Around the World in 180 Days with D and N: Groceries and Better Toe Nails

After our arrival on Santa Cruz, we took it very easy the next day, Saturday. We've got a well-equipped one bedroom apartment, lots of hot water from the solar panels on the roof, and a very helpful host, who lives in the building. John took us around the neighborhood, pointing out the local bakery, the best produce sellers, the laundry. He also arranged for our boat tickets to and from Isabela, our next stop, for pedicures for both of us and a haircut for Nick, and a snorkeling tour and visit to another island on Sunday.

On Sunday we were picked up at 7:30 am and drove through the highlands to the northern tip of the island. We boarded a boat (much nicer and much less crowded than the boat from San Cristobal) and headed along the coast to a snorkeling spot. I snorkeled. Nick rode in the dinghy and observed. Very nice snorkeling - I don't have an underwater camera so you'll have to take my word for it - a white-tipped reef shark, some moray eels, a sea turtle, and lots of colorful fish.

A Nice Boat

A Fun Crew

Good Snorkeling

Back Into the Dinghy, All Too Soon

We proceeded south along the eastern Santa Cruz coast to Plaza Sur, a small island with about 1,000 sea lion inhabitants, where we got our first glimpse of the Galapagos land iguanas. Our guide/naturalist led us on a hike around the island, where they've discovered hybrid iguanas, the offspring of male marine iguanas and female land iguanas. Like mules, they do not propogate. The land iguanas, which are classified as endangered, are a yellowish brown in color, but with a variety of markings.