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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. 

 

OUR DEPARTURE FROM THE THIN ATMOSPHERE OF CUSCO WAS NONE TOO SOON. MARGARET EXPERIENCED ALTITUDE SICKNESS AT 11,300FT AND REALLY ENJOYED OXYGEN RELIEF AVAILABLE IN THE HOTEL LOBBY.

LIMA IS BIG AND NOISEY WITH CONSTANT TRAFFIC. WE ENJOYED THE AFTERNOON SHOPPING AND TOURING THE CITY. WITH VISITS TO THE INDIAN & INKA MARKETS WE ARE FINALLY ‘SHOPPED OUT’. 

IMPRESSIONS OF LIMA? A LARGE AND VERY CLEAN CITY. WE OBSERVED VERY LITTLE TRASH ON THE STREETS. THEY ARE ADDRESSING THE TRAFFIC WITH NEW SUBWAYS UDER CONSTRUCTION.

 

SAN PEDRO MORNING MARKET. BEAUTIFUL FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND SPICES FROM ‘THE SACRED VALLEY”, @ 11,000FT IN THE ANDES. LO0K CLOSELY AT THE DETAILS IN THE MARKET – CURIOUS THINGS ON EVERY SHELF. ONE BOOTH WAS SELLING MYSTICAL HERBS AND TOKENS. 

NEXT STOP TO THE CUSCO CATHEDRAL. THE SPANISH BUILT IT ON TOP OF AN INKA TEMPLE. OUR GUIDE POINTED OUT ORIGINAL INKA STONE WORK, SPANISH/MOORISH ARCHITECTURE AND WONDERFUL PAINTINGS AND RELIGIOUS MURALS. THEN A DRIVE ANOTHER 1,000FT OVERLOOKING THE CITY. 

IT’S DARK NOW WE SIT IN THE BAR AT THE HOTEL LISTENING TO TOURIST CHATTER AND MUSIC. 

THERE IS A VILLAGE IN THE VALLEY SERVING THE INKA CITADEL. WITH 2000 RESIDENTS EMPLOYED TO SERVE THE LARGE NUMBER OF VISITORS ARRIVING BY TRAIN EVERY HOUR. CROWDS ARE LIMITED TO 2600 PER DAY AND ACCESS IS DENIED WITHOUT A VALID TICKET AND DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT. THEY CHECK. 

RAIN AND CLOUDS KEPT US FROM RETURNING TO THE CITADEL ON OUR SECOND DAY. WE OPTED TO TOUR THE CHARMING VILLAGE WITH OUR GUIDE ‘BELMA’. SHE HAS BEEN A GUIDE FOR 20 YEARS AND HAS LED A NUMBER OF HIKING EXPEDITIONS ALONG THE INKA TRAIL. SHE TOLD US OF THE SPRING WHEN THE RIVER FLOODED AND KNOCKED THE TRAIN TRACKS OUT OF SERVICE FOR 3 MONTHS. 

YOU MAY OBSERVE IN THE LAST PHOTO WE ARE BOTH USING HIKING STICKS. CLIMBING UP AND DOWN UNEVEN ROCK STEPS IN THE RAIN THE PREVIOUS DAY TAKES ITS TOLL ON 72 YEAR OLD KNEES.