First Three days in the Galapagos

Well, I'm in the Galapagos! It's even better than I thought it would be! I arrived here on Sunday afternoon where Yulika met us at the airport. One we got all of our bags together, we got on a complementary bus that took us to a dock where we went aboard a ferry that would take us to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. On the ferry, Yulika told me that the old lady sitting next to us was one of Puerto Ayoras first inhabitants. After getting off the ferry we boarded yet another bus that would take us into town. The whole ride, Yulika, who is something of a Galapagos historian, told me of the different inhabitants of the islands. She talked about the abandoned buildings we saw in Baltra, the island where we landed, the remains of an old town built to cater to an American naval base built during WWII. It even had its own casino called The Rock! I asked her about her own history and found out she has lived here since she was a year old! She was born in Quito but her mom moved her and her two older brothers to the Galapagos when she got a job with the Charles Darwin Foundation where she still works today. Yulika also started working for the foundation about 2 months ago. Derek and I are staying in Yulika's house. She lives only with her mom in a small house in Puerto Ayora. They were kind enough to fix up a spare room they had for us to stay in.

So far, living with locals has given us a first hand look at the local culture. They have been so nice and accomodating. Everyday we meet them for lunch at their favorite local restaurants. Today we ate at the Hotel Castro. Yesterday we went on a tour of the bay. First we stopped at La Loberia, which is a spot where sea lions congregate. In spanish sea lions are called Lobos Marinos which is where the word Loberia comes from.





Then, we went to Las Grietas which is a huge gorge with water at the bottom. The locals like to swim there and dive from the cliffs. The minute I stopped paying attention Derek went up and decided to jump himself. I was really scared for him but the guide assured me as long as he did not hit the rocks he would be fine.











Next, we went to El Canal del Amor (The love Canal) where we finally saw the famous Blue Footed Boobies!


Lastly, we went on a short hike and saw the Iguanas Marinas that are only found in the Galapagos.

After such an eventful Monday we decided to take Tuesday a little slower and visit the local beach. Little did we know that would be a mission of its own. We went to Tortuga Bay which is a beautiful beach frequented by surfers both local and from around the world. Our host assured us that it was only a short walk from the middle of town, however this walk turned into an hour long hike over a mountain. By the time we reached the beach we were exhausted!

Still, the evening spent there was way worth it. We saw hundreds more iguanas and countless different types of birds. Not to mention swimming in crystal clear water.

Today, at two we leave on a boat to Isla Isabella where we will stay until Saturday morning. I am really excited because it has a rich history of the Archipelagos inhabitants. I have decided to focus my project on the invasive species that are humans. This is due to not only how interesting their history is here in the Galapagos, but also because access to the Islands with the most invasive species problems are prohibited to tourists.

Till next time,

Cristi