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SOUTH AMERICA, part 2

Discovering Galapagos Islands

By Where We Wander

Visiting Galapagos Islands was a sporadic decision made while watching Discovery Channel and drinking beer. A brilliant documentary had suddenly popped up about the archipelago that inspired Darwin's theory of natural selection and still holds the world's highest number of endemic species scattered among its 19 islands and 100+ rocky islets. It must have been the beer, because immediately after the documentary was over we decided that we have to see this place for ourselves.

That very afternoon the plan was set in motion to include the Galapagos into the South American trip we'd already been planning. Airfares were booked, strangers on the internet were consulted as to the arrival and packing logistics and a debate began about how best to experience the islands. Discovery Channel made a very convincing case for joining a tour on a live-aboard boat, but ultimately our group of 4 took a (nearly) unanimous vote to opt out for fear that one of us might become a victim of natural selection after a week on rocking seas.

Right or wrong, that decision ultimately shaped everything about our visit. Without a guide or an itinerary to follow we had no proper idea what we were getting into, but two months later we landed on Baltra — the gateway island in the Galapagos chain, separated from mainland Ecuador by 1000 kilometers of roaring ocean.

THE ARRIVAL

Welcomed by official-looking dogs who checked that we were not carrying any food or plants that might disrupt the archipelago's unique ecosystem, we passed the sniffing test and started looking for the local airline that would take us to our final destination. After a long wait and some confusion as to where exactly we're going next and how we're getting there, we were back on the tarmac. This time though, things were a little different: our next ride looked like a toy compared to the one that brought us here.

As the pilot started the engine of the British-constructed beast, he cheerfully explained that we were about to fly in something of a relic, since these small cargo planes stopped being produced in the 1970s with only a few hundred left in operation worldwide. My question about the absence of life jackets and seat belts was met with a lighthearted chuckle:

Ay no, we don't need life jackets. If we crash into the ocean here, there's only one way it ends, life jacket or not."

And so, to the dubious soundtrack of the deafeningly loud engine, we glided above the Pacific towards Isabela, the largest island in the Galapagos and our home base for the week.

THE ISLAND

One of the youngest islands in the archipelago — a measly one million years old, compared to three or four million for most others — Isabela is also the largest. Little more than a small village with sandy roads, the main town of Puerto Villamil was eerily quiet but for the roaring ocean and frequent seabird cries. In fact, the whole island often felt like a set from the story of Hansel and Gretel, dangerous and enchanting at once. From warped tree branches swallowing narrow island paths to adorable baby seals chilling in human-like poses inside people’s boats, everything on Isabela seemed to be under a magic spell. We settled in among the local fauna and set out to explore the island's nooks and crannies, bike the sandy paths, snorkel the quiet lagoons and watch village soccer games at dusk.

THE TORTOISES

A Spanish fleet came across these islands by accident in 1535 and later referred to them as Galapagos, after the giant tortoises whose shape reminded the Spaniards of el galapago — a type of horse saddle popular in Spain during that time. The tortoises can live for more than 150 years, but ever since the islands were discovered they have been hunted for their meat, eggs and sturdy shells. Seeing that it takes these gentle giants 60+ years to grow to full size, an adult specimen roaming in the wild is a bit of a rarity even today, despite the ongoing conservation efforts. After four days with no tortoise sightings, we accepted the fact that we probably wouldn't get a chance to run into one on our own and decided to visit Isabela's tortoise breeding facility instead. That day was our lucky day — as we biked the sandy roads there and back, we ran into not one but two (even if not-yet-giant) wild tortoises slowly crossing our path.

THE OCEAN

After several days of traversing Isabela on our own, we hired a local man with a boat frighteningly small for the frequently rough seas, and set out to explore. We saw menacing underwater lava tunnels with sharks lurking in the shadows, moody lagoons inhabited by solitary herons, rocky islets with frigate birds circling overhead and silent volcano craters with no visible signs of life at all. Perhaps because of our stationary position on Isabela, we did not encounter local fauna in staggering numbers that so fascinated us in the Discovery Channel documentary that inspired our visit. The island appeared to be like a giant Noah's Arc: every type of species we anticipated to see was represented, but in much smaller numbers than expected. Would it have been different had we gone with an organized live-aboard tour? That will forever remain a mystery. Although it would have been amazing to see the bird and animal colonies thousands strong, exploring at our own pace in a rickety old boat allowed us to feel appropriately humbled. We are after all just a few human pawns in the big game of evolution.

THE VOLCANOES

A million years ago six underwater volcanoes merged to create Isabela and today the island's eerie terrain is still visibly shaped by lava's ebb and flow. By far the coolest thing we did on Isabela was to hike into Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico — the most active volcano duo in the Galapagos and the world's second largest volcanic crater. The hike up was brutal and tested everyone's endurance with humid heat, knee-deep mud and an occasional downpour. We looked like hell and sweat pooled in the rubber boots we'd had to wear. It was our last day on the island and it was spent in the most inhospitable, but utterly impressive environment: following the calls of unseen birds through the fog, tripping over hardened lava and finally taking in the view from the top of the crater across the open terrain with no one and nothing in sight. A mix of beautiful and desolate, Isabela turned out to be the everyman's Galapagos they don't show on the Discovery Channel.

South America: one month itinerary

DAY 1: Fly to Quito, Ecuador. Overnight at Hotel Eugenia. This hotel was very close to a number of restaurants, including Metro Cafe – best fajitas & fruit smoothies we've ever had!

DAY 2: Travel to Hacienda Primavera. The drive takes between 3-6 hours, depending on the route and the number of stops you choose to make. The lodge can arrange private transportation.

DAYS 3-6: Relax at Hacienda Primavera, enjoy local countryside, go horseback riding or whitewater rafting and trek in El Chocó cloud forest.

+ We enjoyed taking it easy at the lodge, but you could limit your stay and spend extra time exploring other areas close to Quito, such as Cotopaxi National Park and Quilotoa Lake.

DAY 7: Travel back to Quito. Along the way, you can make a stop at Otavalo market, as well as explore some scenic trails in Guayllabamba region.

+ We returned to Hotel Eugenia, but it may be more convenient to switch to a more centrally located hotel for easier access to historic city centre.

DAY 8: Sightseeing in Quito, including: El Teleferico, Old Town, San Francisco Plaza, churches of San Francisco and Fundacion de la Compania, Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Ronda street and La Mariscal district.

DAY 9: Travel to the Galapagos Islands. All direct flights to the islands leave from Guyaquil, from where it takes 2.5 hours to reach either Baltra/Santa Cruz Island (GPS) or San Cristobal Island (SCY). Once there, the regional Galapagos airline Emetebe offers air connections between several islands. The aircraft are tiny, sometimes quite aged and seat a maximum of 5 passengers with very limited luggage.

+ We stayed on Isabela but you can split your time between 4 main islands, or even join an expedition-style tour to visit some of the uninhabited islands.

DAYS 10-15: Explore Isabela as well as nearby islets, and hike the Sierra Negra volcano. Hotel Albemarle, located on the best beach in Puerto Villamil, was convenient to the local restaurants, as well as the fishing wharf where a boat can be hired for offshore exploring.

a few tips about visiting Galapagos

There are a couple of stipulations for visiting the islands and the National Park entrance fee must be paid on arrival.
Some hotels offer full-board meal packages, which are absolutely unnecessary and overpriced. The island has plenty of eateries that serve tasty local food.
At the time of our trip, it was impossible to withdraw money from foreign banks on Isabela. At one point we ran out of cash and had to transfer ourselves some via Western Union. Things may have changed since then, but it's worth planning ahead and bringing enough cash to last the entire stay.
Most places on Isabela can be explored independently, but hiring a boat is recommended to visit nearby islets and to spot wildlife offshore. It's very easy (and affordable) to find a guide for day trips: we simply walked down to the local marina and asked around. Several people expressed interest, and everything was arranged within minutes. It helps if you speak some Spanish, both for arranging details and learning about the island from the locals.
Hikes into Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico should not be undertaken independently for safety reasons. Hotels can help arrange full-day guided treks.

DAY 16: Fly to Lima, Peru. Stay in one of the small, boutique hotels in Old Town for easy access to all of the historical points of interest.

DAY 17-18: Sightseeing in historic Lima, including: Plaza de Armas, Lima Cathedral, San Francisco Convent Catacombs and Museum, Santo Domingo Basilica and Monastery and National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History of Peru.

DAY 19: Fly to Cusco, Peru. Casa Andina was a great base for seeing the city and walking distance from all points of interest.

DAY 20-21: Sightseeing in Cusco, including: Plaza de Armas, Cusco Cathedral, San Francisco Museum and Convent, Qorikancha Temple, San Pedro market and San Blas district.

DAY 22: Travel to Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu by train. The journey takes 3.5 hours, so in order to spend the whole day at Machu Picchu, we boarded the first train of the day at 4am. From the town of Aguas Calientes, it is a 30-minute bus ride or 1.5 hour uphill walk to the site. Spend the day exploring Machu Picchu and overnight at Inkaterra Hotel, set on 12 acres of cloud forest right outside of Aguas Calientes. There is a great restaurant and spa on-site.

DAY 23: Enjoy the morning at Inkaterra Hotel or head to the outdoor market in Aguas Calientes. In the afternoon, travel back to Cusco by train.

+ We returned to Casa Andina, where we left most of our luggage while we went to Machu Picchu, but there are many other hotels in the area that would be worth a try.

DAY 24: Day trip to the Sacred Valley of Inca, including Sacsayhuaman and Ollantaytambo archeological sites, as well as the town of Pisac with its large, colourful market.

+ Plan an extra 1-2 days in Cusco to explore more of the surrounding area, such as Vinicunca Mountain and Humantay Lake.

DAY 25: Travel to Puno by bus. The journey takes 9 hours and can be traveled overnight or during the day. During the day there are stops at archeological sites of Raqchi and Pucara, as well as La Raya mountain pass. Overnight in one of hotels close to the shores of Lake Titicaca.

+ Flights are also available between Cusco and Juliaca, the closest airport to Puno (45km).

DAY 26: Day trip to Uros and Taquile islands on Lake Titicaca by boat.

+ Boat transfers onward to Bolivia are also possible from Puno.

DAY 27: Fly back to Lima. This time stay in either Miraflores or Barranco, modern parts of Lima known for their high-end hotels, restaurants, art galleries and nightlife.

DAY 28: Day trip to Nazca by car. This is a long trip (4 hours one way) on Pan-American Highway through parts of Atacama Desert. The final destination is an airstrip where a small Cessna plane will take you on a 40-min flight to view the mysterious Nazca Lines from the air. In the evening, return back to Lima.

+ Make this a 2-day trip and overnight in the desert oasis village of Huacachina. This would also be a great opportunity to try sand boarding on the massive Atacama dunes!

DAY 29: Sightseeing in modern Lima: Miraflores boardwalk and Barranco district art galleries, cafes and street art. Finish the day with a dinner in one of the many great restaurants in this area — we loved Mangos, serving modern Peruvian cuisine on a great patio overlooking El Malecón and the ocean.