On Silver Origin in the Galapagos

[wineasmusic]

10 hours ago, kimanjo said:

 

What was hard about the hike?  Length?  Terrain?  Elevation? Was it challenging for everyone?

 

The trail is all big rocks about a foot or so big. They are jumbled in all directions. You are having to pick your way between our on top if they are flat enough. Takes some balance and leg strength. 2 hours of that at a slow pace. If you can do it it's worth it. A number of folks were in poor shape but still pulled it off.

D2

[wineasmusic]

18 hours ago, LAexNY said:

Wineasmusic,  Can you recommend the guide you used in Quito?  Thanks.

I don't think we are allowed to post recommendations. She was killer! Is there a way to send me a DM on this site?

D2

[LAexNY]

Cruise Critic does not allow recommendations of travel agents but does allow recommendations of tour guides:

“We welcome the legitimate review or recommendation of tour operators, guides, property & business owners in ports of call.”

 

We have been in touch with Vivian Vera through Tours by Locals.  She looks very good.  Might she be who you used?

[wineasmusic]

2 hours ago, LAexNY said:

Cruise Critic does not allow recommendations of travel agents but does allow recommendations of tour guides:

“We welcome the legitimate review or recommendation of tour operators, guides, property & business owners in ports of call.”

 

We have been in touch with Vivian Vera through Tours by Locals.  She looks very good.  Might she be who you used?

Yes, she was excellent. We told her what we wanted to see and it worked out great!

D2

[wineasmusic]

This morning we did the Darwin center. Boatloads of giant turtles. Some of them were really massive. Can't believe something like this actually exists.
The last supper was really good. I had prawns with an artichoke sauce. The Galapagos prawns are excellent!. Lunch was an excellent suckling pig. Seems pigs had overrun one of the islands and were only eradicated about a decade ago. Maybe the locals have a taste for pig since there was probably free pig for everyone due to the eradication effort? 
We leave by Zodiac in the morning. Seems this ship never docks. All provisions are brought out by boat, including fuel. The luggage is transferred by boat and we will get it at the airport to check in for our flight. We've really enjoyed this cruise!
D2

[kimanjo]

11 hours ago, wineasmusic said:

The trail is all big rocks about a foot or so big. They are jumbled in all directions. You are having to pick your way between our on top if they are flat enough. Takes some balance and leg strength. 2 hours of that at a slow pace. If you can do it it's worth it. A number of folks were in poor shape but still pulled it off.

D2

Thank you for the description.   DH and I are 59 and 60, and in pretty good shape ( he more than I)!  We walk about 5-6 miles a day, and work out ( most yoga for me). We are currently in Buenos Aires, have been since Feb, and will be heading over to Peru in July to hike Machu Pichu, then up to Quito to position for the cruise in August. 

You have been very generous with your time posting your experience, and I greatly appreciate it!

Edited June 4, 2022 by kimanjo

[wineasmusic]

Disembarkation went well. Blue group left first on the zodiacs and then green group. When your zodiac gets to the dock, you board the bus for a short trip to the airport. You pick out your check luggage (they brought it to the airport) and check in for the flight to guayaquil. When you arrive you claim your luggage and get on a bus to the Oro Verde hotel where you get a meal and a day room. Then at your appointed time you get on a shuttle to the airport. Most flights to the US leave between 10pm and 1:45am.  This all went quite well except for the half of the cruise that was connecting through Miami. The storm cancelled their flight. That was no fun for those folks.
We really enjoyed this cruise.
D2

[RosyWorld]

Wineasmusic,

Thank you for this thread.  We are sailing in 3 weeks and are a bit confused by the COVID testing/vaccination protocols.  Were you required to test if you were vaccinated? And do have any experience with the Booster requirements?

[drron29]

We loved the Galapagos but we did it on a 16 person catamaran which I still feel is the way to go if you are into nature.

Whatever you do the snorkelling is a must. Absolutely magnificent with several outstanding moments such as snorkelling over a coral reef with penguins swimming by.

On one snorkelling trip 2 juvenile male sea lions came and entertained me with their antics. I tried to copy their antics but they didn't think much of my antics as on my third attempt one came up and put his flipper on my back and looked in my eyes as if to say go back to your day job.

The other magic moment was swimming amongst a shoal of small fish. suddenly huge explosions. It was blue footed boobies diving and catching some of those fish right in front of me.

 

I keep saying the Galapagos is one place that david attenboroughs films don't display how remarkable the place is.

[Stumblefoot]

9 hours ago, RosyWorld said:

Were you required to test if you were vaccinated?

Of course.

[MBP&O2/O]

Thanks for the report.

 

Looks good to me 🙂 Most questions answered.

 

I note you flew in to Quito but going home you checked in for Guayquil???

Any flight we book will fly home from Quito but refuel at Guayaquil.

 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by MBP&O2/O

[LAexNY]

Our air through SS for our July 23 trip arrives in Quito and departs from Guayaquil.

[wineasmusic]

On 6/5/2022 at 2:29 PM, RosyWorld said:

Wineasmusic,

Thank you for this thread.  We are sailing in 3 weeks and are a bit confused by the COVID testing/vaccination protocols.  Were you required to test if you were vaccinated? And do have any experience with the Booster requirements?

We had to show vaccination plus one booster cards to the airline, Ecuador and to SS before boarding the ship. We had to test Friday morning at the hotel between 8 and 9am (cost included) before boarding the ship. SS docs said to get a PCR test Wed and it would be good for Ecuador entry and boarding the ship. Ecuador did not ask for test result and SS made us do the Friday test anyway, so $300 for PCR tests wasted. SS tests you again after the cruise at the day room hotel (cost included) so you can get back in the U.S. 

D2

[wineasmusic]

12 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I note you flew in to Quito but going home you checked in for Guayquil???

When we booked last year, SS included a flight to the ship from Quito and flew you to Guayaquil after the cruise where they gave you a day room. We flew Delta into Quito before the cruise and our return Delta flight had a leg on Latam from Guayaquil back to Quito to pick up the Delta flight to Atlanta.

D2

[wineasmusic]

On 6/7/2022 at 1:01 AM, wineasmusic said:

When we booked last year, SS included a flight to the ship from Quito and flew you to Guayaquil after the cruise where they gave you a day room. We flew Delta into Quito before the cruise and our return Delta flight had a leg on Latam from Guayaquil back to Quito to pick up the Delta flight to Atlanta.

D2

Turns out the Silversea cruise included Latam flight from the Galapagos to Guayaquil continued on to Quito.  It would have been better for us to continue to Quito and catch our Delta flight there, but we did not know.  Can't guarantee that Latam schedule would not change though.  The default Silversea flight was to Guayaquil, so we just planned accordingly.  We did our own flights to Ecuador.