No breakfast, no coffee, not even a drop off water passed my lips this morning; I took every precaution so that I wouldn't get sick on our boat ride to Isla de la Plata. The tour company sent a moto to pick us up at the hotel right around 9 o'clock and he took us into town and dropped us off. There were two french girls already waiting to go on the tour along with us and after we waited for about 10 minutes our guide who was called Johnny came and explained to us in Spanish about the island and the choice of hikes we could take. I understood most of what he said to us kinda sorta and when he was done we decided we wanted to do the 'easier' hike since it would allow us to see blue and red footed boobies while on the other one we would only see the blue footed ones and sea lions. I did understand that the boat ride to the island was going to be una hora y vente minutos provided the ocean was calm - I thought it was going to be the longest hour and 20 minutes of my life but it wasn't, the ride back was!
We headed out and walked down to the beach, picking up more passengers as we went along. By the time we had to board the boat we were at 13 passengers plus 4 crew. We waited on the beach for the boat to back up to us; it got fairly close to the beach but then we had to wade a little ways out to meet it. Beforehand the youngest crew member who was probably about 15 got out a hemp sack and collected up everyone's shoes, then we all waded to the boat and got in. We got pushed out a ways and then they started the engines and we were off. As long as we were moving along and I had the wind in my face everything was fine-ish, but as we got closer to the island and school of dolphins came to see what we were up to. The driver/captain of the boat slowed down to an almost stop so we could check out the dolphins. They were amazing, swimming alongside the boat and jumping out of the water; there were loads of them frolicking around our boat and another that was close by but it was really difficult to get pictures of them as they were so fast. The other difficult thing was trying not to puke. Everyone wanted to see the dolphins and so were moving around the boat making it rock back and forth and back and forth (Jaime are you feeling it yet?); this is not a good movement for someone who suffers from stupid seasickness.



Fortunately I hadn't eaten or drunk anything so there was nothing to come up at this time. It got a little better once we started moving again and we were soon arriving at Isla de la Plata. Just before we got to the island the crew offered around bananas and then cupcakes, are they serious, food on a boat! The boat then backed up once more and we walked through the ocean to the beach and got our hiking shoes on ready to tackle the island.


The island itself is about 6km by 3km and really rugged. We got split into two groups, one with a Spanish speaking guide and one with an 'English speaking guide' who turned out to be Johnny; there were 8 people in our group, three yanks and 5 brits. We started out walking and it was fairly easy going, along a path that wound through trees and bushes, then it got really hard as we had to climb up to the top of the island. There were steps for us to use and in any normal sea level area it probably wouldn't have been too bad but like in the Cajas the elevation makes everything more difficult plus the hot was ridiculous, there wasn't a breath of air anywhere and the sun here is hotter than anywhere else I've ever been to. We stopped a few times on the way up and we weren't alone, everyone was guzzling down the water. thankfully when we got to the top the National Park folk (the island is part of the Parque National Machalilla) have constructed little shelters so we got to sit and cool off for a little while, although we did have to share the shelter with a baby blue footed booby who was a lot less interested in us than we were in him. The views from here were amazing and it was possible to see the ocean on both sides of the island.





Johnny let us rest a while but soon had us back up on our feet. I think the hike was like a walk in the park for him and he was off at a run for most of it, but when he got so far ahead he did stop and wait for the rest of us. We stopped a lot both to catch our breath and also to take pictures of the blue footed boobies that were everywhere. They are quite strange, not at all afraid of us, they were just hanging out on the side of the path or standing on a rock and would watch us as we walked by. They are bigger than I was expecting and there were lots of young birds around that were distinguishable by the colour of their feathers. We walked past two birds that were fighting, but as soon as I took out the camera to take their picture they stopped fighting and struck a pose.







As well as the boobies there were loads of frigates flying around the cliff edge and hanging out in the trees. apparently they cannot land on the ground as their feet are too small to hold their weight but they can grip the tree branches. They also do not go in the ocean as their feathers are not waterproof and so get their food by swooping down and catching flying fish or taking fish from other birds, hence the nickname they have - pirate birds.





We were hoping to see some red footed boobies even though there are only 10 pairs living on the island. We did apparently see one, according to Johnny, although we couldn't see the feet as their was a fluffy white baby booby sat right on top of them. I'm gonna say I saw a red footed booby anyway even if it really wasn't!


We walked for almost three hours and the landscape of the island changed from dry but with some flora to rocky with no tree or bushes insight, and then back again. The walking wasn't too bad after the initial uphill although I am glad that I had trainers on and not flip flops like some of the others since the path was quite hard to walk along and we went down some steep hills. You know the problem with going down steep hills, at some point you have to go back up the hill to get back to the boat. Just before the end of the walk we had to climb again and like Mike in the Cajas I think I lost the will to live for just a second; I at least lost the will to put one foot in front of the other. But we managed it, and got to shelter with another booby for a few minutes before heading back to the boat.







The other group was already waiting for us on the boat when we got back to the beach - rather them than me. We knew we were having lunch and then going snorkeling if we wanted, Sandy at the agency had told us that. What she didn't tell us was that lunch was going to be served on the boat (food and boat are two words that should never be uttered together) and then the snorkeling was going to be off the side of the boat. I had figured an hour and 20 minutes back to shore, what I hadn't figured on was that plus about another hour for lunch and snorkeling. Seriously this was my own personal hell, I just wanted to come see the boobies, not spend half the day on a frigging boat, aargh.
As we left the island we got to see green turtles, they were so cool, just hanging around off the side of the boat. The crew had offered around more fruit as we were leaving and they threw some pieces in the ocean and the turtles just stuck up their heads and gobbled it down. It was impossible to catch them coming up with the camera but trust me this picture is of a green turtle.



We left the turtles behind and sailed around to a little inlet where the anchor was dropped. At this point they started handing out cheese and tuna rolls, no thanks, I couldn't even if my life depended on it. I did however, against my better judgement have a slice of watermelon; it just looked cool and refreshing and how sick could watermelon make me? I came to find out. After everyone had eaten they snorkelling began; i have to admit that I was a wuss and didn't go in; Mike went swimming (not sleeping) with the fishes, and I got to see them from the boat. Actually Mike almost slept with the fish, we almost had to leave him behind cos once he was in the ocean he couldn't get back in the boat. Now if you ask him he'll tell you the ladder was too short but I don't know whether that's the truth. He was trying to get out of the water and kept falling back in, apparently he might have concussed a few fish as he was kicking them each time he fell back in. The young kid on the boat tried to help him out but didn't have the strength and finally just walked away, then one of the guides got a rope and tied it to the top of the boat and dropped it into him. I'm not sure the rope actually did the trick or if it was the two guides pulling an arm each but he did finally make it back into the boat. I didn't do much to help him, I'm not sure there really was anything I could have done i was laughing so much.
After everyone got back in the boat about an hour after we'd anchored, I couldn't take it anymore and the watermelon, the only thing I'd eaten all day came back up. I was feeling like crap at this point but there were some really happy fish swimming behind the boat feasting on ready chewed watermelon!




The ride back to the mainland was the longest hour and a half of my life, and seeing as I hadn't eaten hardly anything all day I'm not sure what all I puked back up, but it kept coming; it was nasty. I had to throw up over the side of the boat and that meant I had to look at the ocean rushing past which made me even more sick - seriously the ride from hell. I have to say I have never been so glad to put my two feet on the sand, it was such a relief to reach Puerto Lopez. We gathered our shoes from the sack, said goodbye and headed off down the beach to the hotel. I have to mention that Mike carried the backpack the whole day - he was so proud of himself.



It was cool seeing the boobies and the hike was nice, but all in all I have to say that I'm not sure Isla de la Plata was worth the boat ride there and back. I know for sure it is something I am never, ever going to do again, a boat ride to Isla de la Anywhere is not in my future!

Mike: Just think, your puke feed all the fish in the ocean! That's what you get for making fun of me not being able to get into the boat!