Where to begin? At the end, naturally!

Well, more or less.  Between cringing at the idea of typing how much I would really like to say about the trip to Galápagos, getting back into the swing of things with a new set of classes and considerably less free time, and preparing for the trip this weekend, I haven't yet posted anything!  Sorry about that.  So, first thing first, the plans have changed slightly, and we're all going to Cuenca this weekend with the exchange program!  We leave bright and early tomorrow morning and return Sunday evening.  Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador, but it also has the reputation of being a cute little colonial town tucked into the mountains, with lots of history and culture to explore.  So we're all pretty excited!

I came down with a disagreeable little tummy bug the day before yesterday, and was pretty miserable yesterday, but today I'm a little better.  And as you all know how stubborn I can be, come hell or high water, I'm going to Cuenca!  So I'll just have to feel good tomorrow, and that's that.

Classes are going well.  I'm in the next level of grammar, which is going to be a combination of Advanced II (the next level chronologically) and Lexicon, whose content remains a mystery...  I'm also in Literature, which is a great idea.  It can be difficult to read, comprehend, and analyze works all in one class period, but so far we're reading some interesting selections; I think it's going to be lots of fun.  My other class is called Urban Regeneration, and it is taught by a Guayaquileño architect.  The city of Guayaquil has experienced quite a bit of modernization in the past 15 years, really getting things "cleaned up" from how it apparently was before.  The class consists of taking afternoon-long field trips to various places in the city and learning about the process of developing them and how they've affected Guayaquil.  Though architecture isn't exactly my interest, the teacher is passionate about his subject, and we'll get to visit some cool places, so I'm looking forward to it.

Now, on to the exciting stuff! ;)  I headed for the Galápagos last Monday.  The flight was at 9something in the morning, so Juan Carlos suggested that I leave between 6:30 and 7, just to be on the safe side.  I asked Francisco, the family's "driver" of choice, to pick me up at 6:30.  I'd built in a few extra minutes, since he's usually 5 minutes early or so, and can be quite impatient once he's arrived.  So, imagine my delight when he pulled up to the curb at 6:02.  Not.  I was already a bit touchy, since I am NOT a morning person, but then having to recklessly toss any last-minute things into my bag and hightail it out of there, without coffee or brushing my teeth, turned my mood sour.  Then I got to the airport and through security and had over 2 hours to kill.  Whatever.  So I did have my coffee after all, and got a good start on my book.  The flight went by without any hangups, and then I was there!  The flight is not quite 2 hours, plus the islands are an hour behind the mainland, so I got there in the morning and had a whole day ahead of me.

To get there, first you fly either from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra; the airport is on its own separate mini-island.  From there, you go through "customs" and hop on a bus that takes you to the ferry that takes you the main island of Santa Cruz.  If you're part of a tour (or staying at a really nice hotel), there may be a shuttle bus waiting at the dock at Santa Cruz.  Otherwise, there are taxis (big white pickup trucks) to drive you half an hour to the city of Puerto Ayora.  Because the city is on the opposite side of the island, the ride is really fun - you can watch the landscape change from desert coastland, all the way through lightly forested highlands, and back out again.  In the highlands, my taxi driver offered to stop for a few minutes at Los Gemelos, a pair of huge collapsed volcanic tunnels literally right off the road (like, 50 feet away on either side).

Once in Puerto Ayora, I decided to go straight to the Charles Darwin Research Station, one of the most famous attractions in the islands.  Usually I prefer to avoid such obvious Tourist-ness, but once in awhile I need to make an exception.  From the city center, the station is less than a half hour's walk away.  The winding path inside is not long, but there's so much to see that they suggest budgeting an hour and a half there.  There are birds and lizards EVERYWHERE, and they're not especially skittery.  You probably couldn't touch them (though it's illegal anyway, and most bite, so you wouldn't want to), but you can get very close to take pictures.  There are a couple of buildings that have pictures and explanations of the conservation steps being taken in the islands; otherwise, you can walk around in the beautiful coastal desert landscape and look at the wild animals as well as captive tortoises in every stage of development - from teacup-sized babies in cages, to cat-sized juveniles in larger pens, to the larger older tortoises that are the symbol of the Galápagos wandering around in big enclosures.  You are also invited to step inside their enclosures and mingle, though again, no touching.  These bigger tortoises seemed to be acutely aware of a visitor, even though they nonchalantly continued eating or napping (except for one cranky female who hissed at me when my camera made a noise).  They look just like dinosaurs, with their scaly reptilian beaks, and even more when they move.  It's a step back in time.

At long last, I finished my circuit of the research station, without seeing a single other person until I was on my way out (this also helped to make it really fun, and make it feel more authentic than a zoo).  I walked back towards town, stopping briefly to look around on the beach connected to the research station.  About halfway back it started to drizzle, then rain... then it stopped.  Then it started again... then it stopped again.  I was getting a little nervous and started asking around at various hotels I found about rates and room availability; most were more than I wanted to spend, or booked, or both.  Eventually I found one that was more expensive than I wanted, but I was getting nervous enough that I went for it anyway.  Of course after that it cleared up, but at least I had a place to sleep.  I wandered for awhile in search of a company that could sell me a ferry ride to Isabela the next day, without trying to attach a 3 day / 2 night tour to it.  Finally I did find one, and ended up having a pleasant conversation with the older gentleman at the agency.  He suggested I check out La Playa de los Alemanes (the Beach of the Germans, because of the German travelers who congregated there during the island's semi-colonial period) during my free afternoon; then he offered to go along with me.  From the dock in the heart of town, you can take a water taxi across to any number of beach or private resort locales.  We scoped out the beach, but then he suggested we go on to Las Grietas, following some signs.  It's quite a hike, through hotel properties, private residence neighborhoods, small salt flats, and loose lava rocks, but at the end is a small canyon (only about 40 or 50 feet high) with a crystalline lagoon at the bottom.

It's really pretty, and it's unfortunate that there are always so many people there, since it feels very secluded and peaceful.  The next morning, I came back by myself for a little swim before the boat left.  The water is salty, so it must be fed under the rocks by the ocean, but there aren't any animals inside, and it is perfectly clear and a gorgeous shade of turquoise. 

I hopped on the boat that afternoon for the ride to Isabela.  It's about 3 hours average, though a good (meaning fast and reckless) captain can do it in 2 1/2.  However, the ride is a bit bumpy... Fine, that is a comical understatement.  Several times when we shot up over a wave I flew out of my seat and onto the lap of the person next to me; one time I nearly hit the roof of the boat.  And every time we came down from one of those bumps it was a solid knock to the vertebral column.  So, it wasn't great, but I chatted with some people on the boat, and we all made it in relatively good time.

I have much more to say about Isabela, so I will have to save it for the next post... Stay tuned!