Having a cup of coffee early morning, admiring the incredible blue sky, while looking over the window, the sun rises in front of the houses. Puerto Ayora is waking up into a new day. The town of Puerto Isidro Ayora is in front of us, a small city. Here is where the Charles Darwin Research Centre and the National Park Headquarters are located. The Islander is anchored in Academy Bay, named by an expedition of The Academy of Science of California, which took place in 1906.
During the morning we visited the corrals where the giant tortoises are being reproduced and their offspring are held until they reach maturity to be released. This work has been done with the efforts of the Galapagos Park Service, and Charles Darwin Research Centre, the tortoise numbers have been increasing slowly but steadily, there are a couple different species in the corrals, so different are they from one species to another, this is a remarkable characteristic.
Nearby the corrals are the land iguanas pens, separated from one another, even though I cannot tell the difference, they belong to different islands, they are different subspecies, its gold and orange color is quite stunning.
Today we have a tight schedule, and a few more activities are waiting for us, we walked along Darwin’s Avenue with many souvenirs stores, we passed by the fish market, where the interaction between wildlife, fishermen, and visitors is noticeable, this moment captured of course our group attention, until finally we arrive to our meeting point, The Rock Café, to enjoy a refreshing fruit juice while waiting everybody.
After we all got together in the bar, we have to choose which activity we want to do……
Some group members decided to visit a local school, and others visited a local sugar farm, both places may give us an idea of “what means to live on an island”
At the sugar farm, we went through a little event, one bus would not start, and within a second several members of the group without hesitation stood up and helped pushing the bus to make it start. All of them with a big smile on their faces, great group, we are together.
We all got together again for lunch in a local restaurant, found in the Highlands of Santa Cruz, with an ocean view, although we are at least 900 feet above sea level and at the same time surrounded by a vegetation which suggests rainforest, a dramatic change of landscape.
Soon after, we all jumped into the buses on our way to see tortoises, Santa Cruz tortoises. We might be looking at the largest of the archipelago, up to 300 chilos. Along the walk was very noticeable that we have a dry , very dry season, normal for August and tortoises are looking for fresh grass, tortoises scattered all over, five hundred pounds, three hundred pounds, two hundred…..all sizes , all ages, looking for food.
Food is scarce now; Galapagos is like this, dramatic, fearless, only for strong creatures capable to endure, like these tortoises.
