Sea Turtles and a Penguin - Isla Floreana

Today's 8am start seemed much more reasonable as I set out to see Isla Floreana, the island of Giant tortoises & sea turtles. 

We boarded a much smaller vessel, in the harbour just down the street from my hostel, that claimed to have a capacity of 16 (according to the sign painted on the boat - which I think is nautical law to do) and was clearly over capacity by five, but on a side note the life jackets looked new. Once again the ride was about 2hrs but with two huge engines gunning it the entire time! Serious distance to cross to the south to arrive on Isla Floreana.

 As seems the custom, we started with a 90min walk around the island,  (above are some photos of what the landscape is like and a carving made by original settlers.) visiting an area where 40 Giant tortoises from eleven species roam their days. I shouldn't make light of that since they live a terribly long time (over 100years) and sadly in the past 40 years none have had any babies so it is a real concern. These are the largest Giant tortoises in the world and have become this large thanks to a lack or predators and an abundance of food. Good to know this would happen to the best of us and at least for these guys it is revered - don't we normally think obesity will shorten a life span? Moving on... ohhhh soooo slooooowwwwlllyyy :)

I did manage to witness an attempt at continuing the gene pool. Giant tortoise sex is possibly the most unsexy thing you can imagine. This poor little female with her head tucked into her shell just seems to wait it out as a huge male climbs up onto her back and gives a thrust every 5 full seconds. Count that out... five ...full... seconds... between each move... jaysus talk about lack of rhythm) This is accompanied with the sound of shell on shell grinding and a low growl/grunt from the male. No wonder the females are taking a pass. I could barely WATCH.  

Moving on to the beach. I asked where the sea turtles are said to hang out and took off on my own to meet them. I want to think I am working a lucky streak here as I came across a lone sea turtle riding the underwater currents, as he (I'm guessing here) nibbled on seaweed, within minutes of getting in the water. However, I am probably better to recognise the abundance of wildlife in the Galapagos and instead just be thankful that I could spend 30mins following this guy, letting the current toss us around together without any other people on the scene. I think this will have to be one of the most magical experiences of my life. Watching this meter wide (again I am guessing) turtle roll around with the whim of the current, I came close enough to touching him (which I did... couldn't resist) and at times had to work to avoid coming on top of him as he swam at me without any concerns or fears.

I think we were definitely pals for that 30min span and then I just had to bring the others into the loop.

There was an American family on the trip. Nico 9 and Kylie 7. It was as close as I could get to sharing the magic with you Kate, Ozzie, Calvin and Max so I did my best to get them as close as possible. Someday I hope you four get to live this kind of moment.  Of course there were tons of brilliantly coloured fish but I mostly devoted my hour to the sea turtle.


Here's a photo I got from someone else on the tour who had an underwater camera. Lucky you!

We made a second stop jumping off the boat in a little lagoon and this is where I not only met my second sea turtle but came face to face with a little Galapagos penguin standing on the rocks a few feet from me who later jumped in and swam over to where I was checking out the fish. A little annoyed that I didn't actually see the penguin swimming by me but the fact that the others swam over to ask me if I had seen it under the water was enough to make me beam.

Obviously day two is categorized as incredible! 

Tomorrow I will stay ashore and walk over to Tortuga Bay on my own steam and check out the Darwin Research Center before I climb aboard my cruise Tuesday. 

Livin the dream. Hope you are all happy and healthy! 
xox
b

Swimming with Sharks - Isla Bartolome

So day trip number one and I set an alarm for 5:30am. I remember this from my days with Kyla! Isla Bartalome is located north of Isla Santa Cruz so it required us to take a 45min minibus ride back to the northern port and then board our vessel for the 2.5hr cruise to the island. I have been worried about the time on boats since I am prone to sea sickness but, upon the recommendation of fellow travellers, I bough some Mareol pills from a local pharmacist in Guayaquil and have thankfully had zero problems. 

Huge relief! 

As we cruised to the island I saw my first flying fish and boy can they go. Started to really recognise where I am, and how plentifully I will be filling my collection of "firsts" bag while I wander these islands. 

Once on Bartolome we took a walk up to the highest point on the volcanic island which in fact isn't really that high. (See above which I later found out is a famous spot in the Galapagos as far as postcards go.) Passing little orange necked lizards snacking on white flowers, admiring sun bathing sea lions and iguanas, and lifting rocks that are incredibly light since they are filled with air and gas. Was like being on another planet with so much of the landscape resembling frozen liquid which is really cooled magma.

Amazing landscapes

We followed that up with an hour or so snorkel around the famous (I am told) pinnacle rock. (This is a photo of the rock and our boat that took 2.5 hours to get to the island at high speeds. So glad I had sea sickness pills.)


Somehow the others were looking to investigate closer to shore so I got a private tour of the best spots with our guide Hirem. Within minutes we were swimming with white tip reef sharks, diving down to get a closer look at a ray hiding under a rock, admiring the many parrot and sergent fish (and a ton more I can't name) and then the sea lions jumped in the water so we could see how well they too can cruise around. 

Magical

Also managed to get up close with some Blue Footed Boobies (bird species for all of you who are snickering right now) and the most intensely red/orange crabs who look like an animals a child would create on paper vs a legitimate species. Stunners that they are.


I will admit I was pretty sad to have to leave but knowing I have about ten days of this kind of adventure made it tolerable. On the cruise home dolphins made an appearance but I was too slow and didn't see them. Somehow I imagine it wasn't the only time they will be nearby so I will just wait for the next time.

Home in time to shower and then coincidentally met an American couple from my flight for cocktails and later dinner along the harbour a short water taxi away. Beautiful to see the ships in the bay with their lights twinkling on the water. 

Yes this is the place for b. xox

Galapagos Islands - I have been looking forward to this all year!

Hopping on a 2hr AeroGal flight to Isla Santa Cruz, the most inhabited islands of the Galapagos family, gives you a sense for just how far these islands are from mainland Ecuador. After landing you take a 10min bus ride to a tiny dock where you board a nondescript wooden boat and spend another 10mins crossing from Isla Baltra to Isla Santa Cruz proper. Then finally, everyone crams into another bus and rides 45mins to Puerto Ayora, the main drag. The islands at this time of year are hot and humid with an average temperature of 30 degrees during the day and consistently one short shower in the afternoon. Basically, I am prepared to be hot and sticky for the entire two weeks I intend to stay. No problem. Not many people spend two weeks in a place as magical as the Galapagos. I am prepared to suffer these minor discomforts. 

So arriving as late in the day, on a Friday no less, as I did I had some concerns around booking my last minute multi-day cruise through the islands since most 8day trips (the max sold unless you are Brad & Angelina, who by the way are also here I am told. No sighting yet) leave on Sundays. I decided instead to book six days on a First Class boat leaving Tuesday, going around Isla Isabella and Isla Fernandina as that is where you have the greatest chance to see Shark Whales (not that I am holding my breath for that one but given the chance...) and then booked some day trips from Santa Cruz for the days leading up to departure. After the cruise I will move to Isla San Cristobal for a few days and try to see some hammerhead sharks. For a girl so afraid of being eaten by Great White sharks I seem to have a passionate desire to mix and mingle with their lesser know killer relatives. No matter why, it seems I might just get my fill based on what I have heard from others who have already passed through. 

I don't have an underwater camera with me so I won't be able to share any photos of what I see in the deep blue but I am enjoying the idea that I will be focusing my attention on being in the moment and having those moments stay between myself and my future aquatic pals. Sorry you can't enjoy the visuals too but maybe that will further incent you to book your own trip one day to this little paradise.

These are my plans for the next two weeks. I fear I will never top them but it is a fear I am happy to live with. Wish me luck! 

Retreat to the beach - Huanchaco styles

Well folks I had hit my limit. At least for a while. After 9 weeks of traveling, never spending more than 3 nights in the same place, I had started to lose my zest for travel and knew it was time to settle in somewhere and regroup. Huanchaco Beach (20mins outside of Trujillo) became my retreat and I will forever think of this slice of the world as a little piece of heaven... if I believed in such a place.





At first glance I wasn't sold. On my first night I stayed on the wrong side of the beach, as far as I am concerned now, but after walking down the beach on day one to find Nylamp Hostel and relocate, I was hooked.
Huanchaco beach, located 20km from Trujillo (which is the main city of Northern Peru) is mainly a draw for surfers and fishermen, of course I am neither, but it has kept me happy, for over a week, all the same.
The reed boats above take 2 days to make and the fisherman are referred to as cowboys because of how they straddle the boat when paddling into the surf to fish. They line the boats up every night to dry them off, ready in the morning for another productive day on the water. Personally, I find it next to impossible to even get past the breakers to swim, the currents are so strong, but have managed to deepen my tan up by sitting on the beach each afternoon, dipping my feet into the cool water from time to time.  I've actually got bumps and bruises from my efforts to get past the breakers. There are golf ball size rocks that get thrown around the surf with each wave and if your ankles are part of the mix beware. 

The area is also known for the Chan Chan ruins (largest mud city in the world with over 10,000 dwellings through 9 royal compounds dating back 2000yrs) & Huaca de la Luna y Sol, only discovered in 1990. These sites were part of the Moche and later Chimu people (the second largest pre-Colombian society in SAmerica) who came before the Incas by 300 years and their style of architecture are totally different to what Kyla and I had seen in the south of Peru. Also since this area is close to the sea the carvings etc are all related to the ocean.

Allow me to show you...

Here is Chan Chan. They found the site under literally tons of sand and are trying to preserve it by putting up tarps to stop the rain water from eroding it all further. 

The walls have the most beautiful designs. Sea birds, sardines, geometric wave patterns to represent the ocean and repeated grids that are in honour of their beloved fishing nets.  Overall work can be described as staggering and stunning at the same time.   We (Kallista (Aussie) and her Argentine husband Guillet plus Elouise (German), were also told that the Moche domesticated pelicans and had them catch and bring back fish to the fisherman who owned them. I feel like that's a stretch, don't you?  I shouldn't be so critical though, I mean look what they clearly were capable of.  It probably is true and I am just jealous. Wouldn't be the first time.  I can hear them now "Don't act like you're not impressed you tourist!"

In the afternoon we took a cab to the Huaca de la Luna y Sol. The photo to the left is of the Sun (Sol) pyramid so you can see why no one really noticed it until recently. They are just beginning to excavate the Sun temple but we were permitted into the Moon temple after visiting their amazing museum. Lead by priests the focus of the pyramid-like temples seemed to be on human sacrifies. Boooooo.
When the rains (El Nino) wouldn't stop and no amount of prayer helped, battles were organized between the best warriors and the losers were stripped naked and taken to the temples to wait a few weeks and then be beheaded, at which time their blood was either drunk by the priests or offered to the Gods by pouring on sacred grounds. Serious pressure to perform here.  They have build five temples over top of each-other. When one lead priest died they would fill in the temples with bricks and build a new one on top.  Crazy right? I wish I understood how long it all took and where they prayed during this time of rebuidling. The new temple would be bigger than the last which is why they look like pyramids from the outside and they would take inspiration from the previous temple designs so the theme remains pretty consistent. Each brick was also "signed" by its creator... I think I see a happy face in here.
The area is also known for hairless dogs. Check out this beauty roaming the ruins all day long. She is even rocking a mohawk! 

After a couple of days of seeing the archaeological sights I felt okay about becoming a beach bum. Enjoying incredible vegetarian dishes at my new fav hangout Otra Cosa or cooking with fellow hostel dwellers, either way my budget has shrunk to about $20 per day without making much of an effort at all, including yoga on the beach evey morning and once at sunset! Good times all around. 
Here's a flavour for my life in Huanchaco...
The sunsets here are out of this world so be prepared to see a ton of these images when I get home.

People also pay the fishermen to take them out on the boats but I have stuck to the shore.  Pretty right?

I have LOVED it here. Even the library is pretty. Great wood structure with great windows. Combis are the way to get around this area as well. 1 soles which is 33 cents gets you a seat (that is built for a Peruvian bum and set of legs - ie much smaller than ours) on the minibus to Trujillo the main city of the north which is only 30mins away but feels like another world.






Of course there is also graffiti if you enjoy that sort of thing. Which you all know I do... here is a sampling.



My only dilemma here is when do I have to leave... or do I ever had to leave really?

So much to admire but I have determined that today is my last day and I will head north tomorrow to see Chiclayo and then Mancor before leaving Peru after three weeks bound for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

Here's the last sunset photo I will post. I couldn't resist.

Love this graffiti I saw the other day. Mirrors my motto of encouraging myself and others to try. Even more simply put.

do

Miss you all

xo
b

Dear Lima, don't listen to your critics. I loved our time together.

I honestly can't understand why people give Lima two thumbs down. I think it might be one of my favourite stops. Granted my arrival was by 80min plane ride which arrived at sunset while others spend 20hrs on a bus but still.

When the hostel driver picked me up and said I had to put all my luggage in the trunk for safety purposes (even the day pack I normally keep with me when in road vehicles) I admit I was a little un-nerved. I mean his explanation was that we would be going through a neighbourhood where people sometimes break the car windows to steal bags. "Hmmm, maybe this was a place to skip" jumped into my mind but, in the end, I am glad I didn't. 

My love affair with cool graffiti was rekindled. This is the view from my bedroom window in the Miraflores neighbourhood where on night one, even though I had booked a dorm, I got a room to myself. Yes happiness was mine.

I did find it strange that only one other English speaking tourist was here (Matthew UK who I had met twice before. Once in Argentina and the other time in Bolivia - firmly proving the Gringo Trail is living strong) with only 4 other guests all being Spanish. I mean this is the capital after all and it is Easter Weekend... where was everyone?

Without much choice I decided to just go with the flow and treat Lima as a solo adventure. Here's how it all played out. Stepped out night one to get my orientation set and grab a light dinner at a cafe across from Kennedy Square which is just down from Central Park.... are you also noticing a theme here?
Great nights sleep and a barrista made Starbucks decaf, after breakfast @ Haiti, set me up for my adventure into the Centro Historico, which is basically downtown Lima. I took their version of the subway which is actually just a bus system that runs North/South along a dedicated lane on the freeway. Managed to pass through Canada quickly before getting to my final destination. Guess it was easier than I though to go home for a quick visit : )

My first stop was The Plaza Major. Pretty right? As it was the Thursday before Easter the streets were packed with Peruvian "believers" and a ton of street vendors.

Loved watching this guy try to manage all these balloons as I walked up to the the Monestario y Catacombes de San Francisco which felt like a mix between the film In the Name of the Rose and the Killing Fields which is strange since I'd say it was a positive experience overall. Go figure. 
  

Walked south through various green spaces & quickly popped into the Lima Museum of Art to check out the local photography.


Last stop, and a good reason I took the trip into town, was to arrive at the Parque de la Reserva to see the Circuito Magico del Agua at nightfall. Loosely translated this means a complete orgy of fountains. 13 staggering water fountains set to change direction in sync with symphony music and choreographed light shows. A completely unexpected thing to find in South America but well worth the visit.  Made it "home" by 8 and grabbed some Chifa for dinner. Peruvians think Chifa is a mix of Chinese and Peruvian dishes. I want to suggest it is simply Chinese food sold in Peru but I also don't want to offend my hosts so let's keep that between us.   






Day two I spent the morning wandering around Miraflores for breaky and booking my journey north but then walked to the much talked about LarcoMar Mall on the cliffs to see what the chatter is about. Here's my damaged panoramic photo of the view from the mall.  It's too hard to do these shots of water since the camera needs to stitch three photos together but you get the general idea.  Basically no mall I know has this view in Canada.

  Food courts look out onto this. Imagine.

 

From here I walked south along the cliff path to Barranco which is the oldest 'hood in Lima. It is described as bohemian and romantic. Accurate on both accounts. I am amazed that people don't say the visit to Barranco is required. It was one of the nicest walks I have ever taken and the hood has great views and a killer atmosphere.                   AB-SO-LUTE-LY loved it.

Kruz, check out the picture on the right above ... this is the DOG park! Crazy. 

Through the trees in the image to the right you can see a white structure. That's the LorcoMar Mall clinging to the cliff. I hung out on the cliffs until the sun set. You can easily see why. Then I walked into more of the central part of Barranco for a Turkish dinner of falafel and some vino tinto. Capping off the night with a piece of chocolate walnut cake and a collectivo bus ride back to the hostel for a whopping 33cents Canadian.

Now tell me you don't think Lima is at least worth a few nights stay? I know I will encourage people to do so from now on.

Heading to the beach tomorrow. Hope things are starting to warm up for you at home as well.

xo
b

Winding Down - Day 9 &10

Well folks, as the saying goes ¨All good things must come to an end¨ (though I am willing to bet my father disagrees with this philosophy) and Kyla´s trip could only last 10 days, so for the last 1.5 we enjoyed a little winding down time in Cusco at 3,300m. Above is a view of the city from the Sacsayhuaman ruins about 2miles up a hill from Cusco proper. There`s a local joke that the way to say the name of the ruins is SexyWoman. Works for me.

Day one was a Sunday and when we left our hotel (Hotel Ninos for anyone planning a trip to Cusco is a must. Great spot and funds go to help 250 kids in the Cusco city get proper day care, health care etc) we headed to the city ¨center¨ aka Plaza des Armes.

 
When we arrived we were faced with the army, swarms of people in the park, banners and flags (both of Peru and the Incas) being raised by government officials, local fire men, you name it they were lined up in front of the Cathedral which is directly across from the square-park/Plaza des Armes. We had no idea what was up, I simply assumed they had come out to say fairwell to Kyla as they had shown up in LaPaz to welcome her, but I was wrong, imagine. We later learned that this is standard Sunday activity. Takes going to church on Sundays to an entirely new level. We watched the scene from the first Starbucks I have seen in 9wks and then determined that since we had to wait until 2pm to see the Cathedral we might as well have some Sushi...as one does in Peru. Here´s the view of the Plaza des Armes from the restaurant.


Since neither Kyla, nor I are religious in any way, we wandered the Cathedral without a guide but marveled all the same at the architecture and restoration efforts that have taken place over the years thanks to many an earthquake.

We also learned that the Cathedral was build using some of the stones from the Sacsayhuaman ruins. Tough blow to the Incas who took the time to build their city only to have it pulled apart to build a Catholic Cathedral, but hey that´s the way of the world I suppose.



Next stop was to see the Sacsayhuaman ruins themselves since we were told they were worth the trip. We were pretty ¨Ruined Out¨ to tell you the honest truth (is there another kind) so we walked around a while admiring the ingenuity of the Inca people. They really knew how to build a wall. Notice the interlocking stones that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle making them incredibly strong? They also build the walls with a 13degree incline and with smaller stones at the bottom to absorb the movement of the earth I was told (but it does not seem to be the case here). After 30 minutes we just strolled over to the central lawn and lay down in the grass and closed our eyes. Taking a little while to reflect on where we were, and our last 9 days together. Honestly, we also just wanted to catch our breath after so much adventure and enjoy the sunshine. It really has been quite the week+.




In the distance I could see a huge Jesus on a hill overlooking all of Cusco and couldn´t resist the opportunity to mock up our own little Rio de Janeiro photo-shoot. I think we did pretty well, but you be your own silent judge.





That about wraps up the Adventures of B and b in South America. Kyla boarded her plane from Cusco bound for Lima after lunch on Monday April 2nd and has since arrived home safe & sound after 18hrs of travel. I will admit I cried when she closed the door of the cab and can only say I already loved my sister as much as a person could, before she arrived, or else I would love her even more now for stepping out of her busy life & comfort zone to trust me enough to travel Bolivia & Peru over the last 10 days. You´re my hero B. Please give those 4 little monsters a hug and kiss from their Aunt b. Thank you C and all the friends/neighbours and family who pitched in to make this adventure possible. I will never forget it and I am pretty damn sure B feels the same way.

I have moved back into the hostel world, sharing an 8 bed dorm and walking down an open air hallway to get to the ladies bathrooms to shower or brush my teeth. Privacy is once more lost. Last night it rained/hailed in Cusco for over 3hrs and with that I booked a flight to Lima for Wednesday. Looking forward to being at sea-level once again and to some warm weather with maybe even a beach in my near future.

Here´s hoping you are all well, happy and healthy.

xox
b