Day 3 - Ecuador - Galapagos 2

          We started off Day 3 by waking up bright and early to get ready for our all-day excursion to Bartolome Island and Pinnacle Rock. A boat took us to the island where we climbed 328 steps up Summit Trail along a volcano to view one of the most panoramic sights in the Galapagos area. On the trail we saw many lava formations, lava lizards, and lava hoppers (named after the grass hopper). The view at the top was gorgeous. Pinnacle Rock, a landmark of Galapagos, is one of the best recognized and most photographed sights in the Galapagos Islands.The northern beach is a popular snorkeling site where we had the opportunity to snorkle and swim with fish, sea lions and sharks. We arrived at the beach at around 1 o'clock, which is a common time for a siesta, or an afternoon nap, in Spanish culture. The sea lions rolled up in the sand to keep cool and lay along the beach quietly sleeping while visitors came and went. After cooling off at the beach, the guided tour took us to an island that was covered in lava rock formations. We were able to walk on the island and observe the flow of the lava that dried on the land. This was a fun experience for me because just three summers ago, I was hiking on a glaciers and now on lava! I'll put up some cool pictures from the islands in the next post.

          The three-hour boat ride home was a long and tiring ride. Because of the small boat and powerful waves, my brother and I started feeling very sea sick after a while. To help us out, a couple from the U.S. that was on our tour told us to watch the horizon. I stood at the end of the boat and watched the line so my eyes could relay to my brain that the boat was still --- a great psychology trick if you are ever in this situation! After about 20 minutes of watching the horizon, I noticed some aquatic animals leaping out of the water and splashing in. I kept watching to make sure I was not imagining this unique experience. About five minutes later, I saw three more of the "unidentified" fish jump out of the water, as if they were escaping some kind of predator. After talking with the couple, we came to the conclusion that the fish were actually rays, either playing with each other or escaping from another creature trying to kill them. Every five or ten minutes, we would exclaim, "Look! There's another!" as the rays jumped out of the water. After an hour into the journey, I saw something larger swim right by the ship. There were two of them, black and larger than a sea lion, swimming in a sinusoidal fashion. As they came closer to the boat, I realized that the two mystery animals were actually dolphins that were accompanying us on our journey home. Due to the excitement of seeing my favorite animal, I forgot all about my sea sickness and had a relaxing journey back to the hotel.