Home » Ecuador » Lava, Lava, come back to me...

We checked out several toury agencies in Quito, found one with real cheap fares advertised on hand-printed signs in the window, and altho’ cognisant of the old maxim, “more is better”, went in.
Nancy, ah Nancy, odd name for an Ecuadoriana but she was pretty (and) helpful, full of info and this was the only place in town with a vacancy at all.
At the airline office they had no seats to Galapagos for a week or more, altho’ I suspect the toury agencies book everything in sight then on-sell!.

Lava, Lava, come back to me...

Bill Shum
2006-08-21 17:35:45

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site, or something like that.

It’s the last morning, I often get up before dawn and sit up on the front deck to watch the sunrise, right on the equator and right on the equinox, I guess that means right on 12 hours of day and night? This morning there’s a bit of cloud about, everyone local is hoping for some rain, it’s all so bloody dry, all except the biggest island are dry and dusty, dead looking vegetation, lagoons drying up, pretty crook, and I don’t think there’s much chance of rain from these little clouds.

But a beautiful pink glow behind the horizon clouds,
frigate birds wheeling over the channel, a few sea lions over on the rocks starting to stir, their calls are like a cross between sheep and goats bleating to a drunk’s beer burping, each mother knows her pup by sound and smell and vice versa, all these calls, honking, bleating, barking, farting, bellowing, burping it’s a confusing cacophony for the uninitiated.

Last night we had a farewell cocktail, Martin had a half water melon filled with “Flamingo Blood” not too bad, Franklin gave us a reminder about the tipping protocol and handed out envelopes, he got the captain and other crew down to meet us, some half-hearted responses from us, another attempt at starting a party, 4 guys left in the tinny, I was mucking around with some photos and had 3 of the crew watching slideshows of the islands. Marcel and Nicole, the Swiss couple I met on day 1, who have spent a bit of time in Oz, downloaded their camera onto my lappo to have a look at their pix and have kindly let me keep a copy... they have an underwater case for their camera, I gotta get one!, the little movies of sharks and stingrays
are fantastic. I’m getting keener on getting my dive ticket, maybe in Panama or Honduras, if I do that I will definitely get a u/w case for the camera…I never realised it could be so clear and crisp.

The sun’s just about to burst out over the cloud, I can see the red orb, blood-red thru’ the cloud, right over the bow, slight swell has us gently rocking and all the little creaks and stress noises that you get on all boats….or should I be panicking??…sort of looking forward to getting back on the bike altho’ being back on the group, back-packer circuit thing is awfully attractive. Now the rest of the mob are waking...time for a little brekky.

OK, the last morning, off to the Charles Darwin centre, lots of baby tortoises and Lonesome George, last of his type, hopefully Clonesome George, they’re going to try.
Then back to Quito, another unforgettable experience but this has been special…I’m really glad I did this tour, fantastico…..off to Colombia maybe tomorrow…more soon..chau..
PS: Gavan, if you get this pls send info on Panama dive course...Ta