We arrived at the Baltra airport without any trouble. We worried that the authorities may seize some chocolate we bought in Quito for gifts. There are very strict rules for what is allowed onto the archipelago. In the end, we were okay and chocolates made it safely to the final destination.
Our guide’s name was Marcos. He met us at the airport and took us to our boat, the Nemo III. It’s a beautiful catamaranowned and operated by a respected and knowledgeable company. Once we boarded, we learned about the boat and the other passengers. We were with a family from Georgia and another family from the DC metro area. I count myself lucky, as everyone was a joy to chat with while on the trip. You can imagine how annoying it would be if people did not get along.
Mealtime was an interesting affair. There were 2 tables and it meant that one group of passengers always needed to be split up. This forced everyone to sit with people outside of their clique at least one meal per day. After lunch on the boat, we sailed to Bachas Beach on the Island of Santa Cruz.
Nemo III
Photo Credit: Josh Ferris
At Bachas Beach, we went for a hike and swam in the water. While we were hiking we saw: marine iguanas, 4 flamingos, laughing gulls, eagle rays, sally lightfoot crabs, and a great blue heron (henceforth referred to as GBH). The hike was short and was chock full of animals. This was my first day, but I was already extremely excited.
On a personal note, my neck and shoulder started to ache that day. It came out of nowhere and I struggled with it for the remained of the trip. I am not sure what brought it on, but Holly and Samer tended to it during the coming week.
Next: Day #2 – Genovesa Island
Rarely Pure & Never Simple 