When we finally got to shore we were soaked from head to toe and even though we were in the tropics we were all cold from being drenched in rain. As we walked the dock, we noticed these long black pipes laying on the side. They were pretty hot to the most people’s touch, but just perfect for what we needed. We all laid on them to warm our bodies. It was our way of kissing the ground thanking God we finally landed. Even my uncle took off his sweatshirt he had worn and left it on some bushes to dry out while we went to find lunch.
I wish I could say that I had finally relaxed now that we had landed, but I was still worried about my group and our return trip. Many of us from the group didn’t want to step foot back on that boat. We also knew that if we did return on the boat we still had to get more gas. The small village we arrived in had one small gas station miles from the dock and very few vehicles for a possible ride. To get more gas we would have to carry the empty containers there and back. Even then if we did get all the gas for the return because our trip was 5 hours long we wouldn’t have enough time to get gas and back to the main island before it got dark. After that rough 5 hour ride during daylight there was no way I wanted to go out in those waters at night.
The next option was to just stay the night and go back the next day. We could all sleep on the floor of the small church building we were visiting. Waiting to leave the next day had its own dilemma our group’s flight back to the mainland of Ecuador was the next day and the day after that was the church group’s flight back to the States. Typically at this time the Galapagos Islands only has two flights in and out for each day. If they missed the flight out of Galapagos they would have to wait for the next day to get back to the mainland. In turn they would miss their flight back to the States. From my perspective and from various calls to my parents we needed to figure out how to get us off this island today.
We asked about the little island ferry that takes people back and forth from the main island. We found that it only goes every three days and the last trip was the day before we got there. We knew that wasn’t going to help. Next we asked about the airplane taxes since that would be the quickest route. Sadly the last air taxi had just left the island. We were out of options. As a group we started walking around the little village, many of us praying for guidance. Until the American Pastor thought that maybe we could find a pilot that we could pay to take us to the airport island. Then the local pastor took us to what looked like the house of the pilot. Through translation we asked how much it would cost to give us a ride in his plane.
He gladly accepted 50 dollars per person to fly back to the airport island. In that very moment we were saved!! We did leave behind the captain of the boat sadly. He had to bring back the boat on his own the next day.
Soon we got on the air taxi. It was a smaller plane that held up to maybe 8 people. Flying over these islands was the most beautiful and majestic flight. Looking out over the waters with various colors of blue and green. Seeing the outline of each little island that we probably passed on our way in the boat, but didn’t see because of all the fog and rain. It was a precious time to pray over the people of these islands. I think I finally relaxed on that flight.
Even though we were on a plane our trip was far from over. The main airport is on a separate island from the main town and as I said there were only two flights in and out of this airport daily. So when we landed at the airport everything was deserted. Normally there are many buses picking up passengers from the planes and driving them either to their cruise ship docked on this island or to the dock at the end of the island.
As we got off the plane our only option was to walk to the dock where we could cross to the main island, but to our surprise a garbage truck was driving by us. We asked if we could catch a ride. Thankfully it was mostly empty, but the smell still lingered probably on us for a while. We made it to the channel in a matter of minutes. A smelly ride was better than a few miles of walking especially getting close to night fall. At the channel normally during there are tons of boat ferries and taxis that help her cross the small channel. It is key to remember that Galapagos Islands are a protected Ecuadorian National Park so building bridges and structures in the water was against the law. Since all the boat taxi’s captains were gone, we ended up begging a local hotel boat taxi to give us a ride across to the other side. After the quick ride across the channel, we climbed into a truck taxi, a few of the group went up front, but my uncle and I sat in the bed of the truck. For the next two and half hours we traveled over two dead volcanos and some small rain showers, but nothing compared to the hours of rain on a slow moving boat earlier that day.
Looking back at such a crazy adventure, I still smile because first I’m grateful that we all survived such a scary ordeal, but I also am taken back at how many lessons I continually get from it even today. Never in my life have I ever ridden so many types of taxis, from a boat taxi, truck taxi, and plane taxi, but that garbage truck was a life savior saving us hours of walking. No matter what vehicle we rode in I keep thinking back to how important it was to follow that small dingy boat to the safe harbor. Many times I feel like I’m not good enough to lead someone or be an example of Christ, but it only took a small boat to lead a larger boat safely to shore. I keep reminding myself that in life it is the small habits, the small reactions that can guide my decisions. Sometimes we are the big boat following someone as they guide us on the narrow path and other times we are the small boat guiding others.
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