‘Can I use your ladders?’

30/1/23

Today was my final day in Galapagos and I planned to make the most of it. After a lie in, I headed out around 9am and first got a scrummy breakfast, in a cafe where I drank good coffee, watched the finches bob about and ready my book a little. Then I bought a cookie (galeto) and then went to hire a snorkel for $3 after some negotiation. 😉 The lovely guy at the rental place recommended me a beach near the Darwin research centre since it was nearly midday and would be hot to walk to the other Tortuga Bay, plus he said the sea will be churned up there so visibility would not be so good. I was convinced, since I had chatted to the guy a few times before and had got tips before. I headed the back shady route to Darwin’s place and chilled on the beach with a book for a good few hours before braving the ocean. I was having a lazy day, and I couldn’t kick the slob feeling! I snorkelled once I had got hot in the sun and there were plenty of the usual suspects of fish there, many colourful chaps! Sadly, not turtles, but all good. I went back to the beach, chilled and read before I got chatting to an Ecuadorian guy who was a flight attendent, who brought his mum and girlfriend on holiday to Galapagos with his cheap flight perks! He was from Quito and gave me tips for carnival and other things. I said hi to his girlfriend and mum and then they left, and I went back to my book.

Once the sun was lower in the sky, I headed back to town to drop off my snorkel and then went to enquire about handmade jewellery at a stall I had been looking at earlier. The stall owner, Luiz was a super cool guy who had lived in China, India and Nepal and had learnt his craft as he went. He was from Otovalo, a market town in the North of Ecuador and gave me lots of tips for what to do near there. I picked out my stones and left him to construct me a pendant necklace,while I headed to the recommended Art Coffee cafe that had been recommended to me a few days ago, but which I hadn’t been able to find before! I ordered a pina colada (last night and all) and then chilled with my scrummy drink. Afterwards, I went for dinner at a proper locals place with a menu del dia for only $4 and the food was so much better than on the tourist street. Afterwards, I went to collect my handmade jewellery, which was beautiful. Then I went to get the bus back to the clinic that I was couchsurfing in.

When I got back, I couldn’t get in. I wondered if I wasn’t meant to take the key and maybe Dr Carlos had had to lock the door from the inside. Damn! I rang him many times but there was no answer. I started asking people in the street if they knew where he lived but most people thought he lived in the surgery. A man with an angry dog knew where he lived but waved me away. I waved over a taxi to help me, and he helped ring. Eventually, he asked if I wanted to check at the political election event but I didn’t, so he left. Normally, I could just check into a hostel and come back in the morning when the surgery opened at 7am, but sadly all my stuff was inside and I needed to leave the island at 7am, so it wouldn’t work. I asked a couple more people, before I hailed a truck with ladders in the back. I knew Carlos left the back door open and so if I could just get over the fence, I could open the door from the inside. I first showed the men that I had the correct key si they would know I wasn’t breaking in, and then they would let me use their ladders. After I showed them, one took the key and lo and behold, opened the door first time! It was a bloody miracle! I hugged the bemused man and off they went! Wow, I am blonde sometimes! 😂😂😂

31/1/23

Today I was off. I got the bus at 06.30 to the port, grabbed some baked goods and a fresh coffee before getting the 07.15 bus to the airport, via water taxi and followed by another bus once we arrived on Baltra Island. I arrived much earlier than I needed to with two hours spare in the airport, but better to be safe than sorry with airports I think! I read, ate snacks and did some Spanish before it was time to board. The view from the plane was of course beautiful again but soon I was lost in my book. On arriving to Guayaquil, I got a taxi straight to the bus terminal and got a bus to Cuenca. I had ten minutes until it left so I grabbed an empanada and a yoghurt and made the bus in time.

Seven hours and three violent films later, we arrived in Cuenca. Its such a thing to play violent, bloody films in buses here and I’ve no idea why! I was knackered when I arrived, so I got a taxi to my hostel, ditched my stuff and went for a curry. I ordered a chai too which was pretty good! Then I headed to bed! The lady had given me a private room because she didn’t want to put me in a dorm with only three guys and no gals. I found it a little strange to think that when running a hostel but was glad to have my own cosy private room. I slept well.