Friday 5 January 2007

The Galapagos Islands.

Left Quito on the 9.30am flight arrived Santa Cruz about 12.30 It is warm here 30 degrees I expect, I was told that a representitive of the boat would be at the airport, the burd in the travel agents said it was called the Mabel. There was no rep. there was a chap who shouted Merak at me a few times but i said no.. Mabel. So there I am at the airport rather clueless what to do .. asked a local who spoke a bit of english and he had never heard of a Mabel.He said to take the bus , which I did, then he phoned Gullivers for me. I had to wait at the Channel, which I did for an hour, I then phoned Gullivers and was told to take the bus to Porto Ayora and go to a restaurant which I did , This all took a couple of hours, & who did I meet at the restaurant......correct!! the bloke who had been shouting Merak at me.. It was the same dizzy burd who lost my bag that gave me the wrong name.
Was immediatly whisked off to see some giant tortoises , there are over 2000 of this species on santa cruz alone. Lonesome George ( you must have heard of him? ) is a different species and lives on Pinta I believe. After the tortoises, which can live up to 200yrs and weigh 400kg, we went to see a lava cave, this did not involve getting wet I´m pleased to say, then to the port to board the yacht, I think it is a 50ft jeanneau but not sure. There are only 4 paying passengers on board, two aussies in thier twenties and a croat from Zagreb, who owns an hotel in Rovinj, or Rovjin i can´t remember the spelling, anyway I was there 18months ago, As there is undercapacity I have a little cabin to myself, We leave tonight at midnight, so there will be no more "epistles" for a few days. I tried to buy some cans of lager for the trip but they only sell bottles in all the shops here, it truly is a strange place.
Over the next few days I am hoping to uncover even more mysteries of evolution, wish me luck.
I will be watching vigilantly for Iguanas, both diving and ones that just jump in !! yours SS

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sam;
sorry to be so late in catching up with the adventures of a middle aged misfit. I am now fully up to speed having read the lot. Compulsive stuff ....... I should be working. It's a Sunday, a penalty I have to pay for living in the desert.
Pleased to add myself to your international readership (that makes me and Menzies).
Looking forward to more tales of derring do.

awra best
Hamish

Anonymous said...

Hi Sam, I must be a typical blonde as I left you a message on 27th Dec. so you will have to scroll backwards I presume.
Look forward to the next instalment.
Take care in your travels.
Sue (la femme de Hamish!!)