Galapagos Trip 2023 -- Day -2 and -1 -- Off to Guayaquil, Ecuador

Day -2:  Flight to Guayaquil

What flight do we take?  As I indicated in the previous blog which is the overview of our Galapagos adventure, we started by flying to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  There are only two cities that offer flights to Galapagos (or at least the Baltra Airport in Galapagos), Guayaquil and Quito.  This is at least in part due to the special screening for possible contaminants and the fumigation of luggage (checked and carry-on) required for flights entering the Galapagos Islands. We would need to fly to Galapagos from one of those two cities.

The UnCruise Galapagos cruise included a one night stay at the Wyndham in Guayaquil and included the flight from Guayaquil to Galapagos, so it was an easy decision to start our adventure in Guayaquil.  To add a little "insurance" in case our flight or our luggage was delayed, we decided to go a day early, hence two nights in Guayaquil with a day to explore a bit.

There are no direct flights to Guayaquil from DFW and only two airlines provide access to Guayaquil from DFW with one stop, American and Spirit.  We had splurged on our Alaska trip last year and flown business class on Alaska Airlines, which made life a lot easier (or dare I say more like flying in the good ol' days).  We hoped to fly business class again.  Since Spirit doesn't have business/first class, then American via Miami it was! 

Neither of us had ever used our AA Advantage miles, but each of our balances accumulated over a lifetime of flying was just enough to get round trip business class tickets.  I am not sure it was the best of all deals, but I could at least rationalize a lifetime of miles for a once in a lifetime trip.

We're off!  We left home at O-dark hundred (i.e. a little after 5 am) on Wednesday, May 10.  After a bit of looking for a parking spot we were unloaded and on our way to the terminal by 5:40 am in preparation for our 8:47 am flight. 

Pic in the DFW parking garage at 5:42 am so I didn't forget where the car was

Everything went smoothly and we were soon at the gate...with plenty of time to spare.  

You can tell I have long since gotten bored if I am taking pictures of the flight board at the gate.  52 more minutes until we board!

The flight to Miami was uneventful, although I must say I think Alaska Airlines business class service is better than American's. We arrived in Miami at about 1 pm for our 6:39 flight..  The longer than ideal layover was due to American moving us to the morning DFW to MIA flight from our originally scheduled early afternoon flight some months ago.  At least with a business class ticket to Ecuador we could hang out in the American Airlines Admirals Club.  Hours there were boring, but at least it was quiet and comfortable with free snacks.

On to Guayaquil.  I tend to forget how much further east South America is than North America.  We went almost due south, going from Miami to Guayaquil, passing over Cuba and Panama along the way.

 

GPS track of flight from Miami to Guayaquil

I was hoping to get pictures of Cuba as we passed over, but thunderstorms meant heavy clouds below us.  By the time we passed over Panama it was dark, but I am pretty sure I could see lights from ships in the Panama Canal.

Touch down in Guayaquil.  We touched down in Guayaquil a little after 10 pm local time for a total flying time of about 4.5 hours. It was raining, but the ground crew waving the plane in didn't seem to care with no hats or no raincoats, etc.

The airport was a nice and seemed relatively new, but it was pretty much deserted when we arrived.  We did not know what to expect with passport control and customs in Ecuador, but that turned out to be a non-issue.  The only question they asked us was how long we were staying.  We then moved through the doors to find the friendly lady with the UnCruise sign. who shepherded us to the hotel shuttle bus, gave us a quick introduction while on the 10-15 minute ride to the hotel, then helped us get checked in.

The hotel was very nice.  Our room overlooked both the Guayas River and the fancy tall corkscrew skyscraper with changing colored lights next door. 

Day -1: Exploring Guayaquil (kind of).  

Safety concerns in Guayaquil.  When we originally began thinking about what to do in Guayaquil months ago we thought about taking one of the half day or full day trips into the countryside to a cacao farm.  It was about this time that we began to hear much more about the increased violence in the area, apparently a war between various drug cartels. (Click here or here)  We heard the following from many sources:

• Don't be on the street with expensive jewelry or electronics. (For us, we interpreted that to mean no cameras or no gps.).  
• If you use your phone, be very discreet, preferably not out in the open.  If you decide to take pictures, do it quickly then put the phone away immediately.  At all times keep two hands on your phone.
  
• Carry only a copy of your passport; leave the original in the hotel safe.  
• Above all, never never hail a taxi on your own on the street because you risk being kidnapped and held for ransom.   If you need a taxi, ask the staff at any of the area hotels to call one for you.
  

Effective April 2 through at least May 31, the government declared a state of emergency in Guayaquil due to the increase in criminal activity and imposed a 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.  The U.S. State Department issued a Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" for north Guayaquil (where we were), but a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" for south Guayaquil.  On top of all of that an earthquake hit the Gulf of Guayaquil on March 18 and I realized earthquakes were a common occurrence there.  What were we getting ourselves into?

Despite all of these problems in Ecuador proper, and especially Guayaquil, Galapagos is considered very safe.  With that in mind, we never considered canceling our trip.  We just decided to limit our exploration in Guayaquil to the touristy area near the hotel.

Early morning Puerto Santa Ana.  We were up early the following morning and in the hotel restaurant ready for breakfast when they opened.  After breakfast we walked out the back of the hotel, which from the lobby actually seemed more like the front with the multi-story glass wall looking out onto a boardwalk and the Gauyas River beyond.  Although not particularly picturesque (possibly due to the flooding in the country the past few months?), the river is very wide.  It is about one mile wide here in the narrow section, but more than two miles wide just a bit north where the Daule River from the west and the Babahoyo River from the east come together to form the Guayas.

Picture from our seventh floor hotel window of the Guayas River. The bridge in the distance is over the Daule River just barely above where it joins with the Babahoyo River.  Immediately  below is part of the boardwalk.  The blue strip next to the water is a fountain and light sculpture feature.  The green is the top of the "grackle tree", the nighttime resting spot for hundreds of noisy grackles.

Wyndham Hotel, Puerto Santa Ana, Guayaquil (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wyndham_Hotel_Guayaquil.JPG)

 

The Wyndham Hotel on the left and the corkscrew Point Tower along the boardwalk, Puerto Santa Ana, Guayaquil (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Santa_Ana_(Guayaquil)#/media/Archivo:Puerto_Santa_Ana,_Guayaquil,_Ecuador.jpg)

The area  was pretty empty early in the morning, with a few people walking their dogs or jogging.  The vast majority of people we saw were uniformed officers, either police or security guards.  

The most unexpected thing here were all of the stray cats. They were under the bushes, in the trees, or roaming among the outside tables of the many restaurants along the boardwalk.  We could see in one location that someone had put out food for them.  They were lounging around and obviously very much at home and they were definitely well fed.

We walked south until we started down a cobblestone street of mostly art galleries.  At that point we turned around and walked back to the hotel to meet up with Paul and Gwen, who were eating breakfast.  They had arrived the day before via Panama City.

On to the Malecon  I had read a lot about the Malecon 2000, the boardwalk along the river.   I thought we were on the north end of the Malecon, but discovered the Malecon was actually a bit further south beyond the cobblestone street.. We had been in a new development called Puerto Santa Ana, which includes the hotel, and had not made it quite far enough south to the Malecon.

We headed out again with Paul and Gwen.  They were on their way to the Anthropology and Contemporary Art Museum at the north end of the Malecon, while we continued on to see more of the Malecon that they had seen the day before.

There were museums, a garden containing many plants that I think of as house plants, a small amusement park, and a large Ferris wheel.

Malecon gardens (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/SageoEG_-_Malec%C3%B3n_y_sus_jard%C3%ADnes_001.jpg)

The Turkey in front of the letter Q on the Malecon with the river in the background and the La Perla ferris wheel. The hill to the left is Santa Ana Hill, an historical part of the city and now a popular tourist attraction.  For reference, our hotel is adjacent to the hill but on the other side from this viewpoint.  On top of the hill is a lighthouse (visible in the picture), a museum, and a small chapel built in 1548.  The top of the hill is reached by climbing 444 steps which are lined by an array of colorful boutique shops, restaurants, and bars with numerous plazas, fountains, and parks along the way.  The stairway and adjacent stores to the top are heavily patrolled and considered safe for tourists.  Given the humidity, the 444 steps, andthe fact that we missed seeing the entrance, we never really considered making the climb.

Our first of many iguanas we saw on this trip with the river in the background. This is a green iguana, different than the ones we would see later in Galapagos.

This is part of the monument commemorating the meeting between Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin on July 26, 1822 in Guayaquil.  Simon Bolivar was the liberator of Venezuela and Columbia as well as involved in the liberation of Panama, Ecuador, and Bolivia.  Jose de San Martin was liberator of Argentina Chile and Peru.  Their meeting in Guayaquil is considered a turning point in the South American independence process. 

Although admittedly a protected bubble within the city, we felt safe on both the Malecon and in Puerto Santa Ana.  There were lots of police and security guards everywhere.  Even though it bordered some of the main downtown streets, access to the Malecon was controlled.  It was enclosed by a tall fence with police at the few entrances,  There were lots of restaurants on the boardwalk in Puerto Santa Ana.  We ate at numerous different restaurants there in addition to the hotel restaurant and enjoyed all of them.  Puerto Santa Ana, and the Wyndham in particular, turned out to be a great place to stay and get the chance to explore a bit despite the security concerns.

Galapagos Trip 2023--Overview

• Galapagos 2023.  We had such a good time on our UnCruise trip to Alaska last year we decided to go on another UnCruise Adventure.  UnCruise is based in Alaska but also does cruises in several Central American locations and the Hawaiian Islands.  For our adventure, we chose the Galapagos Islands. 

The Galapagos Islands are on this map in the Pacific Ocean near the intersection of the two lines, but obscured by our gps tracks.  The horizontal line is the equator.  The vertical line is 90 degrees west longitude. I am not sure why Ecuador is not labelled on this map, but it is on the coast between Columbia and Peru.  The vertical red line is the gps track of our flight from Miami to Guayaquil.  The black line next to it is the gps track for the return flight from Guayaquil to Miami.  I did not have the gps on between DFW and Miami or between Guayaquil and Galapagos.

 What did we do and when?    

• We flew to the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador via Miami, Florida, on Wednesday May 10.  
• On May 11 we met up with Paul and Gwen in the morning.  They had flown in via Panama City the day before.  We did some exploring of Guayaquil along the Guayas River near our hotel.  By afternoon Paul and Gwen's friend James had also arrived.
  
• We flew to Baltra Airport in the Galapagos on Friday, May 12, where we boarded the yacht La Pinta. 
• We spent the next seven days and six nights exploring multiple islands on what Metropolitan Touring, the actual owner/operator of the La PInta, calls the Western Galapagos Cruise (see map below).  
• We disembarked on Thursday, May 18 and flew back to Guayaquil.  
• Friday, May 19, we made the return trip home from Guayaquil via Miami.

Map of La Pinta's "Western Galapagos" Cruise (courtesy of Metropolitan Touring)

 

Initial thoughts upon return.  

• I can't believe it is over already.  We had looked forward to and planned for this trip almost since we left Alaska last August and certainly since we put down our deposit in November.  The ten days we were there went by in a flash.
  
• I did not take as many pictures as I thought I would or probably should have. We took essentially no pictures in Guayaquil due to the various security issues there.  The trails in  Galapagos were generally so rough and uneven that I spent a lot of time watching where I was walking instead of taking pictures.  I don't know why I didn't take more pictures on the ship.
• I am very glad we took this cruise through UnCruise rather than directly through Metropolitan Touring.  UnCruise handled all of the logistics of getting us to and from the airport in Guayaquil both on our arrival and departure and for the trip to and from Galapagos.  That was a huge relief, not only due to the language difference but also due to the ongoing violence and current night time curfew within the city of Guayaquil. Without the need to stand in line, they provided us with tickets/boarding passes to and from Galapagos from Guayaquil and all of the forms already filled out and fees already paid for entering the national park. 
  
• .We got to see most of the animals we had hoped to see...many even on the first day of the cruise!
• I had especially wanted to see blue footed boobies.  Not only did we see an endless number of boobies almost everywhere, but we saw two of them on the first day of the cruise doing their little booby mating dance together, kind of a Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers impersonation where they emphasized picking up their bright blue feet.

Blue-footed boobies on North Seymour Island doing their booby dance

 

• The Frog had wanted to see frigate birds, hopefully including a male with an inflated red gulac sac.  We saw lots of them both on nests and in the air in a nesting colony on North Seymour Island.

Male frigate bird with inflated gulac sac on North Seymour Island

• Altogether we saw at least 10 of the "Galapagos Big 15":  flightless cormorants, Galapagos hawk, blue footed booby, land iguana, marine iguana, Galapagos penguin, Galapagos sea lion, Galapagos fur seal (I think), American flamingo, frigate birds, and Galapagos giant tortoises.  That does not include the many other birds including Darwin finches, at least two and possibly three types of sharks, manta ray, sea turtles, lizards, many fish, multiple types of starfish, crabs, and many interesting plants.

• Although not totally unexpected, the weather was not ideal.  Of course it was incredibly humid and, being on the equator, the sun was very intense. Both of those were expected. We had picked May for the trip as a compromise.  We had hoped the temperatures would be beginning to cool as they transitioned out of the hot, rainy season, but the cold sea currents of the dry season would not yet be so strong that the seas would still be relatively calm.  We kind of missed on both counts, perhaps due to the global shift to an El Nino weather pattern. The temps were still pretty high and the seas were rougher than expected.  The Frog had a tough time with the ship bouncing around so much.  The crew even had to scratch some of the off ship activities one day due to the large waves.  At least it never rained on us and we did not get sunburned.

Over the next days or weeks I will try to get more detailed blogs posted for each day of our adventure. I will update this blog with links to each new blog post when they are ready.  Below is a map with our gps tracks for each day of the trip.  I will show more detailed close-up maps as appropriate for the individual adventures.  If you are reading this, I apologize for all of the text, but this blog is primarily for me so I can come back in the future and reminisce about what we did.

Combined gps tracks of our cruise.  See below for key to the colors.

The following is what Metropolitan Touring calls their Itinerary Table, showing activities for each day.

 

This is the description of each day on the La Pinta as provided by Metropolitan Touring with a key to the colors of the gps tracks.  The details of each day will be on the individual blog posts to follow.

• Day -2 and -1  
• Flying to Guayaquil and Guayaquil sightseeing near hotel (Click here for blog post)
  
• Day 1, May 12  (red track)
• Baltra Island  Our adventure begins with a morning flight to Baltra Island and immediate transfer to the dock to board Yacht La Pinta. There’s an introductory welcome briefing, boat drill, cabin assignment followed by lunch.  (Click here for blog post.)
  
• North Seymour Island  Following an afternoon disembarkation, we enjoy a walk along the coast and the interior of this beautiful flat island, observing numerous bird colonies as well as sea lions and land iguanas. There are opportunities for coastal exploration by dinghy. Evening briefing, welcome cocktail and dinner.   (Click here for the blog post.)
  
• Day 2, May 13 (green track)
• Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)  Since there is no landing site at this location, the coastal exploration is by panga, while the naturalist guide explains the dramatic geology of the area, with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers. There is abundant wildlife and, depending on the conditions of the ocean, we’ll be able to snorkel along the cliffs, hopefully in the company of green sea turtles. (Click here for blog post.)
  
• Punta Espinoza (Fernandina Island)  In the afternoon, we visit the youngest and most pristine island of the archipelago, Fernandina, one of many visitors’ all-time favourites. Punta Espinoza has an amazing combination of barrenness and abundant wildlife. Highlights include hawks, penguins, flightless cormorants and astounding views of the surrounding volcanic landscapes.  (Click here for blog post.)
  
• Day 3, May 14 (yellow track)
•  Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)  After breakfast, we disembark at Urbina Bay, on the western side of Isabela Island, the result of an uplifting of the ocean floor. Here you can see corals, shells, and large and very colorful Galapagos land iguanas, as well as (occasionally) giant tortoises. Navigating the Bolívar Channel, there are good chances of spotting several species of whales.  (Click here for blog post.)
  
• Tagus Cove (Isabela Island)  On the northwest of Isabela, secluded Tagus Cove provided a favourite anchorage for pirates and whalers over the centuries, and today makes a great visitor site. An uphill hike takes us to the back of Darwin Crater, filled with salt water. We can snorkel or ride kayaks amid the dramatic landscape before going on our hike.  (Click here for blog post.)
  
• Day 4, May 15 (blue track)
• Rabida Island  In the morning, we disembark at Rabida Island’s red-coloured beach. A stroll along the beach allows us to observe marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers and several species of Darwin’s finches. This is a great place to snorkel from the beach. For non-snorkelers, we can ride our glass-bottom boat for an exploration of life underneath the waves. (Blog post, part 1)  (Blog posr, part 2)
  
• Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) (Santa Cruz Island)  The north shore of Santa Cruz hosts the fascinating landscapes of Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill). Our walk includes circling a brackish water lagoon frequented by lagoon birds, while further inland, the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago, as well as the chance to observe land iguanas.
• Day 5, May 16 (fuchsia track)
• Puerto Ayora & Charles Darwin Research Station  The morning visit heads to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the giant tortoise pens within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest. These are the Galapagos' headquarters of scientific investigation, conservation and the National Park administration. A delicious lunch is served at the poolside of the Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel. (Blog post, part 1) (Blog post, part 2)
  
• Highlands of Santa Cruz Island After lunch we head up to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island by vehicle. This is a great place to look for the emblematic Darwin’s Finches and the endemic Scalesia trees. The highlands are also excellent for exploring the exuberant vegetation where giant tortoises roam in the wild.  This will surely be one of the most remembered visits of the whole voyage. (Blog post)
  
•  Day 6, May 17 ( aqua track)
• Post Office Bay After breakfast, we land at Post Office Bay to visit the historic barrel that has served as a post office in the archipelago for over two centuries. Panga rides along the maze of channels on Floreana’s north shore can also be enjoyed. Views from La Lobería and the Baroness Viewpoint are quite rewarding. There’s great kayaking and swimming from the beach as well. (Blog post, part 1) (Blog post, part 2)
  
• Champion Islet & Punta Cormorant (Floreana Island) Before disembarking at Punta Cormorant we can snorkel or ride our glass-bottom boat along the coast of an extinct cone called “Champion Islet”. Later in the afternoon, our visit to Punta Cormorant takes in an olivine-crystal beach for an easy walk by a brackish water lagoon where bird species like greater flamingos may be observed. On the other side of the island, we come to a white-sand beach where sea turtles come out at night to nest. (Blog post, part 3)
  
•  Day 7, May 18 (black track)
• Baltra Island  Our journey ends at Baltra Island, where we transfer to the airport to take the flight back to the mainland. Baltra’s flat substrate (due to its uplifted origin) is the reason why the island was chosen back in the 1940s as the location to building an airport (Blog post)
  

If you would like to skip all the intervening posts and go to the end, which includes a photo slideshow, go here:  Galapagos Trip 2023 -- The Last Post.

Well, that is about it for now. I don't want to do too much posting until I receive additional promised pictures.  It will likely be several weeks before I receive pictures from Metropolitan Touring and at least that long before I receive a promised video from one of our ship mates of one of the most memorable moments of the trip--the attack of the Frog by an angry Galapagos mockingbird.  Yes, really!   It landed on his hat and aggressively pecked at the top of his hat.  Stay tuned.

 

An upset mockingbird attacking the Frog