So – there we were. Welcome to the Galapagos Islands!
After paying a 100 $ National Park entrance fee, we had to watch a video on how to treat the islands responsibly while waiting for our luggage to arrive. A free bus took us to the ferry, which charged 0,80 $ for bringing us from Baltra (airport island) to Santa Cruz, the main island. Another bus took us for some 2,00 $ down to Puerto Ayora, the biggest city on the islands.
We found a nice room for 25 $ (the two of us) at Hotel Elizabeth, including a really friendly and helpful owner, Felipe, before heading off towards the Charles Darwin Station.
The Charles Darwin Station is essentially a Tortoise Breeding Station, to help those lovely animals survive their early childhood years before putting them back into the wild. Believe me: Baby tortoises are sooooo cute!!! If in a group...
...or all alone... (Sorry, dear sis, I was not allowed to take one home with me... *g*)
Other than that, the CDS is the home to Lonesome George, the poor, last survivor of a specific Giant Tortoise Race.
Some further information were given in an interpretation center, before we went back to the hotel. Along the way: Hundreds of massive land & marine iguanas…
…as well as loads of alarmingly red fire crabs.
The cool thing is: All these animals are so not used to humans as their enemies, that they literally don’t care if you’re stepping over them, approaching them etc. Lonely Planet says: “The Galapagos Islands are probably the only place on planet Earth where you can engage in a staring contest with wild animals – and lose!” Well, they are right.
Next we discovered the Tunnels of Love, the second longest lava tunnels in South America, if you believe the advertisement. Pretty cool, pretty dark, pretty wet – but pretty, all in all. :)
But way more stunning to us: Some 20 Giant Tortoise shells that were lying around in the owner’s backyard. He told us, that once upon a time, all these land tortoises were strolling around on his farm. Well, and when they died, they left their house behind…
We arrived back in our hotel after the sun had set. And as we had planned to get up before sunrise the next day, we went to bed pretty early.
Boaaaaah ALTAAAAAAA!!!
ReplyDelete1) Das sind ja grooooße Häuser, da könnte ja selbst ich drin wohnen! FAntastisch!
2) Der guckt sehr aufmüpfig, dieser Starr-contest-Gewinner!
3) Iguanas sind ja wohl mal die Mischung aus Krokodil und Schildkröte schlechthin. Klares Amphib!
4) Von Weitem sehen diese Schildrkötis aus wie viele kleine bugs. Aber das ist schon sehr schade, dass du mir da keins mitbringen konntest! :(
Spannend, spannend :)
Miss you! Deine Lieblings-sis.