It was just 5 am when the engines were started and we
started sailing toward el León Dormido,
a massive pillar, 50 m high, that sticks out of the ocean maybe 10 nautical
miles from the coast of San Cristobal Island, and which in the distance
resembles the profile of a sea lion. We were scheduled to make a dive there, at
6:15 am! None of this nonsense of sleeping late for adventurers like us,
particularly because there was a small chance that we might see hammer-head
sharks. Alas, it was not to be, because the water was comparatively warm, and
this type of shark prefers cold water. The only thing I saw worth of notice
were some tiny jelly fish with a peacock blue phosphorescence and a boring old shark,
but others saw more sharks and a couple of sea turtles.
Back on the boat we had breakfast, while the boat motored
toward Cerro Brujo, which forms a small peninsula off the coast of San Cristobal
Island. Once there we sailed around it in the dinghy, looked at sea caves and a
sea arch, and then headed for the beach for a promised “roast and swim
session”. I was more interested on Cerro Brujo itself, which is formed by a
rock that is massive and most definitely not basalt. On close inspection I
concluded that it was an erosional remnant of a thick ignimbrite, and now that
I saw it at close quarters I became convinced that it was the same rock that
formed el León Dormido 15 km away. I
wonder if the pyroclastic flow that formed the ignimbrite entered the sea
(perhaps gliding over the sea surface?), or whether it was formed at a time
during a glacial interval, when the sea level dropped enough to create a tongue
15 km long and 50 m thick, that was later eroded as sea level rose during an
interglacial.
My reputation as a bird watcher is growing, as I was the
only one to successfully observe, and describe, a flock of Oystercatchers
looking for something to eat among the rocks.
In the afternoon we walked through Isla Lobos, another of
the many islets adjacent to San Cristobal. As the name implies we saw dozens of
lobos marinos (sea lions), which was
not very exciting because they just lie like smelly lumps on the sand. Yes, the
little ones are cute, but there are only so many cute photos you can take
(never, ever, ask your friend to show you his photos of Galapagos, unless you
want to spend hours looking at endless shots of sea lions). There was a
redeeming moment, however, when we got to see a Piquero de Patas Azules (also called the Pájaro Bobo, Blue-Footed Boobie, or Stoepel in German) feeding its young. This bird is the symbol of
the Galapagos, where one of the most popular t-shirts says “I like boobies” and
the logo are two blue “feet” that manage to look like a pair of “boobies”. As
the names Pájaro Bobo, Boobie, or Stoepel imply, it is a goofy-looking
bird that likes to do goofy things.
Our dive this afternoon was off the coast of Isla Lobos,
where the attraction is to swim amongst the sea lions. Now, that was exciting!
The lumps on land become amazing contortionists and acrobats, who come straight
at you only to veer off at the last moment (the mask makes all objects look
closer than they are, so you have the impression that you can almost touch the
gracile forms as they dart left and right around you). I got a real scare a
couple of times, when one of the adult males, probably in charge of looking
after the playful kids, slowly covered your whole horizon, looking for all
purposes like a leviathan overseeing its dominion. One of the best dives we
have had!
In the afternoon we disembarked in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno,
a handsome little town of 10,000 people, which also happens to be the cantonal
capital of Galapagos. We had hour and a half to do whatever we wanted, although
half an hour was ample time to cover the town. I reflected that I only had two more
full days left in Ecuador, so for old time’s sake I dined on a delicious ceviche mixto of fish, shrimp, octopus,
and cachalanga (the later is what they call chiton). Before I had said that the
Ecuadorian ceviche was like the Peruvian one, but now I realize I was wrong;
the Ecuadorian ceviche is soupier, with the cold broth being citrus-rich, and
the seafood is cooked cooked, rather than being cooked in lime juice. It
spoiled my appetite for dinner, but it sure was a delight.
As planned, after dinner on the boat we took a night ride
back to town, and took over a small bar where we negotiated a bulk price of $5
per drink (I think most of us started with mojitos),
and took over the pool table and the dance floor. It was a merry party, and I
got to dance plenty, but I am afraid some of the modern Latin rhythms were a
bit outside my repertoire. Monica, who is a petite Ecuadorian trigueňa, was in her element, and
effortlessly organized the party by teaching the more adept the one-two-up step
that forms the basis of bachata. Catherine
and Michael once again amazed every one with their mastery of bachata and
salsa, and were also actively engaged in making sure that everyone had a chance
to dance and have a good time. Roberto, our guide, was also in the thick of it,
totally oblivious that he is much smaller than the big German girls, whom he
twirled like if they were petite debutants. Everyone had a good time!
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