Galapagos

Arrived on Baltra Island thursday morning, after a 2 hour flight from Guayaquil. Was so hot were instantly hit by the heat. Baltra island is the small island above Santa Cruz where we stayed, it used to be a US military base but now just has the airport. It is really dry and arid and there isn´t much there apart from cactuses. We were met at the airport by a cheerful guide called Ceci who took the three of us in the bus to catch the ferry across the canal to Santa Cruz. We then drove straight through the centre of the island, literally as the road is a strait line as far as the horizon, going through the highlands then back down the other side to the coastal town of Puerto Ayora. On arrival we had to pay to enter the national park of galapagos, which unfortunately for foreigners is $100 ( only $6 for Ecuadorians) and our volunteer cards didnt get us the discount like it does in mainland national parks. I was suprised that there were only a few people on our flight who were foreigners, the majority were Ecuadorians. Driving the half an hour to the other side of the island is incredible, in such a short space the dessert like landscape ( about 34 C) changes to lush ferns (about 23 C). In the low lands the trees are odd white things with no leaves called Palo Santo, and looks quite uninhabitable. We arrove in Puerto Ayora (population 10,000- the largest town on Galapagos) went to our hotel and went to lunch at El Chocolate where we ate every day as part of our package. The food was amazing, really fresh fish. After lunch we met our guide Eduado and set off into the highlands with Ceci driving. For a cheap tour it was really good having our own guide and driver! First we went to an underground lava tunnel. They were created when the island was still volcanic, and the outer layer of lava cools quicker and the middle is still liquid and the lava flows through the middle, creating a tunnel. Inside the tunnel is damp, but the stalagtites are still small apparently because the tunnels are still- geologically speaking- young. Our guide said he used to go in them when he was little before lights were put in as he knew the owner, it must be amazing to grow up somewhere so cool. The tunnels were discovered when farmers kept losing their cows, as they would fall in and not be able to get out. Out the other end we saw 2 little owls nesting who live in the tunnel normally. Driving through the highlands you see loads of giant tortoises just in peoples farms and fields- although i think 97 % of the Galapagos is National Park there are people living there and farms. Unfortunaltly the people who came to Galapagos first from Spain ate the giant tortoises and used them for fuel so the population went from 900, 000 to just 3000, although that number has risen again to 9000. They are doing lots to protect them now and the Charles Darwin Research centre collects the eggs and makes sure more of them survive to adulthood. We went to one "farm" where tourists pay a couple of dollars and can walk around amoungst the tortoises, although not allowed to touch them. From the road we saw some ferral goats who are introduced to the island not native, and are really bad news for the tortoises as eat the same food as them. On one other island they have exterminated all the goats and the tortoise population is doing really well, and doesnt need help with the breeding anymore. Another problem is cats, as they eat the eggs of birds and tortoises, and apparently if theres a cat in the road they are meant to run it over! Poor cats!