Santiago Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
Thursday, December 17, 2015
After breakfast, it was all aboard the skylark again - this time we were off to Chinese Hat (or Sombrero Chino) a small island just off Santiago.
Again it was another strikingly different island and just as beautiful.
It was a wet landing (sun hat, suncream, tevas and flip flops, insect repellent, camera and smile all in hand) and immediately there were very tiny baby sea lions for us to aaaah at. We never get tired of the baby sea lions they are so so cute and the fact that we are so close is wonderful.
A lot of black lava here again and the colours of the plants against it were really contrasting.
Sombrero Chino
There was a lot to see here but the further we went, the more it stank. Iguana and sea lion toilet they should rename this island!
All incredible though. If we had a choice of being here with the small or not seeing it at all - we would take the stink every time.
Nearby was a large rock pool that the baby sea lions were all playing in - just like a nursery - it had a few mummy sea lions hanging around too but we could have stayed hours again watching them.
After this we only had a short spell on board the Anahi before setting off again for snorkelling. Here we saw so many things; penguins (we still can't get over the way they just bob on the water next to your head and you just see their little arms and feet flapping around beside you), sea lions, a Diamond Ray, masses of massive star fish and a huge shark. It really was one of the best spots we have snorkelled in here.
After more snacks on board the Anahi again and yet another shower, lunch was a bit special today. The crew had arranged for a barbecue on the top deck and we all ate alfresco. They had cooked some things for Jody but unfortunately they had barbecued it all with the meat and she didn't fancy it - they really don't get the concept of being vegetarian here - but at least they had tried and there was plenty of salad for her.
barbecue lunch on deck today
But what beautiful views we had regardless. A beautiful boat, great company and an amazing place. We couldn't complain really...
The Anahi was on the move after that so a good opportunity for a snooze or to read a book before we arrived at Bartolome (Bar tol o me) Island.
This one was very picturesque to start with and it is the one featured in many posters for Galapagos. When we arrived in the dinghies there were sea lions on the steps going up but these ones were not so friendly for some reason. So we sent Roberto up first!
Once on the land it was very dramatic and once again very different from any other we had been on so far. There were lots of volcanos (50 Roberto says) and it looked like Mars - or how we imagine it to be anyway. Very red and craggy and there were lots of the lovely lava cactus here again.
We climbed up hundreds of manmade wooden steps to the top, for which Roberto had a story all about too (he has a story about everything - it's great). Once up there he gathered all our cameras again for a group photo - our last one. He looked like a Japanese tourist with half a dozen cameras round his neck.
view from the top
From the top, the view down reminded us a bit of being in Koh Phi Phi in Thailand; the island that was decimated by the Tsunami in 2004. But that was the only resemblance as we don't think anywhere in Thailand looks like Mars.
It was a more subdued walk down. Everyone else was probably thinking the same as us - we leave the Anahi tomorrow :-( We really didn't want this trip to be over. We have loved living on this beautiful boat with all these lovely people and in this wonderful place.
But leave tomorrow we must and when we got back to our beautiful cabin we had to start packing. Sigh.....
At this evening's briefing held on the top deck, the crew all came out in their uniforms and we had the opportunity to thank them properly for looking after us so well.
Again we were all a bit subdued and Roberto was not his usual bubbly self either.
Maybe he was really going to miss us....
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