The Samba - a Galapagos home for 7 nights

Going to the Galapagos requires time spent on a boat....since the travel each day is from one island to another - usually done at night.  I choose the Samba because it was small - 14 passengers and a crew of 6 plus a guide.  I found by having the small boat it was much easier to move 14 people to the island each day than if I was on one of the ships that held 80+.

Each day we had a 5:30 am wake up call....some cookies/crackers and coffee/tea and were off the boat by 6:00am to either a 'wet' landing (wading ashore) or a 'dry' landing (walking ashore over rocks).  After about 1 and 1/2 or 2 hours we went back to the boat for breakfast.  There was time for snorkeling and a bit of rest before lunch at Noon....then snorkeling in the afternoon...about 3:00 it was back ashore at another location for a couple hours then back to the boat...dinner usually at 7;00pm...Out like a light at 8:30!!!

Here are a few pictures of the Samba taken from ashore...

Inside the Samba - Cabin #6 - my home for the week....

Outside my cabin down the hall leading to the upper deck...

The dining hall - meeting room for the daily briefings....

The day's activity on a grease board....

Outside deck space....

Here is the crew....first Marianna.....the unbelievable guide....working 14 to 16 hours a day planning/organizing and leading the group to the islands/snorkeling and daily briefings....she was the best!!!

...and the rest of the crew...left to right....Captain, 1st mate, 1st mate, 2nd mate, chef, waiter/bartender and Marianna....

....so each day was spend leaving in the beautiful morning sunrise....

and returning almost as the sun was going down....

Okay....now you have some idea of what life will be like for a week in the Galapagos....and by the way....no television....no phone....no WiFi.....for 8 days....truly this is paradise....

The photo of the day...is the entire group of people I traveled with on this part of my journey....they were from Spain, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Ecuador, Brazil, and the United States.  The photo below was taken at what is called the Post Office...where you can place a post card into the box and when others visit this spot they will look thru the cards and if there is one from their country and near where they live they should take and mail it or deliver it in person....mailing a post card in Ecuador is a little pricy..$3 per card!!.....Here we are...