Puerto Villamil, Southern Isabela Island
I crawled out of bed and hurried right out on deck this morning, eager to see what kind of day the volcano gods were offering us. I glanced up to the slopes and rim of Sierra Negra and I was worried: a clear sky and not a cloud in sight. Lovely weather indeed, but not what one wants when you are planning a 7 mile hike along the exposed rim of a volcano! I had already encouraged the entire group of guests to join us for a climb to the summit of this active volcano; at breakfast I warned them that it might get very hot and it would for sure be quite dusty, on the slopes of Sierra Negra today. In spite of that warning, 43 of our guests (only two couples who chose to relax and take the morning off, remained on the Islander) disembarked after breakfast and boarded double cabin pick up truck taxis. We bounced along on the wooden benches in the beds of the trucks for 40 minutes, climbing ever higher and higher on a cinder road up the lush green slopes.
Sierra Negra quite recently erupted from two vents on the northern rim. I had the privilege of seeing the eruption in process and have climbed the slopes to observe the site a half dozen times since. Each time I arrive to the rim and gaze out across the expansive recent lava flow, which covers half the caldera floor, I am thrilled by the sight of this barren, new rock and the vents that are still steaming. Our guests enjoyed the same thrill today! We divided into two groups: “faster and further” and “to the rim” and everyone who set out made it up the slopes. To our delight we were blessed by perfect weather. I don’t know where the clouds came from, but I am grateful that they appeared to hide the glaring sun. We had the conditions one would order if you could: blue sky and sun, with puffy white clouds to please the photographers and cover the sun off and on, plus a constant breeze to keep us cool. A local cowboy, Modesto, carried water on his horse so we could refill our water bottles. He told the group of “to the rim” hikers, led by Alexandra, about what it had been like to be in Villamil when the eruption began on October 22, 2005.
The “faster and further” group hiked along the rim to a barren section where cinders and pelee’s hair (thin hair-like volcanic glass) covered the ground and we had a clear view of the vents about a mile away. By the time we all reached the pick ups parked at the end of the road below the rim, we were thirsty and extremely dusty but all rejoicing in the spectacular views we had seen. The cold beer and colas that were waiting on ice for us were welcome!
We did justice to the delicious buffet lunch our Islander chefs had prepared (and for once we deserved all that we ate!) and after siesta spent an enjoyable afternoon in the town of Villamil. We toured the tortoise breeding center, shopped at the fisherman’s wives store, rode bikes, strolled on the lovely white beach and played beach volleyball. We drank coconut water with a straw, sipped beers and colas and watched a magnificent sunset. Once we finally got all of the group back on the ship, (I think Tim was tempted to stay in town …) we were educated and entertained by Jaime and Diego, two children from Villamil. They spoke to us about the activities of the three local kid’s conservation clubs: “little boobies” (3-4 year olds), “ iguana kids” (4-6 year olds) and ”friends of the tortoises” (7 years and up). We were delighted to see their enthusiasm and know that the future of the islands is in the hands of these charming, future conservation leaders.
I crawled out of bed and hurried right out on deck this morning, eager to see what kind of day the volcano gods were offering us. I glanced up to the slopes and rim of Sierra Negra and I was worried: a clear sky and not a cloud in sight. Lovely weather indeed, but not what one wants when you are planning a 7 mile hike along the exposed rim of a volcano! I had already encouraged the entire group of guests to join us for a climb to the summit of this active volcano; at breakfast I warned them that it might get very hot and it would for sure be quite dusty, on the slopes of Sierra Negra today. In spite of that warning, 43 of our guests (only two couples who chose to relax and take the morning off, remained on the Islander) disembarked after breakfast and boarded double cabin pick up truck taxis. We bounced along on the wooden benches in the beds of the trucks for 40 minutes, climbing ever higher and higher on a cinder road up the lush green slopes.
Sierra Negra quite recently erupted from two vents on the northern rim. I had the privilege of seeing the eruption in process and have climbed the slopes to observe the site a half dozen times since. Each time I arrive to the rim and gaze out across the expansive recent lava flow, which covers half the caldera floor, I am thrilled by the sight of this barren, new rock and the vents that are still steaming. Our guests enjoyed the same thrill today! We divided into two groups: “faster and further” and “to the rim” and everyone who set out made it up the slopes. To our delight we were blessed by perfect weather. I don’t know where the clouds came from, but I am grateful that they appeared to hide the glaring sun. We had the conditions one would order if you could: blue sky and sun, with puffy white clouds to please the photographers and cover the sun off and on, plus a constant breeze to keep us cool. A local cowboy, Modesto, carried water on his horse so we could refill our water bottles. He told the group of “to the rim” hikers, led by Alexandra, about what it had been like to be in Villamil when the eruption began on October 22, 2005.
The “faster and further” group hiked along the rim to a barren section where cinders and pelee’s hair (thin hair-like volcanic glass) covered the ground and we had a clear view of the vents about a mile away. By the time we all reached the pick ups parked at the end of the road below the rim, we were thirsty and extremely dusty but all rejoicing in the spectacular views we had seen. The cold beer and colas that were waiting on ice for us were welcome!
We did justice to the delicious buffet lunch our Islander chefs had prepared (and for once we deserved all that we ate!) and after siesta spent an enjoyable afternoon in the town of Villamil. We toured the tortoise breeding center, shopped at the fisherman’s wives store, rode bikes, strolled on the lovely white beach and played beach volleyball. We drank coconut water with a straw, sipped beers and colas and watched a magnificent sunset. Once we finally got all of the group back on the ship, (I think Tim was tempted to stay in town …) we were educated and entertained by Jaime and Diego, two children from Villamil. They spoke to us about the activities of the three local kid’s conservation clubs: “little boobies” (3-4 year olds), “ iguana kids” (4-6 year olds) and ”friends of the tortoises” (7 years and up). We were delighted to see their enthusiasm and know that the future of the islands is in the hands of these charming, future conservation leaders.
