A busy day in Galápagos. I woke up early to take pictures of the sea lion colony that resides in the port in the center of town.
After breakfast at the hotel we took a boat to Isla Lobos. One the way we saw a variety of birds including frigates and the Blue-Footed Boobie.
At Isla Lobos and Kicker Rock we were in the water for a snorkeling adventure with sea lions, a sea turtle, tropical fish, and several varieties of sharks!
For dinner to took a trip into the highlands of San Cristobal for BBQ steak and chicken at Cafe Caliente de Galapagos. Another early start tomorrow as we transfer by boat to Isabella Island by way of Santa Cruz Island.
The day starts with a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call for our flight from Quito to San Cristobal Island by way of Guayaquil. At the airport our bags are checked for any fruit or plants and sealed. You can’t bring anything that might be harmful to the Galápagos environment. By mid-morning we are heading out over the Pacific.
After checking into Gran Hotel Paraiso Insular, we meet our Galapagos guides (Jose and Lorenzo) have a swordfish lunch at the hotel, get a briefing on the Galápagos National Park rules (do not touch the wildlife!), and then have some free time in the middle of the day to unwind. (I’m writing part of this post from the top floor balcony of the hotel, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and enjoying a cool afternoon breeze).
In the mid-afternoon we head to La Loberia Beach and see sea lions, marine iguanas, and lava lizards.
After La Loberia Beach there is time to hang out at the hotel before dinner at a local beachfront restaurant …
We began our day of Quito sightseeing with a visit to El Panecillo and view of Quito from above the city.
Next we walked Quito’s Old City …
… and saw Independence Plaza, Government Palace, San Francisco Church, and the beautiful Santa Domingo Church.
After an hour long bus ride across the city we had a late, but authentic, lunch at Restaurante Cochabamba. Our last stop today was the equator and a chance to stand in both the northern and southern hemisphere at Mitad del Mundo – the equator monument.
We’re heading out to dinner soon. Early tomorrow morning we fly to San Cristobal Island and begin to explore the Galápagos Islands!
After a long day of travel we have arrived in Quito, Ecuador. It’s about 10:45p, on Friday night and pretty foggy on an early fall evening in the Southern Hemisphere. Heading to our Quito hotel now. Great sunset on the way here over the Gulf of Mexico.
Here is the current set of gear …
… and the complete gear list:
FX Body Nikon
D600 24 MP DSLR
FX Zoom Lenses
NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D IF-ED – Wide Angle Zoom
AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR – Standard Zoom
AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II – Telephoto Zoom
AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR – Travel Zoom
FX Prime Lenses
AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED – Wide Angle Prime
AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G – Normal Prime
DX Body
Nikon D7000 16 MP DSLR
DX Zoom Lenses
AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED – Wide Angle Zoom
AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED – Standard Zoom
Support
Gitzo GT2541 Series 2 Carbon 6X4 Section Tripod
Markins Q-Ball Q10 Ballhead
Gitzo GM5561T Traveler 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod
Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight
Luma Labs Cinch Camera Strap
Post-Production
Mac Pro 3.33 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop
Final Cut Pro X
Michael S. Liberman