How Traveling off the beaten Track can add Adventure

Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Sun 18 Jul 2010 04:17
The last 48 hours we have had excitement and experience, we decided a couple
of days ago to extend our stay in Galapagos Islands by a day, and switched
hotels, flights etc (afternoon of spending time on computers and in waiting
lines). But our plan was to go south from our current Island of Santa Cruz
to Floriana and go around the other side from where dived and stay in some
cabins on the water for the night. One of challengers is that Floriana is
not well inhabited (about 100 people) but little facilities, and very little
way of getting there.
The morning was misty rain, typical for Santa Cruz Island at this time of
year (each island has it's own climate as we would find out), we waited on
the old dock for a local tour boat to take us as transport to Floriana some
40+ miles away, they had a days snorkeling and island tour, the boat was
small, 30 feet, with two outboards, and off we went. They cruised at 22
knots, into the waves and chop, much to Tracy's discuss as the boat bashed
it's way forward, jarring us to the bone, and about 5 miles out one engine
stopped. It failed to start for 20 minutes and then kicked in, after being
re-assured another boat was coming, (but we have doubts), we sped on and the
jaw shattering pace and rhythm, Alex cried himself to sleep, and we were
inside a wooden cockpit and it just was very unpleasant. At about 20 miles
out, we noticed water coming from the forward compartment under the door.
The crew opened it to find the sink and toilet spouting water into the cabin
every time we hit a wave (which was every couple of seconds), they blocked
it off and reduced the incoming water, but by this stage the water was at
the floor board level, and no bilge pump had kicked in (later we found that
the bilge pump had broken). We continued on, Tracy and I looking for life
vests and just making sure we could get out into the open if needed. An hour
latter we came in on the north side of island and we followed the coast
until St Martin a small fishing village (the first settlement on Galapagos
by Germans in the 1930s as this was the only island known to have fresh
water by the Spanish), we were happy to see the pier, and we could see our
cabins off to the right (east).
We wandered the town or what is called a town we found one of 3 restaurant,
houses, and then went on to the cabins.
The cabins are wooden with a lovely wooden deck overlooking the sea, and a
point,(see photo) nothing in the way, reminding Tracy and I of some of the
camps we have stayed in South Africa at game parks. The cabins have bunk
beds, and well laid out, we walked around the coast for about 1km, over the
lava rock, to a small white beach. This place has light blue water with
black lava rock, crawling with crabs, and a sea lion colony on the beach
about 30 m further on. Sea turtles starting turning up with their heads
popping up out of the water all along the coast, and the sea lions played in
the water on their way home, it was 4.30pm and the afternoon sun was coming
through. The sea was alive, Sean and Alex were building castles, and Tracy
was taking photos of the birds and crabs. I went off a snorkel the water was
cold, but sun out and rays shining through the water, I was able to follow
and watch 3 Sea Turtles which were feeding off the sea weed, then a sea lion
slides past under me, and the fish dodge the excitement, while the water was
cold it was the best snorkel of the trip so far. Dinner was at a different
restaurant, which is extension to house, these restaurants here could be any
where on the Mexican Baja with the layout and the dryness of the island. I
had not realized how each island has a different climate, we found Santa
Cruz very moist, and green and tropical, while Floriana was more like the
Baja very dry and desert like.
Sitting out on the deck with red wine and the sun going down over the water
to west, the turtles and sea lions playing in the water in front of cabins,
and the moon and stars appearing so bright above us, it was just magical. An
experience and picture that will last in my mind and Tracy's of Galapagos on
our own. Next morning it was clear over the island, and sun out, we went
back to beach, with Tracy on a mission to get a red crab shot. The boys and
I played in the sand, as the tide went out, and then Sean and I went
snorkeling even though it was cold he was able to stay in long enough to see
a large sea turtles resting on the bottom, in about 5 feet of water, and
then swim around us, then a young pup of a sea lion came over to explore and
came right up to Sean and swam around him a peered at him. Sean was a little
nervous but more enquiring as the sea lion stayed arms length away, and was
as inquisitive as Sean about him.
The afternoon created the next excitement we were meant to picked up about 2
pm by the same snorkeling boat, but it failed to turn up, we rushed around
the island and saw the last other day boat leave back to Santa Cruz, 9not a
good sign when we had flights the following day). I used my sat phone for
the first time in voice call, to call the snorkeling company, sure enough
they had engine troubles and decided not to come today (GREAT). We then
spent the next hour working with local fishmen on possible ways to get back,
and eventually we found a captain of a Panga with a big engine who seemed
good, and had safety equipment(a good thing). The price was through the
roof, but we were in no position to argue too much (so I would claim it back
latter off the snorkeling boat) but we piled in to the 25 foot fiberglass
panga, wearing borrowed foul weather gear and the boys lay down on the floor
and fell asleep as we powered off around the side of island at 20+ knots.
As we cleared the island the captain and I sighed with relief as the sea was
pretty good, with 12 knots of wind on our aft, and sea off aft quarter, and
off we went. The Sun was glistening against the water, clear skies over us,
but in the far distance there clouds, as the wind rushed past, and spray
rose as we hit the waves and slid down them, the crossing is like that from
Catalina, but no main land, and going between two islands 40 miles apart, a
1000 miles out in the pacific. As we came down one wave and up the another
an albatross rose over us gliding over the waves with little ease, looking
down on us and probably saying who are those mad people in such a small
boat. We continued to ride well in the panga really acting like a big canoe
with a powerful 150 hp engine on the back and a good pilot, we felt at one
with the sea, actually Tracy enjoyed it a lot more than the trip across. We
saw birds, and sea lions and the gentle sliding of the waves under us as we
came up on Santa Cruz 1 1/2 hours latter we did not get too wet, a bit salty
and wind blown.
But we were back, avoiding missing flights and the boys celebrated by
playing in the park while I went off to argue with the snorkeling boat and
reclaim a significant part of the fair I had to pay.
The experience on the island in the cottages with the remoteness and then
snorkeling in our own bay with Seal Lions and Turtles was fantastic, it was
our own family time on Galapagos no tour, no other people, and the trip back
added to the excitement.
Today is a day of travel to Lima which I send this email from, and tomorrow
we off to El Salvador.
The excitement of travel, and the un for seen you gain in experience, and
the family takes it in it's stride, the boys are very good travelers, and
take it all in.


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