Hi
from Clare 1st
May 2015
No
5 Galapagos
OUR
FIRST BIG STEP
We
left Las Perlas Islands on 15th
April and sailed to the Galapagos Islands. The weather forecast
showed little wind for the next week or more and so we anticipated
motoring for a large proportion of the 1000 mile trip. However once
out at sea we found both wind and current and much to our delight we
completed the distance in 7 days and 6 hours averaging 5.7 knots of
boat speed sailing on a relatively flat sea. This was one of our
best trips ever and an absolute pleasure to be out on the water. It
is also wonderful to be in the Southern Hemisphere now and see the
Southern Cross every night.
Since
arriving in Port Villamil on the peaceful island of Isabela we have
met up with five other boats from our daily Radio Net; Saraoni,
Moonfleet, Macushla, Jacaranda and Flying Cloud. So we are having a
very social time with happy hours and various excursions.
GALAPAGOS
The
most amazing thing about the region is the abundant sea life. It's a
full time job keeping the seals off the boat and out of the dinghy.
At first they are cute but rather disgusting once they have
defecated. The dinghy dock has a shaded area and some lovely bench
seats which I'm sure are supposed to be for humans but the seals have
claimed them for sleeping throughout the day. Iguanas lie around in
the sun and penguins dart about in the water near the dock.
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We
went on a guided snorkelling trip to The Tunnels. The area is about
20 miles along the coast and it's a rather hair-raising ride by power
boat through the rolling surf before arriving in calm waters behind
the reef. The tunnels (which look like bridges to me) are volcanic
rock and formed by a lava flow which has been eroded later by the
sea. This area is home to giant 300 year old Candelabra Cactus,
bright red crabs and the Bluefooted Booby bird; a very attractive
fellow who displayed some steps of his ritual dance to attract the
female. We then went snorkelling outside the reef area to see white
tip reef sharks, giant green turtles, penguins and a sea horse or
two. Unfortunately the visibility was very poor and underwater photos
were impossible. I just about bumped into a giant green turtle
before I saw it.
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TO
THE HILLS
A
group of ten of us went on a trip up into the hills and visited a 30
acre organic farm to purchase fruit and vegetables and then on to a
wonderful restaurant for a smorgasbord lunch. We had a sweeping view
of the lush valley below stretching out to the sea. I know I have
mentioned it before but lush green vegetation is such a feast for the
eye when living on the water and seeing mostly blue.
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Yesterday
we visited the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre where hundreds of
tortoises are being raised to adulthood before being released into
the wild. The tortoise can live for 150 years but is a threatened
species due to introduced predators eating the eggs and newborns. I
think the largest tortoise we saw was about 100 years old. Not the
most attractive creature but they hold the distinction of being the
oldest reptiles on earth.
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HIDE
AND SEEK
The
township of Villamil has sand streets and made footpaths. There isn't
a building code and so the shops are mixed in amongst the houses and
businesses. The shops themselves carry whatever they can acquire and
so shopping is hit and miss. One week there are vegetables and the
next week there are very few. Even when there are vegetables you
have to fossick around to find tomatoes in one shop, pineapple and
apples in another, a cucumber in another shop and potatoes somewhere
else. The selection is very basic and I'm still searching for an
onion. There is some frozen red meat which is hard to identify and in
another shop a few frozen chooks (note I didn't say chickens), these
are best cooked in the pressure cooker. The bread from the bakery is
very sweet, however the local cheese is lovely. Fortunately Eye Candy
is well stocked and so we only have to seek out fresh produce.
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SO
WHAT'S NEXT
On
Monday we are taking the ferry to the island of Santa Cruz for three
days. This is the main tourist destination where people fly in to
take tours of the islands on live aboard vessels. We have no idea
what we will find but I will tell you more in our next newsletter.
Love
Candy xx
