Santa Cruz Island
The whole idea of coming back to civilization did not sound too appealing to our guests when I mentioned it last night, however everything changed at the sound of giant tortoises being the main attraction of the visit.
We indeed had a good time among the tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station, as we got to see and learn all the different programs that have been developed over the years to restore the decimated number left during the whaling times. Pens full of little baby tortoises, as well as the gigantic 400-pound reptiles, were observed by the curious eyes of guests who wanted to know everything about them.
It was shortly after our visit here that guests had the chance to explore the other side of the coin when it comes to the wildlife in Galápagos, the town of Puerto Ayora.
For everyone who wanted to get a souvenir from the Galápagos, today was heaven! More stores than you could visit in a day are located along the main street of this town, where most of the inhabitants are one way or another connected to some form of tourism.
After the hunger for another t-shirt was satisfied, we headed to the highlands of Santa Cruz looking for our lunch and for more Giant tortoises, this time in the wild.
We got a lot more than just that, as the deal was to explore the highlands and its magnificent surroundings. Green and lush vegetation everywhere gave us the opportunity to understand that Galápagos is not only the desert-like areas that people often picture when they think about this archipelago. Giant trees all over the place and even farms along the main highway gave us all a clear picture that Galápagos is a place where nature and people have been able to commune in a real nice way!
