Journal

Journal

1/6/12

            Today we were supposed to meet at the hub at 3:30 a.m. After a long night, however, I awoke to see that my clock said 8:30 a.m., and that I had 28 missed calls. I thought I had missed the whole trip. I was torn between despair and pure rage. I almost broke into tears, and all the while I was yelling obscenities that shouldn’t be repeated. I called the last missed call on the list, and to my amazement, Katherine picked up and told me that the flight from Guayaquil to the Galapagos had been cancelled, so they were still waiting at the airport, and I almost burst into tears again. I grabbed all of my stuff, threw it in my car, and drove as fast as I could to the Indianapolis airport. I parked my car, ran inside, and found the group still waiting in the lobby. I had made it. Even though we weren’t sure whether we were going to get to go yet, I was happy just to have the chance, since when I woke up I thought I had a 0% chance of going.

            After waiting for what seemed like forever, we heard the news: we were going to Miami, which was a start. Later we boarded the plane, and we spent the night in Miami.

1/7/12

            Today we had some time to waste before our flight to Guayaquil, so we hung out by the pool and ate some lunch. Later, we packed our stuff, and we were off to the airport again.

            While we were waiting, Kevin gave us the best news we had heard: we were getting a flight from Guayaquil to the Galapagos the next day, which put us right back on schedule. We were all ecstatic. After boarding the plane, we were on our way. While on the plane, I got a beer, so I pulled out my wallet thinking I would need I.D., which was apparently not the case, so I loosely put my wallet back into its pocket, or so I thought. After we had arrived, gotten off the plane and through customs, we were waiting outside, and I noticed that the pocket I put my wallet in was open. My heart sank. I’m not sure what actually happened, whether I left it on the plane, or whether someone took it from the open pocket, but my wallet was nowhere to be found. In it, I had $500, my driver’s license. school I.D., and various other cards. I don’t think I’ve ever been angrier with myself.

            We finally got to the hostel, and as I lay in bed, I couldn’t sleep with how angry I was. After laying there and thinking to myself all night, I reconciled my mistake with myself. I told myself that it was only money, which I don’t put much value on, as it’s only a piece of paper that the government puts value on, and tomorrow it could all be worthless. I decided that the experiences that I would have were worth much more than I was paying for the trip, even if $500 was all for naught. I still hope that someone who actually needed the money found my wallet, as $500 could feed easily feed a family for more than a week, and I was only going to waste it on beer. That’s how I like to think of it, anyways.

1/8/12

We got up at 6 a.m. this morning, although I didn’t get much sleep, as I was still pissed at myself for losing my wallet. After making it to the airport and through customs, the only thing left to do was wait. Finally, we got on the plane, and 2 hours later we were landing in Baltra. After waiting for our bags to be thrown into a room, finding them, and then getting past the armed guard making sure we weren’t stealing bags, we finally got to meet the infamous Washington, and he did not disappoint. After formalities, we loaded onto a bus, and were on our way to the dock.

            A short bus ride later, we arrived at the dock, and got our first taste of the wildlife of the Galapagos as a sea lion was resting on the beams under the dock. After taking pictures, we loaded into the dinghy that would take us to the Guantanamera, where we would be spending the next 8 days. After a safety speech and room assignments, we were off to Santa Cruz, where we were going to make our first wet landing.

            When we landed on the beach, Washington led us up and down the coast, showing us all there was to see along the way. On this landing we saw lava crabs, Sally lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, and mating sea turtles. The thing that struck me the most, however, was the view. Everywhere I looked, I saw ocean, or another island just barely visible in the distance. One particular sight that had me awe stricken was a single tree growing on a rock outcropping that barely poked its head over the water. After taking in the sights, we tried our snorkeling gear for the first time, after which we headed back to the boat.

            Later that night, after dinner, Washington introduced the crew, all of whom seemed really nice and genuinely happy that we were there. After introductions, Jose, our bartender, brought us pina coladas, and it was the best I’ve ever had. We then watched a National Geographic about the islands before we called it a night.

1/9/12

            Today, we woke up, had breakfast, and by 7:30 we were in the dinghies heading to South Plaza island. When we landed, I was amazed by how many sea lions were there. Some were in the water, some were on the shore, and more still had climbed further on shore to bask in the sun.

           

            Along with the sea lions, we got our first glimpse of the land iguanas. Washington explained how the males sit under the prickly pear cactus and wait for the fruit to drop, which attracts the females.

            My favorite part of South Plaza, however, was the hybrid iguana. They have the long claws of the marine iguana, and have been documented feeding on algae like a marine iguana. They can also use these claws to climb into the cactus to eat the fruit, rather than wait on the ground. Washington said that only 4 exist, but if they are sexually viable, I would expect more to appear, due to their ability to utilize two food sources, as well as their ability to outcompete the land iguanas for their main food source. After touring the island, we went back to the boat, and headed for Santa Fe.

            After arriving at Santa Fe, we went on our first dive, and it was amazing. There were more fish than I could even hope to count, and to top it off, we had sea lions swimming around us almost the entire time. They may seem clumsy on land, but in the water, they are the most graceful swimmers I have ever seen. Towards the end of the jump, I saw what I thought was a rock, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a string ray bigger than I had ever seen. Finally, we got in the boat, and prepared for our next landing.

            Next, we did another wet landing on the beach, which had plenty of sea lions for us to melt over. As we walked along the path, we saw finches, lava lizards, and one especially large land iguana that Washington goaded out by throwing a rock, mimicking the sound of a cactus fruit falling. Then, as we were walking along, we saw a pack of blue-footed boobies diving into the water. I never realized how quickly they could go from flying, to becoming a torpedo and slicing through the water. It was amazing to watch. Finally, we headed back to the boat.

            After dinner, we had another briefing, and Washington showed us the pictures that he had taken during the day. Then we were off to Espanola, and the roughest boat ride I’ve ever been a part of. It was almost impossible to stand, let alone sit on those flimsy plastic lawn chairs, which just buckled every time the boat rocked.

1/10/12

            Today we woke up, had breakfast, and headed off to Gardner Bay. On the beach, we saw tons of sea lions. The coolest part of the beach, however, was the Galapagos Hawk that seemed to almost pose for us. I spent a lot of my time searching the small tide pools made by the rocks, and found nothing, whereas Washington looked for maybe 5 minutes and found an octopus. I don’t know how he does it.

            After making it back to the boat, we got ready for our second dive. When we got in the water, I started looking straight down, and did not pay attention to where the rest of the group was. I saw my first sea turtle, and a second shortly after, but then I saw my first white-tipped reef shark, and quickly located and rejoined the rest of the group.

            After loading into the dinghies and going back to the boat, we got ready to go to Suarez Point, with the hopes of seeing a waved albatross. The beach that we landed on was covered in marine iguanas and sea lions, so much so that a few almost got stepped on. After walking along the path, we came to the Galapagos airport, or so its called due to the albatross needing a cliff to take flight, and we saw our first albatross. We waited for a while to watch it take off, after which we continued along the path. Further back, we came to a clearing, and lo and behold, there were multiple albatross still on the island. Washington did their mating call, and shortly after, there were multiple albatross doing their mating dance. It was amazing. Finally, we headed back to the boat, and to Floreana.

1/11/12

            I woke up at 5:15 to Washington making a rooster call into my room. It was a great start to the day. We woke up early to try to see the sea turtles still on land, but unfortunately we were too late. Although we missed the sea turtles on land, we still saw them mating in the water, and also got to watch the sunrise from the beach. We also saw a solitary flamingo in the lagoon, though it was too far away for me to take a picture. My arm only extends so far. We then went back to the boat for breakfast.

            After breakfast, we went on our third dive at Devils Crown. On the first jump, I saw a small school of barracuda watching the fish that were inbetween me and the barracuda, so I quickly moved on. I also saw multiple white-tipped reef sharks, and another giant stingray. The main attraction for Devils Crown is to see hammerhead sharks, and since we didn’t see any during our scheduled jumps, Washington decided we would go somewhere else in the hopes of seeing one. We went out into open water, and jumped in. For a while, I saw pretty much nothing, but then, out of nowhere, I saw a hammerhead down below me. I took my head out of the water to try to tell someone where it was, but in that second that I looked away, it had disappeared. Satisfied that everyone saw a hammerhead, we loaded in the dinghies and went back to the boat.

            After lunch, which was fried chicken and mashed potatoes, we made our next wet landing. On the beach, just behind some trees, there was a soccer field, and we got to play soccer on a beach in the Galapagos Islands. Seeing as how I’ve played soccer all my life, I was naturally ecstatic to get to play in such a unique place. Even though I hurt my foot trying to one-time a volley, I had a blast. Lunch, however, was not too ecstatic about me playing, so I had to take a few breathers to make sure no fried chicken came back up.

            After Jose and I beat up on the other team, we went to post office bay. It was cool to see a landmark that had been there for hundreds of years. I took a postcard and left mine, and off we went to the lava tube.

            Going into the lava tube was an awesome experience. After a while, it became pitch black, and we had to use flashlights to find our way. Then we came to the water. I have never felt water so cold in my life, but we all pushed on. We all made it to the end of the cave, and took some pictures. Then we went back to the boat and got ready for another dive.

            We jumped in in the hopes of seeing multiple sea turtles, but since I normally lagged behind the group, I only saw one, as the others had already left when the group came by. Then we loaded back into the boat, and headed to Santa Cruz.

1/12/12

            Today we went into Porto Ayora to restock supplies, and while we were there, we went up to a tortoise farm in the hills of Santa Cruz. There, we saw numerous giant tortoises, and some people even got to try on a tortoise shell. Afterwards, on the way back, we stopped by a MoneyGram so I could have my parents wire me some money. Then, we went back to the boat for lunch, and headed to the Darwin center.

            After a short dinghy ride across the port, we came to the Darwin center and took our tour. We saw the tortoise repopulation project, where all the baby tortoises are kept, and we saw Lonesome Georges pin and mates, but not Lonesome George, who was hiding under a rock ledge. Afterwards, since we had city time, I went back to the MoneyGram and got my money. Then, we hung out until we had to go back to the boat.

1/13/12

            Today, we woke up and had breakfast, then went for our next landing on Rabida Island. Here, we walked around and took in the view, although the wildlife was sparse. After walking around, we went back to the boat to get ready for our next dive.

            While on the boat, we noticed a ton of jellyfish-life creatures (they turned out to be salps, not jellyfish) in the water, but we risked the dive anyways. Shortly after getting in, however, people started to get stung by jellyfish, and we quickly got back in the dinghies and headed back to the boat.

            Since that dive was cut short, Washington decided we would make another dive off of Chinese Hat Island. Here, we saw penguins in the water, as well as marine iguanas feeding in the water, which was pretty cool. Towards the end of the dive, I saw a group of people getting in the dinghy, and another group going into a cave. Naturally I went to find out what they were doing, and after crawling through a little opening, we came to cavern big enough for us to stand in, where we took a picture, then headed back to the boat, and off to Bartolome Island.

            When we got to Bartolome Island, we loaded into the dinghies to go see the penguins and Pinnacle Rock on the way to the landing. After landing, we climbed the stairs to the lighthouse at the top of the hill, where we had a great view of the numerous extinct volcanoes that dotted the landscape below. This was one of my favorite stops, as geology has always been an interesting subject to me, and being able to see the tubes where lava had flowed from the once active volcano was amazing. After taking some pictures, we headed back to the boat for dinner and briefing, after which we were off for Genovesa.

1/14/12

            We woke up early today, and by 6 we were off for Prince Phillips Steps. These were pretty cool, as they were just natural rock formations that was altered a little to make them easier to ascend. After climbing the stairs, we got our first glimpse of the red footed boobies, and they were everywhere. As we were walking down the path, I had the honor of being pooped on, by what kind of bird I’m not sure, I just remember it being wet and warm. I honestly wasn’t mad though. Who could be mad they got pooed on while walking around an island in the Galapagos? I couldn’t.

After we made it to the end of the path, we had to turn around and go back the way we came. In natural fashion, I was behind the group, and while walking along the path I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and looking down to my left, I saw a short eared owl sitting just off the path. I snuck up as quietly as I could, although it was watching me the whole time, and crouched down to take some pictures. I turned to see that Wade and Kevin were behind me taking pictures of it too, so I tried to stay as still as possible so as not to scare it away. When we caught up to the rest of the group, we headed back to the boat for breakfast and our last dive.

The dive at Genovesa was probably my favorite, as I got some close up glimpses of some amazing animals. At one point, I turned away from the wall we were following and saw a golden spotted eagle ray, so I followed that until I accidently spooked it off. Shortly after I turned my attention back to the wall, I notice a shape coming out of the blue on my right, and I watch as a good sized hammerhead swam between me and the wall, and after it swam by, I saw Kevin hot on its trail.

Later we went to Darwin Bay, where we got to watch the tide come in, which was really cool. After walking around for a while, we loaded back into the dinghies and went back to the boat.

After dinner, we had a closing ceremony, complete with more of Jose’s pina coladas and other concoctions. After Washington had finished, some music was played and people got to dance with the crew members.

1/15/12

            Today is our last day on the boat, and we woke up at the crack of dawn to go see the frigate birds doing their courtship dance. Along the way, we also came across a sea lion pup that had been born in the wee hours of the morning. It was too cute for me to even stand.

            After getting back to the boat, we packed our stuff and got ready to depart. We got off the boat at the same place we got on, boarded a bus, and headed to the Baltra airport to catch another bus that would take us to the ferry. Finally, we took the ferry across, and loaded onto a bus that took us to our hotel for the next 3 days, Casa Natura, which happened to be owned by Washington’s brother.

            The rest of that day we had free time, and that night we had a group dinner at an Italian restaurant off the main strip.

1/16/12

           

            Today was a nice day, so the group decided to go out to Tortuga Bay. If only we had known how much of a hike it would be I don’t think we would have gone, but I’m glad we did. The beach was beautiful, the water was awesome, and we had a good time just hanging out on the beach.

1/17/12

            Washington came and picked us up today to go to his mom’s farm, and we made a few other stops along the way. First we stopped at a lava tube, which was enormous. The ceiling looked to be about 30 feet high, and it was about 10 feet wide, which is a huge flow of lava. Later, we got to go to Washington’s mom’s farm, and learned how to chop down a banana tree, then we hiked up the hill to eat. Afterwards, we stopped by some sinkholes, which were also pretty neat.

1/18/12

            Today is our last day in the Galapagos, and after loading our stuff into the bus, we set out for the ferry to take us back to Baltra. Before getting on the ferry, we had to say our final goodbyes to Washington, which was hard to do. After saying our goodbyes and boarding the ferry, we came to Baltra, where we boarded another bus headed for the airport, and after a small wait, we were in the plane on the way to Quito.

            We didn’t get in to Quito until near dark, so once we got to the hotel, we didn’t dare go back outside, so most people went to bed pretty early.

1/19/12

            Today we went on a tour of Quito, where we saw some Cathedrals, and eventually came to the Equator monument. They had demonstrations that claimed to show the differences between the Northern and Southern hemisphere, though we all knew that they were just gimmicks for the tourists. After that, we went to the mall to get food, after which we headed back to the hotel to get money for the market. The market was an unusual experience for me, as any time you try to look at anything someone immediately comes up to try to sell it to you. There is very little privacy in browsing the selections, and I felt like I was constantly being watched. It was a little creepy. After making our purchases, we headed back to the hotel to rest for the rest of the night.

1/20/12

            Today we woke up, and after gathering our belongings, we headed for the airport. The rest of the day involved sitting either in airports or on the planes, and was pretty boring, but tiring none the less. By the time we finally made it back to Indianapolis, I was pretty beat. While I was happy to be back stateside, there is still a part of me that wants to go back. Like, now. It has been the best trip of a lifetime, and I can’t be happier that I got to come.