After spending days in the wild kingdom of the Galapagos Islands, today our natural quest became more colorful. The vibrant town of Puerto Ayora with its narrow streets and flamboyant colors gave us a charming welcome. The easygoing people of the town interacted with our guests that were curious about the lifestyle of our locals and fishermen alike.
In our first outing we went to the most conspicuous place within the Galapagos National Park Headquarters, Fausto Llerena Tortoises Breeding Center. This place has been functioning since the mid-1960s researching the connecting factors to the low reproductive success of the different population of Galapagos giant tortoises. Our walk through the different corrals point out the need for preservation and spread the conservation message to all of us.
After visiting the breading center we head back to town to understand and get to know the culture of the Galapageños. The main economy of this town is tourism as well as agriculture and fishing. A brief stop in the fishing market was a must, the fresh catch of the day was already for display. Pelicans, herons, gulls and sea lions were looking for some fresh free meals while fishermen and people from town and visitors shared anecdotes about their experience at sea. To complete our morning outing, we headed to the highlands to have lunch, with a momentary stop at El Trapiche. On this farm, Adriano who owns the place described the story of his life back in early 1950s when him and his family migrated to Santa Cruz Island. He started his new life making panela and aguardiente out of sugarcane juice when electricity was not available in the highlands. Nowadays, he also produces cheese, coffee and cacao. We all enjoy the delicacies made by his family.
After lunch we gathered for more adventure in the plains of the island. By bus we headed to the migration route of the emblematic and charming giant tortoises. Several tortoises were sighted. The sounds of the finches, mockingbirds and flycatchers made our outing very pleasant. The freshwater lagoon was also very active with gallinule and ducks. Our natural quest lead us to the interior of the forest where two tortoises were mating and the strong sound made by the male thrilled our guests. Someone commented, “they are trying hard to keep the tortoises alive…let’s give them some privacy.”
The heat of the afternoon waned and many of our guests decided to stay a longer time in Puerto Ayora to get to know the people and what they do after 5:00 p.m. Their interest helped them find out that people in Galapagos play ecuavolley. Another day in this astonishing archipelago gave us an outstanding experience.
