This is an *********ALL INCLUSIVE********* cruise in the Galapagos WHICH MEANS, SODA, ALCOHOL, BEER, JUICES, ALCOHOL, BEER, AND ALCOHOL IS PART OF THE PRICE OF THE CRUISE. DID I MENTION BEER & ALCOHOL??!? :P there is a catch, if you want the first class quality for instance, GREY GOOSE, BELVEDERE, and PATRON there is a price. the staff and officers are very professional and helpful. the naturalist NOT tour guides were very informative, patient, and passionate about "their" Galapagos. my mum and i's cabin is comfortable. however, why would want to hang in your cabin with a small window and there are marine life to observe. the food was mediocre however, the desserts were outstanding. the food is fresh made from the local brans in the island and ecuador. the entertainment is educational and amusing because of the cruise director. the hiking activities are set up for all levels of activities from HIGH, MEDIUM and LOW LEVEL INTENSITY. same with the snorkeling. i have done a mix of both. my mum is over weight and she enjoyed the med/low intensity hikes. YOU SEE MORE WILDLIFE IN THE MED/LOW INTENSITY HIKES. the ship is about 2 miles from the islands. the zodiacs boats are means of transportaton to the islands. it is nice to be welcomed with a cold towel, snacks and vodka fruit smoothie after a nice hike on the ship :) I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS CRUISE LINE. IT A A FLEXIBLE SEATING. THIS IS THE SMALLEST BOAT I HAVE EVER BEEN. MUM AND I ENJOY IT VERY MUCH. TIPS: 1) bring your own snorkeling gear minus the fins. if you have a phobia with germs. if not the ship provides the wet suit, snorkeling gear and fins. 2) bring hiking sandles like TEVAS OR KEENS or water slippers, you can purchase it in a marine boat supply store or target. 3) if you don't have binoculars, the ship provides it. 4) bring very light long sleeve shirts and pants if you burn easily or not be beaten by bugs. 5) bring a waterproof safari hat. 6) bring 40 or higher sunblock lotion. it is very hot and humid. 7) bring a "camel pak" it is holds about 2 liters of liquids. it is a backpack. some styles you can hold items in. it is the best thing i bought. 8) bring polarized sunglasses

Our first glimpse of the Galapagos was arriving at Baltra Island.
Baltra is really only a small satellite island to Isla Santa Cruz and where the airport is located (see my review). Everything went quite rushed, first we had to go through customs formalities etc, which took quite a lonf time. Then we caught a small van that brought us to the ferry that would shuttle us to Santa Cruz Island, our final destination for the day and where we would embark the ship that would be our home for the next week.
Good thing that we are light travellers because the loading and unloading of the luggage on the small ferries is not easy. I would definitely not recommend to travel with hard-sided luggage.

Everyone was twisting their necks to see the first glimpses of wildlife but there really wasn't that much to be seen on Baltra. It looked like a very dry and desolate island.

You will be arriving at one of the two airports in the Galapagos, at either Baltra Island or at Isla San Christobal, which is a much smaller airport. When arriving at Baltra airport, keep in mind that Baltra is a small island just next to Santa Cruz island and that, in order to reach Puerto Ayora, the main town and the harbor from which most boats depart, you still have an almost 2-hour bus trip to go, including a ferry connecting Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island. Taking the ferry is quite a bustle. Arriving at San Christobal Island would be more convenient but there are more flights to Baltra airport. Upon arriving at the islands, you'll go through customs (quite strict so you won't bring anything into the islands that could contaminate the natural environment like seeds or fruit) and you'll have to pay a $ 100,- fee to enter the national park.

Hello all,

I had a nice morning packing everything up again.  I tell myself everytime that I travel that I will let myself stay in the same hotel for at least two or three nights in a row more often.  I am not doing very well so far on this trip.  I have stayed two nights in a row only two times, so I really need to work on it.  The tour guide was late for our 8am meetup in front of the hotel, and after finally arriving at 8:20am he was in a big hurry.  We stopped to grab some breakfast and coffee, and he told the waitress to make it pronto.

My flight was scheduled for 10:45am, and Javier's was a bit later.  The taxi/boat/bus to the airport takes at least an hour, and TAME airline will give your seat away to standby passengers if they feel like it.  I was pretty mellow about it.  I figured that the worst thing that could happen was I take the later flight.  Making matters worse, the taxi was stopped at a checkpoint and handed a slip of paper by an officer.  I soon figured out, through my wonderful language skills, that this slip had the time we left.  This would be compared by another officer at a checkpoint later on.  Through the wonders of division, the drivers speed can be determined.  So unlike the trip from the airport a few days ago, where speeds exceeded 120kph, this one was much more mellow.

The speed limit was either 70 or 40 depending on local build-up, and the driver seemed to be keeping it very close or below that speed.  Upon reaching the next checkpoint, the driver was still scolded by the officer.  A five minute heated disscusion didn't seem to result in a ticket, but it certainly resulted in even slower speeds to the boat dock.  The boat was ready to go when we got there, and so was the bus once reaching Isla Baltra.  We got to the airport just before 10am, and check-in was no problem.  Twenty minutes later I said goodbye to Javier, and was on the plane.

We were scheduled for a stop in Guayaquil on the way to Quito, but both were pretty short flights.  I was assigned a middle seat, but it was better because it was an exit row.  I was next to a Galapagos native on the flight, and we were able to have a very nice conversation about tourists, the islands, and the U.S. presidential election.  I snuck out of the plane in Guayaquil to use the free internet, and had about 15 minutes before being called back for boarding.  There was a very strange fog coming from the vents in the plane, and I was not sure if it was condensating air conditioning, or some kind of insecticide fog.  Very strange.

I got to Quito with no reserved hotel, so I pored over the Lonely Planet guide and decided I would head for the Mariscal Sucre in the New Town section of Quito.  I was in money saving mode, so I tried public transportation.  I took a bus to the Trole, an electric trolley system that winds through the city.  After 15 minutes I was at my stop, and it was a short walk to the hotel area.  As is normal, I was on the search for a hotel with private bathroom, hot water, air conditioning, and hopefully free wi-fi.

The search was fruitless.  A/C is not a common thing here.  We are at elevation, so I guess the evenings are cooler.  I more or less gave up on that requirement, and continued the search.  The three places I found with free wi-fi were full, so I check one out next door to a place with free wi-fi.  Wink wink.  The signal from that place had a security password, but there was a stray signal that seemed to be working just fine.  I took the place where the signal seemed strongest for $11 a night.  As the night fell I was happy to find I was wrong/right about the weather.  It got cooler, and downright pleasant.

Tomorrow it's time to check out the city.

Later, Phil