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ECUADOR ADVENTURE 2022
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ECUADOR ADVENTURE 2022

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    18. toukokuuta 2022
    Travel with the WicksECUADOR ADVENTURE 2022Matkaaja

    Packed and ready to go!

    18. toukokuuta 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Here we are again…. Airport waiting for delayed flight! We are joined by our friends. We are not suffering as we are sitting the lounge biding our time.
    Flight to Toronto uneventful. In a couple hours we board a Airbus 330 for our 6 hour flight to Bogotá!
    Flying is a bigger pain than what I remember. There is no shortage of people who want to school you in the finer points of the new Covid travel precautions. On top of that is the excessive amount of paperwork you fill out, that someone checks, only to confirm you filled it out. After that, it is meaningless. Obviously we have too much time on our hands between flights when we start to rant about these irritants.    Lue lisää

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    Still looking good!

    19. toukokuuta 2022, Kolumbia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    So this is what the airport looks like at 4am. Bogota airport terminal has upgraded since the last time I was here. Admittedly, a long time ago, when I was on the B767.
    We have had our masks on for about 18 hours! Our ears are sore and Tom thinks he has calluses on the backs of his ears! All in all we are in pretty good shape for about 2 hours sleep!
    At 5 the lounge opened and coffee was on our minds. So much so that Dianne was pounding on the Lounge door screaming coffee coffee, before they opened.    Lue lisää

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    We have arrived!

    19. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    After a 2 hour flight we breezed through the health check stop and vaccine proof, the passport check to be greeted by our luggage already on the carousel waiting for us.
    Now that is efficiency! The cab was a mere $6 and we were at the hotel!
    It is raining but warm, humid and promises to improve. It did take some time to get to our rooms as we arrived shortly after 10 am. Since then it has been an afternoon nap, reading by the pool and a pleasant dinner with our travel companions Liz and Alan. Tomorrow’s itinerary is still up for discussion at breakfast mañana!

    About the his & hers bed…here is the story.
    Dianne had recently read in our trip brochure that if you want one bed instead of two, you should mention it upon check in to the various accommodations we will be using. Forgetting that we had ordered a king size bed for our extra night before the official tour begins, Dianne made a point while I was checking in and said “don’t forget, we need a double bed!”
    Catherine, who was checking us in, seemed surprised, but looked at availability and said She could get it arranged in about an hour. She is also thinking Dianne must be pretty tired of this guy if after spending the last day with him, she wants her own bed instead of the king size originally asked for. On top of all this, my credit card was declined, and Dianne had to use hers to pay for the room. Now Catherine is sure that I am a kept man who doesn’t know how the please his keeper.
    We have a room with two double beds, while Liz and Alan languish in the luxury of one king size bed, two big chairs and a large footrest at the end of that huge bed.    Lue lisää

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    Let the adventure begin

    20. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    After breakfast we looked at a couple of options for the day. One was a trip to Cerro Blanco protected forest, the other a cab ride downtown to see Iguana Park and a nice Cathedral. Cerro Blanco required a local guide, and turned out to be more problematic and expensive than the time and value we thought we would get. So it is off by cab to downtown Guayaquil.
    I thought I might need some small bills for the cab ride and asked Catherine at the front desk for change for a five. She gave me five one dollar coins. I have never heard of an American one dollar coin, and I’m thinking I got hosed for five bucks but we’ll see. Maybe the cabbie will take it.
    The cab ride seems like a bargain. We were twenty minutes or more riding to our destination, and the final price was 5 bucks. I gave him a five dollar bill and two more coins. He seemed happy so maybe the coins are more than a token gesture.

    We start at Iguana park also known as Parque Seminario . The small park sits opposite a neo gothic cathedral and has a multitude of tree iguanas living right downtown. From there we visited the cathedral.    Lue lisää

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    New portraits

    20. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We continued along the river promenade where we all got inexpensive portraits sketched of ourselves. All in all we were happy with the art work, even though I look like a baby faced grocery boy while Dianne looks like my boss.
    It started to rain so we ducked into a riverfront bar for refreshments and conversation about our art collection. The cab ride back just as good a deal as the first one.    Lue lisää

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    Up to the Lighthouse

    21. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We met the rest of our fellow tourists this morning. All together we are a group of 16, everyone except us Canuks are US citizens. They all seem friendly and most have gone on multiple trips with this tour company.
    One of the first activities is a bus ride downtown and a stair climb to a lighthouse to view Guayaquil. We are badass bus riding stair climbing touristos from cowtown..    Lue lisää

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    Cocoa plantation

    21. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We had lunch at an Organic Cocoa plantation. As you might expect, there is a long winded explanation of the value of organic farming and the co-operative they belong to. They are preaching to the converted. Still it is nice to know how many cocoa beans it takes to make a chocolate bar. About 350 for a 400 gram bar.Lue lisää

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    Buses, planes, barges & speed boat

    22. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    This is a travel day for us and what an adventure to get from Guayaquil to Isla Isabela, Galápagos Islands !
    We began at 6am- rise and shine! Packed suitcases &
    out the door by 7am, down for breakfast and on the bus at 8am for the airport! Whew we were on time!
    At the airport there is a list of check points. First our fearless leader confirmed we had passes in our name for the Galapagos, we were able to skip the vaccination and health check ( doctor was on holiday); Next was Galapagos quarantine check where our suitcases and backpacks were x-rayed and secured. They were looking for fruit. After that you take your suitcases to Avianca to check in for the flight. The rest is standard airport rigmarole. The flight to GPS ( Galapagos) was about an hour and a half. GPS airport had a sign bragging about how the baggage delivery system used no electricity. That is because all the bags are handled manually, and in addition, a dog who walks all over your stuff sniffing for fruit. The dog is powered by a motivator ball. He will sniff for fruit all day long, just for the chance to play with the ball.
    From the airport there was a bus ride, barge ride, bus ride, speed boat ride, barge ride and bus ride to our final destination Scalesia Lodge.    Lue lisää

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    We have arrived

    22. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After a long day of travel we arrived at the Scalia Lodge. The lodge is on a large acreage that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. We are staying in tents, but don’t feel sorry for us as the have warm beds, showers and functional toilets. The food here is good. It is a secluded beautiful place!
    The only noise is the rooster calls that begin at 2am    Lue lisää

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    Early morning Nature walk

    23. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    It was an early start this morning with breakfast at 6:30. The morning activities include a coastal nature walk. We are guided by a local naturalist Joel and he talks about the marine iguanas we see, as well as the mangrove trees, sea lions and white tipped sharks. Marine iguanas are ugly creatures that I have had a hard time warming up to. They don’t get out of the way when you approach them, which seems rude, and on top of that they will blow salt water out their noses if you look at them for any length of time. That seems even more rude. We also saw the blue footed booby. It looks like a seagull with blue feet. Most of the boobys have moved to a different part of the island now. We expected to see more of them. We only saw four. We did not see any Penguins. That was too bad for us as the penguins moved out of our neighbourhood as well.Lue lisää

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    Shark infested waters!

    23. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Dianne and I brought some snorkeling gear with us and we rented more. We added short wet suits to our list as the water is an unseasonably cold 68 degree Fahrenheit. I have convinced Dianne that the white tipped shark is the only shark with no teeth, so she has agreed to swim in the shark infested waters of Isabella Island. I would describe her as cautious when it comes to snorkeling with sharks but with very little motivation, she’s in the water. I get in after her and when she holds my arm as we prepare to move out for this adventure she holds my arm like she is trying to choke a cougar. Even so, we do get going and swim somewhat together. The area is lava reefs that have canyon like walls. The swim is through these canyons and you see fish, sharks and the odd sea lion. I can tell that Dianne is nervous about the toothless sharks because when she holds on to me it is a strong grip.Lue lisää

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    Afternoon nature walk

    23. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Our afternoon walk is in hopes of seeing a giant tortoise. Unlike other kinds of wildlife, once you find one, it doesn’t run away fast. The walk starts off with the usual iguanas and birds. One sharp eyed hiker spots a round rock, hidden in the trees. Casey has found a giant tortoise. It is a ways away and had to see, but I have a long lens and I get some shots of this elusive creature. It is the back end of the tortoise, much like most of my wildlife shots. Further down the road, we find another one. This time not so far into the bush. I was able to move faster than this tortoise and get a picture of the front end this time. Still later, by a “watch out for tortoises” sign we find one in the middle of the road. It has a GPS tracker on it doesn’t mind posing for photos.Lue lisää

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    The Wall of Tears

    23. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    This afternoon’s trek was described as a power walk. The walk was usually at a fast pace except when we stopped to see the giant tortoises. We saw three altogether. And they are impressive.
    The end of the walk was a wall built by prisoners of a penal colony that used to be located here. There was no reason for the wall except to keep the prisoners busy! This was sad but amazing. The wall was 3meters thick and 100 meters long and 5-6 meters high! It was built from 1946-1959.Lue lisää

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    To the volcano!

    24. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Another early morning so we can be first to see the volcano. We start off with ponchos on and wet weather gear. By the time we get to the Sierra Negra Volcano, it has stopped raining and we have stowed the wet weather gear. Along the the way we take pictures of birds, one of them an endangered species.Lue lisää

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    Giant tortoise visit

    24. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    What we are visiting is a Giant tortoise breeding centre. The giant tortoise is an endangered species so they are making a big effort to bring the population back with a breeding program. Giants start out small, and by the time they are 7 years old they around 5 kilos. At 100 years of age my guess is they weigh around 250 kilos. Tortoises live 150 years if things go well for them and they continue breeding late into life. Past the century mark, again if things go well. One famous tortoise was breeding at the age of 150. He was Super Diego.Lue lisää

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    Saying goodbye

    24. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    It is our third and last night at Scalesia Lodge in Galápagos. We celebrated our experiences here with a goodbye dinner and what our tour director Marco hopes is new Ecuadorian custom. It is a lime slice coated in ground coffee squeezed into your mouth, followed by a shot of sugar cane liqueur. He called it the Ecuashot. I doubt it will become a phenomenon.
    Our hostess at the lodge, Gabby attended to our every need. The food was superb and all kinds of fruit drinks. The only complaint was a feral rooster near the property. That guy could not tell time. He would crow from one in the morning sometimes. I wish Dianne could have choked him but she didn’t want to go out into the dark forest.    Lue lisää

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    Gravol required!

    25. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The alarm went off at 4:30. Breakfast was a boxed lunch we took with us. The speed boat ride starts off not too speedy as the sea is rough. There is pitching and rolling and bumping. All the things that make for a rough ride. Dianne has been sucking on Gravol lozenges for a while now. Nobody looks great but nobody puked.Lue lisää

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    1

    Tortoise Ranch

    25. toukokuuta 2022, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The rough sea eventually calmed enough to get the speed boat speeding and we arrived back on Santa Cruz. We are going to a tortoise ranch. Jorge is our guide and as we ride the bus he has about 30 minutes to talk about tortoises. I have heard a lot about tortoises now.
    Anyhow, the tortoise ranch isn’t a breeding centre, but tortoises do breed here and as they get old enough, they move them to a less protected environment. Ranch, from my experience seems like a stretch of the meaning of the word, but you do do get boots and moonshine to round out the edges of your time here. Rubber boots, and Dianne sampled the moonshine.    Lue lisää

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