Zechs' Galapagos Trip

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:07 PM

5/29/06- Day 1
AKA: Incompetent Airlines
Retroactive

American Airlines has its head up its ass. 4 hour delay, an hour and a half on the tarmac, and this all translates to one thing: everyone misses their connection. After a long time waiting we get free hotel rooms at the Sheraton Inn Miami. Takeoff at 7 PM tomorrow.

~~~~~

5/30/06- Day 2
AKA: Day in Miami
Retroactive

Since takeoff is at 7, Caitlin and I tried to go to Maimi Beach. Thanks to traffic and a slow taxi driver, we only got in a half hour of wading. Go figure. We DID get to our plane on time; besides that, and a brief stay in an excellent hotel in Quito, we basically ate, slept, and lost money.

Early to bed, early to rise. Wakeup's at 5 AM tomorrow.

~~~~~

5/31/06- Day 3
AKA: Paradise in a Nutshell

Wildlife spotted:
~Sea Lion
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Marine Iguana
~Land Iguana
~Lava Lizard
~Blue Footed Booby
~Storm Petrel
~Yellow Warbler

Early flight from Quito went without too many hitches, which thankfully wasn't par for the course. Arrived at Galapagos around 10ish-11ish, with a gaggle of other people. Despite almost losing Bill's luggage, the trip from the airport to our ship- the Daphne was awesome. Many people got their first look at a sea lion. I spent a bit of time calibrating my camera to take pictures of cacti.

Once settled on the Daphne, we ate an awesome lunch- grouper w/vinegar combined with veggies- then landed on South Plaza Island. It was, in a sense, like Mexico: a reaffirmation of everything I have wanted to do in life.

Took many pictures but many of the birds I saw need to be identified. Most were so fast that I couldn't possibly identify them (let alone photograph them)! That'll be for later. Saw some mullet swimming way off on the cliff side of the islands. Took other pictures involving the scenery and got up close and personal with a sea lion. As a matter of fact, everyone got close to Old Sleepy. A bull sea lion sat on our pier and made it difficult to leave.

There was also really cool lava formation that looked like a boat launch.

Ah, I almost forgot about the bunks. I'm top bunk, cabin 8. As I write, lying down mind you, my head is only 2 inches from the ceiling.

Dinner tonight was some kind of Beef Stroganoff and the best goddamned broccoli I have ever tasted. Coca cola also tastes better the closer it is consumed to the equator.

The crew knows me by Alonzo. This is the fifth name I've gone by.

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:07 PM

6/1/06- Day 4
AKA Oven of God

Wildlife spotted:
~Dome tortoise
~Saddleback tortoise
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Land iguana
~Lonesome George
~Galapagos Ground Cricket
~Sea Lion
~Medium Ground Finch
~Mockingbird
~Large Tree Finch?
~Yellow Warbler
~Katydid?

Visited Charles Darwin Research Station and observed many species of tortoise, as well as "celebrities" such as Lonesome George and Diego. Had a blast observing them up close. But it was sweltering. Also saw many younger tortoises.

Afterwards, bought some souvenirs and headed to the highlands, where I had a good dinner and squeezed off an email to my family.

We then went to a quarry, where we found some unidentified beetles on the Galapagos tomato, Galapagos peppers, as well as an unidentified katydid. Got some good pictures of the beautiful scenery.

We then went to theTwo Craters, which were spectacular. I wonder how many expeditions have gone down there. No many, I wager. Any questions as to speciation within the crater were squashed. Attitudes like that lead to oversights.

If the area is not likely to be conducive to speciation, how does that explain the Galapagos at all?

"There are no stupid questions, just stupid students" indeed. Just futher reason to keep myself from talking.

Observed a large, all-black pair of finches with heavy beaks. Either they are vegetarian finches or large tree finches; I lean towards the latter.

Afterwards, observed wild tortoises - domed, Santa Cruz. Found 7, the rest found 5. Suckers.

Went to Puerto Ayora after excellent dinner, fired off a phone call and an email, then returned.

I bumped my head on the ceiling this morning- hope it doesn't happen again (retroactive comment: it did, every morning, without fail). The boat's rocking a lot.

Almost forgot: LAVA TUNNELS. The scale of the huge tunnels was incredible.

Tomorrow is Espanola.

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:08 PM

6/2/06- Day 5
AKA Can't Stop the Funk

Wildlife Spotted:
~Nazca Booby
~Blue Footed Booby
~Frigatebird
~Marine Iguana
~Hood Mockingbird
~Sea Lion
~Hermit Crab
~Green Sea Turtle
~Parrotfish (Azure)
~Albatross
~Lava Lizard
~White-tipped Coral Reef Shark
~Emperor Damselfish
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Galapagos Hawk

Saw many, many Nazca boobies on Espanola (aka Hood) island. I loved the mockingbirds- smart little buggers. One sat on my hand later in the day. Marine iguanas are very abundant on this island; more abundant, it seems, than any other lizard. We went to an albatross takeoff point and just watched the waves roll in other spots; we also got to see a natural water geyser.

After Espanola, we went swimming off the boat. I jumped off of the "solarium"- I can't believe I actually did that. Took a nap, then had a good lunch.

Went snorkelling, and got many good pictures. Mental note: avoid taking too many pictures of one thing. I later saw (and swam) with a green turtle and saw sharks, but used up my cameras.

After returning, dear GOD, Johnny (our cook) made the best octopus dish I've ever had.

We went to an incredible white, sandy beach for the end of the day. I talked a bit with Dr. Rothman and generally had a good time.

Had some problems with Dwight (edited out to save you the time).

The sunsets here are spectacular.

Sierra Negra (volcano on Isabela) tomorrow.

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:08 PM

6/3/06- Day 6
AKA Fields of Splendor
Retroactive

Wildlife Spotted:
~Green Hawksmoth
~Tortoises
~Vermilion Flycatcher
~Lava Lizard
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Flamingo

Not much in the wildlife department today. Rode up to Sierra Negra on a horse named Mora (Blackberry). The horse was foul and ill-tempered. Got it to gallop a bit, but I gotta say, I preferred walking.

Volcan Chico was a sight and a half. The walk was awe-inspiring: lava fields as far as the eye can see. Black and rust-orange colors dominated, with a few shrubs breaking up the monochrome landscape. And at the top of the volcano- or mini-volcano- was a sight like the scouring of God on the surface of the world.

The fumaroles were awesome, too- verdant ferns cropped up near the vents.

After returning, we went to a turtle rehabilitation center. It was pretty cool; we saw plenty of baby tortoises as well as a few "pancake" tortoises. We stopped by a flamingo lagoon, then I got some good photos of another awesome beach - this one with less sea lions.

The hiking was pretty rigorous, so we returned and finally slept after a long day. The trip to Puento Moreno involved a long, almost nauseating boat ride. Correction: it was nauseating for everyone BUT me.

Oh, and we hung out a little in a small village, and were treated to some ice cream.

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:08 PM

6/4/06- Day 7
AKA: Mmm, Lobster.

Wildlife:
~Sea Lion
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Flightless Cormorant
~Galapagos Penguin
~ Pacific Green Turtle
~Marine Iguana
~Lava Lizard
~Common Stilt
~ Sand Dollar
~Chocolate Chip Sea Star
~Sea Cucumber
~Rock Lobster
~Porcupine Fish
~Slipper Lobster
~Octopus
~ Green Sea Urchin
~Large Painted Locust
~Heart Conch
~Port Jackson Shark

Awesome walk on the lava fields, which often had random pools that waterfowl would stop over in. Anna and I also showed a strange predilection for holes in the ground.

The snorkelling was even better. Swam with turtles and sea lions (Penguins and marine iguanas sat this one out). Walter (our guide) caught some lobsters, and Marlon (our captain) caught an octopus and sea cucumbers. We later ate them all... the lobsters were especially good.

Afterwards, we went on a dinghy ride to a mangrove channel. Manu and I kayaked through the channels, passing over a sea turtle or two. We saw roughly twenty.

We encountered the rare "tree lion".

We boated around two large islands and then returned to the Daphne for a time of rest and relaxation. Read a cyberpunk book called "War Surf", which REALLY sucked (blatant imagery, anyone?)

Had an interesting conversation with Zack and Brian about politics, though I got riled up over it.

Going to try to sleep in the lounge tonight.

Urbina Bay and Fernandina tomorrow.

((Note: After this there were two days lost due to water damage from an accident. Thankfully, it was only these two days. I am writing it from memory.))

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:08 PM

6/5/06- Day 8
AKA: Melting
Retroactive

Wildlife Spotted:
~Dead corals
~Dead Lobster
~Lava Lizard
~Marine Iguana
~Blue Heron
~Sea Lion
~Whale Bones
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Flightless Cormorant

Early in the morning we did a wet landing at Urbina Bay, site of the big uplift 50 years or so ago. I didn't bring my camera, mostly because it was supposed to be a REALLY wet landing and my digital camera is REALLY not a camera you should get wet. Turns out the wet landing meant "my feet got wet" and I missed some awesome pictures.

And it was very, very, very hot.

We then went to Fernandina, where Dr. Rothman read an account from an 1800s English ship captain when Fernandina's volcano erupted. It was wild. Apparently the ambient water temperature from a 2 hour trip away hit in excess of 110 degrees- 10 degrees hotter than the air!

Long trip around Isabella to Santiago and Bartolome; many of my comrades got seasick. Some of the crew did too. I didn't. The captain and I joked around in the cabin about how wimpy everyone else was. I didn't take any kind of seasickness medication the entire trip.

Puento Egas and Bartolome tomorrow.

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:09 PM

6/6/06- Day 9
AKA: … Altars?

Wildlife Spotted:
~Marine Iguana
~Galapagos Snake
~Sea Lion
~White Coral Reef Shark
~Galapagos Hawk
~Orb Spider
~Preying Mantis
~Fur Seal
~Sally Lightfoot Crab
~Lava Heron
~Octopus
~Yellow Warbler
~American Oystercatcher
~Blue-footed booby
~Stingrays
~Starfish
~Galapagos Penguin

Went to Puento Egas, where we did a walk around the coastline and visited things such as Darwin's Toilet, and saw the endangered fur seal. Interestingly enough everyone was so enraptured by the sea lions that they completely missed the octopus that jumped out of the water. There are some some beautiful lavarock coastlines around there, including a lava bridge, as well as water so clear that it doesn't look 20 feet deep. But it is.

Today was 6/6/06. And we found an altar with a dead booby on it. Our guide insisted that it was the first time he'd ever seen something like this and vowed to report it to the park service.

We then went to Bartolome, the island with Pinnacle Rock - some of you may recognize it from that Master and Commander movie. The trip is several thousand steps up the mountain- we passed by some lava pioneer plants on the way up. You can barely see where you started out at once at top. The view, however, is absolutely spectacular. One half of the island looks like it was taken taken straight from Mars.

After that, we took a trip around the base of Pinnacle Rock where I got a few blurry shots of penguins and observed some strange rock formations from the weathering of the wind.

We went night snorkelling later, and I was the first student that Dr. Rothman had as a partner that wasn't freaked out. We actually stayed in a good ten minutes longer than everyone else, observing natural bioluminescence. I got to swim with sharks and schools of stingrays.

North Seymour Island and Quito tomorrow.

Zechs · 09-19-2006, 09:09 PM

6/7/06- Day 10
AKA: Home Again, Home Again

Wildlife Spotted:
~Blue Footed Booby
~Frigatebird
~Sea Lion
~Marine Iguana
~Sally Lightfoot Crab

North Seymour wasn't much in the wildlife department in terms of diversity, but holy crap you should see how many frigatebirds there were. They were absolutely everywhere. Also, a blue footed booby and its chick were just wandering around the island completely unmolested- strange, mostly since frigatebirds EAT the chicks. I got my choice of awesome pictures, but after an hour or two around the island, we returned to the Daphne to sail back to Baltra and then flew back to Quito.

Once at Quito, we went shopping- two girls and I got lost and ended up nearly late for an awesomely cheap dinner in one of the best restaurants in Quito. Can we say "less than $20"?

Rochester tomorrow.

~~~~~

6/8/06- Day 11
AKA: Blast.

And… home.

If any of you want to see extra pictures of things I took, just gimme an IM and I'll try to show them to you.

~Brain.Wav~ · 09-19-2006, 09:46 PM

zomg, warm-water penguin.

Shoulda' shoved it in your backpack and named it Pen-Pen.

GalvaTRION · 09-19-2006, 10:29 PM

My brother says you're a nerd. Beautiful pictures though, good sir.

09-19-2006, 09:07 PM	#1
Zechs The Attitude of the Knife Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,887	Zechs' Galapagos Trip 5/29/06- Day 1 AKA: Incompetent Airlines Retroactive American Airlines has its head up its ass. 4 hour delay, an hour and a half on the tarmac, and this all translates to one thing: everyone misses their connection. After a long time waiting we get free hotel rooms at the Sheraton Inn Miami. Takeoff at 7 PM tomorrow. ~~~~~ 5/30/06- Day 2 AKA: Day in Miami Retroactive Since takeoff is at 7, Caitlin and I tried to go to Maimi Beach. Thanks to traffic and a slow taxi driver, we only got in a half hour of wading. Go figure. We DID get to our plane on time; besides that, and a brief stay in an excellent hotel in Quito, we basically ate, slept, and lost money. Early to bed, early to rise. Wakeup's at 5 AM tomorrow. ~~~~~ 5/31/06- Day 3 AKA: Paradise in a Nutshell Wildlife spotted: ~Sea Lion ~Sally Lightfoot Crab ~Marine Iguana ~Land Iguana ~Lava Lizard ~Blue Footed Booby ~Storm Petrel ~Yellow Warbler Early flight from Quito went without too many hitches, which thankfully wasn't par for the course. Arrived at Galapagos around 10ish-11ish, with a gaggle of other people. Despite almost losing Bill's luggage, the trip from the airport to our ship- the Daphne was awesome. Many people got their first look at a sea lion. I spent a bit of time calibrating my camera to take pictures of cacti. Once settled on the Daphne, we ate an awesome lunch- grouper w/vinegar combined with veggies- then landed on South Plaza Island. It was, in a sense, like Mexico: a reaffirmation of everything I have wanted to do in life. Took many pictures but many of the birds I saw need to be identified. Most were so fast that I couldn't possibly identify them (let alone photograph them)! That'll be for later. Saw some mullet swimming way off on the cliff side of the islands. Took other pictures involving the scenery and got up close and personal with a sea lion. As a matter of fact, everyone got close to Old Sleepy. A bull sea lion sat on our pier and made it difficult to leave. There was also really cool lava formation that looked like a boat launch. Ah, I almost forgot about the bunks. I'm top bunk, cabin 8. As I write, lying down mind you, my head is only 2 inches from the ceiling. Dinner tonight was some kind of Beef Stroganoff and the best goddamned broccoli I have ever tasted. Coca cola also tastes better the closer it is consumed to the equator. The crew knows me by Alonzo. This is the fifth name I've gone by. __________________

09-19-2006, 09:07 PM	#2
Zechs The Attitude of the Knife Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,887	6/1/06- Day 4 AKA Oven of God Wildlife spotted: ~Dome tortoise ~Saddleback tortoise ~Sally Lightfoot Crab ~Land iguana ~Lonesome George ~Galapagos Ground Cricket ~Sea Lion ~Medium Ground Finch ~Mockingbird ~Large Tree Finch? ~Yellow Warbler ~Katydid? Visited Charles Darwin Research Station and observed many species of tortoise, as well as "celebrities" such as Lonesome George and Diego. Had a blast observing them up close. But it was sweltering. Also saw many younger tortoises. Afterwards, bought some souvenirs and headed to the highlands, where I had a good dinner and squeezed off an email to my family. We then went to a quarry, where we found some unidentified beetles on the Galapagos tomato, Galapagos peppers, as well as an unidentified katydid. Got some good pictures of the beautiful scenery. We then went to theTwo Craters, which were spectacular. I wonder how many expeditions have gone down there. No many, I wager. Any questions as to speciation within the crater were squashed. Attitudes like that lead to oversights. If the area is not likely to be conducive to speciation, how does that explain the Galapagos at all? "There are no stupid questions, just stupid students" indeed. Just futher reason to keep myself from talking. Observed a large, all-black pair of finches with heavy beaks. Either they are vegetarian finches or large tree finches; I lean towards the latter. Afterwards, observed wild tortoises - domed, Santa Cruz. Found 7, the rest found 5. Suckers. Went to Puerto Ayora after excellent dinner, fired off a phone call and an email, then returned. I bumped my head on the ceiling this morning- hope it doesn't happen again (retroactive comment: it did, every morning, without fail). The boat's rocking a lot. Almost forgot: LAVA TUNNELS. The scale of the huge tunnels was incredible. Tomorrow is Espanola. __________________

09-19-2006, 09:08 PM	#3
Zechs The Attitude of the Knife Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,887	6/2/06- Day 5 AKA Can't Stop the Funk Wildlife Spotted: ~Nazca Booby ~Blue Footed Booby ~Frigatebird ~Marine Iguana ~Hood Mockingbird ~Sea Lion ~Hermit Crab ~Green Sea Turtle ~Parrotfish (Azure) ~Albatross ~Lava Lizard ~White-tipped Coral Reef Shark ~Emperor Damselfish ~Sally Lightfoot Crab ~Galapagos Hawk Saw many, many Nazca boobies on Espanola (aka Hood) island. I loved the mockingbirds- smart little buggers. One sat on my hand later in the day. Marine iguanas are very abundant on this island; more abundant, it seems, than any other lizard. We went to an albatross takeoff point and just watched the waves roll in other spots; we also got to see a natural water geyser. After Espanola, we went swimming off the boat. I jumped off of the "solarium"- I can't believe I actually did that. Took a nap, then had a good lunch. Went snorkelling, and got many good pictures. Mental note: avoid taking too many pictures of one thing. I later saw (and swam) with a green turtle and saw sharks, but used up my cameras. After returning, dear GOD, Johnny (our cook) made the best octopus dish I've ever had. We went to an incredible white, sandy beach for the end of the day. I talked a bit with Dr. Rothman and generally had a good time. Had some problems with Dwight (edited out to save you the time). The sunsets here are spectacular. Sierra Negra (volcano on Isabela) tomorrow. __________________

09-19-2006, 09:08 PM	#4
Zechs The Attitude of the Knife Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,887	6/3/06- Day 6 AKA Fields of Splendor Retroactive Wildlife Spotted: ~Green Hawksmoth ~Tortoises ~Vermilion Flycatcher ~Lava Lizard ~Sally Lightfoot Crab ~Flamingo Not much in the wildlife department today. Rode up to Sierra Negra on a horse named Mora (Blackberry). The horse was foul and ill-tempered. Got it to gallop a bit, but I gotta say, I preferred walking. Volcan Chico was a sight and a half. The walk was awe-inspiring: lava fields as far as the eye can see. Black and rust-orange colors dominated, with a few shrubs breaking up the monochrome landscape. And at the top of the volcano- or mini-volcano- was a sight like the scouring of God on the surface of the world. The fumaroles were awesome, too- verdant ferns cropped up near the vents. After returning, we went to a turtle rehabilitation center. It was pretty cool; we saw plenty of baby tortoises as well as a few "pancake" tortoises. We stopped by a flamingo lagoon, then I got some good photos of another awesome beach - this one with less sea lions. The hiking was pretty rigorous, so we returned and finally slept after a long day. The trip to Puento Moreno involved a long, almost nauseating boat ride. Correction: it was nauseating for everyone BUT me. Oh, and we hung out a little in a small village, and were treated to some ice cream. __________________

09-19-2006, 09:08 PM	#5
Zechs The Attitude of the Knife Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,887	6/4/06- Day 7 AKA: Mmm, Lobster. Wildlife: ~Sea Lion ~Sally Lightfoot Crab ~Flightless Cormorant ~Galapagos Penguin ~ Pacific Green Turtle ~Marine Iguana ~Lava Lizard ~Common Stilt ~ Sand Dollar ~Chocolate Chip Sea Star ~Sea Cucumber ~Rock Lobster ~Porcupine Fish ~Slipper Lobster ~Octopus ~ Green Sea Urchin ~Large Painted Locust ~Heart Conch ~Port Jackson Shark Awesome walk on the lava fields, which often had random pools that waterfowl would stop over in. Anna and I also showed a strange predilection for holes in the ground. The snorkelling was even better. Swam with turtles and sea lions (Penguins and marine iguanas sat this one out). Walter (our guide) caught some lobsters, and Marlon (our captain) caught an octopus and sea cucumbers. We later ate them all... the lobsters were especially good. Afterwards, we went on a dinghy ride to a mangrove channel. Manu and I kayaked through the channels, passing over a sea turtle or two. We saw roughly twenty. We encountered the rare "tree lion". We boated around two large islands and then returned to the Daphne for a time of rest and relaxation. Read a cyberpunk book called "War Surf", which REALLY sucked (blatant imagery, anyone?) Had an interesting conversation with Zack and Brian about politics, though I got riled up over it. Going to try to sleep in the lounge tonight. Urbina Bay and Fernandina tomorrow. ((Note: After this there were two days lost due to water damage from an accident. Thankfully, it was only these two days. I am writing it from memory.)) __________________

09-19-2006, 09:09 PM	#7
Zechs The Attitude of the Knife Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,887	6/6/06- Day 9 AKA: … Altars? Wildlife Spotted: ~Marine Iguana ~Galapagos Snake ~Sea Lion ~White Coral Reef Shark ~Galapagos Hawk ~Orb Spider ~Preying Mantis ~Fur Seal ~Sally Lightfoot Crab ~Lava Heron ~Octopus ~Yellow Warbler ~American Oystercatcher ~Blue-footed booby ~Stingrays ~Starfish ~Galapagos Penguin Went to Puento Egas, where we did a walk around the coastline and visited things such as Darwin's Toilet, and saw the endangered fur seal. Interestingly enough everyone was so enraptured by the sea lions that they completely missed the octopus that jumped out of the water. There are some some beautiful lavarock coastlines around there, including a lava bridge, as well as water so clear that it doesn't look 20 feet deep. But it is. Today was 6/6/06. And we found an altar with a dead booby on it. Our guide insisted that it was the first time he'd ever seen something like this and vowed to report it to the park service. We then went to Bartolome, the island with Pinnacle Rock - some of you may recognize it from that Master and Commander movie. The trip is several thousand steps up the mountain- we passed by some lava pioneer plants on the way up. You can barely see where you started out at once at top. The view, however, is absolutely spectacular. One half of the island looks like it was taken taken straight from Mars. After that, we took a trip around the base of Pinnacle Rock where I got a few blurry shots of penguins and observed some strange rock formations from the weathering of the wind. We went night snorkelling later, and I was the first student that Dr. Rothman had as a partner that wasn't freaked out. We actually stayed in a good ten minutes longer than everyone else, observing natural bioluminescence. I got to swim with sharks and schools of stingrays. North Seymour Island and Quito tomorrow. __________________

09-19-2006, 09:46 PM	#9
~Brain.Wav~ Your friend in Science! Join Date: May 2004 Location: Right behind you! Posts: 9,248 Current series: Asobi ni Iku Yo! Dennou Coil Heroman Kamen Rider W K-On!! Occult Academy Ookami-san Working!! Xabungle	zomg, warm-water penguin. Shoulda' shoved it in your backpack and named it Pen-Pen. __________________ ---- What part of "BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE, KICKING LOGIC TO THE CURB" don't you understand? What, do you not know what Spiral Power is? It's the Power Cosmic fueled by hotblood, physics and reality are literally told to fuck off by these powers -Anonymous on /m/

09-19-2006, 10:29 PM	#10
GalvaTRION DECEPTICONS, NOT ONE STEP BACK! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: The asshole of the world, Oklahoma Posts: 14,284	My brother says you're a nerd. Beautiful pictures though, good sir. __________________ Take a trip to Horribleville! That's just not how the press in this country works.