Fly to Galapagos - Embark on Galapagos cruise.

It's a 35 minute flight from Quito to Guayquil, one hour layover, and one hour and forty five minute flight to San Cristobal, Galapagos. After going through customs and security, it was a short bus ride to the dock where we donned life vests and took a panga (local word for a small, motorized dinghy) out to the boat where we would be staying for the next three days. Nice accommodations, complete with a queen size bed and bathroom. After a nice lunch on the boat and a short briefing, it was time for our first excursion, the giant Galapagos tortoises.

We took the panga back to mainland San Cristobal and got on yet another bus. It was about a forty-five minute bus ride across the island. Beto, our naturalist/guide assigned to our tour group, took us through the Centro De Crianza De Torugas Terrestres, where we did indeed see giant tortoises. Some were well over one hundred years old. We also saw a nursery of sorts with small, hand-size, three and four-month olds… to insure and increase population numbers on the island.

Then it was back to the boat, the Archipell II, for an emergency, should-something-happen drill with life preservers. Had done a similar drill on a cruise boat. Had dinner, watched the sunset from the upper deck, hung out… and looked forward to the next day.