Sunday, March 15, 2015

Our day started early at 5:30 AM. We were to meet our cab at 6:50 to take us back to the airport, so naturally Prontosaurus (Greg) wanted to get up at the butt-crack of dawn. For once, we got ourselves going in an orderly fashion. We even had time to sit down and have a cup of coffee and continental breakfast before our cabbie showed up.

We checked out of Patio Andaluz (we barely knew you!) and put Quito in the rear view mirror. The drive to the airport was a little scary, because there was a very dense fog. Our cabbie navigated it flawlessly and put us out at the terminal well early of our required check-in. Our tour operator was waiting for us at the door and escorted us to the SICGAL, the System for Inspection and Quarantine in the Galapagos (the acronym makes sense in Spanish). The Galapagos is a national park in Ecuador, and they take its protection very seriously. All persons headed for the Galapagos must undergo a thorough inspection of bags to avoid the introduction of any invasive plants or animals. All of our bags were xrayed, and the checked bags were fastened shut with plastic lock-ties. We were given a declaration to complete and give to the inspector upon arrival at the Galapagos Islands. The tour operator met us again after the inspection and gave us our boarding passes, boat tickets and final instructions. I went into the airport bathroom and put on the seasickness patch. I’m taking no chances!

Our flight was on time. The flight to Guayaquil was about 30 minutes in the air, and in that time the crew managed to deliver a free muffin and a hot cup of coffee. Avianca 1, United 0. The same plane was taking us on to the islands, so we were told to stay in our seats. I was surprised that the plane was so large. Somehow I had in my mind that we would be taking a puddle-jumper to the islands, but this was an Airbus 330 with over 100 passengers.

The flight from Guayaquil to San Cristobal in the Galapagos was about 1 1/2 hours. Everyone on the plane was full of excitement, and the atmosphere was electric. The people in the row ahead of us are going to be on the same boat as we are, and one of their children is Genene’s age. Perhaps Genene will find a friend, which will make her parents happy but lonely. We got a cup of coffee, a small hot sandwich and a diet coke, all free. Avianca 2, United 0.

About 15 minutes prior to landing on San Cristobal Island, the crew passed through the cabin and opened all the overhead bins. All planes headed for the Galapagos are treated to protect the fragile ecosystem of the islands from damaging non-native plants and animals, even microscopic ones. The flight attendants (who are all beautiful women, by the way, wearing bright red dresses with the make-up to match) opened all of the overhead storage bins and sprayed an aerosol in the the bins and on each bag. I could smell the bug killer.

The plane landed smoothly, but we all chuckled because the pilot took up every inch of the runway. The plane began its taxi with a sharp turn, and we could all see the drop-off to the ocean. There was no margin for error. Most tours begin and end on San Cristobal because it is one of the few islands with an airport.

We deplaned onto the tarmac and went inside and through the control area to the national park. Our carryon bags were opened and checked by hand to make sure that we were not carrying seeds or food on any other contraband that could damage the ecosystem of the islands.

We gathered our duffel bags from the baggage carousel, found our Ecoventura guide and boat mates, and waited outside for the bus to carry us to the boat. It was hot and steamy.

Are we there yet?

Various dive groups and tour operators lined this area:

The bus ride to boat was short.

First glimpse of the harbor through the bus window:

It was a short panga ride to our home for the week, the Flamingo I.

First glimpse of the Flamingo:

We had a buffet lunch and initial briefing. We met the 17 people who were sharing this adventure with us: a couple from Austin (originally from Great Britain) with their 11 year old grandson; a couple from Boston with two girls,11 and 10; a couple from Vancouver with their 11 year old daughter; a couple from Portland, Oregon with their 14 year old son and 11 year old daughter; another couple from Boston (but who formerly lived in Dallas) with their 12 year old son. I was so excited to see all the kids of similar ages and interests. It did not take the kids long to start talking to one another and forming their own pack.

We met our guides for the week, James and Hernan. They gave us some of the ground rules for dealing with the animals. We are supposed to keep a 6-foot separation from us and any animal. We must watch where we put our feet to avoid stepping on any creatures or plant life. If the animals come too close to us, we are to “do the Michael Jackson walk” and move back away from them. It’s hard to imagine that the animals will be this close. We are also to take nothing from the island. If we pick something up, we are to put it back down exactly where we found it. We are to avoid stepping on any vegetation. The guides apologized in advance and told us that they were going to be “quite bossy” in enforcing the park rules.

After lunch, we were given some time to unpack. The cabins were small but nice. Genene and I shared one cabin, and Greg is around the back side of the boat in the other. Our cabins are side by side, and they are the only cabins that open to the outside. We had originally thought that the doors to the room would open from the inside, but that was not to be the case. We can knock on the wall if we need anything.

The crew put us all through a safety drill and showed us where our life preservers were in our rooms, where to muster, and what the alarm would sound like. They told there would only be this one drill, and if we heard that alarm again, it would be a real emergency.

At 4:00 PM, we took a panga ride back to shore and rode a bus for a short distance to a local swimming hole.

The black lava rocks are beautiful:

This little lava lizard posed for me:

Sea lions were lounging on the black lava rocks and swimming in the water with the locals:

Birds stroll close to us:

“Mom” laid on the shore nursing her little one, and they were both completely oblivious to humans. They do not regard us as predators, and we could get close enough to hear the suckling sounds. The kids enjoyed watching the sea lions in the water and getting their feet wet.

We rode the bus back into town and spent a couple of minutes souvenir shopping. Genene had her eye on a little leather wallet, and Greg and I each got a cold beer and sat out on the park benches in the shade.

We rode the pangas back to boat and splashed water on our faces and went to the lounge area for the captain’s welcome.

Genene took an opportunity to relax for a moment in the cabin. What a view from our window!

In the lounge, our guides James and Hernan were waiting to tell us about tomorrow’s activities. The lounge area has two large flat screen televisions, onto which the guides project a powerpoint presentation. They showed a map of our sailing route, photographs of things we should expect to see, an itinerary of events, and a description of things we should bring for each trip. They told us whether each landing will be wet or dry and what kind of shoes to wear. After the presentation, the main itinerary is written on a white board. The guides encouraged us to take a photo of the board each day so that we could refer to it. Everyone has an iPad or iPhone, and there are some nice cameras hanging off of necks all around. In fact, our guide Hernan takes photographs for National Geographic. How cool is that?

We are headed to Genovesa Island, which is a voyage of several hours.

The captain made his entry, and he is a handsome fellow and much younger than I would have imagined. He thanked us for coming aboard and told us that the Flamingo was to be our home for the week, and we were to all be friends sharing the adventure together. I do not think that will be hard. He introduced us to his crew, and there was a pink champagne toast (for adults) and orange/cherry juice for the kids. Directly after the toast, a delicious dinner was served: mozzarella and tomato appetizer, a choice of octopus or filet mignon for the main course, and a warm Chocolate ganache dessert to die for. The Gordons are in heaven!

We are awestruck at how nice and interesting all of the passengers are. The dinner tables are 4-tops, and there are just enough tables to seat everyone aboard. That means that the families who are “threesomes” have to mix it up. We have been sitting as a family, but we will need to change that. I am sure the kids will start wanting to sit together, and that will leave us some opportunities to sit with adults and visit.

After supper, the kids played hide-and-seek on the top of the boat. We let them go. After all, how far lost can you get on a boat? The Flamingo pulled up anchor, and we were underway!

It was completely dark with open water all around. The stars were amazing. Genene came in tired and ready for bed. The hum of the boat motor lulled Genene to sleep, and I followed close behind.

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