From Quito to the Colombian Coast

Basilica

After spending nearly three weeks in Ecuador I was back where it all started: Quito.  I only had one full day left in the city and I knew it would be a busy day seeing everything that I missed the first time around.  One of my friends from the Galapagos, Gil, flew back to Quito on the same day so it was nice to travel around the city with a fellow backpacker.  We stayed at the same hostel, Secret Garden, in the old city and it felt a little like home going back there!

We got an early start and decided to go to the Basilica which was located in historic Quito.  Unfortunately it wasn't open so we were only able to see the outside of the building.

From the Basilica we caught a bus to Mitad Del Mundo to visit the center of the world at a latitude of 0'-0'-0'.  What is confusing about Mitad Del Mundo is that there are technically two sites.  The first site is the very popular tourist attraction, which has a little souvenir village built around the monument.  Although it isn't technically 0'-0'-0' on a GPS it has still remained the nationally recognized site.  I will say though that the monument makes for a great picture!

 From this site we went to the "real" Mitad Del Mundo called Museo de Sitio Intiñan, which is a quick five minute walk from the monument.  This museum was very interesting, built like an old Ecuadorian village.  Not only did the entrance fee include a guide, but we were given history on the tribes of Ecuador before our guide took us through some demonstrations that could only take place at the real equator line.

Our guide showing the small shadows on the equator

Successfully balancing the egg on a nail on the equator

The true Mitad del Mundo mark!

The bus back to Quito took much longer than expected! On the way back from Mitad Del Mundo I was resting my feet on one of the bars of the bus and somehow when the door opened it managed to crush my ankle.  I kept screaming "Ayudame, Ayudame (help me, help me)" but it took the bus driver a minute to realize that my ankle was stuck in the door! At first I thought I broke my ankle as there was a huge dent in it but luckily I think it was just a bruised bone.  After recovering from the intial pain of it I started laughing, explaining to Gil how stuff like this always happens to me!

By the time we actually made it back to the hostel I was exhausted.  Luckily it was calzone night so I enjoyed one final meal in Ecuador on the rooftop of Secret Garden!  At 7am the next morning, I found myself saying farewell to Ecuador as my flight departed for Bogota.  After a quick stopover in Bogota my flight landed in Cartagena.  The views of the city from the flight were amazing.  I definitely felt good about my decision to opt for a flight rather than a 48 hour bus journey to Cartagena!

From the moment that I arrived in Cartagena I fell in love with the city.  You can feel the energy of the city at every turn.  The colorful buildings, vendors, crowded streets, and music bring the city to life. It is a perfect city for walking with no particular destination in mind...you just embrace getting lost in the narrow alleys.

On my first day in Colombia I met up with one of my friends from Baños, Ecuador (Carol from Brazil) to travel with up the Caribbean Coast of Colombia.    Given that Carol was in Cartagena for the past five days we decided to continue up the coast as I knew that I would return back to Cartagena to spend some time there before going to Panama. So, more to come on Cartagena!

From Cartagena we took a four hour shuttle bus to Santa Marta which is another colonial city of Colombia although it doesn't have the charm of Cartagena.  Since we had not heard great things about the city we decided to take a 15 minute cab ride to a laid back fishing village called Tagonga.  The town in itself is incredibly touristy but still has a cool beach vibe with a mellow atmosphere along with fresh fish and juices everywhere.

Tagonga

A proud local fisherman

Life as a tourist in Tagonga is a simple, but relaxing one! We wake up, have a nice breakfast, hang out at a mellow beach, then drink some Alguila (Colombia's national beer) as the sun goes down.

And where there is a laid back beach vibe there are hammocks, which is always an added bonus!

From Tagonga we spent a day at Playa Grande which is a quick 10 minute boat ride, or 30 minute walk from the town.  This was a great little beach and it was perfect for relaxation.

Playa Grande

Our time in Tagonga was uneventful, but a good time! We met other fun backpackers and fully embraced two days of complete laziness which was perfect before heading on a five day trek to Ciudad Perdida!

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Part 2)

By my fifth day in the Galapagos Islands I knew that I wanted to extend the trip in order to see more of the islands and luckily the change fee was only $1.40! After extending my stay I mapped out my final five days on the islands.

Isla Isabela
From Isla Santa Cruz I packed a day pack and left for Isla Isabela to enjoy two days on the island.  It took only 1.5 hours to get there by speedboat and then an easy 10 minute walk to get to the main town, Puerto Villamil.  It was a nice change of pace to get away from the crowds in this small laid back town.

The main beach on the island was perfect for walking...a long stretch of isolated white sand beaches!

During my time on the island I managed to see some of the nearby sites by bike as well.  From Puerto Villamil I followed a dirt path along the beach and then crossed through a red lagoon to arrive at the tortoise breeding center on the island.  I actually preferred this breeding center over the one on the main island, as it provided more backround information on the species.

Look at that face!

Red Lagoon




  





By the time I reached the path again it was boiling hot and I was dripping sweat!  All of the viewpoints were beautiful but I was startng to become exhausted!

Along the dirt path

 Although I was tempted to turn around I figured that I should see the final site before calling it a day.  After a bumpy 7km uphill ride through the slippery gravel I finally made it to Muro de Las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears).   Perhaps it was because I was so exhausted and was expecting something more but when I got there I thought to myself "are you kidding me...I biked all this way for a wall!".  Regardless, I made it to the end of the trail, took a couple pictures of this lava brick wall built by convicts in the 50s, and then went back to town as quickly as possible so I could hydrate and eat lunch!





Muro de Las Lagrimas



Later on I biked to the main port before returning the bike.  There were a ton of iguanas and sea lions out and about on this quiet afternoon.

By the time I finished my day I was exhausted and ready to take a cold shower, eat, then go to bed!  I was up bright and early the next day to catch the boat back to the main island.  Luckily I was at least rewarded with a beautiful sunrise at the port!

Overall it was great to get away and experience Isla Isabela for a couple days.  The locals were incredibly friendly, the food was delicious (and cheap!) and it was easy to get around the island.

Kicker Rock (Dive Trip)

On my first day in San Cristobal (below) I went to a local dive site called Kicker Rock.  Typically, for any diver going to the Galapagos Islands their main goal is to see hammerhead sharks.  Of course, that was my hope as well!  We left at 8am and made our way to the site arriving a couple hours later.

Kicker Rock aka Leon Dormido

After doing a test dive we went in between the rocks, along the wall for the first dive.  We saw so many sharks on both of the dives.  Its a shame I didn´t have a camera but one of the dive masters managed to capture this shot of a hammerhead as it was approaching us.

Our wonderful divemaster, Angel

During our second dive we saw more hammerheads, Galapagos Sharks, and Reef Sharks, along with plenty of fish and turtles.  While the visibility wasn´t great we certainly were able to see a nice variety of fish at the site.

On our way back we went snorkeling with sea lions at a place called Islas Lobos.  We had a lot of fun playing with the sea lions and they were very curious about us!

Overall, this was a great tour/dive site/day trip to do on the island

Isla San Cristobal

Isla San Cristobal was the last leg of my journey and pehaps my favorite island of all.  The main reason that I loved this island was because it had a nice port town, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, that had everything you could need but wasn't nearly as developed or touristy as Puerto Ayora.  I spent my last three full days of my trip in San Cristobal. 

My favorite part of the island was the fact that there were sea lions EVERYWHERE.  During ciesta everyday there would be far more sea lions out than people.  They took over public benches, playgrounds, and the beach.  If you tried to get in their way they would bark and scoot over to scare off anyone!

  

Clearly this sea lion didn´t get the memo

Overtaking the beach



Hanging out at sunset

Scaring away the children!



Apart from my obsession with the sea lions I managed to see quite a few parts of the island as well.  The beaches near the main town were great for both swimming and snorkeling.  In the morning at low tide it felt like I was stepping into an underwater aquarium.  Less than 5 feet from the shore I was able to see a family of massive sting rays, turtles, and a wide variety of fish.

It is hard to sum up San Cristobal because I didn't do that much there.  Perhaps the best part of the island was just wandering around without a plan!

Local beach with Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in the backround

Overall, I was very happy that I decided to do the Galapagos Islands independently.  While it certainly required a little more work and planning, it was worth it, not only because I spent significantly less money, but I was able to customize the trip to cater to my interests.  The combination of day trips, exploring the islands by foot/bike independently, and diving was perfect.  All in all, my Galapagos adventure was unforgettable, unbelievable, and certainly well worth the money! I can't wait to return someday!

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Part 1)

The Galapagos Islands are unlike anywhere else in the world.  The amount of wildlife you are able to observe at such a close distance is unbelievable and the scenery in the islands is breathtaking.  From the moment that our flight landed in Baltra, Galapagos, I was so excited! The air was thick and humid but I was certainly ready for warm weather!

From Baltra I made my way to nearby Santa Cruz island to stay in Puerto Ayora in order to arrange day trips during my stay.  Prior to coming to the Galapagos I was contemplating booking an 8 day tour but given the high costs of this option I decided to see how traveling the Galapagos independently would work out.  After settling on a hotel, Hotel Palemeras, I went off to the travel agencies to figure out what I wanted to do with my time while on the islands.  Puerto Ayora is very touristy so the main streets near the ocean are lined with travel agencies and Westernized food (this can be both good and bad!).

Although Puerto Ayora is a well developed community it was still clear by the end of my first day that the animals still rule the land!  As the fisherman were cutting up pieces of fresh fish on the dock, a massive group of birds and sea lions were screaming at the workers until they fed them the scraps.  I had never seen animals so unintimidated by humans before! It was the perfect introduction to life on the Galapagos...wildlife anywhere and everywhere!

Below are the highlights/experiences of the islands that I visited during the first five days of my trip-

Isla Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz was my base for the first half of my trip as it was easy to arrange tours from here.  On the days that I wasn't doing day trips I took advantage of the sights within and nearby Puerto Ayoro.  The town in itself is very touristy but if you simply walk a few blocks away from the main street it is easy to get away from the crowd and find cheaper restaurants where the locals eat. Santa Cruz is also rich with sights around the island so I took advantage of my half days to visit a few popular sights.  On a Sunday with everything shut down I went to Tortuga Bay National Park.  It was only a 10 minute walk from town to the entrance of the park and then take a 30 minute walk to arrive at Playa Tortuga, which is a beautiful white sand beach filled with marine iguanas and birds.  As I curved around the beach to the other side I arrived at a peaceful lagoon where I found a perfectly shaded spot under a mangrove tree and went swimming in the calm water.

Later on I went to the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is a conservation center in Puerto Ayora.  They have the oldest species of tortoises and have a breeding center for the different species. It was nice to walk around the complex and learn more about the conservation efforts on the islands.

Baby tortoises!

My last main stop in Santa Cruz was Las Grietas, which is a canyon like rock formation with crystal clear turquoise waters.  After a scorching hot walk to get there it felt incredible to jump into the water! I could have spent all afternoon lounging there but I had to head back to the mainland for a trip!

Isla Floreana
This was my first day trip in the Galapagos.  We left from the main harbor in Santa Cruz by speedboat and arrived to the islands in two hours.  The speedboat was quite bumpy and it certainly wouldn't be for those who tend to get seasick. 

Port at Isla Floreana

The walk through the island felt like we were going through prehistoric land.  The land was very green and there was vegetation everywhere throughout the islands.  It was also really interesting to see all of the caves and markings that were meant to protect the inhabitants of the island.

On the last part of the walk we went through a turtle sanctuary to see the giant tortoises in a more natural habitat.  As we walked into their living space we caught a mating session between the tortoises which was quite a sight!  Their living area seemed really open and well kept.










After eating a fresh fish lunch we went to a nearby black sand beach for snorkelling and then went back to the boat to cruise around the island before heading back to Santa Cruz.

Lazy sea lions

To top off a perfect day trip we were entertained by a group of nearly 50 dolphins who were moving in our direction.  A smaller group of about 6 of them were chasing the front of the boat and jumping out of the water...it was unreal!

Isla Bartolome
My day trip to Bartolome was my greatest expense, after my flight, in the Galapagos.  This day trip is known to have the best panoramic view of the islands.  The boat for this trip was amazing, with plenty of space and room to hang out during the ride to and from the island.  I might also add that the food on the boat was amazing!  On the way to the islands we stopped to see wildlife, including lots of blue footed boobies, which are a famous bird that lives in the Galapagos.

Sailing in the Galapagos

Blue footed Boobies!

The mainland of Bartolome was incredible.  The combination of designs from the volcanic rock and the turquoise water made the scenic view from the land amazing.

Our guide led us on a walk through the volcanic rocks and explained how the island became the way it currently is.  I caught about 70% of what he was saying given that I was in a Spanish group! Regardless, it was unlike anything I have ever seen!  There are not any people living on this island so it feels very isolated from the world.

After some snorkelling and lunch we went to the other part of the island to hike up to the main panoramic viewpoint of Bartolome.  Along the way we were able to view iguanas, lizards, and birds.

View at Bartolome

Volcanic crater in the ocean

On the way back to Santa Cruz I loved sitting out on the back of the boat watching the sunset.  There was a flock of frigate birds (another common bird in the Galapagos) following the boat on the way back.  This was yet another perfect ending to a perfect day trip!

Although this was an expensive day trip it was well worth it.  The scenery at Bartolome is unlike any other island in the Galapagos that I visited.


Mainly because I have run out of time at the internet cafe I will split this post up into two sections.  In the next post I will cover the final five days of my Galapagos adventures! Stay tuned!