Galapagos Islands 2009
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We waited three years for this trip and it was certainly worth it. It rates in the top three trips that I have ever taken. There were 10 people in our group, and as it turned out 10 great experienced travelers and fantastic people.
GALAPAGOS 20 FEB – 02 MAR 2009 Celebrity’s Xpedition
Day 1 – 19 Feb As our flight was out of Toronto in the morning, we drove there the day before and stayed overnight. We met for dinner that evening which helped set the mood for our forthcoming trip.
Day 2 – 20 Feb Our transportation was arranged from the hotel to the airport and we arrived approx 3 hours prior to our flight. Everything went smoothly. Our flight from Toronto to Atlanta was approximately 2 hours and the flight from Atlanta to Quito, Ecuador was about 6 hours.
When we arrived in Quito it took us about an hour to get through customs but we were advised that this wait was unusual. Apparently weather conditions had resulted in four flights arriving at the same time. Celebrity staff met us and escorted us to the beautiful JW Marriott Hotel. The fresh roses throughout the hotel and in our rooms was a nice touch. The rooms were very spacious with marble bathrooms, and breakfast was included.
Day 3 – 21 Feb We started our tour of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, at 9 a.m. “The capital was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 9,350 feet. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city still is the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. The city was declared a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO, the cultural department of the United Nations.” Celebrity’s Galapagos Tour Information Booklet
We toured on an air-conditioned motor-coach but because of Quito’s altitude the mornings are cool and the air conditioning really wasn’t required. During the afternoon the temperature warmed up significantly and the AC was greatly appreciated. Our tour took us to the monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compania. All were very impressive however the Church of La Compania was the most impressive church I have ever seen in the world. The interior was completely done in gold leaf and an absolutely amazing site (see photos on this web site). We had lunch at the Crater Restaurant which was situated on the edge of a crater which contains a small village which we were hoping to see. Unfortunately the mountain was covered with a cloud so this didn’t happen. However, the drive up the mountain was spectacular, on a narrow road with lots of twists and turns. After our tour we returned to our hotel for a rest prior to going out for dinner. We had dinner at the famous Quito Opera House which has a beautiful décor. The food was great and the restaurant is also a wine bar with a wonderful selection of South American wines.
Day 4 – 22 Feb This was the day we flew to Baltra to catch our ship for our week long cruise onboard Celebrity’s Xpedition. The small chartered aircraft from Quito to Baltra has a weight restriction of 15 kilograms per person but Celebrity provided us with optional, light-weight bags, if required, so we could leave items not required for the cruise at the hotel. This proved to be a great benefit because we certainly didn’t require warm clothing in the Galapagos Islands which are very hot and humid.
Our boarding passes were issued to us at the hotel and were escorted to the airport on a motor coach and through a special gate for Celebrity passengers and where we waited approximately 10 minutes before boarding the plane. The chartered plane was a new aircraft that had headrest covers and placemats with the Celebrity logo on them. We had an escort from Celebrity dressed in traditional costume to ensure everything went smoothly. We were served a light breakfast and a lunch on the flight both of which were very good. The service onboard was excellent.
We had one brief stop on the way to Baltra in Ecuador’s largest city Guayaquil. When we arrived in Baltra we boarded a bus that took us to the small pier where we waited to be transported to the ship by Zodiac. There was shade to stand in and benches to sit on at the pier but we were unable to make use of either as much to our surprise and delight they were occupied by Sea Lions and Marine Iguanas. We actually had to step over a Sea Lion to get into our Zodiac. We were welcomed aboard the Xpedition by the ships’ staff with a nice wet, cold face cloth, champagne, juice etc. and all of this helped set the mood for our Galapagos adventure.
Our first shore excursion was a dry landing at Espanola Island. We saw Lava Lizards, Iguanas and the Great Frigate birds while they were courting. The, male inflates a large red pouch under his throat to attract and seduce the females. We were very fortunate to witness the mating ritual dance of the Blue Footed Boobies as well, as it was close to the end of the mating season. They all carried on with their business as if we weren’t even there.
Day 5 – 23 Feb - This morning there was a very early start, 7 a.m., with the first Zodiac ride around Kicker Rock and through its crevice. This is a spectacular sight at sunrise. At 9 a.m. there was a dry landing at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, a typical Spanish town with cobbled streets and a boardwalk. We traveled to the Interpretation Center and then went for a short walk on the main street of the town and the chance to do a little shopping and sightseeing. There were lots of Red Crabs and Sea Lions in and on boats in the harbour plus they had waterslides set up for the Sea Lions. The Interpretation Center was a very good source of the history of the islands.
The walk in the afternoon is one of the most spectacular hikes on Espanola Island. We hiked approximately 3 km over rough terrain and encountered Marine Iguanas, a Galapagos Hawk, Mocking Birds, Sea Lions, Lava Lizards, Blue Footed Boobies and saw a blow hole. We were within approximately two feet of nesting boobies with babies, from just hatched to juvenile and again they carried on as if we weren’t there. The beach was littered with Sea Lions & Iguanas and again we were very close to them but they didn’t seem to care. Once again we were amazed at their total indifference to nearby humans.
Day 6 – 24 Feb We had an early departure, 8 a.m. and a wet landing for Cormorant Point. We visited a brackish pond which was home to Flamingos, Stilts and White Cheeked Pintail Ducks. We continued our trek across the island to see the nesting area for the Sea Turtles. We saw tracks of the turtles from the sea to the nesting area but because it is too hot during the day the turtles stay in the water. We returned to the beach on which we had landed for some snorkeling and managed to see a lot of fish and a Sea Turtle. It was a beautiful beach with Sea Lions & Marine Iguanas lying around. The ship provided wet suits and snorkeling gear. Our afternoon trek, at 3:30 pm, we went to the Baroness Lookout for a beautiful view of the island followed by a Zodiac ride during which we saw Manta Rays, Sea Lions, Penguins, and Flamingos. On our return to the ship, we had a wine sampling and then dinner was buffet style out on the open deck under the stars during a beautiful clear evening. During the night we woke at 3 a.m. and noticed movement in the water. We went to the top deck and watched 5 sharks, Sea Lions, & Pelicans chasing schools of small fish. The Pelicans and Sea Lions were not bothered by the sharks.
Day 7 – Feb 25 While I was sitting on deck writing in my journal a Pelican came and perched on the rail of the ship and sailed with us for approximately 3 hours. Bill & I opted to stay behind today to take advantage of the spa and we had a fantastic massage. We missed the Flamingo search and an off the beach snorkel. This afternoon we went “To The Top” at Bartolome Island. The trail was 1.5 km long with 358 wooden steps which end with a fantastic view of the islands and lava fields. After the hike we had a chance to swim and snorkel again.
Day 8 – Feb 26 An early departure this morning at 8 a.m. to Urbina Bay and a wet landing. We trekked for about 2 km and saw Giant Land Tortoises and Land Iguanas. After the hike we returned to the bay and snorkeled. The water had cold and warm patches so it was a good day to wear the wet suits. A Sea Turtle swam approximately 2 feet under me I could have reached out and touched him. What a thrill it was. In the afternoon we sailed to our next destinations Isabela and Fernandina Islands, while we searched for whales and dolphins. We spotted one whale and it was swimming in the opposite direction. A school of Dolphins briefly joined us so the Captain slowed the ship down so we could watch the show they put on. It was incredible watching them leap high out of the water in unison.. At 3:30 we did a high intensity activity at Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island. Our hike was approx 1.5 hours and we visited one of the largest Marine Iguana colonies in the islands and saw the Galapagos Flightless Cormorants nesting long the coastline. There were hundreds of Black Marine Iguanas in many colonies and nests in every part of the sand. The Flightless Cormorants were numerous and an odd site with their tiny wings. Thanks to Marilyn & Steve we dined with the Captain and ship’s officers later that evening under the stars. Our group was the only group booked on this sailing and so we received some special attention. They prepared a special dinner for us and it was delicious as were all of the meals on the ship. It was a great treat for us and a wonderful evening.
Day 8 – Feb 27 Bill & I opted to have a rest day and enjoy the ship. The rest of the group went to see the Fur Seals and went ashore at James Bay on Santiago Island. They saw lava tunnels, many birds and tidal pools. They also went to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island for an inland hike to search for Land Iguanas and birds all said it was a great excursion.
Day 9 – Feb 28 - We departed at 8 a.m. to the highlands of Santa Cruz to observe the Giant Land Tortoises in the wild. We trekked through fields and forests to find the beautiful creatures. Long pants are recommended for this trek. We had time in Port Ayora to shop and visit the town. The sea was very rough on our return to the ship, the effects of a small Tornado that went through Santa Cruz the day before we landed, so the trip back was exciting and a bit wet. During the afternoon we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station and learned about the conservation techniques used in the Galapagos. We also saw the Giant Tortoise rearing program. The Darwin Center was very interesting and worth a visit to see the giant land tortoise Lonesome George. He is aptly named as he is the last of his particular species alive today. We also observed land tortoises at various stages of growth. After that we had the opportunity to walk through the town and shops.
Day 11 – Mar 1 - Today we checked out of our cabin at 8:30 a.m. and departed for out last Xpedition Zodiac ride to the pier and then proceeded to the airport. Arriving at the pier brought back great memories of the exciting arrival of our first day at the pier. We flew to Quito and stayed the same hotel. After we checked in we were taken to the market to do a little shopping and the market was an excellent place to buy local crafts. We were also taken to an expensive specialty shop.
Day 12 – Mar 2 We were picked up at the hotel and taken to the airport. Our luggage was handed over to porters and taken to the check in counter, we tipped the porters and this was the only time we tipped during our trip. The flights home were all delayed because of a snow storm in Atlanta and we were all thankful that they weren’t delayed at the beginning of our holiday because we wouldn’t have wanted to miss one minute of this amazing journey.
Day 13 – Mar 3 We decided to stay overnight in Toronto on our return journey and we were happy we did because we were all very tired and arrived late at night.
This trip certainly exceeded our expectations and is a must for anybody’s “bucket list”.
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