Day Six – An Active Volcano, Curious Doves, Lava Lizard Goes for a Ride on the Back of a Baby Tortoise, Blue-Footed Boobie with Angel Wings

It is the law of the Galapagos that all the cruise ships must stop in a port town so that passengers will spend money. Puerto Villamil is the main port of Isabela. Marine iguanas and sea lions lounged by the local beach. We waited with them for our transportation to Sierra Negra Volcano. Our bus climbed higher and higher up the hill, further from the main town.

We arrived in a picnic area where the trail to the rim of the volcano commences. The area was shrouded in mist. Putting on our raincoats, Maja told us the weather would change as we approached the top. We were also told that there had been an eruption a week before, so guides had to carry masks, wear long pants, and have first aid kits on them. There was a certain area of the volcano that was roped off, but we’d still get to see the rim of the huge caldera.

As we ascended towards the top of Sierra Nega, we encountered all kinds of interesting vegetation, some native, some not, including guayaba tree, orchids, and a nogal tree (that looked like something out of Harry Potter). We also came across mating ladybugs.

The view of the caldera is quite spectacular and we spent a good half hour at the top taking photographs. The weather had changed remarkably, and we baked in the ninety-degree heat. Like a little tree elf, I sought out a tree for shade. While I stood there quietly, I suddenly noticed I was surrounded by little bird friends who were hopping nonchalantly from branch to branch. I began to snap photographs and was later told by Maja that I had seen a tree finch, a Galapagos dove, and a Galapagos mockingbird. My partner also discovered that the Spanish word for dove, paloma, is the same word for pigeon, which confused him, but then he also discovered (to both our surprise) that pigeons and doves are the same species.

We hiked back down the volcano, going from ninety-degree heat to sixty-degree mist, and ate sandwiches in the picnic area. Hopping back on the bus, we visited the Tortuga Breeding Center. Here, I was amused by a lava lizard taking a ride on a tortuga’s back. I was also fascinated by a flat-shelled tortoise rescued following a volcano eruption called Cinco Cerros. We watched two tortoises "fight." This fight consisted of grunting and a my-neck-is-higher-than-your-neck competition.

We walked back to town through a serene lagoon and watched pink flamingos up close. We also encountered more moorhens and pin-tailed ducks.

In town, we visited "over-priced" tourist shops (by Ecuador standards) with tanktops for $20 and canvas bags for $45. It does apparently cost a lot to import these items to the Galapagos. Hence the markup. We visited a church that was classic Galapagos with a mural of Jesus surrounded by blue-footed boobies, penguins and frigate birds. Stained glass windows had images of blue-footed boobies (with angel wings), pink flamingos, penguins, land iguanas, tortoises, and so forth.

We went back to the disembarcadero to meet up with our crew and hung out with snoozing sea lions. We were to have another night of navigation with rough seas, so I took a seasickness pill and didn’t read. The pill made me fall asleep around 9:30 PM. I woke up around 11:30 PM to incredibly rough waves and had trouble sleeping after that. When I did sleep I had nightmares about being caught up in whirlpools. The rough night at sea was worth it, though. Having read (and watched a documentary) about our next stop, I was very eager to visit.

Recommended Resource (I will be providing one Galapagos resource that I found helpful at the end of each blog):

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (audiobook read by Richard Dawkins)

Something would be amiss if I didn’t recommend On the Origin of the Species, the classic that made the Galapagos Islands famous. However, I particularly want to recommend having an audiobook to listen to when the seas are rough, and Richard Dawkins is a fabulous reader.

The Galapagos Report - Day Six - Blue-Footed Boobie with Angel Wings

Reader's Favorite Review of HOLLY'S HURRICANE

Witches of Downtown New York Lecture

Article on Jeryan Main's Website

Secrets & Lies at Caveat "What Lies Beneath

HOLLY'S HURRICANE in Astoria Bookshop

HOLLY'S HURRICANE on sale between December 25 and January 1

Publication in NINETEENTH CENTURY Magazine

Jolabokaflod "Yule Book Flood" Advent Calendar

Interview with Joshua Sperling - author of A WRITER OF OUR TIME

Marie Carter