(Note: I apologize for the duplication in yesterday's post--I can't seem to fix it without threat of total disaster--the internet here has been a challenge.)
Yesterday, our first full day aboard ship, was a sea day, which gave us a chance to re-group and catch our breath after our time in Guayaquil. The day before, our driver Antonio had picked us up at the hotel to deliver us to the port, but Maybell had warned us that he would not be able to accompany us past the "second gate". She gave us careful instructions about what to do once inside the two gates: walk 50 yards or so schlepping the bags, find the "orange bus" (be sure it is ORANGE), proceed to the ship and hope for the best. She wasn't able to come because she was meeting a group of Germans from our ship the Explorer who had at the last minute engaged her services for the day. How hard could it be?
When Antonio arrived, Jose was with him saying that he was a friend of Maybell and would help us find the ship. All I can say is had he not been there, it never would have happened. When we finally reached the port security gate, a flurry of Spanish ensued and Antonio and Jose talked their way into the inner sanctum which is the port. There were crowds of people and chaotic traffic within its boundaries and eventually we were unloaded into a group of people all seemingly bound for different destinations. Another flurry of Spanish and some arm-waving and suddenly our bags were loaded onto a luggage mover, Jose and Antonio were saying goodbye and we were going through yet another security check-point. We had no idea what was happening, I had little faith that we would end up in the right place, but miraculously a Silversea crew member appeared to put us on the right path. Chaos magically disappeared and soon we were inside the ship and shown to our suites. Dinner that night was an Ecuadorian tasting menu featuring delectable prawns prepared several different ways.
I was looking forward to the sea day--nothing to do but gaze at the ocean and hope to catch a glimpse of a whale or a pod of dolphins. We actually did see several humpbacks and hundreds of dolphins very close to the ship. But mostly we were busy with a mandatory Zodiak briefing, a run-down of the schedule for the coming two weeks, a cooking demonstration about the prominence of bananas and plantains in Ecuadorian cooking and a lecture on the Moche civilization, an extinct people who dominated the coast of Peru from about AD 100 to AD 750. They were quite a sadistic lot and we were treated to gory descriptions of their ritualistic human sacrifices and some rather odd sexual practices. This was to prepare us for a visit to their ancient site tomorrow. More about them later.
But today was our first taste of what an expedition cruise is all about. After cruising 230 nautical miles from Guayaquil, the ship stopped in the middle of the ocean and this morning we boarded Zodiaks for a ten minute ride to Isla Lobos de Tierra, home to thousands of Peruvian pelicans and blue-footed boobies, and a smattering of vultures and sea lions.
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| Blue footed boobies... |
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| Thousands of Peruvian Pelicans... |
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| And wonderful shrimp for lunch on the deck
We were back before noon and enjoyed a bloody Mary and the freshest grilled shrimp on the deck where we were treated to yet another romp by a couple of humpback whales.
The ride in the Zodiak was quite interesting. We were instructed exactly what to do but the sea was choppy and the thing bobbed furiously when I was trying to transfer from the tiny platform on the ship into the rubber raft. We were wearing the mandatory Zodiak lifevests, plus our complimentary Silversea backpacks as well as our water shoes because this was to be a "wet landing". This means that on the island we had to jump into the water and walk ashore. Those of you who know me know I am not the most athletic person in the world, plus arthritis has squelched my more limber days, but I'm proud to say I made it without disgracing myself. One lady literally had to be picked up and unceremoniously dumped into the raft when she couldn't quite make it on her own.
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