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Date: 06 Jun 2012 00:22:00
Title: Day 16 & 17 Academy Bay
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We have been at anchor at this great place for a day now. We are using an agent called Diego (a very nice, good-looking young guy) who works for Galapagos Ocean Services (GOS). He organised for the Immigration official and the Port Captain to come to the boat to check in. The Immigration guy sat the whole time and wrote in his note pad and that was it. No stamps into the Passports or anything. The Port Captain was tougher and insisted that even though we are only staying a few days, that we go through the full procedure and paper work. Not sure how much the process is going to cost or how long it will take before we will be ready to go again. We did a little exploring of the town yesterday. We have not purchased National Park tickets (US$100 each) as we will not be staying long, but when we finally bring 'Five Islands' home in a year or 2, we will spend a couple of weeks here and explore, it really is an amazing place. Seals, pelicans and iguanas everywhere, but we found a large congregation at the fish market. The seals acted just like dogs waiting at the table for some scraps. Academy Bay is very much the tourist town and where there are tourists there are lots of shops, restaurants/bars and internet cafes. Most of the shops close their doors for a few hours of siesta time each day (12 till 3pm). There is a large contingent of Naval personnel and their families living here as well and most of the locals seem to congregate in the main town square around dusk. Last night the activity centred around a couple of 3 aside volley ball games. We are spending today restocking & refuelling with a trip to the local market this morning. The boys are currently organising the diesel. We are purchasing 150gal (US) at a cost of $4.80/gal. Diego had to organise a permit with the Navy for the fuel, then large jerry cans to be filled at the Navy dock, then Taxi ague (pronounced awa - water taxi) to the boat, the pumped into the tanks. We are going to have dinner in town tonight, as it will be many weeks before we have the opportunity again. Tomorrow we will explore a bit further afield on the island. The following photos cover our trip from the Las Perlas Islands to Academy Bay.

  Stocked & ready to go

  Cross on Island - Don Bernardo beach - Isla Pedro Gonzalas

  'Liseron' at anchor - Don Bernardo beach

  Golden Spotted Mackerel. 3 yummy meals

  Washing day (new washing machine works well)

  Long line fisherman 200nm from Ecuador coast. Came up to us from across the sea very fast to ask for water & cigarettes. We also gave them loo lie pops.

  Flying along side the boat before landing to hitch a ride

  Crossing the Equator 3 times. Crossed the first time, turned the engine off and the current promptly took us back into the northern hemisphere so we had to resume motoring and as a consequence crossed it again.

  We asked for safe passage from Neptune and gave him some rum then we had bubbles.

  Full moon on the water - really speccy

  Swimming at Academy Bay in aqua water. A bit cool but nice.

  Fish market - waiting for the scraps

  Basking at the town jetty

  These guys are everywhere

  Iguana

 The local fishing fleet

  Sooo gorgeous.

  A jewellery design store - very unusual and classy

  Town Square - Volley Ball games 

  Local markets



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