Merry Christmas to all!

Just a quick note today to wish everyone a merry Christmas. I hope that this year has not been so filled with sadness that you cannot enjoy the holidays.

We have friends that are experiencing serious health issues, those that have the joy of a growing family, other with new jobs, and many who are fearful for what the new year may bring. I hope that all of you can embrace the good parts and push away the stressful bits, at least for a day or two, so that you can appreciate the love of family, friends, and food that we embrace this time of year.

The best of everything to everyone.

A Lava Lizard and a few Tortoises

It is a bit amazing that these animals, that are stuck on the ground with their heavy shell and cumbersome feet, can find enough to thrive without the help of humans. Yes, there are many place with lush forest cover, but there are also places like this, where the ground is simply broken lava.

Giant Tortoises

Something not often noticed about these slow moving giants is that they have some significant toe nails. I presume this is to help in foraging for food.

Penguins and Tortoises

A last look at a couple penguins before heading back to shore. Our next outing on Isabela Island was to a tortoise farm.

Along the Beach and then Inland

A common sight along all the beaches we visited we the sally lightfoot crabs. Named for a dancer of yore, these can curry all over the rocks with ease.

A Tortoise and a Sea Lion

In his usual slow motion way, this tortoise is preparing to get a drink of (fairly nasty looking) water. Note that you can just see the remains of several meals on his mouth.

A Duck and More Tortoises

Above is the white-cheeked pintail duck. These fellows are found from as far north as southern Florida and as a far south as the southern tip of South America. This one is just chillin' by the small pond where the tortoises are hanging out.

Tortoises Hanging Out

In addition to growing moss on their skin, they also seem to not lick their lips either.

Tortoises Everywhere

If you ever wondered how you'd clean yourself if you lived outside, ate off the ground, and had no hands to wipe your mouth with, here you go. Not exactly the neatest critters around.

Santa Cruz Island and the Tortoises

So, we wrapped up our adventure ion San Cristóbal Island, boarded a boat to Santa Cruz Island, dropped our luggage and headed out to the center of the island to a tortoise farm.