Biking down from the highlands
- A Wandering Doc
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Today we rented mountain bikes ($15 for the day) from a vendor on Baltra Avenue near Charles Darwin blvd. We started to rent at “bike and smiles” but that was a sh*t show. Bike brakes malfunction, worker couldn’t release the lock, helmet cracked, etc… I would recommend you avoid.
Once we got our bikes, helmet, and emergency repair kit (all included for $15) we hired a driver to take us to casa messa ($15) . Unfortunately, with the language barrier, he took us to ‘Cerro Crocket” by mistake. We biked down to Bella Vista from Cerro Crocker (a lovely but steep ride) and hired another cab to take us up to Cerro Messa (additional $10).
Cerro Mesa is another giant tortoise ranch. This cost $5 to enter but we did not need a guide so we were able to explore on our own. We biked to the top of the Messa to see another giant sink hole. Other than one other couple we passed briefly, we were the only ones at the ranch. There were lots of horses and tortoises cohabitating and we even had to shew a small herd of horses off the bike trail to be able to pass.
On the way down the mountain we passed thru the town of BellaViata again and the locals were celebrating “Sunday” with fun kid games, an adult volleyball game, and plenty of street vendors. The culture here in the Galapagos is very much family focused and there are always lots of family activities happening.
It was a beautifuk 20 mile ride today. The nice thing about the highlands is it’s cooler than the temp at sea level. The equatorial sun is intense. My butt maybe sore but my heart is filled with joyful memories.
Of course, this is how we end every day…..
