Isabella
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Isla Isabella, 02- 21 March 00.57S:090.57W
The second of March saw us en-route to Isla Isabella against a foul current which slowed us considerably, so that it was late in the afternoon when we made our way carefully into the small and already crowded anchorage of Puerto Villamil. Anchoring is cheek by jowl and we found it strange that no one wanted to use stern anchors to make space for others on their way. Our agent here, JC Soto, is a helpful and resourceful chap; for example he arranges for ‘water melons’ to be delivered under cover of darkness to yachts needing fuel. A watermelon is, of course, a 5 gallon container of diesel!
Puerto Villamil is definitely the best anchorage of the three islands, albeit very small. It is a pretty little bay surrounded by reef which you can only clearly see at low tide. As usual, the water taxi dock is home to sea-lions of various sizes; youngsters play around the yachts and take a delight in surfacing beside you if you swim. The anchorage is teeming with fish and birds; one day, Robin’s cry of ‘hammerhead shark’ had Suzie racing for the boarding ladder, but it turned out the shark was ‘only’ a small one!!
Feeling energetic one day, we shared a taxi-truck with other yachties to visit the Wall of Tears, some 10 klms away. The wall was built by convicts after the Americans left the island at the end of WW2. Each sharp lava boulder was cut by hand with the only the most rudimentary of tools; they were then hauled in place by the prisoners under the gaze of guards whose delight in punishment became legendary throughout the Pacific. The motto of the place was “Where the strong cry and the weak die” ; the words say it all.
We walked back from the Wall of Tears through the National Park, delighting in meeting wild tortoises ambling serenely along the path. If a vehicle approached the driver would leap out and assist the tortoise to safety at the size of the track; quite a task with the bigger chaps!
On another day, we took decided to tackle the ‘two volcanoes’ walk, ie the hike around Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico. We reached the start point after a 45 minute ride in an open truck through the lush tropical rainforest area of the lower island. The walk comprises a 16kms hike, up and down narrow muddy tracks, which at the summit become sharp lava boulders. We had been advised to be sure of having enough water with us as the heat at the top can be searing; good shoes are also essential. So suitably armed with backpacks, hiking boots and a walking stick off we marched.
The caldera is 9 miles by 10 miles and is approx 30 miles around the rim; it is the second largest active volcano in the world. The views at the top were spectacular and worth the effort, but by the time we got back to Puerto Villamil our legs told us we been for more than a wee walk! We really savoured the first of the cold beers.
Suzie at the caldera edge looking down to the lava field. Feeling a bit puffed!
Our final weekend in Isla Isabella turned out to unexpectedly entertaining as there was a 3 day carnival on the island. Never wishing to miss a party, we hitchhiked a ride in an open truck to Santo Tomas, an inland village where a rodeo and fair was supposed to be happening. To our delight we arrived at an old fashioned country fair, centred around an open stadium. The highlight of the day was the rodeo, when the brave and feckless youth of the island took their chances on various bucking broncos. The horses were yearlings with plenty of spirit and no-one lasted on a mount more than few minutes (and sometimes only a few seconds); early in the event a competitor left the scene with what turned out to be a damaged shoulder after a heavy fall.
Everyone joined in the fun and games of the day, Suzie even putting her strength into the ladies tug of war (but her team lost!)
The next day it was the turn of the main village, Puerto Villamil, to be the centre for bicycle and horse races. The sandy main street had been previously re-graded especially for the horse racing event...... all good fun except that two dogs who decided to chase the horses got kicked as the competitors galloped for the finishing line. One dog unfortunately did not survive, so we resolved not to have any kebabs at the lunch cafe tomorrow…..yesterday, tripe casserole was the meal of the day!
March 19
We are now preparing to leave these unique islands, and busy ourselves with the usual chores of laundry, food preparation, navigation etc. It is time to move; the past five weeks have been wonderful, but the long 3,000 mile passage ahead needs to be started or we shall be way out of time to visit some of the other very special islands in the wonderland of the South Pacific.
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