July'05 and Dec '06

[drfun48]

I posted the following on the " Xpedition anyone recently back " thread but am placing it here also in case it might be helpful to anyone.

 

I have to start by saying all should do this trip a second time if at all possible.While it was still awe inspiring,I felt I was much more relaxed and less pressured to see it all and concentrated on the little things that I either missed or liked so much I wanted to repeat. I took a lot fewer picture( I took enough and still had tons from before) and speant more time viewing the panarama though my eyes rather than through a camera.

It was also nice to be aboard the newly refurbished Xpedition.Jorge was again our cruise director and my main man Fernando, now bar manager remembered us and gave us a warm welcome.The entire crew and naturalists seem to make a bid deal out of the fact that we were returnees since they said it was the highest compliment to them that we would return so soon.It was almost embarrassing how they fussed.The naturalists were also interested to see how differently we viewed the animals and the landscape in comparison.

This trip we landed in Balta instead of San Cristobal since last time the airport was being redone.The first excursion on Sunday was to N.Seymour which was a stronger start than Puerto Baquerizo-the museum,which for us this time proceeded my favorite stop Espanola, on monday. You hit the ground running the first day and proceed the vigorous trip on monday with the relaxed morning session.

Monday also featured the Kicker rock zodiac trip which this time was highlighted by numerous whale sightings absent on the July trip--they were right along side the pangas!

There were differences on Espanola---many more baby sea lions born in November than in July---unfortunately there were numerous dead among them---something rare in July.Also this brought an increase in flies.Bring the bug spray on all trips--They weren't everywhere but when they were they were annoying.

We also say fewer Blue footed booby babies and fewer mating danced but there were plent of adults. The biggest dissappointment was that we caught the tail end of the Albatross season. By Jan 1 all were expected to be gone and we only saw about a dozen as opposed to hundreds in July,with great activity at the landing strip.

The decreased numbers of Albatross and Blue footed boobies was relaced many Nazca boobies and baby sea lions.

Tuesday was a treat as there were two new(to us) ports on Floreana,Commorant point where at a brackish lake we viewed many times the number of flamingos that we saw in our other stops in July.There were also Pintail ducks and Stilts there.

There was also an afternoon trip to a high lookout point that was not as taxing as the 358 step climb on Bartolome but proved great panoramas of moon like terrain. BTW this time we skipped the death climb--I'm glad I did it once and would suggest all do it,but once was enough. Instead on Bartolome we took the isthmus hike and were lucky to see marine turtles mating in the shallow surf. The females can't complain that the males are too quick here.Also saw an army of ghost crabs here that i had not seen before-amazing and diffent from the beautiful but ubiquitous Sally light foot crabs.

The two trips deleted from the July trip were CerraBrujo--my journal noted nothing particularly different there,and Rabida which was more of the same. I don't mean to imply that these stops were not good,just that you don't miss anything that you can't see elsewhere.I beleve the two changes were a slight upgrade.

We this time did not go to Darwin's lake which while interststing was devoid of all but small birds and went insteadon the Mariela island panga ride and saw tons of penguins.Later we journed into a mangroveinlet where the naturalist shut down the engines and in the clear water we spotted schools of rays and sea turtled---so peaceful and quiet.One of the best excursions also.

Finally in the afternoon on Fernandia there were flightless cormorants but neither in number or proximity that they were in July.

So in general with regard to wildlife, we saw fewer Blue footed boobies ,albatrosses, and comorrants and more baby sea lions,rays, turtles ,sharks ,nazca boobies,and penguins.

We also saw more tortoices this time than last due to the fact that the viewing site was changed- Last trip we saw only about four in a swampy area-this time they took us to a privately ownes 700 acre farm where we saw dozens and dozens.

In Puerto Ayora last time we made visits on two different days,tuesday and saturday. This time we spent the entire day there.Not that big a change but I preferred the two days since it is one of only two places where you can phone home for a quarter a minute ,and that gave us three days to taunt our relatives. The other place to call from is Puerto baquerzio.

With regard to excursions-it's better to go to the highlands in the afternoon and the darwin center in the morning as they are dryer then and Lonsome George is more active in the am.

If there was one negative perhaps to traveling at Christmas it was the large number of children. In July there were perhaps five people under twenty and 74 passengers- On this trip there were 86 and half were under twenty.

The teens were extremely well behaved and shared their parents interest and respect for the Galapagos. The sub teens- and there were about 15-did not.

Also a negative was that there were two very large family groups-of at least twenty. They were less likely to mingle than when there were 35 or so individual couples . While we did become friendly with 3 or 4 couples, the family groups with minor exceptions, tended to remain with their own groups and the social dynamic was much less fluid.

They also wanted to do everything together which sometimes made the excursions and dining a bit more difficult-not major though.

In that regard putting their groups together took time and they were always the last on excursions. Since the naturalists leave in order-we were always with the same naturalists,which llimited the range of experience,since I found that each of them offer a differnt perspective.

But I guess this is nitpicking because the overall experience of the Galapagos is so fabulous.It's just that I promised to compare the two trips and being so similar i was looking for differences to share and I would say that the large number of families in groups was the biggest difference.

As I stated before ,the only change in the Quito stay was the shift in the Opera house night-a good one. We also witnessed New Year's eve in Quito. There are efigies of politicians burned by the hundreds everywhere and the men frequently dress as women.This seemed to amuse many of our group.

I'm sure I've missed some things but will visit again if I think of any or if there are any questions,but I'm still behind in my real world.