Adventures on Bartolome and Sombrero Chino

Bartolome, Galapagos; Thursday, March 15, 2018

After a while, you get used to the early mornings aboard Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic  National Geographic Endeavour II. With the humidity and heat in this, the “wet” season, crushing around nine in the morning, the best chance to beat the heat is to get out there and start exploring as early as possible.

Today, we were up at 5:30am to set out on an early-morning walk to see one of the most-photographed sites in the Galapagos Islands: the island of Bartolome. Having been here once before in the autumn of 2014, this was the island I had hoped we would visit again – and I wasn’t letting an early morning stop me.

Now, this outing was optional, and some (but definitely not all) guests chose to stay onboard and sleep in. And that’s totally okay. But I’d encourage anyone who comes to the Galapagos and is fortunate enough to land on Isla Bartolome to get out there and tackle it head-on, because the views are amazing.

After a quick zodiac ride from the National Geographic Endeavour II at 6:15am, we arrived at the beachhead. A dry landing gave way to a system of boardwalks; if you’ve ever played the 1994 cult classic computer game, Myst, Bartolome looks like it could have inspired the creators. The Surrealistic Island that Will Become Your World – at least for a few hours – offers up a barren and desolate landscape, unlike anything else in the Galapagos.

A sun-bleached boardwalk keeps you confined, but also makes it possible to ascend to the wind-whipped summit, some 114 metres above sea level. It takes either 374 or 388 or 380 steps to climb up, depending on which reference book you look at. Frankly, the count could have changed several times, as planks are replaced periodically by the Galapagos National Park Service. The distance covered isn’t great, and it is some of the easiest terrain you’ll encounter on the Galapagos Islands thanks to the wooden boardwalk, but the sheer number of steps and the elevation gain will keep the perspiration flowing all the way to the top.

Your reward at the summit: one of the region’s most enduring images: a panoramic vista of Bartolome and nearby Sullivan Bay, where the richness of the shallow water contrasts sharply to the Moon-like volcanic landscape.

On my last trip to Isla Bartolome, it was cloudy. Today, the sun shone brightly, and we were able to catch it on the rise during our hike. Seeing the sun crest over the Martian landscape of Bartolome is an absolutely life-changing experience; on-par with standing atop a glacier in the Arctic or seeing penguins frolic in Antarctica.

After this excursion, breakfast was served in the ship’s restaurant before guests were invited to go ashore once again, this time for a series of snorkelling trips and glass-bottom-boat rides. I jumped on the last glass bottom boat ride of the cruise at 11:30 with just ten minutes to spare, and managed to have one of the best wildlife sightings of the entire day, as we were treated to not one but two Galapagos Penguins, stingrays, schools of fish, and even a rare Galapagos Fur Seal.

Over lunch, the National Geographic Endeavour II set sail and we repositioned to Sombrero Chino, which translates somewhat insensitively to “Chinaman’s Hat.” Lying off the coast of Isla San Salvador, this tiny speck was the site of a sunset wildlife outing via the ship’s zodiac rafts, where more Galapagos Penguins, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and a few stingrays could be seen.

Tonight, dinner was served out on the open Observation Deck on Deck 5, along with complimentary beers and wine. Alcoholic beverages with dinner have been included for three nights now, which I think could be the crew’s way of saying thank you for dealing with all the kids onboard. I don’t know. I do know that I appreciate it very much, and I’d love to see Lindblad eventually move to include at least one glass of beer or wine with lunch and dinner (note: post-sailing, Lindblad confirmed that drinks will be inclusive beginning in 2019).

After dinner, a special treat: Captain Eduardo Neira performed a private concert for us in the ship’s lounge. In addition to being an accomplished navigator and author, Captain Neira is also a very talented singer. Like those old Dos Equis commercials, he could be The Most Interesting Man in the World. A well-attended concert performed by the ship’s Captain? That’s a new one for me – and just one more pleasant surprise aboard Lindblad Expeditions.

Our Voyage Report onboard Lindblad-National Geographic’s Endeavour II in the Galapagos Islands continues tomorrow as we explore Bartolome, Galapagos. Follow along on twitter by following @deckchairblog.

To The Galapagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions

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