Today started fantastically. After breakfast I found out that my tour was scheduled for 2, so I headed to the beach. At 9 am the beach was completely empty and peaceful. I decided to head west. Most people who visit Isabella do so for only 1-3 days, so my 7 days is a lot of time! Time to get into the nooks and crannies withing walking distance - and I like to walk. Leave it to me to stumble on the town cemetery - just behind the dune of the beach. I kept walking and found huge iguanas basking in the sun, a beach made of solely broken shells and sea urchin spines, salt lagoons, a lava tube, and candelabra cactus trees. There is something to be said about exploring on your own... this morning was perfect.
You ready for the afternoon? I wish I could redo a few parts... ok - I met up with my group for the tour of the turtle center (went there yesterday, but ok) and the Wall of Tears (really want to see this). The group is 2 spanish speaking old women, 2 youngish French women, and 2 young really big guys from Idaho (it´s been a long time since I´ve been around a full sized person), oh and me. Our guide gathers us and we head off to the turtle center. It's nice to be with a guide and get more information. The one Idaho guy understands Spanish better than me and is translating for his friend, so I take full advantage of this situation. Sure enough sometimes I think I understand the Spanish only to find out that I was not on the right track at all...
The guide is a bit chit chatty with all of us and it's a good group. We then head up to the Wall of Tears. After WW II, Ecuador decided not to give in to the the pressures to sell the Galapagos, but instead use Isabella for prisoners. The government sent 300 prisoners to Isabella and of course police to watch over them. Like I said, there is not much to do here, beside animal watch, so the police had to think of a way to keep the prisoners busy and to tire them out. So they thought, oh, let's have the prisoners carry huge pieces of lava over here and make a giant wall. The lava is heavy and super sharp. The sign at the site says that "the strong cry and the weak die". Apparently a lot of prisoners died trying to make a stupid wall. Eventually what do you think happened... yup, the prisoners got control of the camp and tied up the police. The unfinished wall stands here as a reminder of the stupidity of humans.
At the site I am walking ahead of the group and thinking about the people lugging huge rocks when the guide peers around the corner and says something in Spanish and I think he's asking me about the Wall of Tears so I respond that it's horrible. He appears shocked and aked me if I think HE is horrible - and I'm like - oh crap he is talking about what I think of him, not the Wall.... What happens next happens so fast and I fumbled my way into agreeing to see him at 8:30 tonight! WTF just happened? I would pay $100 USD for Laura to be with me right now! I am in total shock - I've agreed to go on a date with a guy and I need someone to support me! LAURA... I try to confide in the Idaho guys and I guess since the topic wasn't potatoes they weren't interested in helping me... HELP.
Next we go to playa de amor - oh great the beach of love. Mr. Guide is more attentive and says my name at least half a dozen times. Ok I'm gonna get out of this...
We get dropped off and he asks to walk with me to my house. Shit -what is this? The issue is that people here know the US from movies - and I'm not about to hook up with a local from Isabella Island. He makes plans to meet me at the corner at 8:30 and my Spanish is too bad to weasel my way out of this. I get back - freeze my ass off in the cold shower - baby power up - and think - this does not feel right. I ask Petita if it's safe and she says yes, but from a robbery or something else? My gut says no, so I'm blowing him off. My solution is to hide out in my room and pray he doesn't come knocking. Wait til you see his photo and the fact that he's wearing a women's velor coat with fur trim and flower embroidered into it. Oh it's super attractive - for a girl!
You ready for the afternoon? I wish I could redo a few parts... ok - I met up with my group for the tour of the turtle center (went there yesterday, but ok) and the Wall of Tears (really want to see this). The group is 2 spanish speaking old women, 2 youngish French women, and 2 young really big guys from Idaho (it´s been a long time since I´ve been around a full sized person), oh and me. Our guide gathers us and we head off to the turtle center. It's nice to be with a guide and get more information. The one Idaho guy understands Spanish better than me and is translating for his friend, so I take full advantage of this situation. Sure enough sometimes I think I understand the Spanish only to find out that I was not on the right track at all...
The guide is a bit chit chatty with all of us and it's a good group. We then head up to the Wall of Tears. After WW II, Ecuador decided not to give in to the the pressures to sell the Galapagos, but instead use Isabella for prisoners. The government sent 300 prisoners to Isabella and of course police to watch over them. Like I said, there is not much to do here, beside animal watch, so the police had to think of a way to keep the prisoners busy and to tire them out. So they thought, oh, let's have the prisoners carry huge pieces of lava over here and make a giant wall. The lava is heavy and super sharp. The sign at the site says that "the strong cry and the weak die". Apparently a lot of prisoners died trying to make a stupid wall. Eventually what do you think happened... yup, the prisoners got control of the camp and tied up the police. The unfinished wall stands here as a reminder of the stupidity of humans.
At the site I am walking ahead of the group and thinking about the people lugging huge rocks when the guide peers around the corner and says something in Spanish and I think he's asking me about the Wall of Tears so I respond that it's horrible. He appears shocked and aked me if I think HE is horrible - and I'm like - oh crap he is talking about what I think of him, not the Wall.... What happens next happens so fast and I fumbled my way into agreeing to see him at 8:30 tonight! WTF just happened? I would pay $100 USD for Laura to be with me right now! I am in total shock - I've agreed to go on a date with a guy and I need someone to support me! LAURA... I try to confide in the Idaho guys and I guess since the topic wasn't potatoes they weren't interested in helping me... HELP.
Next we go to playa de amor - oh great the beach of love. Mr. Guide is more attentive and says my name at least half a dozen times. Ok I'm gonna get out of this...
We get dropped off and he asks to walk with me to my house. Shit -what is this? The issue is that people here know the US from movies - and I'm not about to hook up with a local from Isabella Island. He makes plans to meet me at the corner at 8:30 and my Spanish is too bad to weasel my way out of this. I get back - freeze my ass off in the cold shower - baby power up - and think - this does not feel right. I ask Petita if it's safe and she says yes, but from a robbery or something else? My gut says no, so I'm blowing him off. My solution is to hide out in my room and pray he doesn't come knocking. Wait til you see his photo and the fact that he's wearing a women's velor coat with fur trim and flower embroidered into it. Oh it's super attractive - for a girl!
1 comment:
AHHHHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
OMG! I could just see you!! This is too funny. Are you kidding me with the velor coat?? How sexy.
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