Galapagos

Galapagos
Originally uploaded by mlingswiler.

We left Panama on Monday March 13th and some 6 days and 860 miles later, we arrived in the Galapagos.

During this run we crossed the equator. I am the only person that has not done this by boat and my friends tell me this is an event worthy of hazing. Ben had to shave his head on his first crossing and this was suggested for my first time. I quickly declined. My hair is rapidly receding and it might not recover from the shock.



I did offer to shave my ears. The hair seems have no problem growing there. Fortunately this conversation took place at the beginning of my watch and their bedtime. After each of them had a shot of rum, they quickly forgot about it and went to bed.



The Galapagos is the place that inspired Darwin to start the world’s greatest debate. Evilution or Evolution….take your pick. Either way it’s quite a nice place. We will be spending one night here and only have time to see the island of San Cristobal.



Ben and Rob met up with someone they knew and took off surfing today. It was suggested that I go. There was a time in my life I would have been the first one up and ready to go, and I did go a few times in Panama to see if it was like riding a bicycle. After nearly drowning three times, and hitting the reef twice, I decided it was not like riding a bicycle. I succumbed to the fact that I’ve been behind a desk too long to enjoy this sport any longer.



Another worry about surfing here is that I’m a Florida boy and quite familiar with its wildlife. This place has seals, swimming lizards, tortoises, penguins, Sperm Whales, Killer Whales and enough different birds to fill a book. I’m sure that something eats these things, and I’m not sure where I fall in the food chain.



We leave tonight for the Marquesas and longest run of the trip. It is almost three thousand miles from here and will likely take up to 30 days of non-stop sailing. If you would like to know what this is like; paint the walls of your closet blue, step into it with two other people, add a lot of rocking motion and stay there a month. In addition, you have to steer for four out of every 12 hours.



I have a lot of pictures of this place that are probably better than this one, but this guy crawled onto the boat’s swim platform (just on the other side of the hull from my bunk) at 5:30 this morning and started barking incessantly. He wanted his picture taken, and posed by resting his lazy head on the platform support bar. He finally shut up once the shot was taken.



Is anybody still reading this stuff? My sister left one comment on my hygiene. She should know better than to mock me on the internet. There are some stories of her that could be publish and would be extremely embarrassing.

Jim Weber-Send me your email address (Mlingswiler@bellsouth.net). It’s been a long time. I’m still talking about your Block party 20 years ago! Kitty says Hi. Let me know when your ready to come visit in the Pacific.

All-I won’t get to look at the site until we reach the Marquesas and I Hope everybody is well.