Galapagos Islands.... so much more than the wildlife

I can't remember exactly how old I was the very first time I saw David Attenborough bring the exotic and colourful animals of the Galapagos Islands into my lounge room, but I can remember that very moment when I knew I wanted to go there one day.



Galapagos Islands wildlife



I pinched myself everyday I was there, lucky enough to live a lifelong dream.  I am still pinching myself that I now have all these wonderful memories and amazing photos to show for it.

If you love wildlife and photography, this place is paradise.



Two male marine iguanas fighting over territory - Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz Island

 I could write a thousand words about our visit, but I have tried to keep the written part of this blog to a minimum and let the photographs tell the story. 

San Cristobal Island

In all we visited three islands, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Isabela.  Each a choppy two hour boat ride apart and each with very different wildlife, landscape and towns.  I thought we would have to trek for hours to see the different types of wildlife but there is an abundance on each and without much hassle to find.

We flew from Quito, Ecuador to the island of San Cristobal but not before they gassed the cabin with bug spray and rummaged through our luggage for fruit and animal products to 'protect the environment' of the islands.  

I guess as Australians with one of the most stringent customs systems in the world to protect our most precious asset, we could understand this.

The first thing that greeted us at San Cristobal were the sea lions, blocking our paths as we walked along the shoreline of the marina where multi-million dollar yachts were moored.  I am not kidding when I say they were everywhere.  Shading themselves from the hot sun lazing on bench seats, underneath boardwalks, in garden beds and even inside children´s slippery slides. 

It´s almost like you also have to ask for permission to swim at their beach and you may even have to move on occasion if you are in their tanning spot as they nudge you away.  What an amazing place it is when the sea lions rule the town, even if the smell is a little on the pongy side.

The sunsets are pretty amazing too but you have to be quick, being on the equator the sun goes down very, very quickly!



Sunset on San Cristobal Island

 Santa Cruz is the most inhabited of the islands with souvenier shops galore.  It is also where the Charles Darwin breeding centre is.  Unfortunately the most famous of its residents, Lonesome George, died earlier this year but his body remains on ice most probably to be taxidermied and put on a display in a new exhibit.

At Tortuga Bay we saw hundreds of marine iguanas, some swimming in the ocean, others on the beach but most huddled in groups usually a harem of dull grey coloured females to one quite striking male.


Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz

The only blue-footed Booby we saw on Santa Cruz Island was happy to pose for the cameras.  It was just our luck that a giant turtle swam by behind him.  You start to realise why they ask you to not use your flash when photographing the animals, we became a pack of paparazzi at times.


Blue-footed Booby peering over a rock wall with the shadow of a turtle behind, Santa Cruz Island

 Snorkelling on Santa Cruz didn´t disappoint either, we saw turtles, starfish, and plenty of fish.  A marine iguana also nearly swam straight into us which got the heart racing for a moment!




Snorkelling, Santa Cruz Island




Other sights of Santa Cruz Island

 On Isabela Island we trekked 16 kilometres return to the volcano Sierra Negra, the second largest crater in the world.  The view was worth the climate we endured of misty rain to searing heat.  It was simply spectacular.



Sierra Negra, Isabela Island



It was on Isabela we also witnessed the beauty of giant tortoises in the wild.  As we drove to the highlands we started spotting them in the long grass.  A very surreal sight indeed.



Giant tortoises in the wild, Isabela Island



A quick boat ride from Isabela Island is Tintoreras Island.  Here we saw thousands of iguanas which were mainly juveniles.  We also saw penguins, sea lions, turtles, eagle rays and white tipped sharks sleeping in the shallows.



Tintoreras Island



I think I have also experienced one of the most beautiful sunsets in the Galapagos Islands on Isabela.  Brad and I escaped to a quaint little bar on the beach, enjoyed a couple of cervezas and watched the sun go down.  It was our last night reflecting on the week and one we will remember for a very long time.

Thinking about the Galapagos Islands in hindsight, I guess I never really thought past seeing the wildlife, so seeing bustling little towns that thrive on tourism was a bit of a surprise.  Construction works in the main streets to upgrade sewerage systems and new tourist accommodation being built was a definite sign this place is getting more and more popular by the minute.  One can only hope the delicate balancing act of protecting the environment and the lure of the tourism dollar continues into the future.



Quito, Ecuador... the middle of the world

 Quito, you had me at two beers.

The first thing you notice about Quito, Ecuador is the altitude.

At 2800 metres above sea level and nestled amongst and surrounded by the magnificent Andes, it is quite a unique place.

Altitude sickness affects everybody differently and not knowing how our bodies would react we decided to go with the travel doctor's advice and take diomox while there.  I don't think I could deal with the hangover symptoms everyday if we were prone to it.  It was just not worth the risk!  We felt a little  breathless at times and the tablets made us a little tingly and dizzy sporadically but overall we were fine.

What makes Quito, which means middle of the world, all the more special is that it is on the equator, which although they have the wet and dry seasons, it is practically the same temperatures year round.

About 45 minutes from the town itself is the actual equator, and although a massive monument stands to mark this significant location measured by the world's best scientists at the time, the advances of technology have proven it to be slightly off.

Old monument marking the equator

GPS now says the correct location is 300 metres from the statue and has become quite the tourist attraction on its own.   Here tourists are given examples as to the affects of north, south and middle of the equator like being able to balance an egg on a nail, water spinning clockwise and anti-clockwise, sobriety test walking along a line and a strength test which somehow meant you were much weaker on the actual equator.  In all a quirky day trip and a must while visiting this part of the world.

New equator discovered by GPS

Another great day trip from Quito, is the small town of Otavalo about two and a half hours drive through the Andes.  The drive itself is worth the trip passing snow-capped volcanoes, deep valleys and small towns.  The scenery was breathtaking, so much so we didn't really care if we had a destination.  Otavalo is known for its Indian (indigenous) markets where  you can haggle and get some awesome souveniers like llama and alpaca ponchos, blankets, scarves etc.  They are also big on their silver jewellery and hammocks.  Ecuador is also famous for roses, you can pick yourself up two dozen for a cool buck!

Otavalo

The old town of Quito is world heritage listed and a pretty cool area to just wonder around.  One of the most impressive buildings is the La Basillica which rivals any I've seen through Europe.  The coolest thing about it though are the gargoyles which are statues of the giant tortoises and iguanas found in the Galapagos Islands.  We were warned about pickpockets in this area so we didn't flash the cameras too much and we didn't see too many tourists doing the same either, actually it was hard to spot the tourists.

Quito old town

Bomberos Quito

Ecuador is so much cheaper than Chile, and the kind of prices you would expect coming to South America.  Its currency is also the US dollar which makes converting really easy.  Ordering a beer at a bar is about $1.70, a main meal at a restaurant is about $10 and walking out of a convenience store with 6 litres of water, two tallies, a packet of chips and some chocolate set us back $5.00.  By the way, all you need is two beers to feel pretty tipsy due  to the altitude so it could quite possbly be the cheapest place on earth to get drunk.

While we couldn't quite bring ourselves to eat guinea pig yet which is a delicacy here in Ecuador and eaten on special occasions, we are also visiting peru which it is also on the menu.  The fact they serve it with its head and feet still attached makes my stomach squirm.

Off the tourist track, we made a visit to a bombero estacion (fire station).  There we were fortunate enough to meet an english speaking fireman Alex who very kindly showed us around.  Brad discovered the  equipment used is almost the same back home and the heirarchy is very similar, the only difference being the main station is military and that they have dual functions with being paramedics.

 Oh and I have asked locals about Julian Assange, to which their response is always "If the President says it is okay, then its okay", so there you go!

Next stop, Galapagos Islands!

Sights around Quito, Ecuador

Santiago, Chile... how I love thee, let me count the ways

Santiago is a gem to discover.

Jaw dropping snow-capped peaks greet you as you decend from the air, beautiful green parks where lovers canoodle are scattered amongst the city's high-rises, impressive architecture rich in history look down on massive squares where locals gather to dance the afternoons away and artisans and tourists co-habitate in eclectic suburbs.

Once you get over the steep $95 reciprocity fee Australians have to pay to get into Chile, you´ll fall in lust with this city and a few days is more than enough time to experience the best sights Santiago has to offer.



Barrio Bellavista

We stayed at La Chimba Hostel in Barrio Bellavista.  The streets of this funky suburb are lined with colourful graffiti art which brightens your way during the day but it's at night that Bellavista really comes alive with bustling bars and restaurants.  There is something for everyone but we chose to walk past the nighspots blaring Gangnam Style, instead preferring a more authentic South American experience at a tango bar with latin dancing.  I highly recommend this suburb for fellow travellers.

Barrio Bellavista is also at the base of San Cristobal Hill which at 300 metres above the city offers sweeping 180 degree views of the skyline.  It is also where a 22 metre white statue of Virgin Mary stands offering those who need it a place to worship but mainly just another photo opportunity for tourists.  The furnicular was not running while we were there so we decided to stretch our legs by walking the steep route to the top.  It was quite a challenging half an hour walk and not for the unfit but the views were well worth it.  We found the afternoon was a better time of day as the smog had lifted a little, but don´t expect crystal clear views.

San Cristobal Hill

Another great spot worth visiting is Plaza de Armas, which gives you a little perspective of how old Santiago is.  The Plaza was designed in the 1500s but most of the impressive buildings including the Metropolitan Cathedral were built in the 1800s.  A must for history buffs but it is also a great place to just people watch, from buskers jostling marionettes to locals dancing.  It is even a popular meeting spot for the city´s stray dogs to sniff each other out.



The sights of Santiago

One of the most amusing experiences we had while in Santiago was in a coffee shop/bar. What we thought was going to be a quick caffeine fix ended up one of the unusual highlights of our stay. You can either choose to take a seat or stand at the bar and get served by the most voluptuous women you have ever seen wearing dresses barely covering their boobs and butts. I actually thought we had walked into a gentlemen's club and as the only blonde female in the joint I received my fair share of uncomfortable stares. Brad's eyes popped out of his head and suddenly found a new appreciation for the coffee houses here and is seriously thinking of opening a franchise back home.

With limited time in Santiago overall, we chose to do the hop on hop off bus tour of the city for about 19,000 Chilean Pesos each which is about $40. It's definitely worth doing as you will see so much more of the city than you normally would and get off at all the best sights the city has to offer.

As far as South America countries go, Santiago wasn´t ´cheap´ so expect western prices if you come for a visit but overall we had a great time and it was an excellent introduction to the continent.

 One thing is for sure, our limited Spanish is only just getting us by and the most common phrases used so far are hola (hello), adios/ciao (goodbye), buenos dias/tardes/noches (good morning/afternoon/evening), habla englais (do you speak English?), no intiende (I don´t understand).  We are picking words and phrases up quickly though so hopefully we´ll be quite the linquists when we get home!

Next stop, Ecuador.

Why Dry July?

Nine days. 

Nine. very. long. thirsty. days.

That’s how long I have endured not touching the so-called demon drink.

What’s worse is that I have 22 days to go.

That’s 528 hours which is 31,680 minutes or 1,900,800 seconds.  Not that I am counting or anything!

Abstinence has got me thinking though.  Why am I doing it?  This is a question echoed from just about every person that has offered me a drink over the last week and a half.

I am not an alcoholic or anything, although you could be forgiven for thinking so with the way I started this blog.  It is not my intention to make light of a serious problem that some people battle with on a daily basis or the fact that many young Australians continue to binge drink at very dangerous levels.

For me I guess it simply came down to seeing if I could go a whole month living life as normal without giving into temptation or peer pressure to drink alcohol.

If popular culture has taught us anything over the years, it’s that drinking is a favourite Aussie past time and something we do when just about any social occasion arises.

In the last week of June my partner posed the challenge and I accepted.  What then ensued were several drunken nights drinking the fridge and cupboards dry of every last alcoholic drop.

I think this was a little counterproductive and completely unnecessary but we had a whole lot of fun doing it!

Things were going well until the first hurdle, State of Origin Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. 

Brad lasted three whole days.  Now I am on my own.

Indulging most nights in a glass or two of wine has become a habit over the years and also a useful stress reliever after work.

Even as I type, I am missing the familiar sight of a wine glass beside my screen and a niggling and curious feeling that something is missing from my life.

But apart from this, I have noticed something else that disturbs me a little.

Actually it concerns me a lot.

I have begun to decline invitations this month to social outings with friends particularly at night because, well, it’s easier.

I even declined a date night with Brad at a new tapas bar because I couldn’t drink wine.  Instead, telling him to book it in August.

What is happening to me? 

This is not the point of Dry July, for me anyway.  The purpose was to go on living life as normal, not change my whole life completely!

So given that I have 22 days to go, I can either snap out of it and pray the nearest bottle-o is still open or take the road less travelled and accept the next invitation to ‘drinks’ and begrudgingly be the designated driver.

I am still keen to see this through though just to say I did it but I feel the point of doing so is being lost on me by the day.

Reflecting on the 216 hours that have passed since my last sip I don’t see the harm in drinking in moderation.

Particularly if it means not turning into a hermit and getting my butt out the door to catch-up with friends.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere in the world, right?

Airports really are amusing places when you think about it....

This is especially true for the transit traveller who is virtually trapped within the confines of time forced to spend hours inside them carefully planning how to space out the next few hours with the limited entertainment available. 

And although you may think you're bored pacing up and down between duty free stores and newsagencies, try and spend a little more time people watching.  Yeah you can ride the 'Love Actually' wave watching people coming and going, smiling, laughing, hugging and crying.  This should keep you occupied for a while and you may even get a little choked up on the smog of emotion but it's predictability will have you pacing soon enough once more.

Try and look a little deeper.  Past check-in, through security and into the bowels of the terminal.  It is there you will find a curious social abnormality, one I have only just really noticed.  The business traveller drinking wine with his breakfast at a cafe at 6am and at the bar two bogans have dissed the food and decided bourbon was their breakfast of choice.  Only about half an hour later and on the plane a couple has ordered a beer and vodka.

And no one bats an eyelid.

What is it with aiports that makes it socially acceptable to drink alcohol at that time of the morning?  Anywhere outside an aiport terminal and I would be called an alcoholic cracking a bottle of wine for breakfast.  Nowhere else in the world are people clock watching more than airports so it's not like they don't know what the time is... so what is it then?

I guess it makes it hard to judge a fellow traveller when you don't know where they've been or where they're going right?  Maybe the time exists in aiports but timezones certainly don't.  Afterall, it is 5 o'clock somewhere in the world, right?  And that person swigging that drink may have just come from there...