Day 2 - Bartolome Island (Pinnacle Rock)

All the islands are so different. Bartolome had lush green mangrove forest and barren volcanic wastelands. It was like walking on the leftover coals of a fire. The ground crunched underfoot. We climbed the 350 or so steps to a lookout point that offered one of the most spectacular views of the archipelago. The distinctive Pinnacle Rock on one side, the rustic remains of volcanic craters on the other.


Pinnacle Rock on the right hand side of photo.

It was windy at the top of the hill, hence the scarf tied round the hat fashion!

Day 2 - Santiago Island (Puerto Egas)

Following several hours navigation the previous evening, on Sunday morning we looked out through the portholes in our bedroom to see Puerto Egas on the western shore of Santiago Island (also called San Salvador & also called James Island - most islands here have more than one name)!

We took a walk along the shoreline with Bitini (the lead naturalist) and came across scores of marine iguanas, sea lions & sally lightfoot crabs. None of these animals seemed to care that we were getting up close and personal with our cameras. They have no fear of humans, things are different on Galapagos. With the isolation comes change & on these islands - both the isolation & adaptations have been extreme & therefore quite noticeable - this is what caught Darwin´s eye! One truly fascinating aspect is the isolation from predators including man himself. As a result the animals have not adapted to flee or shy away when approached - result for us!

Next we came across a sea lion cub that had obviously only been born in the previous few hours. The mother and her cub were clearly going through a bonding process. It was incredible to be right there to witness it. What a privilege. But the action didn´t stop there. A little further along there was an inlet where one could look down on the crystal clear waters. There, minding his own business, was a large sea turtle. This is what the Galapagos is all about.

Before heading back to the ship we had an opportunity to go snorkeling off the beach. 10 minutes later we found ourselves nose to nose with another large turtle, only this time all three of us were in the water. He came right up to me (Dave) & it became clear that I would have to be the one to get out of his way. I couldn´t resist touching his shell as he went past. What an experience. There were octopus and countless fish to be seen also, but the turtle stole the show.
Back on board for lunch while the ship navigated to the other side of Santiago to an Island called Bartolome.

Sea lion takes 50 winks.



















It´s a hard life!















How cute am I?

Baby Sea Lion











You you looking at me?

“Christmas” marine iguanas are identified with traces of red and green colorings!











Yellow Warbler














Sally Lightfoot Crab














2 unidentified species!

Day 1 - Santa Cruz (Las Bachas Beach)

Following our orientation and safety induction onboard the ship we departed on our first excursion to Las Bachas beach on Santa Cruz island. It was a wet landing, i.e. you were going to have to put your feet in the water. Upon setting foot on the beautiful sandy beach we were greeted by flocks of Blue Footed Boobies. There were also countless Sally Lightfoot Crabs scurrying amongst the rocks. "Quick, turn around, there´s a flamingo flying overhead".

Needless to say the camera was clicking like this was going to be our only opportunity to spot wildlife in the Galapagos. Thank God for digital!! There was a nightly session to decide how many pictures of the same crab, iguana or bird we actually needed. It was a great first landing and the sunset on the way back to The Eclipse was the icing on the cake.

It´s tough at the top!

Sea Lion "welcoming comittee" on the pier at Baltra Island











Sally Lighfoot Crabs














Look at the pretty blue feet...

Blue Footed Boobie













Do you wanna see an iguana?

Marine Iguana














Some Galapagos Archipelago facts:

Location: 960km of the coast of Ecuador
No of Islands: 13 large & over 40 small islands, islets & rocks clustered around the equator
Largest Island: Isabela
Discovered: Accidentally in 1535 by the Bishop of Panama
1st Documented Settler: Patrick Watkins, yes you´ve guessed it - Irish of course! Typical eh?

Patrick Watkins was a reluctant settler really. He had an argument with the captain on board his ship & was subsequently marooned on Floreana in 1807. Apparently he was a heavy drinker. Shock, horror. He spent 2 years there, growing vegetables and selling them to visiting whaling ships before stealing a boat and sailing to the mainland taking some of the sailors with him, however he arrived at the Ecuadorian coast "alone".

Galapagos Islands here we come...

Galapagos Islands, 29 September - 5 October 2007

The following morning our adventure started in earnest. On Saturday 29th Sep, we made our way to the airport with Peter and Carol and caught the 9.30am flight from Quito to Baltra Island (touching down for 30mins in Guayaquil). On arrival we were greeted by our naturalist guides. A quick 5 minute bus journey and we were at the dock where we piled into dingy´s (or panga´s as they are more frequently called), 12 people at a time, to be ferried out to our ship... The Eclipse.

Whilst on the dock we got our first taste of Galapagos's "wildlife". There were sea lions hogging all the benches. They seemed to delight in spreading themselves along the full length. There were blue-footed boobies and pelicans diving for fish, and there was the occasional marine iguana warming himself on the rocks.
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On arrival aboard the luxury cruise ship, "Eclipse", we were greeted by staff members who formed a guard of honour. The captain (Manolo) shook everyone´s hand and seemed genuinely happy to welcome us aboard. Impressed with what we had seen so far it was time to do some reconnaissance of this fine ship, which coincidentally, had spent the last 6 weeks in dry dock getting a full service/sprucing up.

The Eclipse is a 210ft expedition vessel that accommodates 48 passengers in staterooms, all with sea views. Fully air conditioned, the cabins are provided with fresh towels daily and complimentary bathrobes. (Picture of our room left).


There is a well equipped lounge for relaxation & for the nightly (powerpoint presentation) briefings on the days discoveries & the following days activities. In addition to the elegant indoor dining room, there is an al fresco dining area located on the weather deck around the jacuzzi. There is also a well stocked library for quite study and reading.

One of the most popular areas on board is the observation/sundeck, ideal for star gazing, searching for whales, or simply relaxing in the comfortable sun loungers. The ship has an indoor bar, outdoor bar and a boutique for purchase of souvenirs. And yes, most of that info was taken directly from their brochure!!!!

The ship was amazing. The only way I could describe the luxury on board is to say we travelled on a floating 5 star hotel.

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Breakfast was served at 7am & all meals were of a buffet style. Waiters would supply you with fresh juices, teas & coffees. We disembarked at 8am & were generally back on board for 11am when hot snacks were served in the al fresco dining area.

Lunch was at 12.30pm & was generally eaten outside by the jacuzzi. There was always a choice of soup & then we would help ourselves to the buffet & the waiter would escort you back to your table with your dinner plate. Afterwards there was always an excellent choice of desserts. Afternoon excursions started at 2.00/2.30pm and we would be back on board between 4.30pm and 6pm when more hot snacks would be served......

They would sometimes show movies between 5 and 6 pm in the main lounge. Over the course of a few days we watched the BBC´s latest documentary on the Galapagos Islands. The evening briefing was always at 7pm & the four, level 3, naturalist guides took it in turns to deliver this.

Dinner was at 7.30pm in the main dining room. Again the foods prepared were incredible and the dessert table got 2 visits on more than one occasion......

Each evening when we returned to our bedroom there would be a new towel sculpture waiting for us. We had turtles, octopus, and other Galapagos creatures. It was always funny to hear people enter their rooms as there would, invariably, be a gasp of surprise and delight. Another bonus was that the towel sculpture was decorated, quite frequently, with small chocolates.

The other guests on board were considerably older than us, the majority of them retired Americans. Everyone was exceptionally nice & friendly, we enjoyed the company of some entertaining couples. Those we dined with most frequently included: Graham & Margaret (from outside Dorchester in England), Peter & Karen (from California), Espie, Trent, Harriet & Ben and por supuesto Carol & Peter!

All in all a great ship with a great crew & a really nice bunch of guests. We had all the ingredients we needed for a great week in the Galapagos!!!!!




Claire "cut a rug" on the dance floor to the sounds of Guantanamera!

















Claire is un poco cansado, it´s a tough life!



















The GPS confirms that we passed the Equator!
























Some of our "towel friends" ....

Quito, Ecuador´s Capital City

Quito, Ecuador, 26 - 28 September 2007

In Quito we checked in Hotel Quito Antiguo in the new town. We grabbed some food in The Magic Bean & quickly went about bagging ourselves a last minute trip to The Galapagos Islands. The first place we checked had no availability until the 9th of October so we thought "Great, we´re going to be stuck waiting in Quito for weeks!" As soon as we walked through the door of the 2nd place (Safari Tours) who did we meet but Peter & Carol. I decided to leave the 3 of them there and see what "Happy Gringo" around the corner had to offer (a recommendation from my old SCUBA buddy Olly).

We all reconvened to discuss the available options but, truth be told, the 2 ladies had already made up their minds... they opted for the Eclipse, a luxury class cruiser www.eclipse.com.ec

The Tour Operator wouldn´t accept Visa because there was no time to ensure the funds would clear - we had to pay with cold hard cash. We had to come up with the full price within 24 hours. Fortunately there is a bank that allows cash advances up tp $10,000 on visa cards without charging commission. However, the bank gave us all the money in tens & twenties so we ended up carrying huge wads of cash back to the travel agent!! We leave tomorrow (Saturday 29th Sep) on what promises to be an outstanding 8 day trip, with an excellent itinerary, on a stunning boat.

With regards to Quito we really haven´t done any sightseeing yet. We have remained in the new town readying ourselves for our trip. We even bought some new clothes & Claire treated herself to the works (waxing, haircut, manicure, pedicure & a massage)!

We went into Quito Old Town that Friday afternoon. We enjoyed walking through the many streets and plaza´s whilst viewing the myriad of churches & colonial buildings. We had noticed on our flight tickets that Claire´s passport number was incorrect. Completely incorrect!! So, we left the Old Town in order to get back to the tour operators office and get it sorted out. Claire had no intention of being left behind on this once in a lifetime trip!!

The Market Town....Otavalo

Otavalo, Ecuador, 23 - 25 September 2007

The border crossing from Colombia was smooth & quick and before we knew it we were on another bus bound for Otavalo - 3 hours down the road. Whilst on this trip the bus was stopped by police wishing to check some bags. Claire's rucksack was removed and completely emptied as part of their check. Boy were we glad we had decided not to take that kilo of cocaine back in Colombia!!

We finally arrived at our accommodation, La Luna, almost 14 hours after leaving Popayan. We were tired and hungry....and there was no one answering the bell. We were 4km outside of town in almost complete darkness wondering what to do. Inside the large gates to La Luna was a dog the size of a small horse, I kid you not. So Claire decided that I should go in and scope out the scene!! Fortunately the dog, Milky, was extremely tame and placid and I found someone to welcome us in and treat our ailments (hunger & fatigue). La Luna is a beautiful hostel with large open fires in the bedrooms as well as the common areas. Bliss. We slept like royalty.

We had expected to meet a Canadian biker couple, Peter & Carol, but it seemed like we were the only lodgers. We had met them in Popayan and they were, supposedly, heading in this direction also. The next day, feeling like a million dollars, Claire & I took in a long walk that offered fabulous views over Otavalo & its surrounding volcanoes and lakes. We walked on what is believed to be an old Inca road, passed through tomato orchards (if the term orchard can be applied to tomatoes) and even came across a deserted bull ring. Whilst enjoying a late lunch back at La Luna Peter & Carol walked through the door. They had been refused entry to Ecuador the previous day. Apparently the custom official wanted a bribe.

Otalvalo is renowned as the site of one of South Americas most important markets. It dates back to pre-Inca times, when jungle products were brought up from the Eastern lowlands and traded for highland goods. The market is on every day but is particularly big on Saturdays. Peter, Carol, Claire and myself decided to walk down to town and see if we could pick up a bargain. En-route we decided to take a detour to Taxopamba waterfall. Again, we had a great day and thoroughly enjoyed the company of our biker buddies. Peter & Carol, 5 years ago, had taken their bike right around the world. This time these 2 Canadians headed south out of Canada with the intention of riding all the way to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina....and then ride all the way up again!

The market in Otavalo was the usual fare - beads, jumpers, hammocks, ornaments, etc. We bought nuttin´. As was our custom we headed back to La Luna, got the log fire going, ordered up a few beers and watched a DVD. We even brought blankets in from the bedroom for extra comfort. We had the whole place to ourselves.

After 3 days of luxury in La Luna we bade goodbye to Peter & Carol, even though they were heading to Quito also, and hopped on a bus to the nations Capital. I´m not sure when we´ll have a beautiful open fire in our bedroom again ;-(

Carol, Peter, Claire & Dave

Ipiales & the Gothic Church

Popayan to Ipiales, Colombia, 23 September 2007

We finally left Popayan on Sunday (23rd) catching the 6am bus to Ipiales, the border town between Colombia and Ecuador. Ipiales, like most border towns, is a bit of a dump but others had told us that if we had the time we should visit the Santuario De Las Lajas 7km outside of town. Since we still had a few Colombian pesos to burn, before crossing the border, we decided to go see what all the fuss was about.

The Santuario is a neo-Gothic church built between 1926 and 1944 on a bridge spanning a spectacular river gorge. It is a beautiful piece of architecture and has been the site of numerous miracles. We walked in and around the church and its nearby waterfall for about 15 mins but, alas, it was then time to get back in the taxi and head for the Ecuadorian border.

Popayan Take I & II

Popayan, Colombia, 13 - 15 September 2007
Popayan, Colombia, 19 - 22 September 2007

En-route to the Ecuadorian border we decided to stop off in the town of Popayan for 2 nights. However, the old-fashioned attractiveness & charm of the Colombian town coupled with the comfort of Hostel Trail Guesthouse resulted in us extending our stay to a total of 7 nights!!

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Popayan is a one of the most beautiful and treasured colonial towns in Colombia with white washed houses & beautiful lanterns lighting the doorways. The colonial architecture remained intact until the devastating earthquake of 1983 left only one of the many churches standing. A massive reconstruction effort followed, restoring the town to its colonial look in the monasteries, cathedral, houses, streets & museums.

We´ve enjoyed taking it easy here, meandering along the quaint streets, enjoying frappaccinos, espressos & brownies with arequipe (sweet Colombian caramel) in the classy coffee shops. Popayan is the main university town of the region so there is a young, sociable vibe to the town. We visited the Natural History Museum and enjoyed short strolls to Belen Chapel, "The Three Crosses"& watched the sun set on the hill "El Morro de Tulcan". We´ve been spoiled with nice comfortably sunny weather too. It´s all good here!

Our accommodation was top notch. A young, charasmatic Scottish couple (Tony and Kim) set up Hostel Trail Guesthouse. It opened July ´07 & is attractively furnished, spotlessly clean & uber comfortable. The rooms are decorated with captivating photos from their travels. Our room had a tartan bedspread & the photos on the wall include pics from Calton Hill (Edinburgh) & Isle of Islay - a ´lil touch of home! Kim made scones with jam & cream one day, it´s like staying at a friends house!

Originally we had decided not to make the 6-7 hr bumpy road journey to San Agustin, but after hearing such good reports on the archaeological site we decided to take that "really terrible, bumpy, unpaved road"! So we stayed in Popayan 3 nights, went to San Agustin & stayed 3 nights then returned to Popayan & stayed another 4 nights! We could stay here for a month, but alas, we must keep moving. Time is rolling on very quickly now and we need to be in Cusco, Peru, for October 30th for the Inca trail.

The Renault 4 is the car of choice in Popayan!

Shakira Shakira

Ok, I guess the title caught the attention of the red blooded males out there! Believe it or not there´s room for more than one Shakira in Colombia....

We had the option of visiting remote sites with Marino on a full day jeep tour BUT all 4 of us (Dave, Teddy, John & myself) agreed we couldn´t handle another full day in the company of the Jeffmeister! He wasn´t too happy as it meant he had to put his hand in his specially tailored hidden trouser pocket & pay for the full trip himself!

Dave & I decided to walk to La Chaquira. All we knew was that it was a picturesque place. Rene drew us a rough map & away we went. It was about an hours walk along lonely paths & I don´t think we would´ve done it if we´d known that the FCO.GOV.UK travel website has San Agustin & it´s surrounding areas labelled as no-go areas for British tourists! Kim told us that the area is still partly Guerilla controlled & up until recent years they would stop buses at road blockades. Ignorance is bliss.

What awaited us was a precipice that jutted out overlooking the valley of the Rio Magdalena. The views were spectacular up & down the valley basin. There were also a number of large rock carvings. La Chaquira is carved in a rock off a cliff. Needless to say we had the place to ourselves (I guess most people follow FCO advice)! It was so picture-skewy that we got comfy - took off the boots, settled down to read our books while popping up our heads now & again to admire the vista. We must´ve been there for over an hour when a local, who we had passed earlier appeared. He had gotten a little worried about us, he told us cameras had been stolen from tourists in this place - time for us to head back to town.

Whilst out on our walk we also met a guy (Carlos) who offered to take us to a cocaine kitchen where the stuff is actually processed from leaves into the white stuff. We didn't spend too long with him but later we met up with Teddy & John & decided all four of us would do the trip! So John & Dave headed up to Carlos´ house. This was the story: Each person pays approx 20 Euro. You get taken to the secret location & you can take pictures of the "cocineros" (cocaine cooks) but only below the head. And..... here comes the corker, each couple gets a kilo of cocaine to take away with them!!! John speaks fluent Spanish, so after he picked his jaw up off the floor he had to ask the guy for a second time if he was hearing it correctly. Now, apparently you can carry 25 g of cocaine (for personal use) in Colombia! I wonder what the penalty is for carrying 40 times that across the border into Ecuador. We decided to pass on that tour.

On 11 Sep 07 police in Colombia captured the man they regard as the country's top drug baron, Diego Montoya - see photo above.

3 Days pass very quickly & before we knew it we were back on the bus to Popayan - funny thing is we were being thrown around like rag dolls. The ride was really, really bumpy - now we appreciated what people had been saying. But in reality it was more funny than anything else, every few minutes we´d fly off our seats. Following the experience I´d suggest that the larger cup sized lady should be sure to don a sports bra for the journey.

The Mysterious Statues at San Agustin

San Agustin, Colombia, 16 - 18 September

The trip to San Augustin didn´t turn out to be nearly as bumpy as we had been led to believe. A flat tyre did have to be changed but this was done with surprising efficiency. On arrival in San Augustin we walked the 15 minutes to our accommodation at "Finca Ecológica El Maco" (recommended to us by the Scots (from Popayan)) & it didn´t disappoint. What did disappoint however, was the fact that Jefferson, an LA accountant we first met in Popayan, was standing at the reception desk when we arrived. The guy is in his mid-fifties and sooo annoying.

He speaks Spanish & Portuguese and takes every opportunity to remind you that he speaks "fluent" Spanish & Portuguese. But it´s not just that. I could write a volume on his annoying & tight-fisted ways. However, if I found him annoying, Claire was fit to explode. The guy really got up her nose. Meanwhile, Jefferson, oblivious to our feelings, was delighted to see us arrive and decided to sit & spend the remainder of the evening with us (regardless of the fact that we had a candle-light 2 person table for dinner - he stood over us & watched us eat every mouthfull). Aghhh!!

The finca is run by Rene (Swiss guy) & his Colombian wife (Paloma). It really is a beautiful & relaxing location & the rooms are pretty unique. We stayed in our own little Chalet & enjoyed the delicious food prepared by Paloma: breakfasts with organic yoghurt & wholemeal bread & Thai curry & chocolate/strawberry crepes for dinner (ok, not very trad Colombiano affair but very very tastey)!

The next day, Claire, myself, Jefferson (hard man to shake off) and 2 other Americans (Teddy and John) hired a guide (Marino) to take us to, & around, the archaeological park. San Agustin is referred to as the archaeological centre of Colombia. Marino was a really nice fellow &, as it was market day, he insisted on taking us first into town to experience all that the market had to offer. It was fascinating watching all the camposino´s (farmers) trade their wares. Marino bought some exotic fruit that he shared with us later in the day.

Next it was back in the jeep and on to Parque Arqueologico San Agustin. It is a fascinating place for a number of reasons. First is that the park is clearly tourist-ready but very....very, few tourists actually come. The second is that the park itself is a great place to wander about. It is filled with stone carvings of human-like, human/animal hybrid-like, and animal-like creatures. The sculptures are about 5 thousand years old and there is even evidence here of human settlement dating back to 33 thousand years BC!! We had a fantastic day taking in the beautiful scenery of the park, learning about the history and symbolism of the sculptures & trying to unravel some of their mysteries. What civilisation carved these sculptures? Why did they die out? Why so many? Why here? I think I was about to have a moment of clarity where all these answers came flooding to my mind when Claire gave me a huge nudge saying "stop your daydreaming knucklehead" & I lost my train of thought. Oh well.



Claire enjoys some freshly prepared "sugar cane" drink with Marino.

Processing of the sugar cane to make the drink.