Highlands in the hope to spot some wild (Giant) Galapagos Tortoises. As we drive on past we see a few resting near the roads edge. Finally we stop at the Reserve and get out of the bus to take a walk through the park lands and this is where we get up close and personal with the Tortoises. We watched and listened carefully for the sound of heavy foot steps and the sound of shrubs being slowly crushed as the tortoises make their way through the brush to enjoy a meal. Its amazing to find out that these magnificent creatures could live up to 200 years. No wonder they are never in a hurry.
After the reserve we went to the "Lava Tunnels" which are tunnels which were formed 
by molten lava where the outside solidified and the inner lava continued running - creating a tunnel. We walked for about a km through the tunnels. Our guide had warned us that when we got towards the end, the tunnels were not as high and we would need to "stoop" through a section. When we finally got there we realised "stoop" actually meant "crawl on your hands and knees" some it was more of a "slide on your stomach". With several laughing fits later and a few people on the tour needing assistance we all made it through. Phew!!! close call.
by molten lava where the outside solidified and the inner lava continued running - creating a tunnel. We walked for about a km through the tunnels. Our guide had warned us that when we got towards the end, the tunnels were not as high and we would need to "stoop" through a section. When we finally got there we realised "stoop" actually meant "crawl on your hands and knees" some it was more of a "slide on your stomach". With several laughing fits later and a few people on the tour needing assistance we all made it through. Phew!!! close call.One more stop before we head back to the boat for a spot of lunch. This was an interesting stop right between two giant sink holes. These are places where a magma chamber close under the surface drained away and left a gas bubble. As the pressure holding the land over the bubble decreased, the chamber collapsed. From the outside, it looks like a place where the land suddenly stops, then starts up again several hundred meters further down. The sinkholes are vaguely circular pattern. Lucky everyone in our group was on talking terms or maybe there might have been one less going back to the boat. hee hee
interested in preserving the genetic purity of the of the tortoises on different islands, as all are slightly different. Lonesome George is another must to see he is apparently the last male of his species, and we got a bit of a sex-ed lesson as he tried to increase the population with one of his 2 lady friends. One interesting factoid is that the sex of the tortoise is determined by the incubation temperature of the egg. This allows the Darwin Center to produce more females, to rebuild the populations more quickly. Unfortunately George does not appear to be interested in sex (strange for a male isn't it?). Come on George do it for your species. We now have some free time to look around the shops and check out the town, get a ice cream :) (hey its hot). While we have some time Lisa and I are looking around to find out the best place to go diving and see hammer head sharks eek!!!!
