Das Boot

After Salinas we had a forced night at Guaranda, where our night was punctuated by a family party in the room downstairs from ours. After nearly putting my fist through a window they got the message and we got to sleep. We then had a night in Guayaquil, Ecuador´s second city, before the airport and the plane to the Galapagos. At the airport I spotted a family confused by the system (baggage screen, tax payment and then check-in) and I helped them in the right direction. This turned out to be the Mullers from Regensberg in fairytale Bavaria and we were soon to be enjoying more of their company when it transpired we were on the same boat trip.

Yes, for sure, ve vere on ze Deutsche von boot - vis a total of 8 of ze Germans - for us to fight over the sun deck cushions with!

We started the cruise with a trip on land to the Darwin turtle centre and saw some big ones. It is such a coincidence that they are called Giant Tortoises when they are so large. And after lunch we met the rest of the passengers and got on the Encantada, our red motor sailer. As well as the five Mullers, including Thomas, Susan und die kinder (not strictly fair as Matthias, Sofie and Lena are 13,17 and 22), we had another Matthias and Jule from the fairytale Black Forest, Katja from Suiss-Germany, Loija from Italy and Erin from tiny Shepperton near Melbourne.

We were well looked after on the boat - the food was good and there were always snacks ready for us. Meal times were hectic - as everyone was so hungry even though we were eating breakfast and two three-course meals a day as well as snacks - and because there was a constant flow of tri-lingual nonsense (German, English and Spanish) including endless ´das-von-hosen-van-der-hoffen´ piss taking from yours truly. Poor Loija was very confused the whole time. Whenever we tried our French or Italian with her it was a total mess - luckily everyone was easy going - and most importantly we had a boss bilingual guide, Juanito; another one of these superhuman dive master types who has probably arm wrestled with Neptune himself.

A typical day involved two or three shore excursions with walks to see wome of the fauna, and one or two snorkelling sessions. We were ferried to and from the boat in the outboard by one of the crew who I swear was a dead-ringer for the ferryman of the dead. All he needed was a cape, sickel and some loose change to go with his steely glaze, squat deportment and uncanny lack of neck. I took to calling him Danny after the nickname of one of our school teachers, who also had a head closer to his shoulders than is sensible in a modern world where you might have need to wear a scarf... or have an adam´s apple. In fact, thinking about it he never did speak.

Before I get back to the all important animalia of the islands, I should tell you about part one of what I learnt from seeing evolution first hand. You see Darwin came to the Galapagos, rode and ate turtles, and studied Finches. By noticing that 13different Finches´ bills had developed to cope with various environments and feed habits, he began to forulate his theories on evolution. Now I am convinced that our boatman, Danny, can trace his family lineage back to the aristocracy of the French revolution and his cervical spine has developed to ensure that he, or his offspring, will never suffer under the executioner´s blade.

We took in the islands of Santa Cruz (home port), Floreana, Espaneola, San Christobal, Santa Fe, North Seymour and Baltra. The sea was rough because of the time of year and on the second day I surprised Erin, a policewoman, with a flight of vomit as she made the mistake of getting downwind at the side of the boat. One snorkelling session on the first day was interrupted by some sickness (I got back on the dinghy to throw up) but I soon got back in the water as I wasn´t going to miss the family of rays that the group had found.

The blue footed boobies (daft looking birds, totaly uninhibited by human presence), red footed boobies, frigates, albatrosses and flamingoes were lovely. And the volcanic landscape was stunning. But the real surprise were the awesome beaches. And the real treat was in the water. What they don´t tell you about the Galapagos islands is that they belong to the sea lions. They are every where. In the towns, at the fish stall, on the paths to the bars, on the walking oaths on the islands, on every rock, and covering every beach. And we were there during the rearing season so we saw untold pups. And, on land the sea lions are very dozy, sometimes inquisitive, but generally very lazy. The eral fun is in the water. When they are away from their beach territorial squabbles they are very playful in the water. We ony had a couple of occaisions when we were able to swim with them and they started to mirror your moves and stare as if to say ´come on then, play more, is that the best you can do?´ but they were the highlights for me. On a few of the snorkels we came across a lot of turtles. They are also amazing underwater, being so huge and graceful, but they are just doing their thing and they don´t interract. We also saw a few white tipped sharks, plenty of rays, including the spotted eagle rays, and untold fish.

The most memorable snorkel was at the Devil´s Crown, a natural outcrop of volcanic rock that looks like its moniker. Outside the crown there was a lot of life but inside was like an aquarium, complete with sharks and rays.

Back on the boat, Juanito would give us a clear briefing every night, and everything was very punctual. We drank hot chocolate, watched the stars, got up with the dawn, listened to salsa and just about put up with the the faint nausea from the rough sea crossings, which were usually 4-5 hours a day. On the fourth day on our way to Santa Fe we were sat on the sun deck with all out eyes on the horizon on the look out for big fish. After missing dolphins in places like Baja we had started to think they would always avoid us. But Galapagos delivered. Jule and Anna spotted some antics in the distance and before we knew it there were dozens playing around the boat in the wake and more off ploughing through shallow waves of the rough sea. Just when we thought we had lost them the show started again a few hundred metres in front of the boat. The burning image I have is of two of them arched in symmetry way out of the water ahead of us in a patring shot.

Excuse us... and the Encantada in the background

The crew and the healing hand

Ze dinah vis ze Germans... yah!

Sunrise on the Encantada