Photos from Isabela

After we finished our tour, Jenn and I decided to extend our trip. We spent another day in Puerto Ayora. With the assistance of our new friend, Dario, we found a local hang out spot: Las Grietas, a hidden gorge with a large salt water pool for swimming. The next day we took a boat to the largest island in the Galapagos, Isabela. Besides visiting a couple of lagoons with flamingos and another giant tortoise breeding center (these are getting a little old now), we also took a horseback ride to visit Volcan Sierra Negra and did some kayaking at the Tintoreras.

Volcan Sierra Negra is the world´s second largest volcanic crater. It erupted last year so most of the bottom was a new black lava field, but around one edge there was still some lush green foilage. My horse was Macando, which I thought was fitting since I just finished reading A Hundred Years of Solitude. In that book, Macando is the name of the city that remains hidden from outside influences and death for several lifetimes only to later be exploited by gringos, enjoy a brief moment of prosperity, and, eventually, to be abandoned.

To get to the Tintoreras, we launched our kayaks off the longest beach in the Galapagos and kayaked past the fishing boats temporarily captained by sea lions and a rocky area where penguins hang out.

The Tintoreras is a shallow canal where about thirty or so large white-tipped sharks hang out to eat. We couldn´t swim in the canal, but we snorkeled near its entrance. There were still a lot of sharks in this area. It was pretty cool seeing such a large concentration of sharks in one area. That night we walked along the beach under the nearly full moon and enjoyed a couple of drinks at the beachside bar, Betos.

The next morning, we caught a breathtaking sunrise before catching the only boat back to Puerto Ayora. I missed my scubadiving appointment, so Jenn and I went to Turtle Bay to catch some rays and do some (more) snorkeling. While sunbathing under a tree, Jenn got shat on (twice) by the famous Darwin finches. The second time it was minutes after she had switched me places. =) That night we had a sub-par sushi dinner at the Red Mangrove before meeting friends at Cafe Limon.

On my last full day in the Galapagos, I went scubadiving at Masquera and Seymor Norte. Both were beautiful dives with loads of fish. I also saw a lot of moray eels, a garden eel, a school of spotted rays, and, from a distance, one hammerhead shark. In the afternoon, Jenn and I walked around town and watched the sunset from the Darwin Center beach. We headed down the Malecon to watch the even more impressive moonrise. We spent our last night, surprise, at Cafe Limon. It was a slow ending to what has been one of the most amazing trips of my life.