Amazon and Galapagos...any thoughts?
- Thread starter Diane0977
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I'd like to hear opinions on this as well. I think there was a trip report of the Amazon/Galapagos trip or a brief summary in the last year, but I'm in Europe now waiting to start my Germany ABD and the internet is very slow. If you can't find it or someone else doesn't post it, I'll look for it in the next few days.
Unless I missed something in the itinerary, the Amazon/Galapagos trip only goes to Santa Cruz and Santa Fe, so you would be missing the most interesting islands. The cruise-based trip visits more islands so you'll see more variety of wildlife and scenery. But it doesn't go to Isabela or, my personal favorite, Fernandina. I don't believe you'll see any penguins on either of these trips. Snorkeling with the sea lions and penguins is one of my favorite memories from visiting the Galapagos. Another one of my favorite memories is an early morning announcement over the intercom by our expedition leader informing us that the ship was approaching a large pod of dolphins. Everyone went up on deck in their pajamas and watched dozens and dozens of dolphins playfully leaping out of the water as they passed by. No guarantee you would see anything like that, but probably not at all likely if your only taking short excursions from Santa Cruz. Every island is drastically different, so you should probably do some research and see which islands/wildlife interests you most. If money and time are no object, I would take the Amazon and Galapagos itineraries offered by Lindblad/Nat Geo. I haven't done the Amazon trip, but it looks fantastic. I can personally vouch for the Galapagos itinerary. It was the best trip we've taken in every way.
We took the Amazon and Galapagos ABD, and it was absolutely fab. We went this past January. It was an adults only trip with 34 adventurers. There is a lot of detail because these are my personal notes which I copied and pasted
Tuesday January 19, 2016
We arrived in Quito and we were greeted by an ABD rep Gabriel. He called a car and off we went. Neither he nor the driver spoke much English, so we didn’t speak much. The airport must be around 5000 feet above sea level (guessing), because we drove up lots of mountains and switchbacks to get to the hotel in Quito, which is around 9300 feet. It was about an hour drive and we arrived at the Marriot around 4pm. Our ABD guides Tiffany and Juan (from Ecuador) greeted us in the lobby and we sat and chatted with them for a while. This trip has mostly repeat ABDers and one other couple who is also on their 12th trip. Our room on the 7th floor. It was lovely. We went down around an hour later and met a number of couples in the lobby. We headed to a restaurant called Fried Bananas. It was a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. It was very early and there were no other diners, so we walked around a bit on a street called Marisol Foch. There were a lot of bars and restaurants but not a lot of people. We went back to the restaurant and there were still no other people. You had to ring a bell to get in and the door is kept locked. So much for the neighborhood. I ordered Ecuadorian ceviche and a shrimp and rice dish. Mark ordered shrimp and mushrooms and a pasta dish. The waiter came back to tell us they didn’t have the ceviche, there was a bit of a language barrier, but we figured it out, so I ordered hearts of palm ceviche. Both of my dishes were terrific, but both of Mark’s were in the same cheesy sauce. We had the fried banana dessert which was delicious. We walked back to the hotel as it was getting dark out and didn’t look like a good place to be after dark. We explored the hotel a bit. There is a little area with shops. We headed back to our room and packed so we could leave some items behind that were not needed for the amazon portion of the trip.
Tuesday January 19, 2016
We arrived in Quito and we were greeted by an ABD rep Gabriel. He called a car and off we went. Neither he nor the driver spoke much English, so we didn’t speak much. The airport must be around 5000 feet above sea level (guessing), because we drove up lots of mountains and switchbacks to get to the hotel in Quito, which is around 9300 feet. It was about an hour drive and we arrived at the Marriot around 4pm. Our ABD guides Tiffany and Juan (from Ecuador) greeted us in the lobby and we sat and chatted with them for a while. This trip has mostly repeat ABDers and one other couple who is also on their 12th trip. Our room on the 7th floor. It was lovely. We went down around an hour later and met a number of couples in the lobby. We headed to a restaurant called Fried Bananas. It was a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. It was very early and there were no other diners, so we walked around a bit on a street called Marisol Foch. There were a lot of bars and restaurants but not a lot of people. We went back to the restaurant and there were still no other people. You had to ring a bell to get in and the door is kept locked. So much for the neighborhood. I ordered Ecuadorian ceviche and a shrimp and rice dish. Mark ordered shrimp and mushrooms and a pasta dish. The waiter came back to tell us they didn’t have the ceviche, there was a bit of a language barrier, but we figured it out, so I ordered hearts of palm ceviche. Both of my dishes were terrific, but both of Mark’s were in the same cheesy sauce. We had the fried banana dessert which was delicious. We walked back to the hotel as it was getting dark out and didn’t look like a good place to be after dark. We explored the hotel a bit. There is a little area with shops. We headed back to our room and packed so we could leave some items behind that were not needed for the amazon portion of the trip.
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Day 2
Wednesday January 20, 2016
The real adventure starts today. We put our luggage out at 7 and went to breakfast. There was a game where Tiffany gave you someone else’s nametag and you had to find that person before you could eat.
Breakfast was in a private room for our group. We found our people pretty quickly, chatted and got on line. Breakfast was rather limited, but enough. We got on the bus at 8. On the ride back to the airport Tiffany spoke about herself and the trip to come. Each couple introduced themselves and said what they were looking forward to. Then Juan spoke about his life growing up in a tiny community on the Napo River 5 days walk from the nearest Army base where one could fly to other locations. He didn’t want to leave, but his brother talked him into going to high school. He also said Juan isn’t his real name. Tzerem is the real name, but Juan is what the guy wrote when his parents went to get a birth certificate. The country looks very poor. The biggest industries are oil, bananas and tourism. Also cocoa, but not a ton. We arrived at the airport after about an hour and we met the owner of the Anakonda. He was waiting with our boarding passes. We quickly went through security and then into the first class lounge to wait. There were plenty of snacks and drinks in there. We boarded the flight and it was barely ½ an hour. Mark and I were not sitting together which was weird since there was an empty seat next to each of us. We were across the aisle from each other. I chatted with the woman next to me who was on a similar trip with only 14 guests. We took a quick bus ride to a hotel where we used the restroom, had snacks and water and met our naturalist. He gave us a history of the Amazon in terms of the 1400’s and on. The name means “without breasts” which is because the explorers saw warriors who they probably mistook for men and said they were warriors without breasts. We boarded the motorized canoes. They boarded a few people at a time and then put a bench in front of them and then boarded a few more people. They told us the ride would be longer than usual since it is the dry season and the river is very low. The river IS very low. You can see where the water usually is and it’s sometimes 10 or more feet higher. There is lots of floating tree debris. Sometimes we were passed by other small boats. It rained just a little, our boats were covered. We saw an oil extraction site and we saw whole oil trucks floating on barges. It took about 2 hours to get to the Anakonda. We boarded and were greeted with warm towels and went up to the third floor lounge. There were mojitos and snacks. They introduced the crew and gave us our rooms. We went to our rooms and then right to lunch. Lunch was nice, banana empanadas, fish and then a lime cake. They served wine with lunch and then coffee. Now time to hang out. Meeting at 4:30 for safety talk.
The safety talk was quick and we had to go to the cabins and get our life jackets and meet downstairs. Then we just put them away again. We went up to the top deck to watch the scenery go by. There was a very nice breeze and it was rather cloudy, so the sunset was a bit blocked. Before sunset, we looked with our binoculars at the wildlife on the shore. It was difficult to see anything, just a few birds. We did see people. Around 6:15 we met again for an ecological talk. Rene, the cruise director, told us about the river and where we were and where we were going. It seems we cruised as far as we are going and now we will slowly make our way back. They served us pisco sours as welcome drinks and we went to freshen up for just 5 minutes and then down to dinner. Dinner was OK, but the service is so nice. We had potato and lime soup, a weird little salad with corn, pork (ham) and a nice crepe with ice cream. After that, we got our bug spray and long sleeves on and went to the meeting place. We put on boots and brought flash lights. They loaded us into the motorized canoes again and we just went a few minutes away to a dock where we all climbed out and up the dock. We had a slow walk on a path. They pointed out locusts, katydids, tree frogs, walking sticks and jumping sticks and we even saw a couple of tarantulas. It's amazing the way they find them on the leaves off the path, they are so well camouflaged. We did the same process to return to the Anakonda and ran to our cabin to shower since we figured everyone would want to shower. Up early tomorrow.
Wednesday January 20, 2016
The real adventure starts today. We put our luggage out at 7 and went to breakfast. There was a game where Tiffany gave you someone else’s nametag and you had to find that person before you could eat.
Breakfast was in a private room for our group. We found our people pretty quickly, chatted and got on line. Breakfast was rather limited, but enough. We got on the bus at 8. On the ride back to the airport Tiffany spoke about herself and the trip to come. Each couple introduced themselves and said what they were looking forward to. Then Juan spoke about his life growing up in a tiny community on the Napo River 5 days walk from the nearest Army base where one could fly to other locations. He didn’t want to leave, but his brother talked him into going to high school. He also said Juan isn’t his real name. Tzerem is the real name, but Juan is what the guy wrote when his parents went to get a birth certificate. The country looks very poor. The biggest industries are oil, bananas and tourism. Also cocoa, but not a ton. We arrived at the airport after about an hour and we met the owner of the Anakonda. He was waiting with our boarding passes. We quickly went through security and then into the first class lounge to wait. There were plenty of snacks and drinks in there. We boarded the flight and it was barely ½ an hour. Mark and I were not sitting together which was weird since there was an empty seat next to each of us. We were across the aisle from each other. I chatted with the woman next to me who was on a similar trip with only 14 guests. We took a quick bus ride to a hotel where we used the restroom, had snacks and water and met our naturalist. He gave us a history of the Amazon in terms of the 1400’s and on. The name means “without breasts” which is because the explorers saw warriors who they probably mistook for men and said they were warriors without breasts. We boarded the motorized canoes. They boarded a few people at a time and then put a bench in front of them and then boarded a few more people. They told us the ride would be longer than usual since it is the dry season and the river is very low. The river IS very low. You can see where the water usually is and it’s sometimes 10 or more feet higher. There is lots of floating tree debris. Sometimes we were passed by other small boats. It rained just a little, our boats were covered. We saw an oil extraction site and we saw whole oil trucks floating on barges. It took about 2 hours to get to the Anakonda. We boarded and were greeted with warm towels and went up to the third floor lounge. There were mojitos and snacks. They introduced the crew and gave us our rooms. We went to our rooms and then right to lunch. Lunch was nice, banana empanadas, fish and then a lime cake. They served wine with lunch and then coffee. Now time to hang out. Meeting at 4:30 for safety talk.
The safety talk was quick and we had to go to the cabins and get our life jackets and meet downstairs. Then we just put them away again. We went up to the top deck to watch the scenery go by. There was a very nice breeze and it was rather cloudy, so the sunset was a bit blocked. Before sunset, we looked with our binoculars at the wildlife on the shore. It was difficult to see anything, just a few birds. We did see people. Around 6:15 we met again for an ecological talk. Rene, the cruise director, told us about the river and where we were and where we were going. It seems we cruised as far as we are going and now we will slowly make our way back. They served us pisco sours as welcome drinks and we went to freshen up for just 5 minutes and then down to dinner. Dinner was OK, but the service is so nice. We had potato and lime soup, a weird little salad with corn, pork (ham) and a nice crepe with ice cream. After that, we got our bug spray and long sleeves on and went to the meeting place. We put on boots and brought flash lights. They loaded us into the motorized canoes again and we just went a few minutes away to a dock where we all climbed out and up the dock. We had a slow walk on a path. They pointed out locusts, katydids, tree frogs, walking sticks and jumping sticks and we even saw a couple of tarantulas. It's amazing the way they find them on the leaves off the path, they are so well camouflaged. We did the same process to return to the Anakonda and ran to our cabin to shower since we figured everyone would want to shower. Up early tomorrow.
Wednesday January 21, 2016
Day 3
While we were told there would be a big wake up blast, there was actually a gentle knock on our door at 6:05am. Then, we heard light pan flute music that would not have woken anyone. We dressed quickly and went to breakfast. It was a simple buffet, nothing interesting except for some tropical fruit that we didn't know what it was, but looked like dragon fruit. We grabbed our stuff and brought our boots and climbed into the canoes between 7:15 and 7:30 or so. Getting in and out of the canoes is a process. The last row climbs in, then one of the crew sets up the next row of seats and the next 2 get in. That continues until the boat is loaded. It's the same in reverse when we get out, so it takes a while. Our canoe didn't have a canopy overhead, the other one did. At first it was nice and overcast and cool out while the canoe is moving. When it is stopped, it's very hot. We motored around slowly for the next 3 or so hours. The guides pointed out lots of birds. Mostly you could see them with your naked eye, but binoculars definitely were better. We saw this most amazing blue butterfly and we saw many of them over the day. The color was like a shimmery metallic blue. That is the male and it flies low, the female flies above and tries to find the most beautiful male to mate with. At one point we stopped for quite a while to try to see a sloth high up in the trees. I never could see it. We saw some little bats. There are no caves in the Amazon, so they blend in with their surroundings and I really couldn't see them, just a few feet away from us, until they started moving. We saw vultures and cormorants and a beautiful woodpecker with a gold v on it's back and a red head. We saw some macaws, they mate for life, and lots of river birds. The water level is very low and we got stuck on the bottom a few times. The guides stepped into the water to push. There is also a lot of debris in the water washed downstream from other rivers. The debris is mostly branches. Some branches are cut by the locals to keep the way clear. We saw 4 small children navigating to school on a small motor boat. No adult. The trees are amazing. Huge palms and tall ficus and trees that other trees grow on. It got very hot and I put my raincoat on just to protect myself from the sun, since we had life jackets on and I couldn't get my shirt over it. I did see a toucan fly, but not through the binoculars, so I really just saw the shape of it.
We arrived at the Dolphin River lodge somewhere around 11. They of course, had drinks and snacks for us. We needed the drinks. Delicious iced tea. There were cabins that were very rustic with beds with netting over them and just screens in the windows. There didn't seem to be any other guests there at the moment. We had the choice to go kayaking or on a rainforest walk. While we were waiting to go, Juan set up a scope so we could see some huge parrots up in a tree and some red howler monkeys, also way up high. It started to rain just a little and everyone put on their ponchos and raincoats, but it only rained for a few minutes. Alex, a naturalist, showed us a fruit that is called a little orange, but it is more like a tomato. We walked into the forest. We are a big group and some are older, so I tried to stay near the front to hear and see what he was showing. We stopped in front of a huge tree and he explained about the roots growing above ground because the soil is not very deep. He showed us social spiders that make a huge nest together. We saw a tiny bull frog. He sees these things even though they are well camouflaged. We saw leaf cutter ants. Really amazing that they carry big leaves with them in a path back to an underground nest. Robby, the other guide told us all about termites and how they make their papery nests. They are a really good thing in the rainforest because nothing goes to waste with them. They leave the nests and other animals and people use them. We saw a centipede, the biggest I've ever seen. We saw a blood dragon tree that the sap is used as a medicine and when you rubbed it into your skin it turned into a cream. He showed us a vine that is curare. I held my hands up while he scraped it off the bark. Then he mixed it with a little water and had a few people put some on their tongue. It has an anesthetic effect. We walked back to the lodge for lunch. They had several big tables set up. Lunch was nice. First the palm cerviche then grilled meats and a bit of lettuce and a potato. They put corn nuts, popcorn and plantain chips on the table with piquante sauce. It's a hot but pleasant sauce. For dessert was a bowl of fruit. We had a little time to hang around, I tried the hammocks, fun, but not comfortable.
We boarded the canoes again with the same slow process. We almost made it onto the canoe with the covering, but it didn't happen. On the ride back, we stopped to fish for piranha. The lake we went to is called panacoche, which means piranha lake. Only one guide from each boat fished. They each caught a small piranha and showed everyone the teeth before throwing it back in. While we were waiting, a beautiful green butterfly landed on me and then on Mark. It hung out on Mark's camera for quite a while. I thought it might come home with us. The ride back was long and uneventful. The sun was behind clouds and it threatened rain, but didn't rain until we got back. There was some lightening. We got back around 4:30 tired and sticky. There were lovely drinks and pigs in the blanket (but good ones) waiting for us. We are meeting for dinner at 7. While we are going on the river, there are boats that come up to the side of the ship and just catch a ride.
At 7 we met upstairs for a talk about tomorrow. There was some information about where we are going and what to bring. We ate dinner with Robby, the naturalist. The food was nothing interesting; Robby is a nice guy and was pleasant to talk to and is also the ABD guide on some trips. After dinner we went upstairs again and Tiffany set up 3 different chocolates to try and then we played a version of the newlywed game. They picked the 4 couples married the longest and asked some very tame questions. Of course we laughed a lot.
Day 3
While we were told there would be a big wake up blast, there was actually a gentle knock on our door at 6:05am. Then, we heard light pan flute music that would not have woken anyone. We dressed quickly and went to breakfast. It was a simple buffet, nothing interesting except for some tropical fruit that we didn't know what it was, but looked like dragon fruit. We grabbed our stuff and brought our boots and climbed into the canoes between 7:15 and 7:30 or so. Getting in and out of the canoes is a process. The last row climbs in, then one of the crew sets up the next row of seats and the next 2 get in. That continues until the boat is loaded. It's the same in reverse when we get out, so it takes a while. Our canoe didn't have a canopy overhead, the other one did. At first it was nice and overcast and cool out while the canoe is moving. When it is stopped, it's very hot. We motored around slowly for the next 3 or so hours. The guides pointed out lots of birds. Mostly you could see them with your naked eye, but binoculars definitely were better. We saw this most amazing blue butterfly and we saw many of them over the day. The color was like a shimmery metallic blue. That is the male and it flies low, the female flies above and tries to find the most beautiful male to mate with. At one point we stopped for quite a while to try to see a sloth high up in the trees. I never could see it. We saw some little bats. There are no caves in the Amazon, so they blend in with their surroundings and I really couldn't see them, just a few feet away from us, until they started moving. We saw vultures and cormorants and a beautiful woodpecker with a gold v on it's back and a red head. We saw some macaws, they mate for life, and lots of river birds. The water level is very low and we got stuck on the bottom a few times. The guides stepped into the water to push. There is also a lot of debris in the water washed downstream from other rivers. The debris is mostly branches. Some branches are cut by the locals to keep the way clear. We saw 4 small children navigating to school on a small motor boat. No adult. The trees are amazing. Huge palms and tall ficus and trees that other trees grow on. It got very hot and I put my raincoat on just to protect myself from the sun, since we had life jackets on and I couldn't get my shirt over it. I did see a toucan fly, but not through the binoculars, so I really just saw the shape of it.
We arrived at the Dolphin River lodge somewhere around 11. They of course, had drinks and snacks for us. We needed the drinks. Delicious iced tea. There were cabins that were very rustic with beds with netting over them and just screens in the windows. There didn't seem to be any other guests there at the moment. We had the choice to go kayaking or on a rainforest walk. While we were waiting to go, Juan set up a scope so we could see some huge parrots up in a tree and some red howler monkeys, also way up high. It started to rain just a little and everyone put on their ponchos and raincoats, but it only rained for a few minutes. Alex, a naturalist, showed us a fruit that is called a little orange, but it is more like a tomato. We walked into the forest. We are a big group and some are older, so I tried to stay near the front to hear and see what he was showing. We stopped in front of a huge tree and he explained about the roots growing above ground because the soil is not very deep. He showed us social spiders that make a huge nest together. We saw a tiny bull frog. He sees these things even though they are well camouflaged. We saw leaf cutter ants. Really amazing that they carry big leaves with them in a path back to an underground nest. Robby, the other guide told us all about termites and how they make their papery nests. They are a really good thing in the rainforest because nothing goes to waste with them. They leave the nests and other animals and people use them. We saw a centipede, the biggest I've ever seen. We saw a blood dragon tree that the sap is used as a medicine and when you rubbed it into your skin it turned into a cream. He showed us a vine that is curare. I held my hands up while he scraped it off the bark. Then he mixed it with a little water and had a few people put some on their tongue. It has an anesthetic effect. We walked back to the lodge for lunch. They had several big tables set up. Lunch was nice. First the palm cerviche then grilled meats and a bit of lettuce and a potato. They put corn nuts, popcorn and plantain chips on the table with piquante sauce. It's a hot but pleasant sauce. For dessert was a bowl of fruit. We had a little time to hang around, I tried the hammocks, fun, but not comfortable.
We boarded the canoes again with the same slow process. We almost made it onto the canoe with the covering, but it didn't happen. On the ride back, we stopped to fish for piranha. The lake we went to is called panacoche, which means piranha lake. Only one guide from each boat fished. They each caught a small piranha and showed everyone the teeth before throwing it back in. While we were waiting, a beautiful green butterfly landed on me and then on Mark. It hung out on Mark's camera for quite a while. I thought it might come home with us. The ride back was long and uneventful. The sun was behind clouds and it threatened rain, but didn't rain until we got back. There was some lightening. We got back around 4:30 tired and sticky. There were lovely drinks and pigs in the blanket (but good ones) waiting for us. We are meeting for dinner at 7. While we are going on the river, there are boats that come up to the side of the ship and just catch a ride.
At 7 we met upstairs for a talk about tomorrow. There was some information about where we are going and what to bring. We ate dinner with Robby, the naturalist. The food was nothing interesting; Robby is a nice guy and was pleasant to talk to and is also the ABD guide on some trips. After dinner we went upstairs again and Tiffany set up 3 different chocolates to try and then we played a version of the newlywed game. They picked the 4 couples married the longest and asked some very tame questions. Of course we laughed a lot.
Thanks for the suggestion. We just started looking at this trip recently, so I'll do some research too.
Friday January 22, 2016
Day 4
We had a late start this morning. We didn't have to be ready until 8:45. We went to breakfast at 7:30 and then boarded the boats around 8:45. They told us it was muddy and said we should wear the boots (provided on the boat). It was not muddy. It was a 15 minute motor canoe ride to the next spot. We went to Sani Village. This is not really a village but a community. The people all live in the surrounding area. We were greeted by a group of women. They told us about the community. We split into groups and walked around. First we saw the way that they farm. Each family has their own farm, but they have this farm to show tourists and that is one of the ways that the community makes money. We saw cacoa pods and tasted the bean. We saw hearts of palm and I participated in cutting one down. We also saw taro root. We visited the school. There are 150 kids in elementary and middle school. For high school they have to leave the community and go to a city. We made little bracelets. We went to the little store where they sell bracelets and such and I bought 4 bracelets for the kids and me. There was a cooking demonstration and they had some live grubs that one of our fellow adventurers and Juan ate. We had to remove our boots to enter the building. We saw some other tourists, and they are the first other tourists we have seen. It was just 2 guys and their guide. When we came out they served us roasted plantains, roasted grubs, a fish stew with hearts of palm and something else. We then went to the soccer field and a bunch of us played soccer for 20 minutes against a bunch of kids. They beat us 2-1. Juan, Rene and Alex were really into the game. We said thanks and good bye and loaded back onto the canoes to the boat. Mark and I were so sweaty that we showered and went to lunch and then wore clean clothes for the afternoon's activities. Lunch was some mushrooms and a shrimp stew with rice. At 2 pm, again we loaded into the boats, in boots, Mark didn't wear them, and we didn't really need them, and it took 15 minutes to get to the location. This was also called Sani (something). From there we walked about 15 minutes into the forest on a weird boardwalk thing that had lots of holes in it and was covered in plastic mesh. When we got all the way in there was another dock and we boarded much smaller canoes. This got a little hairy. We navigated through very narrow river channels that were very shallow. The boat got stuck on the bottom numerous times. Alex, our naturalist and row boat captain was really great at getting out and pushing. It wasn't easy. The fauna changed as we got deeper in. It is just amazing to see the huge trees and leaves and one plant growing on another. We saw more birds and moths, but not too many other animals. We reached a lake and the fauna changed again. We continued on down another channel and the fauna was even lower and lighter. After probably an hour in the row boats, we arrived at the next spot. There was a rickety dock where we climbed out and up the embankment. We walked deep into the forest following Alex who showed us plants and birds and we saw some little squirrel monkeys way up in the trees. We reached the tower canopy thing. It is like a 10 story metal staircase attached to a huge tree with wires. You climb up and as you climb, it sways more and more. I was a bit nervous. At the top of the stairs, you climb onto a big tree house deck. Well there were the guys from the ship with champagne and other drinks for us. The view was awesome and scary. We saw some parakeets and a bird that looked like an owl. It blended in with the tree really well. What comes up, must go down, so down we went and back through the forest to the boats and back through the shallow channels where we had to rock the boat many times to get us unstuck. At one point Alex broke the paddle he was using to get us out of the mud. By the time we got back to the dock, it was getting dark. We had to walk back across the weird boardwalk to the next dock. While we were waiting there, we saw little frogs and bats were swooping all around. Back onto the canoes and back to the Anakonda. One bat flew along side the motor canoe for quite a while. It was dark and about 7pm when we got back. We showered again and got dressed for dinner. We met upstairs for our briefing for the next day. After that we went to dinner. I had steak for dinner. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. On this trip they are serving us wine with every meal on the ship. That is nice.
Somewhere along the way, a small boat pulled up along side the Anakonda. The young people in the boat had a baby tapir (related to pigs) to trade. The crew traded them some food for the tapir which we brought to the Sani community that day for them to raise. A full grown tapir will be 700lbs. This little guy was like a puppy. Sweet and scared without his mommy. He was very friendly.
Day 4
We had a late start this morning. We didn't have to be ready until 8:45. We went to breakfast at 7:30 and then boarded the boats around 8:45. They told us it was muddy and said we should wear the boots (provided on the boat). It was not muddy. It was a 15 minute motor canoe ride to the next spot. We went to Sani Village. This is not really a village but a community. The people all live in the surrounding area. We were greeted by a group of women. They told us about the community. We split into groups and walked around. First we saw the way that they farm. Each family has their own farm, but they have this farm to show tourists and that is one of the ways that the community makes money. We saw cacoa pods and tasted the bean. We saw hearts of palm and I participated in cutting one down. We also saw taro root. We visited the school. There are 150 kids in elementary and middle school. For high school they have to leave the community and go to a city. We made little bracelets. We went to the little store where they sell bracelets and such and I bought 4 bracelets for the kids and me. There was a cooking demonstration and they had some live grubs that one of our fellow adventurers and Juan ate. We had to remove our boots to enter the building. We saw some other tourists, and they are the first other tourists we have seen. It was just 2 guys and their guide. When we came out they served us roasted plantains, roasted grubs, a fish stew with hearts of palm and something else. We then went to the soccer field and a bunch of us played soccer for 20 minutes against a bunch of kids. They beat us 2-1. Juan, Rene and Alex were really into the game. We said thanks and good bye and loaded back onto the canoes to the boat. Mark and I were so sweaty that we showered and went to lunch and then wore clean clothes for the afternoon's activities. Lunch was some mushrooms and a shrimp stew with rice. At 2 pm, again we loaded into the boats, in boots, Mark didn't wear them, and we didn't really need them, and it took 15 minutes to get to the location. This was also called Sani (something). From there we walked about 15 minutes into the forest on a weird boardwalk thing that had lots of holes in it and was covered in plastic mesh. When we got all the way in there was another dock and we boarded much smaller canoes. This got a little hairy. We navigated through very narrow river channels that were very shallow. The boat got stuck on the bottom numerous times. Alex, our naturalist and row boat captain was really great at getting out and pushing. It wasn't easy. The fauna changed as we got deeper in. It is just amazing to see the huge trees and leaves and one plant growing on another. We saw more birds and moths, but not too many other animals. We reached a lake and the fauna changed again. We continued on down another channel and the fauna was even lower and lighter. After probably an hour in the row boats, we arrived at the next spot. There was a rickety dock where we climbed out and up the embankment. We walked deep into the forest following Alex who showed us plants and birds and we saw some little squirrel monkeys way up in the trees. We reached the tower canopy thing. It is like a 10 story metal staircase attached to a huge tree with wires. You climb up and as you climb, it sways more and more. I was a bit nervous. At the top of the stairs, you climb onto a big tree house deck. Well there were the guys from the ship with champagne and other drinks for us. The view was awesome and scary. We saw some parakeets and a bird that looked like an owl. It blended in with the tree really well. What comes up, must go down, so down we went and back through the forest to the boats and back through the shallow channels where we had to rock the boat many times to get us unstuck. At one point Alex broke the paddle he was using to get us out of the mud. By the time we got back to the dock, it was getting dark. We had to walk back across the weird boardwalk to the next dock. While we were waiting there, we saw little frogs and bats were swooping all around. Back onto the canoes and back to the Anakonda. One bat flew along side the motor canoe for quite a while. It was dark and about 7pm when we got back. We showered again and got dressed for dinner. We met upstairs for our briefing for the next day. After that we went to dinner. I had steak for dinner. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. On this trip they are serving us wine with every meal on the ship. That is nice.
Somewhere along the way, a small boat pulled up along side the Anakonda. The young people in the boat had a baby tapir (related to pigs) to trade. The crew traded them some food for the tapir which we brought to the Sani community that day for them to raise. A full grown tapir will be 700lbs. This little guy was like a puppy. Sweet and scared without his mommy. He was very friendly.
Saturday January 23, 2016
Day 5
We started out early at 6:30 and boarded the canoes. This time they both had canopies on them. We went about 15 minutes to the parrot clay licks. I didn't know what to expect. We stayed in the boats and we saw other tourist boats here too, but not a lot. You could see hundreds of parrots and parakeets on the side of the steep embankment. They come here in the mornings to eat the clay. When they would suddenly fly off to surrounding branches, they blended in so completely with the trees you couldn't make them out at all. I would have liked to get closer, but they don't want to disturb the parrots. There were green parrots that when they flew, you caught a glimpse of red on their wings. There were also smaller blue headed parrots, but even though I could see them and see they were smaller, I couldn't tell they had blue heads. After a while we moved further down the river and found another parrot clay lick. It wasn't as big as the first one but we could get a little closer and other boats didn't come there. We moved just a little ways away from there and saw lots of squirrel monkeys playing in the trees. It's good to have binoculars. When we headed back, only a few parrots remained at the clay lick. If you come after 8, you'll miss it. When we got back on the boat, breakfast was ready. We had a little time until the next departure so we hung out and rinsed some clothes. We boarded the boats yet again around 9:30am and headed to see some macaws. After another 15 minute ride, we disembarked and left our vests near the dock. We hiked into the rain forest along a concrete path (this is a national park). We stopped along the way for all kinds of nature talks. We learned about a flower that can be brewed to be a contraceptive. A bunch of times we had to come close and double up along the path, so we could all hear. Another group of young people passed us by. Eventually we came to a bird blind. You had to be quiet and no flash photos. We sat in the little structure with the others who were already there. It was like watching a show where nothing happened, kind of like the Yule Log. After about 20 minutes a large red and yellow and blue macaw landed on a tree near the top. The guy in front of us pointed it out to me. It was pretty exciting watching it. It moved around the branches and then hopped down to the ground. Eventually another macaw landed in the trees. We watched for a while until the two of them flew away. ABD called us all out of there and we began our walk back. Alex said the most he had ever seen there were 4 macaws and that they only come at this time of year. Tiffany said that we are the first group to see any macaws and that the Disney guys who planned the trip saw the macaws and thought everyone would be seeing the macaws. The family groups can't wait as long as we did. At one point on the way back Robby asked us all to join him in a clearing and explained about the tree that creates it's own clearing with poison roots. He explained about the symbiotic relationship it has with ants. He ate ants and later we ate an ant each. While we were standing there, Tiffany and Juan came into the clearing wearing Juan's peoples traditional outfits. They had flowers fashioned into toucan noses and we each tried them and took photos. Juan explained that these are real outfits that he wears in his tribe for special ceremonies. He would have face paint too. He made the headpiece and his brother made the other parts. He said it is the man's job to create these costumes from seeds, teeth, bones and other plant materials. We continued walking back along the path. We saw some macaws high in the trees. Alex set up the scope and we could look at them. When we got back to the dock, Tiffany said we were going to learn about blow darts. Juan explained how the darts are made and they use cotton made from a local plant. Apparently Juan is a champion blow darter and there are videos of him on you-tube. They set up a target made of a termite nest on a stick. Most people gave it a try. One dart got stuck in the tube and they had a heck of a time getting it out. They cut down other reeds and branches to try to push it out and got it out after a bit. I did very poorly at it. I don't think the dart even came out. Then in was back on with the life vests and back into the boats and back to the ship and there were towels to wash your hands and snacks and juice like almost every time we came back on the ship. We went to our cabin to wash up and changed out of our wet shirts. There was a tomato with cheese and then a stuffed roasted pork with mashed plantains. Dessert was a crème tart with slices of tree tomato. We had 2 hours to hang out until we have to head out again. I had some coffee. We left at 3:45. We had a ½ hour motor canoe ride to a short hot bus ride. The bus took us from a little market, that was already done for the day, to the Limoncocha reserve. We hung out and used the restrooms, took some photos and then headed down to the dock. There were a lot of steps down to the dock. We boarded two canoes, no canopies, but it was getting late and the sun was starting to go down. We slowly went around the lake. Mostly by paddle and occasionally by motor seeing birds and some little monkeys. It was very buggy on the lake at dusk. There were tons of dragon flies swooping and diving around us. At sunset, we pulled the boats together and they broke open the coolers. Orange drink for everyone. We had Oreos and a fruit that looked sort of like an orange. You broke it open and the outside was like an orange peel, but the inside was all seeds and gelatinous flesh similar to a pomegranate, but gooier and whitish (called a granadilla). It tasted like passion fruit. We watched the sun set on one side of the lake and a full moon rise on the other side. It was very beautiful. When it was dark we set out looking for caimans which are similar to crocodiles. You really can't see them. They are hiding in the grasses along the shore. You can see the reflection in their eyes as you sweep the flashlights back and forth. As usual, the guides saw one or two but we really didn't. At one point the other boat got up close and personal with one that had his head sticking out of the water. We were behind them, so we saw it a little. We continued looking, but I didn't see any. Maybe they were hanging out with the sloth. We got back to the dock around 7:30 and walked back up the steps to the waiting buses. The bus got a little lost, but we made our way to the right place, boarded another canoe, it was slippery and steep getting down to it, and motored across the river to the Anakonda. As always, greeted with towels and drinks. We had 45 minutes to wash up and I showered and just dressed in a t shirt and pants. At dinner, there were candles set up and a musician who played instruments that he made, kind of pan flute plus. Yarik was his name. The music was very nice. Mark bought a cd to support the musician. Dinner started with a crab/sushi roll that was good, there was a little salad and then weird chicken curry that was just a thin breast with sauce on it, but it was tasty. Dessert was a dry brownie. They introduced the kitchen staff and we all applauded them and the naturalists and all the crew. It was really a lovely last dinner on board. In our cabins were guest surveys. We hung out trying to get internet connection in the front of the ship. We found out that we have 2 feet of snow at home.
Day 5
We started out early at 6:30 and boarded the canoes. This time they both had canopies on them. We went about 15 minutes to the parrot clay licks. I didn't know what to expect. We stayed in the boats and we saw other tourist boats here too, but not a lot. You could see hundreds of parrots and parakeets on the side of the steep embankment. They come here in the mornings to eat the clay. When they would suddenly fly off to surrounding branches, they blended in so completely with the trees you couldn't make them out at all. I would have liked to get closer, but they don't want to disturb the parrots. There were green parrots that when they flew, you caught a glimpse of red on their wings. There were also smaller blue headed parrots, but even though I could see them and see they were smaller, I couldn't tell they had blue heads. After a while we moved further down the river and found another parrot clay lick. It wasn't as big as the first one but we could get a little closer and other boats didn't come there. We moved just a little ways away from there and saw lots of squirrel monkeys playing in the trees. It's good to have binoculars. When we headed back, only a few parrots remained at the clay lick. If you come after 8, you'll miss it. When we got back on the boat, breakfast was ready. We had a little time until the next departure so we hung out and rinsed some clothes. We boarded the boats yet again around 9:30am and headed to see some macaws. After another 15 minute ride, we disembarked and left our vests near the dock. We hiked into the rain forest along a concrete path (this is a national park). We stopped along the way for all kinds of nature talks. We learned about a flower that can be brewed to be a contraceptive. A bunch of times we had to come close and double up along the path, so we could all hear. Another group of young people passed us by. Eventually we came to a bird blind. You had to be quiet and no flash photos. We sat in the little structure with the others who were already there. It was like watching a show where nothing happened, kind of like the Yule Log. After about 20 minutes a large red and yellow and blue macaw landed on a tree near the top. The guy in front of us pointed it out to me. It was pretty exciting watching it. It moved around the branches and then hopped down to the ground. Eventually another macaw landed in the trees. We watched for a while until the two of them flew away. ABD called us all out of there and we began our walk back. Alex said the most he had ever seen there were 4 macaws and that they only come at this time of year. Tiffany said that we are the first group to see any macaws and that the Disney guys who planned the trip saw the macaws and thought everyone would be seeing the macaws. The family groups can't wait as long as we did. At one point on the way back Robby asked us all to join him in a clearing and explained about the tree that creates it's own clearing with poison roots. He explained about the symbiotic relationship it has with ants. He ate ants and later we ate an ant each. While we were standing there, Tiffany and Juan came into the clearing wearing Juan's peoples traditional outfits. They had flowers fashioned into toucan noses and we each tried them and took photos. Juan explained that these are real outfits that he wears in his tribe for special ceremonies. He would have face paint too. He made the headpiece and his brother made the other parts. He said it is the man's job to create these costumes from seeds, teeth, bones and other plant materials. We continued walking back along the path. We saw some macaws high in the trees. Alex set up the scope and we could look at them. When we got back to the dock, Tiffany said we were going to learn about blow darts. Juan explained how the darts are made and they use cotton made from a local plant. Apparently Juan is a champion blow darter and there are videos of him on you-tube. They set up a target made of a termite nest on a stick. Most people gave it a try. One dart got stuck in the tube and they had a heck of a time getting it out. They cut down other reeds and branches to try to push it out and got it out after a bit. I did very poorly at it. I don't think the dart even came out. Then in was back on with the life vests and back into the boats and back to the ship and there were towels to wash your hands and snacks and juice like almost every time we came back on the ship. We went to our cabin to wash up and changed out of our wet shirts. There was a tomato with cheese and then a stuffed roasted pork with mashed plantains. Dessert was a crème tart with slices of tree tomato. We had 2 hours to hang out until we have to head out again. I had some coffee. We left at 3:45. We had a ½ hour motor canoe ride to a short hot bus ride. The bus took us from a little market, that was already done for the day, to the Limoncocha reserve. We hung out and used the restrooms, took some photos and then headed down to the dock. There were a lot of steps down to the dock. We boarded two canoes, no canopies, but it was getting late and the sun was starting to go down. We slowly went around the lake. Mostly by paddle and occasionally by motor seeing birds and some little monkeys. It was very buggy on the lake at dusk. There were tons of dragon flies swooping and diving around us. At sunset, we pulled the boats together and they broke open the coolers. Orange drink for everyone. We had Oreos and a fruit that looked sort of like an orange. You broke it open and the outside was like an orange peel, but the inside was all seeds and gelatinous flesh similar to a pomegranate, but gooier and whitish (called a granadilla). It tasted like passion fruit. We watched the sun set on one side of the lake and a full moon rise on the other side. It was very beautiful. When it was dark we set out looking for caimans which are similar to crocodiles. You really can't see them. They are hiding in the grasses along the shore. You can see the reflection in their eyes as you sweep the flashlights back and forth. As usual, the guides saw one or two but we really didn't. At one point the other boat got up close and personal with one that had his head sticking out of the water. We were behind them, so we saw it a little. We continued looking, but I didn't see any. Maybe they were hanging out with the sloth. We got back to the dock around 7:30 and walked back up the steps to the waiting buses. The bus got a little lost, but we made our way to the right place, boarded another canoe, it was slippery and steep getting down to it, and motored across the river to the Anakonda. As always, greeted with towels and drinks. We had 45 minutes to wash up and I showered and just dressed in a t shirt and pants. At dinner, there were candles set up and a musician who played instruments that he made, kind of pan flute plus. Yarik was his name. The music was very nice. Mark bought a cd to support the musician. Dinner started with a crab/sushi roll that was good, there was a little salad and then weird chicken curry that was just a thin breast with sauce on it, but it was tasty. Dessert was a dry brownie. They introduced the kitchen staff and we all applauded them and the naturalists and all the crew. It was really a lovely last dinner on board. In our cabins were guest surveys. We hung out trying to get internet connection in the front of the ship. We found out that we have 2 feet of snow at home.
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Sunday January 24, 2016
Day 6
We met up at 7:30 for breakfast and got on the canoes at 8:15. We went to a home where some American organization is helping families help the turtles. The families go out and dig up the turtle eggs and then carefully bring them to their property and bury them in sand. The turtles hatch and they release them into the river when they are old enough. People in the area, dig up the eggs to eat, so the population is having trouble sustaining itself. Also, only a few baby turtle survive once they are on their own. Each couple got a baby turtle to release. We named ours Bob, of course. Bob was a feisty little guy. He didn't want to be held. We got back on the boats and went over to a sand bar where we all climbed out and lined up. Tiffany called one, two three go and we released our turtles. The little turtles all went scrambling into the water and were gone. We went back to the Anakonda and had a few minutes to shower and put out our suitcases. There was a quick second breakfast/lunch and then we had to board the boats to leave. The Whole time in the Amazon was amazing and it was hard to leave except for the humidity. It was nearly 2 hours on the motor canoes to get back to Coca. When we got there we had drinks and snacks and hung out for a little while. We boarded buses to the little airport where we all stood under the one air conditioner to wait for our flight. The flight was about ½ an hour. They picked up the luggage and a bus came for us. After the hour ride up the mountain we reached the Marriott. There were drinks and room keys. We are on a lower floor this time and this room isn't renovated, but it's still pretty nice. We met in the lobby at 6:45. We took the bus around the corner to Zazu and they led us upstairs to a balcony and kitchen. They served champagne and then gave us aprons and chef hats. Each table of 6 had one chef to help and we cut up the ingredients for ceviche. Our chef was Andrea the pastry chef. We watched them boil the shrimp too. When it was done, we went downstairs for dinner. The dinner was wonderful. They served the shrimp ceviche (not what we had made) then seared tuna. The entrée was lamb shank so tender it fell off the bone and a little trio of desserts. It was a really lovely meal. Then back on the bus to the hotel.
Day 6
We met up at 7:30 for breakfast and got on the canoes at 8:15. We went to a home where some American organization is helping families help the turtles. The families go out and dig up the turtle eggs and then carefully bring them to their property and bury them in sand. The turtles hatch and they release them into the river when they are old enough. People in the area, dig up the eggs to eat, so the population is having trouble sustaining itself. Also, only a few baby turtle survive once they are on their own. Each couple got a baby turtle to release. We named ours Bob, of course. Bob was a feisty little guy. He didn't want to be held. We got back on the boats and went over to a sand bar where we all climbed out and lined up. Tiffany called one, two three go and we released our turtles. The little turtles all went scrambling into the water and were gone. We went back to the Anakonda and had a few minutes to shower and put out our suitcases. There was a quick second breakfast/lunch and then we had to board the boats to leave. The Whole time in the Amazon was amazing and it was hard to leave except for the humidity. It was nearly 2 hours on the motor canoes to get back to Coca. When we got there we had drinks and snacks and hung out for a little while. We boarded buses to the little airport where we all stood under the one air conditioner to wait for our flight. The flight was about ½ an hour. They picked up the luggage and a bus came for us. After the hour ride up the mountain we reached the Marriott. There were drinks and room keys. We are on a lower floor this time and this room isn't renovated, but it's still pretty nice. We met in the lobby at 6:45. We took the bus around the corner to Zazu and they led us upstairs to a balcony and kitchen. They served champagne and then gave us aprons and chef hats. Each table of 6 had one chef to help and we cut up the ingredients for ceviche. Our chef was Andrea the pastry chef. We watched them boil the shrimp too. When it was done, we went downstairs for dinner. The dinner was wonderful. They served the shrimp ceviche (not what we had made) then seared tuna. The entrée was lamb shank so tender it fell off the bone and a little trio of desserts. It was a really lovely meal. Then back on the bus to the hotel.
Monday January 25, 2016
Day 7
At 9am we climbed on the bus for our day in Quito. We drove to the old town area and got off the bus in the Plaza that I don't remember the name (Indepencia?)in front of a big church. We met our local guide, Patricia. She told us some of the history of Quito. There were guys in suits hanging around us and they were our special security guys that ABD hired. Mark and I ran into the church for a few minutes and it was unbelievably ornate with gilt. Very beautiful, but like nothing I've ever seen. It was European but more decorative. Some local people came over to sell their scarves and paintings. While they were both nice, not my thing. Most of our group bought a bunch of scarves. We walked around the corner to a bigger church and went in. Patricia told us the history where the Jesuits brought education and art to Quito. The church was even more ornate than the one we had been in. She explained some of the artwork and the windows. She said the church was in the Baroque style, but it was more ornate than European Baroque churches. We walked over to the Grande Plaza and waited on an elevated platform for the changing of the guards. Every Monday they do this and the President and the Vice President of Ecuador are there. There was an elaborate ceremony with soldiers on horses, a color guard and a marching band all in uniform. The president spoke and he introduced a soccer team and some school kids who were invited guests. There were tons of police and soldiers there. It was all very exciting. After we walked around the square and then we went to the grand hotel for lunch. Lunch was on the fourth floor. We went into a lovely ballroom and out onto the balcony and took photos of the view. They tried to arrange to view the changing of the guards from up there, but because the President was speaking, it would be a security risk for us to be up there. The lunch was delicious. We had ceviche and I had fish and Mark had goat. For dessert, they turned off the lights. The church bells struck 1 o'clock and they came in wearing hooded monk robes with desserts there were smoking. The dessert was delicious. It was chocolate and vanilla and a meringue with some little cookies. After lunch we walked over to the La Rhonda area. We were greeted by costumed characters who were from the early 20th century and told us about how the area developed as an artists and musician area. It actually fell into disrepair for many years, but in 2005 in became a heritage site and was all fixed up. Now there are restaurants and shops, but not much was open. There were some games set up in street for us to try.First we went into a chocolate shop. The owner told us all about chocolate production and we watched her worker temper the chocolate and then make truffles. Of course, we got to taste the truffles and they were great. Next we went upstairs to an craftsman who makes beautiful wooden boxes with hidden drawers. Mark and I wandered on the street and into a shop where we saw a great mask. We didn't buy it because it was too big and we didn't know if they would really ship it. The entire group worked their way back to where the bus had dropped us off and waited for the bus in the rain. The bus picked us up and it took nearly an hour to get to the market. Juan gave us all $5 to buy a white elephant gift. We had 30 minutes in the market. I bought a little bowl and mark bought a toucan statue. Mark got a hat for himself. Mark also bought a cool mask that is the uma diablo, which means something like head of the devil. We got on the bus back to the hotel and got back around 5:30. We went in a taxi to the restaurant that Mark had picked. The restaurant is called Lua. The taxi driver took us all over the place and charged us $4. The place looked deserted, but there was a man waiting at the curb who let us into the restaurant. It was a beautiful place and you felt like you were sitting in a garden. The food was fabulous. We started with pisco sours. We had grilled octopus and fried calamari. Both were great. We shared a seafood dinner with shrimp, octopus and calamari and potatoes in a light tomato sauce. It was delicious. For dessert we had a chocolate souffle. So fab. They called us a cab and we were back at the hotel in 5 minutes for less money than going.
Day 7
At 9am we climbed on the bus for our day in Quito. We drove to the old town area and got off the bus in the Plaza that I don't remember the name (Indepencia?)in front of a big church. We met our local guide, Patricia. She told us some of the history of Quito. There were guys in suits hanging around us and they were our special security guys that ABD hired. Mark and I ran into the church for a few minutes and it was unbelievably ornate with gilt. Very beautiful, but like nothing I've ever seen. It was European but more decorative. Some local people came over to sell their scarves and paintings. While they were both nice, not my thing. Most of our group bought a bunch of scarves. We walked around the corner to a bigger church and went in. Patricia told us the history where the Jesuits brought education and art to Quito. The church was even more ornate than the one we had been in. She explained some of the artwork and the windows. She said the church was in the Baroque style, but it was more ornate than European Baroque churches. We walked over to the Grande Plaza and waited on an elevated platform for the changing of the guards. Every Monday they do this and the President and the Vice President of Ecuador are there. There was an elaborate ceremony with soldiers on horses, a color guard and a marching band all in uniform. The president spoke and he introduced a soccer team and some school kids who were invited guests. There were tons of police and soldiers there. It was all very exciting. After we walked around the square and then we went to the grand hotel for lunch. Lunch was on the fourth floor. We went into a lovely ballroom and out onto the balcony and took photos of the view. They tried to arrange to view the changing of the guards from up there, but because the President was speaking, it would be a security risk for us to be up there. The lunch was delicious. We had ceviche and I had fish and Mark had goat. For dessert, they turned off the lights. The church bells struck 1 o'clock and they came in wearing hooded monk robes with desserts there were smoking. The dessert was delicious. It was chocolate and vanilla and a meringue with some little cookies. After lunch we walked over to the La Rhonda area. We were greeted by costumed characters who were from the early 20th century and told us about how the area developed as an artists and musician area. It actually fell into disrepair for many years, but in 2005 in became a heritage site and was all fixed up. Now there are restaurants and shops, but not much was open. There were some games set up in street for us to try.First we went into a chocolate shop. The owner told us all about chocolate production and we watched her worker temper the chocolate and then make truffles. Of course, we got to taste the truffles and they were great. Next we went upstairs to an craftsman who makes beautiful wooden boxes with hidden drawers. Mark and I wandered on the street and into a shop where we saw a great mask. We didn't buy it because it was too big and we didn't know if they would really ship it. The entire group worked their way back to where the bus had dropped us off and waited for the bus in the rain. The bus picked us up and it took nearly an hour to get to the market. Juan gave us all $5 to buy a white elephant gift. We had 30 minutes in the market. I bought a little bowl and mark bought a toucan statue. Mark got a hat for himself. Mark also bought a cool mask that is the uma diablo, which means something like head of the devil. We got on the bus back to the hotel and got back around 5:30. We went in a taxi to the restaurant that Mark had picked. The restaurant is called Lua. The taxi driver took us all over the place and charged us $4. The place looked deserted, but there was a man waiting at the curb who let us into the restaurant. It was a beautiful place and you felt like you were sitting in a garden. The food was fabulous. We started with pisco sours. We had grilled octopus and fried calamari. Both were great. We shared a seafood dinner with shrimp, octopus and calamari and potatoes in a light tomato sauce. It was delicious. For dessert we had a chocolate souffle. So fab. They called us a cab and we were back at the hotel in 5 minutes for less money than going.
Tuesday January 26, 2016
Day 8
We put our bags out at 5:30 and went to breakfast at 6 and on the bus by 6:30. Today was the day of a hundred meals. It was nearly an hour to the airport. You have to put your bags through a scanner before going to the Galapagos to make sure you are not bringing in anything that will harm the animals. We waited in the executive lounge again and people had their second breakfast. I just had coffee and plantain chips. I went out to look at the stores and bought a pretty shirt. The flight boarded at 8:30. It was 35 minutes to Guayacuil and then about 40 minutes sitting on the plane, then another 1 ½ hour flight to Baltra. They served sandwiches on the plane and they also went through and sprayed disinfectant. At the Baltra airport we were directed into a VIP lounge where there were drinks and snacks. We had a little time while everyone used the restrooms and they took care of our passports and stuff, then we had to identify our luggage and go through scanning again. We met Monica from the Finch Bay hotel and boarded buses. It was very hot and desert like on Baltra. We rode the buses for a very short time and then boarded a ferry. We put on life jackets and sailed just about 5 minutes across to the next island. There we boarded more buses and rode for about ½ hour and as we drove the landscape changed gradually from desert to jungle. We arrived at El Chato Tortoise Reserve. There were giant tortoises all around as we drove up the long and scary road. We also saw very skinny cows and some horses. At the Darwin place there were some giant tortoise shells that no longer housed animals that we could climb into and I did. There was a big lunch buffet that was very nice. They have a little store there with tshirts and such but we didn't buy anything. We split into groups, put on rubber boots (again), no socks and walked with our guide Valentin. We saw one large male tortoise, about 80 years old, mounting a female of about the same age. He said the tortoise's shells become smoother with age and that is one way to approximate their ages. He told us that they will lay about 30 eggs at a time and several times a season. The female works her way to the nesting area that is about 2 miles away. The male doesn't do anything and the female leaves the eggs. There are thousands of tortoises on the island but there were perhaps hundreds of thousands a hundred years ago. People eat them and their eggs. The property we were on is private property but the tortoises are part of a national park. Only people who are from the Galapagos can live here. Even if you are from another part of Ecuador, you need a visa to live here more than 3 months at a time. It is one hour earlier in the Galapagos than Quito. We left the tortoise place around 3 and got back in the buses for another ½ hour ride to a little town where we got out and boarded water taxis. While we were waiting to board, Monica gathered us and told us some rules. While moving out of the sun we found a sea lion lying on a bench just chilling. We boarded the water taxi for a 5 minute ride across to the Finch Bay hotel. We saw a bunch of sea lions lounging on the back of a large boat that was anchored in the bay. So then we got off the water taxi and we walked about 5 minutes to the hotel. There were drinks and little fried things that tasted great. We waited for the other group and then Monica gave an introduction to the hotel and the rules. We got our room keys and found our rooms. We threw on bathing suits. The pool is lovely. The water is pretty warm. We made fun of all the birds and named one the red billed pool duck. When we got out, the air felt quite cold, so we changed into clothes and then got a drink at the bar. At 6 we met for a briefing for tomorrow. Monica told us all about tomorrow's itinerary. She said we didn't need bug spray, that there are only mosquitoes at dusk. Just after she said this, we all started slapping the mosquitoes. We walked out to the beach for just a moment. There was a couple sitting at a table overlooking the water. They looked like they were right out of the brochure, pretty, nicely dressed and young in the perfect location. We saw the waiter bring them bug spray! We showered and met some fellow adventurers for dinner. The food was very nice. We had Caesar salad, broccoli soup, rare ahi tuna and a passion fruit little dessert. There were little lizards all over the ceiling in the dining room. We were the last to leave and the staff was setting up for breakfast. up
Day 8
We put our bags out at 5:30 and went to breakfast at 6 and on the bus by 6:30. Today was the day of a hundred meals. It was nearly an hour to the airport. You have to put your bags through a scanner before going to the Galapagos to make sure you are not bringing in anything that will harm the animals. We waited in the executive lounge again and people had their second breakfast. I just had coffee and plantain chips. I went out to look at the stores and bought a pretty shirt. The flight boarded at 8:30. It was 35 minutes to Guayacuil and then about 40 minutes sitting on the plane, then another 1 ½ hour flight to Baltra. They served sandwiches on the plane and they also went through and sprayed disinfectant. At the Baltra airport we were directed into a VIP lounge where there were drinks and snacks. We had a little time while everyone used the restrooms and they took care of our passports and stuff, then we had to identify our luggage and go through scanning again. We met Monica from the Finch Bay hotel and boarded buses. It was very hot and desert like on Baltra. We rode the buses for a very short time and then boarded a ferry. We put on life jackets and sailed just about 5 minutes across to the next island. There we boarded more buses and rode for about ½ hour and as we drove the landscape changed gradually from desert to jungle. We arrived at El Chato Tortoise Reserve. There were giant tortoises all around as we drove up the long and scary road. We also saw very skinny cows and some horses. At the Darwin place there were some giant tortoise shells that no longer housed animals that we could climb into and I did. There was a big lunch buffet that was very nice. They have a little store there with tshirts and such but we didn't buy anything. We split into groups, put on rubber boots (again), no socks and walked with our guide Valentin. We saw one large male tortoise, about 80 years old, mounting a female of about the same age. He said the tortoise's shells become smoother with age and that is one way to approximate their ages. He told us that they will lay about 30 eggs at a time and several times a season. The female works her way to the nesting area that is about 2 miles away. The male doesn't do anything and the female leaves the eggs. There are thousands of tortoises on the island but there were perhaps hundreds of thousands a hundred years ago. People eat them and their eggs. The property we were on is private property but the tortoises are part of a national park. Only people who are from the Galapagos can live here. Even if you are from another part of Ecuador, you need a visa to live here more than 3 months at a time. It is one hour earlier in the Galapagos than Quito. We left the tortoise place around 3 and got back in the buses for another ½ hour ride to a little town where we got out and boarded water taxis. While we were waiting to board, Monica gathered us and told us some rules. While moving out of the sun we found a sea lion lying on a bench just chilling. We boarded the water taxi for a 5 minute ride across to the Finch Bay hotel. We saw a bunch of sea lions lounging on the back of a large boat that was anchored in the bay. So then we got off the water taxi and we walked about 5 minutes to the hotel. There were drinks and little fried things that tasted great. We waited for the other group and then Monica gave an introduction to the hotel and the rules. We got our room keys and found our rooms. We threw on bathing suits. The pool is lovely. The water is pretty warm. We made fun of all the birds and named one the red billed pool duck. When we got out, the air felt quite cold, so we changed into clothes and then got a drink at the bar. At 6 we met for a briefing for tomorrow. Monica told us all about tomorrow's itinerary. She said we didn't need bug spray, that there are only mosquitoes at dusk. Just after she said this, we all started slapping the mosquitoes. We walked out to the beach for just a moment. There was a couple sitting at a table overlooking the water. They looked like they were right out of the brochure, pretty, nicely dressed and young in the perfect location. We saw the waiter bring them bug spray! We showered and met some fellow adventurers for dinner. The food was very nice. We had Caesar salad, broccoli soup, rare ahi tuna and a passion fruit little dessert. There were little lizards all over the ceiling in the dining room. We were the last to leave and the staff was setting up for breakfast. up
Wednesday January 27, 2016
Day 9
We had breakfast bright and early and were ready to go at 7:45. We walked to the dock, put on life vests, got on the panga (like a large motorized raft) and went over to the yacht. It was a 3 minute ride. Boarded the yacht and took off the vests. The boat was lovely and we stayed on the upper level for the 2 hour ride over to Santa Fe island. On the way, we saw dolphins. First we just noticed their dorsal fins and then we saw them come out of the water and I saw 2 actually jump completely out of the water. We pulled into a protected little bay and saw sea lions lying all over the rocks. There were also little red crabs all over the rocks. We saw the Galapagos hawk and some blue footed boobies, but I couldn't see their feet. There were a bunch of other yachts in the little cove too. There was a couple from Copenhagen (non ABD) on the yacht with us, but they didn't' mix in. We went over to the beach in the panga and had to get out into the water to walk onto the beach and then we could put our shoes on. There were dozens of sea lions on the beach including a dead one that was away from the others. Eduardo, our guide said he probably got killed in a fight. Eduardo, our naturalist, told us all about the sea lions and their behaviors and also about other animals on the island. Most are endemic, meaning they aren't found anywhere else, some are native, meaning this is where they are from, but they are found in other places. We went for a nature walk and saw several species of iguana including land iguanas and sea iguanas. They just hang out and let you look at them. There were tons of birds too. After the walk, we went back on the panga to the yacht and they had towels for us to wash our hands and snacks and drinks. We changed into bathing suits and added lots of sun screen. They gave us snorkel gear and back onto the panga we went. Everyone got some baby shampoo to wash their masks with and a lesson about snorkeling and then we went over the side into the water. We pretty much floated along near the rocks. We saw surgeon fish. We also saw surgeon fish earlier along side the boat. We saw hogfish, parrot fish and a big sting ray. There were lots of other fish too with yellow stripes on them. A sea lion swam right next to me and startled me. It was a lovely, warm snorkel trip. We also saw some long slim fish like needle nose fish or something. Mark saw a big sea urchin too. We snorkeled for an hour or so and then swam back to the yacht. They had towels all ready for us. Some people changed clothes, but we just stayed in our suits. They had lunch ready. There was salad and chicken legs and rice and veggies and a very delicious fish in a coconut sauce. Then it was time for the long ride back. Mark and I ended up sitting with Tiffany for the whole ride back and she told us all kinds of guide stories. She wasn't supposed to be guiding this adventure ), but Doug the original guide had a visa issue where he had been in the country for more than 90 days in the last year, so they wouldn't let him enter the country. Tiffany was supposed to be shadowing, but got bumped into guiding. She doesn't have any of her ABD clothing. You could never tell that she'd never been here before or that she and Juan just met 2 days before the trip. We got back around 4 and there were chocolate covered strawberries in our room. We just went right to the pool and it was delightful. There was a big blue heron that was hanging out at the pool and then there were a bunch of birds that looked like gray seagulls. At 5:15 we went back to our room and showered and met our group at 6 for our briefing for tomorrow. Juan gave our talk of what to expect. Sometime after 7, we got our bottle of wine that was a gift from the hotel for a room mess up and went to dinner. Dinner was delicious. We had caprese salad, pumpkin soup with shrimp, traditional Ecuadorian stew with fish and cheese cake. After dinner we walked around a little and chatted with our fellow abders and then returned to our room. There were chocolates.
Day 9
We had breakfast bright and early and were ready to go at 7:45. We walked to the dock, put on life vests, got on the panga (like a large motorized raft) and went over to the yacht. It was a 3 minute ride. Boarded the yacht and took off the vests. The boat was lovely and we stayed on the upper level for the 2 hour ride over to Santa Fe island. On the way, we saw dolphins. First we just noticed their dorsal fins and then we saw them come out of the water and I saw 2 actually jump completely out of the water. We pulled into a protected little bay and saw sea lions lying all over the rocks. There were also little red crabs all over the rocks. We saw the Galapagos hawk and some blue footed boobies, but I couldn't see their feet. There were a bunch of other yachts in the little cove too. There was a couple from Copenhagen (non ABD) on the yacht with us, but they didn't' mix in. We went over to the beach in the panga and had to get out into the water to walk onto the beach and then we could put our shoes on. There were dozens of sea lions on the beach including a dead one that was away from the others. Eduardo, our guide said he probably got killed in a fight. Eduardo, our naturalist, told us all about the sea lions and their behaviors and also about other animals on the island. Most are endemic, meaning they aren't found anywhere else, some are native, meaning this is where they are from, but they are found in other places. We went for a nature walk and saw several species of iguana including land iguanas and sea iguanas. They just hang out and let you look at them. There were tons of birds too. After the walk, we went back on the panga to the yacht and they had towels for us to wash our hands and snacks and drinks. We changed into bathing suits and added lots of sun screen. They gave us snorkel gear and back onto the panga we went. Everyone got some baby shampoo to wash their masks with and a lesson about snorkeling and then we went over the side into the water. We pretty much floated along near the rocks. We saw surgeon fish. We also saw surgeon fish earlier along side the boat. We saw hogfish, parrot fish and a big sting ray. There were lots of other fish too with yellow stripes on them. A sea lion swam right next to me and startled me. It was a lovely, warm snorkel trip. We also saw some long slim fish like needle nose fish or something. Mark saw a big sea urchin too. We snorkeled for an hour or so and then swam back to the yacht. They had towels all ready for us. Some people changed clothes, but we just stayed in our suits. They had lunch ready. There was salad and chicken legs and rice and veggies and a very delicious fish in a coconut sauce. Then it was time for the long ride back. Mark and I ended up sitting with Tiffany for the whole ride back and she told us all kinds of guide stories. She wasn't supposed to be guiding this adventure ), but Doug the original guide had a visa issue where he had been in the country for more than 90 days in the last year, so they wouldn't let him enter the country. Tiffany was supposed to be shadowing, but got bumped into guiding. She doesn't have any of her ABD clothing. You could never tell that she'd never been here before or that she and Juan just met 2 days before the trip. We got back around 4 and there were chocolate covered strawberries in our room. We just went right to the pool and it was delightful. There was a big blue heron that was hanging out at the pool and then there were a bunch of birds that looked like gray seagulls. At 5:15 we went back to our room and showered and met our group at 6 for our briefing for tomorrow. Juan gave our talk of what to expect. Sometime after 7, we got our bottle of wine that was a gift from the hotel for a room mess up and went to dinner. Dinner was delicious. We had caprese salad, pumpkin soup with shrimp, traditional Ecuadorian stew with fish and cheese cake. After dinner we walked around a little and chatted with our fellow abders and then returned to our room. There were chocolates.
sayhello
Have Camera, Will Travel
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 16,822
WOW!! This sounds like an intense, amazing Adventure!! And there's still more to come! 
Tiffany has been doing ABDs for a long time. Amazing that she could just step in there like that when she'd never done the itinerary before. That says a lot!
LOVE the turtle shell photo!!
Sayhello
Tiffany has been doing ABDs for a long time. Amazing that she could just step in there like that when she'd never done the itinerary before. That says a lot!
LOVE the turtle shell photo!!
Sayhello
Last edited:
CaliforniaGirl09
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2009
- Messages
- 4,061
Thank you so much for doing this report. It's so great to read about this one. You would think it would be one of the more popular trips, but it doesn't seem to be talked about much here. Looks like it was fabulous.
January 28, 2016
Day 10
We had breakfast and met up to leave at 8. We boarded the panga and went across to the harbor. We watched pelicans and blue footed boobies diving for fish for awhile. It was very exciting. We took the bus for a short ride to a national park. Eduardo guided us along a long path that went up stairs initially, but then was rather flat and made out of volcanic stones. He pointed out a bunch of lizards and birds and some info about trees. The walk was 2.5 kilometers, but took us nearly an hour. We reached a beautiful white sand beach that was broad and open. The color of the water is very beautiful. There were marine iguanas walking all over the beach and on the rocks. It was really sort of weird to have them just walking there. We took off our shoes and walked in the surf. This beach had a red flag out and is one where the current is too strong for swimmers. We continued walking past where the dunes were destroyed by storms and where the tortoises nest, to a smaller beach that has a very large lagoon. The hotel staff was already there and gave us water. They had towels for us too. There were big hat stands there for you to hang your gear on so you don't hang things on the trees. Some people snorkeled, we just went in the water which was very shallow and completely calm, but a little murky. Along with Tiffany, we wandered over to the rocks where we saw some little fish and a small stingray and some more iguanas, but no turtles, which the other group had seen. When we were sort of walking away from that area I saw an iguana swimming across the lagoon and I ran/swam to it and followed it across the lagoon. Most of the others were already out of the water. It seemed like they were waiting for me to be done, but it wasn't time to leave yet. We came out of the water and there were fruit kabobs to eat. We packed up and walked over to where the boat would meet us. It was kind of a precarious walk to get to the boat. The ride back took about 20 minutes and the swells were really high so it looked quite scary. We got back and took showers since we were soaked from sweat and sea and felt all full of bug bites. We had a lovely lunch in the dining room. First octopus cerviche, then I had shrimp and pasta and mark had a burger. There was ice cream or sorbet for dessert. At 2 we got back together and took the boats across the harbor again. Some people skipped this. We took the bus for a 5 minute ride to the Darwin Research Center. After that, it was a very long very hot walk into the place. Most of the exhibits were closed while they renovate the place, so all we saw were 3 big iguanas and about a dozen huge old tortoises. Their necks were much longer than you would think. We walked all the way back and started some shopping. The shops were much nicer than I thought they would be. Some of the shops were in buildings that the upper floors were unfinished. Mark saw some carvings he liked, but we figured we'd see the same thing over and over so we kept walking. After we'd visited another dozen shops and none had anything like that, we went back and he bought 2 things. We walked through all the shops and I bought Natalie, my daughter, a little silver turtle charm. We got to the fish market at just the right time. The fishermen bring in the fish and as they gut them, there are like 8 or more big pelicans waiting for them to toss the guts. There were also sea lions acting like dogs trying to get some of the food. It was quite the sight to see. The fish looked beautiful too. I think they were red snapper mostly. The ladies who worked there took big buckets of water and threw them at the birds to keep them away from the fish. They do this everyday, but there were lots of tourists to watch. We made our way back passing most of the stores. We had ice cream, Mark had kiwi ice cream and walked back to the pier to wait for the boat back. There was a volley ball game forming along the way. The boat was late and Tiffany called the hotel. We put on our bathing suits and went in the pool for a while. We went to shower and there was a gift tote bag in the room with a note to us. We came out before dinner and went to the bar and had caiparinas. They were really good. We sat and chatted with some of the others and then it was time for dinner. There was another delicious cerviche, a clear chicken broth, steak and ice cream. So much food and all really good. The waiter came over and told us our drinks were on the house. The hotel is still apologizing for the mistake of not giving us the room they originally said. We had to give Tiffany and Juan our passports for tomorrow which is going to be an all day travel day. The adventure is ending, but it was awesome. I went to the desk to pay our bill and they said we had no bill, they paid for all our drinks. That was really nice.
Day 10
We had breakfast and met up to leave at 8. We boarded the panga and went across to the harbor. We watched pelicans and blue footed boobies diving for fish for awhile. It was very exciting. We took the bus for a short ride to a national park. Eduardo guided us along a long path that went up stairs initially, but then was rather flat and made out of volcanic stones. He pointed out a bunch of lizards and birds and some info about trees. The walk was 2.5 kilometers, but took us nearly an hour. We reached a beautiful white sand beach that was broad and open. The color of the water is very beautiful. There were marine iguanas walking all over the beach and on the rocks. It was really sort of weird to have them just walking there. We took off our shoes and walked in the surf. This beach had a red flag out and is one where the current is too strong for swimmers. We continued walking past where the dunes were destroyed by storms and where the tortoises nest, to a smaller beach that has a very large lagoon. The hotel staff was already there and gave us water. They had towels for us too. There were big hat stands there for you to hang your gear on so you don't hang things on the trees. Some people snorkeled, we just went in the water which was very shallow and completely calm, but a little murky. Along with Tiffany, we wandered over to the rocks where we saw some little fish and a small stingray and some more iguanas, but no turtles, which the other group had seen. When we were sort of walking away from that area I saw an iguana swimming across the lagoon and I ran/swam to it and followed it across the lagoon. Most of the others were already out of the water. It seemed like they were waiting for me to be done, but it wasn't time to leave yet. We came out of the water and there were fruit kabobs to eat. We packed up and walked over to where the boat would meet us. It was kind of a precarious walk to get to the boat. The ride back took about 20 minutes and the swells were really high so it looked quite scary. We got back and took showers since we were soaked from sweat and sea and felt all full of bug bites. We had a lovely lunch in the dining room. First octopus cerviche, then I had shrimp and pasta and mark had a burger. There was ice cream or sorbet for dessert. At 2 we got back together and took the boats across the harbor again. Some people skipped this. We took the bus for a 5 minute ride to the Darwin Research Center. After that, it was a very long very hot walk into the place. Most of the exhibits were closed while they renovate the place, so all we saw were 3 big iguanas and about a dozen huge old tortoises. Their necks were much longer than you would think. We walked all the way back and started some shopping. The shops were much nicer than I thought they would be. Some of the shops were in buildings that the upper floors were unfinished. Mark saw some carvings he liked, but we figured we'd see the same thing over and over so we kept walking. After we'd visited another dozen shops and none had anything like that, we went back and he bought 2 things. We walked through all the shops and I bought Natalie, my daughter, a little silver turtle charm. We got to the fish market at just the right time. The fishermen bring in the fish and as they gut them, there are like 8 or more big pelicans waiting for them to toss the guts. There were also sea lions acting like dogs trying to get some of the food. It was quite the sight to see. The fish looked beautiful too. I think they were red snapper mostly. The ladies who worked there took big buckets of water and threw them at the birds to keep them away from the fish. They do this everyday, but there were lots of tourists to watch. We made our way back passing most of the stores. We had ice cream, Mark had kiwi ice cream and walked back to the pier to wait for the boat back. There was a volley ball game forming along the way. The boat was late and Tiffany called the hotel. We put on our bathing suits and went in the pool for a while. We went to shower and there was a gift tote bag in the room with a note to us. We came out before dinner and went to the bar and had caiparinas. They were really good. We sat and chatted with some of the others and then it was time for dinner. There was another delicious cerviche, a clear chicken broth, steak and ice cream. So much food and all really good. The waiter came over and told us our drinks were on the house. The hotel is still apologizing for the mistake of not giving us the room they originally said. We had to give Tiffany and Juan our passports for tomorrow which is going to be an all day travel day. The adventure is ending, but it was awesome. I went to the desk to pay our bill and they said we had no bill, they paid for all our drinks. That was really nice.
We were one of two couples on our 12th adventure. One of the guides told us we would be getting a room with an ocean view because there were only 2 available, but when we got our key, we didn't receive the upgrade. It was given to a different couple by accident. We didn't really care, our room was lovely & the view was fine, but they showered us with extras to apologize.
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