Santa Cruz Island
We started our day on Santa Cruz Island. We visited the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). At this institution we learned about the different programs for the conservation of the islands. These programs are a combined effort of the Galápagos National Park Service and the CDRS.
We saw Galápagos giant tortoises, divided into two kinds: some are enormous and have a dome-like shaped carapace, while the others are smaller, with the front edge of the carapace bent upward. The latter kind is called saddleback, and gives the name for the islands, “Galápagos” in old Castilian.
After our visit to CDRS, we spent some time downtown. Guests went buying souvenirs, having drinks, taking photographs or simply inviting the guides for ice cream.
On our way to our the restaurant we had a brief stop at Bellavista Town, where we had a chance to see a sugar cane mill in action, drink fresh Galápagos coffee and taste fresh baked bread. The “aguardiente” or distilled sugar juice can reach up to 70% alcohol. Some of our guests tasted it and experience an immediate cheering of the spirits. There was a lot of laughter after that.
After lunch we boarded the buses for a trip to observe giant tortoises in the wild and to admire a couple of impressive geological formations known as “Los Gemelos.” These are twin pit craters surrounded by a forest of the endemic Scalesia trees.
All in all, it was a fantastic day in paradise…
