San Cristóbal is home to the capital of Galápagos island chain, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The 5500 permanent residents of the town are employed primarily by the government or within the fishing industry and the town’s unique character is deeply enmeshed with the sea.
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Although there is a small beach in the center of town, it is not for humans. It is cordoned off and is devoted to sea lions. On the north side of town, Playa del Oro is also exclusively for sea lions.
The main focal point of Puerto Baquerizo is the picturesque Malecón (pier, wharf area) and Shipwreck Bay, which is a busy harbor for all the tour operators, private yachts, and a few local fishermen.
The small port is shallow water so the ship I'm traveling on is docked miles away, across from Frigatebird Hill and Playa Carola (not visible here). We take zodiacs from the ship to the little dock in Puerto Baquerizo to make our way on shore.
It is well worth taking the time to walk around the little town of Puerto Baquerizo. It has some tourist-like shops but not well-stocked nor with any Made in Ecuador souvenirs. There are a few good dining options, though a bit pricey, street side cafes along the wharf and some shopping, but overall the town is sleepy.
A few streets back from the Malecón restaurants are 30% less expensive and have more diverse and local menus.
The main beach in Puerto Baquerizo
along the Malecón, with
scenic Shipwreck Bay in the background
It appears there are more sea lions than people in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Sea lions in the Galápagos are akin to sacred cows in India; protected and revered. They go where they please with impunity, and they are fearless about living among humans. In Puerto Baquerizo they are everywhere: on sidewalks, public benches, boat decks and the strangest places. Sometimes they appear like statues (below), but they are all too real. How the sea lions get up the rocks, beyond the beaches and over the sea walls is something amazing to watch. I could sit here under the shade trees of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno for days watching (and filming sea lions).
Sea lions taking a rest on the pier. They are also seen on boats, park benches, everywhere in Puerto Baquerizo.
Image: galapagosalternative.com
Look closely in the image of Shipwreck Bay below (or click on the image for a larger view). The rocks are crawling with Sally Lightoot Crabs, Marine Iguanas, and Galápagos Sea Lions.
Cash is king on this island and they don't take pesos. The American dollar is the official currency of the Galápagos and mainland Ecuador. Expect to spend plenty of them too while you're here. Everything is $40. . .even post cards. I decided to buy some authentic Galápagos post cards to send home. First, they are few and hard to find. Once I had the post cards, had taken them back to the ship and written and addressed them. I returned to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno to the main post office on the south side of the main street that runs along the Malecón and sea lion beach.
Naïve me. I thought it would be like in USA. . . a few dollars to mail the stack of them.
What an experience that was. First, the post office looked pretty much deserted except for dusty bags of mail sitting here and there. Then, I asked the clerk (in my broken Spanish) for some post-card stamps. I had 40 post cards. She told me it would be $160 plus $1 each to mail them or $200.
#WTF?
Yeah.
I decided only a select few friends would get authentic Galápagos post cards. I sent 10 @ $4 + $1 handling for $50. I wonder how long they will languish in those dusty bags in the main post office?
I sent 20 post cards from Quito prior to heading to the Galápagos. There the cost was $3/each plus $1/handling. Those post cards arrived in USA about 5 weeks after I mailed them, but they did indeed arrive. No one knew how much $$$ I'd spent to mail them either, I imagine.
I had to remind myself that this is a very poor country, and they likely don't receive mail like we do in USA. So mail is a luxury that only tourists can afford. . . and the government employees who handle the mail are all too eager to exploit those tourist dollars.
Puesta de sol.
Estilo San Cristóbal.
Autor de la foto: Galapagosalternative.com
There are numerous dive center and tour operators on the island that provide a variety of excursion packages and personalized tours. Our favorite is @sharksky_official_ in front of Pacific Bank in downtown Puerto Baquerizo. Check them out also at planetoceangalapagos.com. Above is a little video clip of theirs hanging with some false killer whales.
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Mahamudra Brazil Conquers the Internet with Titillation and Testosterone
Mahamudra Brasil Conquista a Internet Com Titulação e Testosterona
Mahamudra Brasil
The senthesis of a new generation
What is Mahmudra?
O Que é Mahamudra?
Mahamudra is a Sanskrit term that refers to the true essence of the Buddha's teachings, but to burn 700 to 2000 calories per class you need more than yoga and more than meditation. Mahamudra Brasil integrates crossfit exercises with equipment ranging from kettlebells, sandals, TRX, bars, rings and elastics, martial arts, meditation, aerobic sports, natural gymnastics, marathon training, all in very intense classes that is something new every session: the student only discovers at the time of the lesson what awaits them on any given day.
Scenes from Mahmudra Brasil (above) and they guy's other profession, modeling, below
Mahamudra é um termo sânscrito que se refere a verdadeira essência dos ensinamentos de Buda, mas para chegar ao famoso consumo de 700 a 2000 calorias por aula, é preciso mais do que meditação, aí o método integra exercícios de crossfit com equipamentos que variam entre kettlebells, sandbags, TRX, barras, argolas e elásticos, artes marciais, meditação, esportes aeróbicos, ginástica natural, treinamento para maratonas, tudo isso em aulas pesadíssimas – diga-se de passagem – que o aluno só descobre no momento exato da aula o que lhe espera para aquele dia.
Erasmo Viana and Jonas Sulzbach, mostly clothed and often together
Erasmo Viana e Jonas Sulzbach, principalmente vestido e muitas vezes juntos
Between them they have many millions of followers on instagram
That is Instagram-style mega-famous
Entre eles, eles têm muitos milhões de seguidores no instagram.
Isso é mega-famoso no estilo Instagram
In spite of the spirituality, self-control and discipline, it is the titillating aspect of the Mahmudra guys that generates the most spontaneous media for the business. All due to the two main spokespersons of the group: Erasmo Viana (fiancé of fitness blogger Gabriela Pugliesi) and Jonas Sulzbach (ex-Big Brother Brazil contestant, also famous for nudes leaked on the internet). Both men shamelessly expose and exploit their tuned and tone bodies, a product of dedication to the method they developed.
Apesar do cunho espiritualizado, do autocontrole e da disciplina, é o aspecto profano que gera mais mídia espontânea para o negócio. Tudo por conta dos dois principais porta-vozes do grupo: Erasmo Viana (noivo da blogueira fitness Gabriela Pugliesi) e Jonas Sulzbach (ex-BBB, também famoso por nudes vazado na internet). Ambos esbanjam corpos torneados e muuuuuita dedicação ao método.
Both of Mahamudra Brasil's most famous founders are now in-demand male models.
