We were up early in order grab a little breakfast, finish packing what we didn't set out at the door the night before and wait for our departure via Zodiac to Baltra Island airport. Our bags were transferred earlier in the morning but we needed to collect them and then check-in for our flight to Quito. (3 1/2hr. flight - includes a refueling stop in Guayaquil.) We were allowed to wait in the Royal Palm Vip Lounge which basically consisted of a partitioned area in the waiting lounge.
Upon arrival in Quito, we were met by a Celebrity Xpedition representative who assisted us in collecting our bags. We were all then taken to the International departure area for our flight to Lima, Peru. 
Once we arrived in Lima we were met by another Celebrity Xpedition representative who helped us gather our bags again and escorted us to a bus for the trip to our hotel.

We were transferred via bus to the beautiful Country Club Hotel in Lima, Peru where dinner was waiting for us. Even though many of us thought we were too exhausted to enjoy the meal, it was delicious. Our group which was now down to about 12 people spent the evening chatting, drinking and eating. The rooms at this hotel were equally nice and I for one wouldn't hesitate to come back to this hotel at some point in the future.

It was an early morning wake-up call in order to grab a little something to eat for breakfast before going to the airport in Lima for our flight to Cuzco. It was a very organized process whereby the Celebrity representative/tour operator managed our bags and assisted our check-in for our 9:00am departure. 

It was another dry landing this morning at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. It is home of the Charles Darwin Foundation which was established to ensure the conversation of the Galapagos. In 1992, the waters surrounding the Galapagos were declared a marine reserve. It was a short bus ride up to the Charles Darwin Station where the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center is located.

Before you visit, a good thing to remember is that it is an operating research station which houses volunteers and researchers that are dedicated to preserving the ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands. Several in our group complained because it was not exactly beautiful or didn't have the perfect layout offering the typical touristy things. This place is not designed with the tourist in mind. If you are expecting Disneyland, you might want to skip this.

Otherwise, it is wonderful. You can view the Giant Tortoises and Iguana doing their thing. Just relax and enjoy!

Here are a few things that don't mix well: Sweltering outside temperatures, fish, flies, pelicans and humans. Nonetheless we made our way over to the famous Fish Market on the pier to watch as the sea lions anxiously waited to gobble down anything that happened to fall off the cutting board and squawking like crazy when they weren't happy. The pelicans were much more aggressive and would swoop in to try and carry something away but generally just got swatted by someone cutting fish. The flies got a swat or two but that really seemed like a lost cause. Then there was the oppressive heat along with the smell. 
Several in our group just couldn't take the combination even for the most interesting photo opportunity. Green at the gills as it were. What a fiasco! ;-)

A bus picked us up in town and took us up and into the Highlands on Santa Cruz Island so that we could participate in a conservation project in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island by having each of us plant a Scalesia tree.

First a little background, Scalesia Trees (sometimes called Daisy Trees because they produce a small, white flower near the ends of the branches) are actually members of the dandelion or sunflower family. They are peculiar to the Galapagos and grow in all parts of the islands. The 'sunflower tree' forests of the larger and higher islands are among the most distinctive biological features of the archipelago. There are three tree species forming compact woodlands, most of which have straight trunks and dome-shaped or rounded canopies of foliage. The largest of the tree species, Scalesia pedunculata. grows in the highlands of San Cristobal. Santa Cruz.

A gentleman and his son met us at the trail head and helped us put on rubber boots, gave us our seedling and a spade along with a numbered tag. The ground was wet and slippery so we walked slowly one by one up the trail to slope where we would be planting. All in all, a worthwhile venture but not comfortable at all. One of our friends' boots was filled with ants so although he was good-natured he was bitten by the ants and was not happy by the end of the expedition.

After planting our trees we all meandered back done the slopes and removed our rubber boots, washed our spades in a bucket and put our shoes back on for the bus ride to lunch to Rancho Manzanillo.

Everyone was finally back on board and most were quite peckish as it was about 1:30pm. The driver started the bus, accelerated and low and behold we were quite literally stuck in the mud. We all disembarked again and stood around being nibbled on by the ants and mosquitoes that lived in the surrounding forest. Grumble-grumble-grumble...(I'm sparing you the details), after about an hour the driver and several other drivers got the bus out of the hole and we were on our way.

​Hungry, tired and having to go to the bathroom. We arrived at the restaurant cranky and not very pleased but soon after food was served, dancers performed and we went on a terrific little hike in another forest to view the Giant Tortoises in the wild. Not a terrible way to finish the Galapagos portion of the trip.

After our hike among the Giant Tortoises our bus departed to take us back to the ship for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner in the Darwin Restaurant. Dinners are always fun on this small ship but without the pomp of the larger ships. Bring something nice to wear to dinner but it is most definitely not a formal affair.
Another tidbit of information you might want to know about expedition ships is that they are much smaller than the typical cruise ships. I think our ship held about 200 passengers and crew members. (98 passengers.) This is either a good thing or a bad thing. The good thing is you have the opportunity to meet some wonderful people, as we did. The bad thing is if there is someone who grates on your nerves, it is very likely you will have to just "deal" with them for the rest of the trip and get over it. We were very lucky because even though everyone was tired, hot and sleep deprived we fell into a very cool group of people, Robin, Adam, Mollye, Glenn, Stephen, Mickey, etc. Thank you for being part of our Galapagos experience.

This was a dry landing at the municipal pier at the little town of Puerto Baquierzo Moreno. It was a stifling day with the temperature feeling like it was at least 90 degrees F.

Lazy sea lions dotted the pier area as we disembarked. Like giant stuffed sausages they seemed unaffected as we gingerly walked around them while they napped on the walkways or on the wooden benches. 

A bus was waiting to take us to the Interpretation Center where we learned that San Cristobal Island is home to the oldest permanent settlement of the islands and most interesting is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. El Junco, also known as Darwin's Lake.

We walked around the Interpretation Center for a bit and to be quite honest, Michael was the only person who seemed to actually enjoy the museum portion of  the facility. It seemed to be more of a vehicle for fundraising which in and of itself is no problem as long as everyone understands that is what is happening.

After the Interpretation Center we boarded the bus once again to go to the hiking trail leading up to Darwin's Lake. The hike was a tad strenuous because of the heat and uneven quality of the trail, over rocks, narrow paths, etc. You would be well-advised to wear good hiking shoes and take insect repellent. Once we arrived at the top, unfortunately there was little payoff because the view to the lake was blocked by trees and large bushes. We did, however, have the opportunity to finally see a Darwin's Finch which was a bonus. I just wasn't quick enough to snap his photo! Here's a yellow warbler instead. :-)

The afternoon excursion was a zodiac ride, beach walk and/or swim.  We enjoyed a leisurely ride along the volcanic tuff cones just offshore San Cristobal and then a lovely walk on Cerro Brujo Beach and/or swim in the turquoise waters. This was definitely the most beautiful beach we had seen. The water was idyllic, warm and inviting and the sand was like a fine face powder, clean and white. It was a magical place filled with Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Sea Lions, Egrets and amazing fish swimming around in the turquoise colored waters.

After we returned to the ship, Captain Montalvo steered our small expedition ship toward another beautiful geologic wonder. As the sun was setting we circumnavigated Kicker Rock, best known for it's exquisite diving and snorkeling but in and of itself a sight to behold as the striking remains of a volcanic tuff cone just offshore San Cristobal Island.