An Amazing Place!

Our 2 hour flight to Balta island on the Galapagos went smoothly. One thing I would have changed about this trip would have been skipping Guayaquil.  I would fly directly to Quito and to Cuenca and Galapagos directly from there.  Guayaquil.is a dirty Industrial city with nothing charming at all. The Dreamkapture hostel was fine,however.

Rafael was outside the airport as promised and was very helpful getting us on the bus to the ferry to cross to Santa Cruz. They piled the suitcases on the roof of the boat and we got inside, maybe 25 people. It reminded Betty and I of the trip in Cambodia down the Tonle Sap river to Phnom Phen when we thought we had lost Virginia overboard and people were riding on the roof in the rain! We drove with Rafael across Santa Cruz to Puerto Aroya, the largest town in the Gal. Most of the 16,000 people who live and work here are indigenous to the Gal. I think the people here have a better income and standard of living than any place in Ecuador. Rafael said his wife, Germania, hence the name of our lodge Casa Hospedaje Germania is also indigenous. And our charming flirty handsome waiter at dinner last night where we had 2 for 1 drinks for Valentine,s Day. I think it,s such a peaceful place why would they want to leave?
Our room is on the second floor of their home,with AC and private bath. $50 a night for the 2 of us is the most we've paid but everything here is more expensive since it's an island. We walked through town about 30 minutes in the midday sun (big mistake) to the Darwin Research Station. This is where they bring turtle eggs from all the islands to hatch and grow for 4 or 5 years before releasing them back to their own birth place. It was disappointing as no guides we around to explain anything (obviously siesta time, better idea!) By the time we walked back, I told Betty I wasn't going with our scheduled afternoon tour with Rafael as I was just too overheated. The equator runs through the neighboring isla d of Isabella! I took a cold shower and lay down half an hour until 3. She made me comedown and talk to Rafael about our trip. He said it would be in the highlands and cooler and not much walking. he was right. With the wind blowing through the truck windows I felt better when we arrived at the turtle reserve farm. We passed a couple of GInormous (I coined a new word for them, they deserve it!) tortoises ambling along the dirt path.We stopped and Betty stood behind one to get a picture as he was chomping grass. He didn't seem to mind!