7-22 Day 4 in the Galapagos

7:15 AM

I find that I am at a complete loss for the date. I asked Yus last night when we were at the grocery store getting snacks for our trek up the volcano. He didn't know either. Last night we has "Table Steak" for dinner, we weren't alone though because a group of around 40 high school were here with us. The steak was weird looking. It looked like it has eyes. Afterwards my fellow travelers taught me a game called 31. You only use the cards 7-Ace and the point is to get all suited or 3 of a kind. The best is Ace and 2 face cards suited for 31 points. Three of a kind is 30.5 pts, and then you add up your points for suited only, the point is to not lose. The loser puts a chip in the middle. Then the first one out is the donkey. and he keeps playing until knocked out a second time. The 2nd person out is out, and does not get a second go round. It is a fun game, winner takes all.

This morning I woke up refreshed. Last night I was able to get some aloe from Larry because my neck was burned, and I was able to sleep my best yet. This morning I was even lucky enough to have a good shower because I managed to score some hot water. Not an easy task here.

Today we will go to the volcano, I am told it is the second largest caldera in the world. It is a bit windy though and over cast. So it could be tough to see much. In the first 2 days I have taken over 100 pictures. I just hope I don't run out of space on the camera. Our journey will start with a bus ride of 1 hour, then it is horseback and another 45 minutes hike to the top, on the way back we stop for bbq chicken and mashed potatoes, today will be a good day.

Some time between 8 and 9 am
We are on a bus to the volcano base and it is amazing how the vegetation gets much more dense as we climb higher. It is quite amazing how quickly we go from barren land to fields to rain forest.

12:15 pm
The horse was not bad, Yus's horse went down, and they had to give him another. Right now I am on the peak of one of the craters on Sierra Negra. Two people we met up with recommended a BBC special on the Galapagos. The whole ride up we got wet riding up into the cloud cover. Two hours on horseback and then 45 minutes hike across the center of the crater. There are many different lava here. The black lava in the crater was 3 yrs old, and there is lava closer to the peak that is 30 yrs old. They say evolution killed some Land Iguanas because they were caught in the lava flow here. Now they no longer live here.

The crater name is "Por Con Chico"

Walking across the crater, it looks like what I picture the moon to be. Barren cratered nothingness covered by lava rocks that are both sharp and brittle, we even got to see some steam vents.

approx 3:00 pm
On the way back from the crater, Larry's horse slipped and fell, he fell of hurting his shoulder, but appears to be ok. I thought the ride back was more dangerous because the roads were wet and muddy.

After the ride we stopped for lunch at the tortoise farm for BBQ. The food was really good, but we were swarmed by fly all during dinner. We had more fruit for dessert as well.