Today we visited the second largest Island on the archipelago: Santa Cruz. This island is a highlight for many reasons, and today we had the chance to experience the various different environments that exist here.
In the morning, we visited the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learned about the different efforts that are in place to preserve and protect the islands. The alliance of these two entities has resulted in projects focusing not only on research, but on education and wildlife restoration.
After our morning visit, we had some free time to visit the picturesque town of Puerto Ayora. Our guests enjoyed the colourful vegetation, the interesting architecture, friendly “galapagueños” and the fascinating balance between people and animals. After some shopping and a visit to the bustling fish market, where humans and animals alike wait in line for some delicious seafood, we boarded our buses and headed off to explore a completely different environment: The highlands!
We separated into several different groups: The first group went to visit a local school called Thomas de Berlanga. This school´s goal is to educate children in leadership, and they put emphasis on knowledge of the environment that these children call home: Galapagos. We were guided by students around the different classes, and we learned about their different projects.
The second group visited a farm and learned about how agriculture produced different goods in the past, before electricity, before the islands were so connected with mainland.
The third group chose the sportiest option, which was a bike ride from just outside of Puerto Ayora all the way up to the farm, where they were rewarded with tastings of fresh sugar cane
We reunited for lunch and headed off for our next adventure, the highlight of the day: Finding giant tortoises in the wild!
We walked through the fields of a nearby ranch, hoping for close encounters with these giants. We were very lucking, and we found dozens of them hiding in the vegetation. We were able to have our photos taken with these emblematic animals, and after a full day we came back to our home for the week: The National Geographic Endeavour. But the day was not over yet—after dinner, we were treated to a performance of some local musicians and dancers!
Colours, projects, tortoises, music… all gets mix in our memories as we close our eyes as this full day is over. We need some rest, for tomorrow will be another full day in paradise.
