It has been a once in a life time trip with so many animals, but no contact with civilization. So it was about time to see some Galapageños.
San Cristobal is the political capital of the Galapagos, however the island we visited today is the economical capital of the islands. Santa Cruz hosts about 50% of our population and it is because the main headquarters of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station are here.
In the morning we had some time to rest, and the excursions started after our always lovely breakfast onboard. The first stop in Santa Cruz was the Breeding Canter for the giant tortoises next to the Charles Darwin Research Station. There is where our guests could learn a little more about the process these animals follow before their reintroduction to the islands. Their numbers decreased drastically since the 17th century when people discovered their ability to survive months or years without food and water; making them a very convenient source of meat besides fish. In the center we found real giants, babies, alone or in groups, several species of tortoises in captivity.
After seeing the tortoises there was time to see how life is lived on the islands along the main street of the town, and to shop for a good memory of the experience on this archipelago.
Around noon, just before lunch, we got to see products made on the islands in the traditional way. El Trapiche showed us molasses, brown sugar and rum obtained out of the sugar cane and the delicious Galapagos coffee and its process for preparation.
We did not have to come back home to enjoy lunch, because we went to a restaurant up in the highlands and later continued exploring the area with more walks. To summarize the entire day, more giant tortoises were there and, which is the best, they were found in the wild.
So that was a day on Santa Cruz, full of tortoises, people and happiness.
