Author: Sally Taylor

Welcome to the jungle

You know the jungle isn’t really such a scary place. The majority of piranha fish are vegetarian, an anaconda will only attack if you’re near its nest, and the frog that jumped out of the toilet is completely harmless.

Those are some of the things I learned on our 5 day canoe trip in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Of course, being attacked by large ants on a night hike did raise some alarm, and there might have been a few squeals when a giant cockroach landed on the dinner table.

The Oriente or eastern part of Ecuador covers a third of the country’s area and encompasses the cloudforests of the eastern Andes and the rainforest or jungle whose rivers flow into the Amazon. We visited the Cuyabeno Reserve in the Northern Oriente which meant an 8 hour bus ride to the gateway town of Lago Agrio followed by a 2 hour bus ride to the bridge on the Cuyabeno River where we put in the canoes.

While most tour groups travel by motorized dugout canoe, we booked our trip with Magic River Tours for the opportunity to paddle the river and observe the jungle without the noise of the motor. The great part was that all the paddling was on flat water or downstream and that for the first two days we had a paddler from the community at the back of each boat. When it came time to travel upstream and for some of our evening excursions, we used a motorized dugout!

On the first afternoon, we paddled to the Magic River campsite (Tiger Pass) where the crew had set up our tents and prepared a beautiful candlelight dinner.

After dinner, we walked through the forest using flashlights to see where we were going and to look for eyes in the darkness. Our guide Luis was a pro and showed us a scorpion spider, a tarantula and a kinkajou (a mammal related to raccoons and coatis). It’s quite possible that while we were straining our necks to see the kinkajou, the ants (mentioned above) hitched a ride on our pants.

The next morning, the crew broke camp with lightning speed (with us either pitching in or trying not to get in the way), and we launched the canoes for the morning paddle which I should admit included an hour of just drifting! We saw different species of monkey, including white-fronted capuchins, squirrel or clown-faced monkeys and monk saki monkeys, as well as a morage palm snake and a toucan or two.

When we reached the Laguna Grande, we transferred into the motor boat for the rest of the trip to the Magic River Lodge where lunch awaited us. There we settled into our rustic cabins (unsettling an insect or two) and had time for a swim in the river before heading back to the lagoon (and our canoes) in search of wildlife. There was more monkey activity and a few bird sightings, including an anhinga (snakebird), a huatzin (stinky bird) and a cormorant.

We also saw a couple of pink river dolphins (my reason for wanting to visit Cuyabeno) but I have no photos because they were far away and far too quick. We visited the home of an anaconda but she was sleeping so instead we watched the sun set over the lagoon.

The next day Luis took us on a three hour hike through the forest and shared some of his jungle secrets. He showed us the magic leaf for writing messages, the twigs that substitute as cigarettes, and how to make a basket from a palm frond. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to identify any of these plants again and would probably end up eating the pretty blue berries that are poisonous.

In the afternoon in the pouring rain, we went piranha fishing with wooden poles baited with raw beef. There were a few lucky people in our group who caught piranha but Roger and I wouldn’t last in the jungle; he caught a 3 inch minnow, and I caught nothing!

The fourth day of our trip was my birthday. Last year I spent it at a villa in Crete. This year I spent the day in a small village (Tarapua) of the Siona people learning how they make yucca bread, the main staple in their diet.

We canoed downriver and then walked the path that the school kids use to get to the village. En route Luis revealed a few more jungle secrets, and we tasted the flesh around the seeds of the cacao plant. Yum!

Upon arriving at the village, we met Maria who showed us how to dig the root of the yucca (or manioc) with a machete and then replant parts of the stalk for new yucca to grow. Next we peeled the yucca and cleaned the tubers.

Roger participated in grinding the yucca using a homemade grater (made from a piece of aluminum punched with nails). Maria then squeezed out the liquid using a device made from a plant. Finally the yucca was put through a sieve. The amount of water that is removed is crucial because nothing else is added to the flour to make the bread.

The yucca bread was cooked in a clay pan on an open fire and tasted delicious plain and with jam. All of the activity took place in an open air kitchen owned by Hilda, one of our paddlers from the first two days.

After purchasing a couple of bracelets from the local kids, we walked to our awaiting motorboat, stopping en route to see a scarlet macaw up close (someone’s pet). Later that day we were fortunate to see one fly overhead!

When we passed the spot where we had left the canoes, we stopped and tied them to the back of the boat in a canoe train. After a brief rest at the lodge, we took the motorboat to the laguna to swim and see the sunset.

That night at dinner, there was a surprise! Roger had arranged a cake, which caused the chef some grief in finding the ingredients and having to cook it stove-top but the result was a lovely raisin cake (kind of like a bread pudding).

On our last day, we were up at 4:30 to motor to the Laguna Grande and transfer into the canoes to watch the sunrise and see the freshwater dolphins one more time. Then we breakfasted, packed up and motored for two hours back to the bridge from whence we came.

What a trip! Our guide Luis was outstanding, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for the jungle (having grown up in the Napo region), and the rest of the crew (Raoul the chef, Jesse the boat captain, and John Hayden the assistant) made our trip comfortable and safe.

For more jungle photos, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sataylor/sets/72157626753973265/

quilotoa

Quilotoa loop

The Quilotoa loop is approximately 200 km of paved and gravel road that winds through the spectacular landscape and villages of the Andes in the centre of Ecuador. Getting around the loop is part of the adventure, and while some travellers backpack between villages, Roger and I opted for vehicle transport.

Having just arrived from Baños, we started our trip from the bus station in Latacunga, a city on the Panamerica highway. With our suitcases, we squeezed into the back of the bus, climbing over buckets of produce to take the two remaining seats.

Ecuador buses are fantastic. First of all, there are many bus companies all with handlers who are looking for more passengers. At first intimidating, it proved to very useful to just show up at the station and find the guy yelling “Quito, Quito, Quito” or whichever destination we needed. Secondly, at every stop, vendors jump on selling their wares whether it’s chicken stew, ice cream or instructional DVDs. On this day, a well spoken man was regaling the passengers with the curative properties of a skin lotion that could be purchased for a dolarito (just a dollar).

The other thing I like about Ecuador buses is that you can pretty much get on and off wherever you want. We alighted at km. 49 beside a sign for our hostal and a pig.

We stayed at Posada de Tigua, a working dairy farm that had been in the family for four generations. We were welcomed with a cup of hot canelazo, and shared a delicious lunch with a British couple who were just stopping through with their guide. There wasn’t a ton to do but we managed to while away the afternoon looking at the farm animals and reading.

The next day the owner’s son drove us up to the road to wait for a passing bus. Instead we were picked up by a work crew from Guayaquil on their way to a job in the next town of Zumbahua. From there, we hired a camioneta to take us to Quilotoa, famous for the volcanic crater lake.

Laguna Quilotoa is beautiful from the top, and some people hike around the rim which takes six hours. We made our way down the steep path to the lake, and en route I slipped and landed on a rock. Painful though it was, I had fortunately only bruised a glut muscle and hadn’t broken my tailbone. Still it was enough of an excuse to hire horses for the ride back to the top. We might have done this anyway since hiking uphill at 3900 m is tough going.

After lunch, we had seen enough of Quilotoa but we had already paid for a night at the hotel. We knew that the town was without electricity (and therefore heat and water) because of a lightening strike and used this as a reason to check out of the hotel and spend the money instead on a camioneta to the next hamlet of Chugchilán where we booked into Mama Hilda´s, a charming hostel for two nights.

We had a cabin with a wood stove (appreciated at such altitude) and two hammocks on the porch from which I saw a booted racket-tail hummingbird (I think). Mealtimes at Mama Hilda’s are fun because you eat with the other guests, on our first night with a woman from Montreal now living in Quito and her friend, and a Dutch couple who had hiked from Quilotoa, and the second night, two guys from Oz, two gals from the US, and a German couple who had rented motorcycles and were riding through Ecuador (brrrr).

We did a wonderful hike from Chugchilán that took us along a dirt road up through farmland, across a pánamo (high grasslands) ridge and back down into town. The scenery was spectacular and made all the more interesting with the cows, pigs, horses and dogs.

As I mentioned, transportation can be a challenge on the loop, so rather than take the 3am bus or ride with the kids on the schoolbus at 5:30am, we caught a ride with the bread man at 9am. Roger sat up front, not wanting to lose his Panama hat but I sat in the back of the pick-up for the unobstructed view. At one point, there were 11 people in the back, all villagers in traditional garb holding onto the rails as we went over the bumps.

The truck got us as far as Sigchos where we hung out until the afternoon bus took us to Toacaso, and then a camioneta to our hostel Quinta Colorada. Though rustic, our room had a fireplace, the meals were simple but delicious, and the family who ran the place were muy amable. Also a working farm, we enjoyed conversing with the llama and watching the pigs snuffle their slop.

For a day trip, we took a taxi to the larger town of Saquisilí, and although Wednesday is not a big market day, there was plenty to see. We walked by mountains of potato sacks, crates of tomatoes, truckloads of bananas, and saw papayas the size of watermelons. Lunch was fish and rice for Roger, and tortillas de mais for me with fresh coconut juice and achotillos for dessert.

After one more night in the farmhouse, we headed north via Quito to the big market town of Otavalo.

For more photos, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/sataylor/sets/72157626665229223/

cuenca

Panama hats in Cuenca

After our short stay in Peru, we flew back to Ecuador to begin four weeks of travel on the mainland. Our first stop was Cuenca, a beautiful old city situated at the confluence of four rivers (cuenca means basin in Spanish). We stayed at a lovely B&B called Kookaburra Cafe & Accommodation located on Calle Larga, a main street that parallels the Rio Tomebamba.

The first thing we did in Cuenca was to leave town. It was a Sunday, and we wanted to see the market in full swing in the nearby city of Cañar. We opted for a full day guided tour that took us north of Cuenca to Cañar and then on to Ingapirca, a site of both Cañari and Inca ruins.

En route we learned a new way to cook pork. After scorching the pig, the cook scrapes off the black part and serves the crispy skin underneath with salt, aji (spicy sauce) and mote (corn kernels, also known as hominy).

The market at Cañar stretched for blocks with people selling clothes, rope, blenders, flour, fruits and veggies, fish, meat, and of course, cuy (guinea pig).

The archaeological site at Ingapirca is small in comparison to the places we saw in Peru but is the largest known Inca site in Ecuador. The Inca conquered the Cañari people in this area, and so the ruins are a combination of Cañari and Inca structures.

The next day Roger was on the trail for an authentic Panama hat. You may not know this but Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador and were misnamed because of the shipping route through Panama. We visited a converted hat factory that is now a museum and learned that the hats are woven with toquilla straw and saw the machinery used to block or shape the hats. Roger found his hat at the shop of Alberto Pulla, and we think it was his grandson who served us.

On our final day, we took a public bus to Cajas National Park west of Cuenca. Given the weather and the fact that we saw only one other hiker, we may not have picked the best time of year to visit Cajas. However, the landscape was stunning and yet another reminder of the diversity in Ecuadorian geography.

For more photos from Cuenca and the surrounding area, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sataylor/sets/72157626758130496/

peru

Inca and Chicha

On April 30, we left the Galapagos and travelled with friends Mike and Nicki to Cusco, Peru, the centre of the Inca empire and the starting point for Machu Picchu. After the heat and humidity of the Galapagos, the crisp mountain air was a welcome change, although it took a few days and several cups of coca tea to adjust to the altitude.

We opted for a three day tour to visit the Sacred Valley (along the Urubamba River) and Machu Picchu. On the first day, we stopped at a llama farm where we learned the difference between llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. Somehow I managed to offend a llama and can assure you that they really do spit. Yuck!

Our guide, Miguelangel took us to the ruins at Pisac where we saw the agricultural terraces, the sun temple, and the skilled masonry of the Inca who could fit stones together so perfectly that not even a piece of paper can slide between them.

We lunched at Doña Clorinda’s where I tried the rocoto relleno (stuffed hot peppers) and a fava bean salad, and Roger opted for the lomo salteado (a beef stew).

Our final stop for the day was the town of Ollantaytambo, where we visited another Inca site with many agricultural terraces, beautifully carved polygonal stones, and a wall of 6 megaliths about 13 feet high. In addition to the carving and placing of the stones, what is amazing is how the Inca moved them from a quarry across the river a few kilometres away.

After dinner and a night’s rest in Ollantaytambo, we were up bright and early to catch the train to km. 104 where we met Miguelangel and began a full day hike along the Inca trail to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) at Machu Picchu.

En route, we admired the beautiful landscape and colourful orchids, and passed through the sites of Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young).

By late afternoon, we reached the Sun Gate and lingered for a while to marvel at Machu Picchu below. Miguelangel led us down through Machu Picchu which took a while as we stopped for numerous photos. A bus took us to the town of Aguas Calientes where we celebrated with pisco sours and enjoyed another delicious Peruvian meal.

The next day we returned to Machu Picchu for a tour with Miguelangel who pointed out features (terraces, storehouses, water fountains, sun temple) that we had seen at other sites but on a much grander scale.

At noon we met up with three other friends (Len, Monique and Bill) who had just finished the full 4 day trek into Machu Picchu – another reason to celebrate with pisco sours!

We liked Miguelangel so much that we booked him to take us the following day to Salineras and Moray. Salineras is a saltmine run by the people in the nearby town of Maras. Saltwater flows from the mountain, and is channelled into an impressive array of salt pools where it evaporates and the salt is harvested.

Moray is a site where the Inca built circular terraces into several natural depressions and is thought to have been used for agricultural experiments.

We also stopped at a weaving cooperative in Chinchero where a Quechua woman demonstrated how they clean the wool with lather from a root and use natural dyes from plants and the Cochinilla insect. Although we don’t have a decent dining room table, we now have two beautifully woven table runners.

Our final stop was back in Cusco where we sampled chicha, an alcoholic beverage made from corn. This bar served a variant made with strawberries called frutillada — in my opinion, an acquired taste.

On our last day, we visited Qorikancha in downtown Cusco, an Incan temple to the sun that was once covered in sheets of gold. The Spanish took the gold and built a church on the site. Over the years earthquakes have damaged the church but the Inca walls have remained intact.

After bidding good-bye to Mike and Nicki, Roger and I went to Sacsayhuaman on the northern edge of Cusco. This site has three massive zigzag walls with some enormous stones and an incredible view of the city below. Sacsayhuaman is still used to celebrate the winter solstice (called Inti Raymi).

Anyone I’ve ever spoken to who has visited Cusco and Machu Picchu has only good things to say, and now I am one of those people. The mountain landscapes, the Inca stonework, and the brilliant colours of the Quechua clothing combine to create an experience of natural and cultural beauty.

For more pictures, see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sataylor/sets/72157626686113048/

isla santa cruz

Good-bye Galapagos

Today we left the Galapagos to start our adventures in mainland Ecuador and Peru. Living there was an incredible opportunity to experience a new language and culture in a place of unique natural beauty. It feels like it was ages ago that we visited the giant tortoise reserve in the highlands and ordered our first empanada. Since then, we’ve visited 9 or 10 islands, snorkelled with penguins, and eaten enough tuna and ice cream to last a lifetime. More importantly, we’ve met some fabulous people from around the world and shared the islands with friends from home. Below is a collage of our new and old friends having fun in the Galapagos.

This isn’t the end of the blog. We still have five more weeks to travel, so you’ll be hearing from us in Cuzco, Cuenca and Cuyabeno, and places in between.

isla santa cruz puerto ayora

Friday in Puerto Ayora

Friday started like any other day. Roger got up first and made coffee.

When I came downstairs, he had already read about the earthquake in Japan and was on the phone with our neighbour who called from Quito to let us know the news.

At that point, we didn’t really understand that there was a risk for the Galapagos, so Peter (our friend who is visiting) left for a day trip to North Seymour Island, and I headed off to work a little while later. A few blocks from the house, I met Pete who had yet to be picked up by the tour company, and a woman from the research station who told me that the station was closed. President Correa had decreed that the coastal communities in Ecuador be evacuated to higher ground. For citizens of Puerto Ayora, this meant going to the town of Bellavista in the highlands. For Lonesome George and the baby tortoises, it meant a trip to Santa Rosa.

Thus began a day of waiting since the tsunami was not expected to reach the Galapagos until the evening. Since Roger and I live in a 2-storey house quite high up already, our place became the refuge for some folks who were staying at the station. Amazingly, the internet was fully functional, and at one point, we had four laptops, 1 Blackberry, 1 iPhone and 1 iPod touch all connected and checking for the updates. I was happy to learn that librarian colleagues who were gathered in Newport, Oregon for an annual meeting had moved to higher ground until the threat had passed.

In addition to following the news and checking in with family and friends through email and Facebook, we pretty much spent the day eating, drinking, talking and playing games. Based on the predictions of minimal wave heights in the Galapagos, we decided to remain at home in Puerto Ayora where we were comfortable and dry.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center web site, the first wave in the Galapagos (at Baltra Island) was predicted for 5:54pm. We climbed onto the roof and waited until the sun set but the ocean remained calm.

Just after going back inside, the power went out which meant no lights or water (since our water is on an electric pump). Luckily our group was well equipped with headlamps and lanterns, and Roger had collected rainwater which we could use for dishes and flushing toilets. [As it turned out, the power didn’t come back on until the following morning.]

It wasn’t until we walked down to Charles Darwin Avenue at about 7:30pm and saw debris on the road, that we realized that the first wave had arrived after dark. We met a police officer on a motorbike who told us that they were expecting another swell and that we should go home.

Later that night when we heard people returning from Bellavista, we ventured out again to inspect the damage. Buildings right on the waterfront including the Red Mangrove hotel, the Banco Pacifico, the Pro Insular (the big grocery store) and two beautiful galleries had their ground floors flooded. Other buildings just set a few feet higher were completely spared. The strangest thing was seeing this blue boat lying on the road. Without a motor, it was light enough to be carried by the wave.

The streets which had been dark and quiet were now busy again with taxis and buses returning people to their homes. My friend Luis who had returned to the station sent me a much appreciated text, “the library is fine”.

The next day, Pete and I walked out to the station so I could see the library for my own eyes and to turn on the air conditioner in the bodega which had turned off during the power outage. Roger and I had moved books and archival materials from the lowest shelves, hoping that an extra foot or two would make a difference. As it turned out, our efforts were thankfully unnecessary. The worst damage to the station was to the Biomarine Sciences building which is right at sea level.

Later that day, a few of us took a trip to Garrapatero which is a beautiful beach on the east side of Isla Santa Cruz. We were amazed to find that the waves had carved a channel, effectively splitting the beach in half, and creating a shallow creek between the ocean and the flamingo lagoon 200 metres inland.

Although it was mostly sand and rocks that had been moved by the waves, we did see little fish and this small shark in the mangrove forest. A strange site indeed.

Today we went to Tortuga Bay, and it looked like the waves had done no damage. I expect over the next few days, we will hear reports on how the animals fared throughout the islands. The sea turtles and the marine iguanas are nesting right now and may have been impacted by the tsunami.

For more photos, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sataylor/sets/72157626256319024/

isla floreana

Fun on Floreana

Floreana is one of four inhabited islands in the Galapagos and while Roger and I had visited Post Office Bay and Punta Cormorant on the north side during our cruise in November, I had yet to see the small town of Puerto Velasco Ibarra (population ~ 120). I got my chance three weeks ago when my neighbours (Cristina and Matthias) and some other folks from the research station were there running an environmental education program for the local kids. Since there is no regular ferry service to Floreana, I hitched a ride with a boat of day-trippers to make the 1.5 hour trip.

Although it was Friday, people had the day off to celebrate Galapagos Day. The town started the festivities with a reverse relay triathlon (bike, run, swim). There were only four teams in the race since bicycles are scarce on Floreana (a hilly island with thorn-covered lava roads). The station’s team won!

One group from the station is living in a house on Black Beach (with marine iguanas and sea turtles building nests nearby). I had a swim and some lunch, and then we headed over to the community centre where most of the townspeople were enjoying grilled beef, yucca and salad (a second lunch for us).

In the afternoon, my friend Angela and I walked up the road to Las Palmas where the other group from the station was living, and where I was going to stay. En route we passed the cemetery where Margaret and Heinrich Wittmer are buried. They were a German couple who came to Floreana in the 1930s and whose descendants still live on Floreana.

After the scenic but tiring 30 minute walk uphill, we rehydrated on ciruelas (small plums) from the orchard at Las Palmas.

The house is built on the site where two other early inhabitants, Dr. Ritter and Dore Strauch had lived. Dr. Ritter died under mysterious circumstances from food poisoning, and with a bit of wandering through the orchard and direction from Matthias, we found his grave.

We visited with Cristina and Matthias over coffee, cake and more ciruelas (this time in the form of juice – throw them in a blender, pits and all, and then strain). We then walked back to town, arriving just as the light was fading. After a delicious supper with the group at Black Beach, we wandered over to the soccer field which doubled that night as a dance floor. Initially only two pairs of young people were dancing but with encouragement from the MC and a generous pouring of canelazo (a hot cinnamon drink), the dance floor filled up, and we grooved to the beat of reggaeton. It was reported the next day by friends at Black Beach that the music played until 6am. Meanwhile I slept peacefully at Las Palmas and woke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fermenting ciruelas.

The next day, I visited La Loberia which is a sea lion area and a great place to snorkel. The rain came as we finished our swim, and we enjoyed a freshwater shower which has become a luxury living in the Galapagos.

That night the Black Beach crew made the trek to Las Palmas, and there were 13 of us from 8 different countries for dinner.

The following day I returned to Puerto Ayora, travelling again with a group of day-trippers. It was a wet ride! It poured before the trip. Then as part of the tour, we stopped at La Loberia for a snorkel, and the skies opened again. It cleared up for some of the ride but upon reaching Puerto Ayora, it poured again. Dare I say it? I was actually feeling chilled by the time I got home!

I enjoyed my mini adventure to Floreana, having read the fascinating tales of the Wittmers and the Ritters even before I came to the Galapagos. The trip was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Puerto Ayora and was especially fun because friends from the station were there.

isla santa cruz wildlife

Iguanas for lunch

Unlike most people who go home at midday, I eat my lunch at the station (Roger makes a delicious tuna sandwich with capers). While the shady gazebo and the director’s beach are nice, my favourite spot is on the ramp at Biomar (the marine sciences building). On any given day, I see at least half a dozen species (crabs, pelicans, frigate birds, herons, lava gulls and yellow warblers) but the real entertainment is watching the marine iguanas and the change in their behaviour over the past several months.

There are seven subspecies of marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), and they vary in colour and size depending on the island. The most colourful are on Isla Española but the ones on Santa Cruz are quite attractive, especially the large males that take on a green tinge during the mating season.

The first time I went down to Biomar, the iguanas were stretched out across the path like cows on a country road. I had to carefully step over them. Now they congregate on the small pier and the rocks close to the water perhaps because the weather is warmer.

Marine iguanas feed on red and green algae in the intertidal zone and must warm up before and after feeding trips. When the water was cooler, they would come out of the water and plonk themselves down to warm up a bit before moving to higher ground. Now they come up the ramp immediately and often climb the wall of the pier to get to their resting place.

In the midday heat, marine iguanas look like sun worshippers. In fact, this is a strategy to avoid overheating. By facing directly into the sun, they decrease the surface area that is exposed to the rays. When it was cooler, the smaller iguanas would lie together to stay warm; now I think they’re competing for the shade.

During the breeding season, males are more aggressive and indicate their strength by showing their broad side to other males and by head bobbing. They chase away smaller males, and when there is a confrontation, it is settled by headbutting.

The lay of the land has changed. Initially there were six large males in the area. Now there are only two that fiercely guard the pier, and the others have been relegated to the margins. I often see other males attempt to come ashore, and they are quickly chased back into the water.

Mating has started despite the seeming reluctance of the females (sorry, no photos). The females will lay their eggs in March or April. The eggs take 3 to 4 months to incubate, I won’t be around to see the next generation of marine iguanas. I’ll just have to enjoy images like this.

isla isabela

Christmas on Isabela

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, we took the 2-hour boat ride to Isla Isabela accompanied by our friend Mike who had just returned from a 3-day cruise of the southeast islands. That evening the hotel staff at Casa de Marita prepared a delicious Christmas meal complete with turkey (yum!) and spice cake for dessert.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of Puerto Ayora where we live, Puerto Villamil on Isla Isabela is a small tranquil town with sandy streets and a beautiful long beach. Except for Mike’s hike to Volcan Chico, we took it pretty easy and still managed to see flamingos and penguins.

The most exciting thing to happen was the rescue of a frigate bird. Mike and I watched from a distance as a group of boys threw what looked like a piece of fish or meat into the air for the frigate birds to catch. It turned out that the bait was tied to a reel of fishing line, and the “successful” bird became completely ensnared. It was heartbreaking to watch it soar into the air only to be pulled down and entangled further. Eventually it crashed to the ground, and Mike followed the line to reach the bird. While Roger held it (with beak scars to prove it), Mike carefully cut the line. Once released, it wobbled for a moment and then flew away, so we hope that there was no lasting damage. We’re not sure if the boys intended to harm the bird (more likely they were just not thinking through their actions) but we relieved them of their fishing line.

Mike left on the 27th for the two day voyage back to Vancouver by boat, taxi and plane(s), and Roger and I stayed a few more days extending our reservation by one night. When we did try to leave at 6am on the 30th we found we weren’t on the list and the boats were full, so back to the hotel until another boat left in the afternoon.

Here are more photos from Isabela.

The day we left Isabela we received the sad news that my cat Stella had died. She was 17 years old and hadn’t been well for the past few weeks. Many of you know that I’ve had Stella since I moved to Vancouver in 1995 because she “came with the apartment”. Since then, she moved with me numerous times, sometimes sharing her space (albeit unwillingly) with others like Pudding, Kat, Mickey and Yogi. She came to Ontario with me when I was finishing my thesis, and she actually moved in with Roger four months before I did. I’ve been fortunate to have such good friends to take care of her over the years, and that Jackie and Dave stepped in at the end when her health failed. Stella spent her last few days at their cabin on the Sunshine Coast eating, sleeping and sitting on Jackie’s lap. Here are a few photos of Stella.

Not wanting to end on a sad note, here is a photo that we took today at the beach near the Darwin station. We wish everyone all the best for 2011! Apparently, Puerto Ayora is quite exciting on New Year’s Eve with burning effigies and loud fireworks, so there may be interesting photos to come.

isla isabela

Isla Isabela

After our return from Argentina, we had our first Canadian visitors, Wally, Terre and Emma! It was great to spend time with friends from home. Here they are feasting on empanadas.

During their visit, we went to Isla Isabela which is the largest of the Galapagos Islands and located in the northeast of the archipelago. To get there, we took a two hour boat ride from Puerto Ayora to Puerto Villamil, the main settlement on Isabela. We stayed at La Casa Marita which is such a charming hotel that Roger and I have decided to return there for Christmas.

Through the hotel we arranged a guided hike to Volcan Sierra Negra which is one of five active volcanoes on Isabela. After a misty start, we hiked under a blue sky through lush vegetation until we reached the caldera. We were amazed at the size (more than 10 km in diameter) and to learn that the east side had last erupted only five years ago.

We continued along the crater rim and then headed down the trail to stop for lunch under the shade of a Jaboncillo or soaptree. How a large tree can thrive in such an austere environment is truly impressive.

The next part of the hike took us to Volcan Chico, a smaller volcano located on the northeast side of Sierra Negra and with a beautiful view of Elizabeth Bay.

Here the walking was rough, and the vegetation thinned to a few cacti and then to nothing at all.

We walked on lava that came from eruptions in 1963 and 1979, and from many years before that. We saw lava tubes and felt the heat from a steam vent where our guide said we could boil an egg.

He compared the landscape to Planet of the Apes while all I could think of were the styrofoam rocks in the old Star Trek episodes.

After exploring Volcan Chico, we retraced our steps back to the misty beginning where our driver was waiting with refreshing coca cola! When we returned to the hotel, Roger and I walked right into the ocean to clean the dirt from our feet.

When we return in December, I would like to do the longer hike to see the sulfur mines on the west side of Sierra Negra but Roger is leaning more towards lying in the hammock and drinking pisco sours.

More photos from our hike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sataylor/sets/72157625428717134/