Galapagos Island notes

For those who want to know....

   I would say that most backpackers skip the Galapagos because they say it is too expensive. I probably spent about 6 weeks of my normal travel budget in the 10days I was there. But I am really glad I did it, and in all reality it is cheaper for me to do it now than to fly back to Ecuador in the future to do it. I also could have done it a lot cheaper if I did short trips from the Islands of Santa Cruz, Isabella and San Cristobel, but I took a cruise in a reasonable boat.

Flight: Guayaquil - Balta, Balta - Quitom with student discount $440.
Island taxes $110.
Accomodation in Puerto Ayora $10 per night. First place I paid this, shared with Paul (fellow Aussie I met as we got off the plane), private room, in nameless place. Then after the tour we paid this for beds in dorm at Hotel España.
Meals: (Typically) Breakfast $3, Set Lunch (Soup, Main, Drink) $3-4, Dinner $5.
Cruise: Paul and I cut back a 8 day cruise to a 6 day/6 night, it was priced at $140 a day (last minute) and so by cutting off day 1 and day 8 we saved $280 on the tour price. Day 1 would have been a trip to the highlands, and Paul and I hired a taxi to take us for this for $17 between the 2 of us. Day 8 would have been a trip to the Darwin Research center. Paul and I walked out to this and listened to other groups guides (including the National Geographic guides!). Entry was free.
6 day 6 night cruise on Aida Maria $840, all included, unless you wanted alcohol.

On choosing a boat.... I was lucky because I our boat had this and I didn´t think about it before hand, but I really think you want your boat to have outdoor shade for sitting in, so keep that in mind if you ever think about doing this trip.

please feel free to ask questions.

Galapagos Islands Misc photos.

Galapagos Islands
20-30 April 2010

Misc Galapagos Photos...

Penguins

Sally Lightfoot Crabs

Some island are only 5 million years old... so not a lot growing yet.

The Blue footed boobie... the name comes from the Spanish "Bobo" for clown. They are really cute and seem rather stupid.

The Prickly Pear cactis have evolved differently on different islands... on island where tortoises eat them they grow tall with trunks.

Waved Albatross.

Me, still the whitest tourist around.

Sending postcards in the Post office barrel... just like the old system used by ships, I left my postcards to be delivered by another tourist. I picked up one to deliver to Kenmore (time isn´t an issue with this system)

Galapagos Islands Iguanas

Galapagos Islands
20-30 April 2010

   The Galapagos are also famous for Iguanas. 2 types of land iguana and a marine iguana.

The Marine Iguanas like a careful balance of heat for there bodies... here they are huddled in the shade.

Marine Iguanas are very tough looking dudes.

If you look very carefully you will see a Marine Iguana swimming.

land Iguana... fine looking fellow.

Lava Lizard sitting on an Iguanas back.... the lizard eats the lice and ticks from the Iguana.

This was one of the best land iguanas I saw... really great camo clours happening.

Galapagos Islands Landscape photos.

Galapagos Islands
20-30 April 2010

Landscape Photo´s

Bit hard to tell from the distance, but I think the boat on the left was mine.... called Aida Maria.

Lava forms interesting patterns.

Sunset over the prickly pear cacti.

Tortoises in the Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands20-30 April 2010

   Perhaps the most famous animal of the Galapagos Islands is the Giant Galapagos Tortoise. I was always a big fan of Harriet, so much so that when she passed away Mum had to write and tell me (I was in Guatemala, I think), I don´t think she wrote and told me about Steve´s death. (Harriet was a Galapagos Tortoise taken by Charles Darwin to England, but the climate in England didn´t suit Harriot (who would have thought it!?), so after a while they took her to Brisbane to live. The story goes that she roamed freely in the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, but people aren´t very responsible and so it  was eventually decided it would be better that she went to a zoo. And so, Harriet was moved to Australia Zoo.... the one Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter) owned. Her favourite food was hibiscus flowers.)

In the Charles Darwin Research centre, ne and a big Tortoise.

Me being a tortoise.

One in the wild.

Sea Lions in the Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands
April 20 - 30, 2010

Well, I loved the Galapagos, but most of all I loved the Sea Lions. These are Galapagos Sea Lions, I also saw Fur Sea Lions there (which I read a book calling them Fur Seals, but techinically they are Sea Lions, and the book did say this. Our Galapagos guide said they were Fur Sea Lions, so I´m calling them that.)

The excitement of swimming with Sea Lions still hasn´t dulled in my mind. Be sure to read my hand written post!

My first afternoon I thought I would take a seat at the sea front and take in the scene, but the seat was taken.

Then I took a stroll and where they bring in the catch and sell it, I found the sea lions "helping out". Still, the fisherman seemed good natured about it.

Sometimes the sea lions were right in the middle of the path where you wanted to walk. They didn´t much mind any inconvenience caused.

Take a swim, laze on the beach. The reason while you can get so close to the sea lions, and other animals in the Galapagos, is that the Galapagos never had any land based predators to threaten them, and so they never learnt to be afraid on land, they also evolved to suit this. This threat is changing with feral cats now a problem and I believe there are also dogs on the islands.

The Sea Lion cub is so over it!

Group kiss (well the flippers aren´t long enough for a hug)

Another day in paradise just about done.

Galapagos Islands!

Galapagas Islands
20-30 April 2010
I hand wrote a blog while I was in the Galapagos....

Oops, writo, I flew to the Galapagos on Tuesday. This one Sunday 25th April, 6am.

end of first part.

Continued at 8am.