Puerto Lopez

We are staying in the coastal town of Puerto Lopez at a great hosteria on the beach.  The main house has a huge music/play room full of instruments, books, blocks, and games and we've been unable to pull ourselves away this morning.  Seeing that it is overcast and misting slightly we're  happy as clams.  I think Cal and Harper feel like we are back at preschool; they both have built city after city with the blocks.

Yesterday we took a trip out to the island of Isla de la Plata.  We all got drugged up on dramamine for the wavy ride and no one was overcome with seasickness.  Harper was a little nervous about the boat ride but after a bit she settled in and bounced around smiling with Cal.  Almost to the island the driver slowed the boat to look for whales and Danny and I both saw a whale's spray.  When we came in closer we couldn't locate it but it was exciting to know a whale was in our midst.

On the island we hiked and witnessed the quirky ways of the blue-fotted booby birds. (And sorry about the video quality.  I didn't even realize I was taking it.)  They have no fear of humans so we could walk right up past them and the kids got a kick out of their painted feet and silly mating dances.  The birds nest right on the sandy ground so we saw their eggs and lots of young boobies in various stages of development.  We also saw frigate birds and vultures, as well as a couple lizards.  The island is a dry forest with only a few green plants, therefore most of the flora was brown and bone dry.  We were told in the rainy season it all greens up.

On the beach before our hike

Harper hiking the loop

Crazy cactus plant that has a trunk like a deciduous tree

I carried Cal most of the way.  He enjoyed it despite the sourpuss face

Blue-footed booby pair

Dry forest covering the island

Back on the boat we had lunch and Danny snorkeled.  He saw parrot fish, sargeant fish and others he couldn't identify.  It was a cool afternoon so the kids and I opted to stay in the boat and eat fruit.  It was too bad we had such an overcast day, but I guess for the hike and book ride it was better than blazing sun.

Tortuga eating lechuga

Danny snorkeling in the cove around the coral reef

Happy Cal on the way back to town