May 11, 2019

May 11, 2019

Just after 10pm last night, we checked out of our hotel early and met our driver in the lobby. He ferried us from Quito to an adjoining Andean ridge which has the new Quito airport. The journey takes almost an hour. Just before we left we learned that our 1:45am flight is significantly delayed. We spend most of the night sitting in uncomfortable airport seating.

Early in the morning, we finally board our flight. Unfortunately our big comfy Business seats don’t recline making it difficult to get any shut-eye. Incredibly, the flight attendant wanted to feed us a meal.

Because of our delayed flight, we have to reschedule our connecting flights. On a different airline, no less. On the way, I was amused to see us cross the Overseas Highway to Key West. I like it when varied parts of the trip cross paths. Once in Miami we took the opportunity to do our Global Entry interview with the Border Patrol. Of course our connecting flight was delayed too. Fortunately flying First Class has some perks and we were able to use an Avianca Lounge. I didn’t realize but these First Class Lounges are wonderful oases when enduring long flight delays. They have comfortable seats, good WIFI, food, and free drinks.

Our flight to Houston took an hour longer because of bad weather. I guess weather is causing trouble all over and it ripples to every flight. Thankfully it is always sunny in Tucson, especially in May, so our last leg will be good. Or so we thought. Just before landing the pilot says we are diverting to Phoenix because of high winds. Now I remember why I hated business travel. Expecting to get bussed to Tucson, we were surprised to hear the Pilot tell us to stay put. They refueled the plane and we were back in the air. We finally made it home at midnight after being awake way too long.

May 10, 2019

May 10, 2019

This morning we had a guided tour of Quito. We started in the historic Old Town. Our first stop is the relatively modern neo-Gothic National Basilica. The inside has a lot of beautiful stained glass but the exterior gargoyles are more interesting. They are in the shape of Ecuador’s endemic creatures. One row has Amazonian animals (eg monkeys) while another has those from the Galapagos (eg Iguanas). Higher in the facade are drain-gutters of bird species. Many of which we saw on our cruise.

Near the center of the Old Town we walked the narrow brick-paved streets lined with Spanish colonial buildings. This section of Quito is a World Heritage Site because it is the best preserved historic center in Latin America. We started at the statue of the Spanish Conquistador, de Belalcazar, who defeated an Inca general in 1534 and founded Quito atop the ruins of an Inca city. A floor map shows the colonial layout.

We walked a couple blocks to the Main Square. It has a massive monument dedicated to the first Independence movement in 1809. Success came later in 1820 when Marshal Sucre, one of Simon Bolivar’s generals defeated the Spanish here. The Ecuadorian money used to be called the Sucre.

The beautiful square is filled with students in uniform on assignment to interview tourists and practice their English. I volunteer to be a guinea pig. Some of the girls speak better English than the others.

After founding Quito, the Spanish immediately started building churches. The city is loaded with them. We walk past the Metropolitan Cathedral to the nearby Jesuit Church. The exterior is intricately carved but we are astounded by the interior. Wow! It is nicknamed the Gold Church for good reason. Almost every surface is covered in gold leaf. The decoration is part Baroque and half even more over the top Rococo. Interestingly the decorations look Islamic/Moorish, probably because of their significant contribution to Spanish culture. We are lucky to see the church interior as it is often closed to tourists during devotions related to a miracle that happened in the church in 1906.

A block away we visit another historic church and convent with adjoining plaza. This one built by the Franciscan order. A Mass is going on so we have to walk quietly down the side aisles. It is still highly decorated but a step less than the last one. I guess the Jesuits were wealthier.

Leaving the Old Town we drove north. Quito is a long narrow city that sprawls the length of a ridge in the Andes. Because of hilly terrain, traffic is horrendous. A new subway is being built that will hopefully relieve a lot of the congestion. Just north of the city we reach the equator. There we visit the Middle of the World Monument. Aimee and I take the required photo of us straddling the line. It is a little touristy but the site does commemorate the French Geodesic Mission that was sent here in 1736 to measure the roundness (or rather non-roundness) of the earth.

After having a tasty Ecuadorian lunch overlooking the Monument, we take an elevator to the viewing platform and then walk down perusing the small museum. Aimee was delighted to learn that she weighs less at the equator because the earth bulges out here. Mostly we are enjoying the great weather. Apparently the reason Quito has grown so large is the climate. It is delightful year-round owing to its location on the equator at high altitude.

Back in central Quito, Aimee and I walked to the nearby National Museum of Ecuador. I was a little disappointed. It had a number of pre-Columbian artifacts but with limited English descriptions. There was precious little history about later periods. I would have hoped to learn more about General Sucre and Independence, or maybe information about the Conquistador Orellana who left here looking for gold but ended up discovering the Amazon and floating down its entire length. The closest we get is a portrait of Simon Bolivar the Liberator.

We then revisited the Artisan Market by our hotel. Because of imminent travel, we retired to our hotel room, ate some snacks and tried to take a nap.

May 9, 2019

May 9, 2019

Today is a travel day. After breakfast we assemble to review the photos the ship photographer took as he followed us around. They will be available for free download when we get home. Then we disembark, make a dry landing, and bus back to the airport. The facilities were built by the US during WWII as a base for protecting the Panama Canal from sub attack. I am always amazed at the number of airports that were initially built by the US and given to the locals.

Aimee and I were very pleased with this cruise. The ship was big enough to be fairly steady during almost the entire journey. By the end of the trip, I got used to being gently rocked asleep. A large ship also meant a dedicated culinary staff and great food. Despite this being one of the larger vessels touring the Galapagos, we never felt crowded on shore excursions or felt we had to wait too long to get ashore. In fact, it was just the opposite. This "expedition" was non-stop action with little down-time.

The service and amenities on this ship were first class, with lots of little extras that sweetened our experience. Aimee liked the gourmet coffee machine right outside our cabin. I liked the souvenir full-color book of animals and detailed expedition map that we were given. Changes look imminent however. Ship owners and Viking Cruise representatives both sailed with us. It looks like a deal is in the works.

The Galapagos Islands are truly a special place. No wonder it was the very first of the World Heritage Sites. Here animals diversified to fill ecological niches in sometimes strange ways. Each island we visited was unique offering an up-close view of nature. We could easily spend another week cruising the western and northern islands. There we would encounter the only tropical penguin, and a cormorant that lost its wings. We could even return to this same eastern island itinerary in another season and see different stages of the animal's life-cycle. For us, a week on a ship is enough and we are ready for solid ground again.

We flew to Quito making a brief landing again in Guayaquil. Quito is the capital of Ecuador and sits high in the Andes mountains at elevation 9200 feet. I see mountains and deep ravines as we approach. From the airport, we had to climb a long steep winding road to reach the town center. The hills of Quito make San Francisco look flat. Our guide said Quito just surpassed Guayaquil as the largest city in Ecuador. I can't imagine how almost 3 million people can possibly live and get around in a city with this much geographical constraint.

After checking into our hotel room, we went to a local market around the corner and then to an Ecuadorian restaurant called Miskay. Supposedly this means Food Culture in some local language. We had Empanadas for an appetizer, and then shared a delicious Rosemary infused chicken. Dessert was a traditional sweetened corn milk drink called Morocho, that we poured over cake.

May 8, 2019

May 8, 2019

Overnight our ship sailed to the western side of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. Early this morning, we took a Panga ride to the channel between it and tiny Eden Islet. Our guide interestingly called the Sally Lightfoot crabs crowding the rocky shoreline of Eden “spiders”. The black juveniles which blend into the volcanic rocks for disguise do indeed look like spiders scurrying on the rocks. Later we saw a Brown Noddy Tern flying with a hapless crab in its beak.

We observed Blue Footed Boobies making precarious nests on the steep cliffside. We then crossed to the shallow mangrove-laden Santa Cruz side and watched one industrious Blue Footed Booby make one dive after another into the water to snatch a fish meal. Because they hit the water at a high speed they fold themselves at the last minute into a sleek torpedo shape. We also saw Pelicans, American Oystercatchers, a Great Blue Heron, a sea tortoise, and a Magnificent Frigate in mid air lunching on an eel.

Back on the boat, we switched into swimwear and returned to Eden to snorkel. Unfortunately the water conditions were not very clear. Although it was cool to swim through schools of tiny bait fish despite the murky water. No wonder the Boobies find this area profitable to hunt.

Over lunch the ship sailed to North Seymour Island off the north coast of Santa Cruz Island. In the afternoon, we donned swimwear and snorkeled again. This time the water was crystal clear but the ocean was very rough. I video'ed a shark swimming underneath us soon after entering the water. I thought I spotted my first sea snake, but a later Internet search suggested it might have been a Spotted Tiger Snake Eel. Besides the normal colorful fish, we saw a variety of puffer fish. Two very large bluish ones and a school of small Concentric Puffers.

In the late afternoon, we made a dry landing on North Seymour Island. The flat dry landscape was covered with scrawny Palo Santo trees. It is amazing the drastic vegetation differences on each island. That is what drives the Darwinian adaptations that Galapagos is famous for.

North Seymour is Frigatebird central. Upon landing we see dozens in the air just above our heads. As we walk a circular loop around the island we see lots of Frigatebirds nesting. The male Frigate inflates his chin sac to attract the female during courtship. Strikingly, this bright red pouch is comically large and blows in the wind like a balloon. It takes a while to deflate and we see a number of male Frigates flying with this large sack.

This island also seems to be a summary island, reminding us of what we have seen on this expedition. We see several Blue Footed Boobies, one Red-Footed Booby, and several Land Iguanas.

Back on the ship, we enjoy Happy Hour on the rear deck. We toast a very special occasion. It is our wedding Anniversary. Aimee and I have been married for One Gigasecond; that's one billion seconds for the layman. After dinner, we return to the rear of the ship for the nightly water show. Disappointingly the regulars must be on holiday. We only see a handful of sharks and there are no Flying Fish to be found, only a swarm of tiny bait fish. No feeding frenzy tonight.

May 7, 2019

May 7, 2019

Overnight our ship travelled to the far southeast, to the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, Espanola Island. After a dry landing on Punta Suarez, the western tip, besides the ubiquitous Sea Lions, we saw dozens of Marine Iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks. The Espanola version of these Marine Iguanas have reddish and greenish tinges and are sometimes referred to as Christmas Iguanas.

We hiked across the island and then along the cliffside where the birds were nesting.  We saw lots of white Nazca Boobies with almost full-grown chicks. We saw one mother disgorge a gullet-full of fish down the throat of a ravenous juvenile. Nazcas are the largest of the three Booby species in the Galapagos. Interestingly each of the species occupy different ecological niches, feeding and nesting in different locations.

Inland we saw a number of Waved Albatrosses sitting on nests in flat grassy areas. Albatrosses are huge, the size of a goose, with an eight foot wingspan. This is the only tropical Albatross and virtually all nest only on Espanola Island. They have a comical courtship of clacking their overly large beaks against each other.

Farther along we saw a pair of the relatively rare Galapagos Hawks. This is the only raptor that inhabits the islands. Probably because there were no rodents or other mammals endemic to the islands. Instead they prey on the smallish but colorful Lava Lizards that scamper around the volcanic landscape. The female and male lava lizards are each distinctly colored.

We also saw the Galapagos Blowhole which erupts whenever the surf crashes into this crack in the rocks. It looks like a geyser.

Back at our pick up point, we were amused to see several Marine Iguanas swimming offshore. I also got a couple nice photos of the bright red Sally Lightfoot Crabs scampering along the tidal region. They have a beautiful turquoise blue underbelly.

Back on the boat we had a lecture on Charles Darwin before lunch. As a young man he travelled on the five-year mapping voyage of the British survey ship, the Beagle. Prone to seasickness, he stayed on land as much as possible. Coming from a family of noted scientists, he observed subtle differences in creatures. In his month stay in the Galapagos, he was made aware that these variations were striking from one island to the next, leading him to wonder why.

In the afternoon, Aimee and I spend a little relaxation time on a beautiful beach in Gardner Bay on the northeastern side of Espanola Island. It is rated one of the nicest in the world. It is very picturesque with a white coral sand beach surrounded by a shallow turquoise sea. The beach had two groups of Sea Lions sleeping on the beach. While none decided to swim with me, we watched several play in the surf at our feet. Mostly they just liked rolling lazily in the surf. It was very humorous. At one point while taking a photo of Aimee and the ocean, a little pup came right up behind me. If there were no naturalists around, I would have leaned down to pet her.

Before dinner we went to the patio bar for Happy Hour and appetizers. Instead of enjoying them we were lured to the rear of the boat. We were astonished to see several dozen Galapagos Sharks surrounding us. We returned after our daily briefing to find a surge of action. Flying fish were routinely getting excited, leaping out of the sea. Unlucky ones that hit the boat were stunned long enough to set off a feeding frenzy with lots of splashing. One couple got soaked with a shark splash. Aimee couldn’t get enough of this National Geographic moment and made me take her back a third time after dinner. This nightly action is better than any stage show on the large cruise ships.

May 6, 2019

May 6, 2019

We awoke off the southern tip of Santa Cruz Island, the second largest of the Galapagos Islands. After breakfast we did a dry landing at Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the archipelago. We drove to the nearby Charles Darwin Research Station. This center coordinates the research done in the Galapagos. It also does Giant Tortoise Breeding for all the islands. Here they have Tortoises, side by side, that illustrate how the environment caused the animals to adapt to the individual islands. Lush islands with lots of vegetation kept the original dome-shaped shell (carapace). Tortoises on dry islands developed a longer neck and saddle-shaped shell that allowed them to stand on their hind legs and reach for higher vegetation. The prominence of these reptiles on every island is why the Spanish named them Islands of the Tortoises (Galapagos in Spanish).

Lonesome George was a famous last-known survivor of one Saddle-back specie endemic to Pinta Island. Unfortunately no females were ever found so when he died in 2012 his subspecies went extinct. They have his body stuffed in a special room. The best part is that room is air-conditioned and gives a very welcome break from the stifling equatorial humidity. The newest star of this breeding center is Diego. This last Saddle-back male from Espanola Island was discovered living in the San Diego Zoo. He was returned to the Galapagos and despite his elevated age has single-handedly produced a population boom. We had the pleasure of watching him eat and then “chase” several females. Just as we were leaving he successfully cornered one of his reluctant harem members.

Before leaving we toured the small onsite museum. From the research center we walked back to the town shopping along the way. Outside the local fishing dock, we stopped at a combination fish processor and market. We watched a lady as she skillfully filleted fish. Amusingly behind her were a bunch of Pelicans and one hungry Sea Lion just waiting for her to discard scraps. The Sea Lion followed her around like a puppy dog.

From the port we drove to the interior town of Bella Vista, where we got rental bikes. We pedaled two miles uphill to a Coffee and Sugar plantation. The best part of touring this operation was the Moonshine Still the owner uses to make Sugarcane Alcohol. He gave us a taste of his homemade Firewater.

We then drove to a Ranch in the interior highlands. The facility served us a delicious catered lunch. Afterwards we walked around the wooded grounds. Since it sits on the edge of the National Park. we see dozens of local Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat munching on vegetation and cooling off in mud holes. Scientists believe there are now 40,000 Tortoises in the Galapagos from the low of only 3000 in the 1970's.

Back at the port waiting for a Panga shuttle, we saw several small Black Tip Sharks cruising off the dock. With all these shark sightings, we might need to rethink snorkeling around here.

May 5, 2019

May 5, 2019

Overnight our ship sailed to Santa Fe Island. With an early wake up call, we were off the ship before breakfast with a wet landing. We were met on the beach by another group of Sea Lions basking in the sun. One of them was particularly friendly or frisky and came charging up to me. Since Santa Fe is one of the older and smaller islands in the Galapagos, it doesn't capture passing clouds. As a result it is dry and filled with Prickly Pears. Because of grazing by Iguanas and the now extinct Santa Fe Tortoise, the Prickly Pears adapted by growing a tall thick trunk. They now look like Cactus grafted atop a Redwood Tree.

As we hike around the island we spot a number of Santa Fe Iguanas. These terrestrial cactus-eaters are all tan and would fit well in our Tucson desert. Since my specialty is now observing Galapagos animals relieving themselves, we watch two Iguanas do it. Aimee can’t believe the size poop that comes out of these creatures.

Back on the ship for breakfast, we next head out for an hour of snorkeling around the shore. We see lots of colorful fish, and a brief glimpse of a Sea Lion as he shoots by. Particularly striking is the Bluechin Parrotfish. Parrotfish are initially all female and colored green with blue stripes. A few turn into males and develop an almost fluorescent blue sheen.

We return to the ship for lunch and our next shore briefing. Afterwards Aimee and I go to the bridge. Unfortunately, I see nobody steering the boat, so I jump into the Captain’s chair. It is not long before I am chased off; I was informed that Otto Pilot had the helm all under control.

Chastened, Aimee and I lounge on some upper deck chairs enjoying the cool breeze and watching Frigate Birds looking for some hapless Booby to rob. We see some males with their bright red gullets. They inflate these sacs to attract females during courtship. I hope we get to see that.

We have several hours to relax. This is the first time. This has been an action filled trip not meant for the typical older crowd we meet on tours. We were warned when we got on the ship that this was not a vacation cruise, but an expedition cruise. This ship was built to explore Antarctic waters.

After lunch the ship traveled to the Plaza Islands, a double islet off the coast of Santa Cruz Island. We just happened to fly over them on the flight in. In the late afternoon we made a dry landing to the southern islet. It is arid, covered with what looks like Ice plants and Prickly Pear trees. We see a couple Marine Iguanas and lots of bright orange crabs on the shore rocks.

Farther inland we see Land Iguanas. In our circle hike around the island we see dozens of these herbivores munching on the yellow flower of the Ice plants. The males have developed yellow coloration because it is mating season.

The islet slopes upward to a steep rocky cliff. There we find hundreds of Swallow Tail Gulls nesting on the cliff-side. They have beautiful red eyes and orange feet. We watch several Frigates attacking the gulls to steal their catch.

After dinner we again went to the back of the ship to watch Sea Lions feeding. Instead we saw a seething mass of fish swirling in the light from the boat. Meanwhile two Galapagos sharks swam slowly through the group. Every once in a while one of the sharks would sense an opportunity and charge ahead. It didn’t seem any attack was successful.

May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019

Overnight we sailed to a new island. I woke in the middle of the night with the ship rolling in swells. I made the immediate decision that we are never going to cruise around the world or any excursion crossing rough waters (e.g. Antarctica). When we awake we are moored off San Cristobal Island, at Puerto B. Moreno, the capital of the Galapagos Islands.

Some 25,000 people live on the islands, mostly here and one other town. 97% of the land is set aside as a National Park. Immigration to the Galapagos is restricted and residents aren't allowed to expand outside current areas. Tourism is also regulated and all activities have to be supervised by a licensed guide in a group no larger than 16.

In the morning we did a dry landing on the port dock. We boarded a bus to cross the island. San Cristobal is significantly more lush than Baltra. The Galapagos Islands are volcanic formed, like Hawaii, by a moving hotspot. The westernmost islands are active and lava-paved, the middle mature islands are tall enough to gather rain clouds and produce vegetation, while the eastern islands are eroded and almost gone. This terrain diversity is what caused the island adaptations that Darwin documented.

The bus stopped at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. Large tortoises used to be common in South America but now only exist in isolated predator-free islands like the Galapagos. Sailors realized that tortoises can live a year without food and water, making them a source of fresh meat on long voyages. They loaded them on ships by the tens of thousands almost bringing the Galapagos Tortoise to extinction. Invasive rats eating their eggs added to the loss. Fortunately breeding centers are bringing them back. We walked around the Conservancy seeing lots of giant adults, and later a nursery that raises the babies until they are six years old. Humorously the males chase the smaller females in a slow motion sexual pursuit.

After returning to port we window-shopped a little and then watched Sea Lions basking along the shore. The highlight was watching a mother nursing a pup. Sea Lions nurse their young up to a year.

Back on the ship, while we had lunch, our ship travelled around the island to the northern tip of San Cristobal, called Punta Pitt. As lunch was finishing we noticed a large school of dolphins following the boat and jumping to show off. There was also a flock of Frigate Birds overhead hoping to acquire an easy meal flushed up by the Dolphins. They are nicknamed Pirate Birds because they are infamous for using their aerodynamics and size to steal from other birds in mid-air. To me, soaring Frigates resemble Jurassic-era Pterodactyls.

Guests aboard the ship have been divided into small groups and assigned a permanent naturalist. We are also given an animal name, like Albatross or Iguanas. Aimee hoped we would get the Boobies group because she loves the blue feet of one iconic species. She got her wish. Being called the Boobies has humorously led to many "double entendre" quips.

In the afternoon, we made a wet landing on Punta Pitt. We then hiked up the eroded volcanic cliff. At the top Aimee was thrilled to see several Blue Footed Boobies nesting on the ground at the cliff edge. Many were incubating two eggs; one had a newly hatched chick. Interestingly they poop in a circle around the nest site and we got to witness the creation.

Further on, we saw a couple Red Footed Boobies. While Blues nest on the ground, these smaller cousins nest in trees. They have developed longer toes to grab branches.

Back on the beach we snorkeled for thirty minutes seeing lots of colorful fish, but no playful Sea Lions. In particular Aimee liked the beautiful King Angelfish.

Returning to the boat we used the Jacuzzi to warm up before showering. While having a drink on the back deck, we noticed Flying Fish off the side. Going down to the lowest deck we were delighted to watch a couple Sea Lions chasing Flying Fish attracted to the boat’s lights. To evade capture, the Flying Fish leap out of the water and glide on their "wings" some 50 yards. Half the time, it seemed the Sea Lion would race ahead anticipating where the fish would reenter capturing a meal.

After dinner, we returned to the aft lower deck to find the Sea Lions still hard at work chasing Flying Fish. No wonder Sea Lions sleep all day. They put in a long night of high speed fishing.