The 'Poor Man's Galapagos'

Travelling for a year means big time budgeting and can sometimes also mean saying no to certain pocket draining activities and places. For us, the Galapagos Islands is one of those destinations. When you're living on $20 a day or less and have seven months of travel ahead of you, including an inevitably expensive stint in Europe, a 'splurge' of $3000 or more for a couple of weeks is completely unjustifiable.

For miserly backpackers like ourselves, however, there's an island off Ecuador's south coast that provides a little slice of the Galapagos at a fraction of the cost. Part of the 'Parque Nacional Machalilla' and located about 30km from the shores of beach-side-town Puerto Lopez, Isla de la Plata (the Silver Island) boasts a variety of species also found on the Galapagos Islands, including, among others, the red and blue-footed booby, albatrosses and South American sea lions. Known as 'The Poor Man's Galapagos', we felt a trip to the coast was a must, so we set off for Puerto Lopez from Cuenca by bus.

It would seem our six-week bus hiatus washed away my memories of the trials and tribulations of South American bus journeys, but you'll be glad to know that the past week has reinstated my love hate relationship with this form of travel. While the scenery has been unbelievable - lushious green jungle and twinkling coastlines, not something you'll see up close from a plane - there's just something about it that I'll never get used to. Being crammed for hours like chickens in a coup (at one stage I was literally sitting next to an angry rooster), this time in the tropical Ecuadorian heat, was not fun. I'm actually considering enduring the humiliation and getting one of those bum pillows people with boils have to carry around with them, just to make the trip that little bit more bearable. And then there are the bus vendors, who are both friends and foes. Sure, we've had many a tasty empanada and some delicious fruit for the ride. If, however, they sense any form of a glance their way you're in for it and will be bombarded with various sale items. Some are practical: lunch items or lollies, others are not so much: underpants, spoons, lottery tickets. I even had one guy fit me with sunglasses - unasked, I might add - while my own were sitting on my head! It's a mixed bag every time.

So after a trying bus ride from Cuenca, we arrived in Puerto Lopez in the late afternoon.  I can't say there's a whole heap to do in this town that's main tourist attraction is the Isla de la Plata, but that's what we were there for afterall. Being on the coast though, I was able to have some quality seafood which is right up my alley, so I was happy on the food front, particularly after devouring an impressive pasta marinara at the shore side Carmita restaurant.

And what of the subject of this entry - the 'Poor Man's Galapagos' - did it live up to its name? Well I guess I can't really give a balanced review, having not been to the big G, but if I had to guess, I'd be pretty sure the spectacular-factor of this place has been fairly over-exaggerated. What you do get is a stomach-losing ride in a fishing boat on the high seas, a 3km walk around the island where you'll see a few species of birds, and an enjoyable half-hour snorkeling session where you'll see one or two species of tropical fish. Don't expect to be inundated with spectacular varieties of flora and fauna at every step you take as, although you'll read of their descriptions in and around the island, you'll only be witness to a handful, if that - we only saw albatrosses and blue-footed boobies. But I wont say my $45 dollars (which included a $15 National Park entry fee) went to waste. It was a beautiful day to be on the water and we enjoyed the walk around the island's coastline, the fresh fruit and sandwiches we were provided for lunch and cooling off with a snorkel at the end. I say, if you keep your expectations low, it's an enjoyable day trip out to the island and worth the visit to the chilled-out Puerto Lopez, particularly if you're up for a rest before hitting the jungle, which is where we're headed next.