Farm we passed on the way to El Chato (ps)
We walked back to town to board a cushy tour bus which took us up into the highlands, where we passed small banana plantations, tiny family farms complete with chickens and gardens, and children waiting for the school bus in their uniforms.
Veranda Restaurant (ps)
As we climbed up into the cooler, wetter highlands, the day grew mistier with a light drizzle. Everything was green and lush, with a sense of the tropics not as evident on the rocky volcanic stretches we had been hiking over the past two days.

Our drive ended at a mountaintop restaurant where a delicious buffet was served to us on a veranda under an ample roof, allowing us to enjoy the fresh air while keeping out any rain. Beyond the porch stretched hilly green fields where a few horses grazed and mist-shrouded mountain peaks rose in the distance.


El Chato Tortoise Preserve (ps)

After lunch we ventured out into the giant tortoise preserve called El Chato, a short bus ride away. This is a large area, again tropically lush, full of mosses splling from branches, ferns sprouting from fallen trunks, wide open green areas dotted with pools of water where the tortoises dunk themselves.
Giant Santa Cruz Tortoise bathing in the pool (sz)

The tortoises in this area roam at will. We had no trouble finding many of them. When we approached, some would draw back into their huge shells with a frightening hissing noise (see video below); it turns out this is the sound of the shell being entered by the rest of the body, not a menacing sound made by the tortoise to scare us away! Although these creatures certainly do move slowly, they have no problem lumbering along at a fair clip when they want to.

Sandy with a Giant Tortoise - see its head drawn back (ps)
Pat with a giant tortoise (sz)
Lush vegetation in the highlands (ps)

Giant Tortoise Hiss

Turn up your volume, and listen to the "hiss" the tortoise makes as he pulls in his head.





INSTRUCTIONS:
Click on the title in the Playlist to the left to start the video.
Use the buttons for Rewind, Play, and Fast Forward.
Galapagos Giant Tortoise (ps)

Galapagos Giant Tortoise (sz)