Torres del Paine

Tuesday 22nd March 2011

Welcome indeed.

Today was the first of four days walking, but first we had to get to the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine on the Chilean side of Patagonia. We got picked up at 7:30 and after some confusion (both with the driver of the car and the two other tourists with us who didn't seem to care about the schedule) we made it to the bus. On the bus we saw a fox looking for breakfast. Probably not easy to find since they moved most of the sheep out a few years ago because they were destroying the landscape. 2hrs or so later we were at the jetty on lake Pehoe and after a frustrating wait for an hour, we set off on the catameran for our first stop.

Our plan is to do the W trek from west to east. We're lucky that Emma's sister did this a few weeks ago so again the route has been scouted and tips welcomed.

The first useful tip was being first off the boat and first to check in. This definitely saved at least 30 minutes of idle time, with people still on the boat some time later.


Due to sunlight hours closing in and our plan to do the trek in 4 days, we had resigned ourselves early to not having enough time to walk to the Grey Refuge and back, but with viewing points on the way of the impressive Grey Glacier, we set off to walk as far as we could.


Having started around 1pm, we walked for around 3hrs before turing round. We were close to the ideal turning point, but conscious of the light and not wanting to kill ourselves on day 1 we took the sensible, if disappointing, option and headed back.


On the walk itself we experienced what seemed like most possible weather conditions.

Parts of the Grey Glacier.

It's near impossible to go wrong on the route, with both markings and tourists in abundance. The highlight of the walk was the glacier. Our first sight was a series of blue chunks of ice floating in the lake. These looked more like washing machine tablets than ice. Perhaps someone can explain the vivid blue colour to us?


Back at our base, mountain lodge Paine Grande, we had a canteen-style dinner and had an early night.

Distance covered ~20km


Wednesday 23rd March 2011
With a hearty breakfast in our stomachs, we set off at 8:15 to cover the middle section of the 'W'. 

The first 2 hours was a really pleasant walk along to Camp Italiano in the middle. This was to be the easy part of the day. Early on we were overtaken at speed by a park ranger who made us feel very slow.

Avalanche!

Once at the camp, the fun part of the day started. The next 4.5hrs was the toughest yet, over rocks, windy ridges and through woodland, all generally up hill. The highlight was without doubt witnessing an avalanche, from a safe distance of course. We had heard several rumbles of avalanches throughout the morning, so we were thrilled to see one in action. It was really spectacular and it was also fun to be suddenly surrounded by some snowflakes. With the avalanches pushing moisture into the air and the sun shining, we saw a fair few rainbows during the day.

Amazing views.

At Camp Britanico we ate our lunch and decided not to carry on to the viewpoint. It was really misty and we'd been told not to bother if this was the case.

On the way back down, we experienced some of the stronger winds yet, nearly blowing us off the ridge as we struggled across.

Back at Bamp Italiano, we headed off along the lake. A lovely pebble beach along the way reminded us of the Galapagos, although it looked a little cold for snorkelling.

Cosy cabin.

About 9hrs after setting off we limped into our stop for the night and into our wonderful cabin. James had a blister on a blister, whilst Emma's leg was hurting. No pain no gain! We'd been told there was a hot tub for the use of the residents of the 7 cabins. When we eventually climbed in after dinner, and in the dark, we found that whilst warmish at the top, it was freezing at the bottom. After about 30 seconds we gave up without Emma having properly making it in. This was the followed by 10 minutes of flip flop hunting in the dark and a shower. Eventually, we settled in for a well deserved sleep, peering through the window in the roof at the stars above as we drifted off.

CENSORED

Distance covered ~24.1km, 15miles

Thursday 24th March 2011

The day's walk.

Today's walk was only around 4hrs, so with breakfast until 9 and checkout at 10, we were able to rest our weary legs a little.

The walk took us between mountains and lakes with the first 2 hrs in glorious sunshine. This was in total contrast to anything we'd exerienced before and to the last 2 hrs, where the normal wind and rain returned. It really is amazing how quickly the weather changes and we were happy to be prepared for all conditions.

We reached our next hostel around 2pm and settled in for a relaxing afternoon, conscious of the big walk awaiting us tomorrow.

The refugio is really nice, well run and set in lovely surroundings with a great view from every window. It felt less chaotic than yesterday's refugio but each place has had its own charm.

Distance covered 11km

Friday 25th March 2011
Today was the big one; the walk up to the mirador Torres to look at the central wonders of this park. Whilst not as long as day 2 in distance, this was certain to be the most uphill waking yet. We just hoped that our previous three day's walking and the altitude training in Ecuador would stand us in good stead.

It would have been ideal to get a good night's sleep in and by heading to bed at 9:30 for a 6:45 getup, we were hopeful. Between the noise of other people, a chap slipping over in the bathroom and some world- beating snoring, possibly by the same man who slipped, an early night was not possible. Luckily earplugs and the  iPod came to the rescue.

We got breakfast at the earliest point and set off up the hill at 7.50. The moon was in the sky and some foxes were still foraging for food. 

According to the map, the walk up to the viewpoint should take 4.5hrs, but we covered it in 3.5hrs taking plenty of breaks. We don't think we were fast and so we put it down to more erratic estimations of time, few of which can be trusted.

Refugio closed for winter.

On the way up we passed through Camp Chileno, now boarded up for winter with only a few tents in the campsite. We imagine it was a vibrant busy place just a few weeks ago. 

The misty Torres.

The walk took us alongside a river, through a valley, through woodland and eventually out onto rocks to the viewpoint. We were lucky to get to the viewpoint when we did. The scenery was amazing and after 10 minutes a huge snow shower set in, blocking all views around us. Definitely not sunbathing weather!

Us at the Torres.

Snow storm.

We took a leisurely stroll back down, the harsh ground taking its toll on our weary limbs. 7hr 10 mins after setting off we were back at the refugio for a shower and a celebratory Austral Patagonia Pale Ale before catching the late bus back to Puerto Natales.

Celebratory drinks.

We've thoroughly enjoyed the trek. For us it been challenging both mentally and physically, but we'd love to do something similar again soon. 

We arrived back in Puerto Natales just before 10 and had a bit of a result. We managed to get the last two seats on the bus to El Calafate the the next day at 7am. We checked in, grabbed our bags and found some accommodation for the next night. We headed off to sleep slightly apprehensive about our early start tomorrow.

Distance covered ~22km 

General thoughts:
Camping vs Refugios: there are definitely pros and cons to both. If you want to do the 'W' trek, camping gives you far cheaper options for accommodation whilst also allowing you to split your days more evenly. On the other hand, you do have to carry your kit around and there's something nice about climbing into a bed at the end of a long day's walk. There's something for everyone here.

For us, lugging the amount of kit we've seen on people's backs would be a distraction from the views and beauty of the park. Car camping is still the way to go!

Puerto Natales

Monday 21st March 2011

We arrived in Puerto Natales at 1pm, giving us the afternoon to source the final bits and pieces for our 4-day trek. When we first packed for the trip, we put our walking boots and socks in, but gave little thought to anything else. With hats and scarves purchased, along with a snack or two for the trip, we were all set. The chap at the hostel was really helpful, and we were soon booked on the bus for the next day.

Puerto Natales is a homely but also strange town. It feels like you're in a small town in the US, but nearly everyone you see is a tourist. You sense that everyone is either starting or has just finished their treks.

After a really good pizza and pasta meal, we packed for our trip, ready for an early start.

Chocolate house, serving real chocolate hot chocolates. We just had to!

James, Emma and the lake.

Punta Arenas

Sunday 20th March 2011


We had just enough time in the morning to get some breakfast and have a short walk around. There were barriers everywhere and we found out that Obama was coming the next day to talk nuclear power, which many locals are opposed to. 


After another plane trip (with amazing views over the Andes) we arrived at Punta Arenas in southern Chile.

A house with its own street.

Our hostel (Ainil) was more of a house really, with a black cat called Negro. It was lovely place to spend a night and with incredibly friendly people.


Being Sunday, the place was very quiet, although you suspect it rarely gets hectic. The smell of sea and salt reminded us of home  and for the first time since leaving, we had central heating and a hot tap on the sink! There was something quite refreshing about the coolness on our faces as we walked around.

Pisco Sour.

Santiago

Friday 18th March 2011
Today was another travelling day and with our flight at 2pm, we really didn't have much of a chance to do anything else in Ecuador. We loved Ecuador but we were relieved to escape the humidity of Guayaquil.


Santiago airport was an absolute pleasure to travel through, the speed from touchdown to car being ridiculously short for a capital city.

Sunset in the sky.

We stayed in a lovely room in a gem of an area with peaceful cobbled streets and loads of character. Being just off the main street in downtown Santiago, it was perfect for our brief two-night stay.


Observation: at 11pm all cashpoints seem to be locked behind barriers, even those that claim to be 24 hour. Our tip: when in Santiago, get your money early.


Saturday 19th March 2011
After a spot of shopping in the morning (for trek stuff) we headed to an Irish bar to watch England vs. Ireland Six Nations match. Obviously the result was not favourable but it was interesting to see a real ex-pat community.

Leafy areas.

The bar was quite east of the centre so we decided to walk back to the middle along the Alameda, a big green section which runs for about 3km. Hector in Guayaquil told us we'd see lots of people kissing in Santiago and The Alameda was rife with them.


Close to the centre we walked up hill Cerro Santa Lucia, which gave great views over the city, but smog obscured views out to the mountains.



This must be fashion



When we got back to our hostel, it was clear we were in a popular wedding photo spot. The brides were draped over the bonnets of the cars, and it's fair to say the one on the Rolls Royce looked more beautiful than the the one on the Peugeot 207. At the same time, a model was being photographed up against a lamp post. She didn't look happy when her photographer started taking pictures of the bride instead.

For dinner we went to Venezia in the Bellavista area. At the bar, while enjoying a Pisco Sour, we met a lovely quarry miner who had been to London and Sheffield. He taught us names of a few local drinks including Fanschop (Fanta Orange shandy) and tincola (red wine and Coke). Both have yet to be tried.

When we finally got to dinner James had a great steak and we both enjoyed a huge plate of avocado which tasted better than any we've had before. Apparently avocado features heavily in Chilean cuisine and we can understand why.

After our meal we thought we'd get one last beer in on the way home. When our order of one large and one small beer turned up, we were slightly surprised when the large turned out to be a litre bottle (large is usually a 1/2 litre bottle). Luckily we managed to change our order in time.

We had a great day in Santiago. Rather than visit museums, we spent our time wandering around, people watching and generally  enjoying the modern feel of the city as as well as the lovely temperature.

 Observation: Prices are more expensive here than on our trip, almost up to UK levels for certain things. They do seem happy to give change though, and for that we were very thankful.

More beer.

Ecuador - the last word

Despite being much smaller than its neighbours, Ecuador offers so much as a tourist destination. On our last day in Ecuador we saw a video neatly splitting the country into four areas: the Amazon, the Andes, the coast and of course the Galapagos. In our 3.5 weeks we only really experienced 2 of these, with the coast and Amazon remaining on our to do list for the future.


Obviously, the highlight was the Galapagos Islands, but we also felt there was more we'd like to have seen and done through the Andes. We share a similar sentiment for Ecuador as for Colombia. 


The people are friendly, there's a lot to experience and best of all, when you're away for a while, it's really cheap on the mainland.


We entered Ecuador without really knowing what to expect, which almost seems unfair given the amazing time we had.


Beer: Pilsener is the main brand, with Club being the premium option. Both are available in big bottles and are very affordable, often more so than other drinks. One thing we noticed here was more foreign brands. Corona, Brahma and Heineken were all readily available, but for far more than UK prices.

Local beers.

Guayaquil

Wednesday 16th March 2011After an incredibly hot bus journey, we arrived in Guayaquil, our final stop before we leave Ecuador. Guayaquil is the biggest city in Ecuador and there's a rivalry between it and Quito.

It was a bit of a shock arriving. We'd dropped to sea level during the journey and as a result both the temperature and humidity were up. It was easily in the 30s.

Apparently crab is a speciality here so we headed to the Red Crab restaurant for dinner. It's fair to say we got a little confused by the menu and what to order. Despite a nice meal, we left feeling we hadn't done it justice as we hadn't taken a hammer to a crab as most locals seemed to be doing.

Back at our hotel we met Hector and Tamara, a lovely couple from Chile who gave us some things to think about after our upcoming trek in Patagonia.

Observation:
Judging by the attitude of the locals, Guayaquil is the most dangerous place in Ecuador. It's not recommended to pick up a taxi on the street, although it is recommended to get a taxi everywhere! It has a very different feel to Cuenca.

Thursday 17th March 2011
This was our one and only full day in Guayaquil so we set about being proper tourists for the day.


A sloth eating.

 First up we headed to the 'Parque Historico Guayaquil'. The park recreates the 19th century city but the highight for us was the wildlife park. We saw many animals we hadn't seen before, including a two toed sloth and an ocelot, plus old favourites such as monkeys, parrots and an increably large Harpy Eagle. We also enjoyed the vegetable garden. There were barely any visitors but we suspect it gets much busier at weekends.


James relaxing in the garden.

 From there we headed back towards the centre to walk to 'Cerro Santa Ana', a hill with a lighthouse that offers great views over the city and the immense river Guayas. It was over 400 steps up and our legs still felt weak despite all the hills and steps over the last fortnight.

The view down the Malecon 2000.

After lunch we enjoyed a walk along the Malecon 2000, the promenade between city and river. This houses everything from museums to shops selling absolute rubbish and it is an enjoyable walk. One highlight was finding a machine that offered change. It's a shame that we only found this on our last day in Ecuador, but it did mean that our last few purchases were quick and stress free.

James and a tame iguana.

One final tourist attraction that had to be visited was 'Parque Bolivar' or 'Iguana Park' as it's known locally.  The many iguanas here are so friendly that people stroke them. Set in the shadow of the cathederal it's quite a sight.

For our last meal, we went traditional to an Ecuadorian restaurant recommended by our hostess Andrea, La Canoa. James had ceviche and an Ecuadorian tasting plate, while Emma had yuca and a seafood stew. It was a lovely way to finish our time in Ecaudor. Following a full day here, we have a much more positive view of Guayaquil and it's worth a day or two if you're ever in this part of the world.

One more sleep then we head off to Santiago and another new country.

Observation:
It is quite incredible to hear the number of car alarms that keep going off here. Not only that, the alarms are always all-singing, all-dancing ones that most people seem to just ignore.

Cuenca

Sunday 13th March 2011

Nice gardens.

After lots of travelling over the past couple of days, we had a relatively quiet day. In the morning we headed to the modern art museum. No artists we've heard of before, but a lovely building and some great infant art. The gallery runs art classes for children and the best work over the last 27 years is shown. Some of it would stand up well in the Tate Modern and we were very impressed.

Guinea pig anyone?

And with toothpicks attached.

 For lunch James had guinea pig. It was OK, a cross between chicken and pork, but quite fiddly to eat. It was also slightly strange seeing two claws on the plate. It's good that we get rid of the chicken feet before cooking chicken drumsticks!

More views of a city.

In the afternoon, we walked up to the 'Balcon de la Ciudad' which was basically the viewpoint of the city. It was another chance for us to get some climbing in our legs and according to the guidebook the walk would take 2hrs. 1hr later we were there and we weren't walking quickly.

A casualty of the walk.

 On the walk back we treated ourselves to ice-cream, Emma having coconut and Nutella, James having pistachio and Oreo. We may have to go again tomorrow.

Interesting Fact: On Sunday's in Ecuador, you cannot buy alcohol anywhere. We suspect this is part of the reason the city is so quiet. We can't imagine this ever happening in the UK!

Monday 14th March 2011


Ingapirca.

 We rose early (becoming an annoying habit - James) and headed north 2.5hrs to Ingapirca, the most significant Inca site in Ecuador. The ruins consist of a sun temple, living quarters, cellars and a burial site. In terms of tourist attraction it's definitely worth seeing as much for the beautiful surroundings and clear air as for the ruins themselves. There were some friendly llamas wondering close by to offer an extra attraction.

A full rainbow around the sun, never seen this before.

Back in town there were chores that needed to be done and a lovely meal to be eaten.

Tuesday 15th March 2011

Nice scenery.

Yet another early start for our last day in Cuenca. We headed 35km north west to the Parque Nacional de Cajas for further training. There are various set routes all starting in different places. We got the bus to drop us by the main centre and once we'd paid our entrance fee ($2, recently reduced from $10 for foreigners) we were recommended a 3.5-4hr moderate walk. We thoroughly enjoyed it, however it took us only 2.5hrs, so we had an early finish. We wish we had more time to come back and do one of the longer walks. It's a reasonably dangerous place at 4000m and changeable weather conditions. People have in the past died from exposure when caught out.

More inca ruins

Back in Cuenca we went to the national bank museum and local Inca ruins, the site that Cuenca was founded on. The highlight of the museum was the history of money in Ecuador right up to when it adopted the dollar. It was interesting to see how quickly inflation gripped the Sucre in its final years, leading to it being replaced.
The Inca ruins, Pumapungo, are not as spectacular as yesterday's offerings but worth a visit. The 50's high school built 1m from the ruins offers an interesting contrast, whilst the surrounding highways mean you never quite forget where you are. The gardens are very beautifully kept and the aviary is full of colourful, comical birds (including 2 species of toucan).

Good cut.

We agreed that James needed a haircut so we popped into the local barber's. Apart from being better value, it's also a better cut than in Abingdon with a more thorough job done, including the nifty use of a hairdryer to rid James of his loose grey hairs.

Interesting fact: Apparently if you mix avocado and sugar it becomes an aphrodisiac.

Observation: In nearly all restaurants and bars in Ecuador you have to assume that they don't necessarily stock what you order and what is on the menu. It's usual to see an employee shoot out of the premises and return minutes later with a bag containing the goods. In a bar this can be items such as beer and Coke. The worst example has been a creperie that had no crepes!

Further study: We'd like to find out more about the events that led to the adoption of the dollar and the effect that had on Ecuador.

A down and out muppet in Cuenca.

Alausi

Friday 11th February 2011

We have very little to report today. This is due to our desire to get to Alausi for the infamous train ride. The 4.5hr trip saw us change buses in Riobamba, quite a large city by Ecuador standards. From what we saw of the city, it didn't look like we were missing much. The most remarkable part of the journey was again the amazing scenery surrounding us on our travels. That and Emma having a lady's shopping resting on her head for 20 minutes. The indigenous people here carry loads on their backs in big scarves and it was one particular load that was on Emma's head. This was obviously a bus on the school run so with all the kids plus a few extras, there was barely enough standing room.

Alausi and hills.

The train station.

We arrived in Alausi early afternoon and headed straight for the train station to see about tickets. We managed to reserve seats for 11am the next day and were told that if we turned up at 7am there may be a train going at 8am.

For the second time, we didn't have accommodation booked and a handy tip by the man at the station saw us stay at the La Posada del Tren. A good recommendation.

Emma and St Peter.

Most towns seem to have a religious symbol looking over them and Alausi is no different with a mosaic statue of St Peter keeping a watchful eye on us.

In the evening there was a procession through the town of the local amateur sports teams (police, local govt, etc). Once over the town basically shut down, at 8:30pm. Not the place for a late night out! Despite this, it's a lovely little town with beautiful surroundings so we were very happy to be staying here.

Saturday 12th March 2011

Our train, built in France.

We decided to take a chance and hoped there was an 8am train on. Luckily for us there was so we boarded with two Ecuadorians and a load of Russian youngsters to set off on the 13.5km journey to Sibambe to see the Devil's Nose. This is the place where the track from Quito in the north splits to Cuenca and Guayaquil in the south. The Devil's Nose isn't the original name of this mountain. Before it was called Condor Pununo as these birds inhabited the area. Unfortunately, as soon as the engineering work started, the birds fled. We asked a local if there was any kind of programme to reintroduce the birds but he didn't think there was.

Emma and the Devils nose.

Despite the impact on nature and the knowledge that much of the original track was laid by slaves brought from Jamaica, you have to appreciate that it's an amazing piece of engineering. It took place around 1900 and basically zig zags to allow the train to drop 500m over a relatively short distance. 2500 men died during the construction of this 13.5km section, many from Yellow Fever. Given that the train system is no longer functional you have to wonder 100 years in whether it was worth it!

Sibambe station and paths leading to Cuenca and Guayaquil.

 As a tourist, however, it was definitely worth the trip out of the way to experience the most difficult railway ever to be built.

Back in town we were lucky enough to jump straight on a bus to Cuenca, our penultimate stop in Ecuador. Our friendly bus driver even held the bus and pulled it up outside our hostel so we could grab our bags. We're pretty certain this wouldn't happen in the UK!

Not much to report from our first night in Cuenca other than some rather tasty 2 for 1 cocktails and time spent getting our bearings around a new city.

That train track is also ours!

Baños

Tuesday 8th March 2011
Still feeling slightly wobbly after 8 days on a boat, we left early to get a bus to Banos, pretty much in the centre of Ecuador. It was another ridiculously cheap journey, $3.50 each for 3.5 hours. It was pretty uneventful apart from the bucket of water thrown through the open door, soaking a poor kid sitting on the floor. It seemed a bit strange but all became clear when we hit Banos.

This was the last day of carnival. In Banos that means you have free reign to throw water over whoever you please. Emma was not amused as she has somehow picked up a cold and therefore a sense of humour bypass. James was amused and avoided getting wet. One old man on a roof looked particularly sinister while throwing water bombs at us.

Baños from the Virgen.

Our hosts at our hostel (hostel Princesa Maria) were lovely and provided a comprehensive tourist information service on arrival, which we immediately acted on. To ease our way into a longer walk the next day, we set off on an hour walk up 600+ steps to the viewing point at the statue of the Virgin. The actual statue is pretty depressing up close, with lots of graffiti, but the views are wonderful. For context, Banos is a small town in the shadow of the extremely active volcano Tungurahua and the river Pastaza. It's at 1800m and is surrounded on all sides by mountains.

Feeling pretty leggy after our ascent, we took advantage of one of the hot baths after which the town is named. Basically you get to boil yourself in volcanically heated water and then quickly move along to the cold bath. Pretty bracing stuff at both ends. We got some appreciation of what sportspeople go through when they take an ice bath. The baths are definitely something that would be good to have close to home.
Refreshed and a little lightheaded from the heat and altitude, we grabbed some dinner and settled in for an early night.

Wednesday 9th March 2011
With our trek in Patagonia looming, we decided to get some practice in by walking up to the volcano mirador, a 5 hour round trip and an ascent of around 600m. Luckily for us, it was a cloudy day but doing this walk at altitude and after a week on a boat was tough. The signs didn't help us. Often we had to guess the direction and certainly the distance markers just lied. We eventually got to the top and rewarded ourselves with a drink at a local cafe. If anything the descent was more treacherous, with slips possible at any moment on the dusty path. This was not an easy walk.  There seems to be a project to improve some of the paths and this is much needed in our view. Hopefully we'll be able to get further training walks in around Cuenca. We need them!

Back in town we treated ourselves to a fresh juice in the market and headed to the shop to buy dinner. We've been cooking when we can, partly to save cash and partly to be healthier. Our standard meal is pasta in tomato sauce, with tuna and random veg. This was our best yet and we suspect the addition of a chilli hunted out at the market may have helped.

Thursday 10th March 2011

Babaco.

Over breakfast we discovered a new exotic fruit from Ecuador, babaco. It's an ideal breakfast juice, very refreshing with a hint of lemon. We're told by our hosts it's even nicer as jam. Not sure we'll get it in the UK.
If we're honest, we decided to have a pretty lazy day but we tried to be productive at the same time. Many cycle the 20km to the local waterfalls, but we decided to bus it. The bus experience was like an old friend. It seems that if you are only taking a local fare, it's ok to take you off the bus and make you wait for the next one.

Which one is the 8th Wonder?

We quickly got to a small town 'Rio Verde', where the self proclaimed 8th wonder of the world resides. This is 'El Pailon del Diablo' or the Devils Cauldron. We're not sure it's a wonder, but it is still very impressive. This is not a waterfall you jump down. Death would be the only outcome. Take note all those film stars that seem to survive waterfall jumps.



Another vertigo test for Emma.

The afternoon was mainly taken up with planning and admin. If there are specific things you want to do (e.g. the W trek in Patagonia) they need planning and you can't just turn up (sorry Al). What we realised whilst planning is that the processes and procedures to confirm everything are far from straightforward, often needing a telephone call to confirm (Emma's language skills have proved priceless, James listens and tries to understand). After a couple of hours we have a plan for the next two weeks and the vital accommodation booked. We can now get back to enjoying the trip, starting with the Devils Nose Train on Saturday. Interesting fact: due to the number of volcanic eruptions, every street has an arrow telling you which in direction to run in a disaster. We hope we won't have to use them.

Note:  A couple of you have been concerned for our wellbeing following the evacuation of some costal areas in South America. Thanks for your messages. We were blissfully unaware of any problems, especially as we're in land, 2500m up.  Our biggest threat are the Volcanos that surround us. Thankfully they all seem to be sleeping right now.

The Galápagos Islands

Monday 28th February 2011
An early start saw us heading to Quito airport to catch our flight to the Galapagos Islands.

To get to the Islands there are special things you need to do first in the airport. You only find out about these at the last minute so after a trip to scan our bags and another to buy (for $10) our landing card, we were rushed through security to sit and wait for over an hour.

The flight was with AeroGal, stopping in Guayaquil to pick up some extra passengers. James was particularly happy as legroom was plentiful. It was nice flying during the day for once, with the views over and around Quito particularly interesting.

Our home for 7 nights.

We reached our boat early afternoon in time for lunch. Judging by our first couple of meals we won't be going hungry here! Every group on the Islands has to have a guide. Ours is Mauricio and as you'd expect he's very knowledgeable. After our first briefing we headed onto a small island next to St Cristobal, to see our first wildlife. Marine Iguanas, Blue Footed Boobies and sea turtles swimming under the water were amongst the wildlife spotted. It took a while for us to get used to seeing the iguanas swim!

A pair of 'boobies'.

A little later we had our first snorkelling trip, just off the same island, hoping to see some turtles. James saw one from a distance but I think the number of people scared them away.

In the evening, after meeting the crew and being briefed on the next day's activities, we were able to spend an hour in the town on St Cristobal. The main highlight was seeing all the sea lions resting up. The males can be territorial so you get lots of noise from them, not to mention a bad smell.

Lazy sea lions.

Back on the boat we attempted a spot of star gazing but it would help if we knew what we were doing (Carrie, we needed you). More to be done over the next couple if days.

Wildlife spotted today (that we can remember and name):
Sea lions - all ages
Blue Footed Boobies
Sea turtles
Puffer fish
Marine Iguanas
Darwin Finches
Sting Rays
Eagle Rays
Crabs (that can jump!)

Tuesday 1st March 2011
After a night sail of about 4hrs, we woke up to the sight of the eastern end of Espanola island (Gardner Bay) our first trip to an uninhabited island.

It's an early start here with breakfast at 7am and onto the dingy for 8:15. A bell is rung every time you are needed. We spent the first day being late and rushed for every bell so we have since tried to be more organised.

We headed to shore for our first wet landing, strolling along the white, flour like, sandy beach spotting more wildlife. The highlights were the Galapagos Hawk, a multicoloured Marine Iguana and some baby sea lions feeding on their mothers. The male iguanas are particularly colourful this time of the year with green patches as it's mating season and they need to show off to catch female attention.

More lazy sea lions.

We then went snorkelling from the beach, seeing lots of fish, our first proper view of a sea turtle but sadly no sharks.

After lunch we sailed round to the western end to Suarez Point, talking a walk to see a load more wildlife. Particular favourites were the baby Naska Boobies. It was really hot during the walk. Learning point: We need to put on sunscreen more often! Back on the boat there was time to jump off the boat and swim in the bay. All was good, although there was a hairy moment when a sea lion nearly bit off one of our fellow traveller's toes.

Further briefings, dinner, a beer and some star gazing rounded off the night. Orion's Belt was prominent and with the help of Michelle (another cruise companion who kindly puts up with James at the dinner table), we were able to see the Southern Cross at the end of the Milky Way.

Wildlife spotted today (that we can remember and name):
Sea lions
Marine Iguanas with red marking and green marking
Galapagos Hawk
Sea turtle
Sting Rays
Darwin Finches
Surgeon Fish
Reef Cornetfish
Crabs
Naska Boobies
Cactus Finch
Swallow Tailed Gull
Galapagos Dove
Blue footed boobies
Lava Lizard - red marking
Tiger Snake Eel, dead, thrown up by sea lion!

Interesting fact:
There's an island here called Pinta Island (Abingdon Island in English). We kid you not! It was named by pirates so one obviously had links with Abingdon.
Turtles hold their breath for 2 minutes normally and up to 5 hours when sleeping.

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
Today we are at Floriana Island in the south of the Galapagos. We took breakfast at Cormorant Point and at 8am we set off to shore for a walk.

On the beach we saw a herons, penguins and turtles swimming. Also, a few baby sharks close to the shore which Mauricio said was quite unique. A little further behind the bay a lagoon had a couple of flamingos. There would often be more but the food is scarce so they go elsewhere.

Soon after we were back on the boat and heading off to Devil's Crown Rock for our first snorkelling of the day. This was brilliant. After the disappointments of yesterday we got to see some big Black Tipped Sharks and some huge starfish along with loads of other great fish. The current was really strong so by lunch we were ready for a rest.

James manhandling a local.

Today some teams from all the boats were playing beach soccer. A few from our boat played, including James who was magnificent in goal. An England call up is not out of the question! Andrea (who captains a women's team in Switzerland, thought James was better than David James, although we're not sure how much of a complement that is. Emma sat on the sidelines as head/only cheerleader.

We stayed on the beach and did some more snorkelling, this time in shallower waters. More sea turtles were spotted. The beach in question is called Post Office Bay. There's no actual post office, just a box with postcards people have left. The idea is you leave one and you take one that's close to your home and hand deliver. We left two cards, one for Harry and Izzy, the other for Emma's mum. We're intrigued to see if and when they get there. The tradition dates back a couple of hundred years to whalers who used to use it for their mail.

As you expect, despite plenty of sunscreen, hats etc, the two Brits (or Limeys as Leonard from Alaska calls us) are looking redder than everyone else on our multicultural cruise. You won't hear us complain.

Wildlife spotted today (that we can remember and name):
Blue Chin Parrotfish
Mexican Hogfish
Cortez Rainbow Wrasses
Yellowtail, Yellowfin, Gold Rimmed Surgeon Fish
King Angel Fish
Concentric Puffer Fish
Sabertooth Blenny
Snapper
Blue Banded Goby

Interesting fact:
There is currently no tourist cap in these Islands. 20 years ago it was capped at 60000, but last year 173000 visited, with the top 3 nations being Ecuador, the USA and the UK. Maurico expects a cap in future, maybe around the 250000 mark. Tourism is the biggest industry here and locals have recently started opening their homes to guests, which would be a great place to stay.

Thursday 3rd March 2011
Today was spent around Isabella, the largest of the Islands. The size is helped by the 5 active volcanos that make up the island, the most recent of which erupted around 2 years ago.

The trip here was 4 hours from Floriana. First up we headed just off the mainland to Tintoreas Island, which looked like a mini Jurassic Park with loads of Marine Iguanas and Frigate Birds flying overhead looking for eggs to eat. Formed from volcanic rock, it was unbearably hot at 9am. We were all quite glad to leave after 15mins or so. The small dingy ride allowed us the chance to spot some penguins sitting on some rocks. These little fellows are slightly bigger than the Fairy Penguins in Aus, but not by much, being the 2nd smallest penguins in the world.

We headed to shore at Villamil to our first breeding centre of the trip. On the way we saw some flamingos eating, looking nice and pink from the shrimp they eat. Apparently they feed for eight hours a day and can stand on one leg for up to five hours before having to switch. Standing on one leg helps to make a faster getaway from predators.

Feeding time for the babies.

There's been a real issue with maintaining the tortoise populations on the Islands, especially keeping the various species going (on Isabella alone there are 5 different species of tortoise). Pirates and whalers all but wiped out several species making tortoises extinct on some of the Islands, but breeding programmes are now proving successful with hundreds of teenage tortoises being released back into their native lands. We arrived just in time to see a large male having his way with what looked a reluctant female.

After lunch, more snorkelling, including lots of rays and some shrimps eating skin off James's arm. Apparently this is normal.

The evening was spent on deck chatting with our fellow passengers and star gazing. We feel very fortunate to have such a great mix of people on board.

Wildlife spotted today (that we can remember and name):
Sea lions
Shrimps
Sting Rays
Sea Turtles
Pufferfish - large variety
Mexican Hogfish
Bumphead Parrotfish
Blue-chin Parrotfish
Striped Mullet

Friday 4th March 2011
Our 5th day was a little sad in some respects. Of the 14 others on the boat, this was to be the last day for all but 1. A very friendly group and we were really sad to see them leave, only hoping the replacements would be equally as interesting company. With some of them  heading for an flight, we had a rather silly early start to allow us to see some tortoises in the wild. Today's Island was Santa Cruz, the most populated island with around 33000 inhabitants. We set off to a remote farm in the highlands and saw several large tortoises, mainly just sitting in big puddles. They can sit like this for up to 3 or 4 weeks and can survive without food or water for up to a year. As you'll imagine, taking photos was not a challenge with the only moving target being Emma.

Taking a bath.

Having waved our goodbyes to the departing, we headed to the main town, Punta Ayora to have a look around. This was without doubt the main shopping centre on the islands, but we were still all done within 30 mins or so.

In the afternoon we were joined by 5 new passengers. One lady in particular frustrated us as her first question to everyone was 'how much did you pay?' and despite her paying the least, she still continued to complain.

Can you spot Lonesome George?

The highlight of the afternoon was a visit the breeding centre here. The highlight is Lonesome George, a tortoise from Pinta Island (Abingdon island) who was the only one to be found. It's a sad story as it basically means his particular species cannot continue. Lonesome George is a symbol for the Islands and catches lots of attention. In an effort to at least try to reintroduce tortoises back onto Pinta Island they put 2 females in with him. 25 years on and this hasn't been successful so they've put a new female from a different species in. Fingers crossed.

In the evening 2 more passengers turned up, a late swap from another boat. This took our number to 10 and it did feel as if we were rattling around the ship a little.

Saturday 5th March 2011
A couple of Islands on the agenda today and a chance for the ship to stock up on food and fuel.

Not a marine iguana.

The first stop was North Seymour and a walk on the island. We were worried we may not get on land due to the sheer number of ships and dingies around. This is obviously a popular spot. We got our best view yet of the male Frigate Bird wooing females with his bright red chest all puffed out and saw a great standoff between a couple of male land iguanas fighting for territory. With our new group we also witnessed a certain lady who didn't seem to want to stick by the rules (randomly walking off, getting too close to the animals, etc). It all added a bit of fun for us but frustration for our guide.

Looking for a mate.

James tries his best.

Back in the water we saw most of the usual suspects, but the highlights were about a dozen sleeping sharks, some great starfish with bright red spots and a jelly fish with loads of eggs. We've learned to stick closely to our guide as he's great at hunting out the best sights when snorkelling and this was no exception.

After lunch and refuelling we headed to Bartolome Island off Santiago. The highlight here is being able to walk up a now dormant volcano to see the views around. It's supposed to be close to what mars is like and we wouldn't be surprised.

We aren't superimposed, honest.

More good food in the evening from our chef 'My Black' (his own nickname) and we were ready to sail to our last new island.

Wildlife spotted today (that we can remember and name):
Frigate Birds
Blue Footed Boobies
Land Iguanas
Swallow Tailed Gulls
Penguins
Black Striped Salema
Moorish Idols
Reef Cornetfish
Yellowfin Surgeon Fish
Guineafowl Puffer
King Angel Fish
Blunthead Triggerfish
White Tipped Shark
Galapagos Shark
Jellyfish with eggs
Striped Mullet
Galapagos Garnet Eels

Sunday 6th March 2011
This was our penultimate day and also the island furthest from any others. Through the night we experienced the choppiest water yet, with at least one person on the ship being ill. It meant that we had our worst night's sleep, but still managed a good 6 hours.

We spent the day around Genovesa, on the north eastern edge of the Islands. The ship docked in the crater of a long dormant volcano. Luckily there is a 100m gap to allow boats in and out.

Being so far away there were far fewer boats here, only 1 more in fact in Darwin Bay which made our first walk really enjoyable. We felt very lucky to visit this island.

To get on land we had to use the Prince Philip steps, named after our prince who once visited and is a great supporter of the Islands.

The walk allowed us to see Red Footed Boobies for the first time along with the stunning sight of a short ear owl devouring its recent catch. For the second time we got to see the Nazca Boobie and this time they were being very romantic, pairing up, giving sticks and pecking each other. We also saw some sitting on their eggs.

Madly in love.

Back on the boat we were quickly into our snorkelling gear for more swimming. Within minutes we were confronted by 5 hammerhead sharks. Not dangerous to us, but up close we were still slightly nervous. The longest one was 4m. More sea turtles and loads of other fish rounded off the morning.

After more walking and snorkelling in the afternoon, we were back on the boat at 3pm to set off for San Cristibal and our flight home.

It was a pretty rough crossing on a small boat so most people spent much of the rest of the day on deck. It settled down about 9pm and we were finally able to get to our cabins for a good sleep.

Wildlife spotted today (that we can remember and name):
Red Footed Boobie
Nazca Boobies - couples
Swallow Tailed Gulls
Short Ear Owls
Fur Seal
Sea lions
Hammerhead Sharks
Sea turtles

Monday 7th March 2011
One last breakie and we were taken to shore for the last time and our last tour. The final visit was to the San Cristobal Interpretation Center to learn about the history of the Islands. Ideally it would be good to know this earlier but better late than never. We were not surprised to find out that various countries have laid claim to the Islands in the past including the US and UK.

After a little wait in the stupidly hot airport, we were back on our way to Quito to continue our trip on land.

We're really glad we stayed for the full 8 days and it was worth every penny. The cruise may not be for everyone and if you don't like heat and snorkelling, you'd not enjoy it. Luckily for you all we've got about 500 photos to run through on our return so you won't feel you're missing out. :)

An amazing Galapagos sunset.