As I sit here in the lobby of the Ramada Inn, I am noticing that the orange juice is wonderful and everything is so green! I am sipping my juice at a courtyard window seat eating a light breakfast (toast)...
Continue reading "Miami Florida & Departure to Quito, Ecuador" »
The original idea for this year had been to go somewhere in the Pacific. Living on the West Coast, it seemed to make more sense to do a trip in our backyard rather than fly across the country to...
Continue reading "Decisions" »
We awoke to the sound of church bells, as this was Easter Sunday, in the colonial city of Quito. We ate breakfast at the hotel where I had the continental with no juice. I tried to order a side of...
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What fascination is this that the Galapagos holds for people? Like anything, it depends on who you are and what you are interested in. I will not pretend to think that the Islands have something for everyone (even though the...
Continue reading "Interlude: Preparations" »
This morning, we went out walking, checking out the bookstore (books in Spanish, German, & English) and breakfast at one of the only places open-a cafe near a tourist hotel, run by an Australian. Later that morning, we had an...
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Tania arrived a little late, but we had plenty of time to get to the airport where she checked us in, purchased our entrances to the Galapagos National Park and paid the appropriate airport taxes. Wolfgang's tripod had not arrived...
Continue reading "Arrival and San Cristobel Island, The Galapagos" »
Charles Darwin only spent five weeks at Galapagos and only nineteen days on shore. On this trip, we're visiting islands in the order Darwin did. Darwin was more of a geologist and he spent three years in South America looking...
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands" »
6:00 Wake up 6:30 Breakfast 7:15 Wet landing-beach walk at Gardner Bay to see: Sea turtle beach Sea lions Espanola mockingbird Darwin's finches Back aboard Snorkeling from dingy at Turtle Rock PM Punta Suarez 2:45 Dry landing-long walk to see:...
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Discovery: 1535 Tomas de Berlange (Bishop of Panama), drifted when becalmed. No indigenous people. 1600s & 1700s: Pirates and Privateers first introduced animals, including black rats. 1707: Alexander Selkirk was picked up on another island, he was basis of...
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Human History of Galapagos" »
AM Punta Cormorant 5:30 Wake up 6:00 Wet landing - easy walk, to see: Flamingo lagoon Endemic plants Shore birds Turtle beach 8:15 Breakfast - move to Champion, to see Floreana Mockingbird Snorkel with Sea Lions Back aboard Snorkeling at...
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All tortoises are turtles. Tortoises are turtles who are designed for land, turtles are water only, and terrapins are both land and water. There are no terrapins on Galapagos. In the world today, tortoises only exist in the wild on...
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AM: Urvina Bay 5:30 Wake Up 6:00 Breakfast 7-8:00 Wet landing - long walk To See: Uplift Zone Land Iguanas Giant Tortoises Flightless cormorants Marine Iguanas Land birds Swimming from the beach PM: Elisabeth Bay Panga Ride To See: Mangrove...
Continue reading "Isabella Island" »
Types of whales (suborders) Odomtoceti: toothed whales/dolphins Mysteceti: Baleen whales Whales in Galapagos Baleen: Minke, Brydes, Sei, Blue, Humpback Toothed: Sperm, Orca, Pilot, False killer, Cuvier Dolphins: Bottlenosed, common, spinner Dolphins are larger and have a beak, porpoises are smaller...
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Cetaceans" »
AM: Isabella Island, Tagus Cove 5:30 Wake Up 6:00 Dry landing, moderate walk To See: Lake Darwin Land birds View of Darwin volcano Breakfast Navigate to Fernandina Island Fernadina Island Punta Espinoza Dry landing, moderate walk To See: Marine iguanas...
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Charles Darwin was born Feb. 12, 1809, into a wealthy family. His grandfather was Erasmus Darwin, poet and doctor; his other grandfather was Wedgewood, who founded Wedgewood china. Darwin was into collecting at a very young age, but he was...
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Charles Darwin, Before the Voyage, 1809-1831" »
AM: Salt Mine Crater 5:00 Wake up 5:20 Breakfast 6:00 Dry landing - moderate walk To See: Land birds Galapagos Hawks Darwin's Salt Mine Back aboard - move to Buccaneer's Cove Snorkeling from the Panga and Panga ride PM: Puerto...
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Darwin left England when he was 22 years old. The mission of the ship Darwin was one was to map South America. The ship was the Beagle, and it was extremely cramped-only 90 feet long, and about 75 people aboard....
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Charles Darwin, The Voyage and Return, 1831-1839" »
AM: Puerto Ayora 6:00 Wake up 6:30 Breakfast 7:00 Dry landing at Hotel Galapagos To see: Charles Darwin Research Station Captive rearing center Giant tortoises Baby tortoises Lonesome George Van Straten Visitor Center Free time in Puerto Ayora Lunch at...
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AM: Darwin Bay 5:30 Wake up 6:00 Breakfast 6:45 Wet landing - easy walk, then difficult To See: Red-footed boobies Frigate birds Masked boobies Swallow-tailed gulls Darwin's finches Snorkeling from the beach PM: Prince Philip's Steps 2:30 Snorkeling from the...
Continue reading "Genovesa Island" »
The Galapagos was important to Origin of Species. In a letter to Alfred Wallace, the co-discoverer of natural selection, Darwin said the two most important influences were the Galapagos and the fossils he found in South America. Upon return, Darwin...
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Charles Darwin, After the Voyage (1837-1859)" »
AM: 5:30 Wake Up 6:00 Dry landing - Climb the stairs To See: Geological formations Beautiful view Back aboard - Breakfast Visit to Sullivan's Bay Dry landing, moderate walk To See: Pahoehoe Lava Kipukas Back aboard - Snorkeling from the...
Continue reading "Bartolomé Island" »
Birds are birds since they have feathers, keeled breast bones, and beaks. Also, most birds have hollow bones, one ovary, and other adaptations for flight. In late 1800s, Archaeopteryx was discovered, the first transitional animal from dinosaurs to birds. Birds...
Continue reading "Lecture Notes: Birds, Evolution, and Galapagos Birds" »
5:00 Wake up 5:20 Breakfast 6:00 North Seymour - dry landing To see: Magnificent Frigatebirds, courting Blue-footed boobies Marine iguanas Bottle of wine for land iguana, snake Return to San Jacinto Snorkel from dinghy - last snorkel! Go to Baltra...
Continue reading "North Seymour and Baltra" »
We took a walk in the highlands in the morning. Mark had seen the town where we could hang out in the morning on previous trips and knew we'd have a chunk of time free that morning. So, he asked...
Continue reading "San Cristobel Island and Departure from the Galapagos" »
We slept in until 8:30 am, ate breakfast, and headed off to the Archeological/Art Museum. This sounded low key and was within 3 or 4 blocks from the hotel, which fit my sick state and Glen's tired state. The museum...
Continue reading "Quito, Ecuador" »
Today, we met Tania at 5:30 am in the lobby. I ate breakfast alone since now Glen is feeling really ill. The airport was the usual gauntlet of a foreign country. First, check in and get boarding pass, then pay...
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