Underwater video Galapagos

This is a link to a movie of my dive in the Galapagos. There are other small videos on You Tube that you can click if you care to.

Galapagos Dive

Quito/Otavalo

I haven't posted for awhile but I figured this is as good a time as any since the memories will soon fade and the photos long archived.  

3.28.2010 Goodbye Galapagos/ Hello Quito

 

Quito is an old city built in the 1500's and it is very beautiful.  It is surrounded on all sides by mountains (volcanos, actually) and sits at an altitude of 9000 ft.   It is a juxtaposition of old and new.  The infrastructure is poor so traffic is heavy and it's slow to get around.  I had a difficult time trying to figure out how we could navigate it on foot, but since we were driven, that was a non-issue.

We spend the remainder of our day at our beautiful hotel, Le Parc, where we enjoy lounging and laziness after a whirlwind 5 days.   The hotel is (in my opinion) the equivalent of a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton, but boutique style. We have city/mountain views out of all our windows.  They treat us great and we are getting very spoiled.

3.29.2010 The next morning we spent w/Cecilia visiting the old city, several beautiful churches, doing a little shopping and ending with a quiet dinner in a old style French restaurant.  The restaurants here are not very veggie friendly but I get by with salad and soups (and potato and bread, LOL.)

 Iglesia San Francisco

Next we visit the Equator.  Who wudda thunk it would be cold and windy right there on 0-0-0.  I always thought it would be blazing hot, but at 9000 ft.  It is not.

WE ARE IN DIFFERENT HEMISPHERES! 

3/30/2010 The following day we are on our own (somewhat)  where we visited "The Chapel Of Man" built by Ecudorian artist Guayasamin.  The chapel is dedicated to worldwide peace and an awareness of the violence and man's inhumanity to man.  Guaysamin was influenced by Picasso and Degas.  The museum is moving and the art is beautiful.  

We continue to explore Quito and visit the Panecillo and the "Virgin of Quito."  The views are spectacular from there and on a clear day you can see the snowcapped peaks of Cotopaxi and others.  

3/31/2010  Otavalo

Today we are again with Cecilia as she takes the time (in the middle of her move) to take us @ 2 hours north of Quito to the small town of Otavalo.  Otavalo is known for it's famous market and although it's primary day is Saturday, it is open all the time. It's chilly and rainy today, which makes it good for us as shoppers but not so great for the vendors. They sell hand-made alpaca sweaters, blankets, embroidered items,  rugs, hammocks, hats, pants, jewelry and on the weekends they have veggies and grains and other food.  I only wish I had a bigger bag to purchase twice as much, but I'm satisfied just the same.

After we shop-out, we head to a special place Cecilia wants to take us for lunch, but on the way Larry and Cecilia spot an antique store so we stop.  It was unbelievable, but I didn't venture all the way in since I was nursing some very large bug bites and was a bit fearful of getting more.  The two of them were ready to buy the whole place... lock, stock and barrel!!

Lunch wasn't a disappointment was we enter the gates of Hacienda Cusin, a 30-acre restored hotel.  The grounds are gorgeous, full of flowers and plants (and a Llama) and the interior is out of a museum.  All the food is made from local resources and the veggie dishes all prepared from the garden.  We had green plaintain soup that was outstanding.  I plan to make it when I get the recipe.

And so, we end our day happy and satisfied ready for the long ride back to Quito and to prepare for our trip back home the next day.  Thank you Cecilia for showing us "your Quito."  We can't wait to come back to see more.

 

That's it for this trip.  Hasta luego!

Santa Cruz and Diving 3/26-3/27/2010

3/27/10 Santa Cruz

Waking up to this beautiful view (and to the sound of a barking seal)

and drinking my morning coffee while observing the local pelicans

cleaning themselves. Today I'm going diving. More later.

In the late morning we visited the highlands of Santa Cruz

and learned about the geology of the island thru the craters formed by

volcanic activity. Then we proceeded to a private farm and trekked

thru deep mud looking for giant tortoises in the wild, which we did

see. They were HUGE.

Then @2:30 I was met by Jimmy and my guide Santiago where we suited up

and I went for my (2nd) dive in my life. As we approached the 1st dive spot, we got up front and personal with a blue footed boobie and frigate family that were on the cliff along side us.

What a world lives below us. The first dive (where we tested the equipment and I got somewhat oriented) I saw a shark and some adorable clown fish.

Then we proceeded to the next place and went down almost 40 feet!

There I was surrounded by a wall of fish, including a school of barracuda. Surreal.

I loved the dark quietness of the sea and was most conscious of my breath. (Later, my

guide told me I used much less air than most divers which is from my

yoga). Another highlight was the sea lion that swam past us and then

stopped, looked me right in the eye, and then swam off. The dive

lasted 1/2 hr but felt like 5 minutes. I want to do it again.

And so, we ended our day watching the sunset and feeling grateful to be a

citizen of the world in such a magnificent place.

Hasta luego galápagos.

Isabela Island 3/25 - 3/26/2010

3/25 - 3/26

We board our boat, say adios to Floreana and set sail for

Isabela. On the way we stop along Tortugas to see the frigate birds and blue footed boobies. So much wildlife here.

Isabela reminds me of the Caribbean with clear turquoise water which

is very warm.

Isabela it is a bit more "modern." Electric is on 24 hrs. After

lunch we embark on a small boat and see the tiny penguins and blue footed

boobies. The penguins all look like they are in class and the

boobie is the head mistress. Then we proceed to a place called Las Tintoreras or "shark resting spot" and follow a long trail where we see plenty of wildlife

including sea lions, iguana (the lava rocks look like they are moving)

and much more.

Then we get back into the boat and take a snorkel. Saw

many fish although it wasn't super clear. After a long day, we head back to

the hotel for dinner and sleep.

3/26/2010

In the morning we say goodbye to our trusty guide and the Italians who joined us, and

we meet Omar who takes us to some of Isabela sights such as pink

flamingos, the giant tortoise breeding reserve where we witness

another failed attempt by a male to mate, the Wall of Tears and a

beautiful beach called "Playa de Amor. " Also saw surfers on a break

(surf break, that is). I could have spent more time here but it's time

to go to Santa Cruz island. The boat trip was rough for us, not like the

boat trip over and we were glad to be on land.

These days are quite full and we are glad to check in and rest for

awhile. Our room has a gorgeous view and is quite spacious.

In the late afternoon we walk to the Darwin Research Institute to learn

more about the giant tortoises of Galapagos. Thus place does good

work. We also caught a glimpse of Lonesome George who is the oldest

and last remaining tortoise of his species. We are told he is pushing

100+ years and they are hoping he will mate with the 2 females there

with him so some of his genetic lineage will stay.

Floreana 3/24-3/25/2010

3/25/2010

Woke up before sunrise and started the day with revisiting the sea

lions watching the sun rise over the mountains. We saw a double rainbow

over the sea. The sea lion dad beached himself and began barking

indicating that this is his territory. He is tired from watching the babies and

not eating which makes him vulnerable.

After a lovely breakfast we headed to the highlands to see the giant

tortoises. This is a reserve to bring them back to Floreana. We learned that the giant tortoises on Galapagos need to be reintroduced to many of the islands due to the invasion of non-endemic species (i.e. goats, rats, dogs.) Watched

them take mud baths, eat, and attempt to mate (he struck out 3 times). It

began to rain so I not only saw the tortoises but ended up with

rainwater conditioner and mud foot-mask!!!

Proceeded to see the freshwater source discovered by English pirates in the 1800s as well as their cave that eventually became the home of the Wittners, early

settlers from Germany. Hard to imagine life there coming from western

society.

Galapagos Arrive 3/24

3/24/2010

Galapagos hello !!! Santa Cruz Island. Within one hour we saw iguana (swimming lizard), crab, butterfly, seals, pelicans.After lunch, we take a walk and the highlight was the fishermen, seals, and pelicans.

We meet our guide and proceed on the 2 hours cruise to Floreana aka Santa Maria island.

Floreana has only 100 residents. Sadly we were met w/rain so no snorkeling, but we could see the sea turtles and birds easily from the beach. Regardless, we hiked to see a sea lion community. Discovery channel without tv. The hotel is rustic..that is probably an understatement, but we are on the beach and are drifting to sleep to the sound of the waves. The elec goes off @11 pm. and there is no hot water. I'm about to sleep but it will be hard because there is a 5" spider somewhere in this room. Tomorrow begins @6 am to see the sunrise.