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Written by: pundit 2/28/2008 2:14:59 PM
The trip started with flights from Washington to Atlanta to Quito, capital of Ecuador, which is situated 9,200+ feet above sea level (mentioned only because some of you might experience altitude sickness – fortunately I didn’t). During the jitney trip from the Quito airport (situated downtown and about to be replaced by a much larger and more modern facility) I received a running commentary from the driver on the history and politics of Ecuador. Among other things, Ecuador is the only country in the world to have reached an agreement with the US Treasury by which the two countries’ currencies are interchangeable; Ecuador even has US Treasury authorization to mint US-recognized currency. Thus travelers do not have to worry about currency exchange or calculate exchange rates, since both currencies are at parity.

Because of Quito’s high altitude, planes cannot depart from Quito with a full load of aviation fuel. Thus long distance trips (such as to the US to the north or to the Galapagos Islands to the west must start with a substantial trip south to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. So after spending two nights in Quito we flew first to Guayaquil, then to a former US army WW II airfield on the Galapagos island of Baltra.

Shortly after landing we boarded the Sagitta (pronounced “sah-HEE-tah”), a 120-foot three-masted sailing yacht on which we would spend the next ten days and nine nights.

For those next ten days we did a lot of hiking, swimming, snorkeling, sightseeing, wildlife-watching, photo-taking, and eating. What a proliferation of fresh fruits, vegetables, tropical drinks, and local fish! All meals were served family style on board, with breakfasts and lunches at a large table near the stern of the yacht and dinners served below decks. Accommodations were adequate, though not luxurious. Both the cabin and the private bath therein were, shall we say, compact, accommodating two adults (not both standing at the same time) in the cabin and one in the bathroom, which even included a tiny but comfortable private shower.

During our daytime excursions to eight of the 30-or-so islands we cavorted among both land and marine iguanas (by the hundreds), giant tortoises (land-based and weighing up to 550 pounds each), sea turtles, sea lions, and a plethora of bird species, particularly red- and blue-footed boobies (generating the expected jokes about the men in the party getting to enjoy a variety of boobies), but also hawks, hundreds of penguins, and flightless cormorants. We also encountered thousands of red crabs, herons, and assorted shorebirds. There were 14 of us passengers and a crew of six. The particular travel group we were with was Wilderness Travel. Service was superb throughout. A special highlight for me was the snorkeling, which I had never done before. While cruising slightly below the surface among the coral reefs and multitudinous rock formations we encountered thousands of multicolored fish, played tag with sea lions who swam right along with us, encountered an occasional sea turtle, and came within a few feet of two (fortunately friendly) sharks. We also experienced the onslaught of dive-bombing boobies who unerringly spotted and snared some of the fish we were swimming among. The physically active part of the trip culminated with our climbing to the top of Bartolome, site of a still-active volcano and the spot chosen by Hollywood moguls for the stunning seascapes pictured in the movie “Master and Commander.” Another highlight for me was kayaking in and around hidden caves and coves on the northeast coast of Gardner Bay on the island of Espanola, southernmost island of the archipelago.

Still another highlight was our crossing the equator a number of times (the obliging ship captain wanted to make sure all camera buffs could photograph the exact spot of zero latitude on the ship’s instrumentation).

All good things eventually come to an end and we flew back to Guayaquil and Quito and then spent another day and a half among the small villages north of Quito. A traveling companion and I hired a driver (the same guide who had driven us to our hotel from the Quito airport the day we arrived in Ecuador – name and phone number on request because he is a superb guide and a wonderful fellow) who exposed us to all sorts of local color and we bought out the inventory of the stalls at the various local marketplaces.

We also got to visit the land-based marker and exhibits at the exact equator line, a 20 miles or so north of Quito and about 650 miles east of where we had crossed the equator on the Pacific.

Then, sadly, back to the real world of airport lines and security and a return to the US. It was great to be back home but I am still savoring the pleasures of a truly magnificent adventure.

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A Trip to the Galapagos

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