Our first view of " San Cristobal " in the Galapagos
A Lady
Stephen Hyde
Tue 23 Feb 2010 19:36
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MONDAY 24th February 2010
07.00hrs WE arose to a very wet morning, and a
stink from the back of the boat,
this turned out to be a great big male Sealion, who
obviously slept on the transome all night,
here he was now, peering over the transome at the
skipper peering out the hatch,
Who owns this boat anyway ! After a few words from
the skipper , the visitor shagged off, and left us in peace for
breckfast.
08.30hrs S,A, & K, were collected by the
Water Taxi to go ashore for our trip around the Island, ( $ 40 each ) and this
included lunch.
We started with a visit to a " Giant Turtle Farm "
where they breed Giant Turtles, A facinating place that outlined the habbitat of
turtles,
their main preditors, ( which are cats and rats
when they they are babies, babies are up to 5 years old before they are beyond
danger,)
That is except for Human danger. We were also shown
the incubation hatcheries and pens where they spend their first 5
years.
11.00 We were taken to the highest point of the
Island for a view of the Volcanic creator, but we could see fuck all,
We have not yet learnt how to see very far in rain,
but we did manage to get wet, Yes very wet indeed,
( could you imagine trying to explain that we got
Newmonia in the Galapagos)
We were taken to some other vantage points before
we we eventually arrieved at a stoney beach on the southern end of the
Island
close to the port where we are
anchored.
12.00hrs THE STONEY BEACH, This is obviously one of
the spots, We saw lots of sea Iguana, The lizzard look alike except a bit
bigger,
These guys were just sitting on the black rocks
absorbing the heat, Remember , there is no sun at present and we are still all
wet, bloody wet.
Here we also saw seals, and many baby ones playing
with seaweed and other floating flotsum,
Amazing , none of the animals, ( or Mamals ) seemed
concerned about us, so we were able to get very close, great for the
photo's
14.00hrs, We went back to the port for Fried
shrimps ( prawns ) and chips for lunch, Very nice too..
Later, Kevin went back to the boat , while S &
A went for a walk in the rain and explored the town,
The Skip tried to purchase or rather replace the
broken flippers, but the shop would not accept credit cards, so that transaction
fell apart.
Meanwhile " Fats " put fenders over the
transome in an effort to keep unwanted sealions off the boat........... ( they
just thought this was a new
obsticle course, as we found out later in the
evening,)
18,30hrs All back on board, and Aileen had already
decided that she would do a curry for dinner, ( made with the left over
lamb)
The curry and rice was delicious and washed down
with a glass of beer.
By the way, we spent a lot of time on the phone
home to Leah , Johnny, and Sarah, earlier in the day, welcomming them back and
Sarah for
minding them for the first few hours on their
return with the new grandson " Jamie" Cheers everybody.
22.00hrs, We all sat down and watched a D.V.D.
called the " Sentinel" ohhhhh fairley exciting,
23.oohrs We were all ready for bed , when we could
hear snoring outside, Cripes its definatly not " Fats " this
time,
We opened the hatch and blow us down, there was
this big fat feckin Sealion asleep on the cushion in THE COCKPIT, Jesus !
how did he
manage to get up there. The FECKER,
The Skipper had to get the boat hook and like a
mattador shoooooo the bugger off, cripes , would you believe this, because he
was big
and very aggressive ( as Males do) so he just
climed up over the seat on the quarter deck and dived over the
railings,
He was definatly circus material. except he would
fail the any test over his attitude...
Kevin, Stephen, and Aileen sealed off the rear end
of the boat with Fenders, this time tied along the deck and up against the
railings,
Amused at the whole scene and the cheekiness of the
sealion, we went to the scratchers,
The rain got heavier and heavier as the nighjt wore
on , mixed with copious quantities of " thunder and lightning"
Rocking and rolling,we went off to
sleep.
Signed:- Stephen
Hyde, ( Skipper)
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