I started the day at 6:30 am running on the treadmill in the National Geographic Endeavour gym overlooking the sky deck, skies were cloudy but bright. Other early risers were stretching with the wellness specialist, welcoming the muted sunrise behind the clouds. I ate breakfast in company of new friends with our next destination in sight – Santa Cruz Island. Most of us chose the early disembarkation to experience the Galapagos National Park Tortoise Research Center within the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we enjoyed our first sightings of giant tortoises in the mud, eating prickly pears or just chilling the grass (hey, they’ve got time).
The spotlight was certainly on the tortoises here but I was also fascinated by other efforts this research center dedicates to other inhabitants of Galapagos – the mangrove finch is endangered due to an introduced insect dining on their eggs and newborns, plant life is given a helping hand by the “Groasis system” which protects young plant sprouts and collects water that the plant can consume as needed, saving on irrigation and land erosion.
I later hopped on a mountain bike and pedaled fast up and down the hills of a country road, noting the livestock and vegetation in my peripheral vision, the warm lush wind against my face was refreshing – the perfect preparation for my destination, a sugar cane moonshine distillery.
Okay - it’s actually a sugar cane mill that also happens to make moonshine. “El Trapiche” uses a depth charge left behind by the US Navy in WWII as their pot still, the product was quite tasty but also a searing 100 proof.
After lunch we went to a farm hosting a gathering of giant land tortoises, we were free to respectfully observe and photograph them. These tortoises are so closely studied yet so much of their lives remains a mystery – no one can exactly determine a tortoise’s age and we can only hope that today’s research projects will continue into the next hundred or so years.
We had a couple hours in the late afternoon to roam around Santa Cruz. I forgot my wallet onboard, eliminating all options of shopping or snacks so I wandered the city, people watched, intrigued by housing development underway and small shop storefronts. I was accompanied by a friendly little black dog who followed me for a portion of my meandering.
Ready for dinner, a Zodiac carried me back to the ship where I feasted and tasted Ecuadorian wine. As a lone traveler, I initially stewed over the childish worry of who I will sit with at mealtime, but now it’s my favorite part onboard – who do I get to share a table with and learn about this time? It’s exciting to learn about every creature on the Galapagos this week, from fellow guests to the animal inhabitants to the sea and plant life.
Tempted by the group of new friends on the deck with evening drinks lined up, I’ll return to my cabin for a good night’s rest and will wake up ready to take on tomorrow.
