We were in serious need of a laundry having just come back
from Isla Isabela the previous day. There was one just a few minutes’ walk from
our hotel so we took our dirty clothes there. The charge was only $1.40 a kilo
and that include ironing! Steven said he should pay triple for his cargo pants
as he’d worn them nonstop for several days and they looked pretty deplorable!
We walked through town to one of the few sights we hadn't seen it, Laguna de las Ninfas. Photos along the way:
The pretty entrance to the enclosed lagoon:
According to the sign, the boardwalk around the lagoon was 300 meters long and the visit would only take an hour. We were warned to be quiet as noise would scare the animals.
The boardwalk took
us in and out of the mangrove forests. As I wrote previously, they provided important ecological functions in the Galapagos as they were home to a large variety of fish, crab and species of mollusks. The forests also purified water, served as nurseries for fish as well as trapping sediments and pollutants. In addition, their roots stabilized the ground preventing erosion. There were four mangrove species in the Galapagos: Red, Black, White and Button.
A new bird for us to enjoy:
There were two mangrove forests in the lagoon. This was the White Mangrove, so named because of the white color of the trunk. It could be recognized by its paler, oval leaves and flask-shaped fruits. It's often accompanied by the Red Mangrove forest.
I loved the advice written on the boardwalk: 'Breathe in the scents and colors that surround you.'
Sometimes people are lucky enough to spot sting rays, baby
sharks, sea turtles and other creatures at this lagoon. We weren't that lucky, though, that day.
Different shaped leaves signified this was the Red Mangrove.
The sign at our feet helped, too, figuring out which one it was!
The Red Mangrove had dark green, waxy leaves and above-ground prop roots which transported air to the roots below the ground. Its fruit was long and shaped like a bottle. I thought it was so neat!
I looked but couldn't find any signs of its fruit.
The Las Ninfas was a gathering point of fresh water that came from the highlands and sea water that entered as a result of the tide. The salinity determined the life that developed in the lagoon.
After leaving Laguna Las Ninfas, we decided to return to the Las Grietas beach that afternoon as it was the closest one and the weather looked
iffy with mist and drizzle falling to consider going further afield.
Going to any of the beaches near Puerto Ayora wasn't a spur of the moment decision as it involved taking a water taxi across the bay and then hiking along the path. We still thought it'd be well worth it, though.
Seeing the sea lion snoozing on the bench was sure to boost anyone's spirits and make one smile!
Views from our spot on the beach: Can't get much more beautiful than that, we figured. The sun finally made an appearance which was perfect. It was
so blissful not having to do anything or be anywhere.
Our last iguana sighting was, fittingly, an adorable baby one!
It was amazing that Ecuadorian law stipulated that anyone wanting to enter a bar or disco (!!) had to provide a passport and not a copy!
From the cute bathroom-sign department! Did you figure we ate a slice of pizza that night?!
Our laundry cost less than $5 which was the cheapest we've ever paid in our lives as far as we could remember and that include ironing it, too!
It was sad to think that this was our last day in the Galapagos Islands as we'd had such an incredible time there the previous ten or so days. It was without a doubt one of our trip's absolute highlights: being able to be so close to the amazing giant tortoises in the breeding pens, in semi-wild areas as well as on the road to the Wall of Tears over on Isla Isabela was an experience we'll never forget; our first look at the exquisite blue-footed boobies; gazing in wonder at the flamingos; viewing the magnificent frigate birds and snorkeling among the turtles and sharks and I could go on and on but I am sure you sense my enchantment for the islands by now!
Next post: Another country awaited our discovery.
Posted at long last on December 3rd, 2017, from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dearest Anne and Steven : I echo your enchantment with the islands !! Thanks for sharing all the photos and tales of their wondrous residents. xo Lina, just back from sunny AZ where one sees desert creatures like scorpions and javelinas, neither of which are the slightest bit attractive or enchanting !
ReplyDeleteLina,
DeleteWe were so lucky to have seen so many incredibly beautiful creatures and landscapes on our ten day visit to the Galapagos. I am happy that the posts were able to convey the islands' magic.
It's been so great experiencing the galapagos islands through the both of you! Natalie and I have added the islands to our travel list due to these posts.
ReplyDeleteAdam,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you have enjoyed reading about our exploits in the Galapagos and that you've added them to your travel list with Natalie. You won't go wrong wherever you visit in the islands!