My Galapagos dream
The Galapagos Archipelago consists of 14 large islands (greater than 10km2) and more than 120 smaller islets and rocks. It is well isolated from other land masses – South America is 960km away and Coco Island, Central America, is 720km away. The total land mass is 8,000km2 and the marine reserve is 138,000km2.
In April 2006 I managed to co-ordinate annual leave, finances and a tour company that would organise a trip to the Galapagos that would meet my needs. I had dreamt of travelling there since learning about Charles Darwin and The Origin of species during Biology A level so it was a very long time coming.
I was soon to discover that actually getting to and from the islands would be an odyssey in itself!
It started with a 40 minute flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam, then a nine hour flight to Bonaire, Dutch Antilles for a refuelling stop. Another two and a half hours to Guayaquil, Ecuador, the country’s biggest city and main port, and a further half hour to Quito, the capital. (The return journey completed the loop via Guayaquil.)
A brilliant hotel for recovering
I stayed two nights in the Café Cultura Hotel, right in the centre of town. This wonderful place was my bolt-hole for recovery after travelling from the UK.
The former home of one of Quito’s oldest families, it subsequently became the French Cultural Centre. A post-colonial building with whitewashed walls and traditional terracotta roof, it is surrounded by a beautiful lush garden with resident hummingbirds.
Inside is wood panelled floors and deep sofa comfort. Fires are lit every night in the large stone fireplaces, creating a cosy comfortable atmosphere. Modern frescoes have been painted on the walls, most notably on the main staircase. The restaurant food and service could not have been bettered in any five star establishment anywhere in the world.
Here I gathered my strength for the expedition to the Galapagos and looked forward to returning before flying home.
From 2,743m to sea level
I had the opportunity to go out and see a bit of the city. However, this was my first time at high altitude (Quito is 2,743m above sea level) and I suffered some mild effects, making me feel somewhat strange, and I did not sleep well.
On the morning of day four I was taken to Quito for an internal flight to Guayaquil, where we changed to another flight to San Cristobal Island. There we transferred via Zodiac (rigid inflatable boat or RIB) to the M/V Galapagos Explorer II. Our main luggage followed later.
Explorer II carries a crew of 68 and 100 passengers, including Guides for the National Park (NPGs) of the Galapagos Islands. Transfer to the ship involved wearing a life jacket, taking a tight grasp of the Guide’s hand and jumping into the Zodiac from the jetty/shore/rock at the right moment.
This was how we got on and off the islands throughout the cruise. It involved a certain level of skill and several hairy moments when the sea was rough!
First stop the shower!
On the first day, during our transfer to the ship a seven-year old boy next to me proceeded to vomit all over my trousers and rucksack! His poor mother was so embarrassed and tried in vain to clean me up with a scrap of tissue. Duly christened, thus I arrived in the Galapagos Islands.
On board ship, in addition to that much-needed shower, facilities included a restaurant, piano bar, naturalist/research centre, souvenir shop, glass bottom boat and 24 hour tea/coffee station. Fellow passengers were a mix of nationalities and ages: British, American, German, Italian and Ukrainian, ranging from seven to 70 years.
Once we’d found our cabin our first duty was to attend a passengers meeting. We were introduced to the crew and the NPGs who would be showing us around the islands, then had a lifejacket demonstration and evacuation drill.
Getting our sea legs
The importance of this was highlighted by the story that the ship had rescued passengers from another vessel in trouble during the night, only two weeks previously, resulting in the crew receiving a commendation for bravery. I made certain that I knew the evacuation procedure and how to fasten the buckles on my jacket.
The Head Guide introduced the programme and how it would work, and addressed some of the wildlife that we would see. Thus life on board ship quickly settled into a daily routine, mainly sailing between the islands at night and then a mixture of landings, depending on whether your feet got wet or not when you disembarked. “Wet” saw us landing in the shallows and wading up the beach (sea shoes recommended) and “dry” meant getting off onto rocks (walking boots required).
Most of the time the sea was calm, but being rocked from side to side while in bed took some getting used to.
Beyond expectations
Everything you read about the Galapagos tells of the amazing wildlife, but I hadn’t appreciated how amazing until I went there and saw it for myself.
The beaches are covered with marine iguanas and marine lizards in a vast array of colours. Sea lion females and pups lounge in the sun while the males exert their territorial authority with their size and incredible roars. Sally Lightfoot crabs provide flashes of colour as they scuttle among the black rocks. Penguins sit and watch the world go by.
On Fernandina, flightless cormorants sit in the sun and dry out their pathetic little wings that have withered away with disuse over generations. On Rabida massive brown pelicans incubate their eggs in the nest in the salt brush right next to the beach.
In the dry interior of the islands, land iguanas and giant tortoises lumber along looking like dinosaurs, while a multitude of finches flit between the cacti and thorny bushes.
On Espaniola huge albatrosses make a big production of their courtship ritual.
The male frigate birds soar on the air currents, puffing out their massive red throat pouch to attract females while the blue footed booby does a little dance to show off his fantastic feet.
The scenery is not to be outdone either!
On Santa Cruz we visited a massive lava tunnel created during a volcanic flow. As the outer lava cooled the inner lava continued flowing. It felt like being inside a volcano. On Espaniola the sea shoots up in a great rush through a blow hole.
Bartholemew has a volcanic peak, 114m high, which was a challenging and vertigo-inducing climb through the cloud mist. Once you get to the top there is a spectacular view of Pinnacle Rock that looks like it has sheared away from the cliff.
All in all, including flights and transit time it took me 36 hours to get there and the same to get home, but my week on board the M/V Galapagos Explorer II was the most amazing thing I have done – so far!
Responsible tourism
Tourists have been criticised for going to places like the Galapagos Islands and destroying the ecosystem. However, I have nothing but admiration for the sensitive and responsible manner in which the Guides presented this unique national park to us.
It is through the financial support and wider promotion of the wonders of this fabulous place by visitors like me that organisations like the Charles Darwin Foundation are able to protect and continue to learn about this most precious World Heritage Site.