Isla San Cristobal - Days 2-4

Galapagos Day 2

At about 7 am we took a water taxi - a speed boat - from Isla Santa Cruz to Isla San Cristobal. It was the worst 2 hours ever. Bumby, swurvy, hot - I was so nauseous. But we finally made it. We got a quick bite to eat before checking in to our sweet hotel. So nice. Then we hit the ground running.

We took a cab over to the interpretation center, which is supposed to be a really nice museum. We started the walk through, but it was so hot we just wanted to get in the water. We walked toward a beach we had read about, found a beach, and went snorkeling. We were in the water for nearly an hour with sea lions, a sea turtle, lots of fish, and then a guy came and told us to get out because it is a prohibited beach. Woops. But there are no signs.

He told us how to get to Las Tijeretas, which was our original goal. This water was much clearer. It was also colder and deeper, but the snorkeling was awesome. More sea lions!

We went back to the hotel to shower, and we took a little nap. We walked around down town and a dinner, watched the sea lions as they curled up on the beach for the night, and visited the market. Good day! This island is great!

Galapagos Day 3

Kicker Rock day!

We met at the dock at 830 where our guide was waiting for us. We actually met him the night before for an intro and so we could get the rest of our equipment - flippers and a wet suit.

The boat ride was significantly more smooth. We stopped at Isla Lobos. Lobos is the word for Sea Lion, and this is a place where a lot of sea lions go for protection because the water is calm and shallow, so no sharks. The divers did their check, and we watched the birds. Mainly we saw the magnificent frigate. You can't see but the male fills a red pouch below their beak with air to attract a female.

Once the dive check was done, it was on to Kicker Rock. So amazing!

It was cold and a bit scary at first, but once we were in and looking down in the water, it was just beautiful. We saw a few sharks far below us, but the hammer heads were too deep. A little bummed on the shark front, but we saw several sea lions, and we got really close to sea turtles!!! Yes, Kicker Rock was amazing.

Sadly, our time ended. We got in the boat and headed to Puerto Grande, another calm water spot that, during their season, sharks lay eggs and baby sharks swim about. We saw Blue-Footed Boobies diving into the water, hermit crabs, ghost crabs, and this cool fish. Very beautiful place for lunch and relaxation.

We got back to the island around 415. We showered and rested and have been seeing some of the world cup, too. We walked a little around town again. It is pretty incredible here.

Galapagos Day 4

We got up around 6. It would have been 7, but roosters here don't let you sleep. Anyway, we had another great breakfast at the hotel - fruit, cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit juice, coffee. Then we prepared for another day in the water.

We got a taxi over to La Lobaria, a beach known for having sea lions. There were other people there, but most of them were bird watching, not snorkeling. We got in the water right away for what turned out to be the best snorkeling we've done so far. Just take a look.

We were in the water for about two hours. It was awesome. The sea lion started biting toward Karis's toes, though I'm sure he was playing, but we let the little guy move on. Well, we moved on to see other things.

We headed back to the hotel for a shower. The early afternoon is the hottest time of day, so most things are closed anyway. We showered and headed to a restaurant bar to watch a World Cup game. It's kind of a big deal here. We walked around downtown, maybe got a couple souvenirs, and went back to the hotel to rest.

If you come to San Cristobal, the Galapagos Eco Lodge is awesome! Beautiful campus, breakfast included (and a good one), and she'll even do your laundry for free!! We loved it.