective angel in the distance.

The Neo Gothic Style, containing gargoyles, was extremely fascinating because the gargoyles were actually the various animals found throughout Ecuador - turtles, ant eaters, sea lions, etc.

   Next, we went to the San Francisco Convent where we heard the beginning of the 11:00 AM mass.  To see the beauty of this church was one thing, but to experience the sounds was a bonus! 

While there, the photographer/author of a leading Galapagos photo journal was selling his books. Naturally, I HAD to have a copy, as well as a picture.

Next, we walked over to the Jesuit Cathedral, Society of Jesus and the palace, located on Liberty Square.

We enjoyed an amazing lunch at Theatrum where we sampled local dishes, such as a unique potato soup, empanadas, fish, and a heavenly blackberry sorbet.

   Afterwards, you could either go back to the hotel for a siesta or continue on our tour to the Equator.  Guess who went back for his retirement nap?

   The Equator Museum was quite interesting with lots of science experiments, local products to sample, dances, HUGE humming birds, and a shrunken head!  A little tid bit that

 I learned quickly is that before going into a bathroom stall, one takes the toilet paper from the dispenser on the wall.

   Our group dined at Gloria this evening where Rob and I met Billy and Bonnie, a delightful couple, retired Air Force, from Florida who have been on 167 cruises!  Love it!  As our group departed the restaurant, the staff members lined up on the sidewalk for applauses and thanks.  I do LOVE this country!

Galapagos - November 4 - 15, 2016

November 4, 2016
   * The  "real time" entries for this blog weren't possible because during our Galapagos journey we had extremely limited Internet service and usually no cell service.  Hopefully, my notes and the daily Celebrity "TODAY" will be sufficient to recreate this trip of a lifetime.
     We departed Atlanta on Delta Flight 673 (4 hours and 38 minutes) departing at 5:59 PM.  We arrived at the Quito International Airport at 10:17 PM and immediately noticed our clean surroundings.  Rob experienced some altitude breathing difficulties since we were at 9,000 ft! After gathering the rest of the Celebrity passengers, we headed off to the JW Marriott in New Town, Quito, Ecuador.  Upon check-in, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we had be upgraded since we booked a suite on the cruise.

We immediately noticed the beautiful roses, EVERYWHERE!  Later, we learned that Ecuador is a leading exporter of roses.  While strolling the streets, you can purchase two dozen roses for $3.00.  Wow, welcome to South America!