গালাপাগোছ দ্বীপপুঞ্জৰ উদ্ভিদ আৰু প্ৰাণী

I am totally blown away by this completely different world here. The nature is so incredible and the animals fascinate me. The birds and the sea lions have no fear of humans, and the huge black iguanas just lie around on the beach all day while people sunbathe. Every morning at 7 there is a big fish market here in Santa Cruz, where the locals sell fresh fish. The big pelicans stand right next to the sellers and fish for the leftovers that are thrown to them. A big sea lion is also a welcome guest, as it keeps the pelicans in check if they get too cheeky.

Yesterday, with my host Diego, I went to a lagoon made entirely of lava stone. The water there was crystal clear and fish over a meter long swam in it. We snorkeled and carefully climbed over the rocks, observed water iguanas, and then went to the beach. After lunch and a huge Magnum White, Diego went home and wanted to sleep. I have noticed that he is a lazy person. I took the opportunity and went alone to the most beautiful beach in Santa Cruz - Tortuga Bay. After 2.5km in the blazing sun, I reached the beach and immediately realized that every meter had been worth it. The sand was the softest and whitest I have ever felt between my toes in my life. The beach stretches for about 5km and the water is azure blue. There are black iguanas everywhere, and due to its remoteness, there were only about 7 other people there. If you walk a bit further, you will come to a lagoon, which is sheltered between mangroves. It was simply fantastic. Even small hammerhead sharks swim there.

The next day, I decided to take the bus to the 2nd longest lava tunnels in South America. Just finding the bus was a challenge because hardly anyone among the locals speaks a word of English. I drove for about 15 minutes and reached the end of the bus route. There I met a very old man who lives secluded near the tunnels. He led me to the entrance and told me about his time in Iraq. Los Tunneles de Bellavista is obviously not a very well-known attraction here, as I was the only one and walked through the endless, about 20m high lava tunnel in complete darkness. Luckily I have a flashlight on my cellphone! There was no other visitor there, and at the end of the tunnel, I was happy to see daylight and the lush nature. It was very impressive. On the way back, a friendly, also elderly man in his van stopped and asked me if he should take me to Puerto Ayora. Of course, I didn't say no, because 30°C and the blazing sun were getting to me. Arriving in the harbor town, I had lunch and then walked back to the beautiful Tortuga Beach. There I enjoyed the rest of the day among iguanas and the sound of the sea.

On Sunday, I took a small boat to Isabela Island for about 2 hours. Time can be incredibly long when about half of the passengers get seasick... finally arrived, I was picked up by a tour guide and taken to the hostel. There, I dropped off my things and grabbed my swimsuit. I walked a path about 2 km to a turtle breeding station. It was very impressive to see turtles of all ages and sizes up close. After lunch, we went back on the boat, and not 300m away, I experienced pure nature. I saw the famous blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and bright red crabs, as well as giant iguanas right on the rocks. I almost stepped on one because they are as black as the island's lava stone. The guide told a lot about life on the island and the diverse wildlife that lives here in close proximity to humans without any fear because the residents respect the wildlife and consider their habitat. In general, I noticed how incredibly connected to nature the Galapageños are. The guide gave me a snorkel and goggles and I was allowed to snorkel with the giant turtles in the water. THAT was simply amazing! Penguins dived next to me for sardines, and all I had to do was reach out my fingers and I could touch their smooth feathers. Madness! Back at the hostel, there was a smell of freshly baked muffins and cakes, and I didn't have to ask long before I was allowed to try them. Easter is celebrated here on the islands with all sorts of fresh pastries, and I tried out all the cookies, brownies, and crepes I could find 😊

The second day on Isabela started at 6 am in the morning. After breakfast, I took the bus to Volcan Chico, the second largest volcanic crater in the world. It is over 10km wide. Based on my experience in the Colca Canyon with Mama, I decided to do the trekking tour. That means hiking up 8km and then down 8km, in between walking over lava fields and admiring the surreal landscape. We even saw little mini craters where you could feel the heat of the flowing lava below. After that, I was pretty exhausted and after another 2-hour boat ride with rough seas, I was ready for bed. However, a friend I met at the airport still dragged me to the supermarket and we enjoyed a cool cola on the beach, watching the seals and pelicans.

Tuesday Bartolomé:

The island is reached after a 3-hour boat ride. It was created from volcanic rock and there are no people living on it. We walked up a small hill and had a nice view of the island. Then we went snorkeling at the nearby island of Santiago. Again, I dived with penguins and many colorful fish. On the ship, I had a wonderful lunch that was freshly cooked there. For dessert, there was a crazy combination of coconut cream and delicious ice cream. Fully stuffed, we started the return journey. It was raining on land, but there was bright sunshine on the sea. On the way, we saw a tiger shark from the boat.

I would say that the Galapagos Islands have given me a different picture of people's lives in close connection with nature, and I would have liked to stay longer. Tomorrow, I'm heading to the airport and on to the capital city of Ecuador - Quito. I'm already excited to meet my Couchsurfing friend Adriana tomorrow.

Pictures will follow soon 😃