A sign painted on a wall in Ushuaia reads "Ushuaia, the end of the world and the beginning of everything". Hmmmm... maybe we were supposed to do our trip in the other direction?...
Hamburgers on Christmas Eve (actually, they really hit the spot), but yesterday offered more excitement and fun. After a long ride in a van to Tierra del Fuego´s first settlement, a ranch near the mouth of the Beagle Channel, a passageway which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without having to go around the more-exposed Cape Horn, we hopped on a small boat and were taken to an island that is covered with penguins. As we landed on the beach, you could see the little black and white guys all along the beach, in the water, and a few coming up to our boat to check it out. The more you looked, the more you saw that there were penguins everywhere! Two kinds, and lots of newborn. The penguins were a bit hard to photograph as they always seem to be moving, whether it is waddling back and forth with mouthfuls of grass for building nests, flapping their wings and lifting their heads skyward to make mating calls, or clicking beaks with each other as part of mating rituals.
Today we toured the vacant prison that was the original reason for establishing the town of Ushuaia. Prisoners that committed crimes repeatedly were sent away to this undeveloped "nowhere" at the end of the world. The prison had cells but no walls around its yard. If prisoners escaped, there was nowhere for them to go.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Okay, further south still...
Went to El Chalten, Argentina to see Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, some highly sought-after prizes for climbers. We could see them from the bus and from town as we drove in. The other tourists were snapping photos like mad, even from the bus. I thought "wait until you're off the bus for a better picture; heck, wait until you hike up closer to it and the shot will just get better". Well, I guess the other tourists knew what I didn't: these mountains live in the clouds most of the time. In the afternoon, the mountains disappeared. We tried hiking to a viewpoint looking toward Cerro Torre the next day, but couldn't see anything and the day was mostly an opportunity to test the quality of our rain gear. On the next day, I tried hiking toward Fitz Roy but quickly decided it wasn't getting better, so I turned back to spend the day with Veronica, who had already concluded that it wouldn't be possible to see anything. It was a good thing that Veronica snapped some photos on the day we arrived.
So I guess the moral of the story is to take advantage of what you have available to you in the moment. Hmmm... there's probably a good metaphor for life within that...
So, we got skunked out by the weather in the El Chelten area. Still, the trails were quite pretty, and the views on the day we arrived were quite nice. Add to this a great waffleria, a good brew pub and some great fresh pasta, and life was still quite good.
Feeling like we had had our fill of hiking anyway after all the backpacking in Torres del Paine National Park, we were itching for something different. We grabbed some plane tickets and are now in Ushuaia - about as far south as you can go. Everyone here is madly shopping for Christmas, while we were racing to hit the grocery store before it closes. With most things closed tomorrow, we have filled the little fridge in our little cabin with roasted chicken so that we don't starve on Christmas day. We also have an electric kettle so we will be able to prepare some instant mashed potatoes, and really live it up.
Being nearly the "end of the road", the town is filled with lots of people who are just finishing cycling, motorcycling or RV'ing from Alaska to the tip of South America.
Tomorrow will probably be a quiet day, a chance to relax and read, and on Saturday we will be taken out to an island where we will get to walk around amongst the many penguins that live there. Should be good.
So I guess the moral of the story is to take advantage of what you have available to you in the moment. Hmmm... there's probably a good metaphor for life within that...
So, we got skunked out by the weather in the El Chelten area. Still, the trails were quite pretty, and the views on the day we arrived were quite nice. Add to this a great waffleria, a good brew pub and some great fresh pasta, and life was still quite good.
Feeling like we had had our fill of hiking anyway after all the backpacking in Torres del Paine National Park, we were itching for something different. We grabbed some plane tickets and are now in Ushuaia - about as far south as you can go. Everyone here is madly shopping for Christmas, while we were racing to hit the grocery store before it closes. With most things closed tomorrow, we have filled the little fridge in our little cabin with roasted chicken so that we don't starve on Christmas day. We also have an electric kettle so we will be able to prepare some instant mashed potatoes, and really live it up.
Being nearly the "end of the road", the town is filled with lots of people who are just finishing cycling, motorcycling or RV'ing from Alaska to the tip of South America.
Tomorrow will probably be a quiet day, a chance to relax and read, and on Saturday we will be taken out to an island where we will get to walk around amongst the many penguins that live there. Should be good.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
And then we went south, waaaaay south
After exploring next to the equator in the Galapagos and in Quito, Ecuador, we hopped a series of flights and were soon all the way down past 50 degrees South in Chile, headed for Patagonia, the land of amazing mountains, glaciers, and legendary wind and cold.
We made our way to the little town of Puerto Natales and stocked up as best we could on a Sunday (all the shops were closed). We found some decent camping gear to rent and bought some basic supplies at the grocery store. With 10 days of oatmeal, a few days of pasta (we would buy some more food along the way) and just a couple of shirts each (9 days, 2 shirts!), we headed for Torres del Paine National Park and its Circuito Grande, a 7 to 10 day trek that takes you all the way around the famous Towers. We were ready for the cold and wind that Patagonia is famous for, and were caught off-guard: the first two days were sunny and hot. Neither of us bothered to pack shorts, and we had minimal sunscreen (we expected to be covered by warm clothing, except for our faces), so we soon felt overheated. We picked our way through a less-than-glamourous first day that followed a double-track road past endless piles of cow manure to get to our first windy campground. There, I was immediately treated to the free opinions of the German "smart asses" (who soon became great friends of ours for the rest of the trek) who loved to comment on how I was setting up our rental tent. Lutz and Frank soon became both the source and target of much sarcastic wit and humourous insult that flew back and forth for 9 days. We also met some other Canadians, one of whom was carrying the biggest, heaviest pack on the trail, yet was faster than anyone. The other, Jenny, was the grateful recipient of a birthday chocolate bar during the trek, complete with a couple of wooden matches as candles on the "cake". And finally, we met a Chilean local who twisted his knee on the first day and then decided to go for the rest of the 9 day circuit. Campgrounds varied from windy to unlevel to mosquito-infested to sometimes pleasant. Hot showers at a few campgrounds were a pleasant surprise. The scenery was always spectactular (except for the cow manure day) and the variety was incredible. Rolling hills, forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and more. While the Torres steal the main credit, the biggest highlights of doing the full circuit (most people just hike the front side) were the great scenery in the cirque at the top of the Valle del Frances (amazing mountains in every direction) and the mind-blowing view when you reach the top of Gardner Pass and see the entire massive Grey Glacier open up below you. The glacier is huge, and to see a glacier from above is a really spectacular vantage point. The glacier was always below us off one side of the trail for about 2 days. Everywhere you looked, you could see a blue colour in the ice that truly seems unnatural, impossible, absolutely beautiful. And from the campground just past the toe of the glacier, you could look off the shore and see huge icebergs floating by on the lake, ice that you had just heard break off the glacier minutes ago.
The packs were heavy, especially with the rental gear and food that weren't ultralight. We supplemented our food supplies from a few small food kiosks along the way, but by the end of the trip, we probably won't crave salami or pasta for quite a while. Still, it was well worth it to enjoy the views over Glacier Grey and enjoy the solitude of the less-travelled back of the circuit.
After the trek, we were treated to a ride all the way back to Puerto Natales with Lutz and Frank in their rental car. An interesting sight, considering this Fiat would barely fit the two of them and their backpacks, nevermind four people and four packs. After some clever packing, we all fit in, but for the drive out of the park, Veronica got to see the scenery from one side of the car and I could see out the other side, but the stack of backpacks between us in the back seat prevented any other views. We would pass the camera back and forth over the piles of packs to show the other person what they were missing...
We made our way to the little town of Puerto Natales and stocked up as best we could on a Sunday (all the shops were closed). We found some decent camping gear to rent and bought some basic supplies at the grocery store. With 10 days of oatmeal, a few days of pasta (we would buy some more food along the way) and just a couple of shirts each (9 days, 2 shirts!), we headed for Torres del Paine National Park and its Circuito Grande, a 7 to 10 day trek that takes you all the way around the famous Towers. We were ready for the cold and wind that Patagonia is famous for, and were caught off-guard: the first two days were sunny and hot. Neither of us bothered to pack shorts, and we had minimal sunscreen (we expected to be covered by warm clothing, except for our faces), so we soon felt overheated. We picked our way through a less-than-glamourous first day that followed a double-track road past endless piles of cow manure to get to our first windy campground. There, I was immediately treated to the free opinions of the German "smart asses" (who soon became great friends of ours for the rest of the trek) who loved to comment on how I was setting up our rental tent. Lutz and Frank soon became both the source and target of much sarcastic wit and humourous insult that flew back and forth for 9 days. We also met some other Canadians, one of whom was carrying the biggest, heaviest pack on the trail, yet was faster than anyone. The other, Jenny, was the grateful recipient of a birthday chocolate bar during the trek, complete with a couple of wooden matches as candles on the "cake". And finally, we met a Chilean local who twisted his knee on the first day and then decided to go for the rest of the 9 day circuit. Campgrounds varied from windy to unlevel to mosquito-infested to sometimes pleasant. Hot showers at a few campgrounds were a pleasant surprise. The scenery was always spectactular (except for the cow manure day) and the variety was incredible. Rolling hills, forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and more. While the Torres steal the main credit, the biggest highlights of doing the full circuit (most people just hike the front side) were the great scenery in the cirque at the top of the Valle del Frances (amazing mountains in every direction) and the mind-blowing view when you reach the top of Gardner Pass and see the entire massive Grey Glacier open up below you. The glacier is huge, and to see a glacier from above is a really spectacular vantage point. The glacier was always below us off one side of the trail for about 2 days. Everywhere you looked, you could see a blue colour in the ice that truly seems unnatural, impossible, absolutely beautiful. And from the campground just past the toe of the glacier, you could look off the shore and see huge icebergs floating by on the lake, ice that you had just heard break off the glacier minutes ago.
The packs were heavy, especially with the rental gear and food that weren't ultralight. We supplemented our food supplies from a few small food kiosks along the way, but by the end of the trip, we probably won't crave salami or pasta for quite a while. Still, it was well worth it to enjoy the views over Glacier Grey and enjoy the solitude of the less-travelled back of the circuit.
After the trek, we were treated to a ride all the way back to Puerto Natales with Lutz and Frank in their rental car. An interesting sight, considering this Fiat would barely fit the two of them and their backpacks, nevermind four people and four packs. After some clever packing, we all fit in, but for the drive out of the park, Veronica got to see the scenery from one side of the car and I could see out the other side, but the stack of backpacks between us in the back seat prevented any other views. We would pass the camera back and forth over the piles of packs to show the other person what they were missing...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
More Galapagos photos
A little cake for a special occasion on the sailboat,
Some bluefooted boobies hanging out by the waves at the end of the day,
A Magnificent Frigatebird puffing up to impress a mate,
A giant land tortoise having a stretch.
Some bluefooted boobies hanging out by the waves at the end of the day,
A Magnificent Frigatebird puffing up to impress a mate,
A giant land tortoise having a stretch.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
More Galapagos photos... and more to come...
Here are a few more Galapagos photos:
Veronica hanging out on the beach with several noisy sea lion friends
One of the famous giant tortoises
Penguins, yes penguins in the tropics!
A huge marine iguana, warming up on the rocks
the great scenery from the top of the tiny island of Bartolome
We'll try to post some more later...
Veronica hanging out on the beach with several noisy sea lion friends
One of the famous giant tortoises
Penguins, yes penguins in the tropics!
A huge marine iguana, warming up on the rocks
the great scenery from the top of the tiny island of Bartolome
We'll try to post some more later...
Sunday, December 6, 2009
No posts, and stay tuned for photos...
We leave tomorrow to begin about 10 days of backpacking through Torres del Paine National Park, doing the circuit around the "Towers". So, no blog postings for a while.
A couple of other Galapagos photos...
The internet connection here is really struggling with photos. Here are a couple of the Galapagos photos, and we will upload more when we get to somewhere with a faster connection.
Friday, December 4, 2009
More Galapagos in Swedish and English
More Galapagos (Swedish)
Den första eftermiddagen seglade vi inte så långt och gick i land på våran första ö. Lanskapet som mötte oss var fantastiskt! En vit strand med sjölejon och en bakgrund av lava sten och torrväxt. Klipporna längs stranden var full av Blue Footed Boobies, Pengviner och Sally Lightfoot Crabs. Vi hade till och med turen att få see en ”feeding frenzy” med alla möjliga fåglar; Blue Footed Boobies, Pelicans, Frigate Birds, Gulls och fler. De dök i flock ned i vattnet för att fånga fisk och allt annat som rörde sig. Längre ned för stranden så upptäckte vi stora sköldpaddespår (sea turtle). Det är parningstid för dem nu och mammorna kravlar upp för stränderna för att lägga sina ägg. De gräver en stor grop för äggen och en stor grop bredvid för att använda sanden till att täcka äggen. Det här är det enda tillfället en sköldpadda tar sig ur vattnet i sitt livs tid och den lägger runt 300ägg för att hoppas att en eller två små paddor lyckas att ta sig till vattnet när äggen kläcks. Äggen kläcks på natten och vi såg små spår av de små padorna i sanden. Mot kvällen såg vi hur fåglar började samlas runt äggroparna för att invänta nattens måltid. Som avslutning fick vi även se en art av iguana som bara finns på Galapagos (Marine Iguana). Det är en stor och fin vegetarisk ödla som har utvecklat konsten att simma och skaffa föda från havsbotten. Väldigt coola faktiskt! De ligger på högar på stränder och klippor för att värma sig mellan varven i vattnet. I mellanåt så snyter de ut en loska salt från näsan och vilar lungt vidare.
Våran guide, Juan Carlos var helt suverän! Han berättade om öarnas och djurens naturhistoria, hur de är unika och hur ekosystemen på Galapagos utvecklades och hur de fungerar idag. Varje dag fick vi gå i land två gånger för att studera naturlivet.
Galapagos är mycket känt för sina sköldpaddor, både havspaddan och landpaddan. Båda sorterna är enormt stora och vackra att se på. Parningstiden för havspaddan pågick när vi var på Galapagos och vid flera tillfällen hade vi turen att se två sköldpaddor tilsammans. Sköldpaddan som hittas på land är enormt stor och finns att hitta på ett par ställen, dels i vilt tillstånd och dels på uppfödningsgårdar där de har haft stor framgång att föda fram dem. Landpaddan lever till 300 år och i bland mer.
Det var även parningstiden för andra kända Galapagosdjur, som sjölejonet och det var fullt med små lejon på stränder och i vattnet. Sjölejon gillar att roa sig och leker gärna med dykare och snorklare om de får tillfälle. De snurrar runt en och ibland dyker de rakt emot en för att i sista sekund väja undan. På stränderna så gillar de att komma upp i närheten och utforska vad vi är för figurer. Vi hade vid flera tillfällen sjölejon ombord på båten. De tog sig upp och lade sig tillrätta på däck. Väldigt gulligt!
Fåglar är både unika och många på öarna. Waved Albatross, Blue Footed Boobie och Magnificent och Great Frigate Bird är de mest berömda. Alla var i full gång med att föröka sig och vi fick se beteenden som bara förekommer vid den här tidpunkten och det var hur fint som helst att se små fågelungar sitta lite var som helst och titta på oss när vi kom gående. The Blue Footed Boobie har ett roligt parningsbeteende där hanen står i sitt bo och väntar på att en hona ska flyga förbi. När hon kommer så lyfter hanen på sina klumsiga blåa fötter och visar henne hur fina de är. När hon är nöjd så dansar de tilsammans och visar sina fötter för varandra. Om det ändå var så enkelt!
Vi såg även hajar av olika slag. Oftast när vi snorklade, men även under ett av våra dyk. Den haj som alla vill se är the Hammer Head och vi hade turen på vår sida. Manta Rays, Spotted Rays, Marble Rays, Eagle Ray och andra sorter fick vi också chansen att se (kommer inte ihåg vad de heter på Svenska).
Pengvinerna på Galapagos är världens mest nordliga pengvin. Den är liten och jätte snabb i vattnet! Valar var synliga från båten vid flera tillfällen och som jag nämnde tidigare såg vi stora Manta Ray som flög upp ur vattnet för att plaska ned i vattnet igen.
Varje dag var fylld av nya naturupplevelser och även av en hel del skoj på båten! Våran guide berättade om öarna för oss på kvällarna och våran kapten ledde oss på snorklingturerna. Seglingen var även en upplevelse den. Ett par nätter så hade vi litte större sjögång och en del hade svårt att sova. Mike och jag klarade oss bra och dagarna var lugna så alla kunde njuta fullt ut.
Den sista kvällen tyckte Mike och jag att Galapagos skulle vara ett fint ställe att knyta våra band lite mer och bad kapten att hålla en liten cermoni för oss. Barfota och med shorts och t-shirt så lovade vi att sköta om varandra i framtiden....det är i alla fall vad jag tror att kaptenen sa...min spanska hängde inte riktigt med så vem vet :)
Galapagos är ett ställe som jag önskar att alla kunde få uppleva. Det är så enormt att se allt liv på öarna och hur det har utvecklats. En stor skillnad mellan Galapagos och den övriga världen är att djuren inte är skygga för människor, vilket tillåter oss att komma nära varandras liv, om bara för en stund. Om någon undrar vart ni ska åka härnäst på semester så kan jag utan tvekan föreslå en Galapagoskryssing på en utav båtarna där.
More Galapagos (English)
We didn’t sail too far on our first afternoon and set foot on our first island. The landscape that met us was fantastic. A white beach with sea lions and a background of lava rock and dry brush. The rocks along the shore were covered in Blue Footed Boobies, Penguins and Sally Lightfoot Crabs. We even had the fortune to walk right up to a feeding frenzy with all kinds of birds; Blue Footed Boobies, Pelicans, Frigate Birds, Gulls and others. They were diving in flocks to catch fish and anything else that moved. Further down the beach we discovered huge sea turtle tracks. It is mating season for the sea turtles and the mama turtle comes out and lays her eggs in a big hole that she digs. This is the only time in her life that she comes out of the water. She lays about 300 eggs, hoping that at least one or two will safely make it down to the water when the eggs hatch. The eggs hatch at night and we saw many mini turtle tracks on the beach. At dusk, birds were gathering around the holes to await their next meal. To end the evening walk we got to see the Marine Iguanas. They are unique to the Galapagos and are the only iguana to have evolved to feed in the sea. It’s a very large and cool looking lizard! In between feedings they lie around warming up, while every now and then snorting out a string of salt through their nose. This behaviour is an adaption which has allowed this creature to eject the excessive amounts of salt it receives from its underwater diet.
Our guide Juan Carlos was superb! He told of the islands’ and animals’ natural history, how they are unique and how they evolved to what they are today. Every day we were treated to two landings on different islands to study the natural wonders.
Galapagos is very known for its sea turtles and its tortoises. Both are very large in size and very beautiful. Because the mating season for the sea turtle was underway, we were lucky to see many turtles mate in the water. The tortoise found on land is found in the wild as well as in breeding centers where they have successfully released hundreds of young tortoises on the islands. A tortoise can live to be 300+ years.
It was also the mating season for other well known Galapagos animals, such as the sea lion, and everywhere we ran into new baby lions that were just adorable! Sea lions like to play, especially when people snorkel or dive. They spin around you and make pretend dashes right towards your face just to turn at the last second. Several times we had sea lions visit the boat. They found their way up and made themselves comfortable on deck. Very cute!
Birds are both unique and plentiful on the islands. Waved Albatross, Blue Footed Boobie and Magnificent and Great Frigate Bird are some of the known ones. All were in full mating season and we were privileged to see some very special behaviour as a result. The Blue Footed Boobie is especially cute. The male stands on the ground waiting for a female to fly overhead. When she does he starts lifting his clumsy and blue feet up in the air to show her how beautiful he is. When she has picked her mate, the two of them dance together, showing each other their beautiful blue feet. I wish it was that simple…
We also spotted many different sharks of different sizes. Often when we snorkeled, but also on one of our dives. The shark that most people are looking to see in the Galapagos is the Hammerhead Shark and we had luck on our side. Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays, Marble Rays, Golden Cowhead Rays and other Rays also came out to show us how very cool they are!
The Penguins on the Galapagos are the world’s most northerly penguin. It is a small one and very quick in the water. Whales and large Manta Rays were seen from our boat on several occasions
Every day was filled with new natural wonders and also with a bunch of fun on the boat. Each evening our guide would hold little sessions about what we could expect from the following day and our captain led us on several snorkeling adventures. The sailing was also an experience! A couple of nights the seas were a little bit rough and some people had trouble sleeping. Mike and I were fine and the days were usually really calm so everyone could enjoy to the fullest.
The last night on the boat was pretty special for Mike and I. We had such a wonderful time in the Galapagos and we thought it would be a wonderful place to tie our knots a little tighter. We asked the captain to hold a little ceremony for us and barefoot, with shorts and t-shirts we promised each other to take care of each other in the future….at least that is what we think the captain said….my Spanish couldn’t quite keep up, so who knows :)
Galapagos is a place I wish everyone could experience. It is so enormous to see all the wildlife on the islands and learn how it evolved. One big difference between the Galapagos and the rest of the world is that the wildlife on the Galapagos is not afraid of people so for short moments, the wildlife and the humans can get very close to each other. If someone out there is looking for a place to go, I can without a doubt recommend a Galapagos cruise!
Den första eftermiddagen seglade vi inte så långt och gick i land på våran första ö. Lanskapet som mötte oss var fantastiskt! En vit strand med sjölejon och en bakgrund av lava sten och torrväxt. Klipporna längs stranden var full av Blue Footed Boobies, Pengviner och Sally Lightfoot Crabs. Vi hade till och med turen att få see en ”feeding frenzy” med alla möjliga fåglar; Blue Footed Boobies, Pelicans, Frigate Birds, Gulls och fler. De dök i flock ned i vattnet för att fånga fisk och allt annat som rörde sig. Längre ned för stranden så upptäckte vi stora sköldpaddespår (sea turtle). Det är parningstid för dem nu och mammorna kravlar upp för stränderna för att lägga sina ägg. De gräver en stor grop för äggen och en stor grop bredvid för att använda sanden till att täcka äggen. Det här är det enda tillfället en sköldpadda tar sig ur vattnet i sitt livs tid och den lägger runt 300ägg för att hoppas att en eller två små paddor lyckas att ta sig till vattnet när äggen kläcks. Äggen kläcks på natten och vi såg små spår av de små padorna i sanden. Mot kvällen såg vi hur fåglar började samlas runt äggroparna för att invänta nattens måltid. Som avslutning fick vi även se en art av iguana som bara finns på Galapagos (Marine Iguana). Det är en stor och fin vegetarisk ödla som har utvecklat konsten att simma och skaffa föda från havsbotten. Väldigt coola faktiskt! De ligger på högar på stränder och klippor för att värma sig mellan varven i vattnet. I mellanåt så snyter de ut en loska salt från näsan och vilar lungt vidare.
Våran guide, Juan Carlos var helt suverän! Han berättade om öarnas och djurens naturhistoria, hur de är unika och hur ekosystemen på Galapagos utvecklades och hur de fungerar idag. Varje dag fick vi gå i land två gånger för att studera naturlivet.
Galapagos är mycket känt för sina sköldpaddor, både havspaddan och landpaddan. Båda sorterna är enormt stora och vackra att se på. Parningstiden för havspaddan pågick när vi var på Galapagos och vid flera tillfällen hade vi turen att se två sköldpaddor tilsammans. Sköldpaddan som hittas på land är enormt stor och finns att hitta på ett par ställen, dels i vilt tillstånd och dels på uppfödningsgårdar där de har haft stor framgång att föda fram dem. Landpaddan lever till 300 år och i bland mer.
Det var även parningstiden för andra kända Galapagosdjur, som sjölejonet och det var fullt med små lejon på stränder och i vattnet. Sjölejon gillar att roa sig och leker gärna med dykare och snorklare om de får tillfälle. De snurrar runt en och ibland dyker de rakt emot en för att i sista sekund väja undan. På stränderna så gillar de att komma upp i närheten och utforska vad vi är för figurer. Vi hade vid flera tillfällen sjölejon ombord på båten. De tog sig upp och lade sig tillrätta på däck. Väldigt gulligt!
Fåglar är både unika och många på öarna. Waved Albatross, Blue Footed Boobie och Magnificent och Great Frigate Bird är de mest berömda. Alla var i full gång med att föröka sig och vi fick se beteenden som bara förekommer vid den här tidpunkten och det var hur fint som helst att se små fågelungar sitta lite var som helst och titta på oss när vi kom gående. The Blue Footed Boobie har ett roligt parningsbeteende där hanen står i sitt bo och väntar på att en hona ska flyga förbi. När hon kommer så lyfter hanen på sina klumsiga blåa fötter och visar henne hur fina de är. När hon är nöjd så dansar de tilsammans och visar sina fötter för varandra. Om det ändå var så enkelt!
Vi såg även hajar av olika slag. Oftast när vi snorklade, men även under ett av våra dyk. Den haj som alla vill se är the Hammer Head och vi hade turen på vår sida. Manta Rays, Spotted Rays, Marble Rays, Eagle Ray och andra sorter fick vi också chansen att se (kommer inte ihåg vad de heter på Svenska).
Pengvinerna på Galapagos är världens mest nordliga pengvin. Den är liten och jätte snabb i vattnet! Valar var synliga från båten vid flera tillfällen och som jag nämnde tidigare såg vi stora Manta Ray som flög upp ur vattnet för att plaska ned i vattnet igen.
Varje dag var fylld av nya naturupplevelser och även av en hel del skoj på båten! Våran guide berättade om öarna för oss på kvällarna och våran kapten ledde oss på snorklingturerna. Seglingen var även en upplevelse den. Ett par nätter så hade vi litte större sjögång och en del hade svårt att sova. Mike och jag klarade oss bra och dagarna var lugna så alla kunde njuta fullt ut.
Den sista kvällen tyckte Mike och jag att Galapagos skulle vara ett fint ställe att knyta våra band lite mer och bad kapten att hålla en liten cermoni för oss. Barfota och med shorts och t-shirt så lovade vi att sköta om varandra i framtiden....det är i alla fall vad jag tror att kaptenen sa...min spanska hängde inte riktigt med så vem vet :)
Galapagos är ett ställe som jag önskar att alla kunde få uppleva. Det är så enormt att se allt liv på öarna och hur det har utvecklats. En stor skillnad mellan Galapagos och den övriga världen är att djuren inte är skygga för människor, vilket tillåter oss att komma nära varandras liv, om bara för en stund. Om någon undrar vart ni ska åka härnäst på semester så kan jag utan tvekan föreslå en Galapagoskryssing på en utav båtarna där.
More Galapagos (English)
We didn’t sail too far on our first afternoon and set foot on our first island. The landscape that met us was fantastic. A white beach with sea lions and a background of lava rock and dry brush. The rocks along the shore were covered in Blue Footed Boobies, Penguins and Sally Lightfoot Crabs. We even had the fortune to walk right up to a feeding frenzy with all kinds of birds; Blue Footed Boobies, Pelicans, Frigate Birds, Gulls and others. They were diving in flocks to catch fish and anything else that moved. Further down the beach we discovered huge sea turtle tracks. It is mating season for the sea turtles and the mama turtle comes out and lays her eggs in a big hole that she digs. This is the only time in her life that she comes out of the water. She lays about 300 eggs, hoping that at least one or two will safely make it down to the water when the eggs hatch. The eggs hatch at night and we saw many mini turtle tracks on the beach. At dusk, birds were gathering around the holes to await their next meal. To end the evening walk we got to see the Marine Iguanas. They are unique to the Galapagos and are the only iguana to have evolved to feed in the sea. It’s a very large and cool looking lizard! In between feedings they lie around warming up, while every now and then snorting out a string of salt through their nose. This behaviour is an adaption which has allowed this creature to eject the excessive amounts of salt it receives from its underwater diet.
Our guide Juan Carlos was superb! He told of the islands’ and animals’ natural history, how they are unique and how they evolved to what they are today. Every day we were treated to two landings on different islands to study the natural wonders.
Galapagos is very known for its sea turtles and its tortoises. Both are very large in size and very beautiful. Because the mating season for the sea turtle was underway, we were lucky to see many turtles mate in the water. The tortoise found on land is found in the wild as well as in breeding centers where they have successfully released hundreds of young tortoises on the islands. A tortoise can live to be 300+ years.
It was also the mating season for other well known Galapagos animals, such as the sea lion, and everywhere we ran into new baby lions that were just adorable! Sea lions like to play, especially when people snorkel or dive. They spin around you and make pretend dashes right towards your face just to turn at the last second. Several times we had sea lions visit the boat. They found their way up and made themselves comfortable on deck. Very cute!
Birds are both unique and plentiful on the islands. Waved Albatross, Blue Footed Boobie and Magnificent and Great Frigate Bird are some of the known ones. All were in full mating season and we were privileged to see some very special behaviour as a result. The Blue Footed Boobie is especially cute. The male stands on the ground waiting for a female to fly overhead. When she does he starts lifting his clumsy and blue feet up in the air to show her how beautiful he is. When she has picked her mate, the two of them dance together, showing each other their beautiful blue feet. I wish it was that simple…
We also spotted many different sharks of different sizes. Often when we snorkeled, but also on one of our dives. The shark that most people are looking to see in the Galapagos is the Hammerhead Shark and we had luck on our side. Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays, Marble Rays, Golden Cowhead Rays and other Rays also came out to show us how very cool they are!
The Penguins on the Galapagos are the world’s most northerly penguin. It is a small one and very quick in the water. Whales and large Manta Rays were seen from our boat on several occasions
Every day was filled with new natural wonders and also with a bunch of fun on the boat. Each evening our guide would hold little sessions about what we could expect from the following day and our captain led us on several snorkeling adventures. The sailing was also an experience! A couple of nights the seas were a little bit rough and some people had trouble sleeping. Mike and I were fine and the days were usually really calm so everyone could enjoy to the fullest.
The last night on the boat was pretty special for Mike and I. We had such a wonderful time in the Galapagos and we thought it would be a wonderful place to tie our knots a little tighter. We asked the captain to hold a little ceremony for us and barefoot, with shorts and t-shirts we promised each other to take care of each other in the future….at least that is what we think the captain said….my Spanish couldn’t quite keep up, so who knows :)
Galapagos is a place I wish everyone could experience. It is so enormous to see all the wildlife on the islands and learn how it evolved. One big difference between the Galapagos and the rest of the world is that the wildlife on the Galapagos is not afraid of people so for short moments, the wildlife and the humans can get very close to each other. If someone out there is looking for a place to go, I can without a doubt recommend a Galapagos cruise!
First couple of photos from the Galapagos sailing trip....
The boat: the Nemo II, a 76-foot sailing catamaran (has 9 cabins plus a kitchen, takes 12 tourists plus crew)
Some locals were already hogging the benches at the pier while we awaited our panga dinghy to take us out to the catamaran.
The wildlife viewing at the pier (not even on the boat yet!) continues with penguin sightings in the water below. (better photo coming later...)
Plenty of nice fish hanging around the boat
Plenty of not-so-nice fish (sharks) hanging around the boat
The lounge area inside the catamaran
The dining area on the back deck. The scene of the crime for the weight gain that has happened.
Galapagos Part 1 Swedish and English
Galapagos Del 1 (Svenska)
Galapagos öarna ligger 1000km väster om Ecuadors fastland. Det är en skärgård med öar som har sprungit upp av vulkaner för mellan 1 - 8 miljoner år sedan. Vulkaner är fortfarande aktiva och öar formas långsamt med tiden. Eftersom öarna ligger på en tektoniskt platta som sakta rör sig mot fastlandet och under den plattan som fastlandet ligger på så betyder det att öarna så småning om sjunker. Som ni kanske vet var det här som Darwin spenderade 5 veckor på båten Beagle och senare utvecklade sina teorier om evolution.
Vi hade en resa bokad med en katamaran som heter Amazonia (Nemo II). Båten tar 12 passagerare och har 7 personer i personalen (guide, kapten, kock, seglare, reperatör, gummibåtsförare och en allt i allo). Vi hade ombetts att ha på oss klistermärken med båtens namn när vi anlände på flygplatsen så att våran guide skulle känna igen oss.Vi försökte i smyg att lista ut om några andra på vårat flyg skulle med samma båt och såg flera par med samma klistermärken. Vi log lite till varandra och hejade i kön genom tullen. Vi undrade naturligtvis om vi skulle komma överens, vilken under resan skulle visa sig att inte vara några problem. Under landningen så hade vi sett en liten vik med båtar förtöjda. Även en katamaran låg förtöjd där. Vi undrade naturligtvis om det kunde vara den båten vi skulle åka med!
Ecuador har tagit många steg för att beskydda sina öar, vildmark och djure. De desinfekterar väskor och skor när man anländer så att man inte ska föra in något som kan slå sig till ro på öarna och innan man åker ifrån fastlandet så gås alla väskor igenom för att se till att inget olämpligt förs in.
Våran natur guide, Juan Carlos, mötte oss på flygplatsen med ett stort leende varmt välkomnande och från den stunden så var vi omhändertagna som kungar och drottningar! Vi behövde inte ens bära våra väskor till bussen som väntade på oss. Turen ned till viken tog bara 5 minuter och det visade sig att den båten vi sett från flygplanet vare den vi skulle segla med! Gissa om vi alla var uppspelta! Oj, oj, oj! Bussen släppte av oss vid en liten kaj där vi fick några minuters väntan på våran ”panga” (gummibåt) som skulle ta oss till Nemo II. Och gissa vad vi såg redan vid kajen!!! Sjölejon låg på några soffbänkar och latade sig, en pingvin och en iguana simmade i vattnet, och pelikaner och andra fåglar flög runt omkring!!!! Alla turister blev som tokiga och vi tog massor av kort....vilket våran guide senare gjorde narr av eftersom djurlivet blir så enormt bättre när man kommer ifrån hamnen. Alla turister är sig lika!
De tokiga turisterna var Susan och Pete från Wales, Carmen och Miguel från Spanien, Saskia och Heike från Tyskland, Jamie och Annabelle från Nederländerna och Mathieu och Ellenor från Frankrike. Och så vi då.
Våran panga tog oss över till båten där vi välkomnades ombord av resten av personalen. Vi fick se våra hytter och vi fick en kall fruktjuice medan personalen bar in vårat bagage. Båten var otroligt fin. En 24 meter lång och 13 år gammal katamaran med en matsal i aktern, ett vardagsrum med en härlig soffa och några hytter i mitten och med fler hytter i fören.
Innan vi drog upp ankaret den första dagen så var det lite för personalen att stå i. Vi tog chansen att utforska båten och vattnet runt omkring. Medan vi satt och njöt av utsikten fick vi se våra första hajar. De var alla Galapagos Haj och en utav dem var riktigt stor....lite nervig blev jag nog eftersom vi skulle snorkla och dyka i det här vattnet hela veckan!
Galapagos Part 1 (English)
The Galapagos islands are located 1000km west of Ecuador’s mainland. It’s an archipelago of islands that were formed by volcanic activity 1-8 million years ago. Volcanoes are still active on the islands and new islands are continuously being formed. The islands are located on a big tectonic plate that slowly moves toward the mainland, forcing the islands underwater with time. As you probably already know, this is where Darwin spent 5 weeks on the ship “the Beagle” conducting biological research, which later on laid the foundation for his theories of evolution.
We had a trip booked on a catamaran named Amazonia (Nemo II). The boat is able to take 12 passengers and 7 staff (guide, captain, chef, sailor, repair man, panga (dinghy) driver and a jack of all trades). We had been asked to wear a sticker with our boat’s name upon arrival so that the guide would recognize us. As we were going through customs, we tried to spot other passengers and as we did we gave a smile and hello. Of course what we were quietly wondering is whether we would get along with each other, which later on would prove not to be an issue. During our landing we had spotted a bay with a number of boats anchored. One of them was a catamaran and we were wondering if this would be our boat.
Ecuador has taken many steps to ensure that the wilderness and wildlife on the islands remain intact. Our bags and shoes were disinfected upon arrival to ensure that we didn’t drag something in that could potentially set root, and before we left the mainland our bags were investigated for harmful material.
Our guide, Juan Carlos, met us at the airport with a big smile and a warm welcome, and from that moment on we were taken care of like kings and queens. We didn’t even carry our own luggage to the waiting bus! The bus ride down to the bay took 5 minutes and it turned out that the boat that we had seen from our flight indeed was the boat we would sail on! Were we ever excited! Wow! The bus dropped us off at a little pier where we had to wait a few minutes for our “panga” (rubber dingy), and guess what we saw from here??? Sea lions were relaxing on the park benches, a penguin and iguana were swimming in the water and pelicans and other birds were flying all over!!! The tourists (ourselves included) went nuts taking photos…which our guide later would make quite a bit of fun of since the wildlife is nothing in the harbour compared to the rest of the islands. All tourists are alike!
The other travellers were Susan and Pete from Wales, Carmen and Miguel from Spain, Saskia and Heike from Germany, Jamie and Annabelle from the Netherlands, and Mathieu and Ellenor from France. And us!
Our panga took us to our boat where we were welcomed by the rest of the staff. We got to see our cabins and received a nice cold fruit juice while the staff brought our luggage. The boat was incredibly nice. A 24 meter long and 13 year old catamaran with a dining room in the stern, a hangout room and cabins in the middle, and more cabins in the bow.
Before we set sail the first day, the staff had some things to attend to. This gave us an opportunity to investigate the boat and the waters around us. While enjoying the view from deck, we spotted out first sharks. They were all Galapagos Sharks and one of them was quite large….which was a bit unnerving since we would spend the next week snorkeling and scuba diving in this water!
Galapagos öarna ligger 1000km väster om Ecuadors fastland. Det är en skärgård med öar som har sprungit upp av vulkaner för mellan 1 - 8 miljoner år sedan. Vulkaner är fortfarande aktiva och öar formas långsamt med tiden. Eftersom öarna ligger på en tektoniskt platta som sakta rör sig mot fastlandet och under den plattan som fastlandet ligger på så betyder det att öarna så småning om sjunker. Som ni kanske vet var det här som Darwin spenderade 5 veckor på båten Beagle och senare utvecklade sina teorier om evolution.
Vi hade en resa bokad med en katamaran som heter Amazonia (Nemo II). Båten tar 12 passagerare och har 7 personer i personalen (guide, kapten, kock, seglare, reperatör, gummibåtsförare och en allt i allo). Vi hade ombetts att ha på oss klistermärken med båtens namn när vi anlände på flygplatsen så att våran guide skulle känna igen oss.Vi försökte i smyg att lista ut om några andra på vårat flyg skulle med samma båt och såg flera par med samma klistermärken. Vi log lite till varandra och hejade i kön genom tullen. Vi undrade naturligtvis om vi skulle komma överens, vilken under resan skulle visa sig att inte vara några problem. Under landningen så hade vi sett en liten vik med båtar förtöjda. Även en katamaran låg förtöjd där. Vi undrade naturligtvis om det kunde vara den båten vi skulle åka med!
Ecuador har tagit många steg för att beskydda sina öar, vildmark och djure. De desinfekterar väskor och skor när man anländer så att man inte ska föra in något som kan slå sig till ro på öarna och innan man åker ifrån fastlandet så gås alla väskor igenom för att se till att inget olämpligt förs in.
Våran natur guide, Juan Carlos, mötte oss på flygplatsen med ett stort leende varmt välkomnande och från den stunden så var vi omhändertagna som kungar och drottningar! Vi behövde inte ens bära våra väskor till bussen som väntade på oss. Turen ned till viken tog bara 5 minuter och det visade sig att den båten vi sett från flygplanet vare den vi skulle segla med! Gissa om vi alla var uppspelta! Oj, oj, oj! Bussen släppte av oss vid en liten kaj där vi fick några minuters väntan på våran ”panga” (gummibåt) som skulle ta oss till Nemo II. Och gissa vad vi såg redan vid kajen!!! Sjölejon låg på några soffbänkar och latade sig, en pingvin och en iguana simmade i vattnet, och pelikaner och andra fåglar flög runt omkring!!!! Alla turister blev som tokiga och vi tog massor av kort....vilket våran guide senare gjorde narr av eftersom djurlivet blir så enormt bättre när man kommer ifrån hamnen. Alla turister är sig lika!
De tokiga turisterna var Susan och Pete från Wales, Carmen och Miguel från Spanien, Saskia och Heike från Tyskland, Jamie och Annabelle från Nederländerna och Mathieu och Ellenor från Frankrike. Och så vi då.
Våran panga tog oss över till båten där vi välkomnades ombord av resten av personalen. Vi fick se våra hytter och vi fick en kall fruktjuice medan personalen bar in vårat bagage. Båten var otroligt fin. En 24 meter lång och 13 år gammal katamaran med en matsal i aktern, ett vardagsrum med en härlig soffa och några hytter i mitten och med fler hytter i fören.
Innan vi drog upp ankaret den första dagen så var det lite för personalen att stå i. Vi tog chansen att utforska båten och vattnet runt omkring. Medan vi satt och njöt av utsikten fick vi se våra första hajar. De var alla Galapagos Haj och en utav dem var riktigt stor....lite nervig blev jag nog eftersom vi skulle snorkla och dyka i det här vattnet hela veckan!
Galapagos Part 1 (English)
The Galapagos islands are located 1000km west of Ecuador’s mainland. It’s an archipelago of islands that were formed by volcanic activity 1-8 million years ago. Volcanoes are still active on the islands and new islands are continuously being formed. The islands are located on a big tectonic plate that slowly moves toward the mainland, forcing the islands underwater with time. As you probably already know, this is where Darwin spent 5 weeks on the ship “the Beagle” conducting biological research, which later on laid the foundation for his theories of evolution.
We had a trip booked on a catamaran named Amazonia (Nemo II). The boat is able to take 12 passengers and 7 staff (guide, captain, chef, sailor, repair man, panga (dinghy) driver and a jack of all trades). We had been asked to wear a sticker with our boat’s name upon arrival so that the guide would recognize us. As we were going through customs, we tried to spot other passengers and as we did we gave a smile and hello. Of course what we were quietly wondering is whether we would get along with each other, which later on would prove not to be an issue. During our landing we had spotted a bay with a number of boats anchored. One of them was a catamaran and we were wondering if this would be our boat.
Ecuador has taken many steps to ensure that the wilderness and wildlife on the islands remain intact. Our bags and shoes were disinfected upon arrival to ensure that we didn’t drag something in that could potentially set root, and before we left the mainland our bags were investigated for harmful material.
Our guide, Juan Carlos, met us at the airport with a big smile and a warm welcome, and from that moment on we were taken care of like kings and queens. We didn’t even carry our own luggage to the waiting bus! The bus ride down to the bay took 5 minutes and it turned out that the boat that we had seen from our flight indeed was the boat we would sail on! Were we ever excited! Wow! The bus dropped us off at a little pier where we had to wait a few minutes for our “panga” (rubber dingy), and guess what we saw from here??? Sea lions were relaxing on the park benches, a penguin and iguana were swimming in the water and pelicans and other birds were flying all over!!! The tourists (ourselves included) went nuts taking photos…which our guide later would make quite a bit of fun of since the wildlife is nothing in the harbour compared to the rest of the islands. All tourists are alike!
The other travellers were Susan and Pete from Wales, Carmen and Miguel from Spain, Saskia and Heike from Germany, Jamie and Annabelle from the Netherlands, and Mathieu and Ellenor from France. And us!
Our panga took us to our boat where we were welcomed by the rest of the staff. We got to see our cabins and received a nice cold fruit juice while the staff brought our luggage. The boat was incredibly nice. A 24 meter long and 13 year old catamaran with a dining room in the stern, a hangout room and cabins in the middle, and more cabins in the bow.
Before we set sail the first day, the staff had some things to attend to. This gave us an opportunity to investigate the boat and the waters around us. While enjoying the view from deck, we spotted out first sharks. They were all Galapagos Sharks and one of them was quite large….which was a bit unnerving since we would spend the next week snorkeling and scuba diving in this water!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
How to begin writing about the best place you have ever visited? A beautiful sailboat, great company, amazing guides and wildlife beyond your imagination! This place is really enchanted! We are looking forward to telling all the stories when we find a computer that is more efficient than the ones on the island. We arrive in Chile in a couple of days and hopefully we will find some time there to write.
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