We ran all night through the dark. Up and down and an occasional side to side. I took some gravol. Ended up in a port. First civilization we have seen in a week.
Most everyone had weird dreams last night. We didn’t.
Off on the panga to shore. We loaded up on a little truck with seats and off up to the highlands. We went up over 900 ft into the lush green area. They grow pineapples, bananas, guava, corn, plums, sugar cane. We saw where the fresh water comes from foe the island. From our point of view just a little trickle of water. They know how to conserve on this island. We went for a little hike through the bush to see where some seaman lived for years by himself. He traded fruit and veggies with the whalers for rum. Also saw a cave where some German and his wife lived – in paradise. Then back down part way to a hike with over 200 steps to get to the top of a cinder cone. We didn’t go, cus what goes up has to come down! We sat and talked with 3 other smart people.
Then to lunch with the Cruz family. Wow the food. The hacienda is where the samba gets the fruit, veggies and meat from. The steak and chicken was unbelievable. So fresh and tastey. We had lemongrass tea, that was so good. Beautiful area surrounded be plum trees and one huge tree with red blossoms. The buildings weren’t much, just cinder block and corrugated tin. And solar panels.
We did a short walk through the plum trees to the grave of the German that was here in the 1930’s.
The back to the truck and a bumpy ride to the port to go back to the Samba. Where some of the group did canon balls off the deck. We had a rain shower, just a short one.
Again we are under way for 4 hrs to the next island, looking for albatross along the way.
Someone yelled Bottlenose Dolphins and everyone grabbed their cameras and ran to the bow. WOW! Lots of them. Over a hundred of them. About 8 or 10 swimming in front of the prow. I got a shot of two jumping, one under the other. I ran off a couple of hundred shots. One or two should be good.
I went below for a nap as I made myself sick hanging over the bow looking down at the Dolphins.
Woke up as we came into Santa Cruz. Civilization!! About 15000 in the little city.