And finally.... Isabela.

Finally!!  After all this time, from the beginning thinking I would be stationed in Isabela, to the time the boats got cancelled, and now....  elusive Isabela comes to me (or rather, I to 'her').  So my amigas from the casa de voluntarios and I decided to head off to Isabela on Thursday afternoon, and do some sightseeing.  Isabela is a beautiful island, but I'm glad I didn't live there for 4 months!  The town is very small, and there is very few services.  But hey...  we were tourists!! 

Friday morning we headed off to 'los tuneles', which is nothing like the lava tunnels in Santa Cruz.  Rather, this is more like lava bridges scattered around a sheltered area of ocean.  But to gain access, the 'panga', or small fiberglass vessel must - quite literally- ride a wave over a rocky ridge into this lovely sheltered area.  Now that was scary... but worth it.  There is loads of turtles, marine birds, rays, and other animals that take shelter here.  After a trip around los tuneles, we went snorkelling at 'el findo' (I think?  Dammit, I have to start paying attention!).  There were a group of cownosed rays, eagle rays, turtles, a sea lion came to play, and even some small sharks. 

Near Puerto Villamil is another small island called "Islote Tintoreras", where there is a bay and small channel filled with white-tip sharks.  There is also an abundance of marine iguanas, and the most amazing lava formations!  Afterwards, we snorkelled again in the area, and found another very playful and curious sea lion, and a gigantic ray!! 

The evenings in Isabela were wonderfully clear, and we were graced with the most spectacular views of the Milky Way galaxy stretched parallel from the beach straight up into the night sky....  It was a surreal experience to stare up at millions of stars and simultaneously hear the waves roll gently on the beach. 

On Saturday, we all hiked up the Sierra Negra volcano to take in the most amazing views of the crater, which is 20KM in diameter!!  I couldn't fit it all in one picture, even in the widescreen mode... 

 After arriving back in town, we walked back to our hostel along the beach (which is soooooo pretty BTW!), where I paused to spend some time alone, watching the sunset and thinking about my last 4 months here. Coming to the realization that it was my second last night in Galapagos struck me very hard, and I think I may have experienced a small bit of 'macular diaphoresis' (that's watery eyes for all of you not up to date on your medical latin).   

(sigh....)  Yes, as I write this last and final post, I am sitting in the airport in Houston awaiting my connection back to Vancouver.  These last four months have been quite the experience indeed.  I have seen and done things that regualr tourists never get a chance to do, I made some cool new friends, and learned a lot about how much more work still needs to be done if we are to preserve places that are as special as the Galapagos Islands.... 

(On another note, also sitting here in the Houston airport really wanting coffee since I've been awake since 4 am, that when you don't use your bank accounts for 4 months, they tend to suspend your accounts.....  FRICK!!!)