I got tired of confining myself in my room in the Galapagos, and just coming out whenever I wanted to go to the beach or when I had some volunteering tasks to do for the travel agency or at the coffee farm. One time my Austrian friend came to my host family's house and invited me to a big party in town. And of course, I said no. I have this severe social anxiety problem that I probably had just made up in my mind, and I had already been living up to it. Anyway, she told me that she's going to buy me a beer or a shot of Tequila. I must admit though, I sold myself for a free shot, knowing that the cheapest beer in the island costs $5, and a shot of liquor is like $7. I don't know about you, but this is expensive for me!
So we went to the party and I finally had some ‘liquid courage’ to socialize. I met some new friends here who also invited me to another party the next day. Wow, that was fast. So I met them again the next day, and I thought that I should have some initiative this time. I was always complaining of about being alone, and even though I prefer that, at some point it gets tiring and lonely to talk to yourself. So guess what, I invited them to go to the beach with me. I’m proud of what I did because I usually don’t do that, and it took some courage to invite some other people with me. There’s a secluded beach that I really loved to go to during weekends, perhaps it was just right to share this with some few friends I’ve met.
El Garrapatero beach is pretty far out from the town of Puerto Ayora, and around 14 km from my place. You have to take a taxi to get here or ride a bike through the hills going to the beach. The beach can be accessed by taking a short walk along a developed pathway through poison apple trees and mangroves. You will also be greeted by massive cacti along the way.
Being here is like you’re in the real Galapagos, making you feel like ‘Bear Grylls’ trying to survive in some unknown part of the world.
There’s a small lagoon near the beach which is often frequented by pink Flamingos. There are also a lot of iguanas and pelicans around. This pristine beach is ideal for swimming, snorkeling and relaxing.
The beach is calmer, unlike Tortuga Bay. The water is clear, a little bit cold but refreshing! I was even planning to camp here alone at some point. There’s nothing here, no hotels or shops. It’s a perfect place to be alone and watch the stars at night. It’s allowed to camp here, but you need to request a permission from the national park.
I came here the first time by hitchhiking, but almost nobody really goes here. There’s a village but it’s 7km more to the beach. I was walking and waiting on the road, and it was already late in the afternoon. I thought I was going to be stuck in a desert of cactus alone. Luckily, a friendly truck driver who was supposedly just going to the village drove me up to the beach and helped me get back in my place before it got late.
Here’s a photo of me looking happy with people. They know me and I also know them, so this is not some random photo, ha! Those are my friends from the UK and Ecuador.
The reality in this island is that people just come and go, that was why I was not so keen meeting 24h friends. Because I knew that they would all just leave me here on the island anyway.
But I met some 48h friends and they are really cool! I mean in the end, it doesn’t matter how much time you’re going to spend with some people. Sometimes you’ll share the greatest moments with people even if you’ve only been with them for a short time. I didn’t regret giving myself some chance to meet some new friends, especially that I was in a paradise where it is nice to share great moments. The place becomes more beautiful. The level of happiness is elevated when shared.
some moments are nice, some are
nicer, some are even worth
writing
about.
― Charles Bukowski