Smooth check-in (formalities), despite not following procedure. Our agent, Javier Plua Rizzo with YachtGala proved his worth in gold and made the magic happen. We were supposed to notify him 24 hours prior to our arrival so he could schedule the 8-10 officials who needed to clear us into the Galapagos. But, our SSB went out half way through the trip, so we were not able to contact him until 12 hours after we arrived. Within the hour, he was able to schedule the arrival of the officials and fumigation for 10:00am.
We left the boat during the fumigation and met the Barkers at Midori Sushi. Matt and Diana arrived into San Cristobal before we did and stayed at the beautiful Golden Bay Hotel. They enjoyed an awesome dive at Kicker rock, scoped out the town, found the market, and discovered the unofficial sea wolf breeding grounds.
Sea Wolves (Sea Lions):
The beach in front of the Golden Bay Hotel is where all the sea wolves gather. Here, they learn to swim, nurse, look adorable, sunbathe, and hang out with their family and friends.
Sea Wolves in front of Golden Bay Hotel
Diana spent hours watching the sea wolf mayhem while imagined how they could smuggle one home.
San Cristobal Tourist Sites:
We walked around the small town a bit and took in the sights during the late afternoon. Lots of “marketing” opportunities in this small town.
We came across a giant San Cristobal branded surf board and took a photo with Sugar Shack in the background. They had lots of these “cactus trees”, a cool pond with the entire Galapagos archipelago laid out, and Charles Darwin and the Beagle.
Galapagos Sights
We called it an early night after sunset cocktails at Golden Bay – Matt and I are still recovering from the 6-day passage.
Coming Up Next:
We sail to Santa Cruz and pick up Wayne for more adventures.