On Sunday afternoon, we made our way to Santiago Island where we walked on lava rocks along the shore. Here we had our first experience with marine iguanas – Darwin called these creatures “imps of darkness” as he’d never seen anything quite like them before. We also saw a few sea lions taking a nap in the afternoon sun.
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On Sunday morning, we visited Bartholomew Island, one of the smallest and youngest islands of the Galapagos. The island is clearly volcanic with evidence of collapsed lava tubes. It also had beautiful views of Santiago (James) Island.
We then took the zodiac to a nearby beach and enjoyed some snorkeling and more wildlife. The snorkeling was great – the water was a bit cold, but very calm and we saw tons of fish, including sharks!
We also got to witness an event that does not often occur during the day – some baby sea turtles hatched from their nest and made a brave effort to make their way down the beach to the water. Usually this occurs at night when the sun has set and temperatures are much cooler. Sadly, only one of the baby tortoises made it to the ocean – the others perished on the hot sand and were scooped up by some looming birds. It was heart wrenching to watch the little turtles struggle to survive, but we could not interfere – nature must take its course.
Vegetation just starting to develop on the volcanic land…
View of Santiago Island
Baby sea turtles waiting in their nest until dark to make their way to the ocean.
This baby turtle tries to make it to the ocean during the day…
The unforgiving sun and hot temperature are too much for the baby turtle…a looming bird swoops down and takes the turtle.
Frigate birds looming to snatch up the baby turtles.
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On the afternoon of our arrival, we stopped at Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island and walked around for a few hours enjoying the beautiful scenery of this volcanic island.
These bright red crabs greeted us when we arrived at Dragon Hill.
This is what much of the landscape looks like…but if you look closer…
…you can see marine iguanas blending into the rocks.
This is a land iguana basking in the sun.
As day turned to dusk, we headed back to the boat.
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On Saturday, we flew to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands to board our cruise ship – this involved donning a life jacket and taking a zodiac to the boat.
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After a very long day of travel, we finally arrived in Quito, Ecuador – we stayed only about 12 hours before departing for the Galapagos, but had time to go to the town square to see the Presidential Palace. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was quite beautiful with stunning historical buildings.
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It’s hard to believe we’ll be on a flight to Ecuador in exactly a week!
Here’s what our itinerary looks like…
May 14
Arrive in Quito, Ecuador
May 15
Fly to the Galapagos Islands to begin our cruise.
May 15 to 19
Explore Galapagos Islands
May 20 to 21
Arrive in Cusco, Peru. Explore Cusco and acclimate to altitude before heading to Machu Picchu.
May 22
Take train to Machu Picchu and explore city ruins. Stay at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel located adjacent to the ruins.
May 23
Hike Huayna Picchu (we hope!) and then take the train back to Cusco.
May 24
Explore more of Cusco
May 25
Fly to Iquitos, Peru to begin our cruise along the Amazon.
May 25 to 29
Explore the Amazon on this boat -
And check out the chef!
Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, Executive Chef on the M/V Aqua, will oversees the M/V Aqua menus and restaurant operations, focusing on fresh, delicious Peruvian fare, paired with fine South American wines. Schiaffino is owner of Lima’s renowned Malabar Restaurant, and previously made his international reputation at La Huaca Pucllana, where his superb nouveau-Andean fare resulted in an invitation to become a featured chef at the James Beard House in New York City. Schiaffino studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York, and did Master’s level work at the Italian Culinary Institute. While in Italy, he also honed his skills at the Michelin three-star Ristorante dal Pescatore, under renowned chef Nadia Santini and at Piero Bertinotti’s celebrated Ristorante Pinocchio.
May 29
Take a red-eye back to NY.
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