So finally, its 12 March and I should be on my way to the Galapagos. Fingers crossed. After a leisurely morning with an excellent yoga practice, a walk to the local handicraft market and a chat to Edgar (the cab driver) who happened to be outside the hotel again this morning, it is time to go. I am collected from the hotel by Deanna from Andean Travel Agency at 2pm. She and the driver take myself and another person to the airport. There we are met, and I am transferred to Christina who is from Nautica. She gives me my boarding pass and tells me to get my ingala (whatever that is) at Baltra airport. A little overkill in the agency participation department perhaps? Christina leaves me as I go through to departures and there I wait. The flight is delayed but finally we board about 4pm. The flight is 30mins to Guayquil (mainland Ecuador) where we stay on the plane for 30mins while some people get off and others get on. Then we take off and fly to Baltra (Galapagos Islands) which takes about 1.5hours.
Finally we arrive and disembark. I feel the warmth in the air that I have missed from just 2 days in Quito. The customs area, a shed really, is in chaos, but strangely it suits the place. The staff are relaxed, some of the tourists not so! I laugh to myself, I am comfortable in this kind of chaos. I see someone with a sign with my name on it so I know I am okay. Finally I get through and meet Raphael. I walk through the carry on luggage inspection area without even realising it is there, and head for the checked luggage area. My heart sinks as I cant see my bag (not again!) and I get called back to have my carry on luggage checked. No food so I don’t get arrested. I check again and there is my bag. Raphael takes my bag and between my poco espanol and his little English he tells what happens next. We take a bus (10 mins), a ferry (10 mins) [more a “don’t pay the ferryman” kind of ride from one side of the channel to the other], and a taxi (30mins), [which turned out to be Raphaels truck which had to be push started...too funny]. This will take us to where the MY San Jose is moored in Puerta Ayora about 40 kms from Baltra. Of course we stopped along the way at Raphael's to pick up his wife and kids who had been staying at his brother's house due to the tsunami.
So finally, after a short wait for the MY San Jose tender at the dock in Puerta Ayora, I arrived onboard at about 9.30pm. I was presented with a wonderful meal (no wine available though) and I settle into my cabin and try to find my sea legs. We up anchor at about 11pm and set off for Espanola Island. Diego (our guide) says it will take the rest of the night to get there.
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| Puerta Ayora |
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| MY San Jose |
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