GALÁPAGOS: MY JURASSIC WORLD

Since I saw the movie Jurassic Park I've been dreaming about time travel back to the era of dinosaurs. Of course, such a thing is not possible (yet) so I'm letting my imagination run wild and I'm pulling out all my vacation fund to get just a piece of it. 

There's one place where there relatives are more interesting than enywhere else in the world. It's the Galápagos Islands, one more World Heritage Sight for Ecuador.  

Galápagos Islands consists of Galápagos Province, National Park and Marine Reserve. This is the place where Charles Darwin started questioning religious theories and launched the most significant theory for the humankind: Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. In his honor, here is Charls Darwin Research Station. 

It's a long way ride to get here. Flights to Galápagos depart ether from Quito or Gyuachill. I chose the last one and I arrived there by bus. I've red on the Internet about Gyuachill, it's a city famous for kidnapping, pickpocketing and mugging. I took a taxi to the airport for my own safety, as suggested on the Internet, even if the ride to the airport takes no more than five minutes. At the airport I was asked for the round trip ticket that I didn't have it because of my flexible schedule so I needed to get one. Traffic Control Card, that all visitors entering Galápagos must obtain, is 20.00$. After landing at the Isla Baltra, an admission to the National Park of Galápagos is 100.00$. The buss transportation from the airport to the water taxi (round trip ticket) is 20.00$. Water taxi from Baltra to San Cristobal, the most settled island is 1.00$. And, finally, the bus transportation around San Cristobal is 2.00$. Get your wallet ready for this kind of fun.

The very first dinosaur I have a chance to see is long-lived Galápagos giant tortoise, different than a green sea turtle. Tortoise lay less eggs than the see turtles, male tortoise weights around 200kg and female around 120kg. They live average hundred years, just like real dinosaurs (my late grandmother lived 93 years, almost joined to the club). When I was young I used to have a turtle for a pet so I'm deeply in love with this creatures. They move slowly and have a good shield as a protection. I compare them to Serbian politicians. Types of giant tortoise is descending, therefore they are brought to the artificial breeding at the Charles Darwin Research Station, to keep them safe from the extinction. Nearby, there are two lava tunnels and , because it's so dark, I take a quick walk inside.

Driving around the island I notice a half of it's sunny, it's raining on the other half and the line between is very fine. 

The next day on Galápagos I went with a tour for a snorkeling, between some smaller islands. Beside the exotic fish that I see almost everywhere I turn around, I encounter sea lions. They are called lions because their group behavior is almost identical to lions. The way they communicate is so expressive that I almost feel the massage they're passing to each other. The young ones, very curious about the floating group with fins and masks, come very close. The elders don't like that so they give a warning to the young ones to keep their distance. Damn, I don't have a waterproof camera, I'll regret it till the rest of my life. I'll need to get it before National Geographic hires me. I meet also: reef sharks (not a dangerous kind, I'm still at one piece), octopus (I hold it,  it feels so sticky), see turtles, stingray. There are, also, a lot of birds around: mostly pelicans and, of course, Darwin's finches, so small and tiny that compered to them Pelicans really look like dinosaurs. 

    Photos by: Fabricio Tamayo

Looking for some beach, I run into iguanas. One of them just shows up out of nowhere and lead me to the beach where the other marine iguanas are waiting for convenient tide to come. The beach is called Tortuga bay (Turtle beach). I don't see any turtles but a lot of iguanas dragging their tails on the sand, taking a sunbath and occasionally swimming. This is the beach I fell in love with: white sand, turquoise color water with a temperature I can't get out. If I stayed in a little bit longer, I would turn into a Little  Mermaid.

One more place where I indulge the swim is a volcanic fracture filled with ocean water, called Las Grietas. The landscape is made of sharp volcano rocks, deep dark cold water and giant cactuses as an accessories. 

There's one spot in Galápagos, not a part of tourist attraction, but more attractive than any tour so far. It's a local fish market. At least some of us is a market but for pelicans and see lions is a meal center or a student canteen. Waiting for a fisherman to bring baskets full of yellowfin tuna, pelicans are waiting in line. And who wouldn't wait for tuna (at) stake?! When nobody pays attention they help themselves. But, they have to be fast. After a while, see lions are coming, and they find the way to squeeze between people and the food so there's no a single chance to go back with an empty belly. Later on, few iguanas approach to get their share. I leave the camera, take off my sunglasses and just enjoy the show. 

In order to preserve the Nature, there are several regulations in Galápagos: to maintain the distance from the animals two meters, to recycle, and to grow only organic food.

Since the island is far from the mainland, blackouts are very common ( can be very romantic, if they occur during the dinner) and the Internet connection is very poor (doesn't seem to bother much my dinosaurs).

I know, mr Darwin wouldn't agree if I call this place a paradise but it is to me.

The era of Dinosaurs is ended but I hope it won't happen to the human kind, at least not soon.

ECUADOR: CROSSING THE EQUATOR

I have to admit that I didn't have any intention of staying in Ecuador for a long, at least not on the mainland, just as long as I find the way to Galápagos Islands. Fortunately, It took me less than an hour to change the entire plan. 

Arriving in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, went smoothly. My Airbnb hosts welcomed me at the airport. For this five month trip, I choose this way of accommodation rather than a hotel or hostel. The room I stayed in was very comfortable and they helped me to get all the information I needed. 

Quito is not an ordinary capital, I would say. It's the city closest to Equator, right in the middle of two hemispheres. It's a city with the biggest amount of radiation caused by vicinity of Equator and I felt it on my skin, when it turned purple. It's surrounded by volcanoes which occasionally "flare-up", what my aunty had warned me about, suggesting me to stay at home because it's safe. And also, Quito is a part of World Cultural Heritage so it's not only geographic position that makes it special. It was obvious I needed some extra time for this destination.

The first day of my arrival, while I was enjoying beautiful Colonial-styled architecture, I saw the parade in the Old Town. The occasion was not my arrival but the presence of the Ecuadorian Government. Watching all these soldiers in the traditional uniforms and locals saluting them, singing national songs to the sound of drums, I realized Ecuadorians are very proud of their national identity. That's probably because of territories and borders lost in conflicts with Peru and Columbia.

Just strolling around, I noticed the streets are full of stray dogs, behaving very friendly to people and people treating them nicely, too. That's not the case in the country I came from.

It takes some space for the population of two million people so the houses are dispersed up the hills around the city. I'm not sure how this urban plan can stand an earthquake or eruption. 

The most exciting panoramic view of Quito is, in my opinion, from the trail to volcano Pichincha. I was reaching higher altitude heaving my head in the clouds, literally. There was no fog so it was possible to see the peaks of other nearby volcanoes too. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the top because I've been coughing my head off for two months, so I got tired easily. Although I was high enough to have a bird's eye view to the basin that the city lays within.

After this thorough sightseeing, it was time for an adventure. The real one. Tena and Baños, few hours far away from Quito, are the right places to be. I would suggest a local bus to get there. It's cheap and comfortable.

I stayed in Tena for a day and a half. The first thing I visited was the Rain Forrest. It's amazing how this natural environment can sustain not just flora and fauna but also human existence: food, medicines, energy drinks, antidepressants, repellents, tree-shelters, there's no need for all the fake comfort of civilization. For example, I needed some snack and all I had available at that moment was a small colony of ants living inside of some plant. It was a "nature call" and I followed it. The ants taste like lemon and if I added some water, it would be a 100% natural lemonade. Soon after, it was a lunch time. You would never guess what was on the menu: worms, big and thick. I couldn't refuse this gesture either. If ants taste like lemon, worms taste like bacon. And, love bacon. My mom would get a heart attack if she saw me eating that. As a main course I was served a fish wrapped in the "plátano verde" leaves, called maito. Sounds so boring after two previous delicacies.

The dessert I had, may sound ordinary but the taste was extraordinary. It was a chocolate, made of dry cacao seeds. I was able to watch the whole process of turning a cacao into a chocolate: roasting, grinding and tasting (witch is my favorite). I prefer it bitter as it is, than with sugar added. I also was given a chance to harvest and to plant yuca and the drink made of it, called chicha. Traditionally, it's a female job to plant yuca and I was the only one present at that moment. If a female takes a root from the ground without leaving anything behind, she's ready to get married. I left a small piece inside, so it's never too late to stay single, I guess.

Next morning I was off to see some of the caves around Tena, known only to the local people. I saw a lot of caves traveling around, but this experience was different. For the first time in my life, I went all along through it, not just staying on some platform, walking and observing around. The bottom of the cave is very muddy, at some point there is water running, the depth was up to my waist. The walls are very narrow so a plus size person wouldn't go through. It's not recommended for claustrophobic people, either. Wearing rather shorts than a long pants was a big mistake. In order to get out, I had to croll, so I got some memories on my knees from caving. Again, I asked myself and the guide, what would happen if Earth starts shaking a little bit ( my aunty had influenced me more than I wanted). Luckily, I got my way out, safe and sound. The other cave was bigger but less explored. I just got to the place where shaman holds the rituals with all the stones circle shaped. There was some serenity inside, maybe a leftover from some recent ritual.

Ah, tha Baños... I stayed here for a day and the thrill I got, was enough for a year. Everything is located downtown, there are a lot of agencies offering kayaking, kanyoing, rock climbing, paragliding, etc. I chose rafting as the first thing to do in the morning. I had tried it a year ago and hardly survived it, but I couldn't go against. Even the rapids are not highest-graded, I was the only one, out of twenty people, who fell out from the boat, twice. Rafting was exhausting, I keep forgetting that I'm not twenty any more and I chose one more thing to give myself a hard time. It was the reason for my coming here - canyoning or walking down the waterfall (a smaller one, of course) using a rope. It seemed easy, for some people, I'm not very sporty so I stayed hanging upside down for a while. Anyway, I was enjoying the water falling on me while other people from the group were freezing and waiting for me. I almost lost the last bus for the next destination. The scenery was fascinating: forrest, rocks, waterfalls, peaks of the hills in the clouds...

At the end, I can say Ecuadorians are very friendly and ready to help even if they speak few words of English. I've learned some Spanish from people I worked with so I was able to communicate. Also, locals don't push tourists much to by something. Sometimes, it can be really exhausting and it can spoil the impression. 

The food in Ecuador is something I'm really fond of. It's common for the entire Andes aeria: corn, behau leaves, yuca, plátano... I recommend eating at the local places. The gratuity is not a mandatory, around 10% is suggested. I was always satisfied with the service. Fruit vegetable, specially freshly squeezed juices taste amazingly. Some of my favorite juices are tomato de arbol and naranjilla, I couldn't start the day without.

I left the mainland looking it back.

Every year I travel to one of the continents trying to visit few countries there. This year, there is something else on my mind. Again, I'll visit one of the continents, South America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile) but my route will not end there. After I get enough of "rhythmo latino", I'll probably need some Mediterranean peace of mind. Middle East is also on my wishlist, some of it, but not for a long because April is the time for festivals in India and I want to be a part of it. In order to get back to New York, Europe is inevitable so I'll stop by there for a while... Hopefully my ambition will be accomplished and you'll enjoy all along with me...