Galapagos: Part VII
All things must end.
Feb 21, 2022
In the morning we could see the town of Puerto Villamil off the bow. It was disappointing to see buildings and towers after having spent so much time away from civilization, but our cruise was nearing its end and we were in our first port since we departed.
For our first excursion we were given the choice of the beach or hiking up to view the volcanic crater of Sierra Negra, the second largest in the world. The approach to the crater began with a 45 min bus ride from the port to a short trail for the views. The view wasn’t guaranteed, as sometimes clouds and fog could white out the view point.
Taylor and I thought about it and opted for the beach. Neither of us were interested in riding a bus for 90 min after having spent the week participating in outdoor activities. It was also to be our last day in the islands, and we wanted to spend it by and in the water.
After breakfast we boarded the panga and took a short ride to the pier. We all boarded a bus which dropped off the beach-goers in town before heading to the volcano. Roberto pointed out the hospital, right on the beach, and then lead us onto the sand.
Roberto walked on ahead and I asked him about his farm and his family. He asked me what my wife did and I laughed and told him Taylor and I were just friends. He said they had been wondering about us below decks; while we weren’t Latin we didn’t seem at all affectionate with each other and the crew didn’t think we would last.
After walking a while out of town we stopped by a small shelter. Taylor told me later she and Ingrid had joked about the fact that the two darkest people were leading the fairest people for such a long walk under the sun.
We waded into the water and played amongst the waves until it was time to head back towards town. The other group had radioed their ETA and Roberto invited us to have a drink at his friend’s bar.
On the walk back we crossed paths with iguana and watched as pelicans and other birds flitted here and there. It was amazing to see the animals we had seen on the remote parts of the island cohabitating with humans. They were undisturbed by our presence just as we had grown to live comfortably in theirs.
Bar de Beto.
At the bar we each ordered a coco loco and proceeded to chill while we waited for the other half of our party to arrive. T-shirts were for sale and we each decided to buy one as a souvenir of our trip.
Ingrid asked if she could have the one on display, a shirt so faded and crusted with salt that it was impossible to tell what the original color had been. The natural weathering had added a depth of character that no new shirt could approach.
At first it seemed as though they were unwilling or uncertain whether to sell it, but Beto’s wife pulled it down and handed it to her. She also gave her a new shirt to boot.
A tortoise preserve and back to Beto’s.
The bus picked us up at the bar and took us back to the port. We lunched on board and then returned to the island to tour the Centro de Crianza Tortugas Gigantes Arnaldo Tupiza Chamaidan in order to learn more about the giant tortoise.
From there we were given the option to walk through the mangroves back to town or take the bus. The sun had come out and the day and grown hot; everyone decided on the bus.
Back at the bar we celebrated our last night in the Galapagos. The music switched genres, and at one point swing music brought MaryMargaret and Dan to the dance floor. We cheered them on and applauded when the song was over, warmed by each other’s company and the sun, uninterested and unwilling to leave.
That night, the captain celebrated the cruise with a farewell cocktail. The crew joined us all on the upper deck as he wished us well and hoped that we learned something on our trip and also that we had had an amazing time. We assured him that we had.
Roberto then asked us each to share what our best memory was. I had thought about the sea lions, but as everyone before me spoke of the sea lions I thought a little more about my answer.
Finally, I said that my first best memory was of the first hug that Carmen had given me. And that the other was when my wife—who had never been snorkeling before—and I were snorkeling the day before when we been surrounded by sea lions. It was her laugh that I would remember, the unbridled joy she shared with me, the sea lions, and the sea itself as her laughter rippled through the waves.
Our final day.
At breakfast on our final day we missed Leo telling us what our lunch and dinner options would be and ticking off our choice next to our names. As we boarded our pangas for the last time, we waved to the crew, some of who were already hard at work preparing the ship for the next set of passengers who would embark that afternoon for the eastern islands.
We had navigated back to Santa Cruz and a bus picked us up from the harbor at Puerto Ayora to take us back to the airport at Baltra. Along the way we stopped at Los Gemelos, twin craters that are actually sinkholes that had collapsed over lava tubes.
As we walked, Monica showed us some edible plants and MaryMargaret pointed them out to me as I had been lagging behind. We crushed some between our fingers and tasted the dark spores left behind.
On the northern shore of Santa Cruz we disembarked from the bus to take a short ferry across to Isla Baltra. At the terminal there, we took another bus to the airport.
There, we bid farewell to our guides. We had exchanged info and promises to keep in touch. Taylor and I bought hats and I bought a hat for Amy. We all had blue-footed boobies stitched into the front panel.
In Quito, we were shuttled to the Holiday Inn where nurses were waiting for us to administer covid tests. Our flight back to the states wasn’t until 1:30 in the morning and so we decided to take a room in order to shower and store our bags.
Once we were settled, we took an uber to Cumbaya, a neighborhood Maria had shown me but I had not explored. We chose a sushi restaurant and sat near a window overlooking the small park. As we ate, rain began to fall.
We reminisced over the past week and talked about what had surprised us about the trip and about each other. It was our first trip together and we talked about our next and the one after that. During our last night on the boat, Carlos had made a toast to the couple celebrating their honeymoon. He wished them an eternal honeymoon. As I looked into the eyes of mi esposa, I raised a glass to the same. ❤️
