Arrival in San Cristobal, Galapagos
Seaduced
John & Jane Craven
Wed 12 Feb 2014 19:13
The first thing we needed to do was complete the seemingly endless formalities before we were allowed to go ashore. We were the 17th boat out of 18 to arrive today, so we were hoping that by the time the authorities got to us, they would be bored and keen to get it all over with and get home as quickly as possible. Unlike many of the other places we have been to, the authorities come to you, all 8 of them arrive in their heavy work boots and proceed to stomp their way around the boat. We had people checking the bedrooms and in the cupboards for pets, stowaways, and goodness knows what else as well. Our check came to an abrupt end when one of the female agents opened a cupboard and got bombarded with a pile of boxes of pasta that had come dislodged while we were sailing. Embarrassed, she ended her inspection there! The officials asked loads of questions supposedly in order to ascertain whether we would pose a threat to the ecology or wildlife of the Galapagos. In reality, the questions were ill thought out and largely pointless and irrelevant. I had to makes a sign for the bin cupboard stating that once full, the rubbish had to be stowed in the dinghy, having been sorted into the correct coloured bags, and then taken to Santa Cruz, where we go on Tuesday, for disposal. In reality, the water taxi will take a black bag ashore including all your trash for $1!!
We eventually got ashore about 7pm to catch up with the others who had been cleared earlier in the day. This was our first sight of the famous Galapagos sea-lions. At first we weren't sure whether they were seals or sea-lions, we now know they are sea-lions and the difference is in the flippers. Also, what I had previously thought of as cute cuddly sea-lions is rubbish, they are very noisy and they stink!! Added to that, they love getting on boats, which is a problem. We can't use our dinghies here as the sea-lions will wait until you get out of the dinghy and climb in. They are then almost impossible to get out. We have had to arrange a defensive system on the back of the boat to keep them off - the last thing you want is a sea-lion in the cockpit!
The steps leading up from the dock in town. The sea-lions hang out here. If you want the top step you have to crawl over all the others on the way up, leading to lots of disgruntled sea-lions barking and honking at the tops of their voices!
Aaahh, aren't they cute? That's what we thought at first. Now we know different, they are noisy and they stink!!!
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