Off to Isla San Cristobal

Up at 6:00 to catch to boat by 7:00 a.m. to Isla San Cristobal! It is the fifth largest island in the archipelago and has the second largest population second to Santa Cruz, Some locals boast that it is the capital of paradise and we now agree! We had a another crazy bumpy 2 hour boat trip in which I stood for over half the ride, doing whatever to save my back! At times I was airborn and then I would burst into laughter! OMG what fun! One poor couple across from us soon had their life jackets on and looked very frightened! Because of the time I have spent on the waters with both my dad and stepdad Stan and later being a sea cadet, I will say no fear here!

Treated ourselves to a sweet room on the ocean for one night at $120.00 a night at The Casa Blanca and enjoyed the pampered room! Lonely planet needs to update the research as it was supposed to be around $50.00!

I secured a simple but very clean room for the next few nights at Hostal Mabel. The owners were very nice and family first kinda folks! Gotta love it!

This island is so friendly! Our new favourite place! We walked the nicest malecon and enjoyed the hundreds of sea lions that make this their home! Here on the island they call them their loud neighbours, and that they are! The noises coming from them range from a bark to a cough sounding like they smoke a carton a day or about to vomit. Too funny! We stay the required 2 meter distance and find we have to back up as they approach! In the evenings there is a beach in town where they come to sleep, laying side by side some on top of each other, wobbling along. What a sight, one we never tire of!

Steve's off to do his dive with Galapagos Evolution and we both enjoyed talking to the owner/operator Joselo. The next day Joselo was sick so Steve's dive master was a cute little thing and it was only the two of them diving. They took a water taxi from a secondary pier due to high swells to a dive boat. From there it was a one hour trip to to a dive sight called Kicking Rock. This steep formation of two
uninhabited islands was home to various sea birds including a pair of puff chested frigate birds. On Steve's dive he saw various sharks, eels, rays, fish, and the amazing curious sea turtles who like to swim and play with the divers.  Apparantly the sea lions really enjoyed playing with the extra bubbles purged by the divers. Steve was also happy to have reliable equipment and great conditions for such spectacular sights.

I walked around and became familiarized with this friendly little town. Later that afternoon I noticed an industrial sized front end loader moving boats and dry docking them further inland to a little bay area. When Steve left and returned the main pier was closed due to high swells. Guessing we're in for a storm, eh!