Galapagos 2009»Los Gemelos And Highland Tortoises

We arrived in the highlands of Peurto Ayora after a half hour coach ride. During this short journey we watched the dramatic changes in the landscape as we passed through the dry parched terrain baking in the heat of the day and arrived in the lush green pastures of the highlands and heavy drizzle. We could have been anywhere in the UK had it not been for the banana trees, quinine trees and other exotic trees and plants along the route. Los Gemelos (The twins) was our first stop. These are two pit craters either side of the road. The impressive round chasms are collapsed magma chambers, now covered in rich vegetation. After a short walk around the perimeter and surrounding woodlands, we continued on our journey to visit the lava tubes that run underneath the road. Then continuing back towards Puerto Ayora stopping at a ranch where we saw 3 giant tortoises in seperate small ponds. We also spotted a few finches and yellow warblers.