En Ecuador, aprendiendo y viajando: Island Hopping (10/27/12 to 11/2/12)

Wow folks! ...I’m a terrible blogger. And also the internet on this island is interminably slow. But here I am, another three or so weeks behind in relevance! If you’ve kept up so far, you’re probably either my parents or Tara. If you’re not - welcome to being current in my happenings!

So let’s briefly cover highlights from my week on Island Hopping.

Who?

The entire GAIAS group of students, split into two groups according to the tracks of study (one group of the Ecology and Evolution students and the other of People, Politics, and Environment students with the grad school folks. In my usual cross-over style of operating, I am enrolled in PPE but switched into the Ecology/Evolution group for the trip to hang with Savannah.)

Where?

Saturday through Tuesday morning (October 27 to 30) on Santa Cruz in a hostel called Lobo Del Mar, and Tuesday afternoon until Friday morning (October 30 to November 2) in Isabela in a hostel next to a convenience store. 6 days exploring major attractions on some other islands as a Fall Break-type vacation after our third module of classes.

When?

Most of our activities started around 7 am each morning and lasted until around 4 or so, and dinner was always at 7 pm.

Why?

Because we’re living on a bunch of islands, yeah.

What?

Saw quite a few fun things. Mostly underwater, so I didn’t get any pictures of those... But here are highlights from my iPhone! They're a little out of order, and I apologize, but I have so little patience with the internet here...

Here is the outside view of our Santa Cruz hotel: Lobo del Mar

Somebody was confused. We found this exploring Santa Cruz a bit the first day we arrived (really the only chance we had in those few days).

Big papa iguana by one of the beachside restaurants.

The tiniest of tiny geckos that we almost stepped on going up the hotel stairs in Santa Cruz!

This was across from a restaurant that claims to serve authentic Chinese ceviche and almuerzos. Whoa, never had one of those before!

In usual Nick style, here's an incredible shot of some of the frigate birds (one male and one female - the red throat is the male!) that soared right by our heads on the boat to Bartolome. Bartolome is an uninhabited island that takes about 3.5 hours to get to from the main part of Puerto Ayora aka the big town in Santa Cruz. I didn't even have something for pictures on this trip.

On the way to Bartolome. (photo by Nick)

Red-billed tropicbird. (Photo by Nick)

Unbelievable breaching (aka leaping out of the water) manta rays that we saw on the boat as we headed to Bartolome. People aren't certain why they do this - Chelsea is thinking of pursuing graduate research about it! (Photo by Nick)

One fellow flipped 3 times in a row, directly in front of our boat as we rode. (photo by Nick)

Incredible. Just wow. (photo by Nick)

The iconic image of the Galapagos Islands, taken by Nick at the top of the "hike" on Bartolome.

We saw this lobo on a snorkeling excursion on Santa Cruz. I had my leg rather scratched up by rocks in the current, because I'm pretty useless in the water.

Cute barn owl trying to nap outside of the underground lava tunnel we went to one afternoon.

Before a different snorkeling excursion on Isabela, we went here.

And sea lions chill in the area where sharks sleep. They like to tease the sharks and make them swim.

And we learned this. (Our tour guide wasn't very good and didn't really tell us anything we couldn't read on a sign...)

There are tons of iguanas on this island.

Including buddy buddy iguanas. Hehe.

The lobos found a pair of sunglasses underwater, evidently dropped by a tourist, and chased each other for them.

Weeeeeee sunglasses!

But really. A lot of iguanas.

Peek-a-boo!

You can read all about Las Grietas on Keegan's blog entry. It's a pretty cool place. I didn't jump, but I did swim all along the length of it.

Iguana crossing by the iguana crossing sign. This was next to a hotel called Iguana Crossing. I couldn't get that in the shot, but it was a great moment.

Instead of joining the rest of the group in hiking to Volcán Chico on Sierra Negra like we'd already done with the Mountain Geology class, a few of us opted to go to see flamingos and tortoises instead. Flamingos are found on Isabela, but very few other islands. Fortunately, they were easily accessible by some paths near the hotel! They come to feed in brackish swampy areas and are a gorgeous, brilliant pink color when they are healthy.

Sometimes it is entertaining to watch clueless tourists.

Further along the path next to the iguana crossing are more flamingos.

After the flamingos, we go through a bit more foresty area and then a sandy path surrounded by island plants on the way to the tortoise breeding center.

And then we get to the tortoise breeding center.

Little tortoises and my hat for scale.

Baby baby baby tortoises!

Read about tortoises, please, and ignore the fact it is out of order.

Signs telling us not to eat the poisoning tiny apples are all over the trails.

Some info about baby tortoises.

Baby tortoises.

Tortoise fetus, held up by someone else's tour guide who explained that the eggs have to incubate for 5 months with no shift in position, and this is what they look like when they are about to hatch.

Why are tortoises endangered?

Bigger tortoises with my sun hat for scale.

Those same tortoises from the other side.

Big tortoises! We went to the center at just the right time - it was feeding day and all the tortoises were scurrying everywhere for food. =)

The Puerto Villamil beach after our flamingo/tortoise morning.

Iguana tracks on the beach.

Can you see the fat finch? It lives on the organic farm that we revisited for lunch after the rest of the group hiked to Volcán Chico. It is very fat, I hope you can kind of tell in this image.

This rooster thinks it is a tortoise. They live at the organic farm.

And instead of going to Sucre's Cave for one of the afternoons (since I'd already done it with Mountain Geology), Anna, Laleña, Savannah, and I rented bikes for the afternoon and biked to the Wall of Tears in Isabela.

One of the lookout points on the trail to the Wall.

View at the lookout point.

We spotted a tortoise in the wild! He was trying to scramble across the path as we biked by!

Please read here about the Wall of Tears.

View of the Wall of Tears from the top of it (there were stairs, no I didn't climb it.)

View at the side of the Wall of Tears.

Behind the Wall of Tears is what I called the Stairs to Narnia.

The view from Narnia.

View of Tortuga island from Narnia. Can you see it? The shell and head are poking out of the water.

Beach sunset on Isabela on our way back from the Wall of Tears.

Boobies at the lava tunnels, where we snorkeled the last day in Isabela.

Chocolate chip (cookie) starfish are iconic in the Galapagos!

I don't remember why I took this picture. It's a cool sunset and there are probably cool animals on that piece of land. I think it was crabs, boobies, penguins, and sea lions at the same time. But I can't see it on my screen. Either that or it is a picture of the sunset on the way back from the Wall of Tears at a place called "Love Beach".

Kari's creepy scary skeleton facepainting.

Halloween night! Mary, Meggie, and Kari as an apple, a tree, and a skeleton, respectively.

Ah jeez what am I taking a picture of. This was during a snorkeling outing again, I think at the lava tunnels.

Can you see the napping sharks at this Tintoreras? They are white-tipped reef sharks and they come here where the ocean flows into an inlet in a small island. Sometimes sea lions tease them awake, it's pretty funny.