TO CATCH A ZODIAC, A VAN, A FERRY, A BUS AND A PLANE-THIS IS GOODBYE GALAPAGOS

WEATHER: Beautiful and 23C – of course we are leaving!

HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: The plane was on time for my connection to Lima

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Saying goodbye to Amy

BUYS OF THE DAY: New scarf to replace the one I left in the Seychelles

WORD OF THE DAY: Get this bird in the air – I’m starving – Amy ready to chew her arm off

Today was departure day.  It was a big travel day for me as well.  But as it is my last airline day for the next 5 months, I am happy to just suck it all up.  Starting the day at 5.30am and my flight is due into Lima at 11pm plus then getting to the hotel, I will be lucky to be in bed before 1am.  Yeah a BIG day ahead.

One thing that I will not miss is the beds on the La Pinta.  Amy and I both had singles, but I have to say they aren’t the widest beds in the world.  You cannot do a full roll or flip over without having to shimmy shimmy to be able to do it, they are super skinny beds and I think I kept waking every time I went for the flip in the fear that I would roll out of bed.  The other thing is the beds are positioned in the cabin, when we hit rough seas that we roll from side to side.  On the Expedition the beds were positioned that when rough seas hit we rolled from head to foot, which was more soothing (like a baby) and you didn’t feel like you were going to get rocked out of bed.  So that’s my rant on the beds.  Other than that they were quite comfortable.

Our bags had to be out at 6.15am, this wasn’t an issue for Aimes and I as we had packed last night, after showering and changing we were at breakfast at 6.30am having a potter of a time till we found out at 7am that we were leaving 15 minutes early at 7am to give us some extra time at the land tortoises.  Luckily we were all packed; I just had to squeeze in my laptop and charger, brush my teeth, stopping in at the restaurant for some final goodbyes then into the zodiac at 7.08am.  Not too bad at all. 

So our last ride in the zodiac was back to Santa Cruz.  Our bags had gone ahead of us in another zodiac, so we just had with us our hand luggage for the 15 minute ride.  We had some time to kill, as the ship was getting relocated around to another bay, so we had to get off, so keep us busy they were driving us the 35 minutes to the tortoise farm, where Amy and I had been last week.  So unless we stayed at the jetty with a small café, we decided to for the ride and take another gander at these amazing creatures.  The farm is located in the Highlands, so the weather at 600m wasn’t that great and hold onto your hats I didn’t take a single photo, so you will be relieved that you won’t have to sift through tortoise photos for the second time.  We got around 40 minutes at the farm and it was a little sad that we had been there already, as the other 8 people were having their ‘wow’ moment and we were yawn yawn been there done that, but we didn’t let on and ruin it for them, but that was the 3^rd problem with us starting in Balta, we doubled up on an excursion.  I know it’s all to do with itineraries and what they are allowed to do by the National Parks, but it is still a little sucky.

So we travelled back the 35 minutes back to the small pier, where we had to catch the 10 minute ferry to the other side and literally leave Santa Cruz Island and now back on the non-populated Baltra Island and heading to the airport on the islands bus for the 10 minute ride.  Our flight was at midday, and we arrived at the airport at 9.30am.  This is the busiest part of the day for the airport, as they have 3 flights arrive within 40 minutes of each other with LAN, Aero Gal and TAME and then they all turn around and depart within 40 minutes of each other.  So the airport was a hive of activity and someone entrepreneur was smart and they have a row of souvenir shops with people making last minute purchases at double the price you pay on the mainland.  Smart people.  They also had some ‘normal’ shops and there is a shop called Lonesome George’ where they produce high quality shirts that Lada had purchased when her bag went missing on their arrival.  So Amy and I were keen to get a shirt from there.  They were really cool shirts, but they were 47USD a pop!  I have to buy clothes that fit me as I see them, and sometimes if I have to pay a premium then so be it.  I am not going to have the luxury of getting a new set of clothes in London on this trip, so I sucked it up and bought 2 shirts and one off the sale table for 27USD.  I am still on budget to help justify paying 122USD for 3 t-shirts, but they are really nice to boot!!!

This was the most stressful part of ALL my 37 flights.  I NEEDED them to all run, they could be late, I had a 4 hour window in Quito, but they had to fly.  South American airlines are notorious for running late and to the beat of their own drum, so I was a little apprehensive and even after I was sitting on the plane I wasn’t happy till; we were actually in the air.  I have seen many a flight delayed and cancelled even after you are all strapped in and ready to go!  All flights fly via Guayaquil, so I wasn’t home and hose till those wheels touched down in Quito 4 hours later.  We were on an Airbus A319 with a seating configuration of 3x3 and the plane was packed.  We saw people on the flight that we flew over with a week ago and we all look a little browner and happy.  The flight time to Guayaquil was 1 hour and 35 minutes, with 45 minutes on the ground and then only 35 minutes further to Quito arriving in at 4pm winding out watched forward an hour?  After collecting our bags, there was someone from Metropolitan Travel to transfer me to the international airport which was laughable as it was only a 2 minute walk, but nice of them all the same. 

This is where Amy and I said our goodbyes.  Amy, you were an awesome travel buddy.  We think alike, we even look like sisters (according to more than one person on the trip) and we really are on the same page with a lot of things in love, life and work.  I am going to miss you terribly; it was AWESOME to have familiar face and true friend to share this experience with.  Are you sure you can’t come further on my trip with me?  Are you sure?  Anyway safe travels to you for your extra week in Ecuador and I will be seeing you in June/July next year for our trip to Ottawa and Montreal.  Here we can catch up with Shauna and also my Contiki husbands Marc and Andrew.    

Before heading through the security checkpoint I found a post office where I was able to get my Ecuador stamp and post a letter to Ethiopia.  I wasn’t too concerned about the stamp for my Globetrotters book as I am back in Ecuador in April next year, but no time like the present, so it was good to get that done.  I didn’t have my book on me for the Galapagos, so I missed out on the ink stamp there, but I did buy some limited edition lick lick stamps, so I will be able to use one of those, so I am a happy camper.

As I was checking in 4 hours early, I wasn’t sure if they would let me, so I joined the queue anyway and they had 2 ladies coming around with a clipboard checking your name off a list.  Geez I hope my name is on there as this particular flight has changed 3 times since I left home, not all me I might add.  But I was there and they left me in the line, so it was good that I will be able to drop my bag and head straight into departures instead of killing time at check-in.  I didn’t get to see how heavy my bag was, as they whipped it on and off pretty quick but nothing was said, so with a smile and a window seat boarding pass in my hand, I can’t believe that this is my last flight for 5 months.  I now don’t have any flights booked at all.  It feels a little scary and liberating all at the same time.  This is my 38^th international flight in 9 months.  I have travelled approximately 74,543 miles as the crow flies, which is about 119,965 km!  To put that into perspective I am 35km just short of being about to travel around the world 3 times based on km travelled.  I did look at the moon stats but it is approximately 420,000km to the moon, so I wouldn't even get halfway there - as impressive as that would have looked!

I will pass through and visit approximately 49 airports and travel on 19 airlines - some of which I hadn’t even heard of.  But in some regions it was the only way to get there.  That life motto life is just too short comes into play in these instances!!!  In saying that I should start looking at booking my Easter Island component for May next year, you may laugh, but it will be here before you know it.  Look how fast this year has gone already!

Considering how much air traffic passes through Quito International, the airport is quite small with only 4 gates.  As I was so early I had a wander around, that took 10 minutes, and then decided I should have something to eat, as I am sure LAN will only serve me a ham and cheese roll.  So I had Subway, a foot long club, it was the only thing I understood on the menu without too much hand gesturing, a drink and a packet of crisps for the cool total of 15USD.  Where I sat to eat my massive dinner, I could see the departure screen and I couldn’t help but keep looking to make sure my flight still had the ‘still on time’ status.  Thankfully it didn’t change and 8.10pm we were called and started boarding my flight to Lima.  The start of my new adventure, meeting new people, and not just a 3 week jaunt, I maybe with some of these people for 5 months, depending on how far people are going.  Even if they are just doing the first component, that is 39 days long.  That’s just over 6 weeks, which can be a long time if you don’t all get along.  Bye bye Amy, bye bye Quito….  I will be back.

The flight from Quito to Lima was 2 hour and 45 minutes.  I should have been tired enough to sleep, but I wasn’t and I was lucky enough to be in an exit row with a seat spare next to me, again.  So I decided I should try and blog to try and keep on top of it all.  Nicola said it was like a full time job, and I guess she is sort of right.  I still enjoy writing it, getting a kick that I have had over 21,000 people click on my site  and I will look forward to the day that I will be able to get it printed and bound and have the time to re-read my journey.  That would be kind of cool to just suck up what I did do and take the time to relive my memories.

So my flight arrived in at 10.50pm along with what looked like another 50 planes.  Immigration was a nightmare.  They have 2 sides to pick from, and it was impossible to see which one was the shortest, so eeeny meeny miney mo – I took the right.  From here it was one queue to the top and then you had to pick another line for the run to the immigration guy.  So I chose the middle man, they all looked the same, people wise and then I looked at the 2 queues beside me to mark a person that was the same as me and to see who makes it through first.  Well I picked the wrong line.  Couldn’t see that one coming.  There was an issue with the passenger and the guy had to leave his little box…. No no no where are you going….come back……… so our line was stalled for around 10 minutes as I watched my 2 queue counterparts move up and finally get processed and through the other side as I was still in line.  I hate that.  Finally our guy was back, we were stamped and though.  The upside my bag was already on the carousel and with a free trolley, I had to them join a queue a mile long to get our bags checked by customs.  They have a cute system.  Once you make it to the top of the line, you give the guy your form, you have to press a button that will flash up green, and you are good to go  straight through or red and you had to go to the left and get your bag checked.  As I pressed the button I was praying for my travel god, one more time to come through and flash me a green light, which I got and I was home and hosed.  Welcome to Peru.  I made it, no problems, no delays and finally no stress. 

Well there was one more hurdle, was my transfer waiting for me?  Lima’s International airport looks busy, and that is just based on the time I finally emerged at 11.35pm and with the amount of signs that were being held up.  I am sure I look like a goose as you try and scan them all looking for your name or Tucans brand on a board.  Seriously there would have been over 100 people holding up signs.  I finally found my little dude at the back with my name and Tucan.  It may as have been flashing and lit I was that relived to see it!  Awesome!!!

The transfer from the airport to the hotel only took 20 minutes.  There was hardly any traffic on the roads once we got out of the airport traffic getting me to the hotel just before 12.30am.  I have now been on the move for 19 hours and I am still feeling not too bad.  From waking up at 5.50am this morning to getting to my room at 12.30am.  I checked the message board on the way to my room, with 3 names on the welcome letter; at least I know there are 3 newbies and finding the start time for 6.30am!!  Holy moly!!!!  My roomy Mala was already in bed, so I used my mobile phone for light, unpacked my PJ’s, which were on top purely for this reason and was in bed by 12.45am.  There was a knock at the door, which I answered, and it was a message to call Mark, our tour leader, to check in that I had actually arrived, doubled checked that the departure time tomorrow was 6.30am and then tried to get some sleep.

So I am now on the start of my mammoth 154 day tour of South America. 

Back into an overland truck tomorrow. 

Back into tents for some of the trip.

Back into land travel and no more flights BUT no having back Dave, Lisa, Manu and Sean.

Tomorrow I meet the new group.  Please please let them be nice.  Most of them have already been on tour for 16 days, so let’s hope that they aren’t too clicky already.  I also missed the meeting this evening, which I hate doing, but given all the circumstances I am just glad that I am here.  The other thought I had while trying to get to sleep was the seating on the truck.  I know what we were like with the Africa overland, we were hell bent on getting the middle seats and not the front ones due to the cool air from the cab to the truck.  But there is nothing I can do about that, as they would already have ‘their’ seats, so I will just fit in where I can.

Goodnight from Lima – Peru.