After leaving my G Adventures tour group, I climb aboard a speed boat for the two-hour ride from Puerto Ayora to Isabela Island.

Isabela is the largest island formation in the Galapagos. It’s not included on our tour itinerary so back when I planned my trip I decided to explore this island on my own. G Adventures kindly allowed me to push back my return flight to Quito so I could have a few extra days for this side trip.

I leave our tour group right after visiting the Darwin Research Station and nearby Tortuga Bay. If you recall, I was not feeling so well during the walk to Tortuga Bay and had to lie down in the sand near an iguana’s path.

So my stomach isn’t in the mood to endure a multi-hour choppy boat ride during which our small craft spends more time in the air than in the water. For the first time in my life I get sea sick and vomit into an empty shopping bag. SO GROSS.

There are maybe twenty people crammed into the boat. I feel so sorry for my fellow passengers and keep apologizing. A couple from Canada sitting next to me presses medication into my hand; I swallow it without asking questions. How funny is that — I take drugs from complete strangers and trust it’s safe. Turns out it’s just Dramamine and within minutes I feel much better. I will end up running into this couple a few more times during my stay on Isabela (even though it’s the biggest island, the tourist-centric area with hotels and restaurants is actually quite small) and we even have dinner together one night. Turns out they have twins back in Canada who are around my age and the woman said her motherly instincts kicked in when she saw me get sick on the boat. I am so grateful for kind strangers!

Side note: speaking of kind strangers, before I left for this trip I researched where to stay on Isabela Island. My go-to source for hotel reviews is Trip Advisor and back in 2009 that site offered very little information about hostels in Isabela (although they had plenty of info on expensive places to stay). So I had to dig deeper and eventually found a place called El Rincon de George (“George’s Corner”) that was well-reviewed by one person. I could find no other mention of this hostel on all of the world wide web. But my hopes were up — it was in a good area, the price was cheap, and the reviewer wrote kind things about the owners. So I personally messaged the reviewer to ask for more info. And get this — she lives in Los Angeles and we even have a few friends in common. What a small world! She messaged me her number and we chatted for about an hour on the phone. She is a big-time world traveler and could not have been more helpful. She dug out her old brochures and business cards from the trip to find an email address for this little hostel. I contacted them and sure enough, it all worked out perfectly. As of 2013, El Rincon de George has been reviewed by many people on Trip Advisor and even has its own website, so at least more travelers can locate them on-line now.

It builds my faith in humanity when fellow travelers are so willing to extend a hand — either with much-needed medication or hostel contact info!

Here is my room at El Rincon de George — it’s quite large with a big bathroom and a mini-fridge. I think I paid around $30 a night for a private room with a double bed back in 2009. The ocean is two blocks away.

I spend that first evening resting in bed to give my stomach a chance to settle. I don’t normally watch TV while traveling, but I’m grateful for the distraction as my body recuperates.

I even come across an episode of Glee with Spanish subtitles. This is right after the show began to air in the U.S.; I think it’s the fourth episode in the whole series. I loved that show at the time and found it so comforting to watch while sick in bed.

I wake up the next morning and spend much of the day walking around town, still taking it easy. Here are a few photos I snap along my walk:

The next day I go on an excursion to Sierra Negra Volcano (part of which is designated Volcan Chico — which last erupted in 2005). The hostel owner offers tours of the area, with one caveat: his English isn’t great so the tour is entirely in Spanish. I’m able to keep up relatively well given that many years have passed since my last clase de Espanol.

It’s a misty morning and the ground has turned to mud, but I’m not about to give up my chance to see this place.

There are four of us plus the guide — two guys from Spain, one from Canada, and me. All of us are staying at the hostel.

Groups on horseback pound by us, kicking up the dust.

Sorry to gross you all out, but this is what my feet look like mid-way through the hike. Just disgusting.

Sierra Negra Volcano has the largest caldera of all Galapagos volcanos.

We eat lunch under this tree; the lunch is included in our tour — it’s simple but hits the spot.

We hike onward to Volcan Chico, the area which erupted most recently. I send up a quick prayer hoping the next eruption isn’t scheduled for that afternoon.

You can see the old lava flow in the image below.

A mere four years prior hot molten lava spewed out of this cone. And here we are staring directly into it. Are we brave… or stupid?

We’re now at the highest point on Isabela Island (I think… remember, the tour is in Spanish, so I’m not 100% sure of everything that comes out of our guide’s mouth). The views are incredible.

The two guys from Spain are on the left and the guy stretching his arms out is from Canada. I can’t remember his name now, but he had a big personality and called me “Hollywood” the whole time.

After the tour I go on another excursion to Las Tintoreras, a small trench where lots of sharks hang out.

The water in the trench is hard to photograph, so this is the best I can do:

Sharks aren’t the only animals in the area. I spy a bright red crab, a penguin, and an iguana with an extra tail / foot — see where his tail splits off?

I end the day with one final excursion — a walk to Concha de Perla, an area know for great snorkeling.

The walk to the water is completely covered by a canopy of trees.

The boardwalk ends at this dock. Ultimately I’m by myself and don’t feel comfortable leaving my camera on land while I snorkel. I’d read in advance that this area is known for petty theft and to watch my belongings accordingly.

I’m about to head back when I find my favorite couple from Canada — the same pair that gave me Dramamine when I got sick on the speed boat two days earlier! We walk back to town together and make plans to meet up for dinner.

I order “Coca Cola Chicken” with veggies and rice. Can’t say I noticed the soda flavor!

And on the right is an image of my only comfort food of the whole trip — pizza from one of the more touristy restaurants. I ordered it on my second night in Isabela when I still wasn’t feeling great and wanted something familiar for dinner. I ate half and brought back the rest to the family who owns the hostel.

And that wraps up my time in the Galapagos! The next morning I catch a speed boat back to Santa Cruz Island (this time I don’t vomit on board) and then I fly back to mainland Ecuador. I still have four more days left to explore the capital city of Quito and its surrounding areas. Lots more to see and do before returning to the U.S.!