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.

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Floreana island is probably the most mysterious island of the Galapagos. It has a interesting history with lots of unsolved secrets. After the second world war the German Dr. Ritter escaped with his mistress Dore Strauch who was the wife of his best friend to the island of Floreana to live a simple life on their own. Dr. Ritter was a dentist and philosopher and he chose the uninhabited island because he wanted to be on his own but as well there was the famous post barrel and he could write about his life and ships would pick it up and it would be published in Germany. Funny enough the dentist had taken precautions towards his and his mistress teeth and took them out so they would never suffer tooth ache. The money was just enough for one pair of artificial teeth so they had to share it in between them for meals. There peaceful life in solitude ended when another German family the Wittmers arrived, after reading the inspiring articles about Dr. Ritters life in the newspaper. The didn’t came along that well but still they could live alright sharing the island. When the Baroness with her three lovers arrived the live became most uncomfortable for all of them. Then several mysterious death and disappears happened – actually the secret were never solved until today. So there are several myths around this island.
After a visit of the legendary barrel post station at the beach and leaving a postcard we had time for ourselves. Later in the afternoon I visited Punta Cormorant but it is just the name, there are no cormorants here. But beautiful landscape. Unfortunately the flamingos were not to see but in the ocean it was possible to observe rays.

Post Office Bay

Punta Cormorant

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This morning the crew woke us up pretty early so we could see the famous “Leon Dormido” or Kicker Rock close by. It is a very impressive rock formation shaped like a sleeping sea lion. There is no access on that rock but lots of birds nesting over there. We spent over an hour on the beach of Isla San Christobal and we were able to do whatever we felt after. What a paradise – again! The sand is as soft as it can get and pure white. Lazy sea lions everywhere the eye looked… And it was warm amazingly. I wouldn’t have mind if I could have had stayed longer since it was so peaceful and the first time of that cruise I felt not stressed by the guide who always wanted everybody to hurry. Later we went snorkeling with the sea lions. The afternoon was spent in the village of San Christobal what is very small. Part of the program was a visit in the local museum and after that we had a few ours for ourselves… I went to Punta Carola a beach near by. Just relaxing and watching the lazy sea lions surfing the waves…

Leon Dormido – Kicker Rock

Isla San Christobal – beach

Isla San Christobal – Punta Carola

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Overnight we arrived at Santiago or James island. The islands mostly have two or more names over here. Charles Darwin himself spent about 9 days on the island to observe animals. Later in the 1920’s and 1960’s it was used for salt mining. Early around 6:00am we left the boat for the first “wet-landing” on the island. We arrived at Puerto Egas and walked along the trail observing seal lions and marine iguanas. On the way we arrived at the tidal pools where you can see the rare fur seals. These animals were hunted until almost extinction because of there fur but meanwhile they about to recover. It is unbelievable how friendly Galapagos animals are. They don’t know the fear for humans. You can go very closely and sit in between them to observe. Amazing! It is better than I ever expected it could be! After a quick break for breakfast on the boat we went for a snorkel and saw beautiful turtles. From the boat I watched actually a shark hunting tuna… In the afternoon we visited another site of that island with sea lions hanging out on the beach everywhere. We did a hike up through an area with lots of cactus while observing several birds like the finches, mockingbirds, frigate birds, boobies and pelicans. Everywhere you look there is abundant wildlife!

Puerto Egas at Isla Santiago
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Snorkel  near Isla Santiago

Isla Rabida

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This day started with a short night. Sleeping in the Mercure Hotel in Quito was kind of unpleasant. The bathroom was dirty but I didn’t mind. I found hairs of previous guests. But I was angry after I had washed my hair and the hairdryer was not working properly. Calling the reception and asking for a new one seemed to be difficult. Even more they suggested me to bring one in the morning – but my hair was wet – NOW. Finally I got a hairdryer and also only three more hours of sleep. When I woke up some coins felt out of my pockets and while I was reaching for them I found something else – a used sock what was not mine! This actually never had happened to me before. Not even to mention that the organization of my trip was very unorganized! I didn’t even received the welcome letter with the trip itinerary. So I had missed the meeting with one guide what was the previous evening.
Well in the end we arrived at the airport and around noon in Galapagos.
Galapagos. Finally my dream become true of the islands known to be the Garden Eden and the island where Charles Darwin came up with his evolution theory.
I had done so much to fulfill that dream that it seemed surreal sitting in the plane to it. While checking in at customs I even felt sort of sentimental and had to swallow to not cry because of happiness. At the airport of Baltra our guide Fabian (Yes same name as the other Fabian in Quito.) picked the group up and brought us all to the little harbor where our boat San José was waiting for us. I got lucky and got the best cabin what was behind the bridge of the boat at the upper level – room 5. That day we had lunch on the boat and went with the little dingy boats for a cruise at Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) at the mangroves to spot the first animals…. We saw three species of mangrove, red, white and black and all can be found here. Galapagos was what I thought about it. You just need to be awake and look out and you will see so many animals. On the way to turtle bay the boat was surrounded by flying fregatte birds everywhere. We observed several birds like brown pelicans and noddies who simply wait until the pelican catches some fish and then steal it. Funny to watch these naughty birds! Then we watched mating turtles and white tip reef sharks. I still had to pinch myself to realize that I was there… But I am!

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In August I finally arrived in Palau to do my dive master training. I had heard a few things about it but not many people I knew and at this point nobody I knew has been traveled there before. It was very exciting. After me falling in love with Fiji and especially Nananu-I-Ra (Daydream Island) in 2006 I still was looking for a place comparable to my paradise. Something close to that and I have to admit so far on all my travels I could not find anything even close…. until visiting Ngemelis island in Palau.
What a pristine place – what a gemstone, a pearl of the pacific! Crystal-clear water surrounding that small island group close to the famous ‘Blue Corner’ dive site. Few years ago that island was only used by the chief family for holidays and now it is public. But it is about a 30min drive with boat from Koror and you barely see any people there ever. Maybe around lunch time few dive boats stop by and let their guest eat… Palau use to has the only intact reef people told me. They have the first and only shark sanctuary of the world. They take a fee for using their waters but therefore the Palauens also clean the beaches and reefs… It is definitely a garden Eden when you walk the empty soft beaches along the water watching the kingfisher and the paradise birds…. and then the sun touches your skin softly and you feel happy simply to be alive and to say thank you! After all amazing places I was lucky enough to visit this one is one of a kind –  a last true paradise and it is worth protecting! Read the rest of this entry »

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