Author: wolfesbuketlistscom

WAKING UP IN A NEW CITY IS ALWAYS FUN AND CONFUSING. WHERE’S THE RESTAURANT? WHERE’S THE COFFEE? MORNING STUFF. WE WERE STILL GROGGY FROM THE FLIGHT. AFTER BREAKFAST I NEEDED TO GET SOME LOCAL CURRENCY. I INQUIRED AT THE DESK AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A CASH MACHINE ON ORCHARD ROAD. SO OFF I WENT ON AN ADVENTURE!

THAT AFTERNOON WE DECIDED TO TAKE A BOAT RIDE ON THE RIVER. FIRST WE HAD TO NAVIGATE THE SUBWAYS. DURING OUR PREVIOUS VISIT WE FOUND THE SUBWAYS CLEAN AND EASY TO USE. THIS ENCOUNTER WAS THE SAME. WE TOOK THE RED LINE AND TRANSFERRED TO THE PURPLE LINE. WE GOT ON A ‘BUMBOAT’. I NEVER DECIPHERED THE MEANING OF BUMBOAT. AT ONE TIME THEY FERRIED GOODS AND WORKERS AROUND THE ISLAND.

ANOTHER SUBWAY RIDE TOOK US TO MARINA BAY SANDS HOTEL AND CASINO. THIS IS THE ENORMOUS THREE 42 STORY PILLARS WITH A CONNECTING STRUCTURE AT THE TOP THAT RESEMBLES A BOAT. IT’S ACTUALLY AN INFINITY POOL WITH A VIEW. ADJACENT TO THE HOTEL COMPLEX IS THE GARDENS BY THE BAY. THIS MANMADE ATTRACTION CONSISTS OF INDIVIDUAL LARGE DOMES FOR DESERT GROWTH AND A DOME FOR HUMID GROWTH. EVERY TWO HOURS MAN MADE MIST KEEPS EVERYTHING HAPPY.

THE EXCITEMENT OF A JOURNEY IS GETTING READY, PASSPORTS UP TO DATE, VISA’S CHECKED, TICKETS IN ORDER. WHAT’S THIS ABOUT PLANE BOARDING PASSES ON YOUOR IPHONE? SO YOU’RE READY TO LEAVE, SAY GOODBYE TO THE DOG AND THE NEIGHBORS. WHAT THE…? THE UBER DRIVER TO THE AIRPORT IS 15 MINUTES LATE. HE’S ALWAYS ON TIME. A TEXT REVEALS THE TRIP WAS ORDERED FOR 2/13, NOT 1/23. PANIC!

NO WORRIES WE MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO SPARE. THE ATLANTA AIRPORT IS INTERESTING AS DOMESTIC FLIGHTS ARE ON ONE SIDE OF THE FACILITY BUT TO REACH INTERNATIONAL YOU NEED TO HOP ON A SHUTTLE BUS THAT CIRCLES THE RUNWAYS TO A SEPARATE INT’L TERMINAL. NOW WHERE’S OUR CHECCK-IN COUNTER. I’M TIRED LUGGING THESE SUITCASES! WELL, IT OPENS 3 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE. SO WE FIND A PLACE FOR LUNCH. NO WORRIES.

MARGARET HAS PERFECTED THE PROCESS OF GETTING WHEELCHAIR ACCESS. IT GETS YOU SPECIAL TREATMENT AT TSA SECURITY INSPECTIONS AS WELL AS EARLY BOARDING. HER SECRET IS A COUPLE OF $5 BILLS.

WE BOOKED OUR FLIGHT TO SINGAPORE ON TURKISH AIR. GOOD REVIEWS ON THE INTERNET. WE CHANGED PLANES IN ISTANBUL BOTH FLIGHTS WERE VERY GOOD, IF YOU CALL 2-10 HOUR FLIGHTS AS GOOD. WE NEEDED TO STOP SOMEWHERE AND STRETCH. A SINGLE FLIGHT LASTING OVER 18 HOURS WITHOUT A BREAK WAY TOO LONG.

THE NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT WAS SPECTACULAR. WE SPENT TIME MUNCHING OUR WAS AROUND THE BUSINESS LOUNGE AS WELL AS WALKING AROUND THE AIRPORT. MARGARET HAD BOOKED A WHEELCHAIR TO GET HER FROM THE GATE TO THE LOUNGE. FOR SOME REASON THEY BOOKED ONE FOR ME TOO. SO WE HOPPED ON THESE ‘SCOOTERS’ AND ENJOYED THE RIDE. MORE $5 GRATUITIES.

36 HOURS AFTER LEAVING PAWLEYS ISLAND WE WERE IN BED AT OUR HOTEL. TRAVELING WAS EASIER WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER…

WELCOME TO THE LATEST WOLFES BUCKET LIST ADVENTURE. AFTER COVID LOCKDOWNS, KNEE SURGERY AND REHAB WE DECIDED TO RESUME OUR TRAVELS

ON TUESDAY JANUARY 23 WE FLY HALF WAY AROUND THE WORLD TO SINGAPORE. WE’RE STOPPING IN ISTANBUL TURKEY HOPEFULLY TO DO A LITTLE SIGHT SEEING DURING A 9 HOUR LAYOVER. AFTER 2 DAYS IN SINGAPORE WE BOARD OUR CRUISE SHIP, THE OCEANIA RIVIERA. THE SHIP VISITS BRUNAI, PHILIPPINES, CAMBODIA, VIETNAM AND ENDS IN BANGKOK. AFTER TOURS AT EACH AND OF COURSE SHOPPING, WE HEAD NORTH TO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. THE WEATHER WILL BE MOSTLY SUB TROPICAL SO WE ENJOY LIGHT WEIGHT AND EASY WEAR. THE CATCH IS BOTH ENDS – ISTANBUL AND SEOUL WHERE IT’S PREDICTED TO BE IN THE 30’S.

LAST DAY IN GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS. SANTA CRUZ IS THE LARGEST INHABITED ISLAND. THE WEATHER DIFFERS FROM THE OTHER ARID ISLANDS VISITED. SANTA CRUZ RECEIVES FREQUENT RAINFALL AND IS LUSH.

IT’S HOME TO THE LAND SEA TURTLES RESCUE SITES. THESE MASSIVE CREATURES LIVE ON LAND AND SPEND TIME COOLING OFF IN MUD PONDS. ITS REPORTED THE CHARACTER OF ‘ET’ FOR THE MOVIE WAS A RESULT OF A STEVEN SPIELBERG VISIT. WE SAW YOUNG AND WELL AS SENIOR CITIZEN TURTLES. AS WE WERE LEAVING WE ENCOUNTERED 2 JUVENILE TURTLES WALKING ON THE ROAD AWAY FROM THE CENTER. 

STEEP CLIMB TO A ROCKY PLATEAU SUMMIT OF AN EXTINCT VOLCANO. VERY LARGE COLONIES OF NAZCA BOOBIES, RED FOOTED BOOBIES, BLUE FOOTED BOOBIES AND GREAT FRIGATE BIRDS. WE WERE LUCKY TO OBSERVE A SMALL OWL, THE ONLY REAL PREDATOR ON THE ISLAND. 

IN THE MATING SEASON THE GREAT FRIGATE BIRDS EXPAND A RED BLADDER ON THEIR CHEST TO ATTRACT A PARTNER.

BIRDS DISPLAYED NO FEAR AND WERE EVERYWHERE AND WERE CURIOUS OF VISITORS. WHILE WALKING YOU HAD TO AVOID STEPPING ON JUVENILES. 

WE WADED ASHORE FROM A PANGA ONTO THE BLACK VOLCANIC SAND OF SANTIAGO ISLAND. THE SEA LIONS AND FUR SEALS JUST MOVED A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE BEACH TO ACCOMADATE US AND THEN CAME WADDLING BACK TO WATCH US. WE HIKED OVER LAVA ROCK TO THE SUMMIT OF THE ISLAND. GREAT VIEWS AND ALONG THE WAY: MARINE IGUANAS, GRAY HERONS AND MORE SEA LIONS.

SETTLING IN. LEARN THE RULES OF THE SHIP. WITH 90 PASSENGERS SANTA CRUZ II IS ONE OF THE LARGER SHIPS AND LESS AFFECTED BY WAVE ACTI. THE PASSENGERS ARE FROM ALL OVER, ENGLISH, DUTCH, JAPANESE, FRENCH, AUSTRALIA, SPANISH, PERUVIAN AND AMERICAN. 

THE AFTERNOON BEGAN WITH A LIFE BOAT DRILL, THEN A PANGA RIDE TO BACHAS BEACH OR SANTA CRUZ ISLAND. THIS IS A MAJOR GREEN SEA TURTLE NESTING AREA. WHITE POSTS DESIGNATED NEST LOCATIONS AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD SEE. BLACK LAVE ROCKS WERE COVERED WIITH LARGE RED CRABS. BLACK MARINE IGUANA WRE EASY TO TRACK. THEY LEAVE LONG DRAG MARKS WITH TRHEIR TAILS ON THE SAND. PANGA RIDE MORNING NEAR BARTHOMEW ISLAND THEN A GLASS BOTTOM BOAT FOR THOSE NOT SNORKELING. 

A CLOUD FOREST IS WHERE THE CLOUDS DROP BELOW THE TOPS OF THE DENSE FOREST VEGETATION CINGING TO THE ANDES MOUNTAINS. WE STOPPED AT THE RIM OF AN EXTINCT VOLCANO. THE RICH SOIL AT THE CENTER OF THE VOLCANO IS NOW BEING CULTIVATED FOR FARMING. 

THE CLIMATE IS MODERATE TEMPS WITH RAIN ALMOST DAILY. THE FOREST IS ALIVE WITH HUMMING BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES. MOUNTAIN STREAMS FED FROM MELTING GACIERS WERE BEING USED FOR TUBING. WITH THE WATER TEMPERATURE AT 50 IT WAS WAY TOO COLD! 

LOCATED ON THE EQUATOR, QUITO WAS CONSIDERED BY THE INKA INDIANS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSEST TO THE SUN. THE INKAS BUILT MANY PLAZAS AND TEMPLES IN THE AREA. THE SPANISH CAME SEEKING GOLD AND CONQUERED THE NATIVES. THEY PROCEEDED TO TEAR DOWN THE TEMPLES AND BUILT BEAUTIFUL CHURCHS AND BROUGHT CATHOLICISM TO EQUADOR. 

AT 9300FT. MARGIE OPTED FOR A DAY OF REST. A DOCTOR MADE A CALL TO OUR HOTEL AND PRESCRIBED SOME MEDS AND OXYGEN TREATMENT.

WITH OUR GUIDE I TOURED THE CITY AND VISITED THE EQUUATOR MONUMENT.