Greetings from yacht Ensemble!
Yesterday we decided to do and island tour of San Cristobal. This involved stopping the nearest taxi - Mike (from Wind Dancer) doing some negotiation in Spannish - and then a 4 hour drive around the island. We drove up into the highlands - and there was a marked change in the weather - with (more) rain and a drop in temperature. First stop was the tortoise farm. This had been established to try and sure up tortoise numbers through a breeding program and seemed to be doing very well. It was a pleasant stroll through the native bush (being wary of the poison apple tree whose sap can send you blind). Magali posed for a photo and if she hadn't moved quickly (in the next hour or so...) may have been the first recorded victim of a giant tortoise stampede. (see attached photo). Fortunately she was fleet of foot and escaped unhurt.
Next we drove on to another walk to Puerto Chino (not the beach from the day before - and the rock island was 'Kicker Rock'). Again - nice raised path and an easy stroll. On the beach we were greeted by a Sea Lion - every beach is 'owned' by one dominant male. In posing for a photo and getting nice and close I inadvertanty stared down the dominant male and am now the proud 'owner' of my own beach (numerous female sea lions)...
Back in town we stopped for lunch at a charming restaurant 'El Descanso Marinero' and had a lovely dish of prawns served in an old steaming iron(the prawns went where the coal used to go). It was so good we went back for dinner with a group of World ARCers (Glamorous Galahs, Wind Dancer, Bromwyn, and Zoe).
Today we hope to refuel (you need a special permit to buy fuel here) and then tomorrow plan to sail off with At Last and Wind Dancer to Post Office Bay and Isabella.
Cheers
Dave & Magali
18Feb2012 021