A glimpse into life on the Galapagos

Lisa's view of the Galapagos. When we first arrived off the play it was sweltering hot and all I saw was lava and a few prickly pear cactii, better know as optuni catcti here. Even I was hot. To get to our new home in Puerto Ayora on the Island of Santa Cruz you arrive by plane on the island of Baltra (an old USA military base durrring WWII). You then take a bus for 5 minutes to a ferry where you toss your luggage on top. Ten minutes in the ferry with glistring aqua colored water and viewing sea lions and pelicans and you wonder if you might be in paradise. Back to land to have 20 taxi guys swarm you to get your $15 for the taxi ride to Puerto Ayora a 40km ride that takes 1 and 1/2 hours on one of the few roads here. We are drenched with sweat. We ask the Taxi driver if can we sit in the back of the truck. No. As we drive along I begin to notice the brillant yellow flowers on the cactii. Soon the cactii fade into lush green as we climb in altitude to cross the high spot of the island. Ahh relief it might be 75 or 80 here. This is called the highlands where most of the food for the island is grown. Lush and tropical rain forest, well not quite rain forest.
Back down to stiffling heat and we find our new home here in Puerta Ayora. It is an extremely nice home by standards here and nice according to Vienna's standards. We are quickly warned by Emily, the director of the program Ice we are volunteering for to NEVER drink the water here and when showering to wash private parts with fresh water as something terrible is in it but she won't tell us today as she doesn't want to scare us. I for one have a very active imagination and was totally freaked out so 2 hours later when we went to teach english I begged her to tell me. She proceeds to tell me that the leach fields and aquifer (water source) have cracks which allow them to qicly become one. I am thinking great I am showering in dodo. Get me gallons of clorox. They do have paseteles de cloro for you water tank and we quickly buy some. Still the thought is gross. Emily told us none of the locals drink the water, but after having been invited into their homes I see them all drink water from the tap. We use grapefruit extract to clean fruits and vegtables and thus far none of us have been sick, just sunburnt.
Puerto Ayora is about 10,000 people. The government is trying to protect the Galapagos so no one other than a resident(a person who has lived here more than 10 years can own a car, house, motorcycle or land. That means there are 1,00 white taxis who tke you around town for $1 if you are laxy. Still many Ecuadorians come because the money is good here in Ecuadorian standards. (in a lot of ways similar to Alaska) Food though is expensive. Mangos $1, watermellon 5 to 10, a chicken 8 to ten, 5 gallons of water the cheapest $.90, lettuce $3 and so on. We buy our milk from the leche guys who come around every morning at 6:30 yelling leche, leche. It is $1.40 for 2 liters. Every other building is a store or bakery and they all sell the same things we thought at first. Two reasons behind this. Even though there is almost nill crime someone always stays in the casa (house) to protect it. Therefor, usually the woman stays home, manages the kids and runs the store. Secondly, they can buy in bulk and get a better price. We have discovered that when you see something in the store (say kikkoman soy sauce which a small bottle cost $6.48) buy instantly because it will be gone it less than 24 hours. One lady told me last night she goes to the one main supermarket (you could fit it in my livingroom and kitchen area) everyday to be able to get differnt things. Que le via bien, have agood jouney till next time. lisa and treava