Time to Galápago-go

Most adventures to the Galápagos Islands begin in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. I spent one full day on a city tour before I left the mainland. We visited two chocolate factories — both complete with samples. Multiple cathedrals and churches. We visited the Virgin of El Panecillo statue, on top to the hill of El Panceillo, with an incredible overlook of the city below. I stood with one foot in each hemisphere at the equator line. The new one. Not the old one. There are two.

The old “middle of the world” monument is a larger structure, but it’s in the wrong spot. The new line has a smaller monument and sign, and it is part of the Intiñan Site Museummuseum. The new line is verified by GPS. My city adventure ended back at the hotel, in time for a briefing and meet and greet with my new friends for the week.

Part 1: Planes, Trucks, Boats, and Money.

Up and early to head to the airport (a 30+ minute drive from the heart of Quito) to catch our 9:00 flight. While flying is generally stressful to start with, flying to the Galápagos adds a second layer of stress. There’s a separate security bag check, and they’ll put these blue zip ties on your bag. You need to obtain your transit control card (TCT), with $20 cash. Both of these methods help to a) maintain and track tourism to the islands and b) ensure there is nothing being brought to the islands that can harm the delicate ecosystem.

Our flight, and many of the flights to the islands have a layover. Or I guess it’s not really a layover, more like a stop. You don’t leave the plane. Some people get off, and some more get on. It’s a great time to stretch your legs and use the bathroom while the plane is parked. 45 minutes later we’re back in the air.

I was surprised to learn there are actually TWO commercial airports in the Galápagos (shows just how much research I did). Aeropuerto Seymour de Baltra, on technically located on Isla Baltra, but adjacent to Santa Cruz. The airport is about 30 miles outside of town, and requires a public bus, to a short boat ride from Baltra to Santa Cruz, and then a longer bus/car/truck ride.

The other island airport, Aeropuerto de San Cristobal, located on San Cristobal is smaller and much closer to town. Less than a mile from the main commercial area, only about a ten minute walk. But if you have bags, it’s a cheap taxi ride.

Inter-island travel can be done by plane, or by boats. Plural. A water taxi to a bigger boat to another water taxi to your destination’s harbor. bags are just kind of get tossed on top, or on the back of the water taxis and you just hope they don’t hit a large wake or make a sudden sharp turn because only gravity is holding them down.

Over the course of the trip, I was on eleven different boats. I sat in the bed of three pick-up trucks (all outfitted with little benches and handles), a couple of open buses, and a handful of vans. I think I used a seatbelt once? Maybe twice? It’s not like there is a whole lot of traffic, or any highway driving, especially on Isabela where the roads are made of sand.

Use the ATM. The Galápagos are largely cash-based. While there were more places on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal that accepted credit and debit, there was often an upcharge. Make sure you have cash. There are a decent number of ATMs on Santa Cruz and a couple on Cristobal. There’s approximately one on Isabela and as our guide told us, it’s semi-frequently empty. Ecuador uses the US Dollar as their national currency, so us Americans don’t need to worry about conversion math. Interestingly, they use a lot of dollar coins. I think I had more dollar coins in my waller during my week in Ecuador than I have ever had my hands on in my 25+ years. The only place I really see the coins in the US is a change from a vending machine. I even received a JFK half-dollar coin on the trip. I guess Americans just prefer paper.