Galloping Gallapagos!

By Wendy Caplin Harlow So Wendy and Harlow hit the road again. This time we are finally going to have our honeymoon (coinciding with our 5th anniversary). We decided it was necessary after the last year which was one of the most difficult on record for us personally.The plan: a week in the Galapagos on a boat, then a week in South Beach to see our new condo and find a tenant and see Harlow's brother and cousins and to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We almost didn't make it because of all the last minute snafus. But on Saturday June 29th we grabbed our bags and headed to the Galapagos Islands.We had sent a suitcase of clothes by UPS to Miami because we were going to be spending a week there after the adventure. But we only carried the bare essentials for the Galapagos leg of the trip. We flew uneventfully to Miami but our connecting plane to Quito, Ecuador was taken out of service and we were routed to another plane where we sat on the tarmac for hours and learned that the Quito airport closes at midnight and if we didn't take off by 8 we wouldn't make it. And then we were herded off the plane and given hotel vouchers (the landing lights had gone out at the airport and flights weren't going anywhere) and told that the next flight to Ecuador would be the next morning. Too late for us to make any of our connections. We had blown our trip totally. At midnight when we finally got to the motel and ordered room service, we were still punchy with disbelief. We called my brother David to see if he knew of anything fun we could do in Florida and my sister-in-law Debbie demanded to know the numbers of everyone involved with the trip and announced she'd get us on another boat. We went to sleep still shell-shocked. At 6 AM Harlow went back to the airport because they wouldn't release the luggage that night and we needed to prevent our bags from going to Ecuador.(We found out much later that 2 others who'd been on the same flight never got their bags back and when they were returned from Ecuador all their cameras and snorkel gear etc were gone). He got them and came back with his brother Andy. It was grey and pouring and the depression set in immediately. Fortunately, our new condo in South Beach had just been vacated , it's on the hotel plan and gets rented out a lot by them. They had expected us the following week and had it held for us then. We took a cab and I saw the place for the first time. It's adorable. But in the thunder and lightening and downpour I mostly saw the things that needed fixing and that got me more depressed. We went down to the poolside restaurant for lunch because you couldn't even cross the street in this kind of rain. Had a really tasteless sandwich and were regaled with Xmas Carrols in the background. After the first chorus of "Angels we Have heard on High" to a Latin beat, I was almost in tears. Then when I went to the gym to work off some steam and try to think, there was an announcement that it would be closed for the entire month of July, I lost it completely. The main problem being my total inability to think, no less to make critical decisions about how to completely reinvent our vacation on the spot. I had been ready to turn myself over to the trip where everything was scheduled and planned and all I had to do was show up and follow. Debbie was as good as her word and we were booked for the following week on a larger boat (The Eclipse). It held 48 but only 29 were booked and we were upgraded to a more expensive room as a compliment. Then we couldn't get a flight to Ecuador. It took almost a whole day but Harlow finally got us booked on LanChile. Our vacation had just doubled in price. But we'd taken out insurance and hope to recoup later. At that point we just needed to know that after 5 years of talking and over 6 months of planning, we were going to get there. We spent the week in Miami. Saw all of Harlow's wonderful cousins, and his brother and his wife and nephew and his new wife. We took them out. They took us out. It was great being able to hang out with them and know that we'd actually be neighbors of sorts. The weather basically sucked so we watched the weather carefully and made sure if an hour of sun was predicted that we were on the beach or in the pool. Some days it rained too much to even walk. And w/all the lunches and dinners and no gym, we were starting to double in weight. And our UPS suitcase kept not arriving so we were stuck with only our most rugged clothing. Not exactly South Beach. It arrived the day before we left.We planned and dreamed ways to fix up the condo. Measured every square inch and compiled serious lists of things that needed fixing, painting, replacing etc. Then on Friday we packed and left really early in the morning for our flight to Quito. It was a long day and we landed there in the afternoon. It was REALLY cold and I thought I was having a heart attack. Seems that I get terrible altitude sickness. Harlow, whose chief exercise is his computer, had no trouble. I was huffing and puffing and feeling dizzy. We were met and brought to our hotel, La Cartuja,formerly the British Consulate. Now a charming hostel. Harlow called Omar, who he had been emailing and who had been planning to take us around the previous week. They had been introduced by a mutual friend. He showed up w/his wonderful American girlfriend Erin and they took us around. It's a strange and beautiful city. Wherever you are you can see snow topped mountains and mist shreds and beautiful old churches and monuments and tiny twisty streets. And if I hadn't been so thrown by being so short of breath I probably would have been the perfect tourist. Omar arranged a radio interview for Harlow and drove us way out to it. He's never played there and hopes to change that in the future. They took us to a lovely restaurant called La Ronda even though it was ridiculously early for dinner on a Sat. night in Ecuador. After a few glasses of wine and a great seafood ceviche I was even less able to walk. We rolled into the hotel. Got some bottled water. I took a wonderful hot shower and we got ready for the real adventure. In the morning we were picked up and taken to the plane which would taken us to Baltra. We stopped in Guayaquil where the guy who sat next to me had a terrible cold and was coughing and sneezing and I was trying to melt into the upholstery so I wouldn't catch it. He turned out to be one of the crew of our boat. We checked through and were put on a bus where the rest of the passengers for our trip were. All Americans. 2 teenagers. Some in their 20s and 30s. And mostly in their late forties and 50s. We had originally booked the Alta which is a luxury boat that carries only 16 and had sails. We had to adjust to the bigger size of the Eclipse and increased number of fellow travelers. But it didn't take long and they did indeed turn out to be wonderful company all along. Including 2 women from the south who had been on our ill-fated first plane and had gone home and then flown out again. They too had also been scheduled for the Alta. We were taken on panga's (dinghies) to the boat which was quite spacious and lovely.I got soaked on the way. Our bags were checked through and brought to our cabins. Ours was large and had plenty of closets. We were invited to the lounge where they had platters of sandwiches and drinks and we were welcomed and given a quick briefing (we were told to leave nothing behind on the islands except our footprints) and then had a little time to change before we made our first landing. Las Baches Beach. Martin was our naturalist. He helped us track our first marine iguana. And convinced us not to waste a roll of film on the bright red & orange crabs that we would be seeing every day by the hundreds. He quizzed us a lot and taught us a lot. We were supposed to end the day swimming but he heard that there was a flamingo on the other side of the island so we went to see her. One solitary pink bird in the middle of a brackish lagoon who never lifted her head from the water. Then we were brought back to the boat where we were served fresh squeezed juice and fried chicken hors d'oeuvres. There was just enough time to unpack and change for the 'briefing'. (Our beds had been turned down and we had clean towels in the shape of a manta ray w/chocolates for eyes).This is a nightly ritual at 7 PM where we are introduced to the next day's itinerary and told what to wear and what to bring. There were always snacks served at these sessions (in case you haven't figured out that this was a really food intensive trip). We were given Brandy Alexanders, compliments of the captain who came out to introduce us to the crew. Then we were ushered into the dining room for dinner. Dora, the youngest and funniest of the naturalists, ate with us. There were 4 different vegetable salads and dressings. Chicken and rice. And gargantuan fried prawns. The wine was on the house. There were cakes and coffee and tea for dessert but we were to tired too even eat at that point. At 9:30 I had packed for the morning and was already in bed. During the night it was a little rocky. The closet doors kept slamming. I was the tiniest bit queasy for a few seconds but I let it rock me to sleep. Fortunately Harlow and I learned on this trip that we don't get seasick. Because that night was the undoing of many of the other travelers. At 6:45 AM were awakened by lovely music. And then the voice of Mario, the events coordinator and king of the boutique, came on saying (as on every morning) "Good morning ladee and geyntlemen. It is ti to geyt up. Breyfa weel be ser-ved in the restuaran a seben o'clo. " And sure enough there was a spread each morning. Platters of fresh fruits. Freshly baked croissants (excellent, I might add) and either sweet rolls or cinnamon buns, yogurt, 3 kinds of cereals including some toxic looking fruit loops, eggs (either omelets or scrambled or poached) and bacon or sausage. And sometimes tamales or other local treats. I am a confirmed skipper of breakfast but on this trip I sat and ate every morning because I wanted to have energy for the trips. I think it just made me more hungry for lunch. Then we piled into pangas and were taken to Santiago Island. It was cold and overcast. But waiting for us on the beach were 2 sea lions, mother and pup, Our welcoming committee. We were all charmed by this furry pair who were nuzzling each other. They didn't even seem to notice the 29 of us traipsing by them. We were taken up some natural steps and through low vegetation. Betinia, our most experienced naturalist, delivered a steady steam of extraordinary information about every aspect of every living things growing or breathing. On the coast was a mother and pup sea lion carrying on a heated conversation of barks and growls. The upshot; junior was hungry and pushed Mom over so he could nurse. Loudly. This was a sound that we heard constantly. Loud sucking. Very funny and unexpected. Then we came across a mother and a 4 day old pup. We were asked to keep a little distance since babies that young weren't often seen. The pup was wailing and the mother pushed it around till it found a nipple. The baby was cuter than words can describe. Rolling over and laying it's little head on it's mother and talking. We didn't want to leave. We also were introduced to our first large groups of marine iguanas. So well camouflaged that we didn't even see them till something disturbed them. We thought we were just looking at another grey rock. They look like little black dinosaurs w/punky white spikes on their heads and necks. And we saw some sea lion pups almost as big as their mothers, nursing noisily. Seems like a good gig for them. Around the other side of the island we saw Galapagos fur seals. They were swimming in pools in grottoes and performed little Busby Berkeley-esque water ballets. They did somersaults and then clapped their flippers and held their tails and their faces w/their flippers. Then back to the beach where we did our first snorkel. It was cold and overcast. We mostly saw parrotfish and sea urchins and froze our buns off. Then back to the boat where another freshly squeezed exotic juice was poured and a chafing dish of mini empanadas were waiting for us. In our room the fresh towels were in the shape of a seal. The shower had tons of hot water. Always enough for all the passengers to take long showers at the same time for as long as we wanted. Lunch was always a buffet at the pool area. A lovely deck with a little pool that wasn't filled till half way through the trip. There were vegetable salads, shrimp and endives, and the hot offerings were meat lasagna, cauliflower, and swordfish.Breads and cheeses. And for dessert, fruits and cakes which we skipped. We took our coffees to our room and dozed for a few minutes. The first afternoon activity was a snorkel off the beach. It was pretty cold and overcast and the water was nippy. We went out in a group and saw mostly urchins. We went around the reef. I was cold and tired and suddenly I heard a squeal and there was the cutest little penguin speeding under water like a little tuxedoed torpedo. We hung out a little. Martin roused a manta ray but it was murky and hard to see. On the way back I saw 3 really playful penguins. One swam under and around me. Then we swam back and as we reached the shore we saw people running for the pangas. There had been a sudden and dramatic infestation of mosquitoes. We couldn't get out of the water and into our life jackets fast enough. They swarmed us all the way to the boat. We all raced to take showers and get ready for the hike.That afternoon was the only actual 'climb' on Bartholome' . Only one panga full chose to do it. Harlow was not among them. There were sea lions all over the steps when we arrived. Another welcoming committee. We started the climb. The first leg was easy. Martin stopped to show us the most phallic cacti ever to exist called 'King of the Night' no less. They apparently secrete acid into the lava so they can absorb nutrients from the rock. The second hike was a lot harder. I was getting altitude deja vue. Felt like an ancient dying person . The last legs were really a push, but the view was breathtaking and worth the psuedo heart failure. Dusk descended as we did and it was nice to get back to the boat again to relax. Dinner started w/an excellent seafood soup (as did every lunch too). I had trout w/seafood sauce which I shared w/Harlow who had ordered a mushroom and cheese risotto and wasn't thrilled w/it. Dessert was a mocha cake. After dinner Harlow loaned out his copy of the video of his 35th Birthday show in Puerto Rico. He had a lot of fans on the crew and among the naturalists. We were in bed again by 9:30. And Harlow started to read his mystery book. A rare occurrence and source of much joy and teasing for me. Monday morning we awoke to really beautiful guitar music. We spent the morning in the caldera of Genovesa. It's considered a bird island. And we were again greeted by sea lions. Bitinia led us. She told us that gulls mated for life. There were more kinds of birds just hanging out in the same area. Masked boobies. Nasca boobies, Giant frigate birds. Lots of baby chicks who all looked like cotton puffs. Watched damsel fish defending their rocks. And in the mangrove trees we peeked at hundreds of little cotton puff chicks of all sizes, happy and safe on the branches. One group went for a deep snorkel but Harlow and I and a few others stayed to play w/the sea lions and snorkel off the beach. It was heavenly. Warm and sunny and the water was comfortable in our wetsuits. I saw huge parrot fish being bounced by tiny damsels. We talked to Bunny, a sculptress from New York - Soho no less. She was on the trip w/her husband and 2 grown sons. We traded stories and lolled w/the sea lions. We were ready to stay there forever but had to go back to the boat. We were greeted w/fresh blackberry juice and flaky pastries (so much for not gaining weight this trip).Our towels were in the shape of a snake w/chocolate eyes. Then lunch outside. Lentil soup. Lettuce salad and chef salad and roast beef and fried chicken. Avocado salad. It was really hard to pass on dessert. The afternoon adventure required climbing some pretty steep and difficult steps but at the top was another bird heaven. We walked over a little bridge spanning a really deep fissure and saw many boobies w/babies. All posing for us (they got their name because when they were first sited by the British diving into the water for fish, they appeared to be just smashing their heads over and over and were considered clowns i.e.:boobies. WE saw bickering pairs of gulls, birds nesting along the paths. We tracked the short eared owls and saw 3 which was considered a lot. And Harlow found one little cotton puff that wasn't in a nest. Just crawling on the rock and crying. We wanted to call Emergency Vets. We were so concerned because there was no nest nearby that we could see. When a chick falls out of a nest, the mother won't feed it anymore. Dora said it was a frigatebird chick. It broke our hearts. And later that night I think we all said a prayer for it's little soul. We had to get back early because the captain wanted to clear the caldera before dark. We had dinner w/a family from New York and their teenage daughter and niece. Vegetable soup. We ordered a bottle of wine. I had grilled giant prawns and vegetables and potatoes and practically licked the plate. Dessert was a napoleon-like pastry w/chocolate cream. After dinner, the fresh towels in our room were wearing Harlow's hat and my shades. Next morning we saw gorgeous lava. It looked sculpted. Many baby seals. It was a breeding spot for tortoises so we had to stay single file and couldn't get too near the shore. We saw flightless cormorants. Some had just hatched chicks. There was a hawk and we walked through a 'forest' of King of the Night cacti. And all around were sea lion harems. Huge males patrolling and constant talking among all of them. And so many marine iguanas so perfectly disguised that we didn't even see them till we'd practically stepped on their tails. When we got back to the boat the pool was finally being filled. Apparently they burn a lot of fuel on the equator crossing and that produces ash. Also being near the bird island creates some fallout sot hey wait till the air is clear to fill it. Lunch was excellent tortellini a la carbonara and tiny ravioli and swordfish and 3 or 4 salads. Tiny onion rolls. And lime mousse for dessert and a berry roulade. We had a fairly slow day. There was a deep snorkel trip but the water was cold so very few actually did it. Then there was a dinghy ride. First we were taken by exquisite rock formations and into caves as well. There was a possibility of a whale sighting but it turned out to be just a rumor. When we returned to our rooms there was an announcement that sushi would be served on the pool deck. Salmon and squid and shrimp snacks.A really nice touch. Dinner was a barbecue by the pool. There were pork chops and sausages and beef and superb chicken. As well as fried zucchini and baked potatoes and multiple salads. Then baked Alaska and apple crumb cake before the waiters did a show for us. They had prerecorded tracks and they all sang and danced and were hysterical and then came and got all of us dancing. It was fun and festive and Harlow got a lot of pictures I have yet to see. And in the water were hundreds of jumping fish and 2 huge sea lions swimming and playing in time to the music. Talk about a magical night. And a really calm night compared to the equator crossings. Wednesday morning we were roused by piano music, We were taken to Isabella Island where we had opted for either the long or short walk. Any guesses about who chose which? The long walk was really easy. No climbing except for some rocks that needed to be clamored over. More a difficulty of footing. We saw more animal skeletons that day. This island had goats and pigs and feral dogs and cats introduced to it. None of which were at all helpful to the environment or it's denizens. We had climbed onto an 'uplift', a section raised by an eruption. We saw giant brain corals. And our only land iguanas. These large beasts were yellow and quite prehistoric looking. And also scarce. But one enormous critter was on a mission and lumbered by us (we cleared the path for him, this specie is much more skittish than the marine iguanas who are totally chill and never move) as it passed half of us it suddenly speeded up and sprinted into the bush. We saw one two hundred pound tortoise who appeared to believe she was hiding from us behind a blade of grass. We were refreshed by a misty rain which was considered simply condensation. Then we snorkeled for a little while. Not too much to see but I saw a puffer fish and my first spotted eagle ray which was really beautiful. A small black one w/white spots, all white underneath. And the water wasn't too cold. And it turned out that the group that had opted for the shorter walk saw 4 times as many animals as we did. Lunch was stellar. The salads were served in sculpted fruits. A watermelon ship w/a gang plank. A turtle made from a pineapple w/feet and head made of carrot. Roast turkey was served in a fruit turkey w/kabobs for a tail. waldorf salad and crab salad w/asparagus. Hot beef and Ecuadorian potato cakes (scrumptious). All preceded by a gazpacho full of shrimp and followed buy the best fruit cocktail ever (this from not much of a fruit eater). After our siesta we had a dinghy ride around the neighborhood.There was a great island populated by a really cute colony of penguins and languid sea lions and blue footed boobies. Then we went to a mangrove cove where we were asked to be quiet. They cut the motor on the panga and used oars. We were on turtle alert and saw tons of them gliding through the water like velvet. You don't even realize how clear the water is until you see one of these creatures swim by and you realize that you have been looking at the bottom of the ocean the whole time. We saw a few spotted eagle rays. But the greatest were the tree sea lions. Inside the mangroves were sea lions lying on the branches. An incredible sight. It was peaceful and romantic. And even Harlow stayed as quiet as he could and only poked me and gave me noogies out of frustration at the very end. When we returned to the boat we learned there would be snacks served on the deck followed by towel folding lessons. We had little sandwiches and cocktails and some of us did get to see a whale briefly. But I missed the merengue' lesson and caught the middle of the towel folding which was hysterical. Another detail in the brilliant organization of the trip. We were entertained and fed and pampered so consistently that there was hardly any time to just do nothing. If you took a half hour to write in a journal or sketch (there were a few really talented artists on board) that was about all the down time there was. Allowing for short naps on the upper deck and a little reading. Dinner was in the dining room and started w/an appetizer of smoked salmon that was up there with some of the all time best. Served w/chopped egg and capers and all the condiments served w/caviar. My fish stew was great. And as the chocolate cake and ice cream were being served it started to get rocky and we lost a lot of passengers. But Harlow and I had no problems. We actually felt rocked to sleep. Thursday morning we had our one day on inhabited islands. Santa Cruz. Where the Darwin Center is located. It was a bit of a shock. Noise and people. But really very charming. Paved w/red hexagonal brick and lush with vegetation. I never would have thought it would be so pretty. We went through the hatchery where tortoises are nursed from tiny hatchlings to hulking many ton creatures. All the big ones had been pets and had been confiscated. We didn't get to see Lonesome George. He was there but not in sight. The big ones were spectacular. One was sleeping holding her head between her feet like a baby. A 400 pound baby. We lost one large family of 9 travelers that day. They were heading to Peru and we said goodbye.There was a short film shown in a pavilion and then we had about an hour to shop. It was hard to get back into that mode. There wasn't a lot to buy. Mostly t shirts and a lot of carved animals. And it was raining. But we did our best and then went back to the Eclipse for lunch. The afternoon activity was a walk in the highlands where it always rains. It was cold and it was pouring. The bus ride was 45 minutes long. Then we trekked through slippery mud in the rain. Martin cut some passion fruit for us (it is an introduced pest on the island. The turtles love it but it makes them sick so it is considered like a weed). It wasn't very comfortable or easy but suddenly there would be a huge beast just standing in the middle of the woods. One probably weighed in at about 600 pounds. It was so otherworldly and exciting that you immediately forgot the cold and damp and mud and just gaped. The hot shower back on the boat was never more welcome. After dinner that night we were treated to music by a local folk group and a 3 dancers who performed and then got us all up on the floor. Yet another surprise to keep us amazed. Friday was my day in paradise. We were taken to a gorgeous mile long white sand beach with no activities. We dumped our snorkel gear and I went to the end just to see what was there. Suddenly a baby seal came up to me and touched my foot with his nose. Those straw-like whiskers are completely soft. It was like an amazing kiss. Then he stood there and assumed a series of poses so I could take pictures. Then he went toward the water and came back. And touched my foot again and then my knee and then was checking out the hem of my shirt. I was so honored and thrilled I could barely believe it and was so glad that Bunny was there to witness it. He was the cutest, most sociable little guy and I was smitten. He went off to hang w/his family and I went for a walk down to the end of the beach. There were hundreds of seals. Some were lounging on moss covered rocks. 2 juveniles were sparring on either side of a pointed rock all morning. And some just slept and looked like rocks I snorkeled a little but only saw some angel fish. And then went to look for "my" sea lion again. None of us wanted to leave that morning. It was the most magical place on earth. And the sea lion lovers were all ready to leave our lives behind and stay there. We wanted to mutiny. Lunch was my favorite. A barbecue of gigantic prawns and thinly sliced octopus charcoal crisped and awesome. And I was still floating from my sea lion kisses. The afternoon island was no slouch either. When we landed we saw sea lions surfing. Catching the really big waves. The we walked through "boobyland". There were so many blue footed boobies that we had to have warning systems not to step on them. Many nests w/eggs. And the best was the mating dance. Very Charlie Chaplin. With blue feet. And then we saw a few albatross heads peaking out here and there and we were nearing the "airport" where they take off. They are really clumsy land birds but magnificent in flight. We sat by the cliffs and waited to see some take offs but didn't see any. We saw a blow hole where 'flying iguanas' had sometimes been sighted. But not by us. Apparently if they are in the vicinity they get tossed up with the spray.WE got to see a lot of albatross displaying. You see 2 little heads popping up and down, one at a time. It looks like an avian comedy routine. At the end of the walk we saw all the sea lion families again. That night Harlow and I had dinner with the captain. Everyone wanted his autograph and wanted to know everything about him. And there was a cake for us for our anniversary. A wonderful surprise (technically it was the next day but there would have been no dinner). The last morning I got up for an optional panga ride at 6 AM. 6 of us went. Saw the sun rise. Sat quietly near the mangroves. Saw 2 sharks and 2 turtles and some rays. Lots of terns. It was lovely. And by 8 I was actually hungry for breakfast. We had to be out of our cabins by 9 cause the next cruise was leaving that afternoon. It was really hard to leave. Go back to civilization. Say goodbye to the family we had formed w/all the others on board. After a week of having so much attention lavished on us it was not fun facing the world again. I never pulled out a chair the whole week. Our rooms were cleaned 4 times a day w/funny towels left for us. We never went hungry.We weren't bored for a millisecond. It was true luxury without any fuss. Lots of adventure and fresh air and such beauty. For a week we never saw a piece of garbage. We interacted w/wild creatures who accepted us totally. We earned more than any of us had ever even intended. We laughed and gasped and made friends and had the most perfect vacation ever. We flew back to Quito where Omar and Erin picked us up and took us to El Rincon Francaise, where Omar's uncle was the chef. It was early and we had the place to ourselves. We had a fabulous meal and waddled out. I was once again disabled by the altitude. Harlow went to a club where they had a party for him. He signed pictures and had a great time and was back by midnight. We had a really long flight back to Miami and we were accompanied by 195 teenage campers. Not really restful. And we stopped in Quayaquil and had to get off the plane and go through security just to get back on the plane. We got to Miami at about 8:30. Dumped our stuff. It was almost 90 degrees. We had dinner on Lincoln road. On Monday we had time for a long swim (and a really long beach walk for me) and had lunch on Lincoln Road. Saw Harlow's nephew Eli and his new bride Shavon and I did some last minute shopping and measuring and then back to N.Y. Arrived home at midnight. Sophie and Sasha were thrilled to see us. But we also walked right into a mini disaster. One of the people who spent a few nights here to keep the cats company had left the big air conditioner on and blew a fuse and we'd lost power for 8 hours. The refrigerator had been off in the heat wave. The computer modem was shot. Answering machines screwy. Sink clogged. Welcome back to reality. I'd actually forgotten what a mess we'd left behind. I'd been so mesmerized by the trip that I thought I was returning to a neat apartment. So it's taken a few days to get the computers running and get this written. But hopefully you got the gist. Those who've never been should make sure you get there. When we get the pictures edited I'll back it all up. Meanwhile - we are back.