Hola! ¿Que tal? This may well be the condensed version of our trip to the Enchanted Islands which is probably not a bad thing...... So here it goes... After just spending a couple of days in Quito we flew to the island of Baltra in the Galapagos and from there caught a bus, then a ferry and another bus to the port town of Puerta Ayora. This is a working port of about 12,000 people and is a very friendly and relaxed place to hang out. The first couple of days we did nothing but stroll around the town and take in the local sights - one of these was a trip to the Darwin Centre which amongst other things is concerned with the conservation of the Islands as well as helping to keep the Galapagos Tortoise from extinction - they breed them at the centre and once they have reached the age of 2 or 3 release them into the wild (back to the islands from hence they originate). We also saw Lonesome George who is a giant galapagos tortoise and at the age of 80 + is the only one of his species left - he isn´t so lonesome anymore though as he has a couple of females from another island to keep him company. The giant t On another of our lazy days we walked the 3 kms to Tortuga Playa (Turtle Beach) - this is a fabulous white sand beach about 800 metres long and the site of my one and only jog so far....... I am blaming my slow acclimatisation to the altitude for my laziness though Seymour has no empathy for me whatsoever. Whilst here we also saw some marine turtles close to shore as well as lots of sally light crabs. These are an amazing red in colour and in the afternoon the beach is covered with them and as you walk towards them they disappear down little holes in the sand creating the illusion of a shifting red carpet. And so after a few days of the easy life we decided it was time to tackle the travel agents. There are only about a half dozen in the town so it wasn´t a hard task. Most of the cruise ships dock at Puerta Ayora and so we were able to ask to see the boats we were interested in. This in itself is good fun as it means jumping on a panga (dinghy) to motor out to the moored boats, then clambouring on board and having a good sticky beak around. Having done this a few times we settled on a lovely looking sailing boat called the Free Enterprise and joined the boat that evening for dinner and a briefing on our trip. As most people were suffering from seasickness (including his truely) it was an early night for all and after surviving a night of rolling on the high seas it was with relief that we got up at 6.00 am to see the first of our islands - Rabida. Well we were in for a bit of a shock as the boat had never left port due to engine trouble........ and so it was back to the travel agents to find a new boat to take us on our trip. And so we found oursleves on the Dorado which turned out to be a fantastic boat. Great crew, great group we travelled with (13 in total, including 3 kids and us) and a great itinerary with an excellent guide, Peter who knew everything about the islands and even Seymour's quest for knowledge was satisified. As for the trip itself, it was an awesome experience and each day held something different for us - most days we did at least one hike and a snorkel and each island had something new and wonderful to offer. We saw sealions galore and swam with them which was beautiful - they are so graceful in the water and love to swim up to your face mask and then duck under and around you. Of course, Seymour met one that wanted to get even closer and it grabbed him by the upper arm (leaving a wonderful bruise and some great scratch marks) - when Seymour refused to play with him cause he (the sealion) was too rough it tried to grab his flipper - this was when Seymour decided that he had enough and hailed for the pangha to pick him up - what a spoilsport! I then got to practice my first aid and Seymour has made a full recovery. Not sure about the sealion. We saw many wonderful and colourful fish and on one lucky day a sea turtle which was so cute. Fortunately we saw no sharks whilst snorkelling but did see them from the beach and also from the pangha as well as many different types of rays and lots more sea turtles. Then of course there are all the wonderful birds which are endemic to the islands - blue footed boobies, comorants, magnificent frigate birds, Darwin finches and one solitary flamingo. We saw lots of marine iguanas and land iguanas and it is amazing how close these birds and other creatures will allow you to get to them. You have to be so careful not to step on them as they pay no heed to the gringo walkways and this goes for the sealions too who blend in so well with their surroundings. I could go on and on about the wonder of nature and the beauty of these islands but I daren't risk the computer crashing again. I know I haven't even touched on the flora of these enchanted islands but it is everything and more than we had expected and even without the animals was itself majestic and unforgetable. Our trip was for 7 nights and 8 days and was a wonderful introduction to Ecuador and its people. I am truely impressed with what I have seen so far and probably because we have for the most part kept to the Gringo trail, have found it a very easy country to get around. There is a great selection of hostels, hotels, restaurants/cafes and food to die for. So, the transition from Sydney to South America has been far easier than I expected and I can only suppose that Peru and Bolivia may present a few more challenges for us! I will leave Seymour to fill you in on our journey after the Galapagos - Otavalo, Banos, El Tambo, Ingapirca ruins and Cuenca where we currently are - a fantastic colonial city which I have already fallen in love with - after only 1 day! Best wishes to you all and keep those emails coming. love Breda

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

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-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

Wonderful!! Thanks for posting that! :-)

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

Took me ages to re type it, glad someone appreciates it!

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

Further details of Gus and Looney`s journey can be found on CEEFAX page 123, that`s all we have time for this week, next week we catch up with a party from the Taliban Militia sampling the sights of a two center break in Newcastle and Seahouses , Jethro will be in Sunderland continuing his search for "The Lost Civilisations of the UK" and we will be catching up with Gus and Loony as they trek through South America in their quest to discover that rare species , a footballer from the region who does not want to come to Newcastle, this is Smiley Smiley , Carol Smiley wishing Gus/Loony safe journey , excellent piece

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

Hope you're filming all of this, gus. Sounds like the hol of a lifetime. Excellent stuff.

-- Anonymous, July 16, 2001

I think there are some wires crossed somewhere Hello Luxemburg can we have your votes please, Luxemburg is anyone still awake.........

I am sure Mrs Loony would not be too happy if I was videoing their holiday.

I wish I was in the Gapal.... Gallapal Gollopol with them in South America except I am still here in sunny Perth. I thought it would be a good idea to post the messages I get from El Loco here. That means he does not have to spend hours on an internet machine.

He sends me the message and I re type it here for Those who are interested.

-- Anonymous, July 16, 2001