I´m Sorry

Sorry that this has taken so long to get to. We have been without internet for some of the time, but mostly it is laziness on my part.
After running around Quito looking for cash to fund our last minute Galapagos trip, we took off the next day for Puerto Ayora and spent 2 days there before boarding the Archipell for our cruise. During our time in Puerto Ayora we hiked to a near by beach for a swim with the Iguanos. It was hot (30s) and the hike was tough, but between the lava lizards, birds and the only cactus that grows like a tree (has a trunk) we made it. The first beach was not for swimming, because of the undertow, but the surfers loved it. We proceeded on to the smaller beach which had shade. There were many marine iguanos and they seemed to parade along the beach.
During our stay in PA we shared a number of cervazas with Nat and Megan, new friends from Australia who tend bar and cook in the most remote pub in the UK and travel in the off season. I must confess that they were the ones who put us on to the deal with the Archpell.
The Archipell is a beautiful catamaran (powered) with a crew of 9 serving 16 passengers. I cannot speak too highly of the food, service and the quality of the program. Our guide Dario was passionate about his Islands and the balance to be struck between the value of tourism and preservation of the wildlife. We were kept busy snorkelling and hiking both through unbelievable scenery and wildlife. The passengers were an interesting and agreeable group mixing Aussies, Dutch, Americans, Swiss and Canadians. One engagement was announced during the cruise. Good luck to Julie and Jason from the Pacific NW of the US.
Highlights were many including swimming with the sea lions and sea turtles and the many spectacularly coloured fish. We got to interact with land and sea turtles and land and sea iguanos. The low point for me was when I got into a school of miniscule jelly fish, which is similar to getting into a hive of wasps. I had to force myself to get back into the water.
After hugs all around we headed to Guayaquil on the mainland of Ecuador.