Arriving in the Galapagos Islands

Last night was not a good night for sleeping. There was a concert at the arena next to the Sheraton that blasted “music” until after midnight. Then there were fireworks. Many of our team heard loud concertgoers returning to their rooms until 2 am.

We had to have our bags tagged and in the hallway outside our rooms by 6 am. We were to board the bus to the airport by 6:30, so we had a quick but tasty breakfast at the hotel. The 40 minute bus ride through Quito to the airport was a lot calmer than the ride from the airport with Denis’ taxi on Tuesday. I suspect some of the difference was the reduction on traffic on a Saturday morning compared to a weekday evening, but most of the difference was a far less aggressive driver. We checked our carry-on bags where they were sealed with a plastic lock and returned to us to take to ticketing. We went through the immigration checkpoint then a checkpoint for Galapagos National Park to assure that we were not taking any banned substances such as fruits or seeds. We proceeded to the scan of carry-on luggage and the standard TSA-type security scan. There seemed to be no problems for anyone on our team and the Road Scholar team had informed us well of the procedure.

Upon boarding, many of us remarked that the aircraft was much larger than we anticipated. We expected a small prop aircraft, but this was a medium sized jet. Since the flight had a stop in Guayaquil, many of the passengers would deplane there while other visitors to the Galapagos would board.

Baltra airport

Mary and I were pleased to share a row with Miko, an 80-year-old Cherokee man, who retired from the US Army as a full Colonel, His wife, Lorna, was an Army nurse and Lieutenant Colonel, now retired. Chatting with Miko was very interesting since grew up on the Cherokee Reservation, moved to California’s San Joaquin Valley as a child, graduated from Stanford then joined the Army as an enlisted man and advanced to “Full Bird Colonel” in his 24-year career. He did three tours in Vietnam between 1966 and 1970 and received three Purple Hearts including one for being shot in the face resulting in the loss of many of his teeth.

View from Baltra

Landing at the small airport on Baltra in the Galapagos is just like landing at any airport. We were met by our Road Scholar guide for the week. Willo, like Richard and Patricia earlier in the trip, is a certified guide as well as a certified naturalist. He was born and raised in the Galapagos, so we felt in good hands for our stay. Willo was very tall, especially for an Ecuadorian, standing at least 6’3”. 

We collected our checked bags and waited for the bus that would take us across this small island. While waiting, we saw several unique Galapagos birds including many medium ground finches and a blue footed booby diving for fish in the water around the island. The bus carried us across Baltra, where we saw the remains of many structures that had been built by the US Air Force in the 1940s as strategic location during the war in the Pacific.

On the south side of the island, we left the bus and boarded a small ferry to take us to Santa Cruz Island. There we boarded another bus for the 24 miles trip across the island to the village of Porto Ayora. Small inflatable shuttle boats (panga/zodiaks) took us to the Galaxy Yacht anchored offshore. The ship is very nice with room for up to 16 passengers as well as common areas for dining, socializing and relaxing. We met with 8 crew members and had the required safety information before going to our rooms where our bags awaited us. 

The sleeping room, like any other cruise we have taken, was small but well designed for our needs. The ocean was pretty choppy so we knew that we would need to use the scopolamine ear patches for motion sickness. We had lunch onboard the Galaxy Yacht which was very tasty and well prepared. The kitchen staff took requests for dinner. I chose the fettuccine with garlic and mushrooms, but other pasta choices were available.

Mary & Steve with a Galapagos tortoise

We had a short time to prepare for the afternoon activity on Santa Cruz Island which was viewing the giant tortoises on the island. We rode the bus to El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve near the center of Santa Cruz and saw at least 50 giant Galápagos tortoises just in pastures and farm fields. When we got to the preserve, we saw dozens on tortoises that live in the wild on the island. 

Cindy with a Galapagos tortoise

The huge tortoises are amazing creatures with some being well over 100 years old. The turtles in the preserve are wild animals and not confined in any way, but the preserve provides water holes and keeps the grass cut to a height that the turtles prefer. At the preserve we saw many tortoises of all sizes and both male and female. We also saw the Galápagos mockingbird and several other endemic birds. We walked through a lava tube then out the other side where we saw 7 or 8 giant tortoises in a shallow pond. After taking a lot of photographs and marveling at the size and age of the tortoises, we boarded the bus back to the Galaxy Yacht.

We had a lifeboat drill and a brief meeting before dinner, which was the fettuccine prepared in our choice of sauce. We enjoyed the meal and especially the visit with the others in our group.

The ship was rocking a good bit, and we all had problems. Two of the group of three sisters were so ill that they were considering aborting the trip and returning to the US. We staggered our way back to cabin 7 and went to sleep although the room was very bright from the air conditioning. The ship sailed sailed to Isabella Island for our next few days of tours.

Old Quito

As usual, we awoke early and did a few things in the room while waiting to go to breakfast in the Sheraton at 6 am. We had another great selection of fruit, cheese and breads in addition to the items that are typically eaten in Ecuador. I tried cacao tea since the person at the chocolate maker said that the hulls of the cacao beans are used for tea. I found the cacao tea to be tasteless and smelled only slightly of chocolate. The fresh fruit juices were outstanding.

At 8 am we met our guide for Quito, Patricia, along with the others in the group for orientation and planning. One couple from New Hampshire was delayed because of a Hurricane Ian related cancellation but the other 13 of us were there. After the meeting, we went to our rooms to get what we needed for the morning tours.

San Francisco Convent

We boarded a bus and drove into old town Quito. Upon exiting the bus, we were swarmed by women selling hand woven alpaca shawls. Mary bought some to take back as gifts for the girls. Then we walked through the town square to the San Francisco Convent a Franciscan church. Which dates to 1535. In the courtyard there were several species of native parrots which we understand is common for Franciscan churches. We were amazed at the age of the structure and how good it appeared to be. The walls are now painted white, but it originally had beautiful murals on the walls and ceiling. There was a service going on when we arrived, so we tried to be very quiet and not disturb anything. It was remarkable how well preserved the paintings and the structure of the church was after nearly 500 years.

The Gold Church

From this church, we walked to a Jesuit church, the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, commonly called “The gold church” because of all the gold in the church’s interior decor. It was quite beautiful, so we walked around looking at the old church. 

 

We walked to Chez Tiff Artesanal, a chocolate maker in Quito who, like the chocolatier in Mindo, makes artisanal chocolate in small batches. The proprietor is a Swiss man who is married to an Ecuadorian woman. He gave us a discussion on the making of chocolate that was very similar to the process we saw yesterday. We very much enjoyed the samples of their chocolate making.

Lunch at Hotel Grande Plaza

When we arrived at Hotel Plaza Grande for lunch, we met with the toast two of our group, Charlie and Judy from Vermont, whose travel had been delayed by Hurricane Ian. They were a nice couple, and we were pleased to have them join the group.

Cucuruchos in Quito

Lunch was at Hotel Plaza Grande where Mary and I both had chicken coated in local quinoa flour and baked. The appetizer was a selection of native Ecuador’s fruits and vegetables. The real treat was the dessert which was guava and raspberry sorbets in a small metal bowl. The metal bowl was in a slightly larger porcelain bowl with a small quantity of dry ice and water causing the bowl to appear to smoke. The dessert was served by waiters dressed in purple robes called cucuruchos. The also had purple conical cloth hats covering their faces. This is part of a seasonal ritual in Ecuador symbolizing reflection and penance during holy days and especially on Good Friday when thousands of Ecuadorians parade through Quito in the purple robes and hoods.

We had a bit of a scare after we left the restaurant. Cindy wanted a coffee from the nearby café and realized that she didn’t have her wallet. We ran back to the dining room and quickly found the wallet under the table where she and Mark sat.

After finishing lunch, we boarded the bus to visit the home and museum of Oswaldo Guayasamin, Ecuador’s most famous artist. His art was very dark and carried a social/political message that was relevant in his time. I believe that this was the least favorite stop of our time in Ecuador. However, I did meet a lady who lives just a few blocks from Sarah. I was wearing a “Xavier Dad” T-shirt when a visitor at the museum asked me if I was from Cincinnati. I told her that we were from Central Kentucky, but our daughter attended Xavier and her family lives in Pleasant Ridge. It turns out that she lives just a short distance from Sarah in Pleasant Ridge.

After leaving the Guayasamin art museum, we again boarded the bus for our return to the Sheraton where we had almost an hour of free time before the speaker, a professor from the university in Quito, spoke on the geography, economics and culture of Ecuador. He was an interesting and knowledgeable speaker that everyone seemed to enjoy. Following the presentation, we had dinner at the hotel then we went to our rooms to prepare for our early departure for Galápagos Islands tomorrow.

Mindo Cloud Forest

As most days, we were awake early, so we did our German lessons and straightened the room before our trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest to the northwest of Quito. We had breakfast at the Sheraton and enjoyed the selection of South American breakfast foods, especially the fresh fruits and juices.

Waterfall in Pahuma Orchid Reserve

We were picked up at the hotel by a taxi, driven by Edwin, to take us to meet our naturalist guide for the day. The ride was much less hectic than the taxi ride from the airport with Denis. The taxi took us to meet with Richard and we moved our items into his car for the day trip in the Mindo Cloud Forest. Richard Hernandez was very pleasant and spoke English very well. We asked us our preferences for the day and scheduled the trip around our priorities.

Cindy & Mary taking a break

Our first stop was to Reserva Pahuma Orchid Reserve, a private nature preserve where we could see birds, a variety of native plants, and a spectacular waterfall. We hiked up a steep and narrow trail with Richard stopping point out items of interest. We saw anoles, tarantulas, damselflies and tiny frogs. There were lots of trees and other plants that are characteristic of the cloud forest. We were surprised to learn that at less than 7000 feet, the altitude at the cloud forest is much lower than in Quito. Richard was very patient with our many questions and took the time to explain the plants and animals in the context of the local culture. We were interested to learn that Richard had been a Trappist monk earlier in his life. We spent nearly two hours hiking this area.

We stopped for lunch at a small local restaurant in the town of Nanegalito where we all had fritatas (roast pork with hominy) at el Sabroson. We also purchased a couple of water bottles and some local parched corn. We were surprised that the bill for the five of us (including Richard), the water and corn was only $28. Perhaps the most amusing part of the restaurant was the old console television that was converted to an aquarium.

Hummingbird in San Tadeo

After lunch we drove the short distance to San Tadeo Bird Viewing. There was a large feeder where many beautiful species of tanager, oriole and other birds were feeding on bananas. An area with hummingbird feeders attracted hundreds of hummingbirds of several species and all sizes and colors. It was wild with all of the tiny birds flying all around us. This was interesting to us since only one hummingbird species, the ruby throated, is found in eastern North America.

Yumbo's Chocolate

We were ready for a snack so we stopped at Yumbo’s Chocolate in the town of Mindo. Yumbo’s is a very small scale production using the yellow “National“ variety of cacao that are only found in Ecuador. The cacao beans are fermented and dried before coming to Yumbo’s in Mindo. We were shown how the staff removes the shell of the coffee beans after crushing. The cacao is then pressed and ground for several days before adding sugar or flavoring and forming into chocolate bars.

At the conclusion of our visit, we had a tasting of hot chocolate as well the 100%, 85%, 70% and 60% cacao bars. We also sampled their chocolate with orange, lemongrass, raw cacao nibs, hot pepper and ginger. Everything was very good, and we purchased several bars to take back as gifts for family.

Hummingbird at Balkon Tumpiki

After leaving Yumbo’s, we drove several kilometers up a steep narrow road to el Balcon Tumpiki bird observation area. This place had even more birds than the first place we stopped. Hummingbirds were everywhere and seemed to have no fear of humans. Two species of toucans came to the feeder. The first was the plate billed mountain toucan then the toucan barbet. We also saw flocks of red billed parrots making a racket in nearby trees. A light shower urged us to leave, but we could certainly have stayed here much longer. The rain ended soon and didn’t make the drive on the dirt road slippery.

Standing at the Equator

Our last stop of the day was to stand at zero degrees latitude, the equator. The well-publicized visitor center and monument for the equator in Mitad del Mundo isn’t actually on the equator but several hundred meters south. We went to Patricio Villavicencio’s visitor center which is exactly on the equator. Patricio keeps his stop something of a secret with only guides who know him aware of his small display. The government wants to protect the other sanctioned visitor center from competition, so Patricio keeps his operation low profile. We checked the coordinates with our GPS and found Patricio’s line to be spot on within the margin of error for my GPS. Patricio showed us lots of information about how the incorrect location of the equator was established as well as demonstrating the sundial that he constructed in his courtyard. I even went to the toilet to check the direction of the flush and found it to still go counterclockwise right on the equator.

Toucan at Balcon Tumpiki

We got back in Richard’s car and returned to Quito. We learned that he couldn’t pick us up or return us to the hotel because driving in the city center during weekday rush hours is restricted by license plate  numbers to one day per week. This is to reduce air pollution in the city of Quito. We said our goodbyes to Richard and got in the taxi driving us back to the Quito Sheraton.

Mary, Cindy and Mark went to a cafe in the hotel for an evening snack while I stayed in the room to do my evening German lesson and start writing the journal entry for the day. Although we were tired, everyone had a fun and memorable time in Ecuador today.

We meet up with the Road Scholar group tomorrow morning for an informational meeting followed by a bus and walking tour of Quito. We travel to Galápagos Islands on Saturday.

Sightseeing in Quito

I woke around 4 am, which makes sense since Quito is on Central Time and my usual wake-up time is 5 am. I showered then reorganized my backpack for what we may do in the next few days before going to the Galápagos Islands. Mary checked weather and looked for things to do today and tomorrow in mainland Ecuador.

We thought that breakfast at the Sheraton was included with our room, but with the language issue, we weren’t certain. In any case, breakfast was an excellent buffet with many South American items as well as a few US favorites such as waffles. There was a large selection of fresh fruit juices, many fresh tropical fruits, breads, meats and pastries.

Golden Angel's Trumpet

After breakfast, Mary and Cindy planned our outing while I watched an episode of Bonanza with Spanish voiceover and changed clothes. We headed to Parque la Carolina, a large urban park just a few blocks from the Sheraton. We walked around looking at unfamiliar flowers and trees, while watching several groups play volleyball and soccer. 

We visited the Jardín Botánico De Quito, the national botanical garden. It contained a great variety of plants throughout the large garden, and most were clearly labeled with scientific name, botanical family, country of origin and common name in Spanish. 

We especially enjoyed the cactus and succulent area with plants from all over the world. A display of bonsai trees showcased winning displays from a recent competition. A specialty of the Quito botanical garden are the orchids from Ecuador’s tropical rain forests.

While we were at the botanical gardens, we saw a number of birds that were unfamiliar to us. We were especially taken with the many hummingbirds in the area. There were very few other visitors at the botanical garden while we were there. However, being an overcast Wednesday morning, we didn’t expect it to be crowded. We enjoyed our visit to the area very much and left around 1:30 to find a place for a light lunch.

Mary and Cindy spotted Panificadora Ambato, a local bakery. We all got empanadas, flaky bread with chicken or beef filling and shared desserts. The bill for Mary and I was $8, and the Whittington’s bill was about the same. We all enjoyed the lunch the came back to the Sheraton to relax. We were all tired from rushing around on Monday to make an early departure plus spending the previous day in airports or on planes. In addition, none of us are adjusted to the altitude here of nearly 10,000 feet. A midafternoon break was welcome for all of us.

While Mary finished resting and exercising, I went for a walk between the park and hotel. I checked for possible places to eat and got an overall view of this part of the city. Quito is a large city with nearly three million residents, but we are only seeing a small part of it. We understand that we will have a tour of the city on Friday with the Road Scholar group.

We met with Mark and Cindy in the lobby at 6 pm and walked the path I explored this afternoon. We decided to try Chalaca, a Peruvian restaurant. Our waitress could speak English better than most people we have met here in Quito and was very helpful. We started with a shared appetizer of chicken, shrimp, and fish. The waitress also brought a very hot sauce with a name that translates to an unmentionable word in English. She also recommended a local white wine which was a good accompaniment to our meal. I ordered taco-taco con saltado with chicken which is Peruvian beans and rice with stir fried chicken and a light sauce. Mary had chanchito criollo which was whipped sweet potatoes topped with pork in a slightly sweet sauce. Cindy had corvina al escabeche, sea bass with a relish of yellow chili pepper, onions and aji panca. Mark went with the lomito saltado en su jugo, Peruvian stir-fried pork tenderloin with fried potatoes. We all enjoyed our meals and were pleased that the entire meal cost less than $80.

By the time we finished eating, it was after 8 pm so we came back to the Quito Sheraton for the night. For tomorrow, we booked a tour to the Mindo Cloud Forest, on the western slope of the Andes, with a departure time of 7:15 am to meet our naturalist guide.

Arrival in Quito

Our trip was planned to start on Wednesday, September 29. We were to fly to Quito that day and spend  Thursday in Ecuador’s capital city. However, we had a call on Monday, September 27, informing us that Hurricane Ian could be in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and might cause our flight to be cancelled. The travel agent for Road Scholars, Holbrook Travel, offered to book us on flights the next day.

We had been having a great day with our oldest grandson, Peter, visiting on a sleepover. We had played games, watched Jungle Book, cut down a dying ash tree, cooked marshmallows and hot dogs over the bonfire, and driven the tractor around the property. Peter has become very proficient at driving the tractor, although I have yet to teach him much about the operation of the front loader or any other attachments. We always enjoy having him over for a visit. His endless energy amazes us.

Once we received the call that we needed to leave early, we listed the tasks that needed to be done so we could leave before 7 am the next morning. While I drove Peter back home to Cincinnati, Mary drove to Chase to get cash for incidental expenses on the trip, then started mowing the front yard with the John Deere. When I got in, I started mowing the back yard and field with the Kioti tractor. My mowing was easier since I had mowed the orchard the day before and had run the string trimmer while Mary and Peter roasted wieners. Still, I had to finish mowing the field by the tractor’s headlights. The fall air and light breeze were cool, so my fleece jacket felt very good. It was hard to believe that we had temperatures in the mid-90s just a few days earlier.

By the time I had finished mowing after 7:30 pm, Mary had mostly packed and was ready to load the larger suitcase that would be our checked bag. We were unable to locate the TSA approved luggage lock, so Mary ran out to Walmart to pick up another before we turned in. We were exhausted but looking forward to our adventure in the Galápagos Islands.

We awoke at 5 am on Tuesday morning and had our usual omelets with poblano peppers and sharp cheddar. We finished packing our carry-on bags, double checked the door and window locks, turned on the alarm and security cameras and headed for the Cincinnati Airport by 6:40 am. We arrived at the Hilton where we normally park around 7:40 and caught the 8 am shuttle to the airport. We were able to check in easily even though Holbrook had changed our flight the previous day. Because of our Global Entry card, we went through security quickly and easily which is always a relief. We walked around Cincinnati airport for nearly an hour before going to our departure gate. Our 11 am flight to Atlanta left on time and appeared to be very full. We watched a few programs on the seat back screens during the flight of a little over an hour. 

Soon after we deplaned, Mary had a text from Cindy that their flight from Jacksonville, FL had arrived and that they would be in the terminal soon. We were happy to see them and visited as we walked through the Atlanta Airport. Mark and Cindy hadn’t eaten yet and we were all hungry, so we found a Qdoba Restaurant and had a good lunch. We arrived at Concourse A but were departing from Concourse F, which was about a 30-minute walk or a fast ride on the airport shuttle train. Since we needed to move around, we decided to walk to our departure gate. The flight to Quito began loading on time and departed Atlanta on time for the five-hour flight.

As with the flight from Cincinnati to Atlanta, this flight was also very full. The only vacant seat we saw was between Mary and her seat mate. She and I sat across the aisle from each other. Mark and Cindy were a few rows behind us, also across the aisle from each other. The in-flight meal was a choice of a chicken salad croissant or fruit and cheese tray, both of which looked good. Mary & I both got the sandwich which we enjoyed. Complementary drinks included the usual coffee, tea, soft drinks and juices but also beer, wine or cocktails. I had the white wine which went well with the chicken. After the meal, Mary worked puzzles in her magazine, and I watched Unforgiven on the seat back screen.

After deplaning at the Quito airport, we went through immigration quickly and easily showing only our passports and giving the agents the anticipated dates of our stay. We picked up our checked bag and walked the short distance to the taxi stand. We were surprised that the fare for the four of us would be only $25 for the 40-mile trip to the Sheraton on Avenue Republica El Salvador. Our driver, Denis, was pleasant but spoke no English. From time to time, he would use a voice translation app to get needed information. The ride was quite an adventure. Denis had his playlist of Spanish language rock music blasting at high volume. His driving had us gripping the seats when he darted between trucks, cars, motorcycles and pedestrians at high speed. Several times we were certain that we would crash but he got us safely to the Sheraton where we would spend four nights.

Our fourth-floor room was very nice, large and well appointed. The large screen television only seemed to get Spanish language programming. The bathroom had a spacious curbless shower with a rain shower head. The bed was comfortable, and the room was clean, quiet and dark.

Home from Florida

Despite all outward appearances of the Ft. Myers Howard Johnson, our room was surprisingly comfortable and we slept well waking a little after 5:30 am. We did our German lessons and watched a couple episodes of Counting Cars on television while we waited to hear from the rest of the group. We did out last minute packing and preparation before piling in cars at 8:30 to stop for breakfast at First Watch in Ft. Myers. Mary and I both had eggs Benedict and enjoyed them although we would have preferred the eggs to have been cooked slightly longer. We both like the eggs a little gelled rather than the whites and yellows completely runny.

After breakfast we drove to the Ding Darling Nature Preserve on Sanibel Island. We had been here several times before and always enjoyed the visit. Today was cold and very windy by southern Florida standards. The temperature was in the mid to upper 50s but seemed much cooler with the wind coming off the water. We spent about 30 minutes at the visitor center looking at the displays and reading about the area’s history of bird species preservation. At the gate to the wildlife drive we were admitted free with our Senior National Park pass and drove to stops along the way to view the birds of the area. Because of the wind and colder temperatures, there were fewer birds out and no alligators or turtles. The birds we saw tended to be low in the mangrove thickets. We took the few short walks that are available in the preserve including one along a power line path to the water. We didn’t stay there long because the wind off the water was so intense and there was no visible wildlife. Our last stop was at ancient middens dating back over 3,000 years. There was a mountain of shells that had been piled up by the many ancient cultures after gathering native shellfish. We made a quick stop at a Walmart where Cindy got some Zicam chews and we picked up a turkey sub and some bananas for our evening meal.

We started toward Punta Gorda Airport for our 5:30 flight. After goodbyes, we went to the Allegiant desk where we learned that the flight to Cincinnati was delayed about an hour and that we couldn’t check our bag until after 3 pm. We sat outside security for a short time until we checked our bag and walked the short distance to security where our Global Entry status allowed us to take the TSA PreChecked line. We moved quickly through the process without removing shoes, jackets or taking tablets out. However, I was randomly selected for a partial check; my carry-on electronics were swabbed which took very little time. We sat at the terminal until our flight was ready to board around 6 pm for our flight home. The Punta Gorda terminal is very small with six gates in one room. We enjoyed our sub and bananas while we waited, taking walks to stretch from time to time.

We arrived at CVG around 8:30, Mary picked up the bag from the carousal while I tried to catch the shuttle for the Florence Hilton. I missed that shuttle, so I had to call the desk again and get the next one in 30 minutes. The temperature was 16 degrees, quite an adjustment from our two weeks in Florida. We made the drive home from the Hilton and were in bed by 11 pm, tired but glad to be home after a great vacation.

Leaving the Florida Keys

We awoke at the Pelico Paradise rental house for our last morning in the Florida Keys. I made tea and did my German lessons. Mary made steel cut oats for breakfast, then we finished packing and loading. We started the dishwasher with the breakfast dishes and washed a load of the towels we used for the week.

We left the house by 8:45 and drove east on US 1 driving by Castaways on Marathon Key that was recommended to us on our way west while stopping at Long Key State Park. We stopped at a McDonalds in Marathon so Cindy could get a latte, and we could all go to the bathroom. We weren’t at McDonalds long then continued on US 1 toward Florida City stopping at a gas station on Key Largo for gas which was quite an ordeal. Several pumps were out of order; the pump we used wouldn’t accept credit or debit cards. Once we fueled up, we continued through Florida City to the Tamiami Highway. We stopped at VooDoo Grill in the Micccosukee Reservation for Indian fry bread with honey. It was a nice snack since we arrived at noon. We appreciated stretching our legs and having a treat.

We drove the short distance to the Shark Valley area of Everglades National Park. Mark, Jodie, Mary and I walked out the trail along the stream while Grant and Cindy napped in the cars. While walking we saw many more alligators than the day we were here last week. We saw four clutches of baby alligators, a black snake, many basking turtles and lots of Florida gar as well as several invasive fish species. While Jodie was cautiously watching a large alligator, I couldn’t resist touching the back of her ankle with my toe. She shrieked and hopped excitedly to our amusement. We met Cindy as we were walking back and told her what we saw. After talking with a ranger, we learned that the trees in the National Park parking lot with the large green nut-like fruits are mahogany trees.

From Shark Valley, we drove to the Oasis Visitor Center in the Big Cypress Preserve where we saw dozens of very large alligators as well as gar and invasive fish that are similar to the plecostomus, commonly sold for freshwater aquaria. Mark spotted two flamingos flying overhead which made us all happy since flamingos are not common in the area. We left the Oasis Visitor Center and drove a short way to the Ochopee Post Office which is the smallest post office in the United States. We were there only long enough for a photo then continued on toward Ft. Myers.

Mary saw that Interstate 75 had a slowdown due to a collision, so we decided to stop for dinner at a Perkins restaurant while the crash was cleared away. The meal was good and about half the price that we had paid for most meals on the trip. Mary had an avocado and chicken salad, and I had fish and chips. After dinner we drove on to the Howard Johnson in Ft. Myers. The office was closed for remodeling, so we checked in at a window. The motel was unimpressive but did appear to be clean and quiet so we were okay with the rooms. We were tired and ready for bed. There was cool weather forecast for Florida tomorrow that will play a role in our plans for the day, but we hoped to go to Sanabel Island and the Ding Darling Bird Sanctuary tomorrow before having to go to the Punta Gorda Airport for our flight home tomorrow night.

National Key Deer Refuge

I got up at 5:30 since Steve Minor wanted to get on the road to Sebring early. We visited while he had his breakfast and enjoyed chatting. He got on the road by 6:30 for his five hour drive home.

I did my German lessons and responded to some email until the rest of the group awoke. I had a bagel, and most of the others had steel cut oats. As we had breakfast, we decided that we needed a more relaxing day than we have had on most of this trip. We sat around the house until nearly 11 am when we drove to a nearby nature preserve here on Sugarloaf Key hoping to see Key Deer. Mark, Cindy, Mary and I piled into Grant and Jodie’s Highlander while Grant stayed at the house to work on his research with Ancestry.com. We parked at a locked gate in the National Key Deer Refuge and walked 1.5 miles into the preserve. While we did not see any deer, we spotted several interesting birds. There were a few locals walking or bicycling on the closed road but we mostly had the area to ourselves. After our three mile walk we returned to the house to go to another area to look for the tiny Key Deer.

We made the short drive to Big Pine Key which is famous for their protected Key Deer population. We parked at the Blue Hole Nature Preserve and walked out to see a couple of large alligators swimming or basking. We saw about six tiny adult Key Deer, and we believe that all of them were bucks. It was strange to see adult male deer that were smaller than a collie with a full rack of antlers.

We attempted to go to lunch at Morita’s Cuban Cafe, a well rated Cuban restaurant, but they had closed for the day by the time we arrived at 2 pm. We drove a short distance to The Square Grouper, where we were at the end of lunch service but too early for dinner. Mary and I had the grouper sandwich that was topped with a Key Lime sauce and a few shredded fried onions. Our sandwiches were very good and filling. The waiter gave us a complimentary mango ice cream to share, and Mary and I ordered a slice of Key Lime pie to share. Mark had the giant brownie with ice cream, Cindy had Key Lime pie, and Jodie had the carrot cake. The waiter gave us recommendations for restaurants on other keys, and we headed back to the house. Cindy and I walked out to the mouth of Pelico Road past the flock of feral peafowl just to walk off some of our lunch.

After we returned to the house, most of us took a quick nap before gathering around the dining room table for games. Jodie brought one called Left, Center, Right in which players roll three dice telling them to pass dimes to players on their left or right as well as to the pot in the center. When a player is out of dimes, they are out of the game. The last player to have any money wins the pot in the center.
I made mojitos and whiskey sours for anyone wanting a mixed drink while the others played Mexican Train dominoes.

After the games we packed and prepared to depart the Pelico Paradise rental house around 9 am. We plan to spend a couple of hours at the Shark Valley Loop of Everglades National Park before driving to our Howard Johnson motel in Ft. Myers.

Dry Tortugas National Park

We awoke at 5:30 and finished preparing for our trip on the Yankee Freedom ferry from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park. We were to check in at 7 am for an 8 am departure. The trip was scheduled for 2 ½ hours placing us at Fort Jefferson by 10:30 am. We were able to get over $100 of deposit for the group refunded since we had National Park senior passes. On boarding the vessel, most of our group seated inside the catamaran where masks were mandatory.

Mark, Steve and I went to the ship’s bow where were had a great view of the trip in the wind of the fast moving ship. About an hour into the trip the crew asked everyone standing at the bow to take a seat in the ship’s interior due to rough seas. 

Unfortunately, Jodie and Grant both battled seasickness, but the Yankee Freedom crew was very attentive taking their used seasick bags and providing them with fresh ones along with ginger ale. They were starting to feel better by the time we arrived at Fort Jefferson.

 

We started our visit with an informational tour of the fort by Yankee Freedom interpreters. They provided great information about the fort, including a mechanism on the cannon doors that opened because of the air pressure from the cannons. Then they closed as soon as the projectile passed, making the time that the door was open only a fraction of a second. We also learned about Dr. Mudd’s time in the prison. Some say that Mudd was not a Confederate conspirator but nearly a physician fulfilling his Hypocratic Oath by treating the injured man’s broken leg. Unlike many involved in the Lincoln Assassination, Mudd was given a life sentence rather than hanging. Mudd is reported to have redeemed himself by saving many lives of prisoners and guards for the yellow fever epidemic.

 

Because so many people at Fort Jefferson were dying of yellow fever the army built facilities on a nearby key that came to be called hospital island. Medical thought at the time was that yellow fever was transmitted directly from person to person; the mosquito was not known as a vector at that time. Moving soldiers, prisoners and medical staff to hospital island did not slow the death rate due to the epidemic. When the medical staff had died, Dr. Mudd offered to assist in providing treatment to those infected. He kept meticulous notes and came to see a pattern that soldiers who were quartered on the upper levels of the fort were infected at a far lower rate than those sleeping on the parade grounds surrounded by the fort. When we suggested that everyone be moved to the highest elevation of the fort, the yellow fever abated saving many lives of prisoners and the guards subjecting him to hard labor at the fort. Even though he didn’t know it was mosquitoes causing the disease, he found a workable solution. Because of his dedication, the soldiers at the fort sought and won a pardon for Dr. Mudd after four years of his sentence.

 

After the hour-long fort tour, we returned to the Yankee Freedom for lunch that was included in the fee. We had turkey subs from Jersey Mike’s as well as two coconut cookies. Cindy got some Dramamine chewable tablets for Jodie and Grant. After lunch, Mary, Cindy and Jodie took a walk around attached Bush Key to the overlook at a rookery for the Magnificent Frigate Bird, which has the largest wing area per pound of weight. 

 

Grant’s leg was hurting so he stayed near the dock with the bags while Steve and I snorkeled in the shallow water around the key. We met up around 2:30 to board the Yankee Freedom ferry for the return trip to Key West. Mary, Cindy, Grant and Jodie got the same seats for the 2 ½ return trip. 

 

Thankfully, neither of them became seasick on the trip. Mark, Steve and I stood at the front of the bow where the wind and cool spray felt good. We stayed there until the ship entered an area of rain with about 30 minutes remaining in the trip. We arrived at the Key West ferry dock a little before 5:30 and made our way to the cars to drive to dinner.

 

We decided to return to Mangrove Mama’s since it is so close to our rental house. Our meal there earlier in the week was good, so our choice was easy. The restaurant was short on kitchen staff and waiters so we had a short wait for a table. We wanted to sit inside since there was live music at the outdoor dining area and we wanted a quieter place to talk. We were seated close to the band where it was very loud. They were actually pretty good, especially considering that they were not actually a band at all but musicians who had just met and were playing a lot of classic rock. Musicians came and went throughout the evening, and it was actually enjoyable although we would have appreciated a lower volume. Because we were outside, several diners were smoking which was unpleasant for us but we dealt with it. Everyone enjoyed their meal, mostly of local seafood. I had the blackened grouper sandwich with onion rings which was very good.

 

After dinner we returned to the house where Steve and Mark looked through photos of Mark and Cindy’s trip to South Africa last fall while Mary, Cindy and Jodie played Skip-Bo. We turned in a little after 10. 

  

Key West

Today was a much more laid back day than we have had on this trip. We awoke at 5:30 but did things around the house until after 10 am. Cindy had to send several emails for her volunteer work with a nonprofit group in Oregon. We were happy to have some down time and walked around the property here at Pelico Paradise. Mark and I decided that the alarm for the night before was a pump for the sewer system. There hadn’t been a problem since, so we didn’t do anything with it.

We took two cars into Key West on the 30 minutes drive and found a parking space on the small island. We were able to get a spot not far from Duval Street for four hours, giving us all the time we thought we would need to visit the tourist area. We walked along Duval Street and it didn’t take long to get enough of the shops with cheap souvenirs, loud bars and strip joints, so we detoured by Mallory Square then to Whitehead and Truman Streets where Ernest Hemingway’s house stood. Mary and I had taken the tour when we were in Key West in 2013 and found the most interesting part to be the polydactyl cats, so we opted to pass on the tour.

While Mark and Cindy did the tour, we walked around town and met a guy from Ironton, Ohio and someone from Cabin Creek, WV. We stopped at the Mile 0 marker for US 1, then went to the CVS on Duval Street to buy postcards for the Koehler boys and Gran. We were leaving the Key West post office when Cindy called to tell us that they had finished the tour. We returned to the cars and drove the short distance to Higgs Beach to walk out the White Street Pier. We chatted with a family whose daughter attended Marshall and looked around, enjoying the beautiful warm day. A fisherman on the pier was feeding the small fish he caught to a great egret named George.

We left Key West heading to Castaways Restaurant on Marathon Key to meet Steve Minor for dinner. Steve arrived before us and said that Castaways was closed, so we opted to try Seven Mile Grill at the northern base of the Seven Mile Bridge on Marathon Key. We all enjoyed our meals, with most of us having local seafood. It was great to see Steve. He returned to Pelico Paradise with us, where we chatted until 10 pm while Mary, Cindy and Jodie finished the Phase 10 game then played Skip-Bo. We packed for our trip to Dry Tortugas National Park tomorrow.

Long Key State Park

We slept very well at our last night in the Homestead Travelodge. After dressing and doing some German lessons, we walked to the motel’s breakfast area for tea and cold sugar cereal. It was busier than yesterday with a family of five, two couples and a grouchy old guy. He was clearly a Florida resident since he was wearing a puffer coat despite temperatures in the upper 50s, but he certainly had a northeastern accent and attitude. He was talking loudly on his cell phone in speaker mode. He was having a dispute with someone over a credit card surcharge. It was impossible to hear anything in the room other than his rants. We finished our food and returned to the room.

Mark and Cindy went to the nearby McDonalds for breakfast then picked up a dozen Dunkin Donuts, including an apple fritter for me. Mary and I were in the Genesis with Cindy while Mark rode with Grant and Jodie. We made a detour to Robert is Here, a mega fruit stand and tourist attraction between Florida City and the Everglades. We took some snapshots and bought some snacks before driving to US 1 to drive south on the Keys. We made a brief stop on Key Largo at an information center that turned out to be a tourist trap, so we broke out the box of doughnuts and continued our drive. 

We stopped at Dagney Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park where we walked the two mile loop through the park, stopping to read labels on many of the plants. We continued south but were running early and couldn’t check into our rental house until 4 pm. We stopped at a couple of state parks, looking for a place that we could spend a couple of hours with something interesting to do. The state parks all charge a fee to enter so we wanted to choose well.

We had driven about halfway down the Keys when we came to Long Key State Park. Mary looked it up online and it appeared to be a good place for us. It was a little after noon so the timing was perfect to find a lunch spot. We had quite a spread of lunch choices between all of the things we picked up at Aldi and what Jodi and Grant brought. After lunch, I helped a family find a geocache in the park and gave them one of the geo coins that I brought to Florida with me. A friendly park employee stopped by and gave Mary, Cindy and Jodie information about hiking trails and interesting things to see in the park.

We took the advice of the ranger and walked the nature trail along the island’s perimeter. With the sun up and the temperature in the 70s, we were very comfortable on our walk. The park has great campsites that are typically reserved over a year in advance. There are plenty of picnic spots and a few wading areas. The Keys have few beaches like the mainland, but there are small areas for wading. While walking we spotted a large iguana. These nonnative lizards have become very common thriving in the warm climate of the Florida Keys. After our walk we asked the helpful ranger for dinner recommendations in the lower Keys He suggested Castaways on 15th street, near the Seven Mile Bridge on Marathon Key.

We got organized and continued driving south on Route 1, stopping at one of the fishing piers that are on most of the bridges between the islands. The air had warmed considerably into the mid 70s, but there was a breeze making a long sleeve shirt feel comfortable. We stayed at the pier only long enough to shake the dust off and stretch  before finishing our drive to the rental.

Finding our accommodations, Pelico Paradise, was easy since Sugarloaf Key isn’t large. The house is on a Pelico Road not far from the island’s school. It is a large two story home on concrete piers situated on a spacious lot. It has a sitting area, kitchen, dining area and master bedroom on the first floor. The second floor has four additional bedrooms including another master suite. Two of the bedrooms had an individual outside deck as well as spacious decks on the front and rear of the house. The house is well equipped with everything we might need for our stay. There is a fire pit in the yard, a small pond with small fish and even kayaks under the house. We were certain that we would be comfortable here for our stay. Mary and Cindy found the house on Vacasa which is like AirBnB and VRBO. We relaxed for a bit and walked around to familiarize ourselves with the property before making dinner plans. As Castaways was 20 miles back on Marathon Key, Mary found Mangrove Mama’s with good reviews just a short distance from our rental house.

We arrived around 5:30 and had no problem getting a table. We ordered drinks, mostly margaritas, then our meals. Mary had Mahi tacos, and I had a seafood quesadilla. We shared our meals and enjoyed them. My quesadilla reminded me of the seafood enchiladas that a had in the southwest several years ago. Grant and Jodie enjoyed their grouper sandwich and chicken quesadilla respectively, but Mark and Cindy didn’t think their meals were anything special. Cindy had the broiled grouper, and Mark had the Angus hamburger with onion rings.

We chatted and told stories for about an hour then Grant turned in for the night. I called Steve Minor with directions to the rental and with our plans for Tuesday. Mary, Cindy, Mark, Jodie and I played Phase 10 until after 10 pm. We had one interruption in the game when an alarm sounded outside. Mark and I went outside to the source of the alarm where a bright red light was flashing. There was a sign on the alarm telling how to silence it, giving us an idea that this occurs frequently. The sign also directed us to not use any water for 15 minutes after silencing the alarm. We later learned that the alarm was related to a pump for the wastewater system. As usual, Mary dominated the game and I was in a distant last place when we paused the game at 10 pm.