Great news: My “Leon Dormido” becomes the cover for the official 2012 Galapagos Calendar of the Galapagos Conservation Trust GCT. You can purchase it on their website and help the animals of Galapagos.
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This was a very special day! With a friend I left cold and rainy ‘Lost and Found‘ looking so forward to the sun in David. We went down the hill and took the easy but longer way. It was raining again. But who cares I thought, will be in a warm bus in a bit! But No! Guess what, not even one public bus stopped for us. And it rained and rained. I was soaked to the bones. I started to freeze. I had not expected that public buses can deny to take you! Was it because we were two and there is not enough space?! Out of a sudden more two more traveler from ‘Lost and Found‘ arrived and I got worried. I told them to stay somewhere else since I imagined our chances get less and less with four people trying to get into the bus. We already stood for over an hour in the rain! As expected they were a bit annoyed but I really was sick of staying in the rain. My last bus attempt was even to stop one with jumping in front of it so it would have to stop or drive over me. The only thing I got out of this was a: “Loca!” and they kicked me out again… I decided to try to even stop cars and hitchhike… Lots of cars passed by but nobody took us… Maybe travelers had a bad reputation? For sure I knew that people who took people in the back of a truck had to pay a high fine of US$150! So surely nobody wanted to risk that… Then a truck stopped. It was loaded with the biggest plastic boxes you could imagine! Very big and blue and with a fitting lit to them. The driver offered us to hop in and as I understood he wanted to bring us to David if we would be quite and sit in the boxes. Very funny! That was what we did until he stopped after maybe 20min and told us to leave… Again back on the streets at least in the sun. After waiting another 20min finally a car stopped. It was a young Panamanian named Daniel with wife and kids. He offered us to drop us of in Bambu Hostal in David! Thx god!!! The saviour! After he had lunch with his family he came back to the car and ask if we had anything planned this weekend. Of course not! best place to buy cialis jelly “You want to see something else?” And he invited us to join him and his family to visit a privat island with lots to see…
Back at the hostel I found out two of my photos won the GCT competition for the calendar 2012. I am so happy but I know without my great friends I would not have made it! That’s why:
Thanks to everybody who had supported me for the contest of getting a month in the official Galapagos Conservation Trust calendar 2012! My photos won and I am delighted to tell you that sea lion and Galapagos hawk won. Therefore I will be in the calendar with two of my shots 🙂 Thanks to everybody who believed in me and took a few minutes to vote me! I am very lucky to have friends like you!
Leon Dormido - Sleeping sea lion at Lion Rock
Galapagos hawk at Espanola Island
I am excited. Three of my Galapagos photos came into the finals for the Galapagos calender of the GCT (Galapagos Conservation Trust). The voting is until the 5th of January and I really want to win to help the animals of Galapagos with having a month in that beautiful calendar! Please help me and vote for photo 10, photo 26 or photo 31! You can make a difference and it will raise awareness for the amazing animals on the enchanted islands! All photos are made with the best equipment: Sony NEX5 Camera and Joby Gorillapod Tripod!
VOTE them here: http://www.savegalapagos.org/photos/competition/2010/
Photo 10
Photo 26
Albatros chick at Espanola Island
Photo 31
Galapagos hawk at Espanola Island
My last day in Galapagos. These three weeks went by like nothing. I still can’t believe that I actually am on Galapagos. My childhood dream fulfilled. I’ve seen and enjoyed the enchanted islands. I dearly hope it will be possible to protect them and save this unique special spot of the world. I hope it will be possible to educate people to respect all living creatures and see them like our brothers. I hope that the guides of Galapagos will be more careful selected so that these arrogant kind of guides stay out. They just spoil the trips of the travelers.
On my last day I went with my Argentinian friends to Tortuga bay. I guess I didn’t mentioned before but if you wonder why there were so many Argentinians on Galapagos – LAN Airlines had a super cheap promotion. Only $300 there and back from Argentina inclusive tax!!! Back to Tortuga bay. Its definitely worth a visit even though you have to walk for about 40min from Puerto Ayora until you reach the beach. It is beautiful but I didn’t go into the water because it was still chilly.
In the evening I went to say Good-Bye to Santiago the tortoise and then I bought the most beautiful art to remind me on my trip of a lifetime to Galapagos. It’s unique and handmade out of potato starch and whatever else.
This morning I was invited of a friend for a snorkel trip to Tintoreras. Before you actually snorkel over there you are walking a small island and there is one part where you can watch sleeping white tip sharks from above. Normally most sharks need to be in constant move to breathe but at this spot they are protected and the current is still strong enough so they can rest without moving. Of course every now and then they swim but in between they sleep. I have never seen something like that before. Then I went snorkeling and I don’t have to say it again but – it is freezing in Galapagos waters. I saw schools of surgeon fish, turtles and finally I swam and played with a curious sea lion for about 20min and took some great videos of it what I will post as soon as I have the possibility to edit…
Tintoreras
On Isabella there is that part of an unfinished building called Muro de las Lagrimas or Wall of Tears. According to the history, the wall was built by prisoners for prisoners. They were supposed to build their own jail. They say hundreds of prisoners built on that wall only watched by a few police men. The prison was never finished and the portion that was built took four years to build. Now it stays there in the wild landscape of Isabela as a silent reminder of the other site of Galapagos history that reminds you that there is more than the beautiful wildlife. The Wall of Tears is an impressive wall made out of hundreds of lava stones.
Muro de las Lagrimas / Wall of tears
Another horse ride again – this time up to the volcano Chino and the Sierra Negra. It is my first real volcano crater I looked into. And it was big – filled with cold lava fields wherever I looked. The horse ride was worth it but it was so dusty that I looked kind of red after the trip and needed a shower desperately. The horses where very used and at times hard to direct. At top we walked a few more minutes into the Sierra Negra. All dry and few cactus. The landscapes so differs from each other here in the Galapagos. But it is beautiful to be here. In the evening I was invited to a lobster BBQ by my Argentinian friends. Was a very funny evening since they know how to party….
I was so tired today that I slept in. Around 11:00am I decided to make a visit at the near by Tortoise breeding station because I didn’t wanted to make a big excursion somewhere for today. The way to the station was quite lovely with all these paths through the wilderness alongside some sort of lakes where I could observe a few flamingos. I haven’t seen them on my boats cruise so therefore I was more than happy to take a few shots… How pretty they are with there pink feathers which get the color through their food…
At the breeding station I was the only visitor and I just loved to watch these little tortoise babies walking somewhat clumsy over each other.
Flamingos
Tortoise breeding station at Isla Isabela
Around 2:00pm I left Santa Cruz with a the small ferry “Gaby” to Isla Isabela. I had herd so many beautiful things about this place so I needed to see it. And I needed a break and time to relax. Through the internet I had met Claudia while researching information about Galapagos. She is the previous owner of Casa Rosada, the pink house directly on the beach with own marine iguana colony. I previously had ask the new owner Felipe how far the Casa might be from the marina. Since he had told me its close I didn’t take a taxi what was a mistake because the place is the last house on the beach. Eventually I made it. And immediately I met Tyson the maybe biggest iguana I’ve seen… He looked massive especially when lying in between all these small iguanas. The Casa is nice and my room had even ocean view.
is there generic cialis Casa Rosada
Galapagos is famous for “Lonesome George” the only tortoise left of its kind. You can buy souvenirs everywhere and there is even a clothing line with the same name. But nobody heard about Santiago the tortoise. This day I felt a bit alone so I decided it might be nice to go back to the Charles Darwin Research Station to observe the animals with enough time and also checking out the land iguana I missed last time because I was so impressed by the tortoises. So anyway I went to the place with the male tortoises. It is possible to go in with them and I was sitting next to them to watch. Out of a sudden this one tortoise (later I found out its name is Santiago) came up to me and came very close to my face kissing me… I was surprised. But it was such a magical atmosphere and the tortoise started to rub on my jeans so I touched it carefully. It liked it so much that it stood up on all legs and the neck got longer and longer. I continued rubbing the tortoise and it enjoyed it so much that it even closed its eyes… After 10min another tortoises seemed to become jealous and wanted some rubs as well. It was amazing. I felt so close to these gentle giants and it was a very special moment I just had only for myself!
I love giant tortoises and I love horse riding – so there was no question about it, I had to go back to the Rancho Mariposa of Steven Divine. I loved that ranch so much at the last visit with the group but I felt rushed. This time I took time and what is nicer than exploring the highlands on the back of a horse. I chose a white horse called Muchacha. Steven’s horses are easy to ride and not spoiled as so many other rental horses everywhere. I was so much fun because almost everywhere we went we saw giant tortoises in their natural habitat. They immigrate through the ranch so at this time of the year lots and lots were on that area. This day I will never forget – it was definitely one of my personal highlights of being in the Galapagos.
Santa Cruz
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