Giant Tortoises

After a rollicking “Crossing the Line” Ceremony and excellent final dinner, we cruise back to the Baltra/Santa Cruz channel to disembark. Crossing the line is a traditional Equitorial ceremony where the Hardbacks (sailors who have crossed before) sit as a jury over the Pollywogs (sailors who are crossing for the first time) with King Neptune and the Captain as judges. Pollywogs are hazed and once found qualifying become Hardbacks. Our ceremony is much more civil with a countdown to the sounding of the ships horn, a toast and then crossing under a line made with a ribbon of Ecuadorian colors. After breakfast we disembark the Islander II to buses for an upcountry run to a Tortoise sanctuary. Afterwards, we ferry over to Baltra, and begin the journey home through Guayaquil with some going on to Quito, some to Mexican beaches, at least one to Madrid and most overnighting and heading back to the states. Since we came down with LATAM, we must return to Lima for a return flight to Los Angeles and then on to Seattle. Happily, we get a day in Guayaquil and treat ourselves to massages and tapas lunch. In total, we have taken ten flights! (SEA->LAX; LAX->LIM; LIM->CUS; CUS->LIM; LIM->GUY; GUY->GPS; GPS->GUY; GUY->LIM; LIM->LAX; LAX->SEA)Read more