The internet here on the islands is challenging, which one might expect. Like stepping back in time to dial up speeds. Facebook seems to be more forgiving, but posting videos is pretty much impossible. Anyways, crossing my fingers, here goes.
This morning I wanted to take the 30 minute walk to the other local beach called La Lobelia. Most of the shoreline here is black lava rock. Sandy beaches are the exception. La Lobelia beach is about a football field wide and offers a few sandy paths out into the protected cove. With snorkel gear on and having remembered to squirt some dish soap into my mask to prevent fogging, I stepped out to see what lay below the surface. In a small sandy area about 8 feet deep, there were about 10 truck tire size sea turtles swimming around! To the right were the largest school of striped hand sized fish that I have ever seen. I really could not see through them to the bottom. Great introduction to the marine life here!
This afternoon the plan was to go to a small volcanic crater lagoon about 10 miles from town. There is a public bus that travels this one main road on the island, but the station/stop was nowhere to be found. In NYC you hail a taxi, here you just look around as a lost and confused tourist and one will show up immediately. Elizando offered to take me out and wait for me to walk around the lake for a very reasonable sum. El Junco, as it is called, is about 2340 feet above sea level and is the only freshwater, or agua dulce (sweet water), lake in the Galapagos. Most of the time it is literally in the clouds, and today was no exception. In addition, the temperature started dropping to where it felt like I was back home hiking one of the Roan balds. When we arrived at the parking lot, Elizando insisted on accompanying me because, with the path obscured by the fog, I might get lost or fall off the path. In addition, if I disappeared under his watch, he would be in big trouble with the police. OK, we don’t need another foreign tourist disappearance story on the news. The path climbs steeply for a ways and then becomes stairs and could be rated moderately difficult. Elizando could be rated as overweight and out of shape, so I was thinking the news story might be reversed and I would be driving him back to town laid out in the back of his truck. Long story short, we made it around the lagoon without incident, stopping to talk often so he could catch his breath. Unfortunately, the lake was completely shrouded by the clouds. There is a rare Miconia forest that is being managed. Also, a dark moss that hangs everywhere.
Tomorrow I have booked what they bill as the 360 Tour. We will circumnavigate the island, stopping several times to snorkel, for beaches and have lunch. Looking forward to it!
2 Wheeled Wanderer 