Last Sunday we did an outing on Santa Cruz organized by Martha who works at the Darwin Station. Starting at 8:30 we joined 7 other adults and three childern and drove up and over the highlands and down to el Garrapatero beach. It was an easy 10 minute walk from the parking lot down to a white sandy beach with mangroves, opuntia cactus, iguanas and a dry lagoon that is frequented by flamingos during the wet season.
Next stop was Primicias Ranch where for a $3.00 fee you get to wander around irregularly sloping fields among giant tortoises who go about their grazing like so many contented cattle. There is a large covered area where you can purchase everything from lunch (mmm fresh cheese empanadas) to souvenirs, clothing and postcards.
A short drive from the tortoises on the same property was a pretty amazing sight called a lava tube. A large hole in the ground announces the entrance which in this case had concrete stairs leading down to it. A lava tube is formed by a river of rushing lava. The outer surface cools more quickly than the flowing mass and hardens sooner. The inner part continues to flow until it empties onto the earth, leaving a hollow tube behind. The tube we visited reminded me of a cathedral as the ceiling was quite high and domed. It was an easy well lit walk except for one spot where you had to crawl on your hands and knees (see Sally).
On the way to our next sight we passed through a small town called Santa Rosa where they were celebrating… something. Because we had to detour off the main road through the town we decided to stop and look around. There was a horse race which we unfortunately did not get to see as it finished a few blocks away from the center of activity… apparently a safety measure to protect the crowd. What I saw part of though was a real cock fight. I say part of because the crowd around the ring was so deep you couldn’t see over their heads and down to ground level where the action was. Cockfighting remains a traditional event here and likely throughout Equador. The crowd was enthusiastic, and the birds were game.
The next sight was Los Gemelos (“the twins”) which are two pit craters formed by the collapsing of the earth’s crust and subsequent growth of vegetation. The air was wonderfully cool and refreshing in the highlands.
Our trip ended in the town of Bellevista where Sally discovered coconut and jam cake, and I partook of sugar cane juice laced with white lightening.
Categories: