15th April- heading back to Quito

Saturday 15th April- heading back to Quito. 

I didn't want to waste a minute, so got up at 05:15, put my swimsuit on, with shorts and vest top over, packed up what I could while Graeme got up & we headed out…eventually. We were joined by Emma in the hotel reception, waited a little, but then decided to go, just in case everyone else had changed their minds about the early start. We went to leave the hotel grounds but the gate was locked. Our room keys didn't fit. There was a small window in the middle of the door, with it's own bolt. Emma opened it, and stretched around to press the bell on the other side of the gate. The young lad who had served us at breakfast yesterday, and had been on reception last night appeared, rubbing his eyes & let us out. They must work around the clock here. We headed to the beach to see the sunrise. The beach near our hotel is small and rocky & this morning there was a row of bikes at the entrance and a lot of locals in the water. At this point I remembered I had forgotten my rock shoes & insect repellent, so we got straight into the sea, as the insects were biting. Emma left & went towards the prom for a better view of the sunrise, as our view was partially blocked by the cliff to one side. The water was lovely & I was very glad I made the effort to get up. Herons sat on the rocks, and occasionally flew over head to catch a fish, while bright orange crabs scurried across the black volcanic rocks jutting out of the sea. We were greaeted by everyone we swam beside. Ecuadorian people are so warm & friendly, they are a pleasure to be around. Beth arrived at the beach & Graeme borrowed her snorkel gear, then Bernie arrived closely behind her. Graeme informed us we were swimming amongst shoals of sardines, and the little black fish with the orange lips we had seen yesterday. Beth also spotted a small reef shark. After a while we strolled back towards the hotel, showered & got ready and then had breakfast. We then finished our packing and waited for our bus to the water taxi. Annie, Kate & Emma had visited the fish market & had tales of cheeky pelicans, herons & gulls stealing fish from the counters. The fishermen threw fish heads and scraps out to keep the birds stealing their prized stock. They were also joined by a sea lion, hoping for a snack. 

We were picked up and drove along towards the harbour, spotting giant tortoises by the road side. The water taxi was smooth & our driver paid for our tickets & made sure we had our bus tickets at the other end, coming with us to the airport to ensure we had our luggage and were checked in before he left. Again, the whole process was easy. We had a snack & a beer at the airport as "still on holiday" before our flight left for Guayaquil and then onto Quito. The plane was comfy and we had the wing seats, so loads of leg room. Graeme was quickly asleep. The rest of our group are heading home tomorrow & most of them are back at work on Tuesday. It's hard to believe that we are half way though our adventures already. The time has gone over quickly, yet we feel like we've already done a huge amount. Both of us would love to come back to Galapagos & also explore more of Ecuador. We talked about coming out as a family & bringing our granddaughter Penny, as the wildlife would be so fantastic for her to see. There is always the fear, however, that when you return to a place that it has become more commercial and lost some of its charm. There is certainly a lot of building going on in Galapagos. If we are coming back, we had better not wait too long. 

Back in Quito we were greeted by Edwin and returned to our previous hotel, gave the manager our dirty washing again (!) and found our room. Two minutes later, a polite knock on the door saw Edwin present us both with "a little something" as a token of gratitude for us agreeing to change hotel rooms back in Isobela - two very pretty, brightly coloured Ecuadorian bags and inside Graeme's - a t-shirt and mine - a lovely floral shawl. We were both very moved by this lovely gesture and once again, it showed how well Much Better Adventures had looked after us.

We then went out in the mini bus to an Italian restaurant, where we could choose anything we wanted on the menu. After tucking into delicious pizza, warm bread, chips & lots of dips, washed down with a jug of sangria, there was another surprise. The staff brought out a huge birthday cake for Bernie who will be 60 at the beginning of May. It was a lovely touch. The staff had noticed this from her passport. 

We headed back and Edwin arranged a driver for us to have an extra trip out tomorrow morning before we fly. We will pay for this ourselves as the package trip ends at breakfast, apart from our individual airport transfers. I was absolutely shattered, so went straight to bed.

Speak soon,

Caroline