基多、利马、圣地亚哥

从加拉巴哥(Galápagos)， 我连续到访了三个南美洲国家的首都：厄瓜多尔的基多(Ecuador’s Quito)、秘鲁的利马(Peru’s Lima)和智利的圣地亚哥 (Chile’s Santiago)。 

基多

我在基多逗留了一个星期，主要为的是到巴西的领事馆申请旅游签证。从领事馆跑到两条街之远的银行付款，再回到领事馆时，已经是1点01分. 领事馆一点关门，需要等到周一恢复营业。幸亏我在电梯内遇到了高官，他把我领回领事馆，找了另一名同事为我处理文件。之后，我还需要等上5个工作日才能领取旅游签证。由于我之前已经购买了到利马的机票，这第二位贵人告诉我4个工作日后就能来领取签证。 

在等待的当儿，我参观了地球中央公园 (La Mitad del Mundo)。厄瓜多尔在西班牙语中译为赤道。公园以基多的位置在赤道上为主题，不是很精彩，而且有点偏远。若不是有Keith同行，还给计程车费讨价，真还有一点不值得。

三个首都里，我只选择参观厄瓜多尔画家瓜亚萨敏(Oswaldo Guayasamin)的男人的教堂美术馆(Capilla del Hombre)。这是他生前所创办的美术馆，里面有很多黑暗与悲伤的画作。瓜亚萨敏被厄瓜多尔人誉为毕加索第二，我个人觉得有点夸张。其中，我最不认同的是一幅只有灰色的油画。我总是搞不清楚这类画作怎么能被挂在美术馆，一幅类似墙上油漆的画，谁都能“创作”。不是吗？ 

Capilla del Hombre

瓜亚萨敏的画作
本源：www.guayasamin.org

我最喜欢的旅游景点是总统府卫兵举行的换岗仪式。总统科雷亚（Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado）每逢周一的十一点，都会到场检阅，向民众挥手。民众挥旗、欢呼、致以热烈的掌声。同一时候，也有摇旗呐喊口号的示威民众。 

总统府

总统科雷亚

影像： 卫兵换岗仪式

利马

我匆匆到利马一游，只因为进出利马飞机场四次却从未进入城市，所以对它稍微有点好奇。有秘鲁人形容利马的一些年轻人为食人鱼(piranha) ，原因是他们会围攻游客，咬着游客身上的“肥肉”不放，抢夺成功后溜走。所幸我没机会遇上食人鱼。 

在利马所见不多，只能说我喜欢利马古城的旧式建筑物，尤其是双层式阳台 。

天主教堂

工匠修复阳台

圣地亚哥

三个首都中， 圣地亚哥感觉上最安全。我在圣地亚哥的时候，正逢圣诞游行。大街被封锁，禁止车辆通行。卡通人物气球从人群中穿过，要操纵（比如转圈圈）还真不容易。 

我从住家走约30分钟，到都会公园（Parque Metropolitano）再走20分钟才到达圣母像。从山上暸望，圣地亚哥四面环山。听说冬天到山上滑雪，特别方便。

我参观了邮政局里的博物馆。博物馆入门免费，展示了旧时的通讯器材、邮箱和邮票。

邮政局外观

1920年的Ericsson电话

1951年的邮箱

6 months on

I reached my 6-month milestone while at sea in Galápagos. I felt very fortunate to be travelling in good health, safe and sound and without losing most of my possession although I carelessly threw away one of my earrings the day before, thinking it was part of the biscuit crumbs in the pocket of bag (I have removed my earrings and left them in the pocket in case I lost them while snorkelling). By the time I remembered, the very hardworking staff on the boat had already emptied the rubbish bin in my room. Oh well, my own stupid mistake. 

During my travels, I had met many people from very different work background - pilots, nurse/paramedic, teacher, science researchers, retirees (not all of them are old), lawyers, au pair... Many of whom are working just so that they could travel. Some take up contract jobs overseas. Some work very hard in relatively harsh conditions (and presumably for better pay) for 6 months (say, in the mine) and then travel for 6 months.

There were a lot of small talks. The most commonly asked questions have been: 

- What is your name? 

- Where are you from? Where is Singapore? What is the population? What is the highest mountain in Singapore? What is the national animal/bird/flower of Singapore? Which part of Sydney do you live in? 

- How long does it take to fly here from Singapore? (This question would then lead the other party to find out that I had not flown from Singapore.)

- How long have you been travelling? Where did you go? What is your favourite destination so far? Where are you going next? Are you travelling alone? Will you be meeting up with family/ friends to travel together? 

- What is your profession? 

Then the discussion topics would become more personal: 

- How many brothers and sisters do you have? 

- Do you live with your parents? 

- Are you married? 

- Have you got a boyfriend? Why not? Why??? (erm, what answer were you expecting for this question? Seriously!) 

- How old are you? (Most people actually thought that I am 26 years old. Phwahahahahaha!!!!! It always made my day and I never, for once, thought they were just being polite.)

Through the small talks, I learnt more from people from other countries - their lives, food, language, culture... Some further confirmed stereotypes but mostly, it affirmed that if people communicate, some conflicts/wars can be averted.

On the negative front, I had to deal with 2 news of deaths from a distance. Both knew me since I was a baby. It was difficult but we coped somehow.

Galápagos : Tips and considerations

Booking a cruise

If you have the time to spare, you may want to book a cruise in Galápagos (instead of online or in advance). 
Pro: Many people have been led to believe that the last minute bookings can cost as cheap as half the original listed price. A boat sails with the same crew and similar fuel and food supply regardless if it is full or half full – from a cut loss perspective, it therefore makes sense to sell the last slots cheap than not at all. (The agents would request that the ‘special price’ not to be discussed with others on the boat. As nobody discusses the price, I really cannot confirm if it is a case of everyone paying half the price or only some people pay half the price.) 
Cons: You may not be able to travel on the boat/date/route that you prefer. You may also have to stay on the island for a few days before departure date.

When comparing prices, you may want to check if snorkeling gears are included for free and also what type of gears would be available. I have read reviews that some boats charge for snorkeling gear (our gears on M/S Samba were available for free and most were in very good conditions). On our last snorkeling trip at Isla Isabella, we were wearing long wetsuits and still felt very cold. At the same snorkeling site, we saw people from another boat wearing shorties or swimming costumes (our guess was that the boat only rent shorties and those wearing swimming costumes did not rent the wetsuits because it cost extra). Nobody would enjoy the snorkeling at all in freezing water.

I think both the North and South routes provide fantastic opportunities to get close to real action and unless one is after specific birds, there is really no right or wrong answer to choosing a route. For those with sufficient funds and time, you may even want to do both routes. In the case of M/S Samba, the starting point for the North route and the South route is the Baltra airport and Puerto Ayora respectively. I think both end at the Baltra airport. If you want to do both the North and South routes, it would therefore make more sense to start with the North route (ie you will be picked up from the airport when you arrive, instead of having to make the way on your own to Puerto Ayora), followed by the South route.

There is probably no right or wrong season to go. The animals seem to behave differently on each island. For example, the breeding season for marine iguana is January in Isabela, June in Fernandina and September in Santa Cruz. You will probably catch something unique at any time during the year.

For people who are new to snorkeling, you may want join a cruise instead of day trip for snorkeling. I am not sure if it is the norm but when I was at San Cristobal for the day tour, the guide had left it to the participants to snorkel on their own. I think the assumption may be that whomever join the snorkeling day trip would know how to use the gear and how to snorkel. I was glad my first snorkeling experience was with the cruise. Both captain and guide made sure I knew how to use the gear and took turns to stay with me until I was comfortable in the water.

Equipment

One of my favourite photographs of the Galápagos penguins
Photo credit: Sari

Bring a camera with quick shuttle speed. I found taking photographs on the boats difficult as both and wildlife moved at the same time. 

Bring a dry sack or something waterproof to protect your camera.  When you are moving from boat to shore, water can splash into the dinghy. Sometimes during wet landing, the water can be knee deep.

I found out about GoPro camera in Antarctica and was quite impressed by it. It is very small, can take both photographs and videos and strapped on one's chest or head. I thought it would be a good idea to use GoPro instead of a waterproof camera when snorkelling as it frees up your hands and also allow you to look at the wildlife and environment with your eyes instead of the viewfinder while the camera continuously and automatically take photographs or videos.

Others

There would be 1 million photo opportunities – everything is cute/ beautiful/ interesting/ so close… Do take time, however, to look away from the view finder – only then, would you be able to open 100% of your senses to take in maybe 80% of the sight, sounds and smell. Even though I do not have the photographs, I will always remember how the penguins torpedoed through the water, how a booby hurriedly swallowed an octopus as we approached (as if we were going to steal the octopus!), how the manta rays leap from the water… There were sounds that I cannot share, like the high frequency pitches of the dolphins in the water. You really have to come here to experience the excitement of that magical chance meeting with wildlife.

Dew on spider webs

Galápagos : Carcasses and skeletons

We saw quite a number of carcasses and skeletons on the islands and I thought they made really interesting study specimens.

The only rat we saw was dead
Elizabeth Bay, Isabela

Heron, Punta Albemarle bay, Isabela

Red footed booby whose mum
did not make it back to the nest in
Darwin Bay, Genovesa

Marine iguana skeleton at Punta Albemale bay, Isabela

L: skull of sea lion R: skull of dolphin in Darwin Bay, Genovesa

Skeleton body of whale and skull of dolphin at Punta Espinosa, Fernandina

Shell of crab at Las Bachas, Santa Cruz

Needleless sea urchins bodies at Punta Albemale bay, Isabela

Needles from sea urchins at Punta Albemale bay, Isabela

Galápagos : San Cristobal

San Cristóbal is the fifth largest and easternmost island of the Galapagos. It is home to the oldest permanent settlement and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. (Source: www.galapagos.org)

I had signed up for a snorkelling day trip at the island. Shani and Ruslan from the cruise were on the same trip too. 

We first visited La Loberia, coral sand beach named after the large number of sea lions resting on the rocks and sand.

Sea lions are animals with a strong territorial sense. Adult males defend their boundaries from other males. They spend much of the day watching over their territory and issuing a series of sounds and movements reaffirming their territorial power. (Source: www.galapagospark.org)

In this case, the beach master did not had to do much.

Beach master surrounded by females and babies

Video: Beach master was finally awake

The sea lions were just like dogs. Some of them were really friendly and came very close to us. Shani had to tell them the rule about how we need to keep a distance:

Sit!

When we were at San Cristobal in mid November, there were many newborns. They were suckling, sleeping and clumsily getting used to the water and the rocks.

Video: Juveniles and babies in pool

Suckling baby

We saw one with its placenta still attached. Our guide told us if we have scissors or a penknife, we could cut the umbilical cord. I really wondered if that was a good idea since the process would then transfer our smell to the baby and the mother may reject the baby thereafter. The baby cried repeatedly for its mother but she stayed put.

Video: baby crying out for mum

The baby then climbed feebly to its mother. The poor thing was struggling as the placenta got trapped in between the rocks and had to tug with all its might to move across the beach to its mum.

Placenta got stuck in between rocks

Bloody trail left behind

It finally got to its mum but we were not sure why it was not suckling.

León Dormido

After lunch, we visited 2 snorkelling sites. The first one was at León Dormido, where the rocks are famed for looking like a sleeping lion. The currents were strong and visibility was next to zero that three quarter of the group gave up half way through the snorkel and did not enter water again.

The sunset was not too bad though.