Quito may be best known for lying on the equator. But, there’s an even more important data point for you to know – it’s altitude. At 9350 feet / 1800 meters above sea level, you will feel how thin the air is. And, as high as that is, you can get even higher. The Pinchincha volcano tops out at a staggering 15,696 ft / 4,784 meters. To help you ascend those heights is the local teleferico (gondola). High above this high city you are treated to a magnificent view below. Be sure to bundle up as the wind may be fierce and it will chill you. Luckily there is a cafe where you can enjoy a nice hot beverage and take in the scene below. This photo from atop Pichincha is this week’s Suh-Weet Shot.

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The Cablecars of Pinchincha in Quito is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

When I see a butterfly outside in a park or in a garden, I take a passing glance and move on.  But, something happens to me when I visit a butterfly farm. I become mesmerized. I’m like a kid in front of a TV watching cartoons. Can’t. Stop. Staring. When I went to the Amazon while traveling in Ecuador, the eco-lodge had a butterfly farm. There were all types of butterflies with all types of colorful wings. I had a few shots I could have chosen for this week’s Suh-Weet Shot, but I liked the way you can see the colors and designs on this one’s elongated wings.

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Colorful Butterfly in the Amazon is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

George hanging out. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Oh George. You will be missed. I only met you briefly on my career break in the Galapagos in 2007 at your home at the Darwin Center on Santa Cruz Island. I was the one styling with the camera, the sunglasses, the daypack and the new pair of Keen’s. Yeah, I knew you’d remember. You were just waking up from a nap so I knew you were up for me sticking a camera in your face. Your story has always stuck with me. Of all the animals I met that week in the Galapagos, there was something special about you. Maybe it was your age, maybe it was your dashing good looks. Whatever it was, you should know that you had an impact on a lot of people. You taught us all about the fragility of life and the beauty of nature. You inspired a lot of people around the world. You should see the news reports out today. There are a lot of eulogies out there. They called you lonesome George, but you were hardly alone. Rest in peace. The world is better for having had you in it.

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My Ode to Lonesome George the Tortoise is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Bartolomeo Island at sunrise. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Today started early to explore Bartolomeo Island.  We were on board the rafts by 6:10AM.   The penguins of Galapagos are early risers to get their fishing done before it gets too hot.  Granted at this time of year, the temperature only rises to about 22-25 degrees C (about 70-78 degrees F), but during the hot and rainy season from February through April, temperatures can soar to 35 degrees C/95 degrees F.  But, habits are habits and now was the time for us to see a few of these tiny creatures.

It wasn’t long before we spotted our first penguins – two little guys just hanging out on the rocky shore.  As we drifted snapping photos and admiring them, we saw a third a little further over.  And, then a fourth in his little lava cave still asleep.  I’m not sure of their exact size, but they couldn’t have been taller than a foot or so – maybe less.

Penguins on Bartolomeo Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We continued on and landed at a small jetty.  We walked along a planked walkway as we ascended a small hill.  Along the way, we saw a few geological items of note and explanations of the islands formations.  Once atop the hill, we got a 360-degree view of the island and the bay where our boat was moored.  We headed back down and headed back to the boat for breakfast.

By 9:15AM we were back on the rafts to head to Santiago Island.  We landed at a sandy beach and dropped our stuff to traverse the land.  The terrain on the island was pure volcanic rock – barely broken up since the lava created it.  It reminded me of walking on Kilauea on the island of Hawaii years ago.  There were a few pioneer plants that had started to take root, but for the most part, the ground was black.

Just as my toe really started giving me a hard time, we turned back and I raced back to the beach to give my toe some relief.  We brought our snorkel gear and we were quickly in the water.  The cool water felt great on my toe.  We saw a few fish around the shore, but not as spectacular as yesterday.  I headed back to shore to see if I could swim back to the boat.  This proved to be a popular alternative to others so about 12 out of the 16 of us jumped into the water and we headed for the boat.  We swam past a few starfish and even a turtle swimming about 20-30 feet below us.  Once onboard, many of us went for a jump off the boat.  It took me a couple of attempts and finally, I walked to the edge and stepped off.  Out of my three jumps, this was my best.

Afterwards, others convince me that I had to lance my toenail to relieve the pressure.  So, with alcohol, a clean needle, a lighter and plenty of napkins at the ready, I pierced the nail.  We’ll see if it helps.  I put a little alcohol on it which made the entire nail bed sting.  Hopefully, this stinging is worth it.

Staff of the Monserrat II. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

After lunch, we started a leisurely sail back to Santa Cruz where we will be disembarking tomorrow morning.  At our evening briefing, Sara, Molly, Emilie and I (the four Americans) made a quick farewell speech thanking the crew for all they had done for us.  They really seemed to like it.  Here’s the transcript.

Estimada tripulación:

Queremos decirles a Uds muchisimas gracias por todo lo que hicieron esta semana para nostoros.  Les agredecemos y todo lo que cada uno de Uds hizo para hacer esta siete dias especial y inolvidable: las jiras fantasticas, la comida rica, el servicio maravilloso, la excelente condicion del barco (excepto el compartamento en cuarto 2), sus cuentos lleno de historia y chistes, las conversaciones con Uds., los cuartos y al fin pero no al menos las bebidas y vielitas que no nos dieron chuchaquis.

Para nosotros, Monserrat significa más que el nombre del barco.  Significa el espiritu del barco.  Como asi? ¿Quizás estan preguntándose?  Vamos a ver.

• M es para MANO.  El acto de dar la mano es simboloco de amistad y ayuda.  Y cada día nos dieron las manos para atendernos, cuando bajábamos o subíamos y todas las veces cuando la necesitamos.
• O es para ONDA.  Todo Uds tienen una buena onda y la hace una buena experencia para nosotros.  Este sentimiento viene de encima de una organizacion buena y al dentro del corazon.
• N es para NOCHE.  Despues de dias lleno de actividades, teníamos la oportunidad conversar entre nosotros y con Uds.  Tambien, teniamos la oportunidad ver las estrellas, ver peliculas y tomar unas bebidas.
• S es para SABOR.  Disfrutamos mucho la comida – los desayunos, almuerzos y cenas.  No esperamos tan riquisima comida.  Y no podemos olividar las obras de vegetales servido con las cenas de todos los animales.  Era una buena detalle que nos sorprendió y disfrutamos mucho.
• E es para EXCURSION.  Cada dia nos trajó algo diferente y divertido.  Descubrimos mucho que no sabíamos antes.  Gracias especialmente a nuestro guia, Williams, y a Gabriel y Luis por manejar las pangas.
• R es para REGOCIJO.  Nos dieron mucho regocijo en este viaje y llevamos con nosotros memorias excelentes para todo nuestras putas vidas.
• R es para el RESTO DE LOS PASAJEROS.  Esta experencia no hubiera sido el mismo sin los otros pasajeros: pasados y presentes.  Y aunque pocos pueden cacharnos ahorita, les agredecemos tambien.
• A es para ANIMALES Y AVES. ¿Como será los Galapagos sin los animales y aves que se ubican en las islas?  Los lobos, tortugas, iguanas, lagartos, tiburones, y todos de los aves, peces y insectos.  Dan el caracter, la drama, la acción a las islas.  Y hubieramos tenido la oportunidad conocer muchos de ellos.
• T es para TRIPULACIÓN.  Al final pero no al menos, todo de Uds hicieron esta experencia muy, pero muy especial para cada uno de nosotros.  Si no les dijimos gracias cuando debemos, lo sentimos.  Pero, ahorita, queremos decir gracias.

Gracias por cuidarnos, gracias por enseñarnos un nuevo mundo, gracias por atendernos y gracias por conocernos.  Era un gran placer conocerles.  Y ojala que les vayan bien con mucha suerte. Y para acabar, queremos brindar a Uds y al Monserrat.  ¡Salud!

Sunset off San Cristobal Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Our final dinner was fried calamari and steak with lentils, rice, cucumbers and tomatoes, roasted potatoes with upside-down pineapple cake for dessert.  We packed up a little and headed into Puerto Ayoro for a final night out with the whole group.  We had a good time with all the folks on board.  It’s just a shame we had such little time with the new crew.  There were some really good people on board I would’ve loved to have spent more time with. But, on to the next adventure.  My toe started to really bother me so I left the bar early and headed back to the boat to get some sleep. I didn’t have the energy to pack so I just left it for the morning.

Originally published June 16, 2007

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Galapagos Day 7: Penguins & Volcanos is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Mockingbird on Santa Cruz Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

On Thursday, we had an even earlier start to the day since our excursion left at 7:30 instead of our normal 8:00AM.  I awoke early and again sat out on the back of the boat taking in the view of the islands.  The cool breeze coming off the water made for a crisp, fresh morning.  After a quick breakfast, we headed out at 7:30 to the island of Santa Cruz, an island we had visited once before.  In fact, it was the island we left from on our first day.

This time, we were on the northeast corner where a small beach lay.  Near this site is the location of the egg-laying site of the sea turtles.  We walked along the beach barefoot eyeing the tracks of turtles, iguanas and lizards.  We ascended a sand dune to find a salt water lake.  Fishing inside of it, were two pink flamingos.  We sat gazing at the flamingos for about 30 minutes.  It was not possible to tell if the two were a couple, both males, females, or what.  But, the lake supports 5 flamingos and a few black mangrove trees.

Flamingos on Santa Cruz Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We made our way back to the boat. We had to say our sad goodbyes to our shipmates.  Only Molly, Sara and Emilie stayed with me.  We traded emails with the rest – some of whom we’ll see again in Ecuador or other parts of South America – or even Switzerland.  I also hit it off with the Director and Assistant Director of the school in South Carolina.  They have a notion to include me and my travel adventure in their school curriculum next year.  I told them I would be interested so we’ll see what happens.

Molly, Sara, Emilie and I went onshore to the beach to finish out the morning and await our new shipmates who would arrive this afternoon.  We had to make a bit of a switcheroo on the rooms to accommodate the new shipmates so Molly moved in with me.

Our new 12 shipmates boarded mid-afternoon and around 5PM we headed out on the rafts to Black Turtle Cove near where we landed this morning.  This afternoon we stayed on the boat as we sought the sea turtles living in the wild.  The “Cove” was actually a collection of coves fingering off the main waterway.  The coves’ shores were covered in black mangrove trees.  So, as we got closer in, the trees roots helped push the turtles closer to the surface.

Turtles in Black Turtle Cove. Copyright CareerBreakSecret.com

We saw about 15 turtles swimming around.  In the shallower parts of the coves, we could get close enough to see them swimming in the water.  In the deeper areas, we had to wait for the turtles to come up to take a breath before  submerging again.  While trying to get a picture of a large turtle swimming close to the raft, I accidently knocked my sunglasses in the water.  I couldn’t catch them in time and they drifted down into the dark water.  I hope they are biodegradable!  Finally, we also ran into a couple of small white tip sharks swimming in the smaller, shallower coves.

We finally had to turn back for the boat.  As we sailed out, we were treated to hundreds of birds making their way to the trees for the night as well as many who decided that it was time to go fishing.  We passed by several trees full of white egrets.  We then passed by one area where at least two dozen pelicans and dozens more frigate birds were dive bombing the water going after the fish below.  It was an amazing sight to see and also to hear.  Between the squawks of the birds and the sounds of them diving into the water, it felt like nature at its finest.

When we got back to the ship, we had a couple of beers with our new shipmates and then got ready for dinner.  We had a welcome aboard toast for the new shipmates and dined on tuna and chicken with peach sauce, cucumber and tomato salad, broccoli, and for dessert, tres leches cake.

I did suffer a slight injury today – one that could only happen to me.  In the closet in the room is a lower compartment that contains a life jacket for emergencies.  The magnet that holds the door closed is not very strong and occasionally popped open, usually on my big right toe.  Today, it hit my toe but closer to the nail and really did some damage.  Luckily the Advil made the throbbing subside, but I was limping around a little and will have to watch it to hope that it doesn’t get any worse.

Nazca Boobies on Genovesa Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I woke up early on Friday morning at 6:00AM and went out for my morning coffee on the back of the boat. Overnight we had made our way to Genovesa Island and were moored in Darwin Bay.  As I slowing woke up and my eyes adjusted to the morning sun, I saw large packs of birds circling the top of the island.  The landscape was black volcanic rock close to the water.  The higher the rock went, it was painted with more and more white from the birds droppings.  Halfway up, the cliffs started to be covered with vegetation of small trees, grasses and the occasional cactus.

After a quick breakfast, we boarded the rafts at 8:00AM and headed for the cliff walls.  We saw several types of crabs, sea urchins and birds – and the occasional iguana.  We docked and climbed up a makeshift staircase to the top of the cliff.

Red-Footed Booby on Genovesa Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Right away we were treated to a bird show.  There were several booby nests in front of us.  Many of the nests had chicks in various stages of molting.  Most were quite large and about 4-5 months old.  In this area we saw the Nazca Booby – not so much the Blue-Footed Boobies or the Red-Footed Boobies.

We walked along a path cutting through the dense, dry vegetation to a cliff where hundreds, maybe thousands, of birds circled.  Our big prize for this leg was to see an owl indigenous to the Galapagos.

Owl on Genovesa Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We headed back to the boat, changed and went for a snorkel.  We saw several fish today, but the big prize was to see the large parrot fish that inhabited this section of the coast. I got cold quickly in the chilly water and climbed out after about 30 minutes.  I had a good conversation with Gabriel, the captain’s right hand man.  When everyone else loaded up, he looked at me, invited me to take his seat and I drove the raft back to the boat.  It was an unexpected treat that I thoroughly enjoyed.

After a quick lunch and brief rest in the early afternoon, we were back in the rafts for an afternoon hike. Gabriel again trusted me with the reins of the boat and I guided us out to the beach where we made our landing.  The hike this afternoon was the most surreal of all that we’ve had so far.

Sea lion during water yoga on Genovesa Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Again the focus of the hike was on the birdlife on the islands.  We walked through a small path alongside a salt water stream.  The Nazca and Red-Footed Boobies were everywhere as well as frigate birds and several types of finches.  The sky this afternoon was grey with cloud cover.  The path was white with the bird droppings and a slight breeze drifted through the air. Birds circled overhead of all shades and sizes.  We passed by nests at shoulder and eye level.  With the narrowness of the path, the birds were often just inches from our face.  There was an eerie calm as we walked through this bird sanctuary on the rocky volcanic rock.  After a quick time on the beach afterwards we headed back to the boat – this time, without my driving skills.

Male frigate birds on Genovesa Islands. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We enjoyed a great dinner as always.  Tonight was had garlic shrimp, curried chicken, rice, red sauerkraut, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and fresh strawberries with cream for dessert.  My toe started throbbing again.  I looked down and it seemed to be getting worse.  So, I got a small bag of ice and headed for the room to put my foot up and ice it down.  Tomorrow is the last full day on the ship and penguins may be a part of it.  So, I want to make sure I am in fine walking shape so I don’t miss it.

Originally published June 14, 2007

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Galapagos Days 5 & 6: Birds, Turtles and Fish is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Turtles being bred in La Galapaguera. Copyright CareerbreakSecrets.com

After an early breakfast, we were on our rafts at 8:00AM to head off to Isla Lobos or Sea Lion Island.  Just like yesterday we walked through dozens, maybe hundreds of sea lions.  We also saw a few more blue-footed boobies and some yellow warblers.  The sun was out and there were few clouds in the sky.  As we walked around we heard the sea lions calling and moaning to each other.  But, mostly the sea lions just chilled out resting before another day in the Galapagos.

We went back to the boat for a quick wardrobe change to go for a snorkel trip.  We didn’t venture too far from the boat which was moored between Isla Lobos and San Cristobal Island.  So, we were still close to the sea lions and jumped out of our rafts into the cool, aqua green water measuring about 70 degrees F.  We had several sea lions to play with and after about an hour, we were called back to the rafts to go back to the boat.  With the boat about 300 yards away, a few of us decided to swim back to the boat.

We had about four hours on the boat as we moved to a port city on San Cristobal Island.  At about 2:30PM we headed to shore to go visit the land turtles.  I again had a close encounter with a sea lion.  There was a large sea lion standing and modeling on the dock.  She seemed fairly friendly and docile so Freya, an Ozzie woman, and I decided to get a picture standing next to her.  Well, somehow I upset her and she started barking at me and approaching me.  I left her and there was no picture to be had today.

Cactus tree in the dry terrain of Santa Fe Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We took about a 30 minute bus ride to La Galapaguera, a center where land turtles are raised to help repopulate them across the Galapagos.  We saw a few small ones in their cages and then saw 5-6 walking along the pathways.  We finished the afternoon in the town buying a few essentials, checking emails in the internet cafe and having a quick beer at a local bar.

We headed back to the boat and had a dinner of calamari in cream sauce, beef tips, asparagus salad, wild rice, broccoli salad and a potato salad with peas; for dessert, we had gypsy’s arm, a jelly roll topped with chocolate sauce.  After watching the stars on the top deck, we were off to bed to rest in anticipation for another day in paradise.

Wednesday I awoke a little early, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat on the deck enjoying the peace and tranquility of the morning.  The islands have volcanic origins and the striking thing to me is how dry the islands are.  The landscape from afar reminds me of the bush in northeastern South Africa near the Kruger National Park.  At times, though, the terrain reminds me of parts of western Texas with the cactus growing and all the lizards crawling around.  Some islands are very flat while others have small hills rising in the interior catching clouds on them.  The clouds roll flat unlike the puffy storm clouds seen in Texas, the mid-West and mountain west of the US.

Cactus tree in the dry terrain of Santa Fe Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We were docked in a strait near Santa Fe Island.  We had a quick breakfast and were on the boat by 8:00AM to go see the land iguana.  The terrain was littered with volcanic rock and hiking boots or sports sandals were needed to navigate it.  We ascended 750-1000 feet to the top of the small hill.  Tall cactus trees adorned the dry landscape along with small thin trees.  I was amazed that anything could live in such conditions.  But, apparently, it is ideal for the iguanas.  We saw several as well as a few mockingbirds that followed us around the trail.

By mid-morning we were back on the boat for a quick snorkel.  I was beat so I stayed on board and took about a 40 minute nap.  Once my shipmates returned to the ship, we had a quick lunch while the boat cruised toward South Plaza Island to see some of the large dominant sea lion males.

Dominant male sea lion on South Plaza Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We landed around 1:30PM to find a couple of sea lions laying on the docks.  Judging from how dry they were, they had been there for some time and we could not get them to budge. So, we gently walked around them.  They are docile and playful, but have quite a bark.  And, by this time, I had annoyed a few so I was doubly cautious.

We saw one of the large males come in from the ocean with his female and baby. The three were very entertaining.  The male bellowed as if to tell the female and baby to hurry up and not lag.  The mother was in a foul mood having to contend with the cranky male and a baby that was desperate to nurse.  As she tried to climb a few sloped rocks to get on the sand, the baby kept trying to nurse, even throwing itself on top of the mom to get her to stop to let him feed.  Annoyed, the baby bellowed at the mom.  And, the mom snapped and bellowed back at the baby.  As the male continued his bellowing, the mother would occasionally let out a cranky bellow towards him too as if to say, “Hey, can I get a hand here?  I’m doing the best I can.”  The male was completely oblivious to her plight as he continued on leaving his mate and baby further and further behind.  I joked that they were on a family vacation from the US.

Lizard on South Plaza Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We ascended a small hill while walking through “The Cactus Forest.” The ground was covered with a deep-red brush with cactus trees growing in between.  The landscape looked as if it had been meticulously manicured given how the cactus trees dotted the hillside.  The path teed at the top of the hill at the edge of a cliff.  We walked along the path looking off the cliff down towards the blue water crashing into the black rocky cliff below.  In the distance we could see adjacent islands.  And, of course, behind us was the carpet of red brush with the green cactus trees.

South Plaza Island landscape. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We made our way back to the boat around 3:30ish and rested for the afternoon.  We had a round of beers and relaxed.  We met up on the top deck to watch the sunset.  We had yet another magnificent sunset.  We were moored in between two islands – the sun set behind one and we watched as the sky varied in colors from bright golden to blues, grays, purples, reds and, ultimately, the darkness of night.

It was the last night for most of my shipmates.  So, the crew dressed up in their best white uniforms to say a quick goodbye.  For dinner, we enjoyed fresh fish, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, potatoes, salad and cake for dessert. We also cracked a bottle of red wine for the occasion.  We stayed up late having one last night together.  I pulled out my computer and put on my iTunes with a “happy” music mix for all to enjoy.

After more wine and beer, we finally went off to bed to rest up for another action-packed day on the boat.

Sunset off South Plaza Island. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Originally published June 12, 2007

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Galapagos Days 3 & 4: Cruising Around the lsles is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

My sea lion encounter on Española Island in the Galapagos. CareerBreakSecrets.com

After a quick breakfast on Sunday, I was off to the airport to catch the short 1.5 hour flight to the Galapagos Islands.  We flew into the airport on the tiny island of Baltra.  I met up with my tour group, collected my stuff and we took a 45 minute shuttle to a dock where our boat transfer was waiting.  It was about 23/24 degrees C and the sun was shining brightly.

On the airport side of the island, the terrain was virtually a desert with little vegetation to speak of.  The coast was rocky and the water was aqua green.  As we headed towards the port, the vegetation thickened with mesquite-type trees and small green bushes.  Closer in, the vegetation became slightly more tropical.  But, it was clear that rain was scarce all over the island.

Port at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We got off our boat onto Santa Cruz island and boarded another shuttle which took us to a small town called, Puerto Ayora, where we caught our powered raft to board our boat, the Monserrat II.  The boat carries 16 passengers and we had a good mix of people.  Eight were from Columbia, South Carolina – a school group of 7th and 8th graders with the Director and Assistant Director of the school.  Three recent college graduates from Washington, DC, a couple from Switzerland, an Ozzie traveling around South America by herself, a consultant from Germany and me.  The Swiss couple really impressed me because they were a newlywed couple traveling around South America on bicycles.  These people are real adventurers.

After putting our stuff in our quarters and receiving a quick briefing, we went back to the island to tour the Charles Darwin Center.  Here we learned a little about the role the center played in repopulating the big sea turtles and the marine iguanas after both species almost became extinct.

George the Tortoise. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We walked around to see several of the turtles and iguanas.  We were able to get up close to the animals who were clearly not bothered by us at all.  Some of the turtles we saw were over 100 years old.  Others were biologically significant, like George, the 78 year old turtle who is believed to be sterile.  He has never chosen a mate.  And, despite the efforts of the Darwin Center to pair him up with several female candidates, George has remained aloof toward the female sex.  With absolutely no biology training, I have concluded that George is simply gay.

Before reboarding the boat, I had a quick beer at a local bar with the American click.  We got cleaned up on the boat and had a nice dinner of chicken stir fry, pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggies and salad.

At 10:30PM, the crew pulled up the anchor, fired up the engines and we headed out into the night ocean.  A few of us climbed up the two flights of stairs to the top of the boat to take in the clear night sky.  There were a few clouds obscuring our view.  But, the brilliant sky could not be hidden and we were in awe of the thousands of stars just above our reach.  The sea was a little rough and we felt each swell and wave high above the boat.  Feeling a little nauseous, I went down to go to bed.

Sea lion playing on Española Island in the Galapagos. Copyright CareerbreakSecrets.com

We awoke at 6:30AM to get ready for the day.  We had a quick hot breakfast, boarded the boat at 8AM and headed for the island of Española.  As we neared the rocky coast in our powered raft, the sea lions greeted us by playing in the raft’s wake and with the wailing of those onshore.  We saw several baby sea lions nursing and a few mothers trying to brush off their young attempting to wean them.  The highlight was seeing an older female lion curl up to a young stud and begin to caress his belly.  I blurted out, “Hello Mrs. Robinson!”

Blue-footed booby on Española Island, the Galapagos. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We walked around the island admiring the blue-footed boobies, the hooded mockingbirds, the white albatross and the marine iguana.  We ended up on a rocky cliff at the end of what is known as “the runway” where the albatross go to take off and land.  As we made our way back around, we saw the blue footed booby dance.  It is mating season for these boobies and we got a front-row seat to watch the elaborate manner in which the boobies select each other.

After a quick lunch and break on the boat, we circled the island for a quick afternoon snorkel and swim, just off the coast of Española. From the boat, you can see the bottom through the crystal-clear dark-blue water. And, looking towards the shore, you can see the white sand beaches beckoning us to come lay on them.

At 2:30 we boarded our rafts and headed off towards the shore for an hour snorkel with the sea lions.  We were taken to a secluded cove with crystal-clear, aqua-green waters.  There were about 5 sea lions around us and we snorkeled as they played around us.  One continued to dive to the bottom to pick up a large reef flower, take it to the top, release it and then play with it as it fell back to the bottom.  Others came right towards us and then darted off to the side of us as it came within inches of our face.  We found ourselves laughing at these marvelous creatures who were happy to be playing around us with no fear at all.

We boarded our rafts and made our way to the white sandy beaches where dozens, maybe hundreds of sea lions lay.  They were clustered along the beaches.  One poor young soul was lost and wandered the beach looking for his mother.  He cried out but unfortunately never found her while we there.  He tried several times to join different clusters but was rejected by the male and, at times, by the female he tried to suckle.

There was one posing for us on the beach and I tried several times to get close enough for a picture.  He wasn’t having it and kept turning and advancing towards me to let me know I was too close.  The only picture I got of us together is the one that leads this blog entry.  My shipmates got quite a show as I was continually chased away.

Sunset off the coast of Española Island, Galapagos. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

A little after 5PM, we boarded our rafts to head back to our boat.  We decided that to end the day, we would climb to the top of our boat to take a final jump into the ocean.  The height of the boat is about 10 meters or 30 feet. The first was a little scary but I was cheered on by my shipmates who were approaching the boat in their raft.  So, egged on by peer pressure, I made the jump off the boat.  I went a second time only to slip on the way off and land on my side smacking my chest.  As I fell, I let out a loud, ‘Oh shit!”  My skin was a little red, but nothing serious.

We finished off the evening watching the sun set off to the west.  Afterwards, we had a wonderful dinner of vegetable soup, curried chicken breasts, garlic shrimp, avocado, rice and roasted potatoes.  We were stuffed but made room for the chocolate cheesecake dessert.  After watching the stars awhile on top of the boat, we headed off to bed to rest after an amazing day in our secluded paradise.

Originally published June 11, 2007

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Galapagos Days 1 & 2: When Sea Lions Attack is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Cathedral in central Cuenca. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I returned to Quito on Saturday for one night before heading down south to two remote yet historically significant cities: Cuenca and Loja.  I had a couple of things to do in the city so I spent what was left of Saturday and Sunday running errands.

I caught up with Gloria and two of her granddaughters, Dani and Mariamelia (also now known as my two ñañas, or sisters in Kichwa).  I also ran into my Danish friends, Christy and Dagny, randomly at the Magic Bean coffee shop.  I developed a terrible headache late in the day and was in bed early that night.  I assume the altitude got to me after being away from it for so long.

Sunday I got up early to take some pics of Quito before I left.  I guess my prior three weeks in Quito wasn’t enough to take them.  So, I set off on foot to grab a few to remember the neighborhood.  There was a mini marathon  going on and I went to watch since it passed me by only two blocks away.  I stayed long enough to see my new friends from the US that I met in the Amazon run by.  Gina and Michelle looked like they were running hard enough for all three of us.  I snapped a photo for them and went back to my errands.  By 2PM, I was on my plane ready for the 30 minute flight to Cuenca.

Streets in central Cuenca. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Sunday I took it easy and waited to meet up with a friend of mine from Guayaquil, Pato.  On Monday, we got up and headed into “el centro”.  Cuenca just celebrated its 450 year anniversary.  It’s known as the cultural capital of the country.  We walked around the paved and cobblestone streets admiring the churches and old buildings.  Inside the churches we saw old wooden altars, statues and, at times, solid gold altars and other beautifully manifested statues.  The late Pope John Paul must have been very popular here.  There were homages all over the city to him.  We caught a couple of mid-day services as people filled the churches.  And, by “caught”, I mean we peeked in and then left.  While I no longer claim my Catholicism, I was still in awe of the beautiful architecture and solemnity of the churches.

Park in central Cuenca. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The other highlight was going to the local cultural museum founded by the country’s largest bank.  This was a first-class museum.  There were exhibits focusing on the archeology of the country, the different ethnic groups around the country and it had a numismatist gallery – not surprising to see the history of Ecuadorean money in a museum sponsored by a bank.

On Wednesday morning, I went off to the bus terminal to catch my bus to Loja, a city to the south not well known to foreigners since it is remote and difficult to get to. The biggest problem in getting there was that a group protesting something staged a protest by blocking part of the road we needed to use to get Loja.  In this mountainous country, there aren’t a l lot of other options.  So, took an alternative route.  But, these protesters were smart and we came upon a road block filled with burning tree limbs.  Luckily, a path had been cleared off to the side where the bus could pass.  Six and a half hours later we arrived in Loja.  My hotel was close to the terminal.  The ride was long and tiring though and I went to bed early.

Simon Bolivar at the entrance to Loja. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The countryside was beautiful.  We passed through several microclimates.  And, as is common here in Ecuador, the clouds often hung just above us hugging the fertile green pastures where the locals farmed the land.  Traveling through the mountains meant a somewhat bumpy ride so reading or writing was impossible.  And, many of the roads switched back as we ascended and descended on the road.

I awoke in the morning and after a quick breakfast, took a cab down to “el centro” to walk around.  I wasn’t sure what to expect and came at the recommendation of my friend Roberto.  The clouds hung over the city which lay in a small valley amongst the lush green mountains that encircled it.  The city is old like Cuenca and the architecture reflects the strong Spanish influence dating back to the 1600s.  The most remarkable thing was that I didn’t see a single other foreigner all day.  The people took little notice of me as I strolled the streets taking pictures of the architecture and the  churches.

Traditional costume from Loja. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I got a map and decided to walk back to the hotel.  Of course, only I could get lost in a town the size of Loja.  I found myself heading out of town.  I was walking along the river and according to my map, that should’ve guided me back to my hotel.  And, it would have if I had taken a left at the river, not a right.  I finally asked for help from a local.  He was very nice and asked why I was in Loja. When I told him I was here just to see the town, he became a little suspicious and asked if I was here to visit or evangelize.  I guess the Lojanos were sick of Jerry Falwell too.  I assured him that I was here just to visit and he relaxed immediately.

Church in Loja. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

On Friday, I boarded my bus to head back to Cuenca.  I have a flight on Saturday morning to Guayaquil where I will catch my flight to the Galapagos.  The roads were all open by this point although on the way back we saw the remnants of several road blocks – some constructed of rocks (and nicely placed I might add), others of limbs and branches.  The highlight of the trip was sitting next to two older Kichwa ladies.  I’m not one to talk much on planes (or buses for that matter) and they both started conversations with me.  They were both so sweet with faces that melt ice.  Neither were well-traveled, but spoke with a quiet confidence that was profound and lacked egoism and ignorance.  The one woman I could barely understand with her Kichwa accent.  but, I didn’t care.  I just smiled and nodded a lot and we got along fine.

Fountain in Cuenca. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I took a cab to my hostel, got checked in, ran a few errands, had some Cuban food and then went back to the hostel to get some sleep.

Cuenca and Loja showed me yet another side of Ecuador.  And, while getting down south was a little bit of a chore, it was worth the trip.  Loja in particular was an umwhynot moment.  Not many people get down there, but I’m glad I made the trek.  And certainly the ride down was worth it.  If I had had another day, I would’ve gone down to Vilcambamba, a town known for having a high rate of people living to be over 100.  Now I’m off to the Galapagos for seven days of sailing around this famous and biologically significant place.

Originally Published June 8, 2007

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Down to Southern Ecuador is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Our guides Daniela and Magno. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The day started off on a few dour notes and I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out.  This morning’s wake up call at 5:30 came early and not due to the hour.  For some reason, I could not sleep last night.  So, when the knock at the door came, I moved slower than usual in the mornings.  Next, breakfast was sad because our group was losing the St. Louis clan – Debbie, Michelle, Gina and Tom.  And, finally, the morning sky was cloudy portending rain.  Now, being in a rainforest, this weather is expected and our group had already been rained on.  But, on this particular morning, it meant that we had to cancel an excursion to the National Park where we were to have gone birding and hiking – for a price.  So, not wanting to spend money to see birds that weren’t going to come out in the rain and to miss a hike on a rainy road, we had to change course.

Poison dart frog. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We opted to start the day back at the Canopy Tower birding.  We were lucky again seeing many different birds.  Today I took notes.  We saw tanningers, oropendolas, flycatchers,  toucans, parrots, double-toothed kites, yellowed-rumped caciques, parakeets, woodpeckers, black-faced dacnis, jacamarsand clusias.  We didn’t stay as long this morning.  But, we felt fortunate having seen so much in a short periof of time.  We hiked down to the lake with all the fun creatures (caimans, anacondas, etc) to jump in our canoe.  On the way, Magno stopped us as he saw one of the most famous rainforest creatures: the poison dart frog.  Much to my surprise, he held it in his hand.  Apparently they can be held safely as long as you don’t have any cuts in your skin where the poison can enter.  Further along the path, we encountered another.  The day was looking up despite the slow, rainy start.

We approached the far side of the glassy brown lake, passing through some plant growth on top of the lake near the shore and headed toward some trees at the far side of the lake.  We continued moving forward and slowly the trees parted slightly revealing a stream behind the trees.  We slowly navigated the canoe (and be we, I mean Magno and Daniela) behind the trees on the narrow stream.  Immediately the high trees on both sides of the stream blocked the sun creating a low canopy covering us as we passed by slowly on the stream.  Almost immediately we got stuck in the shallow water.  Knowing what could be below, the four of us tourists froze not knowing what to do.  We joked that I’d have to get out and push.  And, as we laughed nervously about that, Magno got up from the back of the boat, walked through the shallow water and pushed us over the branch blocking our entrance.

Taking the dugout canoe for a spin. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

At times, the silence in the river was broken by birds calling to each other.  At others, the hum of bees played in the background.  Bees humming while you’re in in a canoe on a remote stream in the middle of the rainforest isn’t as  comforting a sound as you would think  I prefer the song of the cicadas.

We stopped at one location to hear the Soldier Wasps.  At this point in the river there was almost complete silence.  On the count of three we all let out a loud yell and waited.  About 10-15 seconds later, we were a loud thumping sound as if an army was marching towards us.  This was the sound of the soldier wasps warning us of their presence. They don’t appear immediately but if the loud sounds continue, they were telling us that they would come out to attack.  We quickly agreed that quiet was good and as the hum of the soldier wasps quieted, we continued down the river.

Looking up at the howler monkeys above us from the canoe. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Further up the stream, the silence of the forest was broken by some cracking limbs ahead of us to our right.  Our guide then said two magic words: howler monkeys. There were six in all.  But, the inertia of our canoe started to push us past the trees with the monkeys.  The mom and her baby crossed the stream right above us on a large limb.  The others went and hid until we continued on down the river. Most of the time the monkeys were hidden from us so we had to balance (literally) to try to find the monkeys above us without tipping the canoe.  It was great to see some of the smaller monkeys, but to see the howlers was a real highlight.

We continued going until the forest closed the stream to further access so we turned around to head back to the lake.  We spent a couple of hours on the stream and by now my butt was killing me.  Luckily it was lunchtime so I was close to getting some relief.

We ate a quick lunch at a campsite of breaded ham, beans, chocolate cake, juice, water and Oreos.  It had been about 6 hours since breakfast and after the long morning, I scarfed it all down.

Out in the dugout canoe. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We climbed back in the canoe to head towards a rarely used trail off another part of the lake.  This was the thickest, densest jungle route we had traveled on yet.  Magno who led us had to use his machete much more often on this trail as we passed through.  The trail was barely visible.  In fact, even Magno took a wrong turn at one point.  This afternoon we saw lots of fungi, spiders and marveled at the trees and flowers in the jungle.  We found one fungus that we could write on.  We were so thrilled with the day, we named ourselves the lucky group and left the fungus with our names on it in the forest.  The afternoon ran long and I tired quickly. The combination of little sleep, the physical exertion and the humidity all took their toll.  After about and hour and a half, we finally ended our hike, loaded back into the canoe and headed toward camp.  We finally reached camp – where I immediately showered – at 4AM.  Nine hours straight in the jungle was tiring.

Wine cup fungi in the Amazon. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We enjoyed a couple of afternoon beers and headed off to dinner – a meal of soup, pork with fried casava cakes and some type of tasty dessert made with phyllo dough and dulce de leche.  Bed came early and I fell to sleep immediately.

The next morning I awoke to pack, have breakfast and we loaded into the canoe to begin our long journey back to Coca.  There, we boarded our plane back to Quito and after a short 20 minute flight, we landed and I headed back to Gloria’s.

What an incredible adventure.  I was sad to leave and surprised that I felt that I wanted MORE time in the jungle despite all the critters – especially after feeling so out of place yesterday.  Maybe I was just tired and cranky.  I think there was something very primal out there that touched this city boy.  Maybe one day I can make it back out to spend a longer time out there.

Originally June 1, 2007

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Deeper Into the Jungle is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Looking at the lodge from the river. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I woke to the gentle sound of rain falling outside.  I looked at my alarm clock which said it was only 4:30AM.  Wake up time was at 5:30 so I still had an hour to sleep.  The only problem was that nature was calling and I couldn’t bear to get out of bed.  After the spider incident last night, I wasn’t about to test the dark room blindly.  For the record, the electricity isn’t turned back on until 5AM.

One of the exotic birds I saw while bird watching. Don't ask me what it is. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I received my wake up knock promptly at 5:30 and was up and ready for breakfast at 6AM.  The rain persisted so we had a late start from the lodge.  But, we finally made our way out to “The Tower” where we ascended a canopy tree house 100 yards high – close enough to the height of the tallest canopy trees in the jungle.  We stayed for a couple of hours looking at the various birds that make up the aviary population in the Amazon.  The highlight for me was seeing two different toucans.  I’m not sure of the names, so let’s call them the white-beaked toucan and the yellow-beaked toucan.

Getting in and out of the dugouts was a group balancing effort. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

As the bird chatter settled down, we climbed down from the treehouse and hiked over to a small lake.  We climbed in our small canoe.  I’m not sure why, but we as a group seemed to have a harder time keeping the equilibrium of the boat steady.  We were instructed to stay as still as possible and we complied.  Yet, we still tilted slightly to the left and right from time to time.  I found out later we were in a narrower canoe.  With 10 of us in it, the sides were only about 3-4 inches above the water surface.

This lake was filled with plants close to the shore.  The lake hid beneath its brown, glassy surface the following cuddly creatures: caiman, electric eel, anaconda and two types of pirana.  So, we maintained a tense quietness to avoid any sudden motions caused by talking.  The silence was broken from time to time with the occasional question from the group to Danielle or Magno.  Or, the occasional deprecating comment from me to Gina, who sat right in front of me.

We hiked back to camp after a quick snack of Chips Ahoy and ant watching (more interesting than what you would think I assure you).  We had a quick lunch of consomme, pork chop with snap peas and cauliflower, and pear in alcohol for dessert.  We were served fresh prickly pear juice and water to drink.

Swimming with the piranas. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The real fun then came in the afternoon.  Gina, Shirley and I put on our swimsuits and headed for the lagoon for an afternoon swim.  The women swam yesterday with no ill effects. And, since they had done so AFTER fishing for piranas with raw meat (with success!), I figured it was worth a go.  But, there were a few precautions.

1. No entering the water with any open sores or wounds (Check!).  Although my lips were blistered from the caribbean sun the week before.
2. No touching the bottom of the lagoon.  Wouldn’t want to step on a caiman, anaconda or electric eel (really more of a preference on our part – Check!).
3. No peeing in the lagoon so as not to attract an organism that loves urine and will swim up your urinary tract where it will grow pricks causing pain while you wait for the surgeon to remove it – DOUBLE, NO TRIPLE CHECK!).

Not wanting to touch the bottom, I dove (well, really belly flopped) into the water.  The temperature fluctuated remarkably with waves of warm water overcome by waves of cold and vice versa.  Oh, almost forgot to mention that, being the chivalrous guy that I am, I let Gina and Shirley go in first. Who says chivalry is dead?

Turtles sunning on the deck. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We swam out to another pier where some turtles were sunning.  We didn’t get too close so as not to scare them away.  Oh, and we also wanted to avoid the spiders on the pier.  After about a 30 minute swim, I climbed out of the water and kayaked around the lagoon.  The serenity of the afternoon was magnificent.  The silence was broken only by the oars hitting the water or the random animal calling out.

Inside the butterfly farm. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

We met up with the group at 4PM and headed off to the butterfly farm.  We saw the butterflies at all stages: from egg to winged creatures.  The farm was in a greenhouse and the final room was in a sealed-off room requiring us to go through an intermediary door to get to the butterflies.  After time for numerous photos, we took our most challenging hike so far.

We hiked on land along the river (not that we could see it from the path) along densely wooded jungle.  Further, the path was extremely wet with mud that was deep and clay-like in consistency and sticky.  We eventually made it to the river, climbed in the canoe and slowly made our way back to the camp.  Luckily, this canoe was wider and a little deeper than the one this morning so our ride was much more stable.

Sunset in the Amazon. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The sun began to set as we were on the river.  The blue sky was peppered with clouds colored in various shades of whites and grays.  Closer to the camp, we discovered a group of squirrel monkeys and a group of capuchine monkeys hunting for food.  We sat in the canoe silently enjoying the monkeys hunt and call to each other.  As the monkeys returned to the interior of the jungle, we made our way back to camp to have dinner and relax a bit before our night hike.

For dinner we started with a divine potato and cabbage soup followed by roasted chicken with potatoes and green bean and tomato salad. Tonight’s juice was star-fruit juice.  For dessert we had “Gypsy’s Arm.”  It was like a swiss roll or a jelly roll filled with dulce de leche and topped with chocolate.

We all quickly ran to put on long shirts and bug spray for our night hike.  We didn’t go too far out and stayed close to the nearby butterfly farm’s greenhouse.  We saw a few frogs, spiders, crickets, cockroaches and a few other flying insects. Just the kind of thing you want to see right before going to bed in the jungle.

My travel group in the Amazon. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Tomorrow we lose half of our group so we had a final quick powwow in the main room before retiring to bed just before 10PM.  Tomorrow will come early with the 5:30 wake-up call…especially with the images of the creepy crawlies dancing in my head.  There is a reason I left the small town years ago.  While I can suspend my ichy feelings about bugs for these few days, I am reminded every day I am out here why I am a committed urban denizen.  Good thing I put the mosquito netting down over my bed earlier today.

Originally published May 31, 2007

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Swimming With Piranas is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures