Lisa's Adventures in Ecuador!: Galápagos!

Just got back from the Galápagos! Such an amazing week. Saw lots of animals and birds and had a bunch of firsts - my first time in the Pacific Ocean, first time snorkeling, first time living on a boat, first time jumping off a boat! Lots of fun. I feel so lucky to have been able to go and spend so much time there. Flew from Quito to Guayaquil in about half an hour, then straight to the island Baltra, about another hour and a half. When we got to Baltra it looked like it could've been Arizona. Lots of cacti, rocky, brown, woody shrubs. Each island looks different, which was interesting. It was really awesome to be walking around volcanic islands! There are also certain species of birds and other animals that are endemic to just the Galápagos, or even to just one island! Everything is so unique there. The animals and birds aren't really afraid of humans and you can get right up close to them. Every day we went snorkeling, and we got to swim with sea lions, turtles, schools of fish, even a couple sharks!

The whole area is really tourist-y, which I wasn't quite expecting, at least not to that extent. There are lots of big boats and you see tour groups a lot. Luckily the entire area is very heavily regulated and there are a lot of park fees and such to try to maintain the land and the flora and fauna. Also, the majority of Ecuadorians don't visit the Galápagos. It is a pretty expensive trip to make. We divided our group in 2, half starting on Isabela, the other half starting on the boat, and then switching. On Isabela, the largest island, we each stayed with a host family in Puerto Villamil. Really fun little town, and everyone is so nice! I stayed with Gabby and David, and their 6-year-old son Gabrielito. His favorite movie is Finding Nemo. Gabby works at a hotel in town, and David's brother works on a big tourist boat. Lots of tourist-oriented business there.

Sea lion - lobo marino

Marine iguanas

Pinguino!

The Galápagos are over a hotspot, so it's all volcanic rock.

Playa on Isabela

Turtle development

We visited a giant tortoise nursery. Tortugas have been threatened here for hundreds of years. Early explorers who stopped on the island would take tortoises as a source of meat for the rest of the trip, since they can survive for 6 months without eating or drinking. Giant tortoises can live over 100 years, causing some to believe that drinking tortoise blood will extend your life.

Muro de las Lágrimas

In the 1950s, prisoners from mainland Ecuador were sent to the island of Isabela when jails were getting full. The police captain decided to have the prisoners work on constructing this wall. About 100 people probably died during this process, and their bodies supposedly were just put inside the wall during construction. We also saw an old desalinization tank, a remnant of the US military base here, which was established after the Pearl Harbor attacks, so that the US could monitor/protect the Panama Canal.

Sierra Negra crater

Second largest caldera in the world! Sierra Negra crater, surrounded by several active shield volcanoes.

Left Isabela to spend the rest of the trip on the boat San José. Went to San Christobal the first day, Española the second, Floreana the third, and stopped by North Seymour the last day, before heading back to Quito. The first night on the boat I was definitely feeling a little sea sick, but it got better after that.