--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GALAPAGOS
February 3-9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 3-9
FRIENDLY PLANET: GALAPAGOS
ECUADOR FLAG
Took the TriRail with Heidi from Delray Beach to the Miami International Airport where we boarded LATAM Air to Quito. Arrived in Quito after 4 hours flight time. Checked in at the Wyndham Airport Hotel.
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February 4
Quito-Baltra Island-Santa Cruz Island
Left Quito by LATAM and made a stopover in Guayaquil before arriving in Baltra Island, the gateway to the Galapagos, where we were joined by our tour guide.
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Took a bus from the airport and a boat to the island of Santa Cruz.
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Our first stop was at a huge sinkhole, Los Gemelos, presumably caused by the collapse of the ground due to the movement of magma underneath. This area has very different climate from other parts of the island and are surrounded by scalesia (scalesia pedunculata) forests, which our tour guide kept calling “broccoli trees.” Here we saw several of Charles Darwin finches.
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Lunch was next at El Chato Ranch then toured the grounds which has several giant tortoises and also a lava tube.
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Next we drove to Puerto Ayora and at the dock were sea lions. Took a water taxi to the Angermeyer Waterfront Inn where we saw strange red crabs and an iguana in the premises. Stayed at a cute casita named Frigate.
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Nice seafood dinner in town at Aqua.
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February 5
Santa Cruz-Isabela Island
Left Puerto Ayora on a speedboat to Isabela Island (1.5 hours) and the minute we docked at Puerto Villamil we saw tiny penguins swimming and pelicans flying and fishing. Iguanas were crossing the street and sea lions lying on benches.
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Took a ahuttle to Isamar Hotel. After we checked in and been assigned Berbena Room, we went to Concha de Perla to watch sea lions and marine iguanas romp in the water. Then we went swimming.
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After lunch we walked on the beach and went on a nature hike where we saw stilts, moorhens, and several pink flamingos, baby tortoises, and a variety of flora.
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Walked back to our hotel through the town. Dinner was at BM Lobster Endemic.
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February 6
Isabela Island-Santa Cruz
Woke up early and walked on the beach before breakfast. Played in the tidal pools. Then took a boat ride to a group of islands called Las Tintoreras and we saw several blue-footed boobies and pelicans. Walked through a jagged lava field with abundant colonies of nesting marine iguanas and sea lions.
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Our group played and snorkeled before we went back to the hotel and packed for the speedboat trip back to Santa Cruz Island. Stayed at our old casita Frigate again. Dinner was again at Aqua.
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February 7
Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
After breakfast we walked to Las Grietas, a grotto with deep cool water for swimming. We passed giant Opuntias (cactus) that are over 100 years old, salt marshes, and then went kayaking in the ocean. Next was lunch at La Garrapata in town.
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The afternoon was spent in a strenuous walk to Tortuga Bay where we saw several marine iguanas on the beach. We enjoyed the white sand beach swimming and sunbathing before going back by boat in choppy waters to our hotel.
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February 8
Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
After a nice breakfast at the beautiful waterfront restaurant in our hotel, we took a water taxi to town and bid goodbye to our tour guide. We took a bus to a boat and then another bus to the airport in Baltra Island where we took a flight to Quito. Checked in at the Wyndham Airport Hotel.
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February 9
Quito - Miami
Checked out of Wyndham Hotel and took a cab to the airport. Flew AA932 to Miami International then took the TriRail to Delray Beach where Bob and Luz picked us up at the station. Just as we were driving to Kings Point it rained so hard but not for very long. Luz had some tasty beef sinigang for lunch. Glad to be back after a beautiful experience at the Galapagos Islands!
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