SANTA CRUZ
The return will be more difficult than on the way in, there are huge waves.
We set up in the same apartment and order pizzas for our dinner after a city tour to learn about our cruise.
Indeed we received an email from the shipping company announcing a change of program due to an engine problem... Not very reassuring!!
In fact, the change concerns the first 5 days which were the most important for us. We had to navigate in places not accessible except by sea and often very far from Puerto Ayora.
This is very disturbing to us, we ask for details of the new program and explanations from the agency that sold us the cruise.
The explanations given by a tourist agency in the city are not very clear, see us worry rather ... Wait and See.
The second day the weather is bad and we decide to visit the "Reserva de tortugas El Chato".
To get there, we take the local bus and get off at "Santa Rosa". The backpacker’s guide says to take a 15-minute walking trail ... In fact, it’s more than an hour to reach the reserve, and in a light rain.
The El Chato reserve allows to observe giant turtles in freedom. These animals look like prehistoric creatures and tend their necks to feed and move around or return in case of danger. Their movement is quite a spectacle.
On the way back we take a taxi to the bus station.
We dine in the city and return to the apartment to prepare our suitcases.
ISABELLA
The island is connected by plane from the other islands and by boat.
We take a boat.... A kind of outboard boat that can accommodate about 30 people.
The journey takes two hours and it’s hell .... We are shaken like chips from left to right and from top to bottom ... A real ordeal!!
Our little bodies are having trouble with this shake .... The two hours seem long. Fortunately the landscapes 3/4 of an hour before arriving are beautiful and make you forget the tremors.
We booked a hotel from which we asked for a taxi on arrival ... 10 USD!!! We refused until we were there.
It turns out that the hotel is 1 km from the port and the taxi we take asks us for 2 USD .... Welcome to the island!! According to the different guides this is the most expensive island.
After our installation we set out to discover the village which corresponds exactly to the image of the Galapagos that we had imagined.
The streets are clay and houses are built without style, not always finished.
We watch the sunset facing the sea, a glass in hand on the immense beach of 3 km. Then we dine in a small restaurant. The evening is very cool.
On the second day we hike in the "Parque Humedales" and the "Muro de Las Lagrimas". A 14 km round trip that we do alternately under the sun or a threatening sky. The route is marked by "Point of view" in a rather arid vegetation.
This is an opportunity for us to approach two huge tortoises, very difficult to find ... A real happiness.
On the third day we stroll between the beach and the village. Excursions are organized in order to visit several famous sites, but we give up because of the prices charged ... Around 200 USD per person .... And not always at the height according to the guides.
On the fourth day, another boat transfer to "Santa Cruz" .... Same mess!!
SANTA CRUZ
The plane leaves at 10:15.
We take a taxi to the airport, it is necessary to arrive 2 h 30 before as indicated on the website of the company "LATAM".
Before checking in our luggage, we pay an entry fee to the Galapagos Islands of USD 20 each, and will have to pay USD 100 each upon arrival.
Then we scan our suitcases because it is forbidden to transport food.
Check-in is done quickly and we can reach the departure room.
The flight is perfect with a stopover at "Guayaquil" and we even arrive early!!! All along the route we fly above the clouds and on the arrival the weather changes ... Sun and blue sky.
To reach the island of Santa Cruz, we take a bus that drops us off at a pier, because the airport is located on a small island. We then climb on a boat for a crossing of 5 minutes where on arrival a bus waits for us to bring us "Puerto Ayaro" in 40 minutes .... Of course for each transport you have to pay.
We rented an apartment that turns out to be in accordance with the description, very comfortable and close to the city center.
Christophe does some shopping .... Everything is very expensive .... Galapagos Islands cost a fortune!!!
Quiet evening
The morning of the second day is dedicated to the "Estation cientifica Charles Darwin".
This legendary national park site is home to more than 200 scientists and volunteers involved in research and conservation efforts. The best known initiative is the giant turtle breeding program in captivity.
Trails cross arid vegetation and lead to turtle enclosures, which can be observed from close up. A nursery of baby turtles has incubators; when the turtles weigh about 1.5 kg or are 4 years old, they are repatriated to their native island.
We see our first iguanas, red crabs and pelicans. We do not make the guided tour to discover the giant turtles, they live in a paddock and in the other islands they are free.
After lunch we reach "Tortuga Bay". It is a 1 hour walk and only accessible on foot.
This beach received this name because it is a nesting site for sea turtles. The white sand of this place and the observation of species such as sea lions, marine iguanas, pelicans, flamingos, and gulls among others, make this place unique in America and the world.
Tortuga Bay was described as a “paradise” that includes a few tourist alternatives, such as snorkeling, swimming and surfing, surrounded by rays, sharks and abundant marine wildlife with distinct colours.
Very nice hike
The third is the transfer day to "Isabella"
ROAD BOOK 129
MAVROS ODYSSEE