If you
have ever seen
pictures of the Galapagos Islands, you have certainly
seen pictures of Pinnacle Rock. It is on Bartolome
Island, and
this is where we
are visiting
today.
Approaching
this island by panga is just the
most
beautiful sight. The beach is orange. Pinnacle Rock
looms
majestically upward out of the sea. The island is
comprised of tuff lava, which resembles molten
chocolate. In addition, there are numerous lava
tunnels, and very sparse vegetation, but it is quite
unique. We had a wet
landing onto this colorful beach.
We began our hike to the top. After a rather brief
inclined walk, we came to a stairway that led to the
pinnacle of the volcano. There are 367 steps to the
top. It is quite a steep climb, even with the
steps.
 
We
saw pioneer plants, lots of lava tubes, and a
beautiful view of the lava fields on James Island. We
made many stops on the way up to look at the
surrounding scenery from the various heights. When we
reached the top, the gorgeous view simply took my
breath away. From here, Pinnacle Rock looks rather
small. The height certainly puts a very different
perspective on things. It was very windy here at the
top, but we remained here as long as we could, just
taking photos and absorbing the beauty. There is a
monument at the highest point.
 
We hiked back to the beach, where we spent the
remainder of the morning swimming and snorkeling.
Although there were other folks on the island with
us, I felt as though I were totally alone. I was so
absorbed in my surroundings, that nothing else was
noticeable to me, and nothing else mattered. The
water temperature was just right, and as always, it
was sparkling clean, and terribly inviting. Who could
possibly resist it?
All too soon, the panga appeared, ready to take us
back to the Santa Cruz for lunch. I didn't want to
leave this island. 
Although I loved, and thoroughly enjoyed every
island,
this was, by far, my favorite.
After lunch, it was off to James Island. We had a wet
landing on a black beach. There was a rather short
hike here, compared to what we had become accustomed
to. It was a pleasant walk, as the muscles in our
legs have been taking a beating until now. The
terrain is mostly flat, but slippery, due to
the algae on the lava. Interesting inter-tidal life,
coastal birds, fur-seals, marine iguanas, Sally
Lightfoot Crabs, can all be seen on this island.
Although we had seen most of this wildlife
before, each time was like a brand new experience.
This was quite an easy, but enjoyable afternoon for
us.
Ed and I were invited to the Captain's table for
dinner this evening. Joining us was a couple from New
Zealand, our new found friends from Germany, and a
young man from Russia. We had a great 'league of
nations' dinner, and very good company. We all learned so much about
each other and our respective countries. We were
getting a good 'all-around education' on this
journey, and loving every minute of
it.
 
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