May 21- Exploring Galapagos

Last night I slept really well- I love the gentle rocking of a ship.  I enjoyed Lima, Cusco, Macchu Picchu and Quito but was really looking forward to being on board ship.

Very active morning- we hiked on St. Bartholme over 100-year old lava fields (that’s “young” for lava fields) with just a few plants starting to grow.  The lava was the “pahoehoe” type resulting from molten lava pouring over the bay.  It formed a lot of beautiful patterns.  There were holes where vegetation had been covered.

Then we went snorkeling.  Beautiful fish- I gave up on trying to take pictures because I knew they’d be blurry.  You really need to stay still in the water and hope the fish does, too.  I finally decided to just enjoy the wildlife.  I had to get back on the skiff a bit early-  just moving too much and breathing too heavy. 

Hundreds of beautiful silvery fish around me.  You had to be there.

We learned how to make ceviche as our appetizer for lunch!  Pretty easy since the chef had already cut it and it had been marinating for 6 hours.

The snorkeling trip after lunch was easier- we stayed in the same general area and I didn't bring my camera.     

In the evening we hiked to the top of a mountain, made much easier by wooden planks set on the path.

Penguin family