Galapagos, Day 4

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Santa Cruz & Bartolome Islands, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz and Bartolome Island

We actually got to sleep in until 7 AM this morning since our excursion to Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island wasn't starting until 9 AM . The beach was named for the WWII barges that broke their moorings and were washed ashore. After our usual buffet breakfast, we got our snorkel gear, boarded the zodiac and headed to the beach for our wet landing. We walked along the lagoons, saw some flying and resting Flamingos and Sally Lightfoot crabs. After the walk, we did some snorkeling in the bay. Saw a lot of fish and underwater plants. Got back to the ship in time for a quick shower before the buffet lunch. Left the ship again at 3:30 PM for our hike to the top of a hill on Bartolome Island. The hike was about a mile but consisted of 358 steps along the way. The view from the top was beautiful. Had a great view of Pinnacle Rock and the surrounding islands. We saw some Galapagos Penguins from the zodiac as we made our way to the beach area after the hike. We opted not to snorkel since our naturalist guide was very verbose and we were late getting to the beach. Came back to the ship for another shower before dinner. Went to the usual 7:30 PM briefing regarding the next day’s activities then it was time for lobster night . Another group wanted to steal our table for 10 (the only one in the dining room) but we got there first. We are trying to bribe the officer in charge of the dining room to hold our table for us for the remainder of the cruise. Diane really enjoyed the lobster.   We were all looking forward to the Grand Marnier Souffle for desert but we were told it fell. Needless to say most of us were very disappointed. With everything included, the wine, Cappuccinos, etc. have been flowing very nicely. At 9:45 PM there was a wild "crossing the equator" celebration. We actually crossed from the Southern Hemisphere into the Northern Hemisphere and later in the night back into the Southern hemisphere. Most of the Archipelago is located below the Equator but we have to navigate around some of the islands that extend into the Northern Hemisphere.   (We got certificates the next day commemorating this event.) Turned in exhausted about 10:30 PM.


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