Fortunately the hotel early riser call system worked very well and Diane and I were well and truly washed, packed, checked out and a coffee down the hatch by the time our lift arrived at the hotel for the 45 min to the airport.

Interestingly until about 2+ years ago, Quito's airport was in the centre of the city . As the city is in a large valley, Quito is only a few kms wide and 14+kms long. It doesn't take much imagination to work out that with more and more air travel, a lot of Quito's growing population were more and more annoyed by flights in and out, at the same time this was impacting on the city's commercial growth as while it is the seat of government, ..... (The next largest city in Ecuador) is the country's commercial hub.

So a new airport was built, but as one thing that Ecuador is short on is flat land, so the new airport is quite a way out of town. however it is quite large - one person mentioned that it has the longest runway in the world (must Wicki that...) and the facilities are great.

Between our driver and the Intrepid tour contact (Edwardo - he featured earlier) we got through the formalities, including a special screening and sign your life away to say you are not taking any fruits, seeds, animals etc into the Galapagos, and then they seal the bag - a seal that then is checked and taken off at the other end . Like all screenings on the trip so far (I have been explosives tested at every airport ...) I was asked to open my bag and the official checked all the way through. Luckily no surprises but he did make a few funny comments at my plastic packs as he turned them over and checked.

Nuff said - lets to the G's. Air travel including 40 mins on the ground on the coast at Guayaquil, then long enough to nearly watch a movie (can anyone tell me what happens in the end of the Reece Wutherspoon movie about the Sudanese refugees?), lol . OK on arrival. And here met 3 new travellers headed to the Queen Beatrix (my home for the next 7 nights) - Patsy, Wolf and Tim.15 min bus trip across the island, 10 min ferry trip to next island, 45 min bus trip, a short zodiac trip and we were on board the Queen Beatrix (let's call her QB from here on).

The crew made the shore process very easy. Plenty of helping hands, taking bags and advice on how to place feet and hands . We were allocated cabins and given a bit of time to unpack (minimal - there seems to very short time frames to prepare for the next activity, though we are well briefed) before meeting for a briefing of the new guys (us, and I was last to the meeting, the others have been here for 3 days), largely about safety and this afternoon's activity. We then had lunch - a smorgasbord of yummy stuff and a quick chat over lunch with the others. Terrible brain strain though trying to remember names.

We then had to be ready for a 2 pm departure. Given my stuff was strewn all over my bed and the zip off pants that I was thinking of wearing turned out to be a Kathmandu disaster (shows how little attention I paid to the stuff I bought and my packing) as one of the two my-sized pants I bought turned out to be 3 sizes larger than I needed. Whoops.back to option 2 outfit.

We then headed back onto the zodiacs and I joined the 'oldies' (because I am staying 7 nights and don't need the speedy tour like my fellow new arrivals who are staying only 4 nights - hope I don't get bored ....NO CHANCE) for a bus trip up into the mountains to visit an area that has lots of the giant galapagos tortoises. Long trip but the scenery was lovely - pretty much typical small south American type of villages, jungles and some lush farms. Surprising number of tortoises just in the paddocks, as they do.

The place we visited is adjacent to a National Park (which is 90% of the islands) and we heard about their life as mature adults (from age 15 when they are mature, eat grass, travel down from the mountains for annual mating and head back up again), their structure (exoskeleton made of plates), differences between the sexes, ages (heaps if looked after) and how to approach them ( see pics, notably the one where I did get close on instruction of our guide who took the shots). Plenty to tell more but when / if you are interested. See plenty of pics.

From there we went to visit an 11km long lava tunnel - recent validated by some experts as the longest in the world (see pic) . I now know the difference between lave tunnels and flutes. Just ask me.

Back to the boat. Skinned my shin getting on board (a flesh wound only - wiped down with the antiseptic wipes that have been around the world 4 times and finally saw the light of day!!) and washed off in my first shower on board (all good) and hair done (nothing like at home) and ready for the 6pm briefing re tomorrow (not telling now, you will hear it in the next entry, but believe me the day was excellent). Then we had cocktails to welcome us newbies, met the crew and then dinner.

Wine and beer readily available, just run a tab and make sure you can pay in cash at the end. I have made sure that I am on good terms with the fellow who serves meals and looks after the wine. A good move - I think this side of thing will go well with the nice Chilean wines they have on offer. An excellent 3 course dinner, cuppa as I sit on the top aft deck writing this listening to James Reyne tell me 'Oh no, not you again', 'Any day above ground' and all about 'Errol'. I will have this edited and pics noted ready for uploading in due course.

Time for bed, mindful that the boat usually moves in the night and it can be tricky. We are due to pull up anchor at 4am and can expect a turbulent trip as we head out across channels and to be ready for 6.30am breakfast at Santa Fe (meal times are turning out to be very important) - wet landing from the zodiacs and cavort with the sea lions on the beach and the land iguanas back further.

It has been a long day - an extra hour from Quito but I am feeling very at home (and quite emotional) now that I have arrived somewhere I have wanted to come for about 41 years. James is right about the days above ground and I will be making the most of the next 7.

Xx