Galápagos - Isabela Island

I was kind of confused at the pier in Santa Cruz where to go and kept on bumbing into Anastasia from my room who was going for a day trip to Isabela. A lack of sleep and bit hangovered, but managed to get on the ferry and we were all together, also a guy from the US that was in our hostel as well.

When we got to the island, I didn’t quite know what to do with myself and asked if I could join the half day tour. Only if the hotel accepted credit cards because my cash was enough for hotel and food, but not for a tour and no ATMs on this island, which I knew. The guide said sure they would take credit cards. So I paid another $65 and joined them. We started with a snorkeling trip close to the pier on which we saw turtles and even the little penguins swimming, but so fast that you could hardly take a picture.

Lunch in town and we drove up the road to the lagoon for flamingos and for the last stop to the turtle center, where they even bread little ones. Sadly past week someone had stolen 123 little turtles to probably sell them somewhere else! That’s why they had fenced up the cages of the little ones. 

The guide told us that they can even influence the gender by changing the breading temperature to 28 degrees for female and 29.6 degrees for males. Not important but interesting. 

They dropped me off at my hotel in town and the rest of the group went back to the afternoon ferry. Unfortunately there are two hotels with a similar name, one in town, where I was accidentally dropped off, and one at the beach, so I walked the five blocks and arrived at the hotel directly at the beach.

Now here we go, no credit card payment possible....I had to pay cash and try to get along with $25 for breakfast and twice dinner, not impossible but a tough one! Then I remembered that Jacob from the US also stayed on the island and we were connected on Facebook, so I dropped him a message. Maybe he had some cash left...so we met and he could give me $40, which I immediately sent him via PayPal. What a relief and we agreed to have dinner together later. Early to bed since I was still so tired from the night before!

With a bit of cash I could now also rent a bike and take a trip to the wall of tears, a place where prisoners suffered in the early 40s and built this wall. The bike wasn’t the best, so had to push sometimes uphill, but because I went slower got to see some tortoises and iguanas on the way.

Now here we go, no credit card payment possible....I had to pay cash and try to get along with $25 for breakfast and twice dinner, not impossible but a tough one! Then I remembered that Jacob from the US also stayed on the island and we were connected on Facebook, so I dropped him a message. Maybe he had some cash left...so we met and he could give me $40, which I immediately sent him via PayPal. What a relief and we agreed to have dinner together later. Early to bed since I was still so tired from the night before!

With a bit of cash I could now also rent a bike and take a trip to the wall of tears, a place where prisoners suffered in the early 40s and built this wall. The bike wasn’t the best, so had to push sometimes uphill, but because I went slower got to see some tortoises and iguanas on the way.

Walking back to my hotel along the beach first I bumped into the German girl, I went out for dinner with in Quito, then into the German guy, I met in San Cristobal. I agreed with both of them to meet for dinner later. The island is so small, or at least the village, that you easily come across the same people again.

Los Tuneles is a place to snorkel and walk along lava rocks and bridges. It’s located West of the main village Puerto Vallami, so one hour boat ride. Our guide wasn’t that charismatic as Yazmany on Floreana, but at least he was also motivated in searching and good in finding animals. We came across manta rays of at least 3 meters width on our way in the middle of the ocean. When snorkeling we saw many sting rays, turtles and sharks really close. The turtles were even bigger than the other places and the sharks much closer, either in the caves resting or swimming at you. Almost 1,5-2 meters long, but kind of calm, which sounds unbelievable at first. The calmer you are, the calmer also they are. Almost after one hour already cold without wetsuit finally we spotted two sea horses on the ground. Since I don’t dive, the guide took my camera down close for amazing pictures! 

After lunch on board we got to the walkway of lava rocks, where we could also get close to the unique Galápagos blue footed boobies. We were close, but still kept a distance to not disturb them in their breading territory.

Back in town around 5pm, we got the pictures in the agency’s office and I met my friends for dinner. We went a bit into the village where we found a local place, where Bettina had been before, so payed less than in the typical tourist places.

Short sleep and wake up at 5am to catch the ferry back to Santa Cruz, where I somehow wanted to stay and not take the ferry to San Cristobal the same day. I had made friends here and felt so comfortable here. After I sadly got the answer of one of the friends, that he was busy, I decided to take the ferry. My flight next day was midday and I could have easily made it with the morning ferry, packing and off to my flight. Oh well, I just got on the ferry and met other friends in San Cristobal for dinner and a last enjoyable visit at the sea lion beach with at least 100 of them resting there and making the weirdest noises!

I was kind of afraid coming to this paradise and feeling so comfortable, that I didn’t want to leave anymore. Sitting in a cafe for breakfast after morning Yoga and waiting for the time to pass until it was time for my flight, I felt so heavy! Just didn’t want to leave...again I got so used to and connected with the ocean and the climate, that going back to cold mountain area of Peru didn’t feel right. It’s about the people you meet, which makes you feel a bit home. I was just too late to change flights and also I had agreed with a friend in Cusco to go on a tour together, which I couldn’t postpone. Sadly I had to stick to my plans and leave the islands. I just don’t like this feeling of not wanting to leave a place, wanting to come back, even though that’s what creates a special memory and you feel blessed having been here. 

For now I will continue my travels to Peru and Bolivia and will keep on checking the flights to Quito and Galápagos to maybe return for another week, we’ll see.