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ECUADOR AND GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 2001/2002
22nd December 2001 - Quito
Got up at 4:30 am for taxi at 5:45 to the Airport. T1 was the busiest that I have ever seen it everyone going away for Christmas. The BMI queue was a mile long lucky I had my Gold Card. Checked my bag through to Quito, but do not hold much hope of ever seeing it again!
Flight on a 737 to Madrid left on time and I slept most of the way. In Madrid it was pretty cold and had to check in with Avianca (Colombian Airline) through to Bogotá and Quito. Madrid airport was busy too. They do not seem to have any smoking restrictions here.
Caught the 767 to Bogotá. Lots of tasty Spanish girlies who speak very fast and have loads of baggage. Watched about four films, fortunately all in English. The meals were surprisingly good. The flight was 10.5 hours, just saw some Caribbean islands and a few lights over Venezuela on the way.
Bogotá was surprisingly clean and not busy. No services though. Caught the 757 to Quito, which was dirty with lots of undesirables milling about. Bag arrived!
Joined the rest of the group and got on the coach to Hotel Quito which was modern and clean with an outside swimming pool. Went straight to bed after travelling for around 25 hours.
23rd December 2001 Quito
Alarm call at 7:30 and had a good breakfast. Went on the city tour through the valley created by the volcano calderas on both sides. Very hot and sunny which was surprising. Had a beer in the Main Square and then steak for dinner in a local restaurant. Washed a few clothes in the afternoon then went into town for Steak & Eggs and watched the noisy pipe music band.
24th December 2001 Mindo
Drove out of Quito and over the Equator. Went up into the mountains and the Clouded Forest. Went on a short forest walk and saw many types of orchid.
Drove on to Mindo, and it started raining. Had lunch at the lodge and watched many hummingbirds and butterflies on the birdfeeders out of the windows. Didn’t stop raining so afternoon was a washout, but did try to take a few macro photos of plants and ants.
25th December 2001 Otavalo
Up at 6am for forest walk. Saw a few birds including a hawk and a big green insect on a leaf.
After brekkie went to the butterfly greenhouses where we saw lots of great butterflies and huge caterpillars. After that went to local house to watch the hummingbirds at their feeders. Drove back to the Equator and went around the monument and then drove to Otavalo.
Had dinner in a nearby restaurant.
26th December 2001 Machachi
After breakfast, went to nearby villages where we saw them making pan-pipes and cloths. Back in town went round the tourist and local markets. Bought some fags for 50 cents a packet.
Went for a picnic and hike around Cuicicha Crater lake. Saw a Condor or vulture spiralling on convection currents, then had a long drive to Machachi where we stayed in an old railway station.
27th December 2001 Banos
Left at 8am down the Pan American highway through the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Cotopaxi (5897m) was covered in cloud.
Went around the visitors centre and then went on a short hike down the volcano. Good sights of the ravines and lichen covered rocks. Started to rain so got the bus to the bottom.
Went around the markets at Saquisili. Lots of fruits, spices and vegetables. Rabbits, puppies and guinea pigs in small wooden cages. Had a steak sandwich and chips for $2 in a service station on the way to Banos. Stopped at a guinea pig restaurant and had a small piece tastes a bit like duck quite fatty. Also saw some dead, ready-shaved ones ready for the spit.
Saw the Tungurahua volcano (5016m) with steam coming from its cone. A bit closer we witnessed an ash eruption which was exciting and cleared quite quickly. Continued on to Banos, through ravines and saw hexagonal lava remains.
Went for a walk around Banos then had a peaceful night. Banos seemed very touristy as is the entrance to Eldorado.
28th December 2001 Amazonia
Up at 6:30 and had been raining all night. After breakfast bought picnic lunch and saw some sugar-cane shops and toffee-making places. Drove to a high bridge over a ravine, then on through the river gorge out of Banos.
Went on a very narrow windy road on the edge of the gorge with a long drop to the river, few passing places but was like Wacky Races with the trucks en route. Went on a hike to see a waterfall with a high drop and very forceful. Walked over a narrow, wobbly suspension bridge that swayed a lot. Drove on through the rain and had picnic lunch at a café en route.
Stopped later at a balsa wood carving shop where we saw them carve wonderful animals from the original wood. After several more hours got into the jungle in the Napo Valley district, which was dense vegetation, but also surprisingly populated.
At the lodge, they had pet monkeys, guinea fowl and macaws. Very humid and sticky but not really that surprising for a rain forest is it?
29th December 2001 Amazonia
Up at 7:30. After breakfast went for a walk in the secondary rain forest. Saw baby tree frog, lots of colourful butterflies and insects especially the stick insect, funguses and plants. Especially interesting were the fast growing trees that have buttress roots. Went through a labyrinth of limestone rocks and down some very steep banks.
Just got back and it pissed down before lunch, but luckily didn’t last long. After big lunch took pictures of the baby spider and woolly monkeys before going on the coach to the river. Had a few problems on the way the rain had washed away half the road and a tree had fallen across it.
At the riverbank, there were bits of coal and amber. Followed a line of leaf-cutter ants from their burrow to the tree they were dissecting. Also saw some colourful insects and butterflies but no good pictures as didn’t take my tripod.
Rained hard all night.
30th December 2001 Amazonia
Left at 9am for the canoe trip down the Amazon. Quite big man-made canoes with outboard motors. Went down a few rapids so the driver just lined up the canoe then goes full speed and hopes for the best! Luckily had my camera in a dry bag as some water splashes were quite heavy. Still raining.
Hiked through the secondary forest and into the primary forest. Very muddy. Didn’t see a lot because of the rain, but our ponchos were good.
Rain stopped at lunchtime, saw some butterflies, colourful crickets, leaf-cutter ants and stick insects. Canoed back down the Napa River to an Indian village where we were given some yucky sour milk to try and given a demonstration of blow-piping. Gave some local kids welly boots which they didn’t seem too happy about!
Crossed the suspension bridge back to Misahualli after seeing the King of the Trees near Puerto Napa.
Took some pictures of the spider and woolly monkeys while the rest pf the group were in the Jacuzzi.
31st December 2001 Banos
Up at 5:45 for the drive back to Banos. Saw Sangai volcano (5200m) from 200 miles away as there were no clouds. Followed the gorge and took the cable car across very fast and didn’t sway too much.
Went to Banos Zoo in the afternoon while the others were hiking. Saw Condors in a huge aviary, free-roaming Tapir and Pumas shagging. Some white throated monkeys looked a bit flea-bitten in a concrete cage and one had a bad limp which wasn’t good.
Outside the zoo, the locals were getting ready for New Year celebrations, including effigies of Osama Bin Laden one with a real gun!
After pizza in the town went to a bar for a few beers. Watched the locals dancing to trance and salsa music and setting off bangers, Catherine wheels and fire-crackers. Lots of children about and people dressed up. At midnight their hated effigies were piled up in the streets, given a good kicking, doused with petrol then set alight (not always in that order!)
We sang Auld Lang Syne as we are English and blew up balloons which were given to a queue of small children.
Celebrations were over at 12:30 and everyone drifted off home the shops were shut and the effigies left burning.
1st January 2002 Riobamba
Left Banos at 8am. Saw the top of Tungurahua volcano covered in snow through the cloud and mist.
Drove up to Chimborazo volcano (6310m) to the first refuge which is at 4800m and was snowing. Had lunch and coffee in the refuge. On the way back stopped at some interesting rock strata (as well as a diesel stain on the road), then went round an Indian village. They breed guinea pigs for food and have a small school.
Thunderstorm on the way to Riobamba. After a couple of hours rest at the Monte Carlo Hotel, went to a restaurant for dinner. They took ages to serve and some of our group didn’t get anything at all. Nice llama in the back though!
2nd January 2002 Guayaquil
Up at 6am to catch the train. Paid our $15 for the trip from Riobamba to Alausi. Saw a coach and railcar at the station, then turned the corner ands saw our train of boxcars with loads of people sitting on the corrugated iron roof. We rented some cushions to sit on for $1 (the best dollar I’ve ever spent) and climbed onto the middle boxcar.
The railcar left before us, then we shunted to leave one boxcar and to attach the coach. Then with lots of honks off the horn, we left. We were sitting on the roof of the boxcar with hundreds of other people sitting on corrugated iron with the cars below empty. The sky was very clear so we had some great views of Chimborazo volcano for the first couple of hours.
We stopped at the loco shed (which had several more similar diesels in it) and picked up a flat car of railway sleepers and work gangs. We left Riobamba and the ticket collector walked down the train roof to check our tickets. Then came along the ‘trolley service’ selling chocolates, cigarettes, water, lollies and biscuits. Dropped off the sleepers and crew in a gorge.
We went through some 180-degree bends where the wheels made long squeaks on the turns and just passed a school when there was a load crunch from the front and we came to a sudden halt. The loco (which was a Co-Co-Co), flatcar and first boxcar had all derailed. We were right next to the Pan American highway so I thought we’d have to wait for our bus to come and then we’d jump aboard. However, the crew were scrambling underneath the loco with a large pre-fabricated lump of cast iron which they placed next to the track and drove the loco over it to re-rail. To re-rail the carriages they just pulled them over the cast iron lump. The boxcars were jumping all over the place leaning about 10 degrees into the bend while others were dragged along the track bed. Then with six load blasts on the horn we were off again.
It was hot on the tin roof, but the breeze kept us cool, as we were moving quite quickly. It wasn’t that bumpy and quite easy to stay put on top of the box car but there were some idiots who were nearly garrotted by overhead cables, swept off by passing trees or losing their balance whilst standing up. The Fat Controller always looked backwards from the flatcar presumably looking for the latest victim to fall off the roof of the train.
We stopped at a tiny station and picked up a lot of school kids in their clean blue uniforms and continued through the countryside waving at the locals who didn’t always wave back but probably though ‘they must be Englishmen’!
We derailed again, this time on a bend in a gorge. I presumed that it would be more difficult to re-rail the train due to less space but the workmen managed it in less than 20 minutes, then off again.
We were just pulling into Guamote Station and we slipped off the rails again. This gave the locals their opportunity as they climbed on the roof with their battered banana and cheese goodies, together with cold sodas and beers. They were cooking them on the station platform and by the time they re-railed the train we were 2 hours late as it was now 11am we’d already been aboard for 4 hours.
We shunted the flat car out of formation and then continued on our way. We travelled down lots of steep slopes through narrow gorges and round tight bends. The scenery was pretty, the grass very green and the sun was hot. We put on a spurt of speed and then braked when we came to a bend and derailed again for the fourth time! The driver must know where the dodgy bits of track are. We re-railed again and travelled through the most scenic part of the journey so far with high sandstone cliffs, short bridges and high drops. The trolley service kept coming you could always tell a shaky part of the journey, as that’s when they sat down! We arrived at Alausi 3.5 hours late and waved at the rest of our party who had been waiting patiently at the station since 11am.
We attached the special coach (just for us) at the back of the train, but this was almost empty as our group were either on the roof of the boxcars or in the loco cab. We set off down the Devils Nose, zigzagging down the hill in small tight 180-degree bends descending rapidly. We just crossed a short bridge then went into a short gorge when we stopped with a crunch. We had derailed for a fifth time. The crew managed to get the loco back on the rails quit quickly but in doing so the first box car derailed such that its front bogie was off on the left side of the track and the rear bogie on the right side. After pushing and pulling the car and using cactus leaves as lubricants (honest) web had to give up and hike up the hill back to the station which was a real shame as we’d some all this way and only seen about one third of the Devils Nose itself.
The hike was quite steep and it was still warm, but fortunately no longer sunny. At the station we found the coach again and stopped off in a café for a late lunch. I had chicken rice, which was really nice. We started the 5.5 hour journey to Guayaquil. It was very foggy most of the way mist from the coast travels through the valleys in the hills and I slept.
We got to Guayaquil at about 9pm. Not a very nice or friendly looking place. We stayed at the Grand Hotel which was air-conditioned and had armed guards on the door, which didn’t make us feel very secure!
Had dinner at the hotel which was very good with generous helpings I had a shrimp salad followed by a double cheeseburger and chips.
In bed by midnight. A long tiring day, but the most fascinating train ride I’ve ever been on.
3rd January 2002 Baltra
An exciting and eagerly awaited day. Up at 7am and repacked bags for the flight to the Galapagos Islands. Had breakfast in the hotel, which was good, but expensive at $7. It was very muggy.
Left the hotel at 9am, then after a stop at a supermarket we checked in at the airport. Our luggage was checked for fruit, cheese and seeds to ensure we don’t introduce any non-indigenous species onto the islands. Then we said Goodbye to our driver and guide and boarded the plane.
The plane to the islands was a 727-200, which has three engines and operated by Tame airlines. Saw the islands from the air, surprisingly flat except for the volcanoes. The landing was quite bumpy with a big dip in the middle of the runway. Lots of cactus and dry grass looks hot. We were searched for seeds on arrival.
Collected our bags then caught a bus to the bay where our boat was anchored, aptly named Yacht Darwin. We saw some seals under the dock and frigate birds flying as well as some pelicans. Got on the skiff to the yacht (really a small cruise boat) and set sail (figuratively speaking) almost immediately to Santa Cruz, which was only a very short trip.
After lunch, we had a dry landing at Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz. On the way, we saw Green Turtles mating in the water. In the rocks were one or two lava lizards doing press-ups and a couple of marine iguanas. There were loads of Sally Lightfoot Crabs and in the water were loads of Green Turtles and a few stingrays.
We saw a large marine iguana with a few small black females near a brackish pool, a hermit crab and some ghost crabs hiding down holes, which they nip up very quickly. In another pool, there were some flamingos and a grey heron hiding in a bush nearby.
Watched the crabs for a while before we went back to the boat. We sailed for about a mile, being followed by loads of frigate birds before mooring up for the night and taking on water.
Watched the sunset before dinner. During the evening and night several brown pelicans used our skiff as a launch-pad for fishing as they could see the fish easier by the lights from our boat.
Slept OK. At 5:30 am our engines started as we set sail for South Plaza.
4th January 2002 Santa Fe
At South Plaza. After breakfast, we went ashore in the middle of a sea lion colony. Saw several large males and a few babies. There were lots of land iguanas in the rocks, especially around the prickly pear cactus, along with the large cactus finch. Also, saw several tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls.
Sailed to Santa Fe. Saw a small boat with two fishermen on the way. The sea was quite bouncy. When we arrived, we had lunch, and then went for a swim in Barrington Bay. The water was a great turquoise colour with white and at the bottom. Saw some turtles and sea lions swimming and lots of puffer fish.
Went for a walk on the islands. Got very close to the sea lions, then hiked up the escarpment. Saw a Galapagos Snake and a Galapagos Dove in the bushes. Found a couple of land iguanas, which had khaki camouflage colours and were quite big.
After dinner set sail for Espanola overnight.
5th January 2002 Espanola
After a bumpy night awoke in Punta Suarez, Espanola. There were six other boats moored in the bay. Went ashore and saw sea lions and red and green marine iguanas as well as lava lizards with red throats. Saw a couple of blue-footed boobies and lots of masked boobies with eggs and chicks. Also, saw two large albatross chicks and one flying adult. There was a Galapagos Hawk on the way back.
Sailed to Gardner Bay. Had a snooze while the others went snorkelling around Turtle Island. Went ashore and there were loads of sea lions on the beach. Chased some Sally Lightfoot Crabs around the rocks and staked out a ghost crab hole waiting for him to pop up.
Also, saw a turtle swimming just off the beach. After dinner, the crew deserted us for 2 hours, before we set sail for Floreana.
Rolling from side to side during the sailing, but no real problem sleeping.
6th January 2002 Santa Cruz
A great day. After breakfast went around the islets around Floreana. Saw hawks, boobies, sea lions, turtles as well as penguins for the first time. Went ashore and had a great view of the bay from the viewing platform.
Later we went ashore at Post Office Bay and saw the post-box and rummaged through the postcards and left our own. Saw flamingos flying.
After lunch went ashore at Punta Cormorant at the olive green beach. Saw loads of ghost crabs running about. Went to the lake and saw the flamingos on the lagoon. Whilst the others snorkelled I went to White Flour Beach where there were lots of ghost crabs as well as 5 green turtles on the beach in the surf. Great time here, as I was totally by myself, on a paradise beach.
Saw some tropicbirds leaving the beach. Were followed by loads of frigate birds on the way to Santa Cruz. Also had a school of dolphins riding the bow wave.
Arrived at Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz at about 8pm. Loads of boats and yachts including some which didn’t look too seaworthy. Went ashore for an hour for a look around and a beer.
7th January 2002 Santa Cruz
Went to the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. Saw baby giant tortoises in corrals separated by sub-species. Also, saw Lonesome George.
In the afternoon, saw the Twin Craters of collapsed volcanoes in the surrounding forest caught a glimpse of a Vermillion Flycatcher. Found some wild Giant Tortoises then went to a lava tube.
Had a few beers in Puerto Ayora in the evening. Set sail for Rabida at midnight.
8th January 2002 Santiago
Arrived in Rabida at breakfast time. A long red beach with red cliffs at both ends. Lots of ‘green’ fur sea lions and dive bombing boobies. Also some hermit crabs and red-throated lava lizards.
During lunch, we sailed to the north of Santiago to Puerto Egos. Went ashore and spent a great couple of hours in the rock pools. Saw lava herons and yellow crested herons, fur seals (sea lions), black lava crabs (baby Sally Lightfoot Crabs), and loads of other good stuff including Darwin’s Toilet (a blow hole type affair) and sea lions swimming in the pools and grottos.
Went swimming in the black sand beach, caused by lava flowing into the sea. Good scenery of tuff cones, lava, lava caves et al.
Good stars at night.
9th January 2002 Bartolome
Another day in paradise. Arrived at Bartolome just after breakfast. Went ashore at Sullivan Bay and walked around and walked around the bubbling splatter cones and pahoehoe (rope) lava which had a few lava lizards running about.
Went on a dinghy ride around Bartolome Island and found a few Galapagos Penguins, which were very small. Also, saw grey herons and lava herons.
Went swimming at Sullivan Bay, saw loads of fish. Clouds cleared and very hot at lunchtime.
After lunch walked up Bartolome viewpoint where we could see all the tuff and cinder cones on the Island as well as a great view of pinnacle rock. Went to the beach and followed the trail to the far sand beach. There were two Green Turtles on the beach after laying eggs the night before. There were loads offshore.
Went back to the main beach for some swimming and saw a few more penguins as well as some urchins on the rocks under the sea.
Stars were even better than last night. Pinnacle Rock was shining against the sky from the lights of the ships.
10th January 2002 Quito
Awoke off the coast of North Seymour. Went ashore and there were lots of black lava crabs on the jetty as well as several sea lions lolling about.
Saw some young frigate birds in the bushes, as well as some being fed by mum.
Young blue-footed boobies were amongst the rocks, all fluffy and white, practising eating fish with twigs and stretching their wings backwards for diving. Saw several gulls as well as marine iguanas and lava lizards. The sky had cleared to be very hot.
Only saw one adult blue-footed booby where we could see his blue feet, but quite a way off. Also, saw a single frigate bird flying with his red pouch inflated. Finished 45 of the 48 films I bought.
Went back aboard and sailed to Baltra, where we begrudgingly disembarked and went to the airport.
Uneventful flight back to Quito with a stopover at Guayaquil. Saw a couple of mountaintops but the large ones were covered in cloud.
At the Hotel Quito, saw the best sunset over the mountains with a snow-capped volcano going orange in the sun. Went for a great meal in the evening.
11th January 2002 Home
Left the hotel at 9am for Quito Airport. Had bags searched by armed troops with sniffer dogs. Flight was on time to Bogotá, but our transatlantic Avianca flight was delayed for a few hours so we had 7 8 hours to kill in Bogotá.
Eventually left 4 hours late and missed the connection to London, so were put on an Iberian flight and had a complementary Steak and Chips.
Amazed the bags made it to Heathrow. Eventually got home at 7:30 pm after over 30 hours of travelling.
Lying on my doormat was the January 2002 copy of National Geographic. Flicking through I noticed a small article on Chimborazo. It is the highest mountain on Earth, 2,200m higher than Mount Everest, as measured from the centre of the planet. So, on New Years Day we was higher than the entire population, except for the mountaineers on their way to the summit!
I slept for a long time, after another great adventure. I know I will return to the Galapagos. It is the same feeling I have after seeing the Grand Canyon.
Highlights
§Orchids, flowers, butterflies §Hummingbirds, leaf-cutter ants §Markets §Volcanoes, waterfalls §Devils Nose railway §The Galapagos Islands! §Green Turtles §Giant Tortoises §Marine Iguanas §Land Iguanas §Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Ghost Crabs §Sea lion colonies §Pahoehoe (rope) lava and splatter cones §Boobies §Frigate birds §Beaches green, white, yellow, black, red sand
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