One cannot visit the Galapagos Islands without seeing the endemic giant tortoises and Santa Cruz Island is home to over 4,000 of these giants, most living in the wild but some at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
We began our day by visiting this famous scientific station. Funded by the Charles Darwin Foundation, its main goal has been the restoration of the giant tortoise population, which by the 1950s and 1960s had a dim future. The goals set by the research station have been successful, and we were witnesses to the efficiency of its captive breeding program. Amongst the most popular are the baby tortoises, which are kept under surveillance for the first years of their lives to ensure their survival. We were also able to observe the two distinctive types of tortoise shells among the center’s inhabitants, both the saddle-backed shape and the dome-type. We had a lucky stroke today as it was feeding day: heaps of leaves were piled up in the various corrals containing the tortoises, who seemed quite content about it. Eventually, many of the tortoises we saw today will be repatriated back to their island of origin, where we hope they shall live for at least 150 years.
After visiting the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center we headed towards Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos and the busiest one, too! Soccer is extremely popular in South America, and today, the Ecuadorian team was to play in the World Cup. The town looked more colorful than usual with flags displayed everywhere in a demonstration of support for the national team.
At the town center, we boarded buses for a trip to the highlands of Santa Cruz for a visit to a local family-run sugarcane and coffee farm. Here, members of the Cabrera family proudly showed us how they made brown sugar, roasted coffee and even moonshine, which they sell on the island to make a living.
After a delicious lunch at a cozy restaurant, we drove further into the agricultural zone of Santa Cruz. Giant tortoises roamed freely around this area, making the most of the abundant foliage but also showing a preference for cultivated fruits like guavas, avocados and papayas. We visited a privately owned farm that happens to attract these uninvited yet most welcomed guests. Walking along the various paths, we realized that at all times we had at least one giant tortoise within sight. There was also a chance to visit an underground lava tunnel, a delightful addition to our afternoon.
Once back in Puerto Ayora, we noticed that the whole town had come to a standstill: the soccer match had already started. Most definitely, civilization has caught up with the Galapagos, yet we also know that some of the islands are totally uninhabited and seem to be lost in time. The Galapagos is a fantastic place of contrasts.
