Santa Cruz
Days are great with “hot chicks and cool dudes.”
Swimming with whale sharks, penguins and giant sea turtles yesterday left the guests of the ship, myself included, wondering what Lindblad could possibly have in store for us on our fifth day in the Galápagos. We had some momentum, but could we keep it going...
After four incredible days in the Galápagos National Park, isolated from humans not traveling on the National Geographic Polaris, we were anchored off of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, the commercial center of the Galápagos… we were headed “to town.” For the fifth day in a row, I awoke to the soothing sounds of Cindy’s voice. Cindy is the Expedition Leader, not my girlfriend, and unfortunately it was only 6:30 am.
The first stop in town was the Charles Darwin Research Station (hint: for those visiting CDRS, take your passport, they will put a fun stamp in it at the entrance). The center is home to many conservation, research and outreach initiatives, one of which is to incubate tortoise eggs and keep hatchlings safe from rats (ah!) until they can fend for themselves. Tortoise eggs are heated prior to hatching, the temperature of which determines the newborn’s gender (hence, “hot chicks and cool dudes”). Perhaps most importantly, the center houses two prominent Galapageños – Solitario Jorge and Super Diego. Solitario Jorge (aka Lonesome George), Guinness Book of World Records’ Loneliest Creature on Earth, is an estimated 100 years old and the sole survivor of the Pinta Island race of giant tortoise. One would think that with so much experience under his shell, Solitario would want to ensure that his legacy continues in the tortoise world… however, no. Solitario, who shares his habitat with two beautiful non-Pinta female tortoises, refuses to be intimate with the ladies. Hope stands that sometime in the next 75 years, Solitario will come around.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Super Diego. Super Diego, a one-time resident of the San Diego Zoo, is to the Española tortoise as Adam is to mankind. At one point not long ago, only 14 tortoises from the island of Española were known to exist. Enter Super Diego, surrounded by 14 females. The population on the island of Española is now roughly 1600. I think all onboard agree that the name is appropriate.
After leaving the Darwin Center, my mother and I ventured into the commercial district. For the first time since the trip began we were able to walk on solid ground without having to worry about stepping on an iguana tail, walking between a sea lion pup and its mother, or slipping on whatever it is that the marine iguana squirts out of its nose. I must admit that I was surprisingly pleased with the wares that were offered in downtown Puerto Ayora… everything from high end jewelry and art to the usual tourist gear (yes, I bought a t-shirt; no, it does not say, “I love boobies”).
Prior to the Lindblad-provided lunch in the highlands of Santa Cruz, I decided to try out the local cuisine. Upon the suggestion of Tallita and Giancarlo, two of the ship’s staff members, I grabbed some patacones and ceviche mixto at Cevicheria Frutos del Mar, the “hole in the wall, next to Tatoo, in front of the plaza, near the port.” If you can find the place, which is hard to miss, I definitely recommend the ceviche (it goes quite well with a cold beer on a hot day). Although the ceviche was a tough act to follow, the real lunch consisted of chicken, lentils, potatoes, a couple more cold drinks, a dip in the pool, and for the lucky few, a hammock. Not too shabby…
Next stop, the Gemelos (the Twins). The Twins are two self-proclaimed “amazing geological formations,” that resulted from the caving-in of the volcanic crust. The result, two 300-foot deep craters, 300 feet in diameter (give or take a few). The Twins house all sorts of ferns and other flora, and are known as a great spot to glimpse the beautiful vermillion flycatcher. As it turned out, despite Gilda, the naturalist’s, best efforts to imitate the bird’s calls, today was not our day to see the vermillion flycatcher.
I thought tortoises in captivity at the National Park’s Tortoise Rearing Center were great, but then we saw them in the wild. Let me tell you, it was greater. The Great Tortoise Migration, from the high to lowlands, passes through a local cow/horse/Cuban cedar lumber farm. The property owner decided that a profit could be made from this phenomenon and opened his lands to tortoise-searching tourists. Imagine a game of hide-and-go-seek, only the hider is the size of a Mini Cooper. As the searcher, I found 11 tortoises, mostly chomping away on the grass and shrubs. Every time I approached a tortoise, they would let out a Darth Vader-like breath, retreat to the safety of their shell for a few seconds, recognize that my 165-pound frame was no match for their 600 pounds, and continue eating.
Once pried away from the tortoises, I headed back into Puerto Ayora for a quick self-guided tour around the city. The plaza near the port, in front of the Cevicheria Frutos del Mar was filled with hundreds of adolescent to middle-aged men playing very serious three-on-three volleyball matches. With all of the heckling and arguing, I began to wonder, and it was later confirmed, that there was serious money in play… I wandered up and down Santa Cruz’s side streets, stumbled across the mercado municipal (local fruit and vegetable market), kicked a stuffed soccer ball around with some young Santacruceños, watched local fisherman sell the day’s catch, and chatted with the curious employees of the local repair shop (just to talk to some people, I had nothing that needed fixing). When the time came to board a Zodiac and head back to the National Geographic Polaris, I reluctantly hopped on board.
All of this before 5:45pm…
Days are great with “hot chicks and cool dudes.”
Swimming with whale sharks, penguins and giant sea turtles yesterday left the guests of the ship, myself included, wondering what Lindblad could possibly have in store for us on our fifth day in the Galápagos. We had some momentum, but could we keep it going...
After four incredible days in the Galápagos National Park, isolated from humans not traveling on the National Geographic Polaris, we were anchored off of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, the commercial center of the Galápagos… we were headed “to town.” For the fifth day in a row, I awoke to the soothing sounds of Cindy’s voice. Cindy is the Expedition Leader, not my girlfriend, and unfortunately it was only 6:30 am.
The first stop in town was the Charles Darwin Research Station (hint: for those visiting CDRS, take your passport, they will put a fun stamp in it at the entrance). The center is home to many conservation, research and outreach initiatives, one of which is to incubate tortoise eggs and keep hatchlings safe from rats (ah!) until they can fend for themselves. Tortoise eggs are heated prior to hatching, the temperature of which determines the newborn’s gender (hence, “hot chicks and cool dudes”). Perhaps most importantly, the center houses two prominent Galapageños – Solitario Jorge and Super Diego. Solitario Jorge (aka Lonesome George), Guinness Book of World Records’ Loneliest Creature on Earth, is an estimated 100 years old and the sole survivor of the Pinta Island race of giant tortoise. One would think that with so much experience under his shell, Solitario would want to ensure that his legacy continues in the tortoise world… however, no. Solitario, who shares his habitat with two beautiful non-Pinta female tortoises, refuses to be intimate with the ladies. Hope stands that sometime in the next 75 years, Solitario will come around.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Super Diego. Super Diego, a one-time resident of the San Diego Zoo, is to the Española tortoise as Adam is to mankind. At one point not long ago, only 14 tortoises from the island of Española were known to exist. Enter Super Diego, surrounded by 14 females. The population on the island of Española is now roughly 1600. I think all onboard agree that the name is appropriate.
After leaving the Darwin Center, my mother and I ventured into the commercial district. For the first time since the trip began we were able to walk on solid ground without having to worry about stepping on an iguana tail, walking between a sea lion pup and its mother, or slipping on whatever it is that the marine iguana squirts out of its nose. I must admit that I was surprisingly pleased with the wares that were offered in downtown Puerto Ayora… everything from high end jewelry and art to the usual tourist gear (yes, I bought a t-shirt; no, it does not say, “I love boobies”).
Prior to the Lindblad-provided lunch in the highlands of Santa Cruz, I decided to try out the local cuisine. Upon the suggestion of Tallita and Giancarlo, two of the ship’s staff members, I grabbed some patacones and ceviche mixto at Cevicheria Frutos del Mar, the “hole in the wall, next to Tatoo, in front of the plaza, near the port.” If you can find the place, which is hard to miss, I definitely recommend the ceviche (it goes quite well with a cold beer on a hot day). Although the ceviche was a tough act to follow, the real lunch consisted of chicken, lentils, potatoes, a couple more cold drinks, a dip in the pool, and for the lucky few, a hammock. Not too shabby…
Next stop, the Gemelos (the Twins). The Twins are two self-proclaimed “amazing geological formations,” that resulted from the caving-in of the volcanic crust. The result, two 300-foot deep craters, 300 feet in diameter (give or take a few). The Twins house all sorts of ferns and other flora, and are known as a great spot to glimpse the beautiful vermillion flycatcher. As it turned out, despite Gilda, the naturalist’s, best efforts to imitate the bird’s calls, today was not our day to see the vermillion flycatcher.
I thought tortoises in captivity at the National Park’s Tortoise Rearing Center were great, but then we saw them in the wild. Let me tell you, it was greater. The Great Tortoise Migration, from the high to lowlands, passes through a local cow/horse/Cuban cedar lumber farm. The property owner decided that a profit could be made from this phenomenon and opened his lands to tortoise-searching tourists. Imagine a game of hide-and-go-seek, only the hider is the size of a Mini Cooper. As the searcher, I found 11 tortoises, mostly chomping away on the grass and shrubs. Every time I approached a tortoise, they would let out a Darth Vader-like breath, retreat to the safety of their shell for a few seconds, recognize that my 165-pound frame was no match for their 600 pounds, and continue eating.
Once pried away from the tortoises, I headed back into Puerto Ayora for a quick self-guided tour around the city. The plaza near the port, in front of the Cevicheria Frutos del Mar was filled with hundreds of adolescent to middle-aged men playing very serious three-on-three volleyball matches. With all of the heckling and arguing, I began to wonder, and it was later confirmed, that there was serious money in play… I wandered up and down Santa Cruz’s side streets, stumbled across the mercado municipal (local fruit and vegetable market), kicked a stuffed soccer ball around with some young Santacruceños, watched local fisherman sell the day’s catch, and chatted with the curious employees of the local repair shop (just to talk to some people, I had nothing that needed fixing). When the time came to board a Zodiac and head back to the National Geographic Polaris, I reluctantly hopped on board.
All of this before 5:45pm…
