Overnight we had motored round to the northern end of the
island and this morning we had a 12 kilometre walk planned, up through the lava
fields to Galapaquera. This was to be
the most strenuous activity we had, and we were up at 5 am for a 6 am breakfast
in order to leave the ship by 6.45 am.
We made our own sandwiches and took extra water, and after a wet landing
(towels provided in order to dry our feet before the long hike), we found
ourselves on a beautiful white sand beach, and apart from our group there
wasn’t another soul in sight In fact, we
weren’t to see any ne else for the entire morning, which was great. We set off through the dry scrub. We hadn’t gone far before we found our first
tortoise, resting under the protection of a bush. Now we really felt we were in Galapagos
! As we continued along the trail we
continued to see frequent tortoises, although all were stationary under bushes,
just watching us as we passed !
The trail got pretty rough and steep with frequent
clamberings over lava which were tough going especially for some who were not
as nimble footed as others. How the tortoises
get around over some of this rocky country, god knows ! We finally reached the end of the trail at
the lava field at 10.45 am, although Ian had stopped some way back when the
going got really rough and uneven over rocks, and was waiting for our return. We had our sandwiches, and spotted about 4 0r
5 other tortoises dotted around the area, resting under the bushes. While we rested, the noisy and nosy
mockingbirds entertained us, and we enjoyed half an hour to recover. It was getting warmer and returning to the
beach was not something any of us were really relishing. We continued to see more tortoises –
Including one that appeared to be stuck on a rock, although Enrique assured us
everything was OK. Lots of moss and
lichen on the trees – I should point out that the “dead” trees and scrub that I
have commented on and you see in the photos is not actually dead – When it
rains here, everything will suddenly flower and bloom – But when it doesn’t
rain it conserves its energy and lies dormant.
We finally got back to the beach at 1.10, and everyone was exhausted –
It had been a long hike, and the last hour in particular had been a struggle
for several of us. We clambered into the
rubber duckies and were taken back to The Seaman, where we were greeted with
cold towels and a cold drink, before a big lunch.
Towels on our beds today were in the shape of penguins
and starfish !!
During lunch, the captain took the ship half way down the
west coast of San Cristobal to Witch Hill, and after lunch we all fitted up
with wet suits and snorkels etc, before we jumped into the boats o go assure
and spend a relaxing afternoon snorkelling off the beach. It was a bit murky, but we saw our fair share
of sea lions and rays, and turtles, and were continually being “bombed” by blue
footed boobies (of which more later !), which dive straight into the water from
a considerable height to catch their fish – Often hitting the water only 2 or 3
feet in front of you as you swim along !
Like all the animals round here, they have virtually n fear of humans –
Which is why so many of them were hunted almost to extinction in the early days
of whaling and fishing when fresh food supplies were needed in great
quantities.
By the time we got back to the ship, we were all totally
exhausted, and it was a weary mob that heard from Enrique about the plans for
tomorrow (breakfast only at 7 am ! I
thought this was supposed to be a holiday !!
Dinner was again delightful, and most people were in bed and fast asleep
by about 9 pm or earlier !! They work
you hard on these cruises !
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