An Evolutionary Experience

The Galapagos Isles

I'd been thinking about a trip to the Galapagos Isles for a while. By the time I reached Quito I'd had my arm twisted by Tamara and made the decision to go. With the current financial crisis, there were lots of last minute deals available and Dave from EOS Ecuador travel found us a cruise on the yacht Angelito I. We chose a five day cruise which would take us on a journey of discovery around the islands to the North.

Situated in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 km from the the coast of Ecuador, the 19 islands of the Galapagos and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. With three ocean currents converging, the Galapagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of finch that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.

The Galapagos Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. In June 2007 they were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger. This was due to the growing encroachment of invasive species, increasing human immigration, uncontrolled development of tourism, and the failure of various institutions and agencies to deal with these threats.

Invasive species are the greatest direct threat to the unique ecosystems of the Galapagos. People began introducing goats, pigs and cattle to the islands when they were first settled in the early 19th century. These, along with other domestic animals such as cats and dogs, have established wild populations and prey on, or compete aggressively with local species, driving some of them to extinction.


Today, a growing number of introduced plant and insect species, along with micro-organisms which cause disease, pose an increasing risk to Galapagos biodiversity, driving up the cost of managing them by eradication or permanent control. Increasing tourism and population growth in the Galapagos have been closely linked to the difficulty of keeping introduced species out of the islands.

Prince Charles and Camilla recently visited the islands to highlight the problems that exist there. A newspaper cartoon joked about his visit with the caption that no matter how many times he visits no action is taken.

Keeping the environment in mind we arrive early in the morning for the flight from Quito to the Galapagos, landing on the island of Baltra. With the US$100 park entrance fee paid our voyage of discovery would take us to the islands of Seymour Norte, Sombrero Chino, Bartolome, Genovesa, Santiago, Rabida and finally to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz.

A short cruise took us to Seymour Norte where we landed and took a walk around the island. The first thing that is immediately apparent is that the wildlife pays absolutely no attention to humans. They do not see humans as a threat. Unwittingly we had also arrived in the islands at one of the best times of the year, the mating season.


The blue footed boobies moved from foot to foot displaying their wings. The frigate birds puffed up their bright red throat pouch like a balloon and make mooing sounds to the females flying above. Meanwhile the sea lions laid on the beach paying no one any attention.


The next morning we board the landing craft before 8am for our visit to Sombrero Chino Island or China Hat. Crystal clear turquoise water with penguins on the lava crusted shore and sea lions on the beach.

Brightly coloured sally lightfoot crabs on the beach appeared to be quite shy and would scurry away quickly. Lava lizards and iguanas basked in the sunshine.

Without a cloud in the sky the temperatures were soaring, so it was back to the boat to get ready for some snorkeling. Warm clear water teaming with life, all sorts of colourful fish like Moorish Idols and Mexican Hogfish. An underwater camera might be a good idea but sometimes it's best not to look at everything through a lens.

Back on the boat it was time for lunch and then we were steaming for Bartolome Island. Frigate birds flew just above the boat's mast for much of the way.

From the beach to the south we could see black tipped reef sharks and on the beach tracks where turtles had climbed up to lay their eggs. Later when snorkeling on the north Beach we came very close to Galapagos sharks. Quite alarming to see in the water but not dangerous.

We climb up to the summit of an extinct volcano for a fantastic view over the island and the beaches.

After dinner the the crew raised the anchor and set sail for Genovesa Island, in the far North West of the archipelago. The rainy season runs from January to April which means calmer seas and warmer water, ideal for our needs. Rainy season? There wasn't a cloud in the sky but even so there was still a tint of green to the volcanic islands.

6am on he open top deck of the boat and Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island, the sun was just coming up on the tranquil surroundings.

It's always good to see boobies first thing in the morning and it was no exception with the Red Footed and Nazca varieties that were waiting for us near the beach where we landed.

As the day heated up we snorkeled again looking for Hammerhead sharks but unfortunately they were all hunting elsewhere. However snorkeling in the deep water next to the cliffs was an amazing experience.

Back on the island again later in the day, as the sun was going down, the Short- eared owl made an appearance. Coming out of it's nest in the lava to see what all the fuss was about.

The boat slipped out of Darwin Bay under cover of darkness on route for Santiago Island. A peaceful journey sitting out on deck looking at the sky with millions of stars in the darkness and the Milky Way visible from one horizon to the other.

Early mornings were a feature of this trip so it was no surprise to be on the beach at James Bay before my hearty breakfast had time to settle. Walking along the old lava flows that make up the shore line it was hard not to miss the marine iguanas sitting out in the sun warming up.

The snorkeling at James Bay was awesome, with sightings of a Manta Ray and schools of thousands of fish. Pelicans bobbing up and down in the water next to us. In flight they are pre-historic looking and with out too much imagination almost like a pterodactyl.

A brief stop at the Island of Rabida where we were luck to see a Galapagos Hawk and when snorkeling a sea lion swam past. Then another voyage across the ocean to to Santa Cruz Island.

The boat moored at Puerto Ayora, on the final night aboard, a sizable town of 2000 inhabitants. This meant beers ashore!

With sadness we left the boat for the last time to go ashore and visit the Charles Darwin Centre. Home to some Giant Tortoises and complete with a successful breeding program. Maybe 200,000 of these amazing creatures used to live in the Galapagos Islands having evolved into 14 sub-species. Now there are between 15,000 and 17,000. Sailors used to keep them for fresh meet on their boats, with them surviving for months being upturned on their backs.

11 subspecies survive now and this may soon be down to 10 if a mate for Lonesome George is not found. He is the last known tortoise of his sub-species and so far mating with other tortoises with a similar DNA has proved unsuccessful.

A break from the wildlife and a trip out of town to visit some lava tunnels. A series of tunnels 5 to 6 metres in diameter where lava once flowed from the volcano above. We visited this site independently and soon realized this was not where the tours would go. We signed in at the entrance and were given a key for the gate at the other end. The tunnels were pretty unusual and in numerous places the ceiling of the tunnel had collapsed with piles of rock blocking the path. We wondered just how often this happened and how many tourists have perished beneath the rocks...

Escaping unscathed, except for Tamara whose (all terrain) flip flop broke mid tunnel, we went to see more Tortoises at the El Chato Reserve. Walking through woodland seeing these mighty beasts in their natural habitat was one of the most memorable times of the trip. I had thought the reserve was enclosed but we get to the edge of the reserve and the tortoises were free to come and go. These were the only animals that didn't appear to like our presence. So not to alarm them it was good to keep a distance as they would make a hissing sound if we were too close. Evolution has taught them not to trust humans.

We made it to Turtle bay by late afternoon and swam in the sea and sat in the sun. The end of a trip of a life time (within the trip of a lifetime).

Adventures in Ecuador

Having given up the title of lonesome hobo, I continued you my travels with Tamara, in Ecuador.
Vilcabamba

After the challenging journey from Peru into Ecuador it was nice to spend a few days in Vilcabamba to relax. Going hiking and mountain biking. A small town with a large ex-pat population of mainly North Americans who arrived after photos of Vilcabamaba were published in The New York Times in the 1970's.

It´s known for it´s population of old people with many supposedly living to well over 100 years. The steady climate, beautiful surroundings and the mineral content in the water are all thought to be the cause. A poster advertising Vilcabamba shows an old man smoking a cigarette, mountains in the distance with the caption 'health and life', seems at odds to this.

Although very near the equator the climate was pleasant due to an altitude of 1800m. The road north to Cuenca stuck to the mountains and some very familiar looking countryside. Regimented plots of pine trees and open moorland reminded me of Scotland, later the rolling countryside could have been the Yorkshire Dales.

Ecuador has suffered from serious deforestation. The High Andes area we travelled through had only 1 to 2% of original forest remaining. The rate of deforestation in other areas is estimated at 300,000 hectares per year or around 3%, which is one of the highest rates in the world. The Amazonian areas are threatened by pollution from oil exploration.

The oil industry has been allowed to operate not only in national parks and reserves, but also in indigenous territories (This is the same for mining). Texaco spilled over 18 billion gallons of oil in the Ecuadorian Amazon during the 20 years it operated there and is responsible for a multi billion dollar toxic cleanup bill that affected communities and indigenous people have had to pursue this in the US courts since the Ecuadorian government was not interested in resolving this issue.

Cuenca

Cuenca was the first big city we visited in Ecuador. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Sight and it´s considered the cultural capital of Ecuador. It´s a great city to visit, very pretty, good museums, good museums and felt very safe. There was a level of sophistication in some of the bars that would not have been out of place in a Big European city, but with cheap prices.

Cuenca is the place to buy a 'Panama Hat'. Yes the origin of the Panama Hat is in Ecuador and Monticristi to be precise, however there were many hat makers in Cuenca. The hat was wrongly named after they were exported to Panama for the workers building the canal. They were liked for there hard wearing and durable qualities. The proper name is 'Sombrero de paja toquilla' in English Straw Hat, doesn´t sound so good.



The towns of Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Sig Sig are near to Cuenca and made a good day trip on Sunday when they have their markets. Very colourful and many indigenous people in traditional dress.

A Typical bus journey in Ecuador

The journey in question is from Cuenca to Baños, a short journey in South American terms, but requiring a change of bus in Riobamba.

In Ecuador, it´s not really necessary to book ahead for a bus ticket. Just turn up at the bus station and the bus companies will have somebody calling out destinations and in less than a minute a ticket will be in your hand.

Onto the bus, with luggage in the storage area beneath, get your seat quick because nobody pays much attention to seat numbers on the tickets. If a parent and kids have taken your seat it´s not really right to ask them to move. However it´s not unusual to be the only one on the bus as it leaves the bus station. The local people avoid paying the departure fee in the bus station and get on at the road outside.

The buses are a little different from home. There is a partition between the driver and conductor and the passengers. This leads to a generally stress free journey in that it´s much better not being able to see what is happening on the road ahead. The buses are the fastest vehicles on the road having to drive at seemingly breakneck speeds to keep to their schedules, overtaking everything in their way whether safe to do so or not. The conductor stows your luggage, sells tickets on the bus and yells out the destination to people on the street. On one bus the conductor only had one leg. He used a crutch as a false leg and jumped on and off the bus while it was moving and ran up and down the aisle collecting fares faster than I could have.

The bus stops regularity to pick people up and the aisle is often full of people standing. It´s not possible to go hungry on the bus as it´s always stopping to pick sellers of food and drink, all calling out their goods. The other non paying passenger is the salesman, often selling vitamin supplements and may be dressed to look like a doctor. He´ll get off a the edge of town then flags a bus down going the other way.

After an uneventful six hours we arrived at Riobamba. Before we reach the bus station the conductor tells us it´s time to get off. There are two bus stations in Riobamba, the bus wasn´t going to where we would get the bus to Baños. Had we sixth sense we´d have crossed the road and waited for the bus to Baños, however the conductor never thought to tell us this.

A taxi stopped and said it would cost $1 to take us to the bus station on the other side of town. That was cheap as it was quite a distance away. At the bus station we buy our tickets and waited in the bus office for half an hour until the bus left. The conductor of the bus was advertising the journey with the cry of Baños, Baños, Baños, Baños hardly distinguishable in his high pitched wail and only interrupted by a whistle when a pretty girl walked past.

The bus left at 4pm shortly after passing where we had been dropped off earlier and then past rolling countryside with patchwork quilt fields and old volcanoes. Beautiful countryside but nothing we hadn´t seen before. Baños, we´d been told, was in a spectacular setting. Rounding a corner our jaws dropped as Volcan Tungurahua comes into view towering above Baños at 5023m.

Safely across a bridge built to cross a man made gully to direct lava from the volcano above, we arrived in Baños.

Baños

Volcan Tungurahua burst back in to action in 1999 are a long period of rest. The 25,000 people of Baños were temporarily evacuated. Recent activity in December 2008 had covered the road from Riobamba with ash and it had only recently been reopened. Probably wise to check the volcano activity websites before hand, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.



Baños (meaning bath in English and pronounced banyos) unsurprisingly, with all the volcanic actively in the area, has numerous thermal bath houses. We got a taxi to a bath house just out side of town, beneath the volcano, we were the only tourists there sharing the waters with the friendly locals.

We walked in the hills below the volcano, along little paths, through forest, past fields and to a ridge opposite the volcano. We could only imagine what was happening in the cloud that shrouded it. All was quiet so there was time to stop for lunch.

Ecuador is described as having ´super biodiversity´we saw many beautiful butterflies, birds and during this walk a tarantula spider battling with a big fly on the path in front of us.

Off the Gringo Trail, again

Wandering off the gringo trail again, we find ourselves in Guaranda on route for Salinas. We didn´t spot any our backpackers or tourists in Guaranda. We did see a lot of locals stopping to stare at us though. I think we were an unusual sight. There´s not to much for the tourist but it was a fine city with buildings made from adobe brick (mud, shit straw and stone). all painted bright colours. Walking the streets we found our selves in a little shop full of old fashioned leather suitcases, moulds for making shoes, boxing cloves and an ancient, wrinkled bespectacled shop keeper. It was like walking into a time warp.

Tamara had suggested going to Salinas. It´s a very small town about an hour from Guaranda situated in rolling green countryside much like parts of England. I soon discovered Tamara´s reason for wanting to come here, there was a chocolate factory, a cheese factory and a few artisan shops. The chocolate and cheese were good!

Quilatoa Loop

The journey round the Quilatoa Loop starts and finishes in Latacunga, with 200km of bumpy roads and incredible scenery in between. From Latacunga the road winds it's way up to the Quilatoa crater at 3800m above sea level. We arrived at the crater in thick cloud and checked into one of the basic hostels. The important things here were plenty of blankets and a wood burning stove, it was very cold and damp.


The plan was to walk from the crater to the town of Chugchilan 14km away. This is described as one of the best one day walks in Ecuador. Armed with 2 differing descriptions of the walk but no map we were just a little apprehensive about setting off. We joined up with Rachel and Ricky, an English couple, so we would have 4 opinions on the right way to go.



The crater is huge, it takes 6 hours to walk round it and an hour to walk up from the lake within it. One set of instructions told us to walk round the crater to the 2nd sandy spot and turn left by the large rock, the other said to walk to the 3rd sandy spot and turn left by the stone cairn. We counted about 5 sandy spots before finding the cairn. Walking round with patchwork quilt fields to one side, the craggy crater edge and lake below.


The path wound it's way through fertile fields finally coming to gorge that separated us from our destination. Climbing down the little path we come to a small river with a log bridge. The path downstream had been taken out by a landslide so the log bridge it was. Climbing up to Chugchilan was hard work in the thin air.

As usual in many areas of South America the litter in scenic areas is a problem. This is not from gringos but caused by many South American tourists who seem to have no concept of littering. Sweet wrappers, 2 litre soft drink bottles, it makes no difference, dropped while walking or thrown out of the window of a bus. We try to make a difference and fill a carrier bag with litter but feared within a week it would be back to the same. Reaching the town of Chugchillan the problem got much worse. School children were walking home, litter all around. There are much worse problems in South America but surely an easy lesson for the children to be taught at school.

The next day we were up at 5am to get the bus to Saquisili. Part of this journey was on the school bus which soon overloaded with children. They climbed onto the roof when the bus was full. Saquisili was the last stop on the loop. We managed to time it right and arrive on a Thursday which was market day. There are several large markets in the town; livestock, food, including guinea pigs and floppy eared rabbits.



We buy some weavings from the market traders. There are not too many tourists that pass through this way and they were very appreciative of our purchases, one woman kissed the money, kissed Tamara and blessed us both.

Quito

We had read that Ecuador was experiencing a serious crime wave and that the government was trying to step up security with extra police. The areas we´d travelled through so far were mainly small or off the tourist trail. Quito we´d heard was dangerous and it wins hands down when it come to stories of robberies of fellow travelers. It was however a necessary stop on the way North and where we were to book our trip to the Galapagos Islands. (See separate blog)

Warnings that it is only safe to walk in the new town until 7pm and the old town until 10pm made me a little paranoid. Apart form the new town the city streets went deathly quiet after dark. Nobody walks anywhere but there are thousands of yellow taxi´s on the streets. We were lucky though and had no problems.

I fell sick with travellers belly after returning from the Galapagos Islands and spent a week recovering, managing to make it out to see a 1 or 2 museums when feeling a bit better.

The Equator lies 20km North of Quito. Mitad del Mundo or Middle of the World monument was built on the spot where Frenchman Charles-Marie de la Condamine determined to be the equator in 1736. There is also a crappy theme park there.

The actual equator, measured by GPS, is 200m away and is where the fun Inti-ñan Museum is situated. Here the following 'scientific facts' are demonstrated: you weigh less, it´s easier to balance things and water drains straight down the plug hole, the last being of most interest.

A sink of water is drained into a bucket beneath. The exercise is repeated and it can clearly be seen that water drains clockwise south of the equator and anticlockwise north of the equator.



I could have spent longer in Ecuador, but time was running short and Colombia was beckoning.