On this day we left this strange wilderness to once more enter civilization, as it is the most populated island here and home to the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here our illusion of being back to "normal" was shattered by our first encounter with the strangest inhabitant of all, a relic from a past era, the giant tortoise.
Another novelty was that of the humid environment of the highlands. One of the five islands tall enough to intercept the low, dense cloud overlying the sea, we entered a different world of strange trees festooned with air plants. It would seem to be in a more familiar place, with green fields, light rain and grazing cattle, if it were not for those amazing tortoises dotting the scenery.
