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TravBuddy.com: Espanola Travel Blogs and Reviews
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<copyright>Copyright 2005 TravBuddy LLC</copyright>
<link>http://www.travbuddy.com/</link>
<description>The latest travel journal entries and travel reviews from Espanola</description>
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<lastBuildDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:41:44 PST</lastBuildDate>
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<title>Day 3: Espanola Island - the best by land and by sea...and lots of boobies</title>
<link>http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/14152/So-heres-the-plan-Tip-Click-on-Jump-to-Most-Recent-Entry-Los-Angeles-1</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:41:44 PST</pubDate>
<description>In my opinion, Espanola has the most to offer in the main central islands.&amp;nbsp; Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez are a 1-2 combination of ocean and la...</description>
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<p><a href="http://www.travbuddy.com/Espanola-travel-guide-1319937">Espanola, Ecuador></a>, Dec 02, 2007</p>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">In my opinion, Espanola has the most to offer in the main central islands.&nbsp; Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez are a 1-2 combination of ocean and land animals.</st1:PlaceName></st1:place></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"></st1:PlaceName></st1:place></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><U><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Gardner</st1:PlaceName> </U><st1:PlaceType w:st="on"><U>Bay:</U></st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Has a huge sea lion colony that lounge around on the beach and in the ocean.&nbsp; We s</FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>norkeled near big rocks in center and a rock wall on the left side of beach.&nbsp; </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Near the big rocks, I played with 2 sea lions and&nbsp;saw a white-tip reef shark (<EM>tintorera</EM>).&nbsp; </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>In the rocks near the rock wall, I followed a huge sea turtle for about 10-15 <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</SPAN>minutes and scratched its back / patted its head while it was feeding on seaweed in about <st1:metricconverter w:st="on" ProductID="2 feet">2 feet</st1:metricconverter> of water.&nbsp; It wasn´t really thrilled with my head stroking.&nbsp; </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>In the sand, there was a whole area of rays of up to 4 feet across hidden in the sand.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>&nbsp;</FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><U>Punta Suarez</U> is an easy hike (2 hours done slowly) where we saw </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>reddish marine iguanas (taking their color from the type of seaweed and algae they eat) which were fighting head to head, fearless </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Galapagos hawks near the pier, and surprise(!), another </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>colony of sea lions. I realize I am getting a bit spoiled with natural lief.&nbsp; There was a little sea lion only 3-4 days old.&nbsp; We also saw:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Blue footed boobies´ nests</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Masked boobies´ nests on the cliff</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Juvenile albatrosses (very ugly when they´re losing their feathers) and&nbsp;a couple of huge adults</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Fearless mockingbirds were everywhere.&nbsp; Being that there are no natural predators in the Galapagos, animals are fearless.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Tropic birds near the blow hole</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Beautiful panoramic view of cliffs and the ocean</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>- Cool lava lizards</FONT><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>&nbsp;</FONT></o:p></P></p>
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