As we set sail for the first time in the Pacific Ocean, we headed for Las Perlas Islands.
Our first stop was Contradora Island. While we and the rest of the World ARC group anchored on the south side we enjoyed a beautiful white sandy beach in front of a large hotel with a restaurant, which was very accommodating to us. We were all using their internet while eating their food and drinks. Not real good WIFI but we all kept trying.
The World ARC provided several cocktail evenings, one with a bonfire on the beach, one very nice large dinner party with entertainment that was held at the other hotel on the north side. Trust me when I say fun was had by all.
While on the beach there we met a local couple Paula and Henry, who invited six of us to join them in an afternoon gam. While anchored in Contradora we dinghied over to Chappera Island and Mojo Mojo Island. Mojo Mojo is where the movie Survivor is filmed. Both of these Islands are uninhabited, and we could not find any clues of the filming of Survivor on Mojo Mojo. But we did enjoy swimming in the warm clear blue water of both of these islands.
So leaving Las Perlas Islands, our next stop is Galapagos, 850 miles. Not much wind on this leg, everyone had a lot of motor hours, it took most of us 7 to 8 days, before coming in on diesel fumes to San Cristobal Island. The first thing you notice in this small town are the Sea Lions. There are hundreds of them all over. They take over the landing on your boat, they are laying on top of each other on the beach, when you take a water taxi in, because there is no dinghy docks, they are at your feet on the dock when you get off the taxi. We even had one pop his head in our hatch over our berth in the middle of the night saying a friendly Hello, but when I woke up to smelling his face right over my face. I'm sorry to say I scared him off to my yelling at the top of my lungs. Oh, but they are so cute! Ya, Right.
While in Cristobal many of us joined together and rented a couple of taxis to explore the highlands, but the taxis are nothing more then small pickup trucks, which means several of us must volunteer to ride in the back.
Everyone was a good sport about this. So as we are riding to the highlands passing coffee bean fields and Banana fields, and stopping for the cows to cross the road, we arrive at the top of a inactive volcano that is now a lake. While at the top, which I think is about 4000 ft, it starts to rain, and it doesn't stop. Remember half the gang is riding in the back of the pickups. Our next stop is the turtle farm, where they hold the young and release them when big enough to survive in the wild. All of us got drenched on this outside tour, but we had fun.
The next day we signed up for a snorkel tour, but this tour is special. The boat takes 16 of us to Kicker Rock. This is a 150 ft high rock in the middle of the ocean with a split in the middle as wide as a football field is wide and maybe 3 football fields long. Its famous because there are so many sharks just hanging around. So they drop you off at one side with the current and you supposably drift to the other side and snorkel looking for the sharks. Well that sounds easy enough, except they dropped us off so we were swimming against the current. It was so strong we got half way, when Paul yelled to everyone, lets just drift back to the boat. I think that took about 3 minutes after swimming hard for 20. So we all jump back on board and motor to the other side, but wait we discover we are missing Fritz,a super nice California dude, and a very good swimmer. So we motor back, still don't see him, we circle around this big rock again and there he is swimming on the outside of this rock, trying to chase us down. After we get him back on board, and get to the correct side to go with the current only six of us jump in the water, I had to see the sharks, and sharks I saw when I first entered this side. There were dozens of sharks about 10 feet below us, white tip Galapagos sharks that feed in the night,nurse sharks and hammerheads to name a few.
We then head over to Floreana Island, it took about 6 hours. I believe a few hundred people live on this island. After we checked in with the Port Control Officer of the island, he walked with us for a few blocks while answering all of our questions, and then dropped us off at a local house and what looks like a long carport with plastic tables and chairs, we sat down to a hot lunch of fresh fish, rice and plantains and a cold refreshing coconut drink for $3.00 a meal. The next morning there are only about four boats in this anchorage, At Last, Samsara, Glamorous Galah and us in Southern Cross. So five of us girls decide to go for an early swim as we watched the three cute surfer boys from down under on Glamorous Galah paddle over to surf the six foot waves.
The next stop is Isabella Island, about a 6 hour run. Here, there are so many things to do. Our first tour we took, was a horse back ride to the top of an active Volcano, where a group of 15 of us did this adventure to say the least. First of all its there rainy season, second of all 15 horses all wanting to be the leader of the pack, and didn't understand English for slow down, we never signed any release forms in a foreign country for doing such a thing. After an all day horse ride and trail walk through the lava rock rough terrain trail, we were ever so glad to get off our horses. I think I'm safe to say everyone had the same thought, I'm glad I did it but I don't care if I never get on another horse again.
Our next adventure is a short boat ride over to a small island called Islote Tintoreras, where there was a 1400 meter trail walk that takes an hour. That's easy right. Well it would be if you didn't have a thousand 2 foot Black Marine Igunanas at your feet. The first 5 minutes Steve and I were there I had this Iguana run for my feet. I jumped about 2 feet up in the air and over some Lava Rocks and scraped my legs good coming back down. For the next hour I was as jumpy as a jumping bean while stepping over the tails of thousands of iguanas on the trail. Another thing to check off list of "I'll never do that again."
Our last stop in the Galapagos Islands is Santa Cruz. This island is bigger and the main island of the Galapagos. Where we can provision our boats for the 25 day crossing for the Marquesas.
The favorite hangout was Rock Cafe on main street. We had many Happy Hours there. But the food was more interesting down restaurant row, where the locals eat. The World ARC gave us a very nice dinner at Il Giardino where we also sang Happy Birthday to Dave, an early Birthday, for the downunder Bloke.
On one of our last days in Santa Cruz, Steve and I spent a day at Tortugas Bay, its a surfers beach. Beautiful white sandy beach, very clear blue water with long fun waves, which we rode all day on our new Boggie Boards. A very fun island day we had!