San Cristobal

 We had to have our suitcases downstairs last night so they could be examined before taking them into the Galapagos.  This did not include our backpacks or our carryons. We had a very early morning call to start our journey, first by bus, then on a chartered plane to San Cristobal.  They served us a wrap on the plane which I might have skipped had I known we would have lunch when we boarded the ship.

We stopped at a local hotel for a briefing on what to expect on the ship.  It was all pretty standard information.  We reboarded the buses for a very short drive to the location where we boarded the zodiacs that would take us to the ship.  

Our first activity was lunch which allowed the ship crew to distribute our luggage into our rooms. A repeated setup for lunch in the main dining room was a buffet set up for ceviche, salad bar, meats, cheeses, and breads for our starters.  The main meal was ordered from the menu offering a soup, sandwich, fish, and some kind of vegetarian offering.  The buffet was also utilized for small dessert bites.  

After lunch we received our room keys with a little time to unpack and relax.  We also were issued our snorkeling gear for the week during this time.  They provided shorty diving suits, masks, fins, and snorkels.  We had our safety drill and then enjoyed the sunset while circling Pinnacle Rock.  

Before dinner every evening there was a briefing on what to expect the next day.  The one this evening introduced the naturalist guides that would lead our expeditions this week.  The typical offerings for each day include a hike, a snorkeling trip, and a zodiac tour.  Sometimes there’s multiples of these (zodiac tours in particular)

For dinner we opted for the less dressy Grill on the 7th deck.  This was the al fresco dining area that you have to have reservations for.  Our group enjoyed the slightly more relaxed atmosphere and the fresh evening air.  I think this may be our choice for the week.

Tomorrow: Hiking and snorkeling