Santa Cruz

Floor of lava tunnel

Giant Tortoise hissing at us!

Entering lava tunnel

March 6 2015

Santa Cruz

 This island is the main tourist area with the airport. The shops are more plentiful and more expensive. Again there are water taxis to take you to and from the boat. All the crew members are enjoying some independence. There are also a number of crew changes being made here as there is relatively good flight coverage. (It is going to be a 36 hour trip for Barb.) Some are flying home to see family or take care of business. Others are joining to help with the next 3 week passage. Another boat, Libby, has joined the fleet from California. The captain, Terry, was originally from Toronto.

On Thurs we did a bus tour of the highlands. This is a newer volcanic island and we travelled to the highest point for a wonderful view of it and many of the surrounding islands. We hiked through a lava tunnel which was interesting, as well as dark, wet and long. We visited a coffee and cane sugar farm that showed the traditional methods and sold organic coffee and some pretty rough rum.

The giant tortoises were living in the area around where we stopped for lunch and it was easy to enjoy seeing many of them.

In the evening most got together to celebrate Jesse’s (on Om) birthday. There has been no lack of chances to visit, drink and eat ashore.

There is a large Darwin research station here as well as another turtle breeding centre. There is a lot of work being done to remove introduced and invasive plants and animals and keep the unique ones alive. We have made a short visit but will return. This am they helped arrange a skype session between them and some schools back home. The Shanks’ daughter’s classroom is one of those participating. Rob and I are awaiting a much needed fuel barge. There is a school visit this afternoon that I will attend. We are here on a tourist visa and found out that it does not allow you to do any volunteering which is a different visa.

On Sat we are taking a 2 hour hired boat trip to Isabela Island where you can see the penquins and flamingos. I’m just listening to a weather warning about high winds for the next few days. Hope our anchor is well set for leaving the boat. It would be great to have the wind stay for the days starting the 10^th when we leave. We are starting on those plans.