Getting to the Galapagos Islands and Santa Cruz

Due to the remoteness, the Galápagos islands are not an easy place to get to. The best way to get there is by taking a plane from the Gyuaquil or Quito airports on the mainland. I flew AeroGal into the Isle of Baltra (about an hour and a half from Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz), but there are daily flights to San Cristobal as well. For being so isolated, the Baltra airport was really nice. There is an $100 entrance fee when arriving in the islands. Make sure to have cash available, as they do not accept anything else. Here is a map of the Galápagos Islands from Wikipedia to help make understanding the archipelago a little simpler.

 

From Baltra, I took a bus, a boat, and another bus to get to Puerto Ayora. Boats are the best way to get around the islands. I didn't spend a long time on Santa Cruz, but i did stay just long enough to photograph some of the unique animals that call the island their home. 

The first thing I noticed about the Santa Cruz port, was the abundance of marine iguanas. Hundred sit out in the sun, layered on top of each other creating a really cool sight. 

Red Rock Crabs also sit on the rocks around the port. They are quick, so getting a good photo was not easy! Remember that even though the animals may look friendly, it is dangerous to touch them and could result in an injury. It is illegal to touch the animals, and the Galapagos National Park Service recommends staying at least 6 feet away at all times.

   Sea lions casually stroll along the port and fall asleep on boats, benches, and walkways. They will pose for pictures and make cute noises to get the tourists attention. It is rare for sea lions to be so friendly. Remember not to touch, but you can get close enough to snap a few awesome photos!

  Photo courtesy of my friend Jamie Killian 

    

Mitad del Mundo and the Intiñan Solar Museum

Mitad del Mundo
Welcome to Ecuador!

Located in Pichincha, Ecuador just outside of Quito, the Mitad del Mundo monument is one of the most visited places in all of Ecuador. The whole complex contains a museum, a viewpoint, statues, stores, and many restaurants. The best part is, that the equator line runs right through the monument. It's fun to place one foot in the Northern hemisphere and in the Southern hemisphere. The line at the monument is the old Equator calculation. The newer and supposedly more accurate line is at the Intiñan Solar Museum a few miles away.





Walking up to the monument, I passed by many colorful statues of painted hummingbirds. Each one had a different theme regarding different parts of Ecuador. After passing two or three, I realized that they were actually benches!



Each level of the monument is a part of The Mitad del Mundo museum. Collectively, all of the floors together form a timeline of Ecuadorian history, complete with interactive games and exhibits. Once at the top, there are views of the whole Mitad del Mundo area and even the mountains behind it.

The restaurants, cultural shows, and shops are located in the Central Plaza. When I was there, there were many women and men in colorful costumes dancing to upbeat music. Dancing, singing, and other forms of entertainment usually occur at Mitad del Mundo on weekends. I recommend going on a Saturday if the option is available.

In the Central Plaza, there are many stores that are great for souvenir shopping. I recommend looking for products unique to Ecuador, such as alpaca wool sweaters, tagua nuts, Pacari chocolate (a personal favorite) and organic coffee.

Also, be sure to try out some Ecuadorian soda. There are a lot of interesting flavors that we don't have in the United States. There are snack stands all around the monument selling drinks, chips, and candy.

Intiñan Solar Museum



Another Equator-themed spot to visit in Quito is the Intiñan Solar Museum. This is where tourists can visit the newer Lat 0.0.0 calculation. The actual museum is outside, and the guides take you around to see some exhibits on the amazon, depictions of Ecuadorian daily life, inside an extremely old house (with lots of guinea pigs), and of course the Equator line!

                     





The main focus of the Intiñan Solar Museum is the Equator line. The tour guides offer different demonstrations to show how the physical forces affect different experiments on either side of the line. Some are questionable, but it is always fun to test them for yourself! The tour takes about 30-40 minutes long but there is a small market and a snack stand, so in total the site can probably be seen in around an hour.

Happy Travels!
❤ Gwyn