Wildlife, wildlife and more wildlife

So, am back on dry land again after a very wobbly week on board the lovely cachalote pottering around the Galapagos, and what an amazing week it has been. Being me, I didnt really research what boat to go on (for this read, did no research whatsoever) and instead just booked the same boat that my friend recommended, and it turned out to be great. Cabins a little small and the captain was a little on the flirtatious side (but this at least meant I got to drive the boat for 10 mins - yep, you read right, I drove a big boat and didnt crash it for a good period of time!) but the food was great (always the most important thing for me) and the guide was excellent. Plus I was really lucky as most of the people on the cruise were young, and everyone was interesting, which helped a lot. So, without boring you to death, saw just about everything it is possible to see on the islands and was blown away by just how much of everything there was. For example, on the first day we went tortoise spotting in the highlands expecting to spend the 2 hours really searching with the hope of seeing one! Ha! Within the first 10 mins we had spotted 6 and the number kept growing....and they are just amazing creatures, huge and beautiful and not at all scared of humans

Anyway, those that know me best, will know I am a water lover at heart and whilst the birds and land mammals (ie more iguanas than you can shake a stick at - difficult to avoid treading on them all the time, but narrowly avoided killing anything!) were interesting, especially the flamingos .... they are pink after all ...... it was the underwater world of the Galapagos that really blew me away. We always had the chance to go snorkelling once or twice a day and despite the mind numbing temperatures, I was in the sea every chance I got. So saw LOADS of pacific green turtles swimming (hard to believe they are endangered when you cant swim for nearly colliding with one!) and huge shoals of the most amazingly coloured fish, swam with sharks (well one) and watched at least 40 or 50 swimming around from the safety of a panga and was even lucky enough to be snorkelling and watch 2 penguins swimming around and chasing fish (completely unsuccesfully I might add.....god knows how they manage to stay alive) as well as seeing golden and eagle rays swimming (the most elegant things ever). Also saw dolphins playing in the sea and watched a huge manta ray swim along. But the highlight of my week has to be swimming with sea lions. It was just incredible. I hadnt realised that they were so playful, but I was happily swimming along when one came zooming towards me giving me a heart attack! So after I had recovered (and stopped choking to death) I then spent the next quarter of an hour or so playing with 3 baby sea lions who seemed to love the fact I was tumbling and turning with me. They would flip about, swim under me, swim round me and play with each other and it was just incredible to be part of it. This is going to sound incredibly stupid, but really felt they were playing with me rather than just around me. Couldnt get enough of it!

We were also really lucky with the weather and for most of the trip had really good weather, so splayed myself out on the deck whenever we had a spare five minutes and enjoyed the sun.....so have come back with an excellent tan as well as amazing memories and lots of rather similar photos (250 in all!!!)

Am now back in Quito and it is really lovely to be back, although it feels strange to be here knowing I wont bump into Amanda, Rachel or Eva (sob). Was really funny coming back as it really felt like coming home, and then realised that I have spent longer here than anywhere else this year, so no wonder it feels like home!!! Am flying to Buenos Aires on Friday so am now planning on spending the next couple of days enjoying Quito, eating in all my favourite places, getting plenty of sleep in (the Galapagos were exhausting!) and generally relaxing here before setting off again.