The other side of the island

I just returned from another few days on Santa Cruz! I brought my computer hoping to update the blog more frequently but the internet connection didn’t allow it. Therefore, I have to play a little catch up. First, a post about the end of last week and then hopefully tomorrow a full account of our trip!

So last Wednesday we learned that several students had the chance to go to Punta Pitt which is on the other side of the island. This is a snorkel and dive area but less popular then many other spots. Only one boat has a permit to take people out here and only 16 people can go at a time. I had tried to figure out how to go previously but it seemed too complicated. I had been disappointed because I really want to have the chance to see the whole island I’d been living on. However, there happened to be 6 open spots on the boat and there are 6 IPSL grad students studying here so that worked out perfectly! The trip was on Thursday but we were all able (and excited) to go!

I can't find a good map to blow up so this will have to work for now. The red dot down on the bottom left corner is where I live. The little triangle shape up in the top right hand corner is Punta Pitt.

On Thursday morning we headed out early on the hour and a half boat ride. I like to sit in the back because the boats are usually partially enclosed and I like the wind in my face. This often means I get a little damp from the spray but that’s usually no big deal. However, this day the wind was not blowing in my favor. About 10min in I started getting spray on my face and right side. I put my sunglasses on as shields for my eyes and pulled my towel out of my bag to help stay dryer. However, the wind just picked up and soon large drops of water were flying into my face. Suddenly we turned and a huge bucketful portion of water dumped onto my head. So I ditched my top (had my bathing suit on) and figured since I was already wet I might as well enjoy it!

GAIAS students ready to go! (L-R: Maureen, Elysse, Wyatt, and Shelby) 

The ride over was beautiful – it was so cool to see the uninhabited areas and the different landscape.

Leon Dormido from the backside!

It's a little hard to tell but we boated through this neat tunnel. When you turned around you could see Leon Dormido perfectly in the background. 

We finally arrived at the other end of the island and got ready to snorkel. First however, we got to see all three types of boobies (blue footed, red footed, and masked boobies!). This is the only spot were you can see all three! The red footed boobies were only juveniles but they were SO curious. They dove down almost onto our heads again and again! The snorkeling was also amazing – big schools of colorful fish, the boobies diving into the water, sea lions…. Just awesome! Even the chilly water didn’t stop us from spending quite a while there!

The area across from our snorkel site. We couldn't land there but we did get to look from the boat and see nesting boobies!

Our snorkel site!

Red footed booby right over our heads!

Warming up in the sunshine!

Then, to our surprise, our guide said we also had time to snorkel at Leon Dormido! We weren’t expecting this and we were all really excited. We bundled together for a very chilly boat ride (the sun had gone in and it was cool and windy). However, at Leon Dormido we all jumped into the water, teeth chattering, and headed through the tunnel. This was my third time there but it was no less incredible. We saw several black tipped and Galapagos sharks below us as we slowly traveled through. About 5min into the snorkel the sun came out which helped us warm up significantly! The only downside was the many little tiny jellyfish that were everywhere. We all got several little stings that hurt for 5-10min. Nothing dangerous, just annoying. From here we headed to a quiet beach were we enjoyed a delicious lunch and had some time to warm up in the sand. 

Picture perfect sandy beach

All too soon we had to head back to ‘our side’ of the island. It was an amazing day excursion and definitely a unique opportunity that many people don't get! I'm so grateful I got to go! 

The rest of the weekend leading up to the island hopping trip was really nice. On Saturday night Elysse's host sister threw her a belated birthday party (even though her birthday was a month before)! We had homemade tacos (amazing!!), drinks, and even a tres leches dessert! It was a mix of GAIAS students and Ecuadorians which was so fun! We even went dancing at Iguana Rock for bit!

Traditional 'face in the cake' for Elysse!

On Sunday afternoon I helped coordinate a dessert potluck put on my GAIAS. Students and their families made dessert and came to socialize and be together. It was so neat to see family after family coming with incredibly delicious desserts! 

Families trying the different desserts!

Everything tasted delicious and the event was definitely a success! Through a combination of English, Spanish, and lots of Spanglish we were all able to have some great conversations! Hopefully we can do another one before the end of term! 

"Galapagos Honeymoon"

So, as mentioned in my previous posts, Jon came to visit last week! Although I already blogged about the wedding there were a lot more great moments that made up his all too short visit. A recap of the adventures:

On Saturday morning I met with Jacquie to go meet the guys at the airport (Jon was traveling with Jacquie’s boyfriend and our friend Dan!). On our way we caught Jac’s parents who wanted to decorate Dan’s room with balloons to welcome him. We helped blow up balloons until we saw their plan touch down and then we knew we had to go! We made it to the airport with time to spare and as soon as the guys got their luggage there were lots of hugs all around!

We had a relaxing day eating lunch, walking around town, and hanging out at the beach for a bit. That evening Jon and I wandered over to a neighboring beach called Punta Cerrola. The water isn’t the best for swimming but it was a great area to watch a wonderful sunset!

On the rocky area of the beach checking out some iguanas before sunset

That evening we had dinner with the GAIAS group and then headed to Iguana Rock and then the discotech so the guys could see the San Cristobal nightlife! We stayed out til around 1am and then called it a night after a great first day!

The next day we were off to snorkel at Leon Dormido!! Jacquie’s Dad, a captian, had offered us a nice deal to go with him and some of their family and so at 8:30am we were in the boat and ready to go! First stop was Leon Dormido, a challenging place to snorkel for the first time due to the current, rented masks, and (of course) the sharks. However, we were REALLY lucky and saw TWO hammerhead sharks right below us. It felt surreal! 

Before we jumped in the water (it even looks cold in the picture!). We swam through the channel area you can see in the back left of the picture.

After we swam through the channel we spent time swimming and exploring near the rock before we were headed off visit a nearby beach. Here we got to relax, play in the water, and enjoy the great view of the ocean. We had a nice lunch on the boat and then headed to our second snorkel spot. 

Hanging out on the beach and warming up!

Although the water was freezing we stuck it out for over 30min seeing eels, marine iguanas eating in the water, a ray, lots of fish, and some sea lions! However, we were all so chilly when we got back in the boat that it was a relief to get to dry land and warm up. Once we could feel our fingers and toes we grabbed some beer and headed to Playa Mann to hit the beach again! It was empanada Sunday and we enjoyed queso empanadas, beer, and ice cream while watching another spectacular sunset!

On Playa Mann with the sun going down!

Monday was a very relaxed day. Jon and I spent time on the beach, souvenir shopping, and enjoying a proper ‘almuerzo’ (lunch). I brought him to a popular area near campus where you can jump off a dock (about 10ft high) into the ocean - lots of fun! We also went to Tijeretas, (another snorkel area and also a lookout point), about a 20min walk from campus. 

Tijeretas snorkel area

Although it was almost 4:30pm we jumped in and happened immediately upon a sea turtle! We hung out with the big guy for about 15min watching him eat and swim until he eventually swam out to sea. We snorkeled around more, enjoying the fish, and then went to go see the sunset at Punta Cerrola again. We had the beach all to ourselves making for a really special evening!

The empty stretch of beach and the sun setting

On Tuesday we were up and ready to go early again. Today Dan, Jon, Jac, and I headed up to see the highlands. We wanted the guys to see El Junco, the Galapaguera, and Puerto Chino (similar to what I did last month on my field trip!). We rented a taxi to drive us to each stop and wait for us along the way (a common thing to do here). Our first stop was El Junco but unfortunately there was a lot of “garua” or “mist” which meant the guys couldn’t see much of the lake and we all got soaked on our walk around.

A before picture at El Junco near the trailhead (picture from Jacquie) dry and ready and an after picture following the 20min hike around (less dry)...

Luckily things were dryer down at the Galapaguera and we saw even more turtles then we had when I first went. They were everywhere!! A great experience! 

Puerto Chino was also a little cloudy but perfect as we had the place to ourselves. We had a picnic lunch, took naps, went swimming, and walked around on the rocks. We also stumbled along a few blue-footed boobies who were more then happy to pose for us!

Blue footed boobie hanging out on the rocks

That night was Christina’s last night in Ecuador before she headed home to be with her family. We went out for an excellent dinner at Calypso after attempting to find ceviche at three different locations (all closed)! 

The girls enjoying some good red wine!

The evening was culminated by relaxing on the boardwalk, drinking wine and enjoying the company of friends. It was a very relaxed night and really nice to spend together. 

On Wednesday we met up with Jac and Dan to have breakfast!

We had SO MUCH food (per usual) but it was all delicious and we were very full!

Christina headed out to the airport around 11am. Several of us came to see her off. It was extremely sad to see her go but we agreed that it was the best decision for her. We all miss her but we’re glad she is home where she needs to be.

A final picture together on the beach

Jon and I had the wedding that night so we relaxed in the early afternoon and checked out some marine life that was hanging out on the boardwalk!

Just 'hanging out' with some new friends

Hanging out with a huge marine iguana that ended up in town (unusual) and a large lobo (sea lion)!

That evening was the wedding (see the earlier blog post "This one time, when I got married in Ecuador"), which was an absolute blast and a really special way to spend our time together. Thursday was our last full day together but we spent the morning taking it easy and recovering from the events of the night before. Once we were certain we were feeling better we met up with Dan and Jac and headed out to do a little souvenir shopping. 

Dan snapped this shot of us in the AM - The first "married couple" picture :-P

We decided to head to the interpretation center (located near school) to learn a little more about the island. While we were there the sun decided to come out and we finished the day on the beach. Although it started very relaxed, the sea lions decided to tramp along our towels and reclaim the area of beach we were on. It was pretty funny!

To end the evening we went out for a nice dinner at “La Playa” which is right near the ocean. We had all sorts of delicious fish and felt extremely full afterwards. 

Always hungry for a good meal!!

After we met up with some friends after to check out the stars and then went home. In the morning we had just enough time to enjoy a delicious breakfast with Dan and Jac at Mockingbird (with real French toast!!!!!) and head over to Playa Mann to take a last (very cold) dip in the ocean. We showered, said goodbye to my host family, and hit a couple last souvenir shops. I made sure to stock Jon up on yummy panaderia treats and Ecuadorian snacks and sweets for the plane ride. Then we headed off to the airport with Jac and Dan to see the guys off.

Parting picture

It was amazing for Jon to be able to visit and see all the things I’ve only been able to describe to him in words and pictures. It also was perfect timing since I was not in class and had time to show him around. I only wish he and Dan could have stayed longer!! 

Island Hopping: Part Two!!

This post continues with the adventures of the recent island-hopping trip. Part one began in the post titled “Iguanas, sea lions, and boobies, OH MY!”.  Warning, I think this is my longest post yet. There was just SO MUCH that happened over these five days! (Once again, photo credit to Jacquie Lonning and Corrine Dorais). 

Island Hopping – Part Two: Isabella

Monday (Halloween!)

In the morning we all hopped onto three boats that took us on the two and a half hour journey from Santa Cruz to Isabella.

A map to give some reference! We were based out of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. Then we went to Isabella to the mainland area across from "Tortuga". We also climbed the Sierra Negra volcano shown on the fat part of Isabella.

We arrived around lunchtime to an amazing island where the roads are still made of sand and the population is much smaller. It felt much more intimate than Santa Cruz where many of us had felt like just another tourist instead of part of the community.

Cozy little town with sand roads

We were quick to get settled and have lunch and were soon out to explore! First we all got in small boats and headed out to an area full of "aa" (pronounced "ah ah") lava rocks. On the way we got to see PENGUINS! They were so tiny and cute! Very exciting!!

Just hanging out on the rocks! 

Then we got to our destination where we could see washed up and dried out coral, sea lions, hundreds of iguanas, and stretches of beautiful coast with big crashing waves. We also got a glimpse of some tintoreras (or white tipped sharks) in their natural resting place. However, the number of iguanas was absolutely insane – they were everywhere just piled on top of each other drying out and warming up on the lava rocks. There were even huge iguanas with little babies no bigger than your thumb resting on their backs. It was pretty neat.

Iguanas hanging around everywhere                         Coral on the rocks

Next we headed out to a sheltered area for some snorkeling. The day was cool and cloudy and the water a bit chilly but we all jumped in anyway (of course!). We got to see turtles, rays, and lots of fish before it was time to head back. It was time for a nap before dinner for me – I had taken some Dramamine for the ride over to Isabella because of the rough experience we had going to Santa Cruz. The water ended up being calm but that didn’t stop the drowsiness of the Dramamine from setting in full force. After dinner we walked down the beach to a little bar with an amazing fire pit. It was soo nice just to sit by the fire with the ocean about 100yds behind us and listen to the crashing waves.

Tuesday

The next day we were up early to head out on a boat to travel an hour to snorkel in the lava tunnels. Our small group was separated into two so there were only about 7-8 people in each boat. As we headed out we could see the water was big. The swells were around 6ft and up to almost 10ft at times. On the way we stopped at this neat rock in the middle of the ocean. It used to be a place where fisherman would store supplies so they wouldn’t have to travel all the way to the ports.

Enjoying sitting on the side of the boat with the waves in my face

The 'supply rock' with foamy waves crashing around it

From there we headed to the area we were suppose to go towards land to see the lava tunnels. We had heard rumors that big waves would prevent us from getting into this area. Apparently the boats have to time their entry to go between two wave sets, almost impossible with big swells. Only the best captains know how to navigate this and on this day it was too dangerous. So instead we traveled back a bit to another area with similar features. The captains expertly navigated towards the shore and through a series of inlets. When we got out we walked along more lava rocks. We got to see an octopus that was about a foot long which our guide even pulled out of the water to show us! A few people got to touch it but it got annoyed and kept inking so we had to put it back.

The area the boat captains navigated into

Then we all jumped in the water to snorkel through the natural formations of lava. Here we got to swim just feet away from white tipped sharks that were resting. Very neat. We also got to see a sea horse hanging out in the reeds – amazing!! The water was chilly (again) but definitely worth it!

Sea horse on a stick underwater! We got to snorkel right up to it!

We got to head back for a leisurely lunch and then headed to our second snorkeling spot of the day. This was very close - just walking distance from our hotel. Several people decided not to snorkel because it was a bit chilly but I was curious and jumped in with about 5 others. Although the water supported a lot of fish (as well as mangroves) we could see traces of gas (from the boats) in the water. The gas made it look like everything was a mirage when you swam into certain areas. We made a note to try and avoid accidentally swallowing any of water here and continued on. We swam through mangroves and lava rocks to see lots of fish and plants. After we got out we headed back to the hotel to change and then, of course, to explore Isabella’s panaderia J We found they had amazing treats there are Jacquie and I decided to splurge on some lemon meringue pie! We spent the evening playing cards and playing around on the rocks by an amazing beach!

Just a little excited about this pie!

On the rocks along the shore

Wednesday

Today we were off to head up the giant Sierra Negra volcano (one of five on this huge island)!! We were taken up to the base of the hike and emerged in a misty cool cloud of fog. The trek up and back would take about 6 hours but after an initial steep climbs it was mostly flat. The only challenge was walking on the lava rocks that appeared about 2/3rds into the hike. After a couple hours the fog burnt off and we emerged into a warm, dusty path that took us right along the huge crater. 

Jac and I looking out toward the crater

The crater is the largest, active crater in the world (the largest inactive crater is in Africa). It’s 10km wide and amazing to see. At the top we got to head out onto the volcano and explore. First we got to crawl under some of the lava in a tunnel about 10-15ft long. Then we went to feel a hot spot where the hot steam fogged our sunglasses. After a few pictures it was time to head back down for lunch.

Sucked into the tunnel under the earth :-P

View out towards the top of Isabella and the sea

We then headed to a wonderful Hacienda and enjoyed an awesome buffet lunch, saw some more giant tortoises, and got to spend a few minutes relaxing in a hammock before heading back to town. 

Here I am hugging a giant tree (these were also found in Tiputini). They say if you hug the tree the spirit man will take all your bad energy. I'm also holding two pink bananas that I had picked!

Soon we headed back and spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the big waves along the coast and trying to rinse off the full layer of mud and dust that covered us from head to toe from our hike.

Thursday

On our last full day, Thursday, all the GAIAS students joined together for our excursion. We headed out along the coast to visit a historical site called “the wall of tears”. Back in the early 1900s Isabella was used as a penal colony (and later, as a US base during WW2). There are remnants of both scattered around the island. The wall of tears is a wall made of lava rock that the prisoners were forced to build. The idea was that it would eventually create a square area where the prisoners would be forced to live. However, they completed only one and a half sides due to the backbreaking work in the hot sun. Sick or tired men were forced to work twice as hard to speed their recovery or their death. Additionally, over 100 prisoners that tried to escape were brought back to the wall and shot one by one.

Looking out from a corner of the wall of tears

After this we walked back along the road and saw some wild giant tortoises. We stopped at three places along the way the way back. The first was a fresh water area surrounded by mangroves where the soldiers used to get drinking water. It provided a shady area for us to take a much-needed break from the sun. The second was another neat lava tunnel that goes far below the ocean. We walked in until the water came up to our shorts to cool off. The third and final stop was a beach where we just happen to see two male iguanas fighting over territory! It was like a ceremonial dance as they circled each other and hissed back and forth.

Lunch was once again at the hacienda with the comfy hammocks. That place had some of the best food on the island! Our last afternoon was adventure filled. We were told we might be going rappelling into one of the volcanic craters, which we were really excited about. However when we arrived we learned our idea of rappelling and their idea of rappelling was VERY different….

We split into two groups and I volunteered to go first with about 14 others. A man came around and handed us 5ft long pieces of climbing rope and regular rope that he fastened into makeshift harnesses around each of us. We were then handed a 4ft long piece of rope with a non-locking carabineer and a bike helmet and told we were ready to go. I was more then curious to see where this would all lead.

Ready for adventure!!

On the trip we had one staff member whose husband and daughter were also accompanying her. We had her husband go first since he spoke Spanish and I followed him with Jacquie behind me. We walked to the edge of a large gapping hole and looked down. The first part was a muddy/vegetation filled slope that then lead into a black hole (where we assumed we’d find lava rock and the actual crater). 

Looking down from the top of the descent

We soon found out we were not actually rappelling but instead climbing down “ladders” along the steep slope that would lead us into the crater. The ladders were muddy and wet and they twisted and turned as we went down one by one. It took about an hour for everyone to get down since we had to space ourselves out. Although we had on harnesses many of never clipped into anything since there wasn’t much to clip too. The harnesses were essentially useless although a few people were able to find ways to make them work.

Looking up one of the rope ladders

After we got through all the rope style ladders we got to this last straight ladder into the actual crater.

As we got down we started to explore a vast, dark hole filled with lava rocks. We found bones of horses and cows and lots of slippery rocks. Our guide came down fifth and just watched us explore. It’s pretty much a liability nightmare but we were left to wander along the rocks down into the crater. Luckily someone had a flashlight so we could see past the small area the sun lighted. We eventually found our way to an even deeper hole that lead far beyond where we could see. Eventually we wandered back towards the ladder to take us up and as the last person got down those of us who had been down for a while started back up.

Muddy and wet but having a great time down in the crater!

It was an awesome experience, although I’m not sure it’s something that will be done again based on safety concerns. The last part of the day we spent exploring a cave where a man used to live. He would spend three weeks in the cave and one week in the sun each month. Apparently your yes adjust after a couple days..... We walked into the cave (with headlamps this time!) and explored for about 30min. At one point we all turned off our lights and the darkness was enveloping! To end the day we politely asked our bus driver to drop us off at the panaderia (which he kindly did) so we could stock up on goodies for our long boat ride home the next day :D

Then we walked to the fire pit near the shore and enjoyed a happy hour special. However, the day did not end well. When we got to dinner Christina learned she had a message to call home where she received some sad news around a serious medically related-issue within her family. The rest of the night was spent sitting out on the beach with the girls and toilet paper for tissues watching the waves crash and spending time in each other’s company. It was a sad night to end a very good day.

The beach right after sunset

Friday

We took the boat home early in the morning and despite the 4hr ride the time passed fairly quickly (esp with our snacks!). We were all glad to see our home island and we were welcomed by the barking of the sea lions (which we had missed quite a bit during the week - no other island has so many!).

The whole trip was a huge adventure full of friends, laughter, new experiences and some sadness. It’s definitely something I’ll always remember.