Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz was at its best. I like it when it is overcast, as the temperature drops a few degrees, making the stars of the island feel more relaxed. By the stars I mean the giant tortoises, which we saw, both at the Charles Darwin Research Station/National Park Breeding center, and in the wild.
We learned about the people of the Galápagos as well, as we visited the largest town of this archipelago. It was a busy day, with new species of birds, like tree finches and flycatchers, opportunities for Christmas shopping, and the chance to see the other side of the coin, how people live in this isolated corner of the planet.
In the evening we enjoyed the visit of musicians from town, and of the Chapaca family. Who are they? Domenica Chapaca is the winner of a speech contest organized by the Galápagos National Park to celebrate its 50-year anniversary. Domenica is a talented girl, 11 years old, who shared with all of us, for 11 minutes, a dissertation about the history of Galápagos and the history of the Park Service.
Lindblad offered her and her dad this trip, as the prize, and for her very first time ever, Domenica has ventured to the other islands, where it is just wild and with amazing creatures. This evening we enjoyed the company of her mom and sister as well.
Domenica received a full ovation from our guests after her talk. We feel very optimistic for the future of Galápagos, as there are kids like Domenica, bright, intelligent and with a deep love for their home islands.
