ECUADOR: TRAVELING TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AND VISITING BALTRA AND SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS

 March 21, 2022

After our full day in Quito, we were ready to head to the Galapagos Islands. Our hotel in Quito was one or two blocks from the airport, and the hotel had a shuttle ready for the eight of us at 7:00 AM. There were some confusing things to do at the airport, like have our bags run through x-ray before security as well as fill out some forms in a different location of the airport. It was by no means a clear process.

The Galapagos Islands straddle the equator 563 miles west of continental Ecuador. Flights leave for the islands from Guayaquil, so we had to fly there first (45 minute flight). It was fun to see the Guayaquil LDS Temple both on landing and take-off.

The second leg of the flight, from Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands, was about 1.5 hours. This map isn't to scale (the islands are MUCH smaller in relation to the continent), but it at least gives a good idea of the location and number of the islands. There are 13 major islands and more than 100 smaller islands in the chain.

Map from here

Two airports are used for tourism in the Galapagos. We landed at the one on the island of Baltra, a tiny desert island separated from the much larger island of Santa Cruz by a narrow channel. (The other airport is on the island of San Cristobal.)

We disembarked old-style down a flight of stairs wheeled up to the plane.

The airport itself is quite small.

After two long years of pandemic waiting, we were very excited to finally be on the Galapagos Islands!

The island of Baltra is perfect for an airport--but not much else. It is a hot, flat, seemingly barren wasteland dotted with cacti and windmills. From the windows of our bus we did see one huge, lazy iguana sunbathing at the side of the road.

Someone has a sense of humor. Either that, or Big Brother is watching all the tourists!

The goal was to get off the island ASAP. The bus took us to a ferry that would take us to the much larger and more interesting island of Santa Cruz.

Note the tiny island of Baltra on the northern tip of Santa Cruz. 

Map from here

It didn't take long to cross the channel. The ferry station on Santa Cruz was fairly non-descript:

. . . except for someone who was napping on the dock. Can you see him?

He didn't move even a whisker the whole time we were there.

Talk about a shift in terrain between Baltra Santa Cruz. Wow! It's hard to believe they are such close neighbors. The first indication we were in Darwin-land was a painted rock that translates as "Don't touch the tortoises."

First stop: Primicias Ranch, a Tortoise Reserve.

As soon as we arrived, we could see a few tortoises cruising around a grassy field. Apparently they congregate in this area during their migration between the coast and the highlands because the conditions are just right. (By the way, Galápago is an old Spanish word for "tortoise.")

The woman on the right is the naturalist that stayed with us during our visit
to the Galapagos Islands. Her name is Fernanda, and she was excellent.

It was exciting to see these near-mythical reptiles in their natural habitat, roaming free as Darwin would have seen them. It was definitely one of those "Pinch me! Am I really here?" travel moments. Because the islands are part of UNESCO's World Cultural and National Heritage list, they are protected from any kind of destruction.

These creatures are HUMONGOUS. What an absolute thrill to see them!

The tortoises are especially fond of guava, and we saw several chomping on the fruit that had fallen to the ground.

If we were around them long enough, I'm sure we'd be able to identify each one by its size and unique shell.

There were also a few shells on display.

Children are encouraged to crawl inside to see what it feels like to be a tortoise. Our kids took advantage of the unique opportunity.

Bob had purchased a hat at REI before we left, but lost it in Mindo. Fortunately, Primicias Ranch had a little shop that sold touristy stuff, and Bob got this chic blue-footed booby hat.  I don't know if every hat comes with a gecko, but his did.

Somehow reptiles seem to know that Bob is a friend. This gecko leapt from his hat to his shoulder and crept around to the back of his neck before Bob swatted it off.

On our way out, we saw two tortoises being suspiciously affectionate.

Before leaving the area, we stopped at some lava tunnels.

We descended into the dimly lit tube, one of many on the island, and listened to Fernanda's explanation of the geologic processes that formed it.

Looking back up to our entry point . . . and down the length we did not have time to explore. The tunnel was quiet and cool, with no hint of the violence that created it.

Our last stop on Santa Cruz Island was Puerto Ayora, located on the southern tip of the island. With 12,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous town in the Galapagos Islands. For some reason I thought the islands were basically uninhabited, and I was surprised to learn there was a town of any size.

We had a little time to wander around and do some shopping/eating. First we took note of this tsunami evacuation sign--just in case. 

The street that runs along the coast, Avenida Charles Darwin, is crowded with shops, street vendors, banks and other buildings, and even a church or two. This is the Parroquia Franciscana Santa Marianna.

I love the illustration-style tortoise mural and the somber bronze statue of St. Francis holding a bird in his right hand and petting a wolf with his other hand.

The inside reminds me of some of the churches we saw in the Caribbean--very open and airy.

A little further down the street is a giant stone Galapagos iguana in front of cacti "trees" that resemble California palms.

After our great success with street food in Mindo, Bob had to try the shredded pork stand. It was okay--not quite as moist and flavorful as what we had sampled in Mindo.

Several of the ladies in our group bought a nativity or Christmas tree ornament in one of the shops. I love mine.

In addition to the aforementioned iguana sculpture. there are lots of nods to the unique wildlife on the islands.

We waited on the pier for transport to our boat, but we had a hard time finding a place to sit because many of the benches were already taken by locals.

Even some of the locals couldn't get a seat on a bench.

A rubber raft with a motor arrived to take us out to our boat. Here are some of our wonderful shipmates.

Which catamaran is ours?

Brian and Bob look happy to be on the water, but I was happy to see this nice, comfortable bed in our room.