good talk

I landed at the Baltra Airport on Baltra Island on April 1 and it was there that I noticed a guy standing with a sign and I told him that I wanted to do a 1-Week Cruise, he motioned to some guy behind him, spoke a few words, and this other guy offered me this for $800. At the same time Freddie offered a Couple from Vancouver, Peter and Tracy, this for a total of $1500. I thought that I was going to Brazil and hadn't done any Research on the Galapagos and Peter struck me as a Bright With-It Guy so I told Peter if you go for it so will I. Peter saw the Boat, a 16-Passenger Boat with a 5-Man Crew including the Guide, and looked at the Itinerary and said OK so I said OK. Freddie took us to a Bank where I cashed $800 in Travelers Checks and Peter also dug up Money (In Ecuador they use the American Dollar as Their Currency) and we paid for our Cruise which began Immediately. We Took the Ferry from Baltra Island to Santa Cruz, this is Where Puerto Ayora is and from there we Went to a Preserve where they have Giant Tortoises, they're Huge. One was Lumbering Towards Us and I said He'll Be Here in 15 Minutes. The Animals in the Galapagos Preserve have no fear of Man as It's Illegal to Harm Them, I have a picture of Myself right next to a Giant Tortoise, There's only 200 in the Islands. It cost a Hundred Dollars just to Enter the Preserve, pay at the Airport, for the $800 (which they call 8 days, it's more like Six and Three-Quarters) you Share a Cabin with Somebody, in my Case it was Tomin, a "32" year-old Plumber from Denmark who had Saved his Money often Working Overtime for Cash and now was Making a Year-Long Trip in South America. If you meet People doing a Long Trip of 3 Months or More It's Almost Always Non-Americans, Americans Seldom do this, I Get Tired of Traveling Myself After About 47 Days. Tomin was a Neat Guy, he had gone into the Jungles of Brazil for 2 Months and Said that Every Bit of his Body was Covered with Mosquito Bites and that he hadn't even taken a Anti-Malarial. Tomin was a Viking and a Hardboy and Could Get Away With This, I Wouldn't Try It. I Mentioned that I paid $20 US for 20 Mefliquine in Georgetown, I Recently Asked at a "Target" Pharmacy how much they charged for the Same Thing and Was Told $164. You got to Figure that the Georgetown Pharmacy Makes a Profit So.......