One of the daughters from Mundialcity drove us to the airport. We checked in with Immigration and paid the $20 fee to enter the Galapagos. We headed to the ATM room that has about 5 ATM machines. We want to get some more cash as most everything on the Galapagos needs cash. We have been using the Bank of Guayaquil ATMs here without a problem. They charge $1.50 per transaction no matter what the amount. We are having a bit of a problem as we ask for more than the machines transaction limit. We think we have locked out the one card, so we try another. No luck. We try Stu’s card in another machine, voila!! I try the other cards in that machine and have success also. We were able to take 4 withdrawals using 3 different cards. But we got enough to ensure we don’t run out, early on anyway. With cash stuffed everywhere we head to the gate.
The flight leaves on time for the 2 hour flight. We arrive in San Cristobal at 12:40 as we gain an hour going this far west.
We stand in the line to enter the Galapagos. I feel we were there for almost an hour. It is here that we need to pay $100 per person to enter the National Park. It is very well publicized that you need to pay this and it must be cash. A young man ahead of Greg and Leslie began to tell the woman collecting the fee that is was 2019 and they should accept credit cards and that he did not have $100 cash. There is an ATM that they allowed him to use. He tried to take his passport when going to the ATM, but she said no, no. Interesting people.
People from our hostal, are at the airport to pick us up. Jennifer and Carlos Sr. We drop our bags and go wandering.
There are tour operators everywhere. We are looking into what they call a “360 Tour”. This is a boat around the island. It stops at 5 locations for either snorkeling, photos, fishing and lunch. The prices all seem to be $150 per person. We stop into “The Old Fisherman” agency and Greg chats up the young woman there, Carla. He asks her about the price for 4 and very shortly has the price down to $130 per person. The tour begins at 7 and returns between 4 and 4:30. The boats are all full for tomorrow, so we book for Friday. We pay half now and will pay the remainder on Friday morning. We will need to be down at the port by 6:30 to grab some breakfast as it is not offered at our hotel. Then to the Old Fisherman by 7:10 to get wetsuits and fins.
We wander around the small port town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno looking for lunch. There are many many restaurants that are closed. We do find a place that is called the “Mockingbird Cafe”. It is open and has quite a few people so we decide this is the place. 😊 We are upstairs where there is a large group of what appears to be high school students from North America, possibly Canada. They have a Naturalist who is outlining the activities for the rest of their day.
Continuing to wander Puerto Baquerizo Moreno along the Malecon. We see many sea lions just chilling on the boardwalk, the benches or anywhere else they choose.
There are hundreds and hundreds of crabs here. Quite a few varieties, all different from anything we have seen before. At least a couple of different red ones and some black ones.
There are teens jumping off the pier near the end of the Malecon. Stu gets this photo of three balancing on a pole. Oddly enough they did not plunge into the water, but stepped back onto the pier.
We see a replica of Charles Darwin’s Beagle and his statue here. As expected Charles is a big celebrity in these parts. Many things named in his honour.
A few more photos as there is so much to photograph here. 🙂
