Final Galapagos

We got a chance to score a few more of the unique species of the Galapagos before setting our eyes on the big kahuna itself. We had a number of encounters with the Galapagos Hawk. We had a chance to watch it hunt for an opportunity to grab an unsuspecting Marine Iguana. We didn’t actually see it grab its prey, but we did see it satisfaction after it finished.

While not endemic to the Galapagos, we did get to see a number of American Oystercatchers. We had not had a chance to ever spot these before, so it was one for the bird list for us. The eyes on these guys are totally spooky!

On Balta we headed for the high ground to find the Galapagos Tortoise. I assumed we were going to see them in a managed persevere – in my parlance, as zoo. But when we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised. The landowners in this area were farmers, but have learned that they can make more money allowing their land to be a home for the Tortoise, and charging tourists a modest fee to access their land.

The Galapagos Tortoise roam wild at this elevation, well at least the males do. Females actually descend to the ocean in order to lay their eggs and raise their young. The males hang at high elevations where food is abundant. Galapagos Tortoise live well beyond 100 years in general, with the oldest documented being a bit over 170 years. They are massive, the largest weighing over 900 pounds. They don’t move quickly, but maybe that is the key to their longevity.

In the middle of the Islands we visited Post Office Bay. Allegedly, this may be the oldest post office in the world – supposedly in operation since the early 1700’s. Early Europeans plied these waters looking for the prolific whales that came here, taking advantage of the waters rich with food. They placed a barrel here with written instructions that whalers could place letters there, and that others visiting the barrel, if they would be going to the area where a letter was addressed, would take the letter and hand deliver it when they got to their destination. No postage is needed – delivery is all on the honor system.

Interestingly this played a role in the War of 1812. In 1813 the US Frigate Essex anchored in Post Office Bay and Captain David Porter scoured the contents of the barrel. The letters gave him essentially a list of British whaling vessels in the area, allowing Porter to capture a considerable number of British assets. Sadly, Porter also released 4 domestic goats on the island, which are still creating the need to eradicate their destructive influence still today.

Tomorrow we head back to the mainland to visit Peru – can’t wait!

Talk to you soon.

Back in the US of A

We got back to Tampa, picked up the pooch, and headed to Fort Pierce Florida, where we will spend the rest of November. The pooch was beside himself when we picked him up – the Woman snuggled with him for pretty much two days straight. We only picked Fort Pierce because it was not about half way between Tampa and Flagler Beach, where we will spend a couple of months over Christmas and the New Year.

Fort Pierce is a bit of a sleeper, but its downtown area has a number of very art deco style buildings that makes you think of the older parts of Fort Lauderdale. Apparently Fort Pierce was booming back in the mid-1920’s at the height of the Florida real estate boom. The locals nick name their town The Sunrise City, but since it is all fogged in every morning, I don’t see how you could possibly tell

We did get a chance to hand at the Grouper Square Tiki Bar and watch the Minnesota Vikings come back from a 20 – 0 halftime deficit against the Denver Broncos to grab another victory in a very good year. Nick, Val and Karen met in Minneapolis and met Deanna, Jay, Jenny and Jake to watch what started as an immense disappointment, and turned out to be a fun game to watch – except for Miss Valerie, who is a diehard Broncos fan.

The Woman did get a chance to get a really good look at her favorite bird – the Little Blue Heron. This guy chose the exact moment we were strolling along the channel to land and show himself off. Nice!

Talk to you soon.

More Galapagos

The bird life on the Galapagos Islands was spectacular. In addition to the Blue Footed Booby, we got a chance to get a really good look at a species found only here, namely the only known Cormorants that have over time lost their ability to fly. 

The Galapagos Cormorant over time adapted to the unique environment by developing the ability to swim as though it was a marine species, giving it the ability to get its food from the sea. The Cormorant’s large wings made it slow in the water – over time they changed to where they are almost flippers. Since they can’t fly, they live and breed in a very small, confined area.

The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin species residing at the Equator, and interestingly enough, is the only penguin that resides north of the Equator. Apparently this is only possible due to the Humboldt and Cromwell currents, some of which come up from the southern tip of South America and bring cool waters that result in two things – conditions that allow the Galapagos Penguin to survive, and conditions that create an abundance of sea life that feed the abundant residents. These guys were fun to watch either on land, or swimming like fish – or maybe I should say like Galapagos Cormorants!

There are 13 different species of the Darwin Finches on the Galapagos Islands. They actually belong to the Tanager family rather than the Finch family, and all likely descended from the same South American Tanager species, then adapted to their new environment. They got their name in that their variations from island to island when Charles Darwin visited on the Beagle in the early 1830’s aroused in him his theory on the origin of species, and evolution.

Every day the majestic Frigate birds would soar along over our ship, seeming to take advantage of our draft and they glided nearly motionless, with virtually no wing movement at all giving us a grand view of their deeply forked tail. These guys tend to hang around the Equator, so you can find them in northern South America as well as Africa. It was the beginning of mating season, so the male Frigates had adopted their bright red chests to lure a mate. We got a chance to see a couple of the males who had inflated their gular sac – it is quite a site to witness.

We were surprised to learn that Flamingoes are very visible residents of the Galapagos Islands. Because of the abundance of crustaceans in the waters surrounding the Islands, these wild Flamingoes display some of the deepest pink colors we have ever witnessed. While they are not particularly unique to the Galapagos Islands, and while they didn’t really have to evolve much to thrive here, they were still a joy to see in the wild.

We saw all the water birds we expected to see. We saw some Great Blue Heron chilling in the tidal pools, munching on the abundant food. We saw a lot of Great White Egrets doing pretty much the same thing. My favorites were the Striated Herons. They look very much like the Green Herons we see in the South Padre Islands, and even occasionally in Vegas. While similar, their apparent striped coloration really makes them striking. Striated Heron are generally non-migratory, so we never saw these guys in Texas – they pretty much just stay here.

Talk to you soon.

Special side trip

We made arrangements to fly from Tampa (near Dunedin) to catch the Silver Galapagos for a 7-day cruise of the Galapagos Islands. Even before we boarded the ship in San Cristobal, we were greeted by one of the more famous of the residents of the islands – the Blue Footed Booby. Its blue feet come from carotenoid pigments from eating only fresh fish. The healthier a Booby is, the bluer its feet get, so this guy looks quite healthy.

The Galapagos are volcanic islands with little or no fresh water, making human residency difficult. That is why in 1832 when Ecuador claimed them, nobody really cared, so no disputes over title arose. Plants and animals, many arriving on debris floating from South America, developed very unique adaptations to successfully live in this hostile environment. That is why Charles Darwin developed much of his theories on the Origin of Species here. While he never mentioned this, I am sure he found the sunsets as beautiful as we did.

Since food supply on the islands is limited, some of the iguana learned to swim so they could dive to the ocean floor for their food source, primarily algae. On some of the islands you can hardly walk without almost stepping on one of the Galapagos Marine Iguanas. Some we saw are upward of 4 feet long, and so darn ugly they bordered on being cute.

The Galapagos Land Iguana never developed the skill to swim. They are about the only animal that can eat Prickly Pear Cactus despite the abundant needles, and get most of their water by eating them. Scientists believe that both the Land and Marine Iguanas descended from a common ancestor, but developed very different skills in order to survive in their new habitat. These guys are nearly as ugly as the Galapagos Marine Iguana, but are much more colorful.

Talk to you soon.

Iceland

The only actual city in Iceland that I know of is Reyjavik. That is probably because over 1/3 of the entire population of Iceland lives in Reyjavik – all 130,000 of them. That doesn’t leave very many folk to populate all the other cities in the country. But with all the volcanos and the glaciers, I guess that doesn’t really leave much room for people anyway.

In October 1986, a summit was held between Ronald Regan and Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss a nuclear arms treaty. Being a safe, neutral location, Iceland was selected. We got to visit the former British Consulate, called Hofoi, where the summit was held on the 11^th and 12^th. While the talks broke down near the end, the progress that was achieved eventually resulted in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

We visited the nearby Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, one of 30 active volcano systems on the island. The reason there are so many active volcanos is that Iceland is the only place in the world that is both above sea level and has a junction of two tectonic plates – the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. All other places were the earths tectonic plates collide are deep under the ocean.

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano is actually underneath a glacier, as many are here. That is why its eruption in 2010 resulted in an enormous disruption of air travel across western and northern Europe for many days. When a volcano erupts under a glacier, the molten lava hitting the ice results in a massive cloud of ash being spewed into the atmosphere. Such ash can easily destroy a jet engine. Over 20 countries closed their airspace for days, affecting 10 million passengers. 

While it can cause problems, the volcanic activity also provides a benefit. We visited the Hverageroi geothermal garden and hot springs. The geysers here were not as predictable as Old Faithful in Yellowstone, but they were just as impressive. These kinds of geothermmal formations show up in many places in Iceland. Locals harness the heat and steam to drive industrial centers, provide heat for homes in a wide area, and provide heated water as well. We even to boil an egg in geyser water and eat it on the spot.

We got to see site of Geysir, also known as "The Great Geysir", which was the first geyser actually described in a printed source, and the first geyser known to Europeans. The name Geysir is a verb in Old Norse meaning to gush. The English word geyser derives from Geysir. While "The Great Geysir" has had few eruptions since 1936, we did get to see its neighbor erupt – Little Geyser, or in Icelandic, Litli Geysir.

Because of all the glaciers, there is waterfall activity pretty much all summer – what little summer there actually is. We hiked up to the Seljalandsfoss and the Hraunfosser waterfalls, as well as many other magnificent waterfalls during our time in Iceland. They were both truly impressive as were the many waterfalls we saw all over the island. But our favorite, even though we have no idea how to pronounce it, was the Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.

To get up close and personal with a glacier, we headed to Skaftafell National Park and Vatnajokull National Park. Here I strapped on some crampons and followed the expert guide for a two hour hike up onto Skaftafell Glacier. I thought walking with ice crampons would be difficult, but it turned out to be relatively easy. And the terrain was gorgeous! I enjoyed every minute, and didn’t want to leave. The Woman took a pass, and instead hiked to the glacial moraine (its end) while I hiked above.

The Woman got a treat with a visit to a traditional Icelandic farm. While the owners raise all kinds of livestock and feed, the Woman’s favorites by far were the Icelandic Horses. The Icelandic Horse is a breed that was developed in Iceland. While a bit on the smaller side, these horses have few diseases, live long lives and are extremely hardy. Icelandic law prevents any horses from being imported into the county. If fact, if an Icelandic horse breeder decides to enter a horse into an international competition held outside Iceland, it had better win and collect a purse – once off the island, even a horse born in Iceland cannot return. The distinctive horses are gorgeous – they all look a bit like Fabio.

Iceland was first settled by Viking Chieftain Ingolfir Arnarson in 874 AD near current day Reykjavik. He named his settlement Reykjavik because of all the geothermal activity in the area – Reykjavik literally translated means “Bay of Smokes.” Various waring Viking Chieftains followed making for continuous strife on the island. In 930 AD, all the waring chieftains agreed to leave their weapons at the door, and held the Althing, the first national parliament of Iceland.

Thingvellir National Park was established in 1930 (on the 1000^th anniversary of the Althing) to preserve the site of the first parliament, which actually ran here until 1798. In 2004 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lodberg (Law Rock) was the site of first parliament gathering, with rough structures being built to house the many subsequent parliament gatherings over 850 years. Unfortunately, none of those structures were substantial enough to still be around today.

The other cool thing about Thingvellir is that much of the park lies in the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. We got to hike along the edge of the North American Plate in part because Law Rock is actually a part of the leading edge of the Plate. Where we strolled, we could actually touch the towering front edge of the North American Plate. Off in the distance we could clearly see the edge of the Eurasian Plate, perhaps not as high, but clearly the edge nonetheless.

The Golden Circle continued to impress. We stopped at Svartifoss. Because of all the volcanic activity on the island, there are many different basaltic column locations. We couldn’t help but think about the Devils Post pile in California, or the Giants Causeway in Ireland. But when you can combine two magnificent natural wonders – basaltic columns and a waterfall – how could you not take it in!

Our last major attraction was Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring, the highest flow hot spring in all of Europe. The spring is so powerful, its water is piped over 40 miles to the city of Akranes (in addition to numerous other municipalities), serving 3000 residents there with 80-degree water for heating, bathing and other use. We got to enjoy the experience ourselves at the Krauma Spa.

Krauma has a total of six natural geothermal baths. One is cold, but the other 5 range from body temperature to nearly 108 degrees. And, as a bonus, when you checked in to get your robe and towel, you placed your order for your adult beverage, which would get delivered to your pool after you settled in. What a pleasant way to spend the afternoon!

Sad to say we had to eventually leave Iceland and head back to pick up our pooch, Kona. Not very long after we left, we were jerked back into the reality of the world as it now stands. On August 19, activists held a funeral for the Okjokull  (Ok) glacier, the first glacier in Iceland to be lost to climate change. While we were near the glacier – its about 60 miles northeast of Reykjavik – it was almost imperceptible at the time, and accordingly not an attraction.

We said goodbye to Oliver and sincerely hope we might see him again. There were only 18 people on our tour, so we used a Mercedes Sprinter van as our bus. Oliver was both driver and tour director. As it turned out, he also served duty as porter, attraction guide, restaurant booker and pretty much everything else we needed. Thanks again Oliver!

Talk to you soon.

Finishing up the Nordic cultures

Construction of the Flam Railway began in 1924, and took 16 years to complete. The line gains nearly 2,700 feet in elevation, rolls through 10 stations, across one bridge and 20 tunnels. Because it is one of the most visited attractions In Norway, we took the ride. The views were spectacular, the tunnels long, the drops precipitous and waterfalls everywhere. At the time, the Flam allowed the district of Sogn access to Bergen and Oslo.

Built in 1885 in the outskirts of Bergen, Troldhaugen was the summer home of composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina. He is best known for his musical composition for Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt. Now a museum, it displays his furnishings, some of his writings, and gives you a clear expression of what his early life was like. He and Nina are both buried in the hillside where the sun illuminated the woods – he could see that spot from his fishing boat on Nordas Lake where he spent most days.

Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born June 15, 1843. While I didn’t think I knew any of his work, as we walked through the museum, they were playing many of his more famous compositions. I found myself humming along because I actually knew all of them. Although a giant in music, Grieg was under 5 feet tall as an adult. A life-sized sculpture sits in the garden at Troldhaugen.

When wreckage was found of the USS Jeanette in Greenland (it had actually wrecked off the coast of Siberia) Norwegian explorer Fritjof Nansen theorized that Polar ice must flow from east to west. So, he built a ship, the Fram, with a rounded keel which would be pushed up as the sea around it froze, rather than being crushed. In 1893 he set off from Siberia believing he could ride the Polar ice and get to the North Pole. When he determined that the flow direction would miss the North Pole, he set off on foot to reach it. After two long winters on the ice, he returned to Norway just days before the Fram and its crew arrived in 1896.

The actual Fram vessel is preserved at the Fram Museum in Oslo. Because the design of the Fram actually worked, it was subsequently used by other explorers, including Roald Amundsen for his southern polar expedition from 1910 to 1912. In both Nome and Eagle, Alaska, we encountered evidence of Amundsen’s explorations there. The Fram is believed to have sailed farther north (85deg57’N) and further south (78deg41”S) than any other wooden ship.

Also, in Oslo, at the Norwegian Maritime Museum, is the Gjoa. With a crew of 6, Roald Amundsen was the first to sail the Northwest Passage. Built in 1872, the Gjoa spent its first 28 years as a herring fishing boat. Amundsen bought it in 1901, spent a couple of years modifying and equipping it, and set out in 1903 to sail the Passage. It took him 3 years, but in 1906 he succeeded in being the first.

Checking out the options on the net, I learned that Edvard Munch’s painting, The Scream, was in the National Gallery in Oslo. The bad new was that the National Gallery was closed because they were in the process of moving to a new building. Just by chance I learned that Munch had actually painted 5 original versions of The Scream, and one was in a small private museum dedicated primarily to his work.

We were able to get an Uber to take us over to the museum. Interestingly, the driver, while being a local, wasn’t even aware of this museum, so it may be a well-kept secret. Luckily for us, we found out about it and scored a first hand look at The Scream. Quite a number of his pieces were very similar to The Scream. His second most famous painting is The Madonna.

We noted there was not really much security in the Munch Museum – actually, we noted that in much of Scandinavia. Perhaps that explains why both the National Gallery’s (1994) and the Munch Museum’s (2004) originals were stolen, along with the Munch Museum’s original The Madonna. The pieces remained missing for over 2 years when police recovered them in August 2006. For some reason, the police would not reveal the circumstances surrounding their recovery. You can see some of the damage that occurred to The Madonna - its not as obvious on The Scream.

In Aarhus Denmark we visited the Moesgard Museum of Prehistory. There we found one of the first successfully preserved “bog bodies” knows as Grauballe Man. Apparently this poor fellow was likely a human sacrifice (his throat was slit) and was thrown into a peat bog near the village of Grauballe Denmark in the late 3^rd Century BC. His body was discovered in 1952, and exceptional efforts were made to preserve him – techniques were used that had never been used before. The techniques used were so successful that historians have even been able to take the man’s fingerprints.

We headed for Odense Denmark to take in the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. The Museum contains a great deal of furniture owned by Andersen, including his writing desk on which he wrote many of his manuscripts. The Museum also contains a number of the actual handwritten manuscripts of Andersen, his personal effects, his writing tools, and an abundance of original artwork.

Nearby we actually got to snoop around in the boyhood home of Hans Christian Andersen. A small, unassuming cottage, it is believed that he was actually born in this house on April 2, 1805. While we were visiting the area, we walked up and down the streets of Odense that Andersen certainly walked himself during the 1800’s. Heading back to Copenhagen from here, we completed our circumnavigation of the Nordic cultures. On to Iceland!

Talk to you soon.