Leaving Galapagos

What an adventure we have had...before we came the Galapagos Islands were something I had only heard of...several islands with many animals...now though I have been enchanted...the islands are rugged and barren looking...covered with grey trees, volcanic rock, beaches and cacti...but up close they are teaming with life...birds are everywhere some mating...some having done so already...lizards and iguanas lie in the sun to warm up so they can climb down to the ocean to feed, only to climb up again for a bake in the afternoon sun...giant tortoises are still living on some islands and sea turtles are literally everywhere.  We were lucky to be there when the turtles were mating so we saw them...in the water...stacked one atop the other while males circled nearby awaiting an opportunity...

We snorkeled twice a day and hiked twice as well, and both were great, offering different types of viewing opportunities.  (My foot held up okay, but I had to be very careful with each step).
The snorkeling was fantastic with opportunities to see incredible sea life, to play with sea lions and to look at sharks and stingrays...we saw so much that it is hard to remember it all...
 

 

 

 

 

 

When we left the boat we went to our hotel...a really lovely bed and breakfast called the Casa Iguana Mar y Sol.  It had a lovely cross breeze in our room thanks to large windows and after we hiked to the top of a trail overlooking the town and looking out to the west we fell asleep to the sounds of the sea lions barking in the distance (all animals are protected so sea lions are literally everywhere...sitting on the park benches, lying under and on the boardwalks, curled up in flower beds...they sleep all day...so the night is party time for them I suppose)

Today though we leave it all behind as we head to Guayaquil on the mainland where we will stay for one night exploring the historical centre of town.