Today we got to the island of Santa Cruz in the center of the archipelago. Our day started by visiting the Galapagos giant tortoise breeding center located on the east end of Puerto Ayora. As we walked through the center we observed some of the types of Galapagos giant tortoises and also some of the Galapagos land iguanas in their pens. We also looked for Darwin finches as well as Galapagos mockingbirds and found several of these birds looking for food all around the center.
At the end of the morning we got on to local buses and went to the highlands to a local farm. There we learned about the way they process coffee and sugar cane and also about the life of the local farmers. After this stop at the farm we continued to a restaurant with a beautiful view and had lunch there.
This afternoon we explored the region where wild Galapagos giant tortoises roam free. This place had several tortoises actively feeding on grasses and wallowing in the mud. We also walked into a lava tunnel which was quite a unique experience. After all of these activities we enjoyed a warm cup of local coffee surrounded by tortoises and the lush green vegetation of the area.
