Giant Tortoises


Thursday, February 21
 Santa Cruz Island, Charles Darwin Research Station

A highlight of the trip, today we landed on Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and then take a hike looking for the giant tortoises.  The research station is just outside of the town of Puerto Ayora, population 18,000.  We landed at the dock and went to the entrance of the Galapagos National Park where the captive breeding center is.  We saw babies and juveniles:




After touring the station, we met at a local café in town called “The Rock” which had an unusual mural on the wall:



From there we drove about ½ hour up into the highlands of the island to a small farm where they grew sugar cane and bananas.  We tried making cane juice:



We visited a still where the owner makes his own moonshine, 160 proof.  We tried a little and eroded a bit of our esophageal mucosa:



The bananas were very flavorful and soothed.  We had lunch at a local restaurant and then drove further up into the highlands for a hike on the migratory route of the giant tortoises.  Our group of nine hiked with our own naturalist, and we found many: 




There was a lava tunnel about 100 yards long which we walked through:



On the other side we found many tortoises chomping the low vegetation:



It’s amazing that they grow so big on grasses and leaves.  Click on the video:


After all the work of eating, they nap:



We returned to the visitors’ center where they had some shells to try on:



And on the way down the road we came across this awkward scene:



When we arrived at the dock, we found the benches already taken:



Hot and tired, we returned to the ship for drinks and dinner.  At dinner the rest of the family had arranged for a dessert celebration of our anniversary (which isn’t actually until June):



A remarkable day!

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 5, 2019 at 5:10 PM

    Victor, this was one of your best ever, for me. I laughed and laughed. Years ago one of Les' uncles and aunts were on safari in Africa and she got many pictures of lions copulating. National Geographic wanted to buy them from her. This, before videos. I have so enjoyed this trip with you and plan on showing the Dowels while we're in Washington. Shana is already excited about planning such a trip with all of us. Just have to wait for Benj to get a little older.

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