Company at lunch

This afternoon I had an “Introduction to Living in Galapagos” class in town so I had lunch at one of the hotels.  The food was good, the view of the harbor was wonderful and I couldn’t beat the company, even though she slept the whole time.

Tortuga Bay

This morning I walked to Tortuga Bay.  Across town, up a very steep hill to the ranger station where you register and they tell you about all the wildlife you may see and that it’s 3 more kilometers to the swimming cove.   I did nearly 12 miles by the time I got home but it was definitely worth it.  The beach is amazing.  It’s a big curve of beautiful pristine white sand and around the bend a protected cove great for swimming and snorkeling.   Unfortunately, the only wildlife out this morning were the black marine iguanas.  They are so ugly that they are almost cute. 

Galapagos Day

Monday was a holiday in Galapagos.  There was a parade in the morning.  It seemed like a strange parade to me.  There were no bands.  The only float was made for the girl who won Miss Galapagos over the weekend.  After that it was just marchers or rather walkers who paraded down the road and past the reviewing stand of local officials.  All the local businesses, organizations & agencies took part.  Just about every group had a “uniform” even if it was just a tee shirt with their logo on it.  Everyone wore their uniform and walked in the parade.  Even the school kids, who are currently on summer holiday, wore their uniforms and marched.  I walked with the Darwin Research Station.

We were supposed to line up by 8 AM and we were done by 9:30.  I heard there was an awards presentation in the council chambers but the public was not invited.  Apparently it is a small chamber. 

Veggies

I got up and out earlier than I thought this morning.  I was at the market by 7:30 AM.  They still had plenty and it was crowded with locals.  I got chard, squash, broccoli, a pepper, apples, grapes, limes, basil, garlic, tomatoes, onions & some purple streaked yams.  After I finished shopping I wandered over to the cooking area.  There were vendors cooking up breakfast & lunch.  I got a fry bread with cheese in the middle.  It was delicious.  I've been eating greens for the rest of the day to make up for the calories.

When I got home I finished defrosting the refrigerator (it is not self defrosting) and rinsed out some things.   I thought they would dry on the line.  Naturally, it started to rain, Again.  It rained all afternoon so my damp undies had to be brought in and hung in the house.    Have I mentioned that I find rain depressing?

Saturday market

After last weekend rain that lasted through just about all of Carnival these last few days have been mostly sunny with just an occasional sprinkle here in town.  I find rain depressing, even more so than snow, somehow.  At least snow is pretty and bright. 

The regular weekly farmer’s market is Saturday morning.  I haven’t found another place to buy produce.  I’ve looked in their “supermarket.”  It’s not good for anything fresh but bread.   So I’ll be up early to do my shopping.  I’m told the market opens at 4 AM.  I’m not planning to be there till 8. )  

Better than snow

Yes, it’s better then a weekend of snow but even a warm rain is depressing.  The temperature has been in the low 70s F all weekend.  This morning was still very cloudy but it was not raining when I got up.  The lack of precipitation lifted my spirits.  I dropped off my laundry and walked to the grocery store.  The humidity was enough to feel like a sauna in the store but there was a little breeze when you were outside.  It felt very good for a while.   There was a fresh catch of fish being filleted on the dock as I walked back.  The pelicans and sea lions hang around trying to steal scraps when the fishermen come in.  It’s fun to watch them. 

Unfortunately, the skies opened up again this afternoon.   Everything feels damp. 

This afternoon my landlady was having a potluck at her house and invited me to join them.  She is a guide so most of the folks that showed up were guides too but they accepted me and I had a nice afternoon.  It was so nice to be with others instead of alone on a rainy afternoon and great to watch the kids playing and squirting each other.   Apparently, it is traditional to get everyone wet during Carnival.  They even have a kind of soapy foam they squirt at each other.  

TROPICAL RAIN

It started to rain lightly on Friday afternoon.  It hasn’t stopped yet but it has gotten heavier.  The rain was still light on Saturday morning when I left the house at 7 AM to walked to the farmer's market, an experience in itself, but later in the morning when I walked into town it started to come down very heavily and it’s still raining cats and dogs now on Sunday. I was stuck indoors all afternoon.   This morning, I braved it and walked into town where I found that I couldn’t even see the cruise ships that I know are out in the bay through the heavy rain.  Even the pelicans had decided to roost in the trees while they wait instead of cruising along the shore as they usually do. 

This is Carnival weekend.   It is supposed to be a big party but the parade float is sitting in the park covered with plastic and those who venture out are under umbrellas or ponchos.  This rain is putting a damper on everything. 
http://weatherspark.com/forecasts/yr/Ecuador/Puerto+Ayora  

Computers & pelicans

The library computer crashed this morning.  IT systems took it and when it came back all the files and bookmarks left for me by the previous librarian were gone.  Starting from scratch on my own is going to be a pain.  :-)  

This evening I walked into town and saw the fishermen cutting up their catch.   While the fisherman were cutting up the fish, their families busy creating an impromptu restaurant.  They dredge the smaller fish in flour then fry them whole.  They also cut plantains into chunks and fry them.  When the plantains come out of the oil they get squashed into patties with a wooden potato masher while they are still warm and soft.  They are served with the fish right there on the dock.   The sea lions and pelicans were hanging around hoping to steal some scraps and the tourists were hanging around trying to get a serving of the fish and plantains.   They are all fun to watch.

Tortugas & Iguanas

Though the library has no windows the ocean is just outside the door.  If I step outside I can see the boats coming and going and hear the kids on the beach just out of sight around the bend.  Today we went up to the storage building to empty the dehumidifier and passed the turtles and iguanas having lunch in their enclosures as they do 3 times a week.  I think Erica timed so we would see the feeding.  On the way back we passed the nursery where the baby turtles are kept safe from predators and the hatchery.  The eggs are collected and brought to the CDF Research Station where they are incubated at 29.5 C/85 F to make females or 28 C/82.4 F to make male turtles. 

One of the big gold land iguanas was molting as we passed.  They are much prettier then the black marine iguanas but the marine iguanas in the wild are more fun to watch as they munch on the algae and swim around the dock. 

home in Galapagos

My apartment is clean, very basic and it is just a 10 minute walk to the Foundation's library.  The neighborhood seems nice.  There is a park down the street with a playground and a cement court with a volleyball net.    Volleyball seems to be Ecuador’s national sport.   I worked in the library this afternoon.   The assistant, Erica, doesn’t speak English so we are going to teach each other.   We had 2 hours for lunch and she showed me the “supermarket.”   The big market is on Saturday morning.   I’ll have to get up early for that.  It opens at 6 AM.  

After lunch & shopping we still had time to sit and watch the boats come & go.  While we were there we saw sea lions, marine iguanas, bright red crabs, a turtle, a pelican, frigate birds & a blue-footed booby. 

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/blue-footed-booby/   – I’ve got to get a replacement for my camera.   I wonder if Amazon would ship it down here?

Galapagos as last

Today is my first day in the Galapagos.  I arrived this afternoon.  My friend and traveling companion, Anna, headed back to Quito for another week before heading home to Tucson.   I haven’t seen the library yet.  I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do first.

I had to go through a screening in Guayaquil to be sure I didn’t have any fruits, vegetables or plants with me.  They are very particular about alien species getting onto these islands.  

Last fall I arranged to take the small apartment my predecessors recommended.  I didn’t think I wanted to live in the dorm.  After I got to the apartment I went out and had a salad for supper.  Then I found some small grocery stores and got corn flakes and milk for my breakfast.   I hope there is a bigger grocery store somewhere on the island.  There were only dry and canned goods in that store. 

 

Guayaquil's Malaccan & iguanas

We arrived in Guayaquil late Saturday afternoon, got settled into our room and went for a walk in the Malaccan, it’s like a cross between a park and a boardwalk along the river.   There were boats cruising the river, children playing and all of Guayaquil celebrating Saturday night family style. 

It was only a short walk because of our late start but we went back today and found it a very pleasant place to stroll on a Sunday afternoon.   They Museum of Art and Anthropology

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g303845-i31186636-Guayaquil_Guayas_Province.html

was one of our first stops.  We spent hours touring the galleries & found a group of young people practicing for a dance performance.  We finished our tour with the history of pottery throughout Ecuador over 10,000 years.

We stopped for lunch in a restaurant on the Malaccan overlooking the river and met some other Americans who told about a park near the Cathedral where iguanas hang out like pigeons looking for a handout. 

Loja & Vilcabamba

We have been busily traveling from one Ecuadorean city to another.  We've been through the Andes twice and out to the Pacific coast. 

Cuenca is a city of buses, traffic and lots of Expats.  It has an historic section but the traffic is so bad it’s hard to see and enjoy it.  On Friday, Jill went to the nearby Baños (hot spring baths) and had a fantastic spa experience while Anna and I drove to Loja, another city with an overcrowded historic district but a lovely rio (river) running thru the middle of the main street.   Then we drove on to Villacabamba, which is only a few miles from the border with Peru. We pulled into this small village with a traditional Spanish town plaza, located in the valley of longevity and felt right at home.   The water is drinkable, the food is organic and healthy and the village is small enough to be manageable.  There is a supermarket and an airport 45 minutes away is Loja.

We stayed that night at Madre Tierra and during breakfast on the patio, up the stone stairs right in front of us came a donkey hauling two boxes of stone to create a patio for one up the rooms further up the hill.  After breakfast we drove around the town a bit more than headed back up the winding mountain roads to Cuenca.  We returned the rental car when we got back to town and took a taxi to dinner.  This morning we are repacking and getting ready to fly to Guayaquil.  We’ll see that city on Sunday and I will leave for the Galapagos to start my year as the librarian at the Charles Darwin Research Station.  Jill and Anna will go back to Quito for a few days before heading back to the States.