Blogger's Note: I think I did it again. The article is too long and I need to divide it into two. Let's blame the pictures... they make it seem longer.
From San Cristobal, we made our way to Isla Santa Cruz. I was looking forward to settling in one place for a while. Frankly, from San Francisco, California to Mexico City to Quito to the islands, I feel we've been on the road a lot. It's like that movie - Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Ferries (well, no trains -- we did not take the San Francisco BART). Anyhoo, we had three days in Santa Cruz, so I was looking forward to some chill time -- and do some laundry.
From San Cristobal, we made our way to Isla Santa Cruz. I was looking forward to settling in one place for a while. Frankly, from San Francisco, California to Mexico City to Quito to the islands, I feel we've been on the road a lot. It's like that movie - Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Ferries (well, no trains -- we did not take the San Francisco BART). Anyhoo, we had three days in Santa Cruz, so I was looking forward to some chill time -- and do some laundry.
Travel. Traveling from San Cristobal to Santa Cruz was via inter-island ferry. If you like roller coasters, this ride may be for you – unless you don’t
like long roller-coaster rides, like 2 hours. Initially, I made the mistake of looking at the water. I love the water, and the waves were mesmerizing. An hour later, I almost used up the ginger candy that I brought for motion sickness (*sigh*).
Hubby said that it’s a good clue
if they started handing out black garbage bags (for sea sickness bags) before
you leave the dock. Actually, there were only a couple of incidents in our
three ferry rides and it did not include me, so it was not too bad.
The Island. My first impression of Santa Cruz in
Galapagos was it was like Santa Cruz, California. The only thing that could have distinguished it was the statue of a Golden Iguana greeting us off the pier.
Santa Cruz is the most populated and busiest island in the archipelago. It's the Gathering Place -- similar to what O'ahu is to the Hawaiian Islands. As the ferry approached the dock, we can see huge live-aboards for island hoppers. Clearly, this island grows in population during the peak season.
Santa Cruz is the most populated and busiest island in the archipelago. It's the Gathering Place -- similar to what O'ahu is to the Hawaiian Islands. As the ferry approached the dock, we can see huge live-aboards for island hoppers. Clearly, this island grows in population during the peak season.
Off the pier, Santa Cruz seemed
like a funky beach town busy with tourists and locals. The streets were filled with dive shops, shops, and busy restaurants and cafes. It had its share of loud music and vibrance. The energy level is higher here than in San Cristobal -- it feels like a party.
The guides also seemed to be a bit more sophisticated, more worldly -- and using their mobile devices more often. Our guide manager, Marie, even had our names on her iPhone instead of the usual plastic sign.
Accommodations: After about a 10 minute ride through a series of one way streets, we finally made it to our hotel, Isla Sol in Avenida de Charles Darwin. The “Avenida” was one way, maybe 1 and a half lanes with a bicycle lane. The lobby and restaurant was overlooking the bay and had a great view. Unfortunately, we were across the street but had quieter rooms.
We were also on the quieter side of town (which we later learned was only 5 blocks from the pier). Our side of town was somewhat more sedate, but it still had its share of souvenir shops and restaurants, most of it upscale. It seemed more like Kona-Kailua in the Big Island of Hawaii– except that it had iguanas, frigate birds, and big pelicans. It was actually very relaxing.
We were also on the quieter side of town (which we later learned was only 5 blocks from the pier). Our side of town was somewhat more sedate, but it still had its share of souvenir shops and restaurants, most of it upscale. It seemed more like Kona-Kailua in the Big Island of Hawaii– except that it had iguanas, frigate birds, and big pelicans. It was actually very relaxing.
That said, most of the hotels we stayed in the Galapagos do not have elevators, so be prepared for stairs after a long workout day. The reason for this is energy conservation - Elevators take up a lot of juice. We were on the 3rd floor (actually, what they called the 2nd floor), so our legs got "stronger." I'm inspired to take the stairs again back home. I stopped a year ago because of injuries, but now its time to restart.
Our room did have a TV, but it did not seem to work -- all we got was static. Honestly, I think there was a missing connection. It did not matter since we received updated news via our phones. Speaking of, WIFI was available but very slow and with the Instagram very data
intensive, your posts may be cut off or it takes time. That said, I did manage
to post daily mostly while I'm resting and to force myself to practice Spanish. I suggest limit yourself to one or two photo posts to not suffer my fate: my 8-photo Christmas post was cut off.
For water, tap water is NOT drinkable. The island had brackish water, so drinking and even brushing your teeth with tap is out of the question. Our hotel provided us with our own reusable water bottles which we used for the rest of the trip. I guess providing reusable water bottles discourages using more single-use plastic. Our hotel also had water dispensers on each floor for hot and cold water. I know the water is safe because I've seen guys hauling bottles up the stairs and removing the cap. Oy!
Food. Our hotel
had an extensive buffet breakfast – eggs, cereals, breads and fruit. Due
to my medical restrictions, the only thing I could enjoy were coffee (or tea), bananas and the fabulous view from the breakfast area. However, because of the hotel’s central location, I was able to get breakfast treats from 1835 Coffee Lab like their gluten-free almond coffee cake. That was delicious and quite filling. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a picture of it, because I was eating along the way.
For lunch and dinner, our agency provided pretty excellent
options which is great for a foodie like me. We usually had 2 to 3 courses for lunch and freshly prepared. We even had lunch aboard the Santa Fe Yacht.
On our first two nights, we had dinner at Almar, a high-end restaurant in The Red Mangrove Lodge. It was about a 15 minute leisurely walk from our hotel. The restaurant was beautiful, a bit avant-garde, and featured a deck overlooking the bay. Unfortunately, we could not see anything at night.
The food at Almar was excellent. On our first night there, Hubby and I had Lechon (pork) and Lomo Encantado (steak), perhaps because we already had several days of seafood. However, after learning that Almar is known for seafood, we "forced" ourselves to have fish and shrimp the next evening.
The wine selection was excellent, but the desserts need a little work. Service was very good, but can be somewhat snobby. I wonder if it's because "we did not dress the part" (we packed very light) or we were "sent by the travel agency" and the servers did not think we're sophisticated food people.
On our third night, we dined at Nuovo Il Giardino, where we were treated to a fabulous three-course meal. Since it was Christmas eve, I had ham for the appetizer. One bite brought back to Christmas eve at my grandmother's home in Manila. We both had fish for dinner and enjoyed guava cheesecake with frutilla and an apple crumble for dessert. Our dinner also included a glass of wine each. We opted for the white wine from Argentina - it was a great match for my ham, Hubby's lobster quiche and our fish risotto. Just perfect.
Of the two, I think my favorite is Il Giardino because of the friendly atmosphere and service. It was more casual than Almar, but very comfortable. Since it was on the second floor, it was almost like a tree house and gave a unique ambience. The dining area had good view of the avenida even in the evening, perfect for people watching.
On our first two nights, we had dinner at Almar, a high-end restaurant in The Red Mangrove Lodge. It was about a 15 minute leisurely walk from our hotel. The restaurant was beautiful, a bit avant-garde, and featured a deck overlooking the bay. Unfortunately, we could not see anything at night.
The food at Almar was excellent. On our first night there, Hubby and I had Lechon (pork) and Lomo Encantado (steak), perhaps because we already had several days of seafood. However, after learning that Almar is known for seafood, we "forced" ourselves to have fish and shrimp the next evening.
The wine selection was excellent, but the desserts need a little work. Service was very good, but can be somewhat snobby. I wonder if it's because "we did not dress the part" (we packed very light) or we were "sent by the travel agency" and the servers did not think we're sophisticated food people.
On our third night, we dined at Nuovo Il Giardino, where we were treated to a fabulous three-course meal. Since it was Christmas eve, I had ham for the appetizer. One bite brought back to Christmas eve at my grandmother's home in Manila. We both had fish for dinner and enjoyed guava cheesecake with frutilla and an apple crumble for dessert. Our dinner also included a glass of wine each. We opted for the white wine from Argentina - it was a great match for my ham, Hubby's lobster quiche and our fish risotto. Just perfect.
Of the two, I think my favorite is Il Giardino because of the friendly atmosphere and service. It was more casual than Almar, but very comfortable. Since it was on the second floor, it was almost like a tree house and gave a unique ambience. The dining area had good view of the avenida even in the evening, perfect for people watching.
One important note: not once did we get sick on food and water. Perhaps its because we have learned in the past to be careful (remind me to tell you the Alpaca story from Peru). Although we brought water purification tablets, we never used them. Fatigue, on the other hand, was a different story -- hence resting.
Next up: The Tours
Related Posts:
Isla San Cristobal
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