Charles Darwin Research Center
Our first full day here gets off to a bit of a slow start as we are still getting over the long journey here. The good news is that after sleeping in a bit, people are in a pretty good mood. The bad news is that by 11am, it is hot. Really, really hot. So while pretty much everyone that lives here retreats to a shady place for a siesta, a small band of brave, but pasty souls heads out in search of adventure.
We are headed to the Charles Darwin Research Center on the other side of town, to get our first glimpse of the giant tortoises. They don’t let visitors into enclosures anymore, which is probably for the best, but twenty years ago when I was first here, I still remember not only walking right up to the animals, but the guides giving you lettuce to feed them as well. Nevertheless, seeing giant tortoises up close is still an amazing experience, and for many in our group this is the first time seeing them outside of a zoo, so pretty cool.
Of course the Galapagos Islands are well-known for a number of endemic species, and one of my favorites has always been the marine iguana. This is the only iguana on earth that spends part of it’s life in the ocean, and during the day you can usually find them sprawled out on the black lava rocks soaking up the sun.
We find a beach not far from the research center, and the cool water is a perfect respite from the midday heat. Still no sea lions though, which has me second-guessing if we should have flown into San Cristobal again. The town of Puerto Ayora is much bigger than I remember it and I’m hoping the development hasn’t scared the wildlife away.
With the heat, it has been a fairly long day, and the two oldsters in our group retire to the air conditioned comfort of the house. The boys and adventure on to what the guide books say is the nicest beach in the archipelago. It is a mile and a half away down a trail that starts not far from where we are staying, but after coming out of the trees, we are rewarding with beautiful white sand and perfect waves for a bit of body surfing.
We also come across a group of marine iguanas that, like everything else here, really don’t mind posing for pictures.
For dinner we head back into town to find a spot to satisfy Nick’s new ceviche addiction (I fear his expensive tastes may mean he can never afford to leave home). Afterwards, we wander down to the pier and finally come across a few furry locals, stretched out for an evening nap.
