Cindy Bradford, Ph.D., Author

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Iguana & The Boss

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After seeing all the Galapagos iguanas I couldn’t help but think about “Iggy.” Several years ago, Iggy apparently “escaped” from what was at the time a bayside restaurant and bar that had several iguanas and parrots as part of the natural décor. My neighbors thought he was so cute hanging out on the seawall at their house that they named him and began feeding him, which probably wouldn’t have been so bad if he had stayed in their yard.

Iggy was big, maybe not by Galapagos standards, but for my yard, a two foot lizard is big, (tail not included) and not welcomed. I do not want to watch a reptile bask in the sun, and I do not want a reptile watch me do anything. Besides I have read they have really keen eyesight!

My neighbors travel a lot to see their grown children so when they were gone for an extended period, ole Iggy began to “live” on my seawall and eat my flowers, which did not sit well, so I decided to take the situation into my own hands.  One afternoon, I retrieved from the boat the 10-foot pole which is used if one gets stuck in water that is too shallow, and proceeded to push Iggy into the bay, thinking he was a land animal that wouldn’t be able to swim.

I have never seen anything swim so fast or move in such an agile manner as Iggy, who joined me on the deck before I could lay down the pole. I could see I was no longer in control of this situation; actually it became obvious very quickly that I had never been in control so I called for reinforcement from my good friend Judy. Judy is a wonderful friend who I worked with for years. She is one of the most unselfish, patient and caring people I have ever known, but she is extremely bossy and ultra organized. Remember, I am very global. I don’t know if she learned that as a high school principal, but I tend to believe that she was like that at a very early age.

Now, every school district needs a good high school leader who can “boss” and give forthright directions, but since she is retired and no longer has teachers or students to give commands to, that only leaves a small contingency on which to use this attribute. Therefore, I knew that when I asked for Iggy assistance, I was abdicating my power. When Judy leaves this world, I know she will have God and St. Peter working off a “Things to to List” and when the roll is called up yonder she will insist that it be numbered and in alphabetical order. So I was prepared.

First order, “Get a bucket!”  Then almost immediately, “A BIG bucket, Cindy” with a hint of frustration in her otherwise usually patient tone.   “Hurry up; I can’t keep him in this net much longer!!” Next, “find me a top” Now, I’m not normally so frazzled, but I had never caught an iguana before. Well, I didn’t exactly catch this one, but I found a board and handed it to her for the top.

She looked at me incredulously and instructed me to find the keys to the red Jeep so that we could take Iggy to the dunes. Once in the Jeep, I saw no reason to hurry. She seemed to have everything under control, leaning heavily on the board and the bucket when all of a sudden; Iggy tried a sideways, somersault-type roll. “Can’t you drive any faster??”

Thinking that the iguana might jump in my lap, I hit the accelerator at Nascar speed, throwing Judy and Iggy toward the dash, but she held on, and within minutes we were at the last dune reachable by car on the north end of the beach. Carefully, she exited the Jeep, walked slowly to some sea grapes, placed him on the sand, grabbed the bucket and ran back to the Jeep. “Move over. I’ll drive.”

Iggy turned to look. “Go,” Judy instructed, “move on.” When all else fails, boss an iguana.

A month or so later the neighbors arrived home. After a couple of days without Iggy waiting for them on the seawall, they yelled over, “Have you seen Iggy” “No, it’s been awhile,” I replied and left it at that.

Faster Than the Speed of Crab Bullets

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If it is not one critter, it’s another! If you’ve been following along, then you know about the raccoons, which by the way totaled five at the close of “coon hunting season.” Today it was a huge land crab in the swimming pool. I’m not sure which does the biggest damage to the yard, the black-eyed rascals or the beaded-eyed crustaceans—both are major pains.

Over the years I have tried all types of deterrents to these terrestrial omnivores that seem to go from the water to the land quite seamlessly, digging as they re-enter the yard. I have put moth balls in the holes they make by the seawall, only to see the moth balls literally flying into the air as these little monsters’ claws spiral them into space.  I have poured insecticide and sprinkled all manner of specialized powders into these caverns (notice the holes are getting bigger as I write!) These big blue fellows are not little wimpy things; they are serious diggers and faster than the speed of crab bullets.

Nothing works, although some new kind of “wolf urine,” (I’m not making this up) has been the most effective to date. So, when I saw this guy trying to work his way up the pool step, I was fraught with mixed emotions, excited that I had him in my reach and unsettled that I was going to have to “deal” with him.  Looking into the pool, holding the net, I knew I was going to have to be quick and resourceful….. So, in order to protect the faint of heart and to refrain from upsetting any of you PETA members, let’s just say he’s not going to be digging any more holes in my yard. It doesn’t affect any of his many cousins taking over where he left off; I’m certain.

One other major happening today, and it may seem premature, but I tossed the ribbon that I have had on my desk for several years that reads: Unpublished Nobody. Yep, it is in the trash because the book team tells me we are in Phase 3, which means we are making progress toward the final outcome.  Hang in there with me; there will be a book soon. Keep the Faith!!! Good things just take time. Believe me, I know.

Quito–The Middle of the World

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Cindy Bradford at the Equator
Cindy in Quito

As you know I am home now, but looking back on my recent trip I realized I never really said much about Quito, Ecuador, which I enjoyed and found quite interesting. I understand now that Ecuador is not exactly on everyone’s “must see” list and many folks can’t actually pinpoint it on the map.

Thank goodness for “My Weekly Reader!” Remember that little newspaper that we referred to in the 60’s for all the geography our elementary teachers thought we would ever need?? If you don’t, you just aren’t old enough or you weren’t paying attention in class.

One reason I am acutely aware of Ecuador’s lack of geographical prominence is from my conversation with the credit card representative. As always before a trip, I called to tell the company where I would be using my charge card, and the gentleman on the other end of the phone asked is that “Eq—–?” I quickly spelled the country and then there was a long pause. I knew that he was having trouble processing where this little country might be, so I added, “in South America.” “Oh, that Ecuador!” he replied.

My first order of business in the city was, of course, shopping, which is something I am quite astute at doing wherever I go. And bargain shopping at the markets is especially fun to me. Unfortunately, I think now that all the indigenous people in Latin America have gotten together and decided to make the same items. After being in a number of these markets in various countries, I found it difficult to find anything “new” to purchase, but nonetheless, I shopped until I managed to find a few souvenirs. These purchases of various sizes and degrees of fragility always seem like such a good idea until I start packing to return home!

The next day I took a city tour which included the colonial old town and other cultural highlights. In every Latin American city, this means churches (lots of churches), the Plaza of Independence, the Presidential Palace, often the catacombs as we saw here, and various museums. But the part I was most interested in seeing was the Mitad del Mundo, better known to us as the Middle of the World or where the equator marks the exact center of the earth at zero degrees latitude. Located about 16 miles north of Ecuador, the Middle of the World Monument/ Museum, is the most visited site in the country. Of course, everyone visiting that day, including me, had to have photos taken standing with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern.

Then, it was off to more shopping in the market around the monument and a short break at one of the open air cafes, popular because the weather in Ecuador, due to its proximity to the equator, is always mild and really very comfortable. Nights are cool, and day time temps quite pleasant. The sun, however, can sneak up on unassuming folks, so Panama hats are sold around every corner. Ecuadorians claim that authentic Panama hats are made here, but I never confirmed that, nor did I buy one. There were enough silly looking people wearing them without me joining them.

Seven hours after leaving the hotel, I returned for a long bubble bath, followed by a delicious tenderloin ( especially good after seeing some of the stuff they were selling on the streets) at the Hacienda, located in the Marriott where the members of the visiting accreditation team were staying. Since this was the real purpose of the trip, the next three days were comprised of work, evaluating the Academia Cotopaxi, named after the highest volcano in Ecuador, rising majestically in the Andes near Quito.

Although I say work, it is always a great experience because I have the opportunity to meet teachers who have taught in various places all over the world. The student population is also composed of interesting young people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, a high percentage being children of diplomats or international business executives. Others are local students who hope to attend universities in the States and then return to their native country.

And so another trip has ended, with a country added to my journal, new friends and acquaintances to correspond with on occasion, and more memories to carry with me. Maybe someday I can visit the other places where the equator “divides the world,” but for right now, I’m content with this one.

The Charm of Flying Has Long Passed

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As I mentioned in an earlier blog, “Behind the Curtain” the downside of traveling is always the getting there and returning. It hasn’t always been so bad. I can remember when I first started flying how exciting it was, but believe me the charm of it all has long passed. Part of the problem lies with me, I know, because I always take too many clothes, resulting in much too heavy luggage and a couple of carry-ons that if measured would never make the cut. The other problem is that I am usually seated in the back, crammed in next to some extra large person with bad breath.

Fortunately on my trip to Quito, I was upgraded to business class on both the outbound and inbound flights, which made it much more pleasurable, except for a few glitches. The first problem arose about mid-way into the trip when I got up to stretch and go to the restroom—a major bad timing decision. As I opened the door to exit the bathroom, a rather elderly man lay sprawled in the aisle preventing me from moving any further. I stood helplessly, looking down at him as the flight attendant began asking for a doctor on the plane.

Another woman who I assumed was his wife or daughter crowded in next to me. Although I am very proud to have a Ph.D., I have enough sense to never use the title “Dr.” on an airplane ticket for just this reason. How embarrassing it would be to be asked and have to say, “Duh, I’m not that kind of doctor,” which began my thinking about how attendants know if someone is a real physician.  I didn’t see them check any credentials or ask questions of the man who answered the call for a doctor. He just appeared from somewhere in the middle of the airplane in his dirty, worn trousers and dingy shirt and proceeded to look as confused as the old man lying on the floor.

The attendant brought oxygen and helped the “doctor” apply the mask. By this time, the attendant began asking the woman standing next to me questions about the older gentleman’s medical history and prescriptions.  She just kept saying, “He has prostate problems” over and over. I wanted to say, “Lady, I don’t think that’s the problem, but since I am not that kind of doctor and really didn’t know, I kept really quiet—which wasn’t easy.

How I wanted to disappear back to my seat, but as long as he was “prostrate,” I couldn’t. Finally, I mustered the courage to ask her if she was his wife and she nodded yes, quickly adding in a more frustrated than worried tone, “And he needs to be okay because we are traveling in the Galapagos for the next two weeks.” Again, I was silent, but couldn’t help but think maybe she should have thought about that when she married the ole codger who was at least 25 years older than her.

After about 30 minutes of standing in the very area where the captain warns passengers not to “congregate,” I was able to squeeze by as the attendants lifted the sick man to the jump seat. Moving quickly and in darkness, I didn’t see the two pillows in the floor and couldn’t catch myself as my foot tangled and I went hurling forward—making the second person to be on the airplane floor in less than an hour. But I was instantly up and in my seat! Within ten minutes the old man was back in his place across the aisle, snoring blissfully as I rubbed my throbbing knee.

The return trip was less eventful although I arrived at the airport at 4:30 a.m. only to be told the plane had not arrived the night before due to fog and that we would be leaving much later—2:15 p.m. I arrived home at 11:45 that night. I love flying!!!!

Last Day in The Galapagos

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Today is my last day in The Galapagos, and I am seeing one more island before I clean up at the Hotel Red Booby and go the “journey” back to the Baltra airport. Although many people, after arriving by air, explore the islands strictly by boat, I opted to stay at the hotel and take day trips. Cruising single is an expensive venture and especially here. The Galapagos Islands were once an adventure for only the wealthy, and although that is not the case now, it remains expensive because of its remoteness and costs associated with building an infrastructure, along with the fact that most food and supplies have to be brought in by plane.

This little village, Puerto Ayora, reminds me of old outposts in rural parts of Mexico where one is careful to eat only at the suggested restaurants, drink only bottled water, and walk cautiously on the cobbled-stone pavers which comprise any street that is not dirt. The locals are friendly, and like in every other Latin country, night life is active and noisy. Souvenir shops are plentiful and prices can be negotiated, but not very much. It appears the vendors stick together, and besides I have seen all the “I LOVE BOOBYS” t-shirts that I care to view, and I can’t think of a single person to buy one for although I have a number of male friends who would admit to the slogan, but are too old for the shirt!

The Galapagos is Not For Sissies

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I am writing this as I sit at “The Rock,” one of nicest bar/restaurants on Santa Cruz, Galapagos. It is noon and I just finished an order of fresh calamari and an Ecuadorian beer.  I have walked more than five miles at Tortuga Bay—white sands and aqua water that one can see through to the bottom. Since 7:00 a.m. I have shared the beach with giant marine iguanas, frigates, and all manner of gulls.

In my time here, I have decided I am not a naturalist; I do not like bugs, amphibians, or reptiles. Furthermore, I am a clean freak and picky about what I eat (this morning breakfast was fried green bananas with white cheese). I also do not like any form of “rustic, primitive living.” Obviously, I discovered quickly that I am not the perfect fit for the Galapagos Islands. So what was I thinking?? About the adventure!! I suppose it is akin to why people climb mountains, run marathons, or even write novels.  It is all about “just doing it,” because it is a challenge or a passion. This may have given me pause about going to other remote areas, but since I want to see the Seven Wonders of the World and the runners-up, I may be in some trouble with my inner being. Time will tell.

I am, though, enjoying the adventure. I enjoy every place I visit, but some more than others. And although these islands will not go down as a favorite, part of the reason may be my fault. The timing, perhaps, is not the best. I am distracted because my mind is on Keeping Faith and its completion. I have not been focused on the trip because I keep checking my email for word from the publisher and thinking about all things related to the book. Traveling is about attitude, and this time, I just haven’t been in the game.

Nonetheless, I flew from Quito, a two hour flight, directly into Baltra Island and then transferred by boat to Santa Cruz, another island, and then took a bus 45 more minutes into Puerto Ayora. I was accompanied by a pre-arranged guide who was supposed to be fluent in English, but apparently no one told him! My Spanish is better than his English, so there is a good chance I am not even where I think I am!! Getting to and around The Galapagos is not for sissies!

Baltra Airport is small, very small and pretty much open to the elements! Baltra was a U.S. military base from 1941-45 when the Ecuadorian government allowed the U.S. military to use the island in order to protect the Panama Canal during World War Two. The only inhabitants were 4,000 U.S. soldiers who never called the island Baltra or its code name Beta. To them it was simply The Rock because it is more than five square miles of rock and very little else.

The soldiers, as the story goes, were bored and isolated, waiting for a war that never came to them so they started the first beer garden in the Galapagos. Now, this modern version of the beer garden is located just a block from where I am staying, “The Hotel Red Booby.” Yes, that is the real name. The Red Booby is a bird here in the islands, as is the Blue Footed Booby, which I have already seen. So, I guess you can say that my boobies are in good company.

The “las tiendas” are closing for the next couple of hours for siesta, and I have a boat to catch, so I must close until later. Hasta manana!