Marine and land iguanas

We woke in our Quito hotel to see, right between the high rise business buildings, Cotopaxi very clearly, smoking away. We had to be out at 7 so weren't able to make the most of the very swanky breakfast.

The driver had a great shortcut to the airport motorway - winding down on a narrow paved street through old buildings. Only took 45 mins whereas the other time it took over an hour and a quarter, going through heavy traffic. With us were a U.S. Couple Darlene and Dennis. In the first five minutes of meeting them, she had told us a long story involving her cats. At the airport we had to get sorted with various bits of paperwork - $20 transit visa and $100 visa to enter the national park, before we found a pharmacy for the essential purchase of anti-seasick tablets - phew were we glad we did that.

On the flight to Guayaguil we saw a volcano erupting. After refuelling, we continued to San Christobel, where we boarded a zodiac to go out to our boat, Queen of Galapagos. Our cabin on lower deck and above engine so very noisy. Also the public area is through the wall so noisy from the people after dinner. As we were going to sail overnight to our next island, and it will be choppy, we gobbled a tablet - some of the 16 passengers were already ill, swaying about in the harbour.

Next we got kitted out with wetsuits. Snorkel and flippers, then put them in a mesh bag with our room number, before getting into a zodiac and we headed for a little island off San Christobel. We had a dry landing among seal lions, then walking on big volcanic boulders, till we stopped to see our first Blue-footed booby, with a young one. Our guide Jorge told us lots as we watched the birds, then we saw some marine iguanas as well as saw frigate birds flying about, and sea lions basking before we headed back as the sun got low.

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