No boobies yet...

Call me a major dork who owes way to much in student loans for a plethora of information on molecular genetics, but currently, I am sitting in an Internet cafe in Santa Cruz, a major Island of the Galapagos wonder.
I flew in yesterday (Nov. 8th) from Quito, after parking my bike at the BMW shop and spending a night at the airport hotel. The flight was nice and easy, and I was able to catch up on a little politics and sport with a fresh Miami Herald at my fingertips. Finally, Brooks and Dunn have been removed from the pedestal.
After arriving on the island, we moved to a Bus that took us to the Ferry, which crossed over to the other bus, which took us to Puerta Ayora on Santa Cruz island. The waters are a very clear turquoise in the shallow end and move to a darker aqua blue as the ocean moves outward into the pacific. The terrain is a very dry, brownish lava dust covered in, what appear to be, dead trees and cacti. In actuality, the are what us geeks call CAM Plants that close their stomata during the day in order to prevent water loss. The trees look dead, because they almost are. We are at the very end of the dry season hear on the Islands (Rain from December to May), and the trees become almost dormant, loosing most of their leaves to hot days and starving insects.
After entering into Puerto Ayora, I quickly found the travel agency and booked a trip for the next day (Nov. 9th) and then went to the hotel to get a room. After changing into some cooler clothes, I started walking to the west side of town where the Darwin Institute for Research is located, in order to get my bio vibes rolling for an exciting few days in the Galapagos.
The research department here is using different techniques in order to preserve all biological aspects of the Islands, ranging from breeding tortoises and iguanas to planting to starting a recycling program and using solar technology. After taking a picture with the seventy year old tortoise, the only of it's kind in the world, quite appropriately named "lonely George", I started back towards town stopping by at the beach to pull out the new book I bought on the Islands. The book is based on journal writings, sketches and paintings from an expedition the islands in 1924.
Today, I woke up at six-thirty in order to get some breakfast and catch my bus at eight. The bus took myself, two Ecuadorians, 4 Austrians and 4 Germans, along with the 4 Tour guides, back up to the Northern Coast of Santa Cruz Island. There, a dingy met us at the dock to take us up to our Yacht, the Espanola. A very nice boat from the '70's, with a cleaver toilet.
The boat started heading west towards the Island of George, past the two Daphne Islands known for their boobies. The trip took about and hour and a half, taking us to the northwestern side of Santa Cruz, called Dragon Cove. It is known as a large breeding ground for sea and land iguanas.
The dingy took us onto the shore where we climbed up over 10's of crabs hanging out on the rocks. A guide took us through a mile long tour, stringing its way through cacti, lava rocks, volcanic ash, and dead looking trees. The day was hot and dry, my skin was starting to burn, and the Iguanas were all chilling underneath the cacti shade, just waiting for a leaf to fall in time for lunch. I say the Painted Grass Hopper, a Pink Flamingo, a Darwin Finch, a Galapagos Mocking Bird, and many iguanas. You really had to watch where you were walking, back on the beach, fearing not to step on one of the sea iguanas.
We then went snorkeling, where I swam between rocks covered in slick green algae, being fed on by schools of different fish. I kept thinking about the movie Nemo, and how I must have seen half of the fish in the movie...except Nemo. And still, no boobies.
We went back onto the Espanola, and started heading back. The cook on the ship today had prepared Tuna with Rice, Salad and Potato. The two beers really felt good and helped cool down the red epithelial tissue that splotched my body.
On the way back, I saw a pelican take a nose dive into the sea, a tortoise riding the back of his mother, and sea lions sleeping under the sun on top of floating bells(can't find the word)...but still no boobies.
Tomorrow is another day though; I am headed out to Seymore Norte and they say i can see some boobies up there.