DEliTOUR: Just another day on the islands

We were very sad to leave to Encantada. This time 4 nights was enough but we learnt some tips we can pass on. Small boat is good; July is a great time to go as weather is brighter, it is still off season, sea is calmer, water is warmer, big aquatic stuff (sharks etc.) are around; some week itineries waste a day in the middle picking up people from home port - avoid these and do a week that goes to Isabella, the big island with active volcano, penguins and more; and most of all book with the boat direct. Our agent was very sweet and nothing went wrong - but we didnt get veggie food on the plane, or at the welcome dinner, the wet suit sizing emails were a red herring, and they got our flight time wrong. Next time, once we know which boat, we will make the calls to find the boat owners (probably one of the agents) and book with them so that everyone saves/makes money and no one takes a whopper for doing bugger all. Yes, we will go back sometime, and we would recommend Galapagos to anyone - it can be as extreme or sedate as you want and, it is not priced that differently from an expensive week or two in Europe or North Anerica- the cruises are expensive but Ecuador and the islands themselves are not.

After the cruise we spent a couple of days exploring Puerto Ayora and the island of Santa Cruz. We bused to the interior, cloaked in mist, and walked miles to find the El Primicias tortoise sanctuary, where we got up close and personal with dozens of leaf loving gigantic reptiles. And then we played ping pong. Back in Puerto Ayora we walked to the majestic Bahia Tortuga, a stunning stretch of sand hiding a secret lagoon. On our last day we went the volcanic fissure of Las Grietas with ze German couple. Matthias and Jule were still around enjoying 5 days of diving - and they were desperate to take their ten thousandth under water photo! Half of our photos from the Galapagos seem to have Matthias posing somewhere in the distance - we are sure he has what it takes to become America´s Next Top Model - for sure for sure yah.

We had our last night night with them at the Angermeyer Point bar just in front of Puero Ayora´s harbour, just a short water taxi ride away. We watched the tourist boats ni the harbour enviously, wishing we could get on board and go for another cruise. As we had walked up the path to the bar a gorgeous baby sea lion had trotted up the path in front of us and was keen to get passed us. We let him go on his way and we were mesmorised as his flipping ate up the tarmac. At our table we were momentarily disturbed when a three legged, blue sea iguana shuffled through the restaurant - I forgot to mention that sea iguanas are everywhere in the Galapagos - and they are tricky to spot sometimes against the black of the volcanic rock (probably on purpose according to a certain Mr Darwin) and sometimes you have to watch your feet. And we carried on enjoying our wonderful cocktails and tapas (it was our last night after all) as big pelicans dive bombed in the sea beside us and then we looked up from our table and saw a family a eagle rays, flapping just the surface, wandering below us. It was just another casual moment on the islands.