Week 4 Galapagos Continued

The main square in Quito back on Ecuador mainland. Our last look round before catching our flight home.











Our flight arriving at Baltra airport in the Galapagos as we get ready to leave the islands. The airport is very small and the Isla Baltra litterally contains the airport and a small boat port.









The map of the Galapagos Islands and the route the Yate Darwin follows depending on whether it is a 4 night or 7 night trip. Our route followed the orange line which is mainly the islands in the centre and left of centre.









The Sally Lightfoot crabs are often seen in large numbers just above the tide lines.













A Sea LIon at Sombrero Chino. This beach had many sea lions and pups. Again they came right up to us so we had to back away.












The maginificent colours of a Sally Lightfoot Crab. The bigger they are the brighter the colours. We love them!!












Galapogas Penguins on Sombrero Chino where we were snorkelling with them plus Sea Turtles , White Tipped Sharks and many species of fish including Eagle Rays and Stingrays. The Penguin is quite a small variety again fearless of humans.

Out with our guide in the dinghy to an activity. Sometimes we had a wet landing and had to paddle ashore and sometimes we had a dry landing. We also snorkelled from the dinghy.

Brown Pelicans are common. A very large bird they are graceful as they glide just above the water.

A Blue Footed Boobie named for its amazing feet. There are also Red Footed and Masked Boobies on the islands. They are very much like our Gannet as they dive into the water from a great height to catch fish.

One of 3 small Eagle Rays swimming together in the mangrove bays on Isla De Santa Cruz. We saw turtles and sharks in the same area.

A Land Iguana resting in the shade on Isla De Santa Cruz Cerro Dragon Area.

A Mockingbird in the same area. The Mocking birds eat tortoise eggs.

Land Iguana

Besides Marine Iguanas on Isla Santa Cruz Cerro Dragon there are Land Iguanas which are a different colour and much bigger. They have nests underground and spend much of their time hiding under foliage and trees. They are more afraid of humans than the Marine Iguanas.
In the dry season they camouflage particularly well as the grasses dry off and become much the same colour as the Iguanas.

Week 4 Galapagos Islands

Frigate Birds are common and fairly large. They are often seen soaring over boats. This one, along with 4 others was following our boat between islands slip streaming in order to glide and save energy. The males during courtship inflate the red sack in their throat area to form a large balloon. It takes half and hour to inflate the sack to its full size in order to look handsome and attract females.






Spiders are often seen with large webs between the tree branches.












A Lava Lizard eating a moth or grasshopper. The Lava Lizard is much smaller than the Iguana often with a bright red chest.














A saltwater lagoon on Isla Rabida. Our boat the Darwin is on the right in the background. The lagoon was home to flamingos until 10 years ago when it became contaminated with sea lion poo!!A flamingo just happened to turn up on the day we were there.









A Sally Lightfoot Crab which are all over the island These crabs are very colourful.













This sealion pup was on the beach and kept coming up to us. His mother was being harrassed by a couple of Pelicans further down the beach.














The tray shows a tortoise egg which is clearly marked with details of where it is from and the embryos are 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. The baby tortoise is 3 months old.










On Isla Isabela there is a breeding centre for the Giant Tortoises. Here you can see many of the different species from around the islands and also the different ages. The breeding centre is needed to improve the survival rate as many eggs are damaged by goats , burros, rats and dogs. Eggs are collected by rangers, Incubated and hatched. The temperature of the incubator determines the sex of the tortoise.

On Isla Isabela we visited the Wall Of Tears. In 1946 an ex American Base used in WW2 was converted to be a penal colony for prisoners from Ecuador. The governor of the time didn't want the prisoners to be idle so he made them collect rocks and build this wall. It was a very harsh regime. They carried large boulders of volcanic rock on their backs to build the wall which is said to have over 2 million rocks in it. It was never finished.

Marine Iguana (Male). They have very prehistoric looking faces.

Marine Iguanas catching the sun. They too have to go into water to regulate their body temperature.

Just around the corner fromthe Iguanas there were White Tipped Reef Sharks. These are about a metre to metre and a half long. We were snorkelling with these sharks on several occasions. Other sharks seen were the Galapagos Shark and a Hammerhead Shark. The Galapagos Sharks were often seen circling the boat.

Marine Iguanas are very plentiful on nearly all the islands. In particular they like the black lava islands and on Isla Isabela Tintoreras there were hundreds of varying sizes. They were on the paths often in groups and they are very well camouflaged with the black lava.

The Giant Tortoises need to wallow in water in order to cool themselves down. They are also found on other islands other than Santa Cruz but the species vary according to the island they come from.

On our first afternoon on Isla De Santa Cruz we visited an area where Giant Tortoises roamed. Mrs Lockwood watching one of many we saw. This one is about 80 years old.
They can live up to 150 years old.

This is the marina on Isla De Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands. This is where we began our 4 night cruise around the islands to see the wildlife.
We didn't have to travel far as there is a sea lion asleep under the bench where the person is sitting!! Much of the wildlife is very tame and not afraid of humans. People are requested always to maintain a 2 metre gap from any wildlife.

This is the hotel in Quito. Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is a very long , thin city sat bewtween 2 volcanoes. Quito lies on the equator at an altitude of 2860m. The elevation means that the weather is often cooler than expected for somewhere lying on the equator. The centre of town is colonial Spanish again with some beautiful architecture. This is the stop off before flying to the Galapagos Islands.

South America Peru Week 3 Maccu Piccu & Jungle

The dining room at the Amazon Jungle lodge. Electricty was limited to a couple of hours per day. Meals were eaten by candle light and all the rooms had open balconies and no windows including the bedroom. The lodge ran many activities within the jungle all with a guide who was extremely knowledgable.
We slept under mosquito nets and still manged to get bitten all over!!!

Many of the activities involve viewing wildlife but a trip to Ox Bow Lake also allowed Mr Lockwood a chance to go Pirahna Fishing. They may be small but they have very sharp teeth and the line by the hook is steel. A small piece of meat is dipped in the water and allowed to sink . The fish strip the meat within seconds and hopefully you manage to hook one.

Early mornings are a part of life at the lodge in order to enjoy the wildlife. We were up at 03:45 this morning to go out on the boats.This beautiful sunrise was on our way to Ox Bow lake.

Another way of spotting the wildlife is to climb 120ft up the tower to get above the jungle tree canopy.
Its not all getting up early. Mrs Lockwood in the hammock in the bedroom watching lizards in the grass outside.

The boats used to take people on the river are long boats that hold about 20 people. They are fast but fairly unstable as they are long , thin and high. We frequently had to balance the boat in order to have the same weight in each side to avoid capsizing.

This is the guide and the Shaman. The Shaman is the local medicine man. He tends the botanical garden near the jungle lodge. He is very knowledgeable about the plants and their medicinal uses. The knowledge is passed down through the family. He treats the local people for their illnesses and makes medicines from the plants. Many tourists try the medicines when they visit the garden. He attracts people from far and wide who come to free their mind in special sessions that take several days under his supervision.

Around the lodge there are many flowers and plants. This paradise flower was particularly beautiful.

Around the lodge there are many animals to be seen both by day and night. We saw this Cane Toad on a night walk with the guide. It is much bigger than those we saw in Australia. It is about the size of a football. Its poison glands can be clearly seen just behind its head on the left and right.

Hope you like it Charlotte!!






This little mound is made by a type of grasshopper.

This is a tree frog which carries its tadpole on its back into the trees for protection against predators.

We also saw many stick insects at night. They are very good at disguising themselves.

Jumping spiders can also be seen at night. They can jump up to 1 metre.

Black Scorpions are also common in the jungle. The guide caught this one by using a twig to trap it by the tail and carefully picking it up by its stinger. He then laid it on Mr Lockwood's finger to photograph it. Mrs Lockwood was not brave enough. The sting is not fatal but is far more painful than a bee sting and can be very nasty.







There are four types of monkey close to the lodge. This was one of 3 feeding on fruit high in the trees.

This monkey was spotted on a clay lick.

Green Blue and Green Parrots massed on a clay lick by the river. The Parrots, Macaws, Toucans and many other animals eat fruits which build up toxins. They eat clay on Clay Licks to neutralise the toxins in their stomachs.

A Lineated Woodpecker near a clay lick.

A pair of Scarlet Macaws near the clay lick.

One of many colourful types of beetle found near and in the lodge.

This one is a crying beetle. When you pick it up it cries!! Mr Lockwood listening to it!!

One of the rarer sights in the jungle was this Hoffmans Two Toed Sloth. Seen sleeping in a tree at Ox Bow lake.

These bats were also asleep on the side of a boat at the side of the lake.

Although a night predator this Black Cayman was wide awake keeping an eye on us in the early morning light.

Not all frogs are harmless. This is a Poison Dart Frog.

This turtle on a log in the river bank has a butterfly resting on its head.

Puerto Maldonaldo is a busy town close to the jungle where we flew into. Many people use motorbikes for transport and taxis. We saw up to 4 people as a family riding on the one motorbike.

On our last night in Cusco we had to make the traditional drink "Pisco Sour" with our guide at a restaurant. Mr Lockwood said it wasn´t as good as Yorkshire Bitter!!!

The bread stalls in the Market in Cusco. The market is full of vibrant colours with the textiles and leather goods on many stalls. Cusco is our favourite city.

After completing our 4 day Inca Trail to Maccu Piccu we travelled back by train and then bus into Cusco. The train used to go nearly all the way but the track was destroyed by floods in 2010.

Even at quiet times the river below Maccu Piccu is a raging torrent. In the town they are still repairing the road where it was ripped up by the floods.

The classic view of Maccu Piccu. This is the second most important Inca site in Peru. The site sits nestled on a ridge high above the surrounding rivers and is one of the wonders of the world.

The Incas were great worshippers of the sun and keen astronomers as its buildings were constructed to align with the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

Maccu Piccu. The terraces were used for planting crops.

The sun dial at Maccu Piccu. Our travelling companions listening to the guide. The Incas used astronomy and the sun to understand the seasons for crop planting. There are only 2 seasons, wet and dry. The winter solstice is June 21st. Summer is December 23rd which is the wet season.

Behind Maccu Piccu is Maccu Piccu mountain where for an extra fee you can spend 2 hours climbing to the top. Mrs Lockwood declined this offer.

Maccu Piccu. The round building is the main temple. The area has running water in channels and bathing areas to allow people to cleanse themselves.

Looking down the valley from Maccu Piccu. Very spectacular setting.

Swirling cloud round Maccu Piccu is a common phenomenon. Luckily it cleared when we were there. This is the view from the sun gate at 07:00.

Mr Lockwood at the sun gate having started to walk the last stretch on day 4 at 05:30. It was the only morning we had rain in the cloud forest!!

Day 3 of the Inca trail. Steep steps are common within many Inca ruins Phuyupatamarka and on the trail.

Group photo nearing the end of the trek. The trail on day 3 is 16km and takes in 2 passes. There is alot of downhill with very steep steps but the views are spectacular.

The campsite at the end of day 3 2650m.

A passer by on the trail.

Day 3 a view from the third pass 3650m.

Mrs Lockwood negotiating steep steps on day 3 coming down from the second pass. Trekking poles are essential to take the strain off your knees!!

Inca trail day 3 this is an importatnt Inca farming area Phuyupatamarka showing the typical Inca terraces on the hillside.

Inca Trail day 3 and the trail passes through some tunnels calved in the rock with steep steps.

Inca trail day 3. This Inca ruin Qonchamarka was a resting place for important Inca people travelling the trail to Maccu Piccu. The Inca empire stretched many miles to the north , south , east and west. The ruin was just after the second pass at 3900m.

Some of the beautiful flowers we saw. They include orchids, lupins, margarites, lobelia and many others.

On the descent Mrs Lockwood picked up and made it to the second campsite first 3580m. The pass is in the background.

A rest at the top of the first pass 4200m before the steep downhill to the second campsite. Several of the group suffered altitude sickness as they had come direct from Lima to Cusco and didn´t have long enough to acclimatise. Mrs Lockwood was just tired.

Inca trail day 2 one of the porters carrying his load 25kg up the trail. Day 2 is the hardest day although only 10km it goes from 3000m to 4200m (13776ft) a 1200m height gain at altitude.

The group at the end of day 1. The photograph shows the group plus guides and porters. We had 2 guides plus our travel guide and 18 porters to carry our bags , tents, food and cooking equipment .

The campsite at the end of day 1 of the Inca Trail. Day 1 is fairly easy at 10km with gentle up and downs and an overall height gain from 2800m to the campsite at 3000m.

Mrs Lockwood resting after lunch on day 1 of the Inca Trail.

Qentimarka Inca ruin on day 1 of the trek. This area was used for farming. Each terrace was used for a different crop.

Day 1 Inka trail. Starting Checkpoint. The trail is only allowed by permit. Only 500 people are allowed on the trail per day. The porters guides and trekkers are all checked at each point along the trail.

Day 1 Inca Trail. Group photograph ready for the adventure!!

Day 1 of the Inca Trek. The start point is reached several miles down a dirt road from Olyatambo. Packing travel bags ready for the porters to load up. Each porter carries no more than 25kg. We carried our personal back packs which were considerably less in weight.