[A map showing the islands and the locations visited is on page 4.]
Comparisons with A&K and the Explorer cruises were inevitable as the Galapagos cruise on Xpedition approached. However, the materials provided before the flights to Ecuador were exemplary and the Dickasons used the reading lists to advantage and followed the hints concerning equipment and packing. Some concern was raised by the restrictions of luggage allowed from Quito to the islands [30 pounds], but given the equatorial location of the Galapagos, packing light clothing made it easier to stay within the guidelines.
The flights through Houston to Quito were scheduled to have our plane arrive at a minute to midnight. But, the travel gods showed their sense of humour as the jet approached Quito and the Captain announced that fog had closed the airport and there would be a diversion to Guayaquil on the coast instead. Through Immigration and provided with a voucher for the airport Hilton, the Dickasons, without checked luggage, tumbled into bed at around 2am.
An alarm at 6.30 was a rude awakening, but at a sumptuous breakfast the glorious taste of pineapple as it should be and cups of dark, strong coffee helped to compensate. In no time we were at the airport, through Immigration and on board where the Captain boasted of his ‘non-stop to Quito’ flight, and we landed there at 11am and reached our hotel at noon with our luggage arriving twenty minutes later. Our small group was late joining the planned all-day tour of Quito, but a bus soon took us to lunch at the Crater Restaurant to join the others who had gone ahead - no view because of the fog still lingering in the early afternoon.
The sun made an appearance as the group on the bus was dropped off at the monument to the Equator. Our guide explained that recent re-calculation had discovered that the actual location of the imaginary line was some 200 metres away in a ravine, but the permanent yellow line on the pavement and the monument and tourist shops selling Equator souvenirs were still in the original position. That explained the concern of two tourists who were standing together on the line checking a phone’s GPS readings and scratching their heads.
The balance of the afternoon tour took us to the viewpoint on Panecillo, into the Old Town to see the the impressive Cathedral and the Presidential Palace where a political rally was being held with thousands attending with placards. As we walked from site to site a young man in our group bought a $1 bottle of cold beer from a vendor, and drinking
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it too fast at this altitude, was soon staggering on the steps of the Heritage Building. The pre-trip material had warned that alcohol at altitude [Quito is at just under 3000 metres] was very potent, and this was a demonstration of its effect. Some other tourists in our group found the walking section of the afternoon tour to be physically stressful and returned to the bus to rest and catch their breath before the guide and the balance of the group had finished the planned route on foot.
Back at the hotel, an early dinner followed by a Folklorico performance were scheduled, but having witnessed the potency of alcohol the Dickasons merely sipped the excellent wines [from Trio from Chile]. The itinerary required that cases be outside the room at 5am the next day, so an early night was required.
As the bus loaded at 6am, some complaints of various altitude sickness symptoms were heard. The TAME [Ecuador government-operated airline] plane pushed back only to land at Guayaquil again 40 minutes later after the military-uniformed staff had served an excellent breakfast. There, a representative of Celebrity came on board to explain why there were luggage restrictions for the flight to the islands - if the 85 passengers had not obeyed the limit, then the fresh food ordered for our cruise to supplement the supplies provided by the Galapagos suppliers would not be loaded on the plane to accompany us.
The flight to Baltra was to be 90 minutes and the view of a volcano outside Quito was a spectacular beginning to the flight. Most of the passengers took a nap, but the excitement grew when Baltra was sighted, and those on the lucky side of the aircraft caught a glimpse of NV Xpedition at anchor in a bay some distance from the airport.
In warm sunshine, the adventure began with Zodiacs ferrying the cruisers to the ship,the luggage and supplies having been taken ahead on a larger boat. The photo at right was taken on the shore while the Dickasons waited their turn for a Zodiac ride - the sea lions were not impressed by the exited new arrivals.
[This is the last photo to be included here - at the end of the chapter, links will be provided to a web-site where there are photos stored, and to another where Les’ slide show to music can be found.]
Cold towels and champagne were presented as we rose one step from the Zodiacs onto the flat rear deck - no gangway required on this converted luxury yacht. Maitre D.’ Chris welcomed us individually, Lorena distributed keys and the Dickasons found their luggage
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already placed in the stateroom, forward on deck four [a Captain’s Club up-grade of one deck from the stateroom booked originally]. A buffet lunch, a safety drill, and a briefing from Expedition Leader Jason were all completed as Xpediition weighed anchor and headed to North Seymour for our first shore excursion.
Jason explained that for most landings there would be three levels of activity planned and described the day before at the nightly briefing. Passengers would choose between high, medium and low activity options and sign the appropriate sheets so that guides and Zodiacs could be assigned and loaded and scheduled accordingly. The guides [Jaime, Freddie, Nacho, Fabio, Manuel and Jorge], introduced by Jason the first afternoon, were all from Ecuador thereby conforming with government regulations in place on Galapagos tourist ships. Jason, born in the US, had married a woman from Quito and hence qualified as being from Ecuador. The guides proved to be well-trained, helpful, specialists in one or more fields, and though they spoke accented English, they seemed never to be a a loss for words or answers to questions. Unlike the lecturers/guides on Explorer, Xpedition’s guides did not drive the Zodiacs - crew members from the ship were our pilots to shore.
From the experiences on Explorer, Pat and Les each choose a different level of activity for each landing. This provided different adventures, different photograph opportunities, and plenty to talk about back on board at lunch or dinner. After the first day, when on a Zodiac, other passengers asked Pat where Les was and she answered “Les is on another Zodiac,” consequently some of the newly made friends aboard gave Les the nickname ‘on another Zodiac.’ Other couples remarked that they should do the same and take different levels of activity, but the Dickasons seemed to be the only pair doing this throughout the week.
The first open seating buffet lunch on the first day over, the ship was anchored off North Seymour Island, and two Zodiacs took those who had selected the high intensity activity ashore for a dry landing on rocks. The excursion took the group approximately two and a half hours, and there was some elevation change but the total distance travelled would have been less than 3 km. The group’s slow pace was due to the incredible variety of animals and birds in such a short distance. We spotted Galapagos Doves, Pelicans, Lava Gulls, and Frigate birds [Greater and Magnificent types] which were flying, nesting, tending their young, with some males presenting with their puffed-up red breasts very prominently displayed; land and marine Iguanas and Galapagos sea lions were plentiful; the first Blue Footed Boobies of the cruise were also seen and endlessly photographed. When one of the passengers in Les’ group stepped off the trail to move closer to a Booby, Nacho barked out a reminder that being off the trail was not permitted [other prohibitions included touching or collecting any rocks, botanical specimens or any items such as feathers or skeletons].
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Pat meanwhile had chosen the medium intensity activity which began with a shoreline Zodiac cruise to look for Galapagos Fur Seals, Lava Herons and Swallow Tailed Gulls - all were spotted by the passengers and guide before the scheduled dry landing at a rocky beach. A short distance along, the group oohed and aahed at the Iguanas and the Blue Footed Boobies, and Frigate Birds circled overhead.
As Zodiacs returned to the ‘mother ship’ passengers were greeted by crew members distributing cold facecloths and chilled fruit juice or water. Another crew member, Jacobo, played the electronic keyboard which had been moved to the rear landing deck. There was time before dinner to explore the ship, and the Dickasons soon located the small gift shop and guest relations desk, the whirlpool on an outer deck with the spa adjacent but inside, the Blue Finch Bar outdoors on deck 5 and the Discovery Bar and Lounge [used for briefing sessions] inside on deck 4 with access to tables and chairs outside at the Beagle Grill. Darwin’s Dining Room and about 20 staterooms were down on deck 3 while another 20 staterooms were forward on deck 4. Several suites were on the upper decks, 5 and 6, forward of the bar and pool area - with Zodiacs stored aft on these decks when not in use.
When fully booked Xpedition can accommodate up to 96 passengers, the limit set by the authorities for cruise ships in the Galapagos. Fewer than 90 were aboard when the Dickasons sailed, and with a crew of 70, the guest to staff ratio was the lowest so far experienced.
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The passengers on this cruise were predominantly from the US, though there were a dozen Canadians, six from Europe and two from the UK. Almost all passengers had done their homework, were eager to learn from the guides on board and ashore. There were a couple of exceptions who seemed out of place and confused, asking questions such as “when do we visit the cities and have a chance to shop?” or, after a guide made a presentation ashore about the Frigatebird asked “what bird is that?” - when pointing to a Frigatebird. Fortunately it was relatively easy to identify these passengers, and to avoid boarding the same Zodiac that they did.
One of our concerns was that given the government regulations insisting on hiring Ecuatorianos, the service would not be up to the standard we had come to expect from Celebrity. However, very quickly we discovered that this concern was unfounded. At lunch the first day, when asked by a waiter if we would like coffee, Pat ordered a regular coffee with ‘milk not cream,’ and Les asked for an espresso. That night, at dinner, at a different table and with a different waiter, after dinner Pat was asked if she would like coffee with milk, and Les was asked if he wanted a single or double espresso. The Dickasons were very impressed. In the Discovery Lounge, the barmen and serving staff quickly learned the favourite tipple of frequent visitors, always checked before pouring, but anticipated most passenger orders with a smile. Guides and staff were skilled at learning passenger names and using them at every opportunity without peering at our nametags.
Later in the cruise, in a conversation with the Hotel Director Mario [who was one of the few not from Ecuador], Les learned that he considered his job on Xpedition easier than on other Celebrity ships because there were only two languages - Spanish and English - spoken by his staff here, compared to the dozen or more spoken on larger Celebrity ships. When Les told the anecdote of the coffee service the first day, Mario proudly admitted that they had a noticeboard in the galley where they posted photos of all passengers [printed after the photo-ID seapass was created] and waiters wrote comments under the photos to help all staff learn passenger preferences and idiosyncrasies too.
Meals were very good to excellent. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style with a wide variety of hot and cold dishes. Dinner was ordered from a menu which included a choice of appetizer, soups, salads and main courses. The main dishes at dinner and some buffet lunch selections featured meats and seafood from Galapagos and elsewhere in South America, and the Dickasons enjoyed some very different dishes as a result. Desserts frequently were based on fresh fruit - a delicious light finish to most meals.
Standard bar drinks and the wines of the day were complimentary in the Discovery Lounge at any time and the Blue Finch Bar when it opened in the late afternoon. Premium brands were available but a passenger’s shipboard account was charged for those or for wines from the ‘specialty’ list. At both lunch and dinner, the
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daily choice of white and red wine was usually from Chile or Argentina, though Californian or French wines were served on some days. The wines in the dining room were also included in the cost of the cruise, and with a couple of exceptions were good to very good, and few complaints were heard.
Our second day, November 14, began with a pre-breakfast Zodiac cruise to Kicker Rock where the birders noted Shearwaters, Nazca Boobies, Yellow Warblers and everyone smiled at the story of the naming of the bright orange Sally Lightfoot Crabs on the rocks [a naturalist had named it after a well-known NYC dancer]. Returning towards Xpedition, our guide Freddie excitedly pointed out the large rays which swam alongside our little craft. While hungry passengers had breakfast, Xpedition moved to San Cristobal Island, the most eastern in the archipelago.
Zodiacs pulled in at a dock there, and buses took the guides and passengers to the Interpretation Centre where, in small groups, all toured the exhibits which showed the history of the islands and gave a context to the efforts at conservation of the plants and animals indigenous to this unique place. Our guide Freddie, a trained naturalist, proudly informed us that he was born in the Galapagos and that his parents still lived there.
There was time allotted for a visit to the sleepy town near the docks, and compulsive shoppers were quick to buy T-shirts, post-cards and other souvenirs. After the early morning, the Dickasons chose an early Zodiac ride back to Xpedition for a short pre-lunch nap before she weighed anchor and re-positioned by sailing south to Espanola Island, the southern most of the group, and the oldest.
Early in the afternoon, Jason gave an illustrated lecture on the geology of the Galapagos Islands stressing the variety of lava rock, lava tubes, and the soil from the ash from the volcanic eruptions many centuries ago and from more recent volcanic activity too.
Later, Jaime was the guide for Les and the high intensity activity group which had a dry landing to begin the next hike. Once ashore, the passengers parked the life-jackets and pulled on socks and hiking boots which had been carried ashore in backpacks, and followed Jaime on narrow paths on the rocks. Hard to believe but the wildlife was even more varied than on the previous day - confirming Jason’s claim that this was the favourite island for naturalists.
First time viewing of Sea Lions with pups, Galapagos Hawks, the red variation of the Marine Iguanas [only on Espanola] massed in groups on rocks, the Christmas lizard, and chicks in the nests of the Nazca Boobies combined to slow down the progress of the camera-happy tourists. The antics of the Hooded Mockingbirds who landed on backpacks and pecked at the straps to try to gain access to the contents amused the group when we stood waiting for the impressive blowhole on the southern cliffs to spray water 15 meters into the air.
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Pat opted for the medium activity excursion which began with a long Zodiac ride for viewing of much of the same bird and animal activity from the water viewpoint, plus Audubon Shearwaters and Stormy Petrels at sea, watched the blowhole too, then continued to a dry landing to view the red variety of the Marine Iguanas just along the lava rocks from the landing.
A surprise was found in the stateroom after dinner - a basket of fruit and a bottle of Champagne sat on the coffee table alongside a letter from Mario the Hotel Director.These gifts acknowledged our membership in the Celebrity Captain’s Club. No time to sample though because scheduled at 9.45pm was ‘stargazing’ on the upper decks. All but essential lights were turned off, blankets were provided, and the fifteen or so passengers who attended sat or lay on the blankets and listened as the officers identified details of the incredibly bright display of heavenly bodies above.
Despite the open bar policy and the music Jacobo played in the Discovery Lounge after the star gazing, the pace and energy required for the activities of the day meant that Xpedition was very quiet before midnight that evening, and most other days ahead too.
November 15 brought another shore excursion with a bus ride. With Xpedition anchored at Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos, the early morning Zodiac docked at a pier and the bus took the Dickasons on the Highland Activity into the National Park. With Nacho as a guide, the first stop in the lush vegetation was to watch the giant tortoises in their natural habitat, but at the same stop the birders spotted the famous Darwin finches and several egrets. At the next stop the group walked over 100 metres into a lava tunnel [more than 400 metres long] before we returned to town to watch iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs on rocks by the dock, with pelicans and sea lions perched or sleeping on the many lobster boats near the Zodiac dock.
The snorkelers on board checked their equipment and had a safety drill after lunch before Jason continued the lecture series [the Human History of the Galapagos] while Xpedition moved further north on Santa Cruz to Cerro Dragon. Late in the afternoon, the Dickasons were on Nacho’s Zodiac for a 90 minute cruise along the coast of Venice Island where Flamingos and Oystercatchers and other shore birds were plentiful. When Pat and Les were back on Xpedition, sipping refreshing Rose at the Blue Finch Bar, the snorkelers returned and piled into the adjacent whirlpool to warm themselves after their first swim. They were high on having swum with small sharks, but were not so happy at having to dodge the Zodiac from a smaller 15 passenger yacht which almost ran over their snorkels.
The dining room was not open that evening, instead everyone ate dinner at tables on the back deck at 8pm. It was a noisy meal with passengers discussing their varied excursions during the day, and drinking more wine outside than normally
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consumed inside in the dining room. The second night of star gazing was marred by the appearance of a full moon which washed out the intensity of the stars.
The normal routine for Xpedition was to change position slowly during the night and for her to anchor at around 6am. The Dickason’s up-graded stateroom was all the way forward - and the joke was that no alarm clock was needed in 419 because the anchor and its chain was noise enough to wake us a few minutes before we would have risen for the start to the day.
By the morning of November 16, the skies were no longer cloudy in the morning and the Dickasons and several other passengers began eating breakfast at the tables on the back deck with the temperature being around 20C.
Two islands were visited that day with Bachas Beach on the north of Santa Cruz being the first stop. As passengers climbed into the water for a ‘wet’ landing, they were amused by the antics of the Brown Noddy and its symbiotic relationship with the Pelicans. As each Pelican dived into the water to catch fish, a Brown Noddy hovered nearby. When the Pelican surfaced, the Noddy immediately moved to the head of the larger bird. Guide Freddy explained that the Pelican had to take a breath to swallow, and if its mouth opened too wide, the Noddy would steal a fish from the gap.
The trail for the trek passed several lagoons where we spotted groups of Pink Flamingos, and during the walk back to the Zodiac there were Pintail Ducks and Black Necked Stilts checked off on the birders’ lists too.
Lunch was served on the back deck with hot-dogs and hamburgers on the grill very popular with those from the U.S. Fortunately there were also chicken breasts and fresh fish on another grill for those not fond of burgers. Expedition Leader Jason gave another lecture while Xpedition moved to Bartolome Island. He spoke on the history of conservation in the Galapagos Archipelago, and very gingerly explained that politics on the mainland had caused the efforts to surge or sputter depending upon the whim of the Minister in charge at any one time.
Bartolome is a recently active volcano - the moon-like landscape having been described as “hell on earth.” The high intensity walkers, including Les, had a wet landing, changed water slippers for socks and hiking shoes, and proceeded with guide Nacho to hike to the top of the volcanic cone. The view from the top was of the twin beaches and a pinnacle rock [made famous in the movie “Master and Commander”?] though we were not able to see all 28 of the islands of Galapagos - apparently this is possible on very clear days.
A coastal exploration by Zodiac followed by a wet landing was Pat’s choice, and to her delight, the Galapagos Penguins were sighted from the Zodiac. The driver steered very close to them,the only penguins found north of the Equator, and they seemed unfazed by the attention. Nacho took the high intensity group to a different set of rocks in their returning Zodiac, and his charges saw the penguins too.
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This afternoon at Bartolome Island was another opportunity for the snorkelers and when they warmed up in the spa pool back on deck they were still excited by the experience of swimming near Sea Turtles, and sighting White Tipped Reef Sharks.
By this stage of the voyage, somewhat similar to our two expeditions on Explorer, friendship groups had formed and some passengers were very set in their choice of table-mates for lunch and dinner, or for companions with which to enjoy pre or after-dinner drinks. At dinner that night, we enjoyed the company of a couple from San Francisco who shared our interest in food and wine. Reinforcing that interest and knowledge, the Trapiche Malbec served at our table that night was corked, and Les and Lindley agreed on that, informed the waiter, and were immediately served with a second bottle, which was sound.
There was an early start on the 17th - Xpedition crossed the Equator and the Dickasons were on the bridge to take a photograph of the instruments there as the ship went from north of the line to south of it. The crossing from south to north had occurred during the night and was not acknowledged in any way. Whales and dolphins were sighted during our breakfast on the route to a landing on Isabela Island, the largest in the group. Isabela’s five volcanoes are still considered active, but no sign of any action was seen as we made a dry landing at Tagus Cove.
After a healthy hike, the Dickasons and the group visited a set of cliffs on which sailors from visiting ships have left graffiti - carving or painting the name of their ship and the date of their visit. Darwin’s Beagle had visited this area, but no sign of that name was evident. The earliest seen was 1836 - and the solo voyage of the teenager in Dove in 1970 was also spotted.
Lunch was a surprise - a buffet of Ecuadorian delights was arranged on the outer decks as Xpedition moved on to Fernandina Island - youngest and most western of the archipelago. With a variety of ceviche dishes, corn breads, empanadas, shrimp cooked five ways, popcorn and deep-fried bananas, the buffet was quite a feast.
Before the Zodiac ride for the afternoon landing, the snorkelers had another chance to go for a swim, this time from Zodiacs which made a visit to a reef. The colourful tropical fish seen resulted in those with waterproof cameras returning with all film used in a few minutes on this swim.
The Dickasons chose the high intensity activity with a dry landing among the mangroves on strange stepping stones. Our guide was Fabio, as much a poet and philosopher as naturalist. However in no time we had seen the Flightless Cormorant, large colonies of Marine Iguanas and walked over very unusual lava rocks produced by the different eruptions and the varying cooling times.
Dinner was again under the clear sky on the back deck and star gazing followed. One of the officers explained, in answer to a Dickason enquiry, that this was the wrong month for the Southern Cross to be seen. After dinner Les met Fabio
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in the lounge for a short chat - Fabio was interested in learning more about Gabriola Island where he had heard there was a boat building course he was considering. The short chat lasted almost 90 minutes [and several drinks] when Fabio discovered that Les had read almost all of books on the reading list and some others as well.
The sixth day began with an omelette for Les for breakfast knowing that a strenuous morning was to follow. At the briefing the previous day, Jason had encouraged those who enjoy walking to sign up for the “Survival of the Fittest” activity on Santiago Island. Les, and eight others rose to the challenge, and the Zodiac left before all other activities so that an early start could be made. A wet landing meant another change of footwear on shore, but the water slippers and towels were left with the lifejackets for collection later.
Nacho was the guide, and he was able to point out en route more plants endemic to the Galapagos than on any other trek ashore. We passed a pink lake, the remains of a salt mine, and enjoyed views across the coast to other islands. The total distance traversed was around 5km, but with the varied terrain, it took 3 hours.
Pat had taken the 30 minute Zodiac ride followed by a walk on the beach with passengers now able to identify all of the shore birds without assistance from the guides. While Xpedition was re-positioning to Rabida Island [also known as the red island because of the mineral content of the rocks] the Executive Chef and his Pastry Chef provided a culinary demonstration with a galley tour at the end [the passenger photos and comments from waiters having been removed on this date].
One difference noted during the medium intensity walk was the colony of sea lions - all bachelors. Jaime explained that juvenile males are forced to leave the territory of the mature males, and swim to this island to ‘grow up.’ One of our Zodiac group was sitting on a convenient rock and one bachelor moved closer and closer, then nudged her off her perch - gently, but there was no doubt the youngster was claiming the rock.
During this excursion the Dickasons became acquainted with a couple from the UK who had apparently bid on and won the cruise at a charity auction in London. Further conversation unearthed the fact that they were the owners of Elemis, the cosmetics company which had the contract to operate the spas on all Celebrity ships.
Misty skies marked the morning of the 19th - the seventh and last day of cruising the islands. First stop was Floreana, one of the islands visited by Darwin. During the cruise on the Zodiac the Dickasons saw penguins diving and Pacific Green Turtles mating in the water as our guide Jamie explained the process for Post Office Bay. As we followed the short trail ashore, a clearing appeared and we saw what looked like a pile of junk and graffiti. It proved to be the famous Post Office Barrel which served whalers as early as 1793 - sailors starting their journey would
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leave mail there and sailors returning home would collect it and deliver it as appropriate.
A type of feeding frenzy began as the passengers from the two zodiacs descended upon the crates and barrels of postcards checking to find something to take and mail when back home. Pat found one bound for Vancouver - and Les left the one he had written the night before in one of the piles there. The Vancouver addressed postcard we mailed from Nanaimo, but it was never acknowledged. An attempt to find the phone number of the person to whom it was addressed was not successful, and the card left behind in the barrel with our address on it never reached Nanaimo either. Perhaps the whalers had more success in the 18th century than the Dickasons had in the late 20th.
Back on board for lunch Les chatted with Mario, the Hotel Director, and he provided some insights on the operation of Xpedition with the restrictions placed on this large ship. Almost all other tourist operators there were limited to 16 passengers with one local guide. Xpedition, with 96 passenger capacity, had to use 6 guides and an Expedition Leader. Ninety percent of staff and crew on board had to be from Ecuador, and while there was the language advantage mentioned earlier, recruiting qualified and experienced staff and retaining them was difficult.
The last landing was a dry one - back on the concrete dock in Santa Cruz which Xpedition had visited previously. This time the Dickasons were able to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station after a short bus ride through Port Ayora, while the passengers who had visited the Station during our previous call here went into the Highlands for the Tortoises and the lava tunnels.
Our guide Jamie gave a very comprehensive explanation of the Giant Tortoise rearing program, and in various cages and compartments there were Tortoises of all sizes. The famous, and very old, “George” was sleeping in the far corner of his cage and photographers were disappointed. The 1.5km walk back to the dock on pavement was a distinct change from the varied and often difficult terrain experienced on most previous landings - perhaps it was a way of preparing us for the streets of Quito and of home towns after the flights to follow.
On the bed in the stateroom when the Dickasons reached Xpedition was a letter from Celebrity outlining the activities for that evening, and the details for disembarking on the following day. Before packing, there was a Captain’s cocktail
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party, a final BBQ dinner under the stars, and two later events. A Folkloric Show featuring a troupe of local dancers and musicians entertained us all in the Discovery Lounge, with the skirts of the dancers depicting the animals and birds of the Galapagos. After the entertainers had left, the lights were dimmed and a video was shown featuring the passengers. The guides had been taking photos of the animals and birds and the sights on each activity, and had been photographing passengers too. During dinner they had done an edit, added music, and produced the DVD of the slide show. It was a perfect ending to the cruise.
Back in the stateroom to complete packing and place suitcases outside the door, the Dickasons found certificates honouring our crossing of the Equator on Xpedition, and a copy of the DVD we had just seen in the lounge.
Sunday the 20th was a busy and somewhat sad day. After breakfast, Zodiacs took all passengers ashore and buses ferried us to the airport where we said goodbye to Jason and the guides who had become firm friends in just a week. The TAME plane from Quito arrived and our group of departing passengers watched enviously as the newcomers boarded the buses for the trip to the Zodiac dock to start their adventure.
The Celebrity packages for the Xpedition cruise were either 7 days [just the week in the Galapagos], 10 days [two nights in Quito pre-cruise and one night post-cruise - the Dickasons had this one] and 14 days with pre or post-cruise excursions to other sites such as Machu Pichu. As a result, when our flight to Quito landed, and luggage was collected, the Dickasons bid farewell to those who were continuing on different packages.
The much smaller group was bused to the hotel where our luggage was already in our rooms. An optional visit to a native market was offered for the balance of the afternoon, but very few took advantage of the option, preferring to rest in preparation for long flights the next day. But at 6pm all passengers from Xpedition remaining in the hotel were taken for a final dinner and entertainment at a local restaurant. Here, unfortunately, the travel gods had their one bad moment of the 10 day journey.
The Dickasons became suspicious early in the evening when the chosen half bottle of wine was not available. The waiter attempted to ‘up-sell’ by suggesting another wine. Fortunately, Les asked the price, and discovered it was almost three times the price of the one chosen. No other half bottles were available. Not wanting to risk a full bottle at altitude, two glasses of house wine were ordered, and the waiter rolled his eyes and left.
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The food served was good to very good, but was quite a let down after the wonderful meals on Xpedition. As dessert was served, a small orchestra and a singer took the stage. The tenor, accompanied by the musicians, sang numbers made famous by Pavarotti and Bocelli - unfortunately, he was often flat, he shouted rather than sang into the microphone, and the Dickasons cringed at the standard of this performance. Interestingly, the other diners [most of whom had drunk considerably more than we had] seemed to love the performance.
When the bill came for the two glasses of wine, Les realized the waiter had charged us for the expensive half-bottle which had not been ordered. The waiter took the bill back to the cashier and with a surly look, returned later with the correct bill. He took the credit card, and may have been surprised to find a very small cash tip left after Les had signed the slip. With this delay, we left quickly and were last on the bus.
As a postscript to this very unusual night, Les wrote to Celebrity to indicate our total enjoyment of the cruise and of our dissatisfaction with the final evening. A month later, a caller from the Customer Relations department in Miami phoned to thank us for the useful and detailed information and feedback.
A further postscript, five years later, the Security Department of VISA phoned to ask Les if he had purchased $1500 worth of audio equipment in Quito the previous day. The answer of course was ‘no’ and when Les asked why the purchase was suspicious, the agent replied that while the card number used was correct, the expiry date was not. Putting two and two together, Les realized that the credit card slip from the purchase of the two glasses of wine at that farewell dinner had been copied and kept by someone on the staff of the restaurant. In the interim, Les had been issued a new credit card, and the would-be fraudster had incorrectly guessed the new expiry date, and that had alerted VISA.
However, the day after the disappointing finish to the evening in Quito, there were more farewells in the lobby as those passengers with the 10 day package left for flights home. Promises were made to share photos and videos over the next month or so, and for some time the Dickasons corresponded with five or six couples and exchanged pictures. One couple, Jason and Lynne from Las Vegas, later bought a second home in Campbell River, and the Dickasons visited them there, they visited Nanaimo over ensuing years, and they are readers of these tales.
Antarctica on Explorer and Galapagos on Xpedition rank #1 and #2 [not necessarily in that order] as the most exciting, stimulating, educational and memorable trips in the forty years since the Dickasons left Australia in 1966.
Les has up-loaded a set of highlight photos from the Galapagos and Quito to SmugMug. Click on http://lesnpat.smugmug.com/ and there you will find a set of
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photos [Galapagos on Xpedition] which you can scroll through or watch as a slide-show.
Les also produced a slide-show to music and this is still available on the internet for those with PCs. If you wish to see this, click on www.photodex.com/share/lesnpat/ck4 then look for Galapagos version ii in the series of titles, click on it and follow instructions to watch it.
