What a morning. My boating experience is so limited that I didn´t know how to mentally prepare myself for today´s tour of Academy Bay. My inner ear fails me more and more as I age and I don´t know if I´m going to get sick. Should I skip the trip? What to do? Should I eat breakfast? Daniel, one of the guides, picked us up at the hostel and took us to our restaurant - ok - I should at least have some eggs and toast. Feeling good we head for the dock. This is a "special" glass bottom boat - the only one here. We join two other families and our guide, Edwardo, and head off.
It´s rough, the water. Super turquoise and beautiful, but the overcast sky and swells are bringing back thoughts of stormy seas. Maybe in a past life I died at sea...
We go to a group of volcanic rocks - 25 minutes from the port - and immediately spot sea lions. Awww, so cute! We stay in one spot looking at the crabs, birds, sea lions and my body is fighting to keep control. No big shock - my body fails. A group decides to snorkle - 1st of all the water is cold - 18 degrees C, and rough, big enough swells to look undesirable, it´s cloudy and well that´s all I needed to not jump in. In my mind I realize that getting out of the boat is a good idea, but the dizziness has set in and now the puking starts. Just three times - enough to empty my stomach - whew - so much for those eggs. We are rocking while the snorkelers snorkle. I am concentrating hard. Deep breaths, calm, find that still happy place inside.
The group jumps back in - blue lips and all. We are off again and I´m in full concentration mode. Oh thankfully the walking part is next. We get out of the boat and view a white tipped reef shark resting spot and then head for playa de los perros - which actually has nothing to do with dogs. Here the whitish sand blinks in contrast with the black lava. Turquoise water slaps the shore and - wait - look - marine iguanas! Swimming! Sunning! How Cool!
I guess said fast to non native speakers, marine iguanas sounds like marijuana. Imagine the excitement on someone´s face when the guide shouts - "LOOK - marijuanas!"
Back on the boat we don´t go far before another walking spot - this time to a canyon-ish area with brackish water. With the overcast sky the water isn´t very inviting, but it was quite relaxing to chill on land for a while. I just have the shakes a little now, so as long as I don´t make any sudden movements I can stay upright.
Made it back to Porto Ayora and was able to fill my empty stomach with some rice and fish. After a little siesta we headed to Tortuga Bay. The path was a little longer than we expected and went on and on.
I guess now might be a good time to introduce you to my travel companion. As of a month ago I was the only person signed up to do the trip. When I checked into my hostel in Quito - two days before- I discovered that there was someone else signed up... I was glad actually - after 5 weeks alone - I am ready for a travel companion.
The next morning I met her. She speaks only English and in a super southern accent. She shares that she is from Alabama and living in a trailer in a trailer park with a pit bull and a pit mix. Twenty two - which means she was born in 1988 and if I´d followed the southern way - could literally be my daughter. She is THAT generation - the one that cannot put down her cell phone which in addition to being a phone has internet. I wonder why people don´t just be with the people they are texting. If you can´t put down the phone... move closer to the person you are texting all day. My pet peeve - hanging out with someone that cannot stop texting or worse, talking on the phone. I know I sound like an old lady... I am.
Come to find out, my travel companion has brought a large rolling suitcase, a hand suitcase, a backpack and a shoulder bag. We are doing a lot of moving around... staying in several different places... WTF? It´s a good thing she´s blonde and tiny. How did I end up with the perfect white trash southern girl for a travel companion?
So far she has needed help with everything! After bragging about having taken Spanish all through school - she asks me how to order a bottle of water. This is good actually - I can relax and speak English most of the time, but am being forced to be the one to communicate with everyone else. I need this responsibility.
Next stop... volunteering in the highlands of Santa Cruz...
It´s rough, the water. Super turquoise and beautiful, but the overcast sky and swells are bringing back thoughts of stormy seas. Maybe in a past life I died at sea...
We go to a group of volcanic rocks - 25 minutes from the port - and immediately spot sea lions. Awww, so cute! We stay in one spot looking at the crabs, birds, sea lions and my body is fighting to keep control. No big shock - my body fails. A group decides to snorkle - 1st of all the water is cold - 18 degrees C, and rough, big enough swells to look undesirable, it´s cloudy and well that´s all I needed to not jump in. In my mind I realize that getting out of the boat is a good idea, but the dizziness has set in and now the puking starts. Just three times - enough to empty my stomach - whew - so much for those eggs. We are rocking while the snorkelers snorkle. I am concentrating hard. Deep breaths, calm, find that still happy place inside.
The group jumps back in - blue lips and all. We are off again and I´m in full concentration mode. Oh thankfully the walking part is next. We get out of the boat and view a white tipped reef shark resting spot and then head for playa de los perros - which actually has nothing to do with dogs. Here the whitish sand blinks in contrast with the black lava. Turquoise water slaps the shore and - wait - look - marine iguanas! Swimming! Sunning! How Cool!
I guess said fast to non native speakers, marine iguanas sounds like marijuana. Imagine the excitement on someone´s face when the guide shouts - "LOOK - marijuanas!"
Back on the boat we don´t go far before another walking spot - this time to a canyon-ish area with brackish water. With the overcast sky the water isn´t very inviting, but it was quite relaxing to chill on land for a while. I just have the shakes a little now, so as long as I don´t make any sudden movements I can stay upright.
Made it back to Porto Ayora and was able to fill my empty stomach with some rice and fish. After a little siesta we headed to Tortuga Bay. The path was a little longer than we expected and went on and on.
I guess now might be a good time to introduce you to my travel companion. As of a month ago I was the only person signed up to do the trip. When I checked into my hostel in Quito - two days before- I discovered that there was someone else signed up... I was glad actually - after 5 weeks alone - I am ready for a travel companion.
The next morning I met her. She speaks only English and in a super southern accent. She shares that she is from Alabama and living in a trailer in a trailer park with a pit bull and a pit mix. Twenty two - which means she was born in 1988 and if I´d followed the southern way - could literally be my daughter. She is THAT generation - the one that cannot put down her cell phone which in addition to being a phone has internet. I wonder why people don´t just be with the people they are texting. If you can´t put down the phone... move closer to the person you are texting all day. My pet peeve - hanging out with someone that cannot stop texting or worse, talking on the phone. I know I sound like an old lady... I am.
Come to find out, my travel companion has brought a large rolling suitcase, a hand suitcase, a backpack and a shoulder bag. We are doing a lot of moving around... staying in several different places... WTF? It´s a good thing she´s blonde and tiny. How did I end up with the perfect white trash southern girl for a travel companion?
So far she has needed help with everything! After bragging about having taken Spanish all through school - she asks me how to order a bottle of water. This is good actually - I can relax and speak English most of the time, but am being forced to be the one to communicate with everyone else. I need this responsibility.
Next stop... volunteering in the highlands of Santa Cruz...
2 comments:
OMG... what a travel partner.. can you dump her ? And yes, it is great to hear you say the things you do! You are Getting OLD! How do you think that makes us feel !!! All kidding aside, your trip sounds pretty cool so far !!!
I am dying!!! At first when I saw southern, I was like... yay!!! She can practice her accent! OH MY GOD. I can't believe this. How is she affording this trip when she lives in a trailer? Sorry, that was mean.
I can't wait to see pics of the Mariuanas!
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