We ended our Ecuadorian trip in Quito mostly because our flight out was scheduled from there. I get the feeling that everybody who visits Ecuador spends some time here. It’s not a highlight.
Given the right mood and motivation, you could probably see what you need to see in 2 days tops. It’s fine, it’s a fairly large city all-in-all, but because of the geography, it’s really long and narrow. The valley constrains in in one direction. As a result, each area feels like a slightly smaller city than it really is, but it is a pain to get around. Cabs are expensive, and traffic is bad.
We had our driver from our bike ride down Cotopaxi drop us off near the place we would be staying, the “South American Explorers Club”. We recommend joining the club if you plan to visit South America. It’s a great resource for you, not the least of which is getting advice from experienced gringos and getting tapped into some nice activities (like organized hikes, presentations, or bbqs).
The clubhouse was quite nice compared to the other ones we had visited (Lima and Cusco). We had two rooms and shared a bathroom. We found out later that Glenn, another guest at the club had moved out of one of the rooms so that we could be in rooms next to each other. Glenn turned out to be a super interesting guy.. he’s been traveling in South America for several years on a motorcycle and has made several films. One of his films he made about “Australians in Peru”, which chronicled 2 people, one of which is Jane the owner of our favorite restaurant in Cusco, “Jacks Cafe”. It was really interesting to watch it and learn more details about Jane’s history in Peru. The other guy featured was an explorer and also super interesting, though we never got to meet him in Peru. (though we did meet another explorer who used to work with him, and subsequently had a falling out).
The club was fun, and I think it was like 50 bucks for both rooms, which was a nice break from more expensive options. We enjoyed chatting with and getting to know the other “guys” (they were all single men), living at the club. The location is less than ideal being a bit away from the central historical district. It turns out to be on a dangerous street. At night, cars totally ignore the red lights, and simply speed down the road. We heard/saw wrecks two nights in a row. The second night, we were watching Glenn’s movie, and we heard screeching and a crash. After the movie, we looked out, and there were people standing around a guy who had been knocked off his motorcycle. You could see that they were solemn, and one guy was pacing anxiously a few feet away (and kind of hopping). The medical workers were not doing much with any urgency, then they loaded him into the ambulance, nobody got in with him, then the ambulance sat there for another half hour, and when it left there were no lights. The person was gone. It was such a strange experience to watch from 100 yards away through a window. So sad.
When we met John (the club manager), one of the first things we noticed was that he was “reluctantly helpful”. He had trained himself to execute his job function as host, but he was not naturally a nice person. We ran into this several scenario times on the trip. One of the first things John told us was “you can’t use 4 days in Quito”. Kind of an odd way to start as our host! He also proceeded to tell us about a great hike he had lined up for Sunday. We said “Great, we’re in”, and then he told us essentially, we’d have to wait until Sunday morning to see if there was room. He wanted to give priority to his “hiking club” (even walkups who didn’t RSVP!). We ended up declining due to the impracticality of getting the kids ready, packing lunch etc etc. It’s a good thing we did decline, because the bus he ordered came way smaller than he thought, and there was indeed no room for us.
We managed to have some fun in Quito despite all of the negativity.
1) We took the cable car up to the top of the mountain. Great views, but we didn’t spend too much time up there or do any hiking. The kids had spied an amusement park at the bottom of the hill, and were eager to check it out.
2) We went to Vulqano Park. I was a little concerned that at first, it looked like this place was mostly abandoned and was in disrepair. It turned out to be great, big enough to have some really interesting rides, but small enough to feel intimate. We bought a card and put 20 bucks on it. You pay for the rides by swiping the card (like a huge arcade). The place was pretty dead that day, and as a result, Kane was often the only rider on a ride. That was quite strange. Kat LOVED the bumper cars. We ended up going here again the next day, while Kim enjoyed some time to herself to do some planning for SE Asia and blogging.
3) We visited the equator. There are a few options for this, but we chose the middle of the road (not the ancient location or the huge government sponsored place). There was a neat “museum” there, and we learned a bit about the indigenous peoples of the area. This included learning how to make shrunken heads, and how to wear penis straps to avoid fish swimming up your urine stream into your ureter.
The highlight of the visit (at least for me), was the water vortex demonstration with the portable sink. They put a little sink on rollers, so they could move it between hemispheres. They put little leaves in it, so you could see the vortex more easily. First, they poured a bucket in on the equator. It drained straight down with no vortex. Then, they moved to the southern hemisphere. Here, a vortex formed, spinning counter clockwise. The, in the northern hemisphere (about 10 feet from the line), the water spun clockwise. I would not have imagined this could be observed so close to the equator! It was great.
We also got to try to balance eggs on nails (it’s easier on the equator), and the kids volunteered for a test where you try to resist your arms being pulled down (and it’s easier to resist when not on the equator)!
4) We toured Quito on a “big red bus”. Ironically, we ended up doing this on our last day there. The highlight was going to the top of the hill where the huge statue of the virgin is located. It provided a great 360 view of the town.
5) The rest of the time was pretty low key, messing around. Visiting the mall, going to the grocery store, going out to eat, hanging out at the club talking with the guys. The last day there, we decided to ship some stuff back the states (like school books, and winter clothes that we would not need in Thailand). We had enough stuff for two small boxes (perhaps 30 lbs). It was quite an adventure to find the post office, and then to find boxes to use.
Once we got our boxes, and took them to be weighed, we discovered that it was gonna cost almost 300 bucks! So we made another pass, and consolidated to 1 box for half the cost. We ended up giving the extra clothing to the lady working with us at the counter. She had kids and was excited to get some nice clothes. It felt like an accomplishment, and I really had doubts whether we’d ever see that box. (it did arrive!).
So all in all, Quito was fine, but if you have limited time to visit Ecuador, I can’t imagine you’d want to spend more than 1-2 days here. Compared to the Galapagos, the beach (presumably), Cuenca, Banos, Chimborazo, Quilotoa, and Cotopaxi, quito is just kind of an OK big city. I will say this, it was easy to find good food there…. Chinese, Pizza, Mexican (we had it all, and it was quite good).
Photos:
Some random cool art.
La Rhonda Street, very cool.
DVDs for a buck, here too. I don’t why bittorrent is so much worse than this?
Statue of the Virgin, we’d get closer later.
Independence Square.
Cable Car to the top!
It was incredibly stuffy in this cable car, but we were all excited anyway.
Wishing he could zipline back down.
Back at the bottom, we decided to go check out Vulqano Park.
This ride was “Free”, but the kids were not impressed.
She “Loved” the bumper cars. The last place we did this, she had to ride with me.
Brace for impact!
Circling each other!
Kane was the only rider on this tower drop!
Again, Kane a solo rider on this monstrosity.
It eventually, went all the way over. He loved it, but said he felt like he was going to fall out of the harness.
Mini-coaster.
Mini-ropes course.
Our “home” in Quito.
Fateful intersection outside the Explorers club. 2 wrecks in 2 days, and 1 fatality.
Crater with farming and “NO RAIN”. Moisture is all from fog essentially.
Funny to see this guy hanging out before his performance on his cell phone. Kind of like seeing the Disney characters smoking on break.
Shrunken head. They would not allow pictures of the best one.
Step-by-step instructions for making shrunken heads. Not for the faint of heart.
Penis strap to prevent tiny fish from swimming inside and “spiking” and “gorging on blood”.
The equator!
Kids in the North, Parents in the South.
Sink used to demonstrate the old clockwise/counterclockwise water draining vortex phenomenon.
Kane trying to balance an egg on a nail.
Believe it or not, its easier to resist pulling down when you are NOT on the equator.
Cotopaxi in the distance.
I did it! I am “eggmaster”
View from the roof of our place.
Quito Pizza
Shipping stuff back (at a steep price)
Mango Gatorade?
One reason for the timing of this trip… they still want to hold my hand!
I think it must be time to come home. Moments are starting to repeat themselves. We’re discussing the subtle nuances between fishing for Pollack/Halibut in Homer Alaska with catching giant Mekong Catfish in Chaing Mai Thailand. We’re reminiscing about similarities between the tropical rain forests of SE Alaska and Banos Equador. And, we’ve visited our 2nd volcanic crater that has turned into a breathtakingly pristine mountain lake.
Some friends that we met on our tour of the Uyuni region of Bolivia, had told us about a must see place in Bolivia, Quilotoa crater. A beautiful crater lake, with a hiking trail around the rim. We were sold.
Though our visit to Quilotoa was short, it was eventful. We arrived by Taxi, Bus, and Taxi from Chimborazo. It did feel a bit odd, getting dropped of by a bus in the middle of Latacunga (a non-touristy town in the middle of Ecuador) basically on the side of the road, with no plans for how to get to Quilotoa (about 45 minutes away). It was a simple matter of negotiating a “fair” rate with one of the available taxis. That simple matter can be complicated when you don’t know what’s fair, and the drivers are showing signs of “solidarity” in their efforts to charge a gringo tax. We worked it out.
The ride was nice, essentially winding around sides of mountains (volcanoes), and along beautiful farming communities in the valleys.
When we arrived, we found our Hostel (rustic but nice enough) and checked in. The place was conveniently located just steps away from the rim of the crater, so we bounced over to see what all the fuss was about. It turns out that we could not see much because of the fog, but we saw enough to be excited about the possibilities.
We walked down the street and found some pizza. It was serviceable, though probably the thinnest pizza I’ve ever had (you could basically see through the crust. It made Imo’s look like Chicago style.
Then, we proceeded to take a walk. We didn’t get far! About 100 yards west of our hostel, we could not help but notice a young lady, working diligently to dig and collect small potatoes. I thought it was pretty cool, given that we were 10 feet from a national park, 50 feet from the edge of a crater, and it was dusk and foggy.
We we walked by Kat turned to Kim and said “can I help her”? “Sure, go ask” The girl never ceases to amaze me. I told myself years ago that I’d never assume there was anything they could not do because Kane kept surprising me. It’s so easy to project your own limits onto your kids. I never would have jumped in to help a stranger harvest potatoes.
Kat went first, helping to grab up the potatoes that the lady dug with her shovel. Then, she started helping to sift through the loose dirt to find them. Kane jumped in to, and eventually Kim. I took the all important duty of photographer and dog whisperer (somebody had to do it). Definitely one of the highlights of the stop.
The rest of the night was uneventful other than meeting nice backpackers at dinner, and watching the hosts light our wood burning stove with gasoline.
The next morning, we had breakfast and walked over to the crater for a hike. We had decided to hike down to the lake and back instead of doing the rim. The rim looked a bit slippery, and we had not hiked to the lake at Crater Lake NP so…
At the entrance, an old guy stopped us to rent us some horses. Kim decided to get one for the return trip. She figured Kat would enjoy it, and they could take turns. It’s quite a little elevation drop from the rim to the lake (>1300 feet).
We blissfully started skipping down the nice path to the lake. Along the way, Kane wanted to climb everything and “go off-path”, we tried to balance letting him have fun and staying safe. It was gorgeous.
Near the bottom, the trail splits. To the left, you take a gentle slope down the lake. To the right, there is a path out to a relatively flat peninsula jutting out into the lake. The point looked like a great place to enjoy the beauty, so we did that. After 10 minutes or so of soaking it all in, we started down a steep and windy path from the point to the lake.
The guys scraping barnacles from the canoes seemed nice enough. Kat started the negotiation before I got down to them. After much deliberation, and 5 minutes of negotiating, we settled on the inflatable raft for an hour. Only problem was, she was not sea-worthy at the moment. Half full of water, and missing some air. The guys got right to work on fixing her up.
Once the boat was ready, and we were ready (with life jackets on etc), the guy changed the deal to 30 minutes. I don’t even remember what the price was, but it quickly became a principle issue for me. We walked. The kids were sad. I really thought they would call us back and honor the deal, especially after they did all the work to get it ready. Oh well.
We started up the hill. The horse we ordered was nowhere to be seen. They weren’t even on the path as far as we could tell. Kane was racing up the hill, and I was trying to keep pace. We ended up quite a distance in front of the girls. It was steep.
When Kane and I were 80% of the way up, a different guy with the horses went past. I was super curious how this was going to work out, assuming he’s catch an earful from Kim! When I got to the top, the guy who originally agreed to have the horses came by to try to shake me down for the entrance fee to the park (which we had already paid), and be generally chummy. I told him that Kim was not going to be happy about the horse not being available. He shrugged.
The girls arrived on two horses shortly after that, and I was “pleased” to find out that she’d not discussed the cost with the horse guy. (we had agreed for 1 horse from the lake to the rim, she ended up with 2 from partway up). He promptly put out his hand and asked for double the original cost. (it was probably 20 bucks vs 10)
I tend to roll-over a bit when I’m not in my element. The Spanish-English barrier had prevented me from really sticking up for my rights in the past. Not this time. I let this guy have it in both languages. I even threatened to involve the police (not sure why?), but I was on a roll. I tried to involve the orginal guy, but he was no help. He told me we were supposed to wait at the lake for the horse. That really fired me up, because he had told us 20 minutes and after an hour and 20, he was a no show. I let him have it too! His buddy did not give up easily, but he made a severe tactical error. He lowered his price to 15 and told me it was “normal”. Uh-Oh. That was not smart. So, why would you tell me that you just tried to screw me out of an 5 extra bucks? I stuck the 10 bucks (he would not take it) under the saddle of Kat’s horse, told him (in spanish) that he was lucky to get 10, and walked away.
Unfortunately, this guy had impeccable timing. He got an extra dose of me based on the accumulative effect of feeling ripped off for a few days (Chimborazo was a joke). But it felt good to come out on top, and to handle myself in Spanish too!
As a side note, for anyone considering a similar Sabbatical… I would try to avoid being a “tourist” as much as possible, and live in a few places for longer. I’d stay in small towns close to big towns for a month and rent a house/apartment. You can live MUCH more cheaply like a local than you can as a tourist. Get yourself out of the tourist mindset!!! It’s better anyway, but I digress.
At any rate, we had scheduled a cab to Cotopaxi for later in the afternoon, but decided to get going right away. I’d had enough of the place for the day.
Half way to Cotopaxi, we were back in Latacunga, and our cabbie got two calls on his cell. About 10 minutes later, he told us it was his wife, in labor with his first! In Latacunga! I’m surprised he didn’t take us to the hospital and tell us to find another way to Cotopaxi. The poor guy had now idea what he was in for. He may have enjoyed the delay? I wish him well, and was honored to be a small part of that moment for some strange reason.
I’m sure the hotel at Cotopaxi is covered in that post, but suffice to say here, it was an amazing place. A “mostly” rehabbed old grand estate (it was built by the founder of the town). I felt like we were living on a movie set!
Quilotoa is a place to spend some real time if you like to hike. You can even do a wide loop around it if you have the time. Just beware of the standard pricing games for cabs, horses, and boats.
This was as good as it got the first afternoon, and we had to hike down 10 minutes to get this.
Not as safe as it looks.
Good deed for the day! All Kat’s idea.
Brown Gold!
From my perch. I didn’t want overwhelm them with help.
This dog kind of liked me. We went for a walk down the rim (right behind me in the pic), and he followed me the whole way.
They probably thought we were crazy! These potatoes are strictly for their consumption.
Heating our room the old fashioned way… we burn it.
Funny, we seem to be about as happy in a Hilton or on bunk beds made of 2×4’s.
Better views in the morning.
We are headed down, and down and down.
Herder. She offered us horses, and we declined because we already ordered one for the return trip.
Trail was steep in parts, but VERY well maintained.
We “tried” to rent this guy, but they did the old “gain-n-switch” and we didn’t go for it. Much to the kids chagrin!
The horse finally showed up and kim took two. It was a big fight with the horse guy over price.
So Kim covered Father’s Day in Cuenca, Ecuador already. We need to fill in a few small gaps here, and one HUGE gap.
The drive from Guyaquil to Cuenca was really cool. We started bascially on the coast, and headed north and east, first into vast and wet farmland with Bananas, Cacao, and Sugar Cane plantations. Then, as we continued East, we got into the mountains and coffee. I was in awe at the stark contrast to the mostly dry landscape in Peru. Ecuador is beautiful! They’re also “way” ahead of Peru in terms of investment in infrastructure. It feels like a more grown up place.
My take on Cuenca is, it’s a really nice, colonial town. I’d put it kind of between Cusco and Sucre in terms of polish. It’s more polished than Cusco, and maybe a touch less than Sucre. For some reason, Cuenca has become a very popular destination for retired Expats. We heard there were over 4000 expats living here. As a result, it feels easy to deal in English, but it’s not nearly as touristy as Cusco. It’s kind of nice. Real Estate has started to get out of hand. Due to the fact that they use the US Dollar as their currency, things are more expensive here than Peru as well.
That said, nothing really “leapt out” at us here. It was a nice clean city, and felt safe. The restaurants and plazas were OK. It’s in the mountains, but it’s not quite as dramatic as Cusco, Sucre, or La Paz. The food was OK. The best part about Cuenca was probably the hotel we stayed at, and the family who runs the place. We had the best time talking with “Thor” (yes that is his name) who is a college student in Miami, and his grandmother (who basically wanted to adopt Kat). Also Ecuador was playing in the world cup at the time, and Thor was really into it, which was fun.
Besides cruising around town, and the zip lining on father’s day, our big adventure here was a long cab ride out to Cajas National Park. Kim had heard that this place warranted a guide (due to the cold and quick onset of fog each day), and arranged for a guided fishing trip. We were so excited. Then the guide bailed on us last minute because he needed to buy a car. I was so pissed! We ended up simply hiring a cab to drive us out, we visited the nature center, and did a great little hike around a significant lake. It was soooooo beautiful, and so great to get the kids out into nature again. We all took deep breaths out there. Also strange to be so cold!
Places like this reaffirm our assessment that being in nature is in our “DNA”. These pictures are great, but I just can’t convey the feeling of it. I’m getting a little emotional just recalling the sense of gratitude I felt in this place.
We had agreed for the cabbie to come back for us, and he showed up! 14 minutes late, he has no idea that we were 1 minute away from grabbing another ride back to town! We had agreed to stop at the “dos Chorreras” trout lodge for lunch, which we did (while he waited). The place was amazing, and the food stellar. No doubt the best trout I’ve ever had (I don’t care for it much). We had the place to ourselves, and the kids enjoyed exploring the ponds, fountains, and gift shop.
In summary, if you visit Ecuador, Cuenca is a good place to start your trip. It’s a nice, safe, “gateway” to the country. It feels remarkably like a town in North America in some ways. Then, explore the Mountains… Banos, Chimborazo, Quiolotoa, Cotopaxi!!!! Then, head for the Beach. Skip Quito!
Banana Plantation on road from Guayaquil to Cuenca
Starting to enter the mountains. It was breathtaking.
Another National Park!
Paper Tree, with cool peeling bark
Perfect conditions for exploring
And admiring panoramic views
You could tip-toe through these, but it requires tiny feet
Kane, tired from his solo hike up and down the hill
This place is very spiritual
Kane helped his sister over a tricky part down there, with no prompting, it was so cute
Love, Love, Love seeing them together, enjoying nature
We stopped at this lodge/trout farm for lunch. It was amazing!
I forget the name of this, but it’s basically warm “hot damn”. It’s quite famous here.
We stayed at a cool hotel called Hacienda La Cienega a few miles from Cotopaxi National Park. It was built over 400 years ago. We were able to catch a World Cup game, try hot chocolate with mozzarella cubes(never heard of that before), kids go to the hotel restaurant themselves and order a snack with their own money(they were so excited about this), and get a good night’s sleep with heat.
The entrance.
HallwayChapel-see Kat to the left saying her prayers?
Relaxing by the fireThere is the mozzarellaThere’s the mozzarella in my hot chocolate-not bad!
The next day, we met up with Dutchman Biking for a bike ride down Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the world’s tallest active volcanos. It is also known for its perfect cone shape. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so we did not see the top till a few days later from Quito. Cotopaxi has erupted more than 50 times since 1738.
Our best view of Cotopaxi
We spotted wild horses on the way up to the highest parking lot in Cotopaxi National Park. Our kids were so excited to see “real, wild horses.”
They took us to the highest parking lot in Cotopaxi at about 15,700 feet. It was freezing! The wind was whipping and the snow was lightly falling. The road was steep and gravel. At this point, I thought, “What in the world have I got us into?” Kat decided to ride in the van, which I totally agreed was best and after Kane got out and was ready, decided to ride in the van also. I really wanted to ride in the van also, but since I signed us up, I had to do it. 🙂 Only 27 kilometers to go!
15, 700 feet-bikes being unloaded and it is Freezing!See the glacier on the volcano through the fog?Ready to go…
Scott waiting for me…
About 30 minutes into the ride, Kane joined us. Then at the bottom, Kat joined us for the ride through the lava fields and rocks.
He’s off…
She is ready to go!She’s off…Cotopaxi peak is somewhere up there under the clouds.
During our lunch break, Kane and Scott went for a hike and Kat played on the swing set.
Our kids ended up having a blast biking through Cotopaxi and want to do more biking adventures.
Kane: I liked the part where we were going through the rocky meadow where I saw a fox. I thought it was a dog at first.
Kat: It was fun biking!
Kane and Scott went the extra distance to the snack shop.
Chimborazo Volcano is not only an extinct volcano and highest mountain in Ecuador, also the furthest point from the center of the earth due the earth’s equatorial bulge. We arrived just as the clouds moved out to catch an amazing view of this giant.
We stayed 2 nights at Chimborazo Lodge which is owned by a famous mountaineer, Marco Cruz.
View of Chimborazo from roomWe stayed in this building on the top floor. Girls had room on right, boys on left.Inside boys room
The lodge is known as basecamp for Chimborazo and sits in a valley below Chimborazo. It is fascinating to watch how it changes throughout they day(with clouds and sun).
Our first afternoon, Kane hiked up to the Cross by himself. He was so excited! He LOVES to climb! Later, we all walked up the valley toward Chimborazo and climbed on rocks that were left by the glacier, Kat and I played hide and seek in the tall grass and the boys climbed up the side of the mountain. The beauty, the energy from the land, time with my family… this place is so special!
Kane hiked up to the top of this mountain by himself. We watched from below.
Perfect place for Hide and Seek!
Kat found Mommy!Kane and Scott hiked up to the rocks while the girls played Hide and SeekSo cool how the clouds roll over Chimborazo.There is a jaguar on the loose!Can you spot Kim and Kat?
Kat had a blast with Suca, the dog!
Kat is in heaven playing with their dog, Suca. She followed Kane up to the Cross, us up the valley and has let Kat play with her and pet her. She is such a sweet dog! Kat wants to buy her for $100. Moments like this, I really wish we could get her a dog, but Kane is allergic to dogs.
On our second day, it was cloudy and rainy in the morning, so we had breakfast in the lodge, then played cards while Kat played with Suca, followed by school time in our rooms. After lunch, Kane talked Kat into hiking up to the cross with him. He was so excited and told her she must have water, needed her hat, etc. He seems so responsible! This is the first time that we have let him hike up a mountain with Kat alone. This is a safe place and we can see them all the way up, so it is good for them(still kind of makes me nervous).
View from our table in the Lodge.We love this game!Kat joined us part way through our card game after time with Suca.
Kat: Kane helped me so much! He put a bandaid on my hand because I stuck my hand on spiky plant.
Kane: We hiked up Cerro Chalata to the top which is 4,200mts. It was very windy and Suca, the dog, followed us up. Kat did a great job going up!
See the cross at the top? That’s where they hiked.They made it!
Having received mixed reviews from other folks we talked to in/about Ecuador, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Banos. Having little expectations + Banos Ecuador = Blown Away.
Having said that, you can’t judge Banos simply on the town of Banos. It does not have the old world charm of a Spanish Colonial town. It’s younger, and grittier, and less beautiful than Cusco Peru, Sucre Bolivia, or Cuenca. That’s the town. The location of the town is another matter. It’s nestled into a river valley amongst some of the most beautiful, lush, mountains we’ve seen. I was reminded of places like Hyder or Valdez Alaska. Lush rainforest, significant, but approachable mountains, rivers, streams and lots of waterfalls. It’s hard not to love Banos if you like nature.
Bus Trip and Arrival:
Last morning in Cuenca boutique hotel.
This place was so great! Family owned, and super friendly people.
Getting ready for another bus.
32 bucks total for the 4 of us! Rule of thumb is a dollar/hour.
Lots of this trip is through the mountains, and gorgeous.
Confidence builder… a chunk of wood to keep the bus from rolling away.
This, is Banos. The road from our house to town.
Musicians just walk into restaurants, play a 3 song set, collect tips, and leave. These guys were GREAT!
Breakfast at Casa Verde.
The other thing Banos has become known for is “extreme sports”. Tourists come here to raft on the rivers, rappel down the waterfalls, and jump off bridges to name a few. We happened to be here for Kane’s birthday, so we allowed him to choose… rock climbing or water fall rappelling (Canyoning). After much churning, nashing of teeth, and flip-flopping he chose the new experience… Canyoning.
The guys working at MTS were really friendly, and we enjoyed visiting their office to sign up and to get fitted for our wetsuits. We also enjoyed watching videos of the route we would take, accompanied by AC/DC tunes. We’d heard plenty of Guns n’ Roses (and lots of Sweet Child o Mine Covers) in Argentina, so I had a hunch. I asked the gal there if Rene (the owner) also liked GNR, she paused for a moment and said “well, his son’s name is Axel, if that tells you anything!”. Later, I looked up on the shelf behind the desk and saw a 12 inch figure of Slash for good measure.
The day we went to go Canyoning, Rene sent his son (the one not named Axel) to pick us up at 8:00. We went to the office to gear-up and to get some training. Rene took us through canyoning 101 on their rock wall. We also got acquainted with a guy from Austria named Peter who would be joining us.
The Canyoning experience started with a short ride by car, and a pretty significant hike up a hill. We hoofed it straight up for about 1/2 hour. It was actually a really good way to get started, as one might be inclined to get cold in the water in spite of a thick wetsuit.
We suffered through some “mixed emotions” during the first couple of rappels. The guides announced that the kids would not be able to do them, and would have to walk down with the guide. Kat was happy, Kane was dejected. I think Rene had told us this, but with his broken english, we didn’t understand. By the third fall, both kids were cold, and Kane was pretty down.
On the second fall, the guide told Kim and I that we were both going to go down together (two ropes). I pushed back as much as I felt appropriate, but he would not budge. It seemed as if much like golf, the group behind us was pushing us, and wrecking our course management skills. Of course, going side-by-side meant somebody got the more difficult route. They put me on the right edge of the falls, essentially where the rocks are covered with slime and like ice. 1/3 of the way down I slipped and swung over to the left, practically wiping out Kim with my rope. We did make it down, but I expressed my dismay at the bottom. This was my only complaint… we got a bit rushed because of the group behind us, which I think is kind of normal.
Kanes attitude did a 180, after the third waterfall, when he was finally allowed to rappel by himself. He loved it, and did great. The smile was a mile wide.
One of the runs, we rappelled down about 15 feet, then got to “let go” and zipline down the rest. The last couple, we actually slid down like water slides. One of them was a bit of a surprise, pretty deep at the bottom, but we really enjoyed it.
It was a great experience for all of us, and Kane was thrilled with his choice by the end. We were all glad to get back to the van, dry off, and change into regular clothes! It was a pretty exhausting few hours.
We celebrated with what seemed like a modest party that night at the B&B. Kim made our favorite lemon cake (thanks Steph for bringing the makings). We had a nice dinner, and Kane opened a few presents (movies, cards, money, and a certificate to jump off a bridge).
Canyoning and Kane’s Birthday:
If the wet suit fits, you must use it.
Makeshift harness… she’s too small!
She’s mortified, but happy for her brother.
In his element.
Renee, giving pointers to Kane at the practice wall. These guys were great, and let the kids climb on the wall for free a few times. “it’s good for business” says Renee.
Ready to go… with our new friend, Peter from Austria.
Kane, sped up the hill with the guide, and then waited for every body else. You can get a sense of the beauty of this place.
Perhaps a bit tense, but proper form.
Mortified, and overcoming.
Waiting in line on the rock.
Kat, tandem style.
Zipping
Happy Birthday!
Ecstatic!
Excited, Scared, Happy! in that order
Ready for the next adventure!
Kat bought Kane a cube for his birthday.
Piñata.
Lemon Cake
Very own cards.
Money, Money, Money, Money!
Kings in the corner.
He loved his 11th birthday.
That’s right, Kane got a certificate to jump off a bridge… it’s called “Puenting”. The Ecuadorian version of bungie jumping. The rope is not really stretchy like a bungie, much more ridged, but they set it up, such that when you hit bottom, you are “mostly” swinging rather than bouncing. Peter had mentioned it to us while Canyoning, and started the wheels turning. It took about 1/2 a day to convince Kim that we should try this.
Clearly, Kane was intrigued and wanted to do this from the beginning. I, being really curious about whether Kane would do it, had quite a few thought processes going on about the idea. I loved the idea of a super intense moment of forcing my body to do something completely un-natural. I also didn’t want to deny my son this experience, and I would never let him do this without doing it myself first. So, within a few minutes, I was pretty excited about the possibility. I also liked the idea of turning Kim from a staunch “NO” to a tacit “YES”… that is always fun too. I must admit I thought we were done for when the B&B owners told Kim about the local boy who died puenting, but it was a lower bridge, and accidents happen. Evidently, they let out too much rope, and he swung into the rocks. Any way, we chose the tall bridge.
So we stopped by MTS to talk with Renee about Puenting, and schedule a time. A funny thing happened, he said “how about right now?”. That was the first “moment of truth”. OK big mouth, you ready to go or what? We said yes, and jumped into the car with Renee.
We arrived at the “San Francisco Bridge”, and I was instantly taken aback by the “platform” from which Puenters jump. It’s built from re-bar, with a piece of plywood and PVC pipe. It’s 18 inches wide by 12 inches long, and simply hooks onto the top railing of the bridge. Thankfully, another guy was just getting ready to go, and we got to watch. It was a young European, and he set a good example for “taking it like a man”. I was inspired.
The 15 minute wait on the bridge was excruciating. I was happy to see two ropes and to be strapped into two harnesses. I asked the guy if one rope was strong enough, but he didn’t understand. We waited for Renee to return to his office to get his camera. I paced a little.
Finally, it was my time (so to speak). I got hooked to the ropes, Renee inspected the connection of the ropes to the bridge and gave me a thumbs up. I went to climb up onto the platform, and my legs were jelly. Worse yet, the grid on the handrail on which I was climbing was too tight for my feet to enter. I was climbing on my tip-toes. I was mortified, mostly that I would stumble and fall straight off trying to stand up on the platform.
As I stood up, the guy said “don’t look down”. I looked down. I’ve never been good at being told what not to do, maybe I can blame my intense curiosity. My breath was taken away by the view and the moment. The river was straight down, probably 3-400 feet below. Nothing but lush green hillsides and rocks funneling down to the water. I would never stand there without the ropes. The jump came in stages, mentally. It all happened in about 10 seconds though. All the permutations of choices and outcomes ran through my head. Ultimately, I did not want my kids to be limited by my fears (at least not in this regard). Stage one, resolving that jumping was the only option.
Stage two was a bit easier… deciding when to jump. I wondered if a delay here would be viewed by the onlookers as savoring the moment, or being chicken. I wanted to delay, and I did want to savor the moment… I was torn. Then the guide started to count.
Obviously, waiting an undue amount of time after he got to 3, would inexorably be interpreted as fear. This helps.
Stage three, though brief, was both the toughest, and the easiest. I had decided that my best option was to jump as far out as I could to avoid a “snap” at the end of the rope. I was fighting every visceral synapse in my brain to ready my body for a jump. It was “go time” and I really had to commit. It was intense. Once the final switch flipped, and I decided to jump now (and I let out a barely audible “Good God”), everything cut loose, my conscience was completely clear, all of those thought threads running to completion in an instant. For a moment, I was free.
I did have a momentary concern at the bottom, just to make sure nothing snapped. Once that happened, I just dangled there, swung, and felt victorious.
At the bottom, I waited for Kane, and chatted with the guy who throws the rope over to you, pulls you to the side, and unhooks your harness from the ropes. He jumps every day and loves it. He was also fun to talk with because he was the most curious of Ecuadorians.
The next jumper jumped, and there was an intense set of screams. I thought “I’ve never heard Kane make any sound remotely like that!”. Then I realized it wasn’t Kane. My heart sank… maybe Kane decided not to jump. The girl was unhooked, and I asked her about Kane. She said, oh, he’s jumping, he’s coming next.
Kane jumped, and if I wasn’t watching, I’d have never known. He didn’t make a sound. When he got down, he was ecstatic. The whole way back up the hill, he was just amazed and thrilled. He wanted to go again. It wasn’t until later (much later) that he confessed that he had hurt his neck. The guide told him to drop straight down (not jump out), and as a result, he got a pretty good jolt at the bottom. He still wanted more and was willing to pay with his own money.
We decided not to press our luck with any more punting here. The returns would be marginal anyway, and Kane could use his 20 bucks on something better.
But, it was the best 40 bucks I’ve spent. And, I’ll never get tired of watching the video of Kane, bravely climbing up, and jumping.
BTW, the photographer/videographers who offer to sell you photos and video for 5 bucks/person, absolutely will not negotiate on the 5 bucks.
Puenting:
Don’t need these, where we are going!
Not exactly straight down, but you get the idea.
Our Huckleberry.
Solid as a rock.
Contemplating what’s happening.
So excited.
Cautiously Curious.
Stage two… I am jumping, but when?
I’d imagine this is similar to the feeling when you do your first skydive.
There was nary a doubt in his mind.
So happy, and pleased with himself!
Another adventure here is place called the “tree house”. We took a lengthy cab ride up one of the mountains adjacent to town. When we were dropped off, there was no tree house in sight, nor sign. We were instructed to walk up the hill. A guy tried to sell us some found sticks for walking.
After a decent walk up a steep and wet/slippery hillside, we arrived at a path to the tree house. I think the tree house has been overrated. The house itself is modest sized, old, and locked up tighter than a drum. There is an old kitchen at ground level that looks like a trash heap. The famous swing is there, and after waiting our turn, we put money in the donation bucket and let the kids swing. After some vigorous swings, and some photo shooting, a guy came up, looked in the bucket and complained in Spanish. He took the swing and put a padlock on it. “We paid” said kim, and he left for a moment. He returned with an official memo that stated the swing was unsafe and closed for repairs. Thanks mister!
We still got our photos, but none of them showed the Volcano that sits behind this mountain… it was too cloudy and foggy. We got to see that Volcano later though so it was OK.
The highlight of this side-trip was the hike back down to town from the Tree House. It was long, windy, steep, slippery, and deserted. It was magnificent. The views were amazing. We love nature.
Tree House & Hike:
The swing at the tree house, large, and well placed, and (evidently) supposed to be closed for repairs.
There is our fav bridge.
Statue of the Virgin Mary. She was said to have appeared here by the hot springs.
I took tons of photos of flowers, but won’d bore you with many. Suffice to say, they were gorgeous.
Close to civilzation… there’s free range poultry.
Another reason for the mixed reviews of Banos, may be that the public pools (bathhouse) are pretty utilitarian, slightly gross, and not all that relaxing. If you came here for the spa, I hope you found something different than the public pools downtown! We still enjoyed the experience of waiting with the locals for the pool to open (while Ecuador was playing a World Cup match), buying our shower caps, figuring out the process by trial & error etc. We met some nice folks from Socorro New Mexico and tried to recruit some new fans for the Sabinal Sisters.
Another thing we “had” to do was a bus tour on a “chiva”… an open air bus complete with disco lights and sound system. It was way better than I expected, and they took us mostly outside of town to visit/view some amazing valleys and water falls. We stopped longer than I would have liked at the zip lining place, but overall, it was great. We got to ride a cable car across the river to some falls, and at the end, we got to hike down to some really impressive falls for a photo pop. A great way to round out our visit here.
Lots of people will say “Banos is a visit once and be done kind of place”, but I think it’s a place with tremendous potential for living. It’s very approachable, affordable, and it’s such a temperate and beautiful area. They say the foothills save it from the destruction of the nearby Volcano… I hope that is the case! I’d go back.
Bathhouse and Bus Tour:
Falls behind the pools.
Kids in the “medium” temp pool. Every non-local ended up here eventually.
Sugar Cane for sale… all over.
Chew’n on some cane.
Taffy is big here… hand pulled of course.
Cuy. Kane wanted, but it was too early for lunch, and we didn’t trust these guys.
GIrls on the Chiva and ready for action.
A bad omen, our Chiva’s name.
Some locals from the Chiva.
Typical tienda.
Time to pull the taffy. This guy was a master. He worked in taffy they way others worked in Clay or Oils.
Nice Dam. Took some pics for my brother.
I can’t say it enough… this place is breathtaking. Pictures do not represent.
Our Chiva paked under the face in the rock (See it?) Looks like the Statue of Liberty to me.
We don’t know them, but they had fun.
Waiting our turn.
Sometimes, you gotta trust the Ecuadorian Preventative Maintenance plan.
One of the plazas downtown.
We hiked a 1/2 hour to get down to this bad boy.
Never a snack shop unturned. I wish I had a peso for every time Kat asked “Cuanto Questa?”
I was excited to be in Banos, Ecuador for my 11th Birthday. My parents let me choose between Rock Climbing and Repelling for my birthday. I chose Repelling with MTS Adventures.
When I woke up on my birthday at Casa Verde B&B, I played my Kindle. Kat was so excited about my birthday that she gave me a present. She gave me a card(she made) and a dollar.
Breakfast at our B&B-Casa Verde
After breakfast, we went to MTS. They had us put on our wetsuits(I had to wear 2 wetsuits, because the water would be so cold) and harnesses. Afterwards, the owner gave us a demonstration on how to do the repelling. I thought it was easy.
Putting my wetsuit onReady!
I can’t wait!Practicing
Then we took the van to the repelling place. We had to hike up a big hill. At the first waterfall, Kat and I had to go the bottom and wait for everyone else. They would not let me do it. I was sad.
The second waterfall, I had to repel with the guide, because it was more advanced. I could have done it, but they wouldn’t let me. Dad and Mom went at the same time and they kept bumping into each other.
The third one, they let me do by myself. It was really fun! I had to hop down this one.
The fourth one was a zipline. The zipline was really steep. It was going almost straight down across the waterfall and creek. It was exciting!
The fifth one was 100ft waterfall. I repelled down it myself. I was so proud of myself afterwards.
The last one, we slid down the waterfall.
I had a great time. If I had to choose between rock climbing and repelling, I don’t know what I would choose, they both are so fun!
We had lunch at Café Hood then we went back to MTS and I was able to rock climb on their fake wall. It was kind of hard. I wore out my hands.
We played Jenga while we waited for our food.
Climbing on the rock wall at MTS.
My mom made me a lemon cake for my birthday while Kat and I played on our Kindles. I chose to have dinner at the B&B. I chose estafado.
Afterwards, I got to open my presents. My favorite present was inside a balloon, which was a ticket to go Puenting(which is jumping off a bridge, kind of like bungee jumping). I was so surprised, because my mom kept saying I could not go, but my dad convinced her.
Kat gave me this!
We ended the night playing cards with my new ones!
Kat loves her Daddy and wanted everyone to know! 🙂
It is so hard to believe that we celebrated Father’s Day in Ecuador with our 2 kids! We waited and prayed for them for so many years before we were blessed with them. Kane actually arrived on our 10 year wedding anniversary. It is such a gift for us both to be able to celebrate Mother and Father’s Day as parents.
Scott is such a wonderful father. He loves our kids so much! When we were dating, I always thought whoever he marries, is getting a really awesome father for their kids. God sure blessed me!
We planned to go zip lining for Father’s Day. Unfortunately, Scott was not feeling well, but still wanted to go and watch. Our kids were SO excited about going! So we went…
Listos(that is ready in spanish)!
On the platform…There goes KatThere goes Kane
Not feeling well, but capturing the moments. Love this man!
This was a favorite run across the valley.
After zip lining, we caught a ride to town, then caught a local bus back to Cuenca(only 25 cents per person). We had no idea where to get off, so I asked a lady who told me I should get off now by the bus terminal. So we did and ended up taking a taxi back to our hotel. Who would have known we were within walking distance to our hotel.
You definitely could tell this was a special day. Look what we bought before lunch and after the ice cream sandwiches.
After lunch, we walked around the main plaza in Cuenca. Kat was so sweet and bought Scott and I roses for Father’s Day!
Both roses-so pretty!So happy to be together!
Our hotel told us there was a Pizza Hut at the mall(a mall, wow!), and the pizza was better than the US. Not quite true, but it was fun to check it out.
It is so weird that they sell beer at the food court at the mall.Doesn’t he look excited for his pizza?
It’s rare when I’m allowed to shoot pictures of Boobies all week with full permission. Of course I’m talking about the “Blue-Footed” Variety the famous birds of Galapagos.
I have to admit that I pushed back and questioned, and said “no” to the Galapagos for many months. I just knew it would be expensive, and I wasn’t convinced that value would be there. I also have to admit then, that it IS AN INCREDIBLE PLACE, and for certain things, you have to throw “value” out the window and just enjoy a unique experience. That said, if you want to go on a budget I have what I think is an ideal plan that I’m happy to share with you. I give us a B-, and I think I have a grade A plan in mind as a result.
Kim justified the plane tickets from Ecuador because we decided to take a bus from Lima Peru to Guayaquil Ecuador, and skip Arequipa (and Colca Canyon). The 28 hour bus ride did save us enough money to pay for extra plane tickets, and it really wasn’t too bad, with each seat having a personal entertainment system. We finally got “first class” seats on the first floor, which were more comfortable for sleeping, and we had no stops in the middle of the night for people to get off/on. Overall, as good as a long bus ride gets.
Well, we spent one night in the posh Guayaquil Hilton, and were off to Santa Cruz Island early the next morning! What a day it was. The airport is actually on a little barren island just south of Santa Cruz, where we were planning to stay. The first order of business was paying our 100 bucks/person “tourism tax” to Ecuador. You can’t get out of the airport without paying. A funny thing happened waiting in that line… there was a guy wearing a huge backpack, with a long cardboard tube strapped to it (and sticking up). He decided to jump out of line and started to “squat-crawl” under the barriers. I had been watching him for about 30 seconds because he looked pensive. Well, it became apparent that his tube was getting snagged on the barrier, and I verbally warned him as such. He said “I know, I know…” as he continued and started to drag the barrier with him. Finally he figured it out on his own and rectified the situation. He made a beeline back for the plane! He ran out of the terminal and back onto the tarmac! I was watching as the security started to scramble, and fully expected the guy to be gang tackled (OK I was hoping). They stopped him, and a few minutes later, he came back with his hat (I guess he left it on the plane). Then, later as we boarded the ferry, he barged into the line cutting in front of Kim (cutting her off from the kids), to which Kim said “Excuse me sir! My kids are up there!”. “i’m with a tour group, nothing personal!” he says. American Tourists can be so rude! 🙂
At any rate, a quick ferry ride over to Santa Cruz (the water was an amazing turquoise), and our Taxi driver was waiting for us, with dollar signs in his eyes. We jumped into his white, Toyota mid-sized truck, and headed North toward Puerto Ayora.
It started to drizzle, so the driver put plastic over our bags in the back. I didn’t think much of it. Our first stop was the craters. There are a couple of significant volcanic craters right in the middle of the island. We stopped and hiked around them, and it was surreal with the fog settling in and nobody else around.
The next stop was the “farm” where you can pay to go see wild land turtles and lava tubes. It was great, they even provide rain boots to keep your shoes clean. These turtles are amazing… up to 150 years old, and 700 lbs. But, they are not fast movers! The kids had a great time, just being in nature, and observing these unique creatures. It also gave them a much needed opportunity to “run around” after 2 days of travel.
A side note in retrospect. Kim was trying to talk with the kids in Spanish the other day and was confused about the word for pineapple (Pina with tilde), she was saying Pene (which means penis). After we explained this to her, she have a revelation about this day, at the lava tubes. The kids and I had run ahead to get out of the rain. We were back at the truck, with Kim and the Taxi driver walking back alone, talking. Kim, according to her, was trying to ask him where they grow pineapple there… asking “Donde Esta el pene?” (where is the penis?). That poor guy had to be confused and shaken up for while after that! Imagine!
After that, we arrived at Puerto Ayora to our villa. Unfortunately, the rain had pooled in the back of the truck (he parked facing downhill at the lava tunnels), and two of our bags were soaked. He didn’t even apologize, and he charged us twice what we had been told by our host. To her credit, she did give us a credit on airBnb. The villa was great, close enough to downtown and the pier to walk, a beautiful property with gardens, just about perfect. Life was good!
We went downtown for lunch, and messed around near the pier. The kids blew off more steam. We saw tons more wildlife, just laying around down by the pier. The wildlife in this place is amazing.
Arrival, Land Tortoises, and Lava Tunnels:
Not sure where this was in our 28-hour epic bus ride, probably hour 1.
So happy to have the tablets in the seatbacks!
Wanted to be close to the airport…ended up out of our element at the Hilton!
A far cry from our apartment in Cusco.
Immigrations at the border… totally streamlined and easy. Except for the crazy old lady who didn’t want to pay her fee for losing her visa, then locking herself in the bathroom stall!
On the ferry to Santa Cruz from the airport. Tired, but excited!
So happy to be in nature and at the ocean!
Volcanic Crater in the middle of the island.
Another crater, interestingly 1/8 mile from the first
Fruits galore!
This is typical highland, Santa Cruz… just so beautiful.
Struck out out the first turtle hot spot.
Our first land tortoise.
These old guys are so cool.
Turtle food is good to eat!
Reminder how these islands were formed.
Friends?
Dinner time!
She’s really coming out of her shell on this trip.
Lava tubes are crazy! Volcanos are awesome!
You even see them on the roadside.
Our pad in Santa Cruz.
St. Louis industry represented… True Refrigerator in Galapagos.
Skateboards are optional!
We have crabs!
We have sea lions!
We have sea iguanas!
Our plan all along was to setup camp on Santa Cruz, explore the area, and do some day trips (2 or 3). So our first day, we booked a trip to Sata Cruz island for day 2.
We got up bright and early to be waiting to be picked up by our guide outside our property. We waited and waited, nobody showed. We figured since we booked last minute, they forgot, so we walked to the office. Soon the guide showed up and we were off.
It was a nice big boat, and very stable. The two hour cruise to Santa Fe was actually pretty nice. We all took dramamine to be safe, and so Kim and the kids slept most of the way. It was peaceful and relaxing. We saw some dolphins jumping around behind/beside the boat at one point.
Our first stop was in a beautiful little bay with a nice beach at one side. The entire beach was covered body-to-body with sea lions. The guide told us this was the beach for “families”… the mated sea lions (dominant males with their harem) and cubs. The cubs were playing in the surf, and would come back to feed… walking from female to female trying for a nipple. If they got the wrong mother, the mother would growl and bite, and the baby would move to the next. It was pretty funny, until we saw the dead sealion in the surf, and the guide told us her babies would die, because nobody would feed them. It’s a hard life!
The next beach was for the “bachelors”, the younger or less dominant males waiting for their chance. We saw a cool Pelican there resting. He had a huge lump in his throat. The guide said he ate something a little to big, and it was stuck. He had to wait until it passed into his gut before he’s be able to fly again. We saw him later, and he was back hunting for fish. Really interesting looking bird.
We walked on and saw several more birds, some really cool cactus trees that are only found here, and huge land iguanas. (again only found on Santa Fe Island). After that, we went back to the boat, had lunch, and went snorkeling.
Though short, the snorkeling was the highlight. We literally swimming with baby sea lions. There were cool fish, coral, and the water was gorgeous, but it all paled by comparison. It’s something I’ll never forget, those cute little guys buzzing around us in the water. We also saw lots of Blue Footed Boobies too. We were super excited and took 500 pictures. We didn’t realize we’d see them everywhere we went!
It was a good trip, and I enjoyed watching the kids soaking it all in, including the calming cruise back at the end of the day. My kids love nature!
Santa Fe Island:
That dinghy took a beating!
Frigate, though at the time I didn’t know it
looks like paradise to a sea lion, I guess
Family Beach
Looking for milk in all the wrong places!
Found her!
Rare, but making a comeback.. the Galapagos Dove
Mouth bigger than throat!
He’s OK now!
Looks like a prickly pear joshua tree hybrid
These yellow guys are only found here (this island)
Hanging out with the baby sea lions.
Carlos, another dude on this trip, let me copy some of his photos. Here I am with a sea lion.
I’m in love with all of these photos of Kat.
Isabella island was our next adventure, and the highlight here was snorkeling with the Penguins. It seems odd to me that penguins exist to close to the equator, but they do. This one was just OK… the boat was small, the guides were bad, but food was OK. What we learned here is, you get what you pay for in terms of the cost of the day trips/cruises. If i had to do it again, I’d stay on Isabella a couple of days, and explore it on my own.
The highlight of this trip was something that happened to Kane and I while snorkeling. We were tooling long, looking at this huge crevice under the water. Kane was asking me to dive down into the crevice. Just about then, the group in front of us (about 20 feet away) yelled “shark!”. We made a slow progression toward then, and about 5 seconds later a large white-tipped reef shark (striking looking creature), about 6-7 feet long swam slowly toward us, and dipped down directly below us. It was something we will never forget for sure.
Included in this gallery are pictures from our trip to “las Grietas”. This is a popular spot in Santa Cruz where we stayed. It’s a volcanic formation that essentially crated a contained/filtered brackish water pool. The fish that live there are born and never escape. It’s a beautiful little spot, and to Kane’s enjoyment, you can climb the cliffs and jump into the water (it’s very deep and crystal clear).
Isabella Island:
Much smaller boat to Isabella, almost turned into a puke-fest.
Truck taxi on Isabella.
Pink Flamegos… we got to see these here at in Boliva. They spend a ton of time eating and sleeping.
It’s business time. I’m noticing some subtle differences between doggies and turtles.
The result of business time.
Penguins!
More boobies!
Iguana love pile.
Getting ready for snorkeling with the penguins
Snorkeling with the penguins and reef shark!
Walking to Las Greatas.
Cliff (Diving) at Las Greatas.
Snorkeling here was OK, mostly some monster parrotfish.
What a place!
Trip to the market
Monies… in US dollars and cents, but different coins?
Another place we visited on Santa Cruz was “tortuga bay”. We didn’t see any turtles there, but we did see the nests. It was a great time, relaxing and playing at the beach. The only issue was Kane got a migrane, and really struggled with the walk home (it was about a 45 minute walk).
Tortuga Bay:
On the boardwalk!
Tortuga Bay
Blue Heron
Had to hurry back, Kane got a migraine!
Our last day trip at Galapagos was to North Seymour island. I think we saved the best for last! First we stopped at a beach with an old shipwreck, where we saw: a shipwreck (Duh), pink flamingos, eagle rays, stingrays, ghost crabs, turtle nests. We then got to go snorkeling in a really nice spot on Santa Cruz, where we swam with a sea turtle! He was swimming and eating under the water and it was amazing.
Then we went to North Seymour, which was all about wildlife and mostly birds. Our guide was amazing, knowledgeable, with good english. It was a great tour, and so many amazing animals. A great way to end our trip here.
The last day, we got up early, cabbed back to the airport pier, ferry to the airport, and flew back to Guayaqil. From there we took a taxi to Cuenca!
I was frustrated with the prices of things at Galapagos, but I’ve gotten over it. I’m glad we went, and being able to snorkel with wild and unique animals was a big part of it. The kids will never forget this place!
