The Doc was going to give his overall impressions at the end, however he cannot upload photos in the Galapagos Island, so an overall impression of the sea cruise is the topic today.

The Land Tour starts tomorrow. Today is a rest day and an opportunity to write up some reports. There was limited time during the cruise.

The wow factor in Galapagos does not come from one island or one animal but the overall package of animals and islands together. So a sea cruise is a very good way to see the Islands. Looked at in isolation The Doc can see why the initial explorers had a negative view of the Islands. It is the whole system, both geological and biological that must be looked at. That is what is unique, not the dull coloured finches, desolate Islands or limited land based wildlife. There are far more beautiful Islands like Lord Howe Island, but none the same as Galapagos.

The Islands were much dryer than The Doc expected. Dry and dusty, with cactus and dead vegetation being the norm on many Islands at this time of year. An Australian can identify with the landscape from that perspective. The cold Humboldt current rules the sea at the moment in Galapagos and it limits rainfall during the dry season, when it weakens and the warm currents flow in they bring rains and in a few months the green vegetation will return.

Galapagos is a place of contrasts. Penguins swimming in equatorial waters, thanks to the Humboldt current. Giant land tortoises on one Island living in dry dusty surrounds (San Cristobel Island) and on another in lush green foliage (highlands of Santa Cruz Island).

It is the seas that drive much of the wildlife, the waters are rich in fish supporting large colonies of sea lions and sea birds – blue footed boobies, red footed boobies, nazca boobies, lava gulls, herons, pelicans and breeding Waved Albatrosses. The sea birds nest on the ground or maker simple nests on the “predator free” islands. There are almost no land based predators, the land iguanas are vegetarian, the salt spitting marine iguanas eat sea grasses. The finches and lava lizards eats flies, insects, seeds and grasses. The only real predators are a limited number of snakes, Galapagos hawks and owls. The cormorants here are even flightless.

Some feral cats, goats and donkeys threaten parts of the delicate ecosystem. Large scale culling of goats is under way and also donkeys. Our Guide Pato reported fresh donkey do do at our first landing on Day 1.

It is the lack of predators and humans that make the wildlife so easy to approach, they show no fear. Female sea lions would come and play while we snorkelled, the bull males had no time for play as they guarded their patch of beach. You could walk up to pelicans and boobies and take great photos with a point and shoot camera. If you got too close to a land tortoise it would hiss and pull its head in. Frigate birds would land on the boat but more commonly fly on the updraught produced by the boat and follow you around. Finches and lava lizards would scurry around your feet. Dolphins rode the bow wave of our boat.

Outside The Doc’s hotel window right now is a pelican, lava gull and frigate bird. Down next to the pool are marine iguanas sunning themselves. Frigate birds patrol the sky looking for their next meal. A person walks around the balcony of the building next door and a dozen young marine iguanas scamper out of the way. Such is Galapagos.

Wow.

The Doc’s flight to Galapagos Islands is this morning. Definitely no internet on the boat, maybe at the Resort on the second part of the trip, so signing off for the moment.

After breakfast eleven of the group meet down at the waterfront. We bought ticket for the double decker tourist bus and waited and waited. The bus did not turn up so we got a refund and went our separate ways.

The Doc and Dave walked along the waterfront. Further along the development was the Jurassic Park dinosaur display which was closed for cleaning. Why Jurassic Park? In Jurassic Park Isla Nublar was off Costa Rica just north of Ecuador.

Arrived back at the Hotel after lunch to be treated to another big bass band concert. The Doc has worked out where the band is. It is the Rotunda across the road in the Park. Dave later told The Doc it was the Police Band.

Shortly the group meets up for dinner and final instructions for the flight to Galapagos Islands tomorrow morning.

Off to process a few photos and do final equipment checks.

The Doc got up early, exercised and went for a short walk. He had some breakfast and returned to his Room to read more about Ecuador and the Galapagos Island courtesy of the booklet in the room. So you all get a short lesson.

Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador is named after an indigenous chief (Guaya) and his wife (Quil) who died rather than surrender to the Spanish. Quito is the capital of the country and is the second largest city.

The clock tower posted yesterday is the known as the Moorish Clock Tower and is down on the waterfront. The waterfront development is called the Malecon Simon Bolivar. The other photos are part of the same large development.

As The Doc writes there is a big brass band outside giving a concert. It has been going for close to an hour. Very distinctive Spanish themes being played. The Doc cannot see the band but can hear then clearly, they maybe in the Park, under the trees. The Doc is off to enjoy the rest of the concert.

That evening The Doc left a message with Dave to have dinner. Dave had already meet up with some of the others who had arrived from Peru. So seven of us had dinner at el FORTIN, a restaurant at the Hotel at The Doc’s suggestion. The Doc had ordered room service from el FORTIN the night before and the quality was excellent. Everyone enjoyed the meal. We agreed to meet up for breakfast in the morning.

The Central Cathedral last night at sunset, from The Doc’s Hotel window.

The Doc is in Guayaquil Ecuador, the second largest city and gateway to the Galapagos Islands.

The Doc got up early and walked out of the Hotel Continental, across the park into the Cathedral. The Mass was in Spanish so The Doc did not understand much, just some Latin words shared by English and Spanish. They really did like the phase Cristo Rey (Spanish for Christ the King).

A short walk back to the Hotel to meet Dave at 9am for breakfast. We had a buffet style breakfast, some cereal, juice and a modest cooked breakfast. The Doc often eats more for breakfast on trips and skips lunch. Better to eat from trusted food sources to reduce the chance of Delhi belly.

To walk off breakfast we walked around town. Dave had been reading the Tourist Brochure so he was the guide. Down the street to the waterfront we went.

The river was fast flowing and with a lot of sediment, probably eroded from the nearby Andes. Three main geographic parts to Ecuador, the coastal plain (where Guayaquil is located), the Andes which runs down the middle of the country and the Amazonian Rainforests on the other side. A birders paradise the Tourist Brochure explains.

We saw a few species of bird. Some large birds were flying over the water, they appeared to be some type of frigate bird but they never got close enough. The overall wing shape suggested as much. We spotted a raven like bird down at the water’s edge, but it had a much longer tail. The Doc also spotted what looked like 2 parrots flying under the verandas of a building. A galah size bird mostly green with some yellow mottling. The Doc did try and identify the birds but has been unsuccessful so far, there are a lot of parrots in Ecuador it turns out.

The waterfront had been nicely developed but there were not many people about. We were walking on a raised area and Dave suggested we walk below. Below was an air conditioned shopping area, and the locals were enjoying a break from the humidity.

A lot of military style police around. Even the mall security staff have rather large batons.

The weather has been warm and humid as you would expect on the equator. We took a few photos during the walk.

We then headed back to the hotel. A nice cold shower was welcome, then some reading of the Tourist Brochure and a quick nanny nap. Next writing up a blog entry. The Internet is very hit and miss here, sometimes it is good and then nothing for half an hour.

Best not to overdo the work, we want to be ready to go for the main trip. So inside for the heat of midday.

Did I mention car horns? They love to use them here. The Doc is on the 6th floor facing the street and they are being used almost every minute, reminds me a bit of Rome on that point. About 6 beeps when typing that one sentence.

A couple of low resolution pictures, mostly of the waterfront.

A very long 16 November

The flight was originally to be boarded at Gate 10 at Mascot International (Sydney), but was changed to Gate 37. This caused a delay and we boarded the flight after the scheduled departure time.

I was flying Premium economy so got to board early. When the ticket was presented it was given the red light, the Attendant looked for another ticket on her counter, it was scanned and it got the red light also. So she looked from another ticket, this one was green. The Doc had been upgraded to business class to seat 7F, an aisle seat.

The plane was a 747, The Doc was not familiar with the configuration. The crew later advised it was the latest 747 400N. There was heaps of leg room and you could sleep in the horizontal position, nice. It had a large LCD screen and even a massage feature. No need to climb over with this much room between the seats. The first time The Doc can remember that ever being the case. The configuration follows the QANTAS A380 Airbus.

When the plane eventual turned onto the run way and commenced take-off, The Doc prayed for a safe journey as he normally does. Suddenly 3 or 4 passengers traced the sign of the cross on their forehead, many were South American and Catholic. It should be a good flight and it was.

Flight time was 11 hours 40 minutes. We headed south down over the southern tip of NZ. Across the great southern ocean and up the coast of South America. Presumably we were after the jet stream, leaving late and arriving on time suggest we found it.

It made no difference to me as my connecting flight in Chile was about a 6 hour stopover.

After take-off the captain explained the reason for the delay, the thunderstorm in Sydney on Friday night had prevented some flights taking off Friday night. So on Saturday there was a shortage of gates and bigger crowds.

As we were flying up the southern tip of South America, The Doc looked out a window and the ocean had a bad case on dandruff, actually ice, large amounts of it.

The Doc meet Dave West at the airport in Santiago and we had a brief chat. Dave has been a few trios before with Darren Leal. Dave is a in New Zealander.

Although we confirmed separately Dave was seat 7C and The Doc was 7A. A lot less space this time on the 5 hour flight. We left just after 6pm and arrived just after 9pm. The time zones were playing tricks again. It has been a very long Saturday 16 November.

The Hotel is just across the road from the Cathedral which I look straight at out the window.

Its late so time to shower and turn in.

More to come.

The stops on the way over can be viewed here.

The view out my Hotel window across to the Central Cathedral.