February 2022-
At one point we mentioned being unable to reach our newly purchased property in Pie Town. The snow and mud was impassable with our large truck camper, Fat Amy. This left us roaming around in the cold temps of January. So we made plans to go somewhere warm. We had missed the opportunity to go to Galapagos when we were in Ecuador back in 2019. Our budget just couldn’t support it at that time. But with the world recovering from the pandemic, travel prices were low and we had the free time to go. We had great dog sitters in Prescott and knew Pacha and Nica would be in good hands. We invited our friend Julian from Colombia to go with us. We met and introduced Julian when we were in Bogota https://slowcarfasthouse.com/2018/11/17/colombia-bogota-twice/ We also told you about Julian again when he traveled to Ecuador with us https://slowcarfasthouse.com/2019/04/08/ecuador-quito-the-capital-of-the-country/
We decided to take this trip without much planning. We booked rooms for our arrival and departure nights. We booked flights and prepared our backpacks. We packed as lightly as possible, but took our own snorkel gear to avoid rentals. But we did not reserve tours or commit to anyplace else during our three weeks on the islands. This lack of planning worked great, as we were able to visit each of the three inhabited islands and experience each of them differently.
Guayaquil- We arrived in this smoky, bustling city with jet lag, negative COVID tests and masks. We learned that we needed to carry our vax cards, as you could not enter a building without them. We had reserved a lovely apartment. We went geocaching in Guayaquil and strolled a few parks. After a night of rest, we flew to the islands.
San Cristobal- This is the island with the main airport. Most Galapagos visitors begin here, and move on to Santa Cruz by ferry. For our arrival we reserved one night in a hostel. We we smacked down by the heat and humidity as we carried our backpacks through town to our hostel Immediately we turned up the air conditioning and took a rest. But once we recovered, the first glimpse out of our room was amazing.
The next days were filled with sea lion antics, snorkeling, good food and sunshine. We found sea lions on the board walks as we wandered the small village. We found sea lions on the benches, reclining in the sun. We found sea lions in the public bathrooms at the beach. Essentially they have the run of the island. And they seem to know it. They are fun, but a bit of a nuisance sometimes.
The only touristic thing that we paid extra for was a boat tour with snorkeling and a lava walk. We saw a lot of wildlife on this trip including, sea turtles, sea stars, sharks, blue-footed boobies and penguins.
We walked to a free beach area for some snorkeling. These sea lions live there year-round. It was fun to watch them frolic. In the video you will see a group of smaller ones. These are the infants, and that is a day care center. One or two large females stay back to watch the babies while the other go out to feed. So adorable, right?
Santa Cruz- This is the most popular island for tourists to visit. Everything here costs money. Even getting off the inter-island ferry has a fee attached. Fortunately we had booked a few nights at a home further inland. It was fun to be with a local family and learn about life on the island from their perspective. We rode their bikes into town, but did not feel warm to the touristic vibe. We quickly transferred to the next island.
Isabella- The least developed of the islands held the charm we were seeking. Sandy streets, long white beaches, free snorkeling and affordable food. We found a cheap hotel ($15usd per night) and settled in to enjoy. We rode rental bikes to the prison wall and the memorial. We found the tourist limits and the no hunting sign. We walked near giant tortoises and swam in warm waters. We rented wet suits so we could stay in the water longer. We hiked to faraway coves to see more marine life. We found flamingos who did not care that we were nearby.
It was hard to leave Isabella.
Our plane departed from San Cristobal, so we had to hop, skip and jump on the various inter-island ferries to get back and prepare to return to the mainland. We left with sand in our shoes, animals in our memories and suntan on our legs in the middle of a chilly February.
We met street dogs and cats while on the islands. But we knew that our dogs missed us terribly. And we missed them! It was time to pack up and get back to our Pie Town Playground.
