Galapagos--Day One

Wow, our Galapagos adventure was so amazing (and there are too many great photos) that it's impossible to try and condense the whole journey into one blog post. So let's go back to the beginning. After packing (guess whose is on the right)

we flew to Guayaquil to spend the night before heading to Galapagos the following morning. I highly recommend Hotel CityPlaza when your travels take you to that city. They pick you up at the airport, the rooms are huge,

rates are reasonable, and the hotel is located a short walk to the Malecon.

Next morning we went to the airport

got on the plane

and an hour and a half later we arrived on Baltra Island.

Buses took us to the water where we donned life jackets and boarded inflatable boats called pangas

that took us to the Santa Cruz II, our home for the next six exciting days.

After checking in and having lunch we were off to North Seymour Island for our first excursion. No surprise that you can walk right up to the animals--we've all seen the pics--but it was still kind of weird when you actually do it and they don’t even flinch.

We saw land iguanas,

lots of blue footed boobies,

frigate birds,

sea lions,

and brilliantly colored red crabs.

Quite an introduction to our adventure! Back on board we quickly unpacked, then off to a presentation of the next day's activities, a welcome cocktail with the captain and crew, and dinner. It was already evident that we were in for some "active" travel. In fact, the trip is called an "expedition," not a cruise. No spa days, hanging out at the pool, and afternoon trivia on this ship!

Bedtime came early in anticipation of more wonderful surprises.

Slim Pickin's

Since we got back into town Friday and are leaving again in the morning our grocery shopping was minimal. In fact, we haven't cooked a single meal, choosing instead to eat a big lunch out and a light dinner at home.

I came into the bedroom as Cynthia was packing and announced, "Hi, my name is Edd and I'll be taking care of you this evening. We have three specials tonight--ham, cheese, and ham & cheese. They all come on bread with your choice of condiments and a side of potato chips. Can I start you off with something from the bar?"

Cynthia: "PLEASE!!"

Lemons into Lemonade

Parque de la Madre is a large public space across the Tomebamba river from Old Town. A couple of years ago the park underwent a major renovation, including underground parking, new playground and exercise equipment, a running track, and a large paved area for concerts and other events.

Overall the finished product is a big improvement, but excessive root disturbance and overzealous pruning caused too many old, beautiful trees to die. What to do?

City officials had a brilliant idea to turn the unsightly tree trunks into sculptures. Here's a "before" pic:

And examples of what skilled artists have produced:

Pretty cool, huh?

Are We Crazy??

So we got home this morning two days late when the Cuenca airport finally reopened after shutting down a week ago. "An airport shut down for a week? Why?," you might (and should) ask. Because a plane skidded off the runway and got stuck in the mud. "What's the big deal about that?," you might (and should) ask. Well-----, it seems there wasn't any equipment big and strong enough around here to un-stick it, so airport officials had to bring machines all the way from Quito to save the day.

And the Quito area is where we hung out for those two days when our dear friends Gary and Kathleen Ashbrook kindly opened their casa to two weary, homeless travelers. A special "Muchas gracias!" to them for bailing us out.

We've been in the States for the last month. First we participated as Ecuador ambassadors at a very successful International Living conference in New Orleans. Next we flew to New Jersey to spend a week and a half with our daughter and family. Our two young granddaughters there are such a joy and we love every minute we spend together. Then it was off to North Carolina to take care of our little granddaughter and grandson while the parents enjoyed a long getaway weekend in Costa Rica. That was so much fun, but we understand why people have children when they are young. Whew!

Now that we're back in Cuenca it'll be great to kick back and relax for awhile, right? Uh, not so much. What's really going to happen is unpacking, washing clothes, and repacking, because we're off again next Tuesday for a 6 day/5 night Galapagos cruise! For many years this has been a "bucket list" destination and we're treating ourselves to an early 45th anniversary celebration.

When we get back from that amazing trip we'll surely take a chill pill, yes? Well-----.

The weekend after we return to Cuenca from the cruise we join another fun-loving couple for an overnight full moon horseback riding excursion through the Ecuadorian countryside. It'll be an amazing adventure that we've been planning for months.

After that? We actually have nothing on the calendar.

Yet.

Earthquake

I'm sure you've all read about the recent devastating earthquake in Ecuador. Please know that the damage was mostly confined to the northwest coastal area of the country. Here is a reprinted article from Conde Nast about travel to Ecuador:

Don't Cancel Your Trip to Ecuador

Quito's historic center remains mostly unaffected by the earthquake; the city still plans a close inspection of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The earthquake-prone country suffered one of its worst natural disasters in decades, but the main tourist destinations remain largely unaffected.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador late Saturday night, toppling buildings and bridges in the northwestern coastal province of Manabí and the resort town of Pedernales; at least 350 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured. With tremors felt all the way in the capital city of Quito and neighboring countries Peru and Colombia, the quake is one of the worst to hit the country since 1979.

Despite the destruction—and the billions in repairs estimated—the damage appears to be isolated to the central coast, said Fernando Alvarado, Ecuador's Ministry of Tourism. Here's what you should know.

What has been affected?

Manabí and the province Esmeraldas have endured the worst of it, but gateways to the Amazon, Andes, and Galápagos—where many travelers will head this year—remain open and operational, the ministry said in a statement.

Airports in Quito (some 175 miles east and inland from the quake), Latacunga, Cuenca, Loja, and Tulcan were spared, while the areas around the Cotopaxi and Chimborazo volcanos have not reported any major problems. Hotels remain open, and tours have not been canceled.

The port city of Guayaquil, 180 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake, and where many travelers land en route to the Galápagos, didn't fare as well. A drone video showed the collapse of an overpass, while roads, streets, and bridges suffered damage across the city; however, Guayaquil's airport and hotels are fully functional.

The Galápagos themselves are about 850 miles from the mainland, and have not been affected by the quake or aftershocks. All airports, hotels, and cruises in the area are continuing with service as normal, while guided tours and excursions continue to run. "Visitors traveling to Ecuador or planning a visit to unaffected areas can feel confident that their trip will not be impacted and feel secure to continue with their plans to visit our country," said Alvarado.

New Orleans

Have five days come and gone already? Once a conference starts time becomes a blur. We had a fab experience all week--the French Quarter Festival, Garden District, lots of wandering around, and incredible food. Here are some pics:

Now it's time to go see those grandbabies!

Head's Up

We're leaving for the States in about an hour and won't return to Cuenca until the beginning of May. First stop is New Orleans for an International Living conference. Before we get to work on Tuesday we're going to eat and drink our way through an annual event called French Quarter Fest.

After the conference we're off to New Jersey to visit with half the family, then down to North Carolina to see the other half, then back to Ecuador. I don't write about our family life so posts will be sporadic until our return.

Oh, a week after we land in Cuenca we're off again for a fantastic six day cruise in the Galapagos. Cynthia has wanted to go there for ages, so this will be an early celebration of our upcoming 45th wedding anniversary.

Until I have time to write again, ciao amigos!