Today With Patty: Back From Galapagos – Barely

by Patty

So I am back from the Galapagos Islands, the trip of a lifetime. I returned with warm memories, great photos, the worst gastrointestinal bacteria known to man, and a mess of cold sores all over my face. Oh yeah, and I got bit by a sea lion. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?

Now, do not get me wrong, I loved seeing the animals – the blue-footed booby, the brilliant red-throated frigate birds, albatrosses, tortoises, penguins, flightless cormorants and iguanas. It was just that I was somewhat miserable during the process.

The Sea Lion Attack

We spent seven days aboard the Mary Anne, sailing from island to island, checking out the native and endemic species, and there was plenty to see. It was so cool to see penguins again. This trip was much more physically challenging than I had anticipated, especially since I was one of the walking wounded.

On my very first day on the boat, we went ashore to swim with the sea lions and check out the sea turtles. I have been waiting for this my whole life. As you know, the story goes that the animals in Galapagos are not afraid of man, and therefore you can interact with them safely. But no one told that to the big bull male sea lion who was swimming with us.

There were about 10 of us in the water swimming with little sea lion cubs when this big bull swam over and was hanging out underneath John, who was treading water. All of a sudden he darted over, bit me on the thigh and darted away.

The Response

When I told John I was bit, he proceeded to tell me I was being a drama queen and that nothing was wrong. But when I walked up onto the shore, you could see the big teeth marks and blood running down my leg. Then I had to endure all the questions from the onboard naturalist about what I must have done to disturb the poor sea lion. Now, this thing was easily three time as big as I am, and I can assure you that I am not in the habit of rumbling with animals. The crew was spectacularly unprepared for this injury, as they had one gauze pad and Band-Aids to cover the bite marks and bruise that was the size of a dinner plate. As you can imagine, I suffered in silence.

Next Up, Intestinal Distress

Needless to say, this put a crimp in my hiking for the remainder of the trip. You cannot imagine how excited I would get when they announced we would be taking a three-hour hike on loose lava rock to the top of the volcano. Oh goody. I got a walking stick and suffered in silence.

I decided not to do any more snorkeling, since I was sure my sea lion told the others that I tasted just like chicken. I did manage to get two full days of rest in my cabin as the heinous parasitic intestinal bacteria invaded my body and shut down my entire system. The cabin steward would come in and poke me every now and then to see if I was alive. And of course, I suffered in silence.

Well, enough of this for now. Tomorrow I can tell you about other escapades, but I have got to get back to work now. Oh, but I did want to give you details about one more thing …

Strike for Survival

Strike for Survival is back for its third year of fundraising for the American Cancer Society and is bigger than ever. It will be held this Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22 from 6-9 p.m. at Pleasant Valley Bowling Lanes and Capital AMF Lanes in Raleigh and South Hills AMF Lanes in Cary. For $25, bowlers enjoy two games, pizza, soft drinks, a goodie bag filled with a T-shirt, water bottle, koozie and a $20 gift certificate to dine at Rocky Top Restaurant’s new 1705PRIME Chophouse in Raleigh. Fred Flintstone will entertain, and all bowlers are eligible to win valuable raffle prizes.

“Our goal this year is to raise $28,000,” said Bob Liddle, founder of the communitywide effort to further cancer research. “We have tripled our capacity in response to demand.”

ME³, a local group of young volunteers, are not only donating prizes but will staff all three locations to assist bowlers, serve food and ensure the event runs smoothly. ME³ stands for Motivate, Educate, Empower, and Engage and works to promote volunteerism and good works in Wake County, North Carolina and beyond.

Strike for Survival has generated $20,000 in donations in the past two years and has sold out registration well in advance of the event. Those interested in taking part in the fun should register ASAP here..

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