Chasing The Light

July 24, 2010

March 21, 2010 ~ Part 7 ~ Bahia Tortuga’s Color Paradise!

Filed under: Galapagos,Ocean,Scenery,Tortuga Bay,Wildlife — Kristine Brooks @ 11:17 pm

I walked away from the Marine Iguanas in their napping spot, and headed right as I had been instructed. About 20 yards east of the beach, through some scrub and mangrove, I came upon this.

An empty beach. It was 8:45 am and I was here: Tortuga Bay. Notice there is one little boy in the water playing around. His parents are just to the left in this photo, and they were the only other people on the beach.

That lone bird stuck around all morning and found himself a snack…but I am getting ahead of myself.

Natures’ sculptural prowess at work.

Brown Pelicans just hanging out.

They are really quite large birds.

And pretty chill, too.

Look at those feet! And that beak!

These little bits were growing up out of the sand back near the trees that ran along the back edge of the bay. I am not sure what they were, but they looked like a little city. They look suspiciously similar to the roots that were growing out of the beach near the Marine Iguanas, and that would mean that they are most likely mangrove roots.

Blue, Blue, Blue, White, White, White, Teal, Teal, Teal, Green, Green, Green ~ aaaahhh the colors of a paradise.

The white water you see breaking in the background of this photo shows how far out the bay goes. Those waves are a part of the Playa Brava that I was advised not to swim in. That particular beach extends out about another half mile beyond the little right hand turn necessary to get to Tortuga Bay.

On the left or SW side of the bay, there was cactus and lava visible with the mangroves.

This is the little boy’s Papa. They were locals out for a morning beach adventure. It was interesting, as he, his wife and I floated around in the incredibly buoyant water, doing our best to have a conversation, as it seemed his wife really wanted to know how much it cost to come here on a boat. I told her of the fees and such, but what she actually wanted to know was how much you made crewing on a sailboat! That is different for each person and boat so I wasn’t able to give her a hard and fast answer. She was very interested in everything sailboat.

Isn’t that just a sight to see? Very old cacti growing over squared off lava millions of years older. Mmm.

Once I got myself settled, had a little snack and reapplied my sunscreen, I was out into the water with my snorkel gear. I wanted to get into the water before a whole bunch of people arrived and scared anything off. I first went in near the lava end, and saw nothing but stirred up sand. I was not able to see much further than arms length, and other than my arms and the sand there wasn’t much to see. I snorkeled all the way across the bay from this side to the mangrove side and saw nothing. No better snorkeling on the mangrove side, but I did get to interact and watch a Jr. Lava Heron hop around the mangroves looking for snacks. That was very captivating, and the birds are not even frightened of you. If you get too close they hop a few feet away and continue with their business. I have never been in a place where birds didn’t fly away the moment they sensed your presence. This is an amazing feeling that I didn’t expect. All wild animals I have ever seen in situ have been frightened of me. None of these were. Humbling and compelling.

I’d like to stop to say something to my husband right here. Thank you Phil for helping me make this trip possible, for staying home to keep the home fires burning, and for being so supportive and loving about my desire to take and make this trip. You have always helped me achieve my life goals, and I want to publicly thank you for being such a beautiful human being. Lloumxtplk.

Moving on…

So this isn’t a great shot, but it does a great job of illustrating that the Marine Iguanas are not afraid to travel about. This fellow was tromping through the detritus behind the beach, on his way to a party. He did not have time to stop and fool around, he was going to be late, and he was in a hurry. It was a thrill to have it walk no more than five feet behind me.

Eco-tourism rocks!

I wanted a shot of me, but it was so bright out there on that white sand, even in the shade, even this early in the morning, that this is the best my camera could do. I rather like the silhouette effect, the dappled light on my face and shoulders, and the perfect representation of Tortuga Bay in the background. Mmmm. It makes me happy, happy, happy.

By now there are quite a few people at the bay as a tour group arrived, as well as a pair of local women who sat in the sun in front of my shade tree. In the sun! It has to be 90 degrees F out here already and it isn’t quite 10:15am!

This is my little shade spot under the trees. Thank goodness for the shade of these trees and for a place to HANG your things.

You’ll recall that the sand is incredibly fine and I didn’t want to set my things on the ground. It seems that the locals don’t like to either, as each time these trees were trimmed, they left a little bit of the branch on the trunk like a hook. Brilliant!

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March 21, 2010 ~ Part 6 ~ Marine Iguanas!

Filed under: Galapagos,Iguana,Wildlife — Kristine Brooks @ 10:12 am

You say this photo looks like the last photo of the last post…well, yes, but there is a little bit more to see in this one, over to the right edge.

Do you see those two dark “lumps” at the base of the mangroves? Can you guess what they are before you scroll down to the next photo?

Marine Iguanas warming themselves in the sun.

I was NOT using my zoom lens on this, I was standing this close to the little fella. Big fella.

Isn’t he just gorgeous?

He just slept and slept. Never opened his eyes to look at me. I think the colors on his face, where he is actually shedding his skin, is gorgeous. Look at the range of greens in his body. So lovely.

The feet of the Mangroves looking onto the tiny little lagoon with fishies swimming in it.

One of the Marine Iguanas that actually looked at me. Didn’t move because I was there, he didn’t seem to be disturbed.

Darwin thought these creatures were hideously ugly. I must disagree with him. I have always liked lizards well enough, most especially for their range of beautiful colors. These iguanas are so amazing! I think they are beautiful in their own way.

I did use my zoom on this photo. I think it is awesome! Look at the sand all over the face.

I decided I had photographed them enough and moved on, but it was so amazing seeing these creatures on the beach that I had to turn around and see what they were doing as I left. They were doing the same thing as when I arrived. It is nice knowing I didn’t upset them. It was a treasure in my chest of memories having been able to see them in their natural, pristine habitat.

Here is another one lounging.

Bird was just cruising along at its own pace. Not disturbed by me at all.

I looked left into the Red Mangroves and there was a Lava Heron kicking back in the shade.

Gorgeous! I was less than six feet away from this lovely bird when I snapped its portrait. I really like that shape/angle its neck is at with the mangrove feet and moss in the background. Great color, texture and shape photo.

Can’tcha see ‘m resting here!?

Moving on!

A little shell that looked like a baby turtle or tortoise shell. You can also see many small shells and bits on the beach right here.

I really like the mix of colors on the right side of this photo. I really wanted to have some of those pretty shells for my seashell collection at home, but it is a big time no-no to take anything from the natural areas here. As I calmed my desire to take something physical away, Greg & Peter Brady popped into my head. Can you believe those punks? Do you remember that episode where the Brady family goes to Hawaii and they find a cave and take a tiki and then wind up with the worst luck? I am not superstitious but that was the thought that made me feel happy at my decision. Silly, I know, but I reeaaalllly wanted one of those dark maroon shell like things. I don’t know what they were and they were of the prettiest shades I have ever seen, and the funky shell that stopped me would have been a really cool edition to Phil’s skull collection…but honestly, I didn’t need those things to have a great time and I was certainly happy to have been able to photograph them.

Marine Iguanas are versatile. Here is one getting nice and warm on the ice plant type foliage, face into the sun.

Next up Tortuga Bay!

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July 23, 2010

March 21, 2010 ~ Part 5 ~ Almost to the Beach

Filed under: Galapagos,Ocean,Scenery — Kristine Brooks @ 10:29 pm

Oh so pretty. Now I am really at the end of the line and it is about time to take off my shoes. Proper shoes with socks, not flip-flops like the young’uns around these parts wear.

Playa Brava! Big waves, very strong, everyone who told me about this place advised me to stay out of this water as there are major rip tides and currents. I heeded my warnings and walked along the water’s edge dipping my toes in the warm yet refreshing water.

This shot shows the southbound view of the beach. The sand is incredibly fine, like heavy powdered sugar, and so clean and white This photo doesn’t really show the right color of the sand. The boat is parked on the other side of that land that you see, quite a ways on the other side to be precise, but that is the correct direction.

This is the northbound view and the direction I am heading. Tortuga Bay is way way out at the end of this beach and to the right. You saw the marquee.

Shoes in back pack and off I go!

Gorgeous contrasting colors; hard edged lava with the softness of the sand was exquisite.

A weathered piece of metal on the beach. I think it is pretty. Colorway material? Not sure if it is too close to my colorway called Earl…for Phil’s cat, but it is a contender for sure. Just as the rusted links of huge chain in Panama are, as well.

Look at the fine granules of sand…so powdery. It sticks to EVERYTHING! Don’t put anything down on the sand that you don’t want to be sandy for, say, forever.

Mmmm. Mmm. Mmmmmm.

Pretty wave paintings in the sand. The physics of the light and the physics of the water ebbing and flowing give us beautiful natural art. Reminds me of Andy Goldsworthy without the Andy part!

You see that big wave breaking out there? I was using my zoom lens, so I am quite far away and it was crashing incredibly high from a distance. I am glad I was warned so many times not to swim here, although I think I would have clued in to it!

But perhaps not because the regular rollers coming in aren’t that huge. They said this beach is where the surfers go but there were none. Was that because it was Sunday or because there weren’t surf-worthy waves at this beach?

Look at that clear, clean water.

Pelicans sitting on and under the sign telling you that this is not a safe place to swim. There is one of these signs at both ends of the beach. Otherwise there was absolutely no signage at all.

Why do we have so many signs in America? Why are people so clued OUT that they can’t figure it out that they shouldn’t throw cigarette butts on the ground, or garbage. Why must we have signs telling us to do the right thing and many people continually ignore them. Why can’t we respect each other and our surroundings without having to be told to do so? These are the things on my mind as I walk this most pristine beach I have ever walked in my life. And I thought Lake Tahoe was clean (when I was a young child). Tahoe does not compare to this cleanliness and unspoiled wilderness.

This is a little tiny lagoon with fishies swimming around in it.

Just to the right of this tiny little lagoon are the mangroves pictured below.

Ah, I have arrived at the mangroves. It shouldn’t be too much further now as the mangroves were one of the land marks I was to be watching for. “Turn right at the mangroves and walk a little way and you will be there”.

I think I’ll hang here for a few minutes to appreciate the wild life…what wildlife you ask? You’ll see, just stay tuned and you will see. Wowie!

Ciao!

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July 14, 2010

March 21, 2010 ~ Part 4 ~ Just a Few Lizards

Filed under: Galapagos,Plants,Scenery,Tortuga Bay,Wildlife — Kristine Brooks @ 9:42 pm

I am officially registered to walk to Tortuga Bay! I wrote my name in the book, signed and dated it. Not sure why I was supposed to do that, but I wonder if it might be in case some one reports me missing, then they at least know where I went. Or, maybe it is a way to track how many folks go out there per year and where they are from…I was so silly and just wrote the ” ” marks like the person above me…who were all from Ecuador. I’d already done it when I realized I should have written USA…oh well. I am sure by my surname they knew I wasn’t Ecuadorean!

First, let me tell you that even though these photos are beautiful, they DO NOT do this place justice. At all. Nope. It was the most amazing place I have ever been and seen. So beautiful, inspiring in so many ways, so clean, clear and calm and quiet. So quiet. I knew the moment I stepped onto this lovely trail, paved with those pretty bricks I like so much, that I was in for a captivating day.

Just look at this beautiful path. Tastefully constructed, utilizing the local rocks for the walls that keep people from walking in the wild areas. There were no signs instructing you to stay on the path, you just knew that was what you were supposed to do. To do the right thing.

Lava and cacti

Such pretty contrasts, both in color and texture.

Look at that path go…on and on and on…oooh, what is around that next bend?

Lava lizards!

This is a boy. Interestingly, the boys are the more subdued colors. He was cold as it had just stopped raining and wasn’t moving around much.

The girls get to display their gorgeous flaming under-chin.

Isn’t she pretty? She looks like her belly could be full of little lava lizard eggs.

Ooh, Ooh! I see it! I see it! The beach! Well, not the beach yet, but the sea!

Just look at that path go!

I do believe this is a Chinese Lantern plant growing out of the pathway. A member of the nightshade family growing right here at my feet.

We *must* be getting much closer to the beach, there are tell tale signs; look at the sand in the pathway cracks.

There it is…the end of the pathway.

And a local girl cruising along.

I liked this dude’s laid back style. He had that back leg stretched out, and didn’t budge at all when I approached. I was so close to these lizards while photographing them, less than two feet and they just sat there waiting for you to do your thing and move on. No fear. It is really an astonishing feeling to be so close and know you are not frightening them.

Two lizards on one rock and neither one of them care about me.

Neato.

Look at the colors on this fella’s back…can you say “new colorway”?

This one has a lovely chin and belly color that is quite captivating as well.

What can I say, I like lizards. We used to play with them when we were kids in the desert so I am not afraid. And lizards aren’t slimy no matter what anyone says!

Oh, the beauty. You can already see a striation in the colors of the sea correlating to the depth of the sea floor. Oooooh!

Here I am at the end of the path, see all the sand there on the bricks? I thought it was really amazing that there were zero, zip, zilch garbage cans on the entire pathway, and I only saw one piece of trash…which was too far off of the path for me to reach or I would have taken it with me.

My parents were awesome about that important lesson. We’d go camping and we’d clean up the camp site as one of our final jobs before going home. We of course didn’t love it, but now I am so pleased that I am not one of those people who have no regard for the property of the commons, our public places, not just pretty parks, but our streets and cities as well. I am thankful for all of those adults that taught me that it is important to pick up your garbage and leave nature, well, natural. Thanks folks. Awesome lesson. Sorry if I whined about it. I was a kid, what did I know?

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March 21, 2010 ~ Part 3 ~ Oficina de Informacion Bahia Tortuga

Filed under: Galapagos,Scenery,Tortuga Bay,Wildlife — Kristine Brooks @ 8:54 pm

There it is! The Oficina de Informacion Bahia Tortuga. The place where you sign in. There are steps made out of lava rocks that begin just to the right of this photo and scale a diagonal line up to the building; they are in the place between the rocks and the greenery, hidden by foliage.

This photo is somewhat deceptive as it was taken on the road you walk upon to get to the entrance trail to Tortuga Bay. You can see this road and its relation to the Information Office in the last photo of this post. I believe I used my zoom lens to take this photo so it doesn’t look quite so far away as it really is! But you can get some sense of scale by looking at that pick up truck. It was about the size of a Ford 250. Not a small truck.

Miguel Cifuentes Arias was an Ecuadorean biologist who was Mayor of the National Park of the Galapagos Islands from 1974-1984 and is known to have initiated the idea of designating areas where people could visit with and without guides in order to maintain a mode of security for the animals.

Isn’t it a pretty building? The Tiburon in the stone is pretty. Perhaps I will see one when I am snorkeling later this morning? Yes, everything is wet, including me. It rains quite consistently in the mornings here. Oh well, I plan on going swimming, it is so humid I would have been soaked sooner rather than later, so what’s a little rain?

Perhaps not a hammerhead shark, leopard sharks are fraidy cats so maybe those would be a good choice for nature to show me!

The rules marquee. International symbols are good for those of us who only speak one language. I really want to change that. Emily? Will you practice with me if I take Spanish lessons? Anyone else speak Spanish who will help me practice?

You see the little white line? I am not even to it yet, I still need to climb the stairs, about 1/4 mile to go. The trail out to Tortuga Bay is roughly 3 miles, where I will then be at the main beach, which is about a mile long, and at the end of that you “take a little right-hand turn” and you are “there”. My final destination is the smaller white area with a green dot in it.

Close up.

I am guessing that my round trip is going to be between 8-9 miles.

Here are the lava rock steps going up to the information office. They don’t look very demanding right here, but as soon as you get around those trees? The steps become very steep, and each ‘stair’ is twice as high as these are so you are getting a very good quad workout.

The green is so vibrant and gorgeous. There are those pretty bricks again!

Up a bit further, where the steps are so steep and tall, I stopped to take a breather and check out the view. Here is a photo taken down into the lava cliffs.

Incredibly deep.
And here they are, some of Darwin’s Finches.

See the beaks? They didn’t really want to hold still for me to get a good photo, and believe me I tried. I took about 20 shots before I finally gave up and moved on…but this one does the trick even if it isn’t National Geographic material. They were no further than four feet from me and they weren’t frightened or startled by my presence. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so close to a wild bird. Wow. Just wow.

Very specialized those beaks.

More of the steep, deep lava cliffs.

A little blurry, but so pretty I had to include it. The plants grow right out of the rock. Down in the depths, fresh water collects.

I found the graffiti.

Seems pretty much the same as most of what I’ve always seen. Someone loves someone else. Oh yeah, love is what we all want and seek in one way or another. These folks just announced it to the world in a very “carve your initials into a tree” kind of style.

Here I am at the top, just outside the Oficina de Informacion, looking back at the road you approach this place upon. I took the first photo from the very end of the road you can see here.

I think I’ll go inside and sign my name to the log and head out to the non-urban part of my day.

Lizards and Herons and Marine Iguanas, Oh My!

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July 3, 2010

March 21, 2010 ~ Part 2 ~ Galapagos Province Recycles!

Filed under: Galapagos,Plants,Tortuga Bay — Kristine Brooks @ 8:47 pm

Just up the street from my very favorite tree so far, I saw this:

Recycling bins for all types of recyclables. I had seen a large bin for recycling down near the dock, but wasn’t sure if there was a program to recycle from the homes in Puerto Ayora, the largest populated town in the Galapagos Province, but there is! Yippee! I was thrilled to know it. I have asked a number of times and haven’t yet gotten an answer as to what they do with their garbage. I wonder if they ship it to the mainland of if they dispose of it on the archipelago. So far, no one has been able to tell me, and due to their responses, it is obvious that most haven’t ever thought about where their garbage goes. Isn’t that frightfully interesting and terrifying at the same time?

Such beautiful colors this morning.

Yes, the pink is delicious, but look at those leaves with their white and green mottling. Now mix them all up together and eat em’ up! Mmmmmmm. Yummalicious!

Excellent placement of woods and textures. Stucco, round wooden pieces and slat. This was a very sweet place. A B&B.

I like the symmetry of the steps and railings and the asymmetry of the gate to the stairs. Very nice balance.

Just below the gate on the garden wall were these little lovlies. They look to be hand-painted tiles, each about one inch square. Art in miniature.

Another lovely shot of a different red hibiscus flower. Don’t miss the spider webs from the bud to the flower.

I am quite sure, well at least 95% sure, that the moth on the hibiscus is a naughty, naughty moth, but I don’t know how to identify moths other than the type that like to eat wool and the type that eat my garden. This looks like the garden eating variety, but it looked so pretty posed there. The clean, fresh yellow against that vibrant red with the summery green foliage…and well, it isn’t my garden so I don’t have to be mad at this moth and ask him to leave! I like that the moth’s legs match his wings. He really was entirely yellow!

The underside of a really pretty spider just below the above red hibiscus. I couldn’t get a great shot as the light just wouldn’t cooperate. No matter, I really like the way this one came out.

Her hairy legs were green, the lighter areas are a beautiful buttery yellow, and the body was an interesting geometric (lets just say freeform geometric) design in green that faded to yellow with black borders. I think she was waiting for the pretty yellow flower moth right above her.

Orange Acacia. I’ve never seen one until I arrived here on Isla Santa Cruz. I feel I’ve been missing out! Look at the texture on those huge seed pods.

Check out my happy accident! Can you see that large moth on the curving pod to the left of the photo? There were hundreds of them floating about this tree this morning along with birds and bugs of all sorts. It was a party.

So very delicious.

Now I am about eight blocks out! Wow, at this pace I may never get to Tortuga Bay!

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March 21, 2010 ~ Part 1 ~ My Lone Galapagoan Adventure Begins

Filed under: Galapagos,Plants,Tortuga Bay — Kristine Brooks @ 8:37 pm

I left the boat at 6:15 this morning on an aqua taxi, heading for Tortuga Bay (TB).
In order to get to TB you walk from the dock through a part of town out to a trail head ~ this is going to be GREAT!

I liked how the color on this door changed about a third of the way up. I pondered it for a few moments and realized it was caused by rain splashing up and deteriorating the finish. I really like the architecture of the door and how the bottom is that stoney grey that wood turns when it is has a proper patina upon the grain.

Here is the hotel where it hangs.

When I come back here with my family in a few years (the power of positive thinking) I’d like to stay in that top tower up there on the third floor. What a view! It looks out onto Academy Bay and the Charles Darwin Research Station, which by the way I am planning on visiting tomorrow!

These were the first humans I saw in the neighborhoods, outside a pretty little house with a gorgeous tree in the front yard.

They were kind and greeted me as I walked by. It was already quite hot and I still find it amazing that the locals don’t seem affected by the heat.

Pretty, old, properly patinated bamboo fence. If you look really hard, there is a lemon tree in the background.

I’ll help you out: lemon tree is behind posts #10 & 11 counting from the left. I was intrigued that they grew lemons.

We have red hibiscus at home in San Diego, but the red just looked so rich and vibrant this morning.

Look at the color shift near the veins of the flower. This photo is one I will certainly have to paint once I get home. do you see the dead flower just behind this live one on the right, sort of low? I like how the color changes to a deep purplish color. Sort of like mixing black and a bright red together gives you that color.

I could have stopped and stared at this tree in bloom for a *very* **long** time. I was fascinated by the fact that the color of the blooms change so drastically between new and not so new. I think the pinks are the new and as they age they turn mostly white with one petal ablaze with yellow and red. Just one petal mind you. Just one is all that was needed. It was rather breezy and it took me quite a few shots to get one in focus. I am so pleased I waited!

Swoon!

Swoon some more, look at those lovely pods!

…and this before I’ve even gone five blocks, gotten out of the township to the trail head, or even had breakfast! There are going to be quite a few travelogues for today, I am quite sure!

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June 29, 2010

March 20, 2010 ~ Part 7 ~ Saturday Night Services

Filed under: Galapagos,People,Puerto Ayora — Kristine Brooks @ 9:26 pm

It has been a long and rewarding day. I am still feeling a bit of homesickness for my sweet family. As I walked to the dock to hail a water taxi to take me back to the boat, I noticed that the church doors were flung wide open and I thought I would step in and enjoy a bit of quiet contemplation.

Turns out it wasn’t church services, but a christening. I sat far to the back and didn’t disturb anyone, but wondered later, once I’d figured out that I wasn’t attending services but sitting in on someone’s special day, if I had been rude. I hoped not. I don’t think so as no one told me I had to leave and everyone was smiling at me. You sort of stick out like a tourist when you are one, no matter how well you try to blend in.

Once the folks took out their cameras and started snapping shots, I realized I could too without being rude, so here is what it looks like to be in a church in Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos Province, Ecuador. I really enjoyed the services and stayed for the entire christening which lasted just over an hour.

The happy family. You see that little fellow in the white suit? He was the christenee…his suit was an adorable little sailors suit and he was rambunctious!

This is one of my favorite shots. The two nuns were so serene and peaceful, and I really thought it was particularly lovely that the church had murals of Jesus, but also of their Blue Footed Boobies. Check it out.

Tomorrow I am hiking to Tortuga Bay, so named because in the right season, turtles come to the shores of this bay and lay their eggs in the sand. It is lined with mangroves on one side and cactus and lava on the other. If the timing and snorkeling conditions are right, I will be swimming with Marine Iguanas and sharks, as well as seeing many types of fish and birds who live in the red mangroves. It is quite a hike out there and I will be leaving the boat via water taxi at 6:30 am. I have charged my camera, packed my snorkel bag and snacks and am looking forward to a solo adventure.

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March 20, 2010 ~ Part 6 ~ Mama Constante, Pioneer Woman Galapagos Islands

Filed under: Galapagos,People,Puerto Ayora — Kristine Brooks @ 9:18 pm

You all know that I have struggled a bit because of my lack of speaking any Spanish, but I have also had some amazing encounters with people because we all try our best to communicate with one another.

The people at the Bunga Cafe were no different…well perhaps a bit different.

You might recall in the last travelogue for this same day (lots of things happen in one day on a trip like this) that Paola Luque, port agent assistant, suggested we go to Bunga Cafe & Bar to sample the Galapagoan coffee.

Bob & Sue wanted to try this coffee, but I was holding fast to my straight edge and not drinking caffeine. I have been caffeine free since October 31, 2009 and it was really hard for the first two or three months, so I was determined to live vicariously through their coffee experience. I was truly hoping to purchase some coffee for my dear caffeine loving husband Phil who is trying to replace his soul with coffee and become immortal.

Jorge Marino owns and operates The Bunga Cafe in Puerto Ayora with help from his family. The Bunga has been open for two weeks and serves a lovely menu of food, as well as specializing in organic Galapagoan coffee. Jorge greeted us as if he were waiting for us, making us wonder if Paola had let him know we were on our way. It was really comforting and rather homey to be greeted as old friends. The building had recently been upgraded and remodeled to Jorge’s specifications, and it was really lovely. I forgot to take photos of the outside, but the following photos show the inside well enough and that is what counts.

B&S were so brave, it was *so* **hot** and they were drinking hot coffee. I had to laugh when Jorge asked Bob how the coffee was and he said it tasted great but it wasn’t HOT enough! Hahaha…Jorge had cooled it down for him a bit. I thought that was brilliant! Jorge thought he was giving good service and it was the only complaint! There is that assumption thing again!

Here is a random pretty picture for you because today’s post is going to have more words than photos and I don’t want you to get distracted. Good stuff coming. Really good stuff.

Orange Acacia tree, man with motorcycle, lovely street scene.

I mentioned that Jorge runs The Bunga with assistance from his family.

While B&S were drinking their coffee, I took a little trip to the ladies’ which was downstairs. As I approached the top of the stairs on my way down, I noticed a sweet older woman beaming at me; she greeted me in Spanish. This lovely older woman, she reminded me so much of love incarnate. I am not sure why, but that thought popped into my head as I walked down the stairs and was still there when I returned. As I got to the top of the steps, Jorge told me that his mother wanted to introduce herself to me, which she did, in Spanish (as Jorge translated for me) and then she wrapped her sweet old arms around me, hugging and kissing me like my darling Grandmother used to do. My Gran had a special way of kissing you when she first saw you. She’d hug and squeeze and make happy noises that sounded like she was kissing…sort of hard to explain, but Love Incarnate did this *exact.same.thing.* to me today. I was a bit floored, but incredibly pleased as I was feeling home sickness for my sweet family this day.

Once I sat back down Jorge came over to chat us up properly and said he’d like to introduce his mother to us. Love Incarnate sat down at our table and she, Jorge, Bob, Sue and myself started a very long conversation in translation.

Love Incarnate’s name is Sara Constante ~ Constant. Mhmm, yes, but I am getting ahead of myself. Sara came to Isla Santa Cruz in the early 1900s after fleeing mainland Ecuador to escape from a husband who was “too strong”, (Jorge’s translation). Sara was the cornerstone of a family that is one of the three largest on the island, mothering 17~ SEVENTEEN~ children, of which Jorge was the youngest at 30, ten of which are still living.

(Note: Cornerstone in the thesaurus on my Mac lists: foundation, basis, keystone, mainspring, mainstay, linchpin, bedrock, base, backbone, key, centerpiece, core, heart, center, crux. Me thinks cornerstone is befitting.)

By now you can tell I am completely enamored with ‘Mama Constante’ as I have named her in my mind.

Here is a photo of the two of us together. She liked having her photo taken very much!

Sara told us about living in the highlands all those years ago when times were so very different. Such quiet isolation. A supply ship came once a year from the mainland and all supplies would be purchased and taken home on the backs of donkeys…or were they mules? Some time after she moved to Isla Santa Cruz, Sara met a very kind and gentle man and she and he made their lives together with all of the children. The weather is always pretty nice here, so they didn’t need a house, and there weren’t building materials at the time to make one, so they found a massive old tree that was still standing, but partially dead and she and her new husband, set about to make it home.

Because there are snakes on the islands, and Mama C doesn’t like them one tiny bit, even though they are non-venemous, the pair chose to carve some steps up into the tree and make the entrance to their home a few feet above the ground. This had to be some kind of tree as it housed many of their children before they moved to different digs.

She talked about how they used to collect water from the “garua”, (the persistent fog and cloudiness in the highlands) for their fresh water supplies. She also would point out over Puerto Ayora and tell us where a large stand of trees used to be, or a fresh spring of water that once was located where the Red Booby Hotel now stood. She was full of information about what the town was like in the way back machine, and she was full of happy energy,

Here is a great photo of Mama Constante, me, Bob & Sue, but I also like it because it shows the lovely and well thought out interior of The Bunga Cafe. Look at that gorgeous table.

Here is a shot with Mama and her son Jorge, who called himself George the whole time. Trying to help the Americans I think.

It was quite obvious throughout our afternoon here that these two had a very tight relationship. They could look at each other and communicate their meanings.

Me and Love Incarnate.

Love Incarnate gave me a lovely little bracelet that she had been wearing. I think she just knew that I was in need of love, tenderness, unadulterated kindness.

As with all good things, they must come to a close. So off we all went, Bob & Sue back to the boat for a nap and me to explore the urban areas further, with a stop at the internet cafe to get a couple of hours of work done and see if I can get ahold of my sweet husband via Skype.

On my walk about town I took a photo of this sign so when Phil and Shawna and I come back we will know the name of a good, clean hostel to stay in. Yes, I have already decided my family must come here. For Sure!

While I was walking around town, I spotted this fellow having his siesta on the front porch of his shop. He looked so calm and peaceful I had to take a photo of him.

Bob & Sue probably had it right, nap time, but I couldn’t imagine sleeping during the day when I could be exploring this lovely place.

Pretty sidewalk.

This is Ramiro, a very nice waiter at The Rock Bar & Grill in Puerto Ayora where I stopped to have a beer and see what was happening in the soccer game. The Rock also claimed to have wifi so I thought it would be much more pleasant to work in a restaurant rather than a room with no fans and lots of people clacking away on the rented computers.

But alas and alack, the wifi wasn’t working that afternoon. Ramiro was very interested in the photo I had on my desktop on my laptop. A photo of Phil and our friend Todd cooking dinner in our kitchen. There is a bottle of olive oil on the counter in the photo and once he got over the shock that my husband does most of the cooking, he asked if the bottle of oil was whiskey. It was funny. We talked about neighbors and neighborhoods and he was absolutely shocked and nearly horrified that most people in southern California and beyond don’t really know their neighbors. He couldn’t imagine living in a neighborhood like that and said that his neighbors are a very important part of the community and that is why there are no “delinquents” in Puerto Ayora, because everyone watches out for everyone else. I told him about my lovely neighborhood, where we cultivate neighborliness and how important it is to me and my family. He was quite relieved.

And my last stop of the afternoon was the internet “cafe” with no cafe services. I was able to sit out front at a table and use my laptop. As I sat there writing and working, I kept feeling like someone was watching me. And she was. Here is the staring mannequin with the wicked alien eyes.

Gotta love that shirt!

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June 27, 2010

March 20, 2010 ~ Part 5 ~ Sally Lightfoot & The Restaurant at Pooh’s Corner

Filed under: Galapagos,Plants,Puerto Ayora,Wildlife — Kristine Brooks @ 10:52 pm

Bob and Sue went to the bank this afternoon, and this is what I saw while waiting for them outside the doors about twenty feet.

This little inlet between buildings was teeming with life. Look closely and you’ll see an orangish dot in the center at the rock line. Also notice the vertical wall on the right side of the photo.

Here is a lovely closeup of that orangish dot in the center of the above photo.

A Sally Lightfoot Crab. These little critters are fairly common on the coasts of South America and aren’t very good for eating. Aren’t the colors glorious?

Look closely. There is an adult Sally Lightfoot, as well as two youngsters. You can tell the difference by the color being displayed. The dark crabs are the kids. There is also a baby Marine Iguana in this photo. It was eating algae and other sea plants off of the rock wall. This is the wall on the right in the first photo of this post.

For some reason I thought Marine Iguanas would eat fish or crabs. Nope, they are vegetarians and can dive for up to 30 minutes foraging for their algae.

This photo shows how the heads appear to be white. The discoloration is from the salt being expelled through their nostrils once they have come ashore to get warmed up again.

This is a vertical wall it is hanging on to. I don’t think the big ones can do this because of their bulk, but this little fella was scooting up and down the wall, in all orientations of up and upside down, looking for tidbits of yum. I did not see any of the babies swimming, and I didn’t see any adults with the babies. I do wonder if I am mis-named these, but everything points to them being the Marine Iguanas so famed for this area.

Once the banking was taken care of, it was time to meet Paola again for more boat paperwork, so we had lunch at a very pretty restaurant across the street from the bank.

This tree was the canopy for the place which is mostly outdoors with large patio umbrellas, and partial roofing for the upstairs portion. I could envision living in a place like this.

Here is a shot from under the canopy.

Bar to the right, restaurant to the left and upstairs.

This little fellow joined us and sunned himself while we found out more about what to do when in Puerto Ayora for only a few days.

I learned about Tortuga Bay, which I am going to hike to by myself tomorrow. It was advised to get started very early in the morning because it gets so hot and there isn’t much shade.

After lunch, we went on the hunt for Galapagoan coffee beans; organic coffee grown here on Isla Santa Cruz.

On the way to a new cafe called Bunga Cafe & Bar, owned by Paola’s friend George, I saw this interesting plant. It looks very much like a Poinsettia, and I wonder if it is such, or just something that looks similar without the bright red extending to the end of the leaves. The red on this plant is more of an orange, quite dissimilar to the Poinsettias grown in Encinitas, just north of San Diego. I was also curious if this is a native species as this is the only one I have seen so far.

I like the way the orange/red tapers into a dark brownish purple before it explodes into that gorgeous green. There are so many different shades of green here.

Nicely designed gate on the walk to the Bunga Cafe.

I took this photo so I might be able to figure out a way to either weave a similar pattern, or work in wet felt to achieve it. I like the sharp and round aspects, as well as the rust.

Paola showing us the way to the Bunga Cafe. I have mentioned scooters as a major mode of transport here, but bicycles are even more prevalent.

Paola was on her way to a baby shower at Hotel Sol y Mar.

Everybody does laundry. My question: why do some people hang their laundry from the top seams, right side up and others from the bottom seams upside down? I have my style which I will tell you in a moment, but for some reason this question keeps coming to mind as I have seen laundry hung in both techniques since I have been here. Is it like the story of cooking the ham? You know…a lady cut both ends off of her ham when cooking for the holidays. Her kid finally asked why and the answer was that the ham didn’t fit in the pan, it was too long; not a cooking secret, a logistics issue. The way we learn to do something the first time is often how we do it forever. We don’t question what we do, we do it. Do we forget to look at perspectives? Do we forget to try new things because we are used to doing it a certain way? Or is it because the way we do it works well enough and why fix what isn’t broken?

I hang mine upside down because I don’t want weird marks from the clothes pins on my shoulder seams and if there is a collar on a shirt it will hang and dry at the same rate as the rest of the shirt. It is strange when you are out of your element, away from work and phones, the thoughts and curiosities that come to mind. I rather like it. Very simple thoughts, linking me to a people I don’t share a common language with, yet so many similar life issues being lived with a different or somewhat the same perspective. All human, all real.

Puerto Ayora is a lovely and special little town.

Next up, the story of Mama Sara Constante. Pioneer Galapagoan.

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