The Galapagos - Unspoiled Nature

In the past five years, we have been incredibly fortunate to experience some amazing parts of the world, including Africa, Tahiti and Alaska.  Our latest journey has to rank right up with the best of them, a 7-night cruise in the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.

I will tell you right up front that the pictures I took on this trip and have included in this blog, no matter how good they are, cannot replace the experience of actually being there and seeing an incredibly unspoiled and spectacularly beautiful part of the planet, which is teeming with wildlife, unthreatened by human beings. 

We traveled with Celebrity Cruises, and the trip included two nights in Quito, Ecuador before flying to Baltra in the Galapagos.  We arrived in Quito late and checked into the J.W. Marriott downtown at about 1:00 AM.  The J.W. Marriott is a first-class hotel, and our meals in Quito both before and after the cruise portion were included.

The J.W. Marriott in Quito is top-notch, with very nice rooms, dining options, swimming pool, and shopping mall.

We were up early the next morning for a full-day tour of Quito, mostly in the historic section of town, followed by a trip to the Intiñán Solar Museum, allegedly located exactly at latitude 00°00’00”, or the equator. 

Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is situated at an elevation of 9,350 feet above sea level.  By comparison, Denver is at 5,690 feet.  Quito is the second highest capital city in the world (La Paz, Bolivia is the highest), and the one closest to the equator.  It was also one of the first two World Cultural Heritage Sites named by UNESCO in 1978.  I wouldn’t call it a beautiful city, but its elevation and the proximity of active volcanoes makes it interesting.

El Panecillo Virgin stands nearly 150 feet tall and is constructed of over 7,000 separate pieces of aluminum.  Locals claim it is the only statue of the Madonna in the world with wings.  It really is quite striking, even on the cloudy misty morning we were there.

This is the view from El Panecillo of the northern half of Quito, with the historic center below and the more modern business center beyond.  You can see the two towers of the Basilica of the National Vow in the middle.  

The front facade of the Church and Convent of San Francisco, completed in the 1500s, shows a variety of architectural styles resulting from many renovations by different architects.

No pictures were allowed inside La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, or the Church of the Society of Jesus, which reportedly has 900 pounds of gold leaf decorating the walls and ceilings.

Our guide Rodrigo also pointed out the boy with the large penis on the building roof line across from the church.  He explained what it meant, but we were all laughing too much to pay attention.

This is the Plaza de la Independencia in the heart of the historic district.  We ate lunch on the second floor of the Hotel Plaza Grande at the corner on the left.

The Cathedral of Quito is also located on the plaza.

These guards do two-hour shifts in front of the Presidential Palace.  The Boss is trying to sell him an all-inclusive vacation.

Ecuadorian roses are supposed to be the best in the world, due to the country's location on the equator, among other reasons.  This incredible display was in the lobby of the hotel where we had lunch.  In Ecuador, roses are so inexpensive that our guide said if he gave them to his wife, she would call him a cheapskate.

After lunch, we boarded the coach for the trip to the Intinan Solar Museum, which was supposedly built to mark the true location of the equator, although my subsequent research says it may be a bit off.   At any rate, we enjoyed the walk through the museum and the interactive demonstrations of the effects of straddling the northern and southern hemispheres, even though they were really just tricks.  Latitude has no measurable influence on the tricks.

Maybe, maybe not.

A rather grotesque exhibit of an authentic shrunken head, originating from the Amazon Rainforest region of Ecuador.

The Boss and I kiss on the equator.

This was a unique sundial - notice there are two sixes.  On the equator, the sun sets at 6:00 PM and rises at 6:00 AM all year round.  This picture was taken at just before 4:00 PM.

The museum also had some cultural exhibits. I hate to say it, but these are not pets, they are food.  Guinea pigs are considered something of a delicacy in Ecuador. Apparently, they taste like chicken.

We returned to the hotel with just enough time to wash up for dinner in a local restaurant in Quito, then went to bed early.  Our departure for the airport the next morning was scheduled for 7:00 AM.  Esther would recommend coming in a day early, because of the late arrival and two early mornings immediately after.

On the ride to the airport, we got a great view of Cotapaxi, which at 19,347 feet, is one of the world's highest volcaonoes, located 31 miles south of Quito.  Its last eruption lasted from August 2015 to January 2016.

We flew from Quito to the coastal city of Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. This was a 45-minute refueling stop before the flight to Baltra in the Galapagos.  Baltra is a small island that used to be a US base in World War II.  From the airport we had a short bus ride to the dock, where we boarded our Zodiac boats to transport us to the ship.   

The Celebrity Xperience.  Celebrity also has a 96-passenger ship, the Expedition; and a 16-passenger ship, the Explorer.  All of our group agreed that our ship was the best size for this kind of trip.

All of our transportation between the islands and the ship was by Zodiac boats.

The ship is the Celebrity Xperience, with a capacity of 48 passengers, and a crew of 19, plus 4 naturalists that were our guides.  Xperience has 12 “deluxe” staterooms on Deck 2, and 8 “premium" and 4 “elite” staterooms on Deck 4.  The Boss and I were in a deluxe stateroom, #203, which was anything but deluxe.  Celebrity says the deluxe staterooms are 160 square feet.  That may have been true for the room across the hall, in the same category, which had room for a table and two chairs in addition to the bed.  We had no table or chairs and still couldn’t both stand and move at the same time, so I think we were less than 160 sf.  The “elite” staterooms on Deck 4 did appear to be much larger and more comfortable and are listed at 200 square feet..  Since the ship wasn’t full, we requested and received a different stateroom, #209, which was marginally larger.

Our first stateroom, #203, before we moved.  Pay the extra money for an elite stateroom if you want to be more comfortable.

Celebrity recently purchased the ship, originally built in 1982, renamed it Xperience and did some renovations, and it began sailing as a Celebrity product in March of 2017.  However, it still shows every one of its 35 years.  In appearance, our opinion was that it was not up to typical Celebrity standards.  You couldn't lock your doors from the outside, the towels were thin, the blowdryer was like a Fisher Price toy and the showerheads left a lot to be desired. 

The lounge where we given briefings about the day's activities was cramped when all the passengers showed up.

Although rather spartan, this was one of my favorite areas where we could sit outside with a nearby bar and enjoy the amazing scenery.  The best meals of the trip were the two nights they grilled outdoors here.

This is the sun deck at the top of the ship - again, nothing fancy but pleasant.

The fitness center on board.

Having said all of that, the ship is not the reason anyone came on this trip.  None of the passengers seemed to care about the lack of amenities, the cheap towels and toiletries, poor shower heads and miniscule bathrooms, or cafeteria food in the dining room for every meal.  This cruise is all about the destination, and it is SPECTACULAR.

This was the typical lunch and dinner offerings, plus a salad bar, ceviche or soup, bread, and desserts.  You wouldn't call it gourmet food, but everyone had plenty to eat. 

As unimpressed as we were by the ship itself, the Celebrity crew was wonderful and the service was great.  They worked multiple jobs and long hours to make sure we had everything we needed, including late nights at the outdoor bar on the back of the ship.   A bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries were delivered to our room due to our “Elite” status, and we were presented with a cake and serenaded by the crew on our anniversary.  

Esther with Carlos, the Hotel Director, who took good care of us.

A very nice gift from Celebrity.

Lunch was served in the dining room shortly after we boarded, and our first excursion was later that afternoon to Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz Island. 

Our very first sighting of the blue-footed booby!

Look at those eyes.

It's hard to take pictures of creatures under water, but there is no mistaking what this is.

The shipboard routine was to meet in the lounge at 7:00 or 7:15 PM every evening for a briefing on the following day’s activities, followed by dinner.  By the time dinner was over, most of the passengers headed off to bed, since we had been going pretty non-stop since arriving in Quito two nights before.  And every day began with breakfast at 7:00 AM.   Then there was a morning excursion, back on board for lunch, and an afternoon excursion.  Make no mistake, a Galapagos cruise is filled with activity, and you are always afraid to skip any of the excursions because they all promise incredible sights. 

You should know that this is not a trip for anyone with limited mobility.  Getting in and out of the Zodiac boats at the ship and on shore could be tricky at times in choppy water, and some of the walks and hikes included long steep climbs or steps.  Our passengers varied in age from teenagers to one 75-year-old woman, and were overall a pretty fit bunch.  My creaky knees took a bit of a pounding.  

This blog would never end if I described each of the next six days in detail.  I’ll try to keep to the highlights and just show some of my best photos. 

  

Sunday – Rabida Island in the morning, Santiago Island in the afternoon.

Rabida Island is known for its amazing red sand and....

...LOTS of sea lions, who looked terribly exhausted, or extremely relaxed.

How cute is this one?  Almost looks like he's smiling.

They are not the least bit shy around humans.  

Rabida had a nesting colony of pelicans.

This guy rolls over in his sleep all the way down the beach.

A much different beach at Santiago Island in the afternoon.

A mother sea lion and her baby pose for us.

I was lucky to capture a shot of this Galapagos penguin swimming by - they are fast.

As we begin our nature walk, we see a sign that appears on all the islands in the National Park.  But you rarely see any other indications of the presence of humans.

I can't remember if this sea lion was yawning or barking - either way, a neat picture.

The tidal pool landscape here and all over the Galapagos is the result of volcanic activity, which comes in many forms.

Marine iguanas are EVERYWHERE.  Stay tuned for more.

I had to include this because this baby sea lion actually looks comfortable draped over the rocks like that.  I have trouble sleeping in a king-sized bed if the firmness isn't exactly right.

Monday – We did the long hike from Tagus Cove on Isabela Island in the morning, and the long walk at Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island in the afternoon.

They call it a "dry" landing when you don't have to jump in the water to go ashore. The landing here was dry, but we had a long hike UP to go.

Karina, one of the fantastic naturalists that guided us, points out graffiti carved in the rocks from as far back as the mid-1800s.

If you can't climb steps like these, think twice about a Galapagos hike.

After climbing those stairs, we were rewarded with this view of Darwin Lake, which sits within Darwin Crater, and is filled with saltwater.

The group before us reaches the top of the hill.  By law, guides are only allowed to have no more than 16 people in a group, which is why we had 4 naturalists on board.

This panaoramic view of Isabela Island, in all its volcanic glory, awaited us at the top of the hill.

After the hike, we got a Zodiac ride to see the layers of compacted ash up close.

We got back on board and went kayaking in the cove for about an hour, while many passengers snorkeled.  The snorkelers said the water was extremely cold; even Sam, one of the natrualist guides, said it was the coldest he could remember.  The afternoon walk around the tide pools formed by all the lava at Punta Espinoza may have been my favorite.

A typical tidal pool, with sea lions on land and in the water, and several marine iguanas.  Notice the grooves in the sand made by the iguana tails.

A great blue heron wades through the pool.

Marine iguanas must have been the inspiration for Godzilla....

Right?

It was fascinating watching them swim, using their tale for propulsion and steering.

I warned you earlier that you would see more of these guys.  We loved the fact that a group of iguanas is called a "mess."   There were a mess of messes on the islands we visited.

We saw dozens more sea lions, including this mother and baby.

The pools were full of sea turtles. 

Even more plentiful than marine iguanas, these sally lightfoot crabs were literally EVERYWHERE.

We watched this colorful guy eating some seaweed.

One of the other passengers, Rick, spotted this Galapagos snake, which excited our guide Mari to no end.  She said they don't see them that often.  

Bones of a Bryde's whale.

Tuesday – Urbina Bay on Isabela in the morning, Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela in the afternoon.

Our walk at Urbina Bay required a wet landing.

Only a few minutes into our walk, we spotted our first giant tortoise.  We saw several more, which our guide said was lucky.

If the marine iguana was the inspiration for Godzilla, I think these guys were the basis for the face of E.T.

It didn't take long to spot the land iguanas either, and we saw a bunch.  These guys don't swim at all - they dig burrows for protection from hawks, and lay eggs in small holes and cover them with sand.

His white eyelids looked closed in this close-up.

Our guide Mari was very excited when she spotted this Galapagos hawk high in a tree.  They are the biggest predator of the land iguanas.

These are the bones and shell of a tortoise that died 5 or 6 years earlier.

We got back on board to sail north to Vicente Roca Point, and were treated to these kinds of views.  My photos can't capture the actual beauty of the landscapes.

When we reached the Point, we found it "crowded" with two other tour boats, the first we had encountered.

The Boss and I opted for the Zodiac ride along the coast instead of snorkeling, and were treated to more sea lions on the rocks.....

....sea lions in the water....

....sea turtles in the water and...

...flightless cormorants - a result of natural selection in the Galagpagos.  They can't fly, but they are great swimmers.  Since their wings are not waterproof, they spend a lot of time drying them in the sunlight.

We rode the Zodiac into a cave on the coastline - all the light in this photo was supplied by the camera.

The view from inside the cave looking out.

That afternoon, many of the passengers gathered on the bridge to watch the ship's instruments record the latitude as we crossed the equator.

I caught the instrument pretty damn close to 00-00-00, but not quite.

 To celebrate crossing the equator, we had a wine and cheese party at the Al Fresco bar.

She never let's me forget.....

Wednesday – We spent on Santa Cruz Island, the second largest island in the archipelago.  We came ashore at Puerto Ayora, the largest city in the islands.  The morning was all about tortoises, and the afternoon was free time in town.

We started at the Charles Darwin Research Station on the outskirts of town.

They keep these little guys for five years until they can be released into the wild.

The saddleback tortoise in front has a much longer neck, because in the wild they eat off of tree branches.

This is the embalmed Lonesome George, the most famous tortoise in Galapagos history.  He was the last-known Pinta Island tortoise and was considered the rarest creature in the world before his death in 2012.  Attempts to mate him with female tortoises were unsuccessful, and so his species became extinct.

The second most famous tortoise in the Galapagos is Super Diego, an Espanola tortoise.  He was returned to the Galapagos from the San Diego Zoo in 1977, when there were only 14 of his species remaining.  Diego had no problems mating with the remaining females, and they estimate he has fathered over 1,700 children!!  What a stud! And they believe he is over 135 years old.

Next we took a bus to a ranch in the highlands to see the tortoises "in the wild."  Apparently we were there during an annual migration and they were literally everywhere.

As long as you don't get too close to them, they seem pretty relaxed around people.

This gives you a good idea of their size, and this wasn't even one of the bigger ones!

While most of the passengers went back to the ship for lunch, we decided to stay in the port for lunch for a change of scenery.  

We ate a leisurely lunch and had a few beers at the Galapagos Planet Restaurante, right on the waterfront main street.  The wi-fi was a little better here than on the ship.

One of the naturalists, Mari (front right) joined Eileen, Eric, Michelle, me and Esther for a beer.  She also took us to a grocery store to look for chocolate, and between the groceries and the souvenir shops, we contributed to the local economy.

Back at the dock waiting for the Zodiac, we found most of the seats in the waiting area were taken.  

Thursday – Genovesa Island.  A long morning walk, snorkeling off the Zodiac, and afternoon kayaking, before the 6:00 PM margarita party.

Anyone freaked out by the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds might consider skipping the morning walk.

We spotted this blue-footed booby from the Zodiac, although Genovesa is known more for its colonies of Nazca boobies and red-footed boobies.

Also saw two swallow-tailed gulls, with their distinctive red eyes.

It was a dry landing, but you had to climb Prince Phillip's Steps to get up to the bird colony area.  Karl (aka AJ, KJ,or KYJ) leads the way.  

When we got to the top of steps, there were birds all over the place - on the ground, in the trees and in the sky.

The red-footed booby in all its glory.  Like all the wildlife in the Galapagos, they never seem disturbed as we walk by.

The sharp eyes of our guide spotted this Galapagos short-eared owl, which blended in pretty well with the surrounding rocks.

We found another one eating its prey in the rocks, and realized after getting good close-up pictures, that he was missing an eye.

This photo came from the video presentation given to us by the naturalists on our last night on board.

I saw this ray at some distance from the ship but got a lucky shot when I zoomed in as his wing tips broke the surface.  On another day, I saw rays jump completely out of the water - I didn't know they could do that.

Just before dinner, we watched the sun set behind a distant island.  

Friday – Bartolome Island in the morning.  A long walk to the top of the hill followed by snorkeling off the Zodiac.  Another long walk to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island in the afternoon.  Also the 27^th anniversary for me and the Boss!

We got off the Zodiac at the rocks in the top left of this photo, and we are not at the top yet when I took this.

Our guide said when Buzz Aldrin visited here, he said this is the closest thing he had seen to the landscape on the moon.

The final steps to the summit.

This is the reward for climbing all those steps - one of the iconic scenes of the Galapagos you will find on the internet and in marketing materials for the islands.

Pretty cool place to be on your anniversary.

Two of our naturalist guides, Samuel and Karina.  All of them were fantastic.

One more view with all the lava surrounding the hills in the distance. And not a sign of civilization. 

On the way back to the ship, we spotted these two Galapagos penguins.  It is the only species of penguin that inhabits parts of the northern hemisphere and the equator.

Esther and I snorkeled from the Zodiac later that morning, and although I don’t have any pictures, I can tell you it was incredible.  Snorkeling with sea lions and penguins was a first for me.  We also saw sharks and a spotted ray, not to mention all kinds of fish in large schools.   The fish seemed to be bigger in the Galapagos then the Caribbean.

The afternoon walk to Dragon Hill was all about looking for land iguanas again, and we were not disappointed.  This is just one of about a dozen we came across.

Got another look at a great blue heron here too.

As we waited for the Zodiac back to the ship, we watched a white-tip reef shark swim around in the shallow water.

At the end of dinner, Esther and I were presented with an anniversary cake, and the crew and passengers all sang Happy Anniversary to us.  On a ship with only 40 passengers, we knew everyone by the end of the week.  They were an interesting group of well-traveled people from all walks of life, and we thoroughly enjoyed traveling with them.

Hard to imagine a better place to celebrate our anniversary!

Saturday - Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island.

Disembarkation was the next morning, but not before some of us took advantage of one last Zodiac ride to Santa Cruz Island.  We got up at 6:15 AM for a 7:00 AM excursion to Bachas Beach and a short walk to a nearby lagoon.

One last wet landing on the incredibly beautiful Bachas Beach - amazing powdery white sand, and water so clear we were able to spot a ray swimming offshore.

Our willingness to rise at dawn paid off as we encountered flamingos in the lagoon.  We had not seen any in the previous location where they sometimes are found.

Like all the wildlife in the Galapagos, they were very cooperative in providing great photo ops.

Capturing this flamingo in flight was an appropriate last wildlife photo before we left the islands.

From Bachas Beach, we made the short run to Baltra, and headed for the airport.  Most of us flew back to Quito, and we had a nice dinner at the J.W. Marriott.  Esther and I didn't fly home until the next night, so we walked around Quito and did some souvenir shopping the next day.  

On most of our journeys, we have found that meeting great people is one of the greatest rewards of our travels.  This was no exception, and as we hugged and said our goodbyes we all promised to keep in touch.  This blog goes out to all of you to fulfill that promise.

BLOG BONUS -  Before dinner on our last night, the naturalists presented a video of the week’s activities with some amazing photos and clips of the all the animals and activities. It was so well done that we all wanted a copy.  If you haven't too much Galapagos yet, here is a link to that video:  https://youtu.be/JVysOLDPutM

Your comments are welcome and encouraged – they are how my contribution to the business is evaluated!