Lotus Eaters

pelican watching the tide come in

In the afternoon they came unto a land

In which it seemed always afternoon
All round the coast the languid air did swoom
Breathing like one that hath a weary dream.

After two hours of hammering across the open ocean in a 20-foot water taxi powered by twin 200 HP Yamaha outboards, we are now on the Galapagos Island of Isabella, and the pace of life has slowed considerably.  On our first day we saw penguins, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, flamingos, iguanas and the immense tortoises.   

Tortoises – which live only on land -- reach maturity at about 150 years when they weigh about a ton.  These are truly big ponderous creatures and when they mate, they enjoy the process for about 45 minutes and make so much noise they can be heard on the road that passes 50 meters from the breeding area.

This island was until 1959 a penal colony.  Prisoners here were treated terribly – forced into senseless, brutal labour in swamps thick with flesh-tearing thorny bushes, most starved to death.  But they were spared one torture: there are no mosquitos or other biting insects that we have noticed while walking these same swamps comfortably on boardwalks.

lava lizards come in many colours

The main drag in the main town here (Puerto Villamil) is a sand road past a series of restaurants and hostals featuring plastic chairs under bamboo-supported sun screens.  There are fewer than 2,000 inhabitants on the entire island and not one of them moves quickly.  Sensitive to culture and quick to adapt to local conditions, we have slowed our own pace to match.  

male tortoise looking for some action

I asked the lady at the restaurant where I could find some boobies.  She looked a little closely at me and asked, “With blue feet?”   “Yes.” I replied, “The other kind is easy to find.”   Indeed, the pleasure Latin women take in their womanhood is often expressed in proud cleavage and here at the equator clothing offers little encumbrance to nature’s bounty. The blue-footed kind is much more elusive.  We will go looking for them more actively tomorrow.  

 Today we are just going to take it easy.