Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to see animals that are only found one place in the world. We saw iguanas that swim in the sea, Darwin's finches, land iguanas, seals that were days old, albatroses, tons of boobies. :) yes boobies; red footed boobies, masked boobies and blue footed boobies. There were owls , hawks, lava lizards and penguins. We snorkeled once or twice a day swimming with sea turtles, beautiful fish and seals that swam and played along with us.
I took over 1000 photos in the Galapagos and so many wonderful things happened I don't think I can write about them all. So here are just a few photos.

September 3rd - Fly into Baltra Island

and ferry over to Santa Cruz Island

September 4th - Rabida & Bartolome Island

Rabida Island











Bartolome Island














September 5th - Genovesa Island














September 6th North Seymour Island

















September 7th - Plazas and Santa Fe

















September 8th - Española Island
Garner Bay and Point Suarez





















September 9th - Floreana Island




September 10th - Santa Cruz Island
The Tortoise Research Center.
Those tiny tortoises grow up to be huge. The tortoise sticking his neck out is Lonely George, the last of his kind.

Guayaquil

August 22nd - Daniel and I met in Guayaquil for the weekend. It was good to see him though we didn't really enjoy the city.
There was the Park of the Iguanas, which was a park that had a bunch of iguanas running around. We had a view of it from our hotel and you could see these large iguanas in the treetops.
There was also the area called Las Penas which was an all pedestrian area climbing up a hill. They had redone the area a while ago so all the houses were painted bright colors. We walked up to the top to the light house.

There was also the Malcon 2000, which is a pedestrian walk along the river front. It was nice and of course it had the most important thing there and the only reason I went to Guayaquil - the penny machines.

Canoa

August 20th - The morning once again was spent hopping on and off buses and finally getting to another small surfers beach town.
It seemed like the place where if you spent a week you would know everyone. I stayed in a fun hostel Coco Loco and meet some interesting people. The town in known for surfing and giving surf lessons but I didn't have time. Maybe next time I visit Ecuador I can get some surfing in.

Mompiche

August 19th - After some bus rides I got talked into taking a boat from Muisne to Mompiche. They said the bus would take longer and the boat ride was only 20 minutes but having to wait for the couple to get their act together and by the time we finally took off I probably could have taken the bus. I was feeling a little salty from waiting so long but as the tiny motor boat came out of the river and hit the open sea it was a blast. Flying over waves, smashing down, getting a face full of water. It was like a rollercoaster ride. So I arrived at Mompiche wet witha smile on my face.
The town is a small mellow beach town. The weather was a little over cast and didn't put me in the beach mood. But I spent my time reading on the beach or in a hammock and having good seafood.

Same

August 17th & 18th - Bus to San Lorenzo, new bus to Esmaralda, new bus to Same, and the only reason why I got off at the right spot was because a nice Ecuadorian knew I had no idea where I was going.
So I get off the bus and head down a dirt road to end up facing the beach. There was a restuarant that also had rooms so I got a room that was on the second level of the hostel building with the window and balcony looking out onto the beach.
After a late lunch I sat in my hammock watching the surf and took a snooze. Some how bus rides are tiring.
An early night and I was refreshed for a day where I walked out my front door took a stroll down the beach, had some breakfast and sat at the beach, reading, swimming in the warm water with mellow waves all day. Bliss.
I only spent a day and a half here but I could have stayed longer. The clean white sand, friendly people, warm water.
AAAAAHHHHHH! the beach.
But I had more places to go and a few were more beach towns.

Cerro Golondrias

August 16th - After Ibarra I hoped on a bus and got off at the small town of Guallupe. I went to the Fundacion Golondrias, which is catologing all the plants in the area for names and medicinal properties. The women who runs it also is educating the community about keeping there water clean and not burning down the sides of the mountains to plant but to have sustainable agriculture.She´s a pretty cool women and the program is run with volunteers.
So I had lunch there then got a guide and we spend the night up in the Golondrinas cloud forest. The hike was an hour up hill at a pretty quick pass since we were against the sun setting. Up at the cavins there´s no electricity and it´s wood fire cooking.
The next day we hiked further into the mountains and got to play tarzan on some big vines that were cut just for it. Yup a fat vine you pull up the hill then take off soaring through the trees. And yes I made Tarzan and monkey sounds.
It was incredible to look out onto the mountains and see a shawl of clouds around the tops.
On the way back down we stopped at this beautiful waterfall to take a dip. The water was freezing and great. The water is so fresh up here that you can drink it. Which I hadn´t been used to here.
Of course on the hike back to the foundation it rained but not to bad. I spent the night at the foundation and the next morning was off again.