Galapagos December 2002
Robert "Doc" Adelman
Galapadiving - Land Based
Our 12 day trip to the Ecuadorian Islands of the Galapagos
(Archipelago
de Colon) in early December 2002 gave us days that were increasingly
more remarkable as time went on.
QUITO: American Airlines took us from Miami to Quito where it is
Eastern time and they the national currency has been switched to US
Dollars. At 9000 feet the air is thin and the Sun is quite effective.
It's also cool at night... in the 50's or less. Pam's relationship with
the Hilton Colon made the late night arrival an easy transfer. The
incoming customs was fairly brisk and baggage could be self handled or a
porter would assist your exit through the throngs of those waiting for
relatives or to offer transport. The Hilton had a rep there with a bus,
but it was obvious that you could easily get to any hotel of your
choosing. The Hilton's Executive Floor handled anything we needed, and
had internet access. Food was a bargain anywhere, even room service at
the Hilton. Obviously, even better prices were available at local
restaurants.
Due to connections to the Galapagos, you are pretty well stuck
with an
overnight in Quito. We elected to arrive in Quito after our 4 hour
Southbound flight on Saturday evening so that we could spend a full day
on Sunday sampling the local crafts markets that lie next to the Hilton.
In the Parque del Ejido directly to the South of the Hotel (Also
referred to as Rio Amazonas Park as this Avenue dead ends into it) there
were 200 or so stalls that were arrayed with everything from Galapagos
"I love Boobies" t-shirts to intricate arts and crafts and elegant
clothing and weaving. By our US standards, the prices were 1/2 to 1/3 of
what one might find in the US for similar goods. Just to the NE corner
of the Hilton was a permanent artists market with solid structure
covered flea market stalls. Fabulous artwork quality clothing and
carvings were available at startling prices. A lovely leather & cloth
weaving patchwork sweater was $28, the matching (huge) shawl was $33.
Tagu,
a nut that when carved looks like ivory was everywhere.
Quito is a huge city best done in the daylight. Stay in the
market
parks. We are both extremely observant and this helped prevent one
directly attempted assault when we strayed a mere 30' outside of the
park area. It was a little tense for a few seconds but we both dealt
very effectively with the two goofs who squirted barbecue sauce on us
from behind, then tried to be kind and point this out to us. Maybe it
was the 4" lockback knife (now in airline checked baggage) I always
carry that gave them second thoughts or maybe it was how Pam and I
instinctually split up and began to encircle them instead, but they gave
it up as we exited the area. On other streets, we were being sized up
quite often. (In a one hour walk we had 6 solid contacts) Best advice:
Don't fall for the ketchup trick, stay out of the "old city", be
absolutely aware of your entire surroundings (front/rear/side), do not
let approaching throngs of women or kids near you (cross the street
immediately). Stay inside the market areas of the Parks.
GALAPAGOS: The Monday transfer from the hotel to the TAME
(Transport
Aero Military Ecuador) facility which is located just before (S) of the
International Terminal is very early in the morning. TAME insists that
we arrive at 05:30, two hours before the 07:30 flight from Quito via
Quayaquil (don't even THINK of going out of the airport there) to Baltra
(Galapagos). Go to the far end of the hall first to what passes as a
special area for ensuring that you are not importing any alien critters
to the Galapagos, a protected area. They may ask to open your suitcases.
You will exit this space directly at the TAME desk for the flight to
Baltra Galapagos. Then you will wait in this line until 06:40 when they
will finish handling all other flights and passengers and turn their
attention to the next immediate task of the day, sending you and all the
other annoying tourists on your $400 round trip flight to paradise. TAME
(Typically Angry Malevolent Employees). It as at this point that you may
or may not be advised that you have exceeded the 20 kilo (44#) limit per
person and that you will now have to pay in cash $1.72 per kilo
additional. They may also charge you the same extra upon your return
from Baltra. If you are nice they may ignore it or charge you less. We
had both occur.
Do not drink the coffee in the TAME waiting area without test
sipping
it first. There. I warned you. Ladies: Wherever you may go, carry tissue
with you. (Obvious good advice for any international travel). The flight
is 2 hours to fly the 600 miles west into the Pacific where the Equator
meets 90 degrees West Longitude. Try to sit on the Port (left) window
side of the plane as this is the prevailing wind approach giving a
glimpse of the Islands. (Sit on the Starboard when flying back {to
Quito} for the spectacular view of Gordon Rocks and when you get to
Quito, you can make a same day flight Northbound but will need a $25
departure tax). The Baltra Island airport (Central Time Zone) is where
you have the $100 in cash ready and will willingly hand it to the
National Park representatives for the glimpse of heaven you are about to
have.
If you are on a live aboard vessel, you will take a pre arranged
short
ride to the bay just to the SW that your ship is moored in. We had been
on live aboards and have also done land based in the Galapagos
previously. For many reasons, we prefer the land based, but it depends
upon you. Let me tell you why we chose land based dive ops...
Live aboards are the only way to get to Darwin and Wolf islands.
These
are a very very long trip to the NW of Baltra. You will also dive often
the islands nearby Baltra. You will be with predominately US citizens.
You will eat the same cook's food each day. Your bed will rock. You will
be wet for a week. You are locked into a "week" schedule on most boats
that Rodales refers to (Jan/Feb 2003, "Top 100") when they say, "The
only way to dive here is by live-aboard and RSD readers wouldn't have it
any other way". So much for the magazine that "now incorporates Skin
Diver".
We once again selected Scuba Iguana http://www.scubaiguana.com
in
Puerto Ayora to do our diving. From island of Baltra airport, there is a
bus that can
and does go nowhere else but to the ferry dock. $.70 will get you across
to Isla Santa Cruz with your gear. The bus line continues South for an
arrow straight 25 mile trip over two volcanoes to the Southernmost town
of Puerto Ayora. You can do this for $3 or you can request a driver who
will load all of the dive gear that TAME charged you to haul and he will
take you and it through all of this for $40 in a 4 seat pickup truck. We
thought it was worth it, although by Galapagos standards, sheer
extravagance. You go from sea level at Isla Baltra to 850 meters and
then back down to Puerto Ayora. Along the way you may see the huge
Galapagos Land Tortoise in their natural environs of the highlands, you
may see sunshine at the sea and clouds and rain in the micro climates
above. Ask your driver to stop for a moment at the crest of the Volcano
top where the road bisects two long dead volcanos with a mere 100' wide
strip of rock in between (Gemelos). You will pass signs that advise
"Cuidado, Cruces de Tortuga" (Turtle Crossing) which is as much a
warning to save the creature as it is your life as well.
Along this road there is also the Millennium Resort where is
located
also the Lava Tube (tunelos) tour led by Oswaldo. He spent the 60's in
Chicago as a photographer (it turns out that we worked for the same
masters) and you have no doubt that he was indeed there when he says he
went to Woodstock and hung with Janis Joplin in California. He has
lighted the caves that were just discovered in the last 8 years in a
manner that, although currently limited, is esthetically pleasing. We
paid $10 for two for this tour on our last off-gassing day. During that
last day, we hired a driver at $10/hr who, besides taking us to the two
aforementioned features, also took us to a private reserve and
interpretive center for Land Tortoises. These guys are really big, some
shells 48" long. They include rubber overboots in the small fee, maybe
it was $3. Included also, your driver will take you for a walk through
their lava tunnel. Both tunnels are indeed lighted, but we always travel
with a Mag Lite AA mini (1 each) and that proved very useful for a
detailed look at these geologically very young tunnels that were
beginning the cave encrustation process. This second cave did involve
crawling on your stomach through a narrow 2' high constriction. We got a
light smearing of Galapamud, but it was well worth it. Neither of these
are for the infirm, uncoordinated or claustrophobic. We always carry a
day pack with water bottles, etc. Our driver loved the Fig Newtons.
In Puerto Ayora, this is the place where you will find the
largest of
the Galapagos population center and commerce as well. Any Sam's Club
handles cash in a day that would represent the total transactions that
occur here in a year, but it is a town that has balanced the thriving
60,000 tourists per year (A Galapagos Islands total figure) with a
quaint Ecuadorian/European ocean village. With El Nino approaching once
again (as in 1988) we were expecting cool and dry, but instead it was
quite moist for the first few days. Never once did we need rain gear,
but the Gore-Tex coats always went along for apres-dive comfort. You can
walk the ten minutes from one end of the town, along it's one main road,
from the main landing for all visiting boats (including the live
aboards) all the way to the far end which terminates at the Darwin
Research Station and pass delightful little shops with all levels of
artwork, food, internet access... whatever young traveling people might
enjoy. We visited a different restaurant every night, drank liters of
beer for $1.70, and even found "Coke Light" which curiously comes in
silver plastic bottles- to be used later for water. The grocery store
right near the landing was the largest and had a small variety of
cookies, crackers, bread and even peanut butter or tuna fish that would
provide some of our romantic dinners!
The rum was very cheap at $3 for a bottle and the pepper was
indeed
remarkable. Vanilla and Cinnamon came home for the holidays. Pam bought
many items of Ecuadorian craft as well as eclectic Euro style modernism.
At the edge of the Darwin Research station is a nice gift shop that has
surprisingly low prices on "official" clothing. The station is also not
handicapped accessible, but isn't anywhere near as arduous as our
underground adventure. It is open during the daylight hours and you may
walk unguided (or not) and observe the increasingly well interpreted
displays and exhibits. This is not the natural environs for the famous
Galapagos Land Tortoise, but the Research Center has many varieties on
display, including "Lonesome George", the last of his species known to
exist. His presence is a sobering reminder of the effect of non
indigenous species introduction. Earlier seamen introduced the goats and
pigs that have decimated their food source. Galapagoat eradication
programs are
prosecuted vigorously and are effective. Other displays allow you to
walk amongst these living behemoths that may be 150 years old. Bring
your camera!
Just before the gate for the Research station is where we stayed
and
dived. The property is called the Hotel Galapagos (which indeed is
partially inside the Darwin Station) and can be found at
http://www.hotelgalapagos.com This is a property that is at home in
this natural surrounding. Your bungalow's front view will be of a
cracked lava flow rock that is home to the land and marine iguanas. The
place is owned by them. Seals come to your feet. Pelicans fish in the
shallows. It is situated in such a way as to become part of the
Galapagos experience. The owner Jack and his staff have not changed
perfection. The water is reverse osmosis purified, the showers are hot
and the towels are crisp and dry. We paid $100 cash/night for a room
that included a breakfast enough to start the dive day. Evening meals
were priced at $20 each.
Part of the property is Scuba Iguana http://scubaiguana.com and
is
owned and operated by Mathias Espinosa. (Try searching GOOGLE using his
name and IMAX) Mathias appeared in the recent IMAX 3D film,
"Galapagos". He is a "Guia" (naturalist guide) for the Galapagos Parks,
a representative of the Parks to the Government and an incredible source
of diving knowledge and experience. His staff is well trained and
attentive. His dive op features gear that I should have used instead of
dragging my wings and regs along. The boat is a covered 35' (?) vessel
that comfortably held 12 total divers. It was powered with twin 85 hp
motors and had a head for the ladies and roll up plastic drapes for the
side windows. For $110 a day, you got two dives and lunch- discounts for
multiple days. (If after the first day, you'd rather eat the rice and
meat dishes that the crew enjoyed, they may shake their heads, but
you'll probably like it better than the extravagance that they go
through for your meal) The diving starts in the local "Academy Bay"
where they do their orientation dives. On this dive, we checked or
weights and saw schools of "Mobula Rays", white tips, a 24" octopus and
lots of sting rays. The second dive brought us to "Dance with the
Seals". Pam literally started crying tears of joy as they playfully
poked and nipped at us. They took great sport in zooming about us, but
also allowed close interaction for all. There was a cracked wall and
swim through where a 4' (not kidding) sting ray holds court. A white tip
crowds you over to swim through.
Galapagos diving is a different thing for most of us US divers.
It is
often described as "advanced" but nobody tells you what that really
means. If you have 400 dives in the Caribbean you are not advanced. The
Galapagos combines lateral current (that can be extreme) that
necessitates not thermal protection gloves, but common cotton/rubber
work gloves. You hand over hand yourself over the barnacles. The 72
degree water was do-able even by Pam who is always cold... she wore a
5/7, I wore a 3/5. We wore no head gear. Obviously, on a live aboard,
there are other considerations such as more than 2 dives/day and the
decreased recovery factors caused by the stress of the marine shipboard
living environment, so 7 mil with hood would be advised. Buy a pair of
$4 gloves at Home Depot. SI was unfamiliar with Halcyon and integrated
weights but adapted quickly and dealt with lifting them over the gunnels
well. They deal in feet/psi as standard. Live aboards use inflatables
and similar rigid hulls, so you'll have to be comfortable with back roll
entries and drift diving recoveries. Bring your surface signal gear, be
aware of how to use it, but don't plan on it.
Now here's the "advanced" part: In certain dive sites there may
not
only be lateral currents, but vertical as well. Listen carefully to the
Dive Master briefing. What they mean when they talk about upwelling and
down welling should be pre-visualized before the situation. You will be
flying along in the current and pass over pinnacles (looking like sea
mounts) where you must "fly the plane on instruments". Buoyancy skills
have to be on the money. SI at first limits these exposures to the final
portion of your dive where you may already be at 40' after a prolonged
exposure at 80'. (You may be holding on to the volcanic rock for 10
minutes in 80 feet watching the hammerheads circle- divemasters will
share air with a 7' octopus with those who suck air) At this later and
final ascending stage, you will learn about upwelling. Then, if the
water is full of air bubbles from the churn (you may see bubbles going
DOWN past you), you will find that air in your BC won't float you in
water that has so much air in it. You will begin to descend. Take this
initial venture as a lesson to learn.
We were joined on one day by two older (our age) US divers who
were
there early to dive before the Aggressor trip they had booked. They
refused the orientation dive in calm inshore waters and then took 22
minutes of fussing around in open sea (as we sat on the gunnels) jerking
around with her Force Fins and his Bio Fins and deciding whether to wear
a hood. He had a video camera with lights (don't plan on any close ups)
and both of them ran OUT of air without advising the DM of half full
status - as was asked in the briefing. All in all, we preferred diving
with the younger crowd that included 20 to 30 year old British, Aussies,
Spaniards, French and others. Pam was brought to the surface by a DM
when she reached 750 psi, but the lead DM "Pepo" and I would suck it
down to my 200 after 1 hour and then surface.
We saw squadrons of creatures. Hammerheads, White Tips,
Galapagos
Sharks, little critters, too. The two most common Nudibranchs were a
small (1") blue black which was hunted always by the larger (3") version
of a different species. There are two common sponges that adhere to the
flat contours, one grey and one yellow. Orange Cup Coral was out and
sparkling even in the daylight. The locals wrote this off to the
commonly occluded viz (50' max), but I had never seen it out and feeding
in anywhere near this light condition.
In short, we saw everything that the people see on a live
aboard. I
compared notes with some that we met in the town and airport. I have
chatted with them in previous years. I've been on Galapagos live
aboards. So that's how we made the choice to go with a land based
operation. Another operation that I would rate a distant second would be
Nauti Diving which is also located on that same main street. Scuba
Iguana, though, is far and away the best choice, superior to most
Caribbean operators. Scuba Iguana will leave it's boat at Baltra, 30
miles North, and will take you by cab to the boat to explore islands
such as San Salvador Elizabeth, Pinzon. From it's home base of Puerto
Ayora, we went to Santa Fe and Gordon Rocks.
Gordon Rocks is best described as an underwater volcano. You
will glide
around the remnants of a crater, over the pinnacles of an eroding wall,
all the time looking at hammerheads, rays, seals and more. The next day,
you will stand atop a 2600' collapsed lava dome, then crawl in a lava
tube 150' below the earth.
NB: Quite often working there is the French author of any number
of
Galapagos Diving books, Pierre Constant. Check your bookstore under
Galapagos/Ecuador. He is well known in this area of expertise and he
stays with his groups at the Hotel Galapagos and dives with Scuba
Iguana.
NB: Mathias also has a few CD's available throughout the
Galapagos. One
is Sons of Galapagos, the other is Iguanamen. Both are excellent.
If you have any questions in regards to Galapagos diving or
specific
travel destinations, always consult http://groups.google.com/ If you
have any unanswered questions about what we consider to be a quite
viable option, the land based dive op, please feel free to write.
--
Doc _(:)0
"I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man,
Send Lawyers, Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan"
-Warren Zevon
--
Doc _(:)0
"I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man,
Send Lawyers, Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan"
-Warren Zevon
Dan Bracuk
: Galapagos diving is a different thing for most of us US divers.
:It is
:often described as "advanced" but nobody tells you what that really
:means. If you have 400 dives in the Caribbean you are not advanced. The
:Galapagos combines lateral current (that can be extreme) that
:necessitates not thermal protection gloves, but common cotton/rubber
:work gloves. You hand over hand yourself over the barnacles. The 72
:degree water was do-able even by Pam who is always cold... she wore a
:5/7, I wore a 3/5.
Guess the water has cooled down a bit. It was 80ish when I was there in March. At that temperature, barnacles or no barnacles, bare hands were fine.
You just have to know where to grab. In fact once I put my finger over one of the little holes, and got poked from within.
Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Dan Bracuk
Toronto Canada
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will do.
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Shootndive
>From: Robert \"Doc\" Adelman lawyers-g...@att.net
>Date: 12/12/2002 7:59 PM Central Standard Time
>Quito is a huge city best done in the daylight. Stay in the
>market
>parks. We are both extremely observant and this helped prevent one
>directly attempted assault when we strayed a mere 30' outside of the
>park area.
That sounds like Quito. Knowing the do's and don'ts is imperative. Nighttime
sure as hell ain't the right time !
> Maybe it
>was the 4" lockback knife (now in airline checked baggage) I always
>carry that gave them second thoughts ...
Funny you mention this. For those of us that carry, navigating Quito streets
without feels odd. I carried a locking folder. Before 9/11 it doubled as a
money clip as I arrived at airport security. Never got a glance if you know
what I mean. Those days are gone for sure.
>On other streets, we were being sized up
>quite often. (In a one hour walk we had 6 solid contacts)
Yep. Its actually kind of fun. A game you don't want to lose, though. I've been
chastised over discussing the personal safety issues of visiting Quito. Some
seem to take offense over the issue. However, after a nice dinner out on the
town we were hustled into a waiting cab by a shotgun toting security guard,
which was apparently standard operating procedure. At our hotel we went outside
in broad daylight to enjoy a few beers on an open patio. We were shadowed so
tight by hotel security I finally offered to buy him a beer..he settled on a
cup of coffee.
> at this point that you may
>or may not be advised that you have exceeded the 20 kilo (44#) limit per
>person and that you will now have to pay in cash $1.72 per kilo
>additional. They may also charge you the same extra upon your return
>from Baltra. If you are nice they
>may ignore it or charge you less. We
>had both occur
Yep. Doesn't seem to be any real system. Luck of the draw or smile as it be may
be.
> Live aboards are the only way to get to Darwin and Wolf islands.
On our trip that is where we found the best diving . The viz was awful down
South and the water was chilly. Darwin and Wolf had good viz and 70 -75 degree
water. Cousins Rock by comparison was a chilly 60 degrees and North Seymour
Island could better be termed North Seeless Island. Conditions change daily but
thats how it played out for us.
>You will eat the same cook's food each day. Your bed will rock.....
We had a head that didn't work...right after I took the biggest nastiest crap.
Apparently the adjacent cabin had a puker in it because the smell of vomit
wafted through the overhead into our cabin. Combined fragrances made for an
interesting trip North. I wish I'd thought of photographing the look on my
wifes face...but I was laughing too hard.
>Galapagos combines lateral current (that can be extreme) that
>necessitates not thermal protection gloves, but common cotton/rubber
>work gloves. You hand over hand yourself over the barnacles.
Everyone seemed to go through a pair of gloves. Mine were definately torn up.
Got to be careful where you put your hands...and legs and everything else. Lots
of free swimming morays with lots more laying around the rocks.
Nice trip report ! Sounds like you had a good time.
Eric
Shootndive
>Date: 12/12/2002 8:23 PM Central Standard Time
>Guess the water has cooled down a bit. It was 80ish when I was there in
>March.
El Nino?
Eric
Dan Bracuk
:El Nino?
That's what the dive guide said. Apparently it was week 1 on el nino, because the temps were a bit more normal the previous week.
Robert "Doc" Adelman
El Nino is on its way, according to the experts there and pretty much so
everywhere else.
The Southern islands (not Darwin and Wolf) have cooler water. We saw 72
degrees, pretty much.
March/April are the start of their hottest months from what I recall.
H. Huntzinger
> Galapadiving - Land Based
>
> Our 12 day trip to the Ecuadorian Islands of the Galapagos
> (Archipelago de Colon) in early December 2002 gave us days that
> were increasingly more remarkable as time went on.
> QUITO: ... TAME insists that we arrive at 05:30, two hours
> before the 07:30 flight from Quito via Quayaquil (don't even THINK of
> going out of the airport there) to Baltra (Galapagos).
I was in the Guyaquil airport this past Sunday & Monday on my return
from Baltra. The international terminal side of the airport is under
construction, but its not bad; fellow travellers had pretty negative
things to say about Quito, although not the airport per se (BTW, I
assume that you did hear that the Quito airport was closed for a week in
November, when one of the volano's were erupting?). Insofar as why I
chose GYE over Quito, I followed the advice of a Quito-born coworker who
told me to fly to Guyaquil instead of flying into her home town. YMMV.
> Try to sit on the Port (left) window
> side of the plane as this is the prevailing wind approach giving a
> glimpse of the Islands. (Sit on the Starboard when flying back {to
> Quito}.
Applicable only when they're using open seating; it varies by flight.
> ... you can make a same day flight Northbound but will need a $25
> departure tax).
Funny, we were told that the departure tax was going to be $25, but it
was only $10 at the Guyaquil airport.
> During that
> last day, we hired a driver at $10/hr who, besides taking us to the two
> aforementioned features, also took us to a private reserve and
> interpretive center for Land Tortoises. These guys are really big, some
> shells 48" long. They include rubber overboots in the small fee, maybe
> it was $3.
Yes, the reserve's entry fee is $3/pp. Don't skip accepting their
rubber boots...the fields are a lot muddier than they initially appear
to be.
> ... Darwin Research station ... Other displays allow you to
> walk amongst these living behemoths that may be 150 years old. Bring
> your camera!
If you can, schedule to visit very early (8-9am) on a Monday, Wednesday
or Friday, as these are the days & times for feeding the tortises, and
it does make them quite a bit less lethargic and more interesting.
> ...The 72 degree water was do-able even by Pam who is always cold...
> she wore a 5/7, I wore a 3/5. We wore no head gear.
It was 70-72 F down in the south, and 77-79 F up at Wolf & Darwin during
the first week in December. Some of this is likely the current El Nino.
> Gordon Rocks is best described as an underwater volcano. You
> will glide around the remnants of a crater, over the pinnacles of an
> eroding wall, all the time looking at hammerheads, rays, seals and more.
And is a good example of the current-caused up/downcurrents too.
-hh
Chris Pflaum
have had altitude sickness at Breckenridge and even a mild case in Denver. I
can't imagine the extent of the problems that I would encounter at the
heights Quito reaches. I have noticed over the years that few people have
mentioned this drawback of the Quito route and wondered why. My observations
as a skier suggest that altitude sickness is not an uncommon malady.
Chris
"H. Huntzinger" <{rm_to_reply}hum...@webspan.net> wrote in message
news:{rm_to_reply}hummer-8086DD....@news-east.giganews.com...
David Don Moresby
"Chris Pflaum" <cpf...@kc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:dtPK9.8082$_b.2...@twister.kc.rr.com...
> I am planning a trip to Galapagos and also plan to go through Guyaquil. I
> have had altitude sickness at Breckenridge and even a mild case in Denver.
I
> can't imagine the extent of the problems that I would encounter at the
> heights Quito reaches. I have noticed over the years that few people have
> mentioned this drawback of the Quito route and wondered why. My
observations
> as a skier suggest that altitude sickness is not an uncommon malady.
>
> Chris
An excellent point Chris. I don't suffer altitude sickness, but this is
certainly a consideration for those who do. Quito is at 9,000 and so are
areas of Breck if you were there for the skiing.
I disagree with the other poster that Guayaquil is a better stopover than
Quito. There is absolutely no comparison (considering crime, services,
amenities, weather, etc) between the two cities that would favor Guayaquil
over Quito. I was in Guayaquil a few weeks ago, having had to change my
flight plans due to the shutdown of Quito's airport, and despite the
addition of a number of good hotels (I stayed at the Hilton Colon, the new
one, not the old Intercontinental) it is basically still the same port city
it always has been. Nicer in some ways now, but not close to the quality of
city that Quito is. If you walk out the hotel front, go left two
blocks...there is a steakhouse across the street (don't remember the
name)...I has the best meal there on my return. It was excellent. The hotel
staff will know the name if you are interested. I had the Jalapeno Steak,
others at my table had different dishes yet everyone was quite happy with
the fare.
By the way, we had ten foot seas on the crossing to and from the North. Sky
Dancer took a beating on that trip. No whale sharks, but everything else in
mass. Wolfe was particularly good this trip. Turtle, sharks, rays, tuna,
reef fish in huge numbers every dive. I think Wolfe was better than I have
ever seen it before.
AMG
As I understand it, alt sicknes can also result (or at least aggravated by)
from not staying fully hydrated...
a
"Chris Pflaum" <cpf...@kc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:dtPK9.8082$_b.2...@twister.kc.rr.com...
Robert "Doc" Adelman
Chris Pflaum wrote:
>
> I am planning a trip to Galapagos and also plan to go through Guyaquil. I
> have had altitude sickness at Breckenridge and even a mild case in Denver. I
> can't imagine the extent of the problems that I would encounter at the
> heights Quito reaches. I have noticed over the years that few people have
> mentioned this drawback of the Quito route and wondered why. My observations
> as a skier suggest that altitude sickness is not an uncommon malady.
Guayaquil is a rat hole.
Quito does present the altitude issue, but remember that all symptoms
immediately disappear upon descent. Do what skiers and climbers do:
hydrate, avoid alcohol absolutely, eat lightly, exercise/acclimate by
walking.
Altitude sickness is first shown in symptoms such as gas,
sleeplessness, headache, nausea (usually in that order of likelihood).
Curiously, even though our last day in the Galapagos was spent off
gassing, upon arrival home at 600' Pam's dive computer had on pixel and
had reset to dive mode. I wrote it off to the last night spent at 9000'.
Don't misunderstand from my post, Quito was a blast.
--
H. Huntzinger
> I disagree with the other poster that Guayaquil is a better stopover than
> Quito. There is absolutely no comparison (considering crime, services,
> amenities, weather, etc) between the two cities that would favor Guayaquil
> over Quito...it is basically still the same port city it always has been.
> Nicer in some ways now, but not close to the quality of city that Quito is.
I don't dispute that Quito has better attractions. They're just not
particularly relevant to me if I'm going to spend 99% of my layover time
sound asleep in the hotel.
Nevertheless, I'll pass your comment along to the Quito-born coworker
who made the original recommendation to me, and see what their comment,
if any, is.
-hh
Robert "Doc" Adelman
> Jack Nelson wrote:
>
> In reference to Doc Adelman's message about Galapagos, just a few
> clarifications...
> -There is now another airline AEROGAL flying to San Cristobal
> island. San Cristobal is 45 miles east of Santa Cruz, and offers
> limited tourist facilities or options.
> -From the Baltra Airport to the Channel, the TAME bus is free.
> -The ferry boat is 70 cents.
> -The CITTEG bus company sells tickets at a kiosk at the Baltra
> Airport. Price as of December 2002 is $1.50 one way. You can also
> get the ticket from the bus driver at the dock on the Santa Cruz side
> of the channel.
> -Taxi from the Santa Cruz channel dock across the island to town
> should be no more than $20.
> -Most of the taxis are twin-cab pickup trucks, and have room for 4
> passengers plus lots of luggage.
> -Legally, the taxis cannot stop at the Gemelos twin craters unless
> accompanied by a licensed Naturalist Guide at additional cost.
> -You can contact Hotel Galapagos to arrange for a taxi to wait at the
> Santa Cruz channel dock with your name on a sign, for $20. If you
> want the driver to meet you at the arrival hall of the airport and
> help with luggage and other details, $50. These are flat rates
> applicable for 1 to 4 passengers.
> -Contact Jack at Hotel Galapagos: ja...@hotelgalapagos.com or
> hote...@gpsinter.net
David Don Moresby
> "David Don Moresby" <da...@donmoresby.com> wrote:
>
>
> > I disagree with the other poster that Guayaquil is a better stopover
than
> > Quito. There is absolutely no comparison (considering crime, services,
> > amenities, weather, etc) between the two cities that would favor
Guayaquil
> > over Quito...it is basically still the same port city it always has
been.
> > Nicer in some ways now, but not close to the quality of city that Quito
is.
>
>
> I don't dispute that Quito has better attractions. They're just not
> particularly relevant to me if I'm going to spend 99% of my layover time
> sound asleep in the hotel.
I understand that, but since you made the comment about fellow passengers
making bad comments about Quito I thought I would add my .02 based upon my
visits to both cities.
Truly, Quito is a much nicer destination, even for an short layover, due to
the restaurants and cafes that line the streets near the hotels. Even for a
overnighter it is nice to get out an enjoy the locale just a bit, if even
for only a supper or cocktail.
Steve
Chris Pflaum wrote:
>
> I am planning a trip to Galapagos and also plan to go through Guyaquil. I
> have had altitude sickness at Breckenridge and even a mild case in Denver. I
> can't imagine the extent of the problems that I would encounter at the
> heights Quito reaches.
Altitude Sickness and Acute Mountain Sickness are somewhat different,
and if you got AMS in Denver you're probably the very last dot, way out
at the end of the bell curve. While AMS is serious and potentially life
threatening, altitude illness is mostly just annoying, uncomfportable,
and inconvenient. It's possible that what you are calling a minor case
of altitude illness was just the normal effects of a too-rapid ascent.
There's a natural acclimitization process, and though the things that
happen are normal they may be disconcerting, especially if you wake up
at night anr realize you stopped breathing.
The base elevation at Breckenridge is fairly high, even by ski area
standards, and if you flew into Denver, spent the night, and hit the
slopes the following morning your ascent was too fast for any
acclimitization to take place. If you got al the way to the summit it's
a good thing there isn't much reason to stay ther every long, or you may
have found yourself with a real case of AMS.
>I have noticed over the years that few people have
> mentioned this drawback of the Quito route and wondered why.
Quito isn't any higher than the base elevation at Breckenridge, but if
you fly there returning from the Galapagos you'll obviously be making a
very rapid ascent from sea level. Perhaps the reason you haven't heard
much about this drawback is that the average person doesn't have much
of a problem. The typical cabin pressure on commercial airliners is 8000
feet, because very few people have problems at that altitude. I'd guess
that most tourists flying through Quito aren't being particularly
active, so they don't experience significant problems. Your past
experience suggest that you may not be average, though you're experience
at Breckenridge is probably a lot closer to typical than your experience
in Denver.
> My observations
> as a skier suggest that altitude sickness is not an uncommon malady.
That's because your average skier at a high altitude resort just flew in
from a fairly low altitude and doesn't want to lose the first day or two
of their expensive trip by staying off of the lifts. One of the golden
rules of high altitude is to climb high and sleep low (and you probably
thought price was the main reason not to rent ski in/ski out lodging).
Budgeting some lead time in the Denver area is a very good idea for
those coming from low altitude, and staying a ways off the mountain so
that you're spending more time at lower atlitudes is also a very good
idea, especially if you seem to be susceptible to AMS. Skiing in Utah
may be an even better strategy.
If you're going to fly through Quito you should discuss the situation
with your doctor (or better still, one familiar with AMS. Diamox
(acetazolamide) can help with AMS, and particulary Cheyne-Stokes
breathing. It isn't necessarily a preventative measure, but your doctor
may decide it will be useful for you. Dexamethasone is a steroid that
can be far more helpful, but it also has some significant negative
aspects. Again, it's up to you and your doctor to decide what's
appropriate. A web search will turn up plenty of info, of course.
--
Steve
The above can be construed as personal opinion in the absence of a
reasonable
belief that it was intended as a statement of fact.
If you want a reply to reach me, remove the SPAMTRAP from the address.
Chris Pflaum
Chris
"Steve" <glaw...@bogus.com> wrote in message
news:3E040BF6...@bogus.com...
Robert "Doc" Adelman
Chris Pflaum wrote:
>
> A gem of a reply -- lot's of great information. Thank you.
>
> Chris
>
It really was.
Say, with all the Breckenridge talk... An old dive buddy of mine
"married into the Brewery" there... I believe it's at the Clocktower
mall or across the Highway. Look up the tall Polish Sushi Chef named
Mike Minarski when you're in town. (He used to own Sushi YaGoGo in
Aspen)
--
Popeye
>Message-id: <3E04BFB9...@att.net>
>
>
>
>Chris Pflaum wrote:
>>
>> A gem of a reply -- lot's of great information. Thank you.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>
>It really was.
>
>Say, with all the Breckenridge talk... An old dive buddy of mine
>"married into the Brewery" there... I believe it's at the Clocktower
>mall or across the Highway. Look up the tall Polish Sushi Chef named
>Mike Minarski when you're in town. (He used to own Sushi YaGoGo in
>Aspen)
Breckenridge is a lovely place.
I was arrested there once, drunk and naked, and frozen to the ground.
Popeye
It may be that your sole purpose in life
is simply to serve as warning to others.
Charlie Allen
"Popeye" wrote:
>
> Breckenridge is a lovely place.
>
> I was arrested there once, drunk and naked, and frozen to the ground.
>
Ahhhhh. But have you nailed your foot to a roof yet?
Charlie Allen