The Galapagos Islands - Day 1

This is on almost everyone's bucket list.  Lately, I've seen more marketing on Galapagos cruises than anything I've seen.  Is it worth that much hype?  We'll see.

After a partly-failed cruise in Antartica (due to COVID-19), Hurtigruten offered the passengers either a small cash refund or a generous credit towards a future expedition cruise.  When I received an email for a sale on Hurtigruten's cruises to the Galapagos I checked and see if I could apply that credit.  A cruise like this would regularly cost about $10,000 and more, when added in a single supplement.  It did and I was able to book a cruise for a very substantial discount.

I was scheduled to fly to Quito on July 4, 2022.  As the date gets closer there were political protests in Ecuador.  I thought the cruise might be cancelled.  In fact, I think many passengers cancelled because there were only 27 passengers for a 90-passenger capacity ship.  The ship, Santa Cruz II (SC II), is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Touring Company, a local Ecuadorian company.  Metropolitan runs the cruise under the Hurtigruten name.

Santa Cruz II

This was advertised as a 9-day cruise but we were on the ship for only 6 nights.  It takes half a day to travel from Quito to Guayaquil to Baltra on the first day and we left early on the last day.  So technically we only had 5 1/2 days of activities among the islands.

The Galapagos Islands Map
By Daniel Feher   freeworldmaps.net 

Day 1:  Friday

We landed at the Baltra Airport at about 1pm.  On the map above, Baltra Island is a small island that is just north of Santa Cruz Island.  We were taken to the dock where we boarded Zodiac boats to go on board the Santa Cruz II.  

Boarding the LATAM flight in Quito

Arriving at the Seymour Airport in Baltra

Going through Airport Processing upon arrival

Boarding the Zodiacs to go the SC II

We were shown our cabins once we got on board the ship.  Originally, I was assigned to Cabin 102 but with so few people on board, I was given Cabin 111.  The cabin, which normally sleeps 2, is quite sizable. The bathroom and shower is big enough to comfortably move around.

Nice size bed

Cabin, looking in

Bathroom

Shower

 We were given a quick briefing and were told we'll have a landing later that afternoon.  There are two types of landing:  wet and dry.  Wet landing means you will get your feet and lower legs wet.  You can either get in the water bare-footed or wear wettable wear.  Dry landing means you won't get wet at all.  They usually give us a heads whether it's a wet or dry landing.

To keep track of the passengers the ship have a board where you check in or out.  You move a magnetic button to the right (lighter shade) when you check out.  When you come back, you move it back to the left.

Check-in check-out Board

The ship has some nice amenities:  Washer and dryer, jacuzzi, library, outdoor deck, and bar.  It was difficult to find your way around the ship the first couple of days.

Back of the ship.  Trying out flippers for snorkeling

Outdoor deck, next to the bar

Coffee machine in the Library

Library, for meetings and to relax

Washer and Dryer

At about 4pm we were ready for our first landing on Mosquera Islet, a small island between Baltra and North Seymour.  The island is a long and narrow sandbank surrounded by lava reefs.  They divided our big group into small groups of 5-8 people.  Each group is accompanied by a Naturalist Guide, and sometimes an assistant.  Each Zodiac boat is driven by a full-time sailor.  We all have to wear life-jackets when we get on the Zodiacs.  Getting on and off is carefully and safely done, as a few of us are well into our 70s'.  There were probably about 8 Naturalist Guides for all of us, an unusual high ratio.  All our Naturalist Guides are four-year university graduates and have gone through rigorous training.  We were told that among Ecuadorian kids, a popular career aspirations is to be a Naturalist Guide in the Galapagos.

Posing with the sea lion

A protected red crab

A happy sea lion, abundant on this islet

After we returned to the SC II, we had a quick briefing at 7pm next to the bar.  Why the bar?  Perhaps some passengers like to get a before-dinner drink and relax outside on the deck after a tough day.  The briefing usually talks about the next day's expedition plus some kind of ecological talk about the Galapagos Islands.  It is conducted by the Expedition Team, which includes all the Naturalists.  It is led by a gentleman named Esteban, who does on the assignments.  Some of the Naturalist name I remember are Franklin, Gustavo, Fatima, Vanessa (2), Veronica.  There is another Naturalist guide who mostly accompany the 4-6 German speaking passengers.

Dinner is in the dining room down at the lower level.  We were served restaurant-quality 3-course dinners with complimentary wine or beer.  There are choices of meat or fish or vegetarian.  We usually pick our next meal from a menu shown on a tablet by the server.  Breakfast is buffet-style.  We usually sit at the same table but you are allowed to move around to sit with other passengers.  I usually sit with another Chinese couple, who happened to be from Gilbert, AZ.  

Cotopaxi

Our first day on the official Hurtigruten cruise is a visit to Cotopaxi.  You can see Cotopaxi from Quito, a majestic ice-capped volcano rising out of the plains of Ecuador.  It rises to a heigh of 5,897m or 19,347ft.  It is one of many volcanoes around the Quito area.  There are a total of 47 volcanoes in Ecuador, with 15 in the Galapagos Islands.

Volcanoes around Quito, from the Teleferico top

Not all who signed up for the cruise came on this trip.  Some just arrived the night before and had trouble adjusting to the almost 10,000ft elevation.  They put us on a mini-bus and first drove us to a local market to get a sample of what they sell at the market.  

A couple of fish sellers having a good time

Don't understand why they bundle crabs like this

Octopus, probably for Ceviche

Pig's Heads seems to be popular here

After the market visit we drove towards Cotopaxi.  It was a clear day so we could see the mountain from far.  

View from the Visitors' Center

What to see in the Cotopaxi National Park

We drove inside the park towards an area where we could take a short hike around a lake.  Here you get a much better view of the volcano.

Alighting from the bus for a short hike

View from near the lake

Hiking around the lake with a view of the volcano

After the visit to Cotopaxi National Park we were taken to a Hacienda for a very nice lunch.  A Hacienda is kind of like a ranch with lodging.  The food and service were excellent.

Menu at the Hacienda

Octopus Salad

The surprise came after the lunch.  We were to expect some surprise visitors.  We waited for about a minute and all of a sudden a herd of about a dozen llamas rushed into the courtyard.  We were given baskets of carrots to feed them.  Everyone was laughing with joy.  The llamas are such gentle animals.  They glad come to you for their food.

Llama and I

Feeding a llama

Our day ended with a supposedly one-hour drive back to Quito.  Unfortunately, on the way there was a stoppage on the highway.  We were right in front of it.  It took us a while to figure out what was going on.  Apparently, a truck on the side of the road had a flat tire or blew out one of its tires.  The driver did not have a jack or the right jack.  So a bigger truck used cables to pull the truck off its side so that the driver can change the tires.  This went on for more than an hour causing a very long traffic jam.  Everyone on both sides of the highway was curious as to what was going and came to look.  All this time not one police car came to direct traffic or offer help.  I guess they don't have tow trucks or any car of vehicle assistance in Ecuador.  

We ended the day with a very nice dinner at the JW Marriott Hotel in Quito.  

Quito

My plan for the first day in Quito was to explore the Historical Downtown area, an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.  First, I want to chat with the concierge, Fernando, to get some ideas.  He gave me a map and told me where to go.  Like any Spanish colonial city, every important building revolves around the main square.  In the case of Quito it's the Plaza Grande o de la Independencia.  Fernando told me the first stop should be the Palacio Arzobispal.  This is where the Archbishop of Quito resides and works.  

The second question I asked was "how do I get there?"  The travel desk at the hotel, a separate company. would gladly provide me with a taxi but at a fairly steep price.  $10, I think, for the ride downtown.  If I walk down the ramp of the hotel to the street and hail my own taxi, it'd probably cost less than $5.  If I take a tram it'd costs less than $1.  I told them I want to walk there.  Everyone told me it's too far to walk. Google Map said it'd take about 50 minutes.  

So I walked.  I have time.  I enjoy walking because I can a lot of things at the ground level.  What do the locals do.  The restaurants where they eat.  What do the buildings look like.  Are the locals well-to-do.  I stopped to take pictures, those that will remind me of what Quito is like.  I may have stopped for a few minutes to take a sip of water but I did not sit down to rest.  It is good to be in good physical shape.  It's a blessing to be healthy and be able to walk at a good pace.

The buildings and scenery were uninspiring.  It's mostly small shops with a sprinkle of tall buildings here and there.  I pass the Parque El Ejido, a city park providing some greenery among the boring buildings.  There was an intersection with some statues.  Names that I am not familiar with.

A Statue at an Intersection

Entrance to a Park

A Stairway connecting two streets

Eventually I arrived at the Central Historical District.  You start to see more people and the streets get narrower.  Then I find myself at the Plaza Grande o de la Independencia, or Independence Square.  Around here are the most important buildings in the city - the main cathedral (Iglesia del Sagrario or Church of the Tabernacle).  Despite being called Palacio Arzobispal or Palace of the Archbishop, the building is part shopping center and part office and part residence of the Archbishop.  Nearby are several important buildings and museums.  One of the best known church is the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus or Church of the Society of Jesus.  It's an ornate church with many of the statues being gold plated.  

Independence Square

Palacio Arzobispal

A street in historical downtown

Iglesia del Sagrario

In the afternoon I joined a Free Walking Tour.  Although the name said it's free, it's not.  It expects donations after the tour.  Depends on how you feel about the tour, you can donate anywhere from $10 to $50 or more.  Our guide is called Meriam and there were four of us, two from Germany, one from Costa Rica, and me.  They were all young, in their 20s' and usually they learn about the tour at the hostel where they were staying.  I've been on many of these "free tours" and most of the time they are excellent.  The guides are usually energetic and give a very detail account of the history and culture of the area.  I usually learn a lot from these tours. 

Meriam started by taking us to a market and introduced us to some herbal medicine vendors.  The sellers are a combination herbalist and a little bit of shamanism.  Some of the beliefs and cures are based on indigenous tradition passed down through generations.

Sign advertising herbal plants

Herbal plants sold as medicine

We next stopped at a fruit vendor where Merian explained the names of several tropical fruits.  I am familiar with most of them, having grown up with some of them and having traveled to several South American countries.  Among the uncommon fruits are a golden-skinned (versus pink-skinned) dragon fruit, cherimoya (which has a sour version called soursop), different varieties of passion fruit, etc.  

A display of tropical fruits

One of the interesting places we stopped at is a nunnery where no one is allowed to see the nuns.  These nuns were placed in this nunnery at a young age by their parents and live in this enclosed independent area.  Visitors have to talk to them through a special window.

Visitors talking to nuns but can't see them

Our last stop was a chocolate-tasting event at a very posh hotel.  Ecuador claims to be one of the first countries to produce chocolate, although most people acknowledge that chocolate was discovered in Mexico.  Cacao grow well in warm tropical regions and it's not surprising that Ecuador is a chocolate producing country.  Sadly, the countries that are best known for their chocolates don't grow any cacao on their own - Belgium and Switzerland.  It goes to tell you that not only do you need good products but you also have to have good marketing as well.

On the last day before the start of my Galapagos Islands cruise, I took a taxi to the base of the mountain overlooking Quito and took a cable car up to Teleferico, which is at about 4,100m or about 13,500 feet high.  Many people get sick at this elevation but I don't seem to have any problem.  At the summit you get a good view of the city.  There are also some hiking trails.

Cable Car Station 

View of Quito and Cable Car

Around Quito are several volcanoes

The next day is the official start of my Hurtigruten cruise in the Galapagos Islands.  The event for the first day is a visit to the Cotopaxi Volcano, outside of Quito.

Traveling to Quito

 Why am I traveling to Quito, Ecuador?

That's where the Hurtigruten Expedition Cruise to the Galapagos Islands start.  Following the schedule change of the Antartica cruise due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, Hurtigruten gave credits or refunds to its passengers.  I am using the credit to sign-up for another Hurtigruten cruise, this time to the Galapagos Islands.

The Galápagos Islands has been on my "bucket list" for a long time.  I feel no rush to go there because I know that one day I will get there.  When the opportunity came this spring I quickly put it on my travel plan for 2022.  Getting to Quito is the first step towards this trip.

Amidst all the chaos of air travel during post-pandemic I was lucky to be able to travel to Quito without a hitch.  Luckily, I was booked on an early flight from Phoenix to Atlanta.  Many flights have been canceled by all airlines this summer for various reasons:  staff shortages, weather, overcrowding at airports, etc.  I arrived at the Phoenix airport about 2 1/2 hours before my flight.  The airport was very crowded even before 5am in the morning.  Because mine is an international flight I have to have an agent screen my documents.  The line was long and moved very slowly.  Apparently, most travelers who need an agent to assist in their check-in do need a lot of help.  

I was finally checked-in and headed straight to security.  The first step is to be biometrically checked by the Clear staff.  Clear is a private company that screens travelers using biometric identification, in this case, using my eyes.  Once I got through Clear I was taken straight to a TSA Pre-check agent, who upon checking my boarding pass, waved me through.  This is a time-saving step as more and more travelers have TSA Pre-check.  With Clear I cut in front of that line and go straight to the screening line.  Nowadays that screening line is very efficient and I am usually through in less than 5 minutes.

My next stop is the Delta SkyClub where I ate breakfast and wait until it's boarding time.  This time I was lucky that the boarding gate is right in front of the SkyClub.  Everyone was on time and the flight even left a little early.

We landed in Atlanta a little early and I headed to the Delta international terminal.  Nearby is a SkyClub where I ate a very nice lunch and wait for my flight to Quito.  I paid extra for a Comfort+ seat and it's right in front of the aircraft door.  This gives me a lot of legroom.  The flight was not full and some passengers were moving to better seats.  It's a relatively short 5-hour flight.  The plane flew almost straight south from Atlanta to Quito.

I arranged for a pick-up service through the hotel.  It costs me about $20 extra compared to a regular taxi but landing at night in an unfamiliar country justifies the extra money.   It took about 30 minutes to go from the airport to the hotel.  I checked into the JW Marriott hotel at about 9:30pm and after a little unpacking, was soon ready to go to bed.  It was a long day.  I got up at 4am that morning, having slept maybe only 2 hours and when I went to bed around midnight Quito time, which is 10pm Arizona time, I had been up for about 18 hours.  I had very little sleep on the plane.  

Quito is at over 9,000ft or almost 3,000m elevation.  So, the first thing to do upon arriving is to drink a lot of water on the first day to avoid altitude sickness.  I did that after I checked into the hotel and find myself going to the bathroom almost every hour.  The next morning I was ready to explore Quito.

Flagstaff, Arizona

Last summer I decided that I wanted to spend more time in Flagstaff, about 2 1/2 hours north of Phoenix.  I've been here many times in the summer but never for a long stretch.  I looked into renting an AirBnB for a couple of months but they seem to be quite expensive.  I also considered parking my Casita trailer at a RV park but it costs something like $4,000 to $5,000 for the whole summer.  Living in a small space for such a long time doesn't sound appealing to me.  

Phoenix seems to be getting hotter and hotter every year.  The population keeps growing and living in Phoenix is becoming undesirable like any big city.  Crime, traffic, crowd, tensions, etc, seems to be an everyday occurrence.

So last year, on impulse, I decided to checked into real-estate in Flagstaff.  I looked up Redfin, a real-estate website, and saw a 3-bedroom condominium on the market.  I prefer a condo because I can just lock up and leave.  It's part of a large condo/apartment complex and has some very nice amenities:  a 24-hour gym, sauna, jacuzzi, basketball court, and a small play pool.  

I won the bid against four other buyers in a very hot real-estate market.  Then come months and months of remodeling and buying furniture.  I was very fortunate to meet Julio, the handyman, who used to work at the apartment complex.  He changed the condo from an aging space into a beautiful modern condo.  It's a place that I want to spend a lot of time in.

That brings me back to why I picked Flagstaff.  First, it's only slightly more than a 2-hour drive from my house in Phoenix.  It's almost 150 miles of 99% highway driving.  But, the biggest change is a 30F degree temperature difference between the two locations in the summer.  

Most people think of Arizona as the desert and therefore, hot.  But, northern Arizona is very different.  Flagstaff is at about 7,000 feet elevation and full of Ponderosa Pine trees.  It has four seasons and there is skiing in the winter.  It is a college town; home to Northern Arizona University.  Compared to Phoenix, it is a relative small town, population about 70,000.  It doesn't even have a Costco or Trader Joe's.  Most of the residents are outdoor loving people.  There are hiking and biking trails within the city.  It is surrounded by the Coconino National Forest.  You get the small-town feel when you are here.  The pace is slower and people tend to be more patient.

Inner Basin Trail

Near Flagstaff are places known to people all over the world, none better known than the Grand Canyon National Park.  The South Rim is only about 1 1/2 hours away.  Two hours away are Horseshoe Dam and Antelope Canyon, both insanely popular, especially among foreign tourists.  Both are on the Navajo Indian Reservation.  So are two other well-known National Monuments - Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly, about 3 hours away.  Some lesser-known National Monuments or Parks nearby are Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle, and Montezuma Well.  

Grand Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon

Grand Staircase Escalante

Horseshoe Dam

Monument Valley

Spider Rock at Canyon de Chelly

Route 66, nicknamed the "Mother Road," by John Steinbeck in the book "The Grapes of Wrath" passed right through downtown Flagstaff.  In Arizona it is known as the Will Rogers Highway.  Route 66 was a major east-west highway from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, before the Interstate System was built.  Today it is popular with European tourists riding motorcycles through all or part of the highway.  

Although I initially want to spend more in Flagstaff just during the summer, it looks like I may spend time here all year round.  I have my ski equipment ready and Snowbowl is only 30 minutes drive away.  In the fall the Aspen trees start to change to a golden yellow.  I love the four seasons!