7-27 Day 9 in Ecuador and the Galapagos

7:15 am

Back from North Seymour Island a 6:00 am wake up. I slept from around 9:30 pm until our wake up this morning. We went to North Seymour Island. On the island we saw the Great Frigate Bird, Pelicans, Swallow Tale Gulls, Nesting Frigates looking for mates, A few Land Iguanas that were apparently transferred here by scientists when building the airport on Baltra during WWII, nesting Boobies whose babies are born a few days apart and often one will eat their fill before the second, and leave nothing for the second younger one to eat, effectively killing him, usually just the older one survives, and lastly there are Pelicans. Now we head to Baltra where I intend to do a little shopping before we depart, we should have ample time for that. I must go finish packing now.

12:06 pm

On the plane now, we should hit Quito at roughly 4pm local time. So this morning we left the boat around 8ish for the airport. I remember looking back and knowing this trip will stay with me. When we got there, they had put me on 1:30 flight while most of my group was on that flight, it just wouldn’t do for me. So I told them I had a connecting Flight in Quito that required me to be on the earlier flight. I do so in hopes of getting back in time for a quick tour of the old city. We’ll see if my driver remembers. After checking in, I did a little shopping and bought another t-shirt because I think I am all out of clean ones. I do have a tank top, but we’ll see. Last night it must have been that I was used to the motor, because I slept like a baby from around 9:30 until 6:00 am, so refreshing. My only complaint is that it feels like all you do is travel, fly there, overnight boat here, dinghy there, but I guess I expected that. The airport on Baltra was interesting. It was built by the US Air Force during World War II, probably for the Japanese front, but I will need to do more research about that to confirm. The Land Iguanas we found on North Seymour were actually originally from Baltra, but were moved by scientists and servicemen as the airport was built. At the airport, I also picked up a cool map of the island and a little pipe as well as a polo shirt for the Galapagos National Park.

This is crazy, but as I am writing this in my journal, the woman in front of me is bouncing up and down in her chair, and telling me to stop shaking her chair. Honestly now, we are all in here together and I tell her all I am doing is writing in my journal. She stops, and I begin to write again and all of a sudden she starts up again, at this point, a little annoyed, I “politely” remind her that she is not the only one on the plane, and that I am not going to stop writing because it shakes her chair too much.

Looks like they are about to serve lunch, so I will write more in Quito. Last count on the boat:

5 Danes
1 Swede
3 from Michigan
1 Kiwi
1 Brit
And me

Things to look up and learn about – Stadiums in Quito.

6:00 pm (approximately)

I got to the hotel an hour ago, changed and checked my email. On the way from the airport to the hotel, I met up with a couple from San Diego. They are going to meet me here shortly and we are going to get some dinner at a cafe with some great views. Their names are George and Lata. Tomorrow is another early wake up 5:00 am. I need to be up and out for my flight. I can hardly believe this is my last day. Unfortunately I lack the time to really see Quito, but hopefully I will have the opportunity to come back. Quito is quite a bit cooler than the islands and feels like almost a difference of 10-15 degrees. I am looking forward to two things… Jane and a hot shower.

8:54 pm

Things to look up:
The Basilica
Plaza Grande
The Virgin Mary

There is a family here at the hotel getting ready to head to the Galapagos, so I told them about Lonesome George and assured them that is a trip they will not soon forget. So I am back where I started, a nice English looking hotel, Brownie was in the court yard, the owners, husband and wife, are having dinner chatting away with the dinner guests.

George and Lata are great, they are friends of 7 years and met in Boston, but now live in San Diego. He is a pediatrician, she is an anesthesiologist.

We had dinner at a restaurant that looked over much if Quito. After dinner we decided to tale a quick drive around the old city. We saw the Basilica, Plaza Grande where the president lives. Apparently you can make an appointment with El Prisdente to talk. Imagine if that were the case in the U.S.? From there we drove up to the Virgin Mary. You can climb up inside of it, kind of like the Statue of Liberty. I must do a little research on these. They seem so interesting. So for now, I will enjoy a hot shower. I hope. And so to bed for my 5:00 am wake up. I did take some photos of the city from the restaurant where I had a great churasco steak, fried egg, and these potato cakes that were quite good. Ironically, the place was mostly Greek and American food, so the closest thing to Ecuadorian food is what I ordered. Well, shower time.

9:47 pm

OK so I think I may have officially used all of the hotel’s hot water. Oh to have a proper shower. It is nice to be really clean… Now I am off to bed. Zzzzzzzzz.