galapagos week 3

¡hola from floreana!

It's been another fantastic week here in paradise. As you can see, I got up close and personal with some giant tortoises. They are such amazing creatures. Also amazing are the sea lions and sea turtles I met on San Cristobal. Our excursion there took us to 3 snorkel sights. During the first one, I watched 2 sea turtles give each other a high five right in front of me! The second snorkel took us to Kicker Rock where I reluctantly jumped off the boat into deep cold water. I was rewarded as soon as I put my face in the water with a close encounter of several gigantic spotted eagle rays. We also saw galapagos sharks! The third snorkel was basically playtime with baby sea lions.  They are everywhere and they are so curious and just came right up to us. I might have accidentally touched one's belly!
On Monday we went to the highlands on Santa Cruz and saw giant tortoises in the wild! We also hiked/crawled through a lava tunnel and toured a coffee farm. 
And yesterday took us to the beautiful and desolate island of Floreana to see more tortoises and snorkel off a black sand beach with more sea turtles. I have come in extremely close contact with so many sea turtles that I've lost count. I'm so lucky! 
All these excursions are great but it's always nice to come "home" to Puerto Ayora.. where everyone wears an Ecuador soccer jersey on game day.. where at night, our restaurant and all the others on the street pull the tables out into the road for dinner..where you take a water taxi to German Beach for 60 cents..where you have to throw your toilet paper in the trash can and there's no right of way for pedestrians..where you do yoga on the beach at the Darwin Research Station..where you get a massage at the Chi Spa, a pedicure for $10, and a fancy dinner for $15..where there are little geckos running around everywhere and no one can break a $20 bill, and if it rains, it's just "garua" or mist. 
I only have one week left here but so much great stuff left to do. Tomorrow- Cerra Crocker and El Garrapatero beach, Monday- North Seymour, and Wednesday- Bartolome.
¡Hasta pronto!

san cristobal

sea turtle stylin

they've taken over the waterfront

sea lion slide!

totally coming home with me in my luggage

sea turtle 

kicker rock 

where we snorkeled and saw sharks

the highlands

los gemelos

scalesia trees

our guide, named gandhi lenin

lava tunnel

floreana

tortoise porn

black sand beach

puerto ayora

bougainvillea everywhere

a snake-sized centipede at our hotel!