Ecuador Trip: Day 13
Galapagos Cruise: Day 8
The thing about being the only people left on-board a cruise when New People arrive is that how you respond and interact with the New People can set the tone for the duration of your trip. So if you find yourself in the position of being on a previous portion of the cruise (ie. you have become Old People), the best you can do is welcome the New People with open arms. After all, they outnumber you and might beat you up otherwise (Travel Tip!).
If you come on-board as a New Person, regardless of whether the Old People are only two couples or five, it can be a bit intimidating. When friendships have formed and perhaps a bit of a clique mentality may have developed, there are still ways around it. if New People reach out and try to include you, if you WANT to be included, then respond likewise. The Group of Four decided during Week 1 not to stick together as a group all the time. This was especially important at meal times and when splitting the 16 travelers into groups of 8 for riding in the pangas. If you always go with the same four or six or eight people, or you always sit at the same spot for every meal, how are you going to get to know the others? In my not-so-humble opinion, if you are going to go on a cruise with 16 travelers total, it makes sense to open yourself to new experiences and friendships. Even if those relationships only exist during the cruise, they can make or break your holiday.
So, we had our fresh blood, and the first thing you basically do after the guide gets everyone introduced and settled in their rooms, is have a late lunch (that feels more like a dinner) and then go on your first excursion. Our first excursion with the New People was on lovely Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island. Bachas Beach is a nice introduction to the Galapagos, and we had a chance to swim (and perform headstands and on-your-husband’s-shoulders stands, etc.) after a nice little walkabout (not to be confused with an Aussie walkabout) in the lovely, warm waters.
No, that’s not the lagoon. That’s the ocean. But I loved the clouds that made the sky look like one huge marble.
I said this would be a short and sweet post, no? Let it be known that I can live up to my promises.
When we left for the Galapagos, I expected to see a lot more flamingoes than I did. So every time we came upon one, everyone quickly reached for their cameras. During Week 1, we saw a few flamingoes on Moreno Point, Isabela Island. Maybe 4 or 5 total around the lagoon. And they were always quite far away (thank God for zoom lenses). We didn’t see another flamingo until Bachas Beach. Later during Week 2 we visited Floreana Island, which is renowned for its flamingoes. But we spotted only one from a great distance.
It wasn’t that great a disappointment, however. I have seen flamingoes in zoos as a child, and I have seen pink flamingoes on lawns. I loved seeing the real thing in the wild in the Galapagos, however not seeing as many flamingoes as I would have liked would not have been akin to not seeing enough Blue-Footed Boobies! Then I would have been distraught. Inconsolable.
Next up, Bartholomew Island and a return to Santiago Island, which we had visited during Week 1 on our way to Genovesa. Then, we visited James Bay (Egas Port) and Espumilla Beach with a quick drive-by past Buccanneer Cove. This time we’ll visit Sullivan Bay, where I found myself up to my neck in lava. Great fun!
(I just realized I might not have reached my goal to write a short post. It’s just, um, shorter than most. Ooops.)
