A Romance with Santa Cruz
Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz
As our first landing on Santa Cruz from the airport, we got to cut through the heart of the island on our way to the Isabela ferry - but it was not until we arrived here from Isabela that we got to see the vibrant community on it. With 13 major islands and 7 smaller islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago, Santa Cruz is the most populated (and only 3 islands are inhabited with people). Puerto Ayora is a vibrant, bustling town of shops and boutique restaurants and hotels. Walking through it, one is convinced that living on the Galapagos would not be such a remote or lonely experience. As we strolled the streets, we sipped on hot chocolate and my very first Galapagos roasted coffee (fantastic!). The Darwin Research Center was a beautiful introduction to the conservation projects that are supported by the organization, and the highlands were an almost tropical escape. It was on this island that we met new friends, Dominque, Nina, and Nathan, who were to accompany us on our cruise. We were around the same age, and we joked that we were to be seated at the kids table together. The cruise that was leaving the port that night was going to be an incredible experience - one that is fortified when you meet fun and interesting people. We are so thankful to have met them, as they too were travelers to new and different shores like us! And now we have a place to stay in Switzerland! ;)
Greatest Moment: The highlands of Santa Cruz were spectacular. It was the only landscape that was green and lush compared to the landscapes on all other islands. Its towering trees were wrapped in ivy, and its leaves were enough to wrap yourself in like a blanket. Banana trees lined the roads and properties, and tortoises roamed so freely that they scattered the ground like moving rocks and boulders. We went into the highlands to meet with our tour group, have lunch at an incredible restaurant, and walk around Chato Tortoise Reserve. We walked around this modern yet rustic restaurant, sipping on sweet coconut milk, and met our first wild tortoise that was slowly strolling along the driveway. We had to check our excitement, walking instead of running up to the tortoise. Though our distance was within respectable measure, it still hissed at us and brought its legs and head in. It was the first time I heard the tortoise hiss, and it sounded much like letting air out of a bike tire.
Worst Moment: Before we arrived to Santa Cruz, we walked around the ferry on Isabela for an hour before it departed. Here we did a mini photo shoot with all the languid sea lions and marine iguanas, and walked along a trail of man groves. Within these intricately rooted trees, sea lion families were nesting. Not far from one family was a baby sea lion that was dying. I will not go into detail of how this little guy looked, but it was an image of weakness, destitution, and heartbreaking innocence. Retrospectively, we saw death alongside life on all of the islands we went to, and though an expected and accepted reality to the tour guides, it was hard to see. This particular moment stood out to me the most, as this sea lion was abandoned by its family due to human interaction. This is such a painful example, that though we are able to access such remote and wild creatures, it is still at a cost to them. Do not go to the Galapagos unless you are ready to appreciate all the wildlife from a distance, and accept that you are the passing visitor in the grand scheme of it all. I share this with you because no animal, humans included, should leave this world without notice and love. I have nothing but love for him, and am thankful to have him in my memory.
Lesson Learned: At the Darwin Research Center we saw the many conservation projects going on, for the landscape as well as for the animals. There are many programs centered around replanting many cacti seedlings, by planting these native plants with biodegradable pots that help water absorption and retention. The flycatcher bird is also a large project going on, as they work to incubate the birds in captivity and release them back into the wild. The Darwin Center also had a tortoise breeding center, and we learned further on their habits on Santa Cruz island. One particular tid-bit that was interesting is that there is a great route that they take every year. They eat and nurture themselves in the Santa Cruz highlands, where they also mate. To lay their eggs, they walk for 6 months to an arid region near the base of a volcano, that has the right temperature in the soil for them to lay their eggs. Once laid, they abandon them and over the next 6 months walk back to the highlands to eat and mate some more. As I explained before, these eggs will not survive unless the breeding centers collect them.
Cultural Insight: Their night market is where you need to go for authentic Ecuadorian food!! Like I said, it was hard to come by on the islands, as many bars and restaurants were quite Americanized. But here you walk by so many street side stands with lobster and fish on display. We had dinner here twice, and the food was incredible. Ecuadorian food is largely a meat - whether it is sea food or carne asada - with a plate of hominey beans, corn, a slab of queso, plantains, fried potatoes. Jamie had a shrimp coconut curry sauce over a fish, which turned out to be delightful. I stuck with vegetarian most nights, which was so amazing, with on occasion the carne asada!
