Fife Pilgrim Way - Part 2 - Dunfermline to Lochore

Fife Pilgrim Way - Part 2

Dunfermline to Lochore - Built on Coal

The Fife Pilgrim Way is a new long distance walking path, following in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims coming from Culross or North Queensferry to see the relics of St Andrew. Over several weekends I am trying to run the route, and find out a bit about the local history on the way.

Arriving in Dunfermline from either Culross, or North Queensferry, the medieval pilgrims would head on towards St Andrews, out of Dunfermline through open countryside. One hundred years ago travellers would have been walking through mile upon mile of mine-workings, pit bings and bustling communities. Now the coal mining has all gone. Although many of the miners' villages still struggle on they are a shadow of their former selves. It seems amazing that so much of the infrastructure of Fife's industrial past has been completely erased from the landscape, and between Dunfermline and Ballingry few hints at what was there before now remain. 

Dunfermline

On the Fife Pilgrim Way you arrive in Dunfermline from the south, into its "heritage quarter" past weavers cottages and abbeys. You leave through the centre of town and out through the east end.

With a population of 50,000 it is the most populous town in Fife. It was a royal town and an abbey town. Then it grew as a mining town and flourished with linen weaving.  Now few industries remain and the service sector is the biggest employer in town, with Dunfermline being the main shopping area in Fife. Dunfermline is home to the Alhambra Theatre, and now the old art deco fire station on Carnegie Drive has been re-modelled as an arts centre. Dunfermline's other contributions to the arts include gifting the world members of the bands Nazareth, Jethro Tull and Big Country, as well as the inimitable Barbara Dickson. They should all get together as a Dunfermline supergroup.

The Carnegie Hall

As you head east through town, you pass "the second" Carnegie Hall as its website describes it, which I see has Danny John Jules and Neil Oliver performing there soon, though I suspect not together. There aren't many signposts for the Fife Pilgrim Way over the next couple of miles, so following the directions on the official website or using a map is necessary. Skipping onto a path parallel to the main road we pass between Dunfermline Cemetery and East End Park, home to Dunfermline Athletic Football Club. Before getting there on the left you will see the former Poorhouse of Dunfermline. Built in 1843 it was extended several times, before later being known as the Dunfermline Combination Home and Hospital, being incorporated into the NHS when it was founded in 1948.

Dunfermline Poorhouse, now converted into housing

The path behind East End Park football ground

The path here passes between Dunfermline Athletic Football Club and Dunfermline Cemetery. The football club was started in the late 19th century as a way to keep players of Dunfermline Cricket Club fit during the winter months. By 1885 they had split away to become a separate club. The club's greatest achievements were in the 1960s, twice winning the Scottish Cup and reaching the semi-final of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1969. As a Glaswegian child it was the club crest that I knew before I got to know the team as a travelling Partick Thistle fan, as it was so totally unlike the badge of any other Scottish club. It was designed by a local school art teacher in 1957 and features Malcolm's Tower (the ruins of which lie in Pittencrieff Park), the "hanging tree" of Malcolm III's time, and what looks like a glass building of contemporary 1957 Dunfermline that I haven't been able to identify. A splash of green at the bottom represents East End Park. Mr Dymock, take a bow. There ain't no club badge like that one. As a Partick Thistle fan I write this in November 2019, looking up to Dunfermline FC's mid-table Championship mediocrity with envy. 

Club badge of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

Leaving Dunfermline the Pilgrim Way heads around the town's modern Queen Margaret Hospital, named after the saintly Queen Margaret that we have met already, and heads up the Townhill road and on to Kingseat. From here, looking out across the M90 off to the right lies Hill of Beath. The hill itself was used for Covenanters gatherings, held here in the 1670s, a good place to look out for approaching soldiers coming from afar to break up your meetings. From the days of The Reformation 100 years earlier, to the Covenanters and beyond, the splits and divisions over religious doctrine in Scotland were tied to many other social changes, with shifting allegiances, land ownership and royal interventions mixed into a murky theological mix which still brings problems to Scottish society today.

Hill of Beath, off to the right of The Fife Pilgrim Way

The village of "Hill of Beath" just beyond the hill was established to house miners, as were most of the villages in this area. In 1963 once the local pits had all closed, dismantling the pit bing here was the first of many subsequent land reclamation projects in the area. The land between the path and the Hill of Beath in the photograph above had been home to coal mining from the 1700s, now all gone.

If Hill of Beath rings any bells for you, it may be due to its football connections. This small village, which is still home to a Juniors team, was the childhood home of three famous Scotland internationals; 'Slim' Jim Baxter (whose statue stands on Main Street), Willie Cunningham, and current Celtic captain Scott Brown.

Kingseat

Kingseat

We come next to Kingseat, another former coal mining village, with four pits sunk in this area in the mid-1800s. The village grew up about the mines and a report in 1875 bemoans the fact that there were few amenities here, with "no ashpits or closets over all the village". The report also mentions that for those living here "(t)he water for the village is got from a field near at hand. It is surface water and becomes dirty in rainy weather". All this for 6s 8d a month for a room and kitchen. Mining continued here until 1945 when the last pit up beside Loch Fitty flooded, and was abandoned. On the edge of town new houses are being built, and like several of the towns around here, many people live in this area and commute to work in Edinburgh and surrounding areas. 

The village allegedly takes its name from a large rock that sat near by, beside the long gone Craigencat Quarry. King James was supposed to favour this as a place to sit when journeying between Falkland and Dunfermline, enjoying views across to Arthur's Seat.

Even in this small village, home to 800 people at its peak, for those who worked the local pits death was an ever present danger underground. By the time the last pit closed in 1945, 27 people had lost their lives in the Kingseat pits, the youngest being an 11 year old and two aged only 14 year old. The last to die were in November 1945, when two brothers-in-law died working their last shift in the flooded Pit No. 3 that was being closed down.

Between Dunfermline and Kingseat lies the former Muircockhall Colliery, on the edge of Townhill Wood. From 1868 until 1943 this pit was worked. Towards the end of World War 2 with growing demands for coal, men were conscripted not to serve in the armed forces, but to work underground on producing coal. Over 5 years 48,000 men served as "Bevin Boys" across Britain. Muircockhall was where these men from Scotland and the North of England, including my great-uncle Peter, received 4 weeks of training. After the war Muircockhall continued as a miners training centre until 1969. Did my great-uncle decide to carry on as a miner after the war? Not on your nelly. He hated it from day one, and only a few weeks in, working in a pit in East Lothian, he was caught in a cave-in, breaking his leg which left him with a limp for the rest of his life. Once he had recovered he was sent back down the mine, at which point he deserted in terror, refusing to go down again.

Kingseat

Leaving Kingseat the path heads down towards Loch Fitty, and across the causeway here. Walking this way you pass over the former route of one of the many mining railway lines and the site Kingseat colliery Pit No. 3, the last one to close here, which stood just by the loch. Though once a trout fishery, Loch Fitty is surrounded now by just farmland, with the sounds of ducks and swans, cows and horses rather than that of machinery.

The path across Loch Fitty

Lassodie

New Rows, Lassodie

On the other side of Loch Fitty the path leads you into a curious area. On some maps this area is described as "Lassodie" but no signs of human habitation exist. The rise and fall of Lassodie village is an extreme example of what has befallen much of this area, whose fortunes have come and gone with the Scottish coal industry. In 1901 Lassodie was a village of over 1400 people and several mines. There was a post office, a church and two co-op stores. By 1931 the cost of pumping the water out of the remaining pits made them unprofitable and they were closed down, with some families given 14 days notice to quit their homes.

1854 map, before the miners' houses were built

If you click on the 1854 map above to expand it, the Lassodie estate is there, in the days before the landowner had built any miners' houses. Also on this map is "St Margaret's Well" showing that centuries earlier, this area probably did have associations with those on their pilgrimage from Dunfermline Abbey to St Andrews. 

In the 1930s the Reverend David Patrick Thomson maintained the church and manse for a while as an evangelical retreat, in the now quiet village. Scotland's one time Olympic athlete Eric Liddell was one visitor to the centre. Another visitor to the village in the 1930s and 1940s was a young Sean Connery whose gran and granda had retired to the village. Young Sean (at that time still known as Tommy) was taken on the bus to Dunfermline to watch the football by his grandad. Another former Lassodie resident was my wife's uncle Archie. He spent his working life as a driver, and was a keen amateur footballer. We have his runners-up medal from the 1931-2 Fife Cup, when his Inverkeithing team were beaten in the final by Bowhill Rovers, 3-0 after two replays.

Archie Notman (R). Driver and one time footballer. Picnic in Dunning Glen

For a short while at the start of World War 2 the quiet village became a place of refuge for people fleeing Nazi Germany. All the remaining buildings from the deserted village were swept away when mining briefly returned to the area. St Ninian's open cast mine operated here in the 1960s, and then again from the late 1990s until 2013.

On running along this way the village has completely vanished from the face of the Earth, but one thing remains. A slight detour off the Fife Pilgrim Way brings you to the village's war memorial, which sits now at the side of the B912. On it are listed the names of the 21 men from Lassodie that died in the First World War, and 4 men that died in the 1939-1945 war. As the memorial says "we will remember them". However it feels strange to find that no other record on the ground of the village that these men grew up in survives today. All but forgotten.

Lassodie war memorial

The Fife Earth Project or The Scottish World

St Ninian's opencast mine has now closed down, and the area partly remodelled by landscape architect Charles Jencks. Sometimes called "The Fife Earth Project" or "The Scottish World" the project was abandoned in 2014. By then he had created a sort of mappa mundi in stones, with areas where Scots have settled around the world in four imagined continents, and had carved out two artificial hills. One of the hills is fitted out with sculptures of trees and tyres, and a row of old mining equipment that looks as if it is a twentieth century henge lined up to catch the winter solstice. The Fife Earth Project is now a strange curio, and with so much empty land and not a soul in sight it feels rather desolate. If you look at his website, he had ambitious plans to create a major attraction for the area, which would have involved carving out a watery map of Scotland. As Charles Jencks died in October 2019, it seems unlikely his vision will ever be realised and you will need to look at his works outside the Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh and Jupiter Artland to imagine a completed version. Here are some pictures I took when I went to explore the area. It seems odd and neglected now, this vast swathe of empty land. The half finished artwork feels like some strange archaeological vestige of a vanished civilisation. It is all rather melancholy.

Kelty

After passing through Blairdam Forest the Fife Pilgrim Way then comes into Kelty.

Entrance to Blardam Forest

 Kelty is one of the larger towns in this area, much reduced in size from its peak when mining was in full swing. A century ago the authorities were concerned about the negative effects of alcohol on the workers. So a number of towns established bars on the Gothenberg principle, a Swedish model of co-operatives which refused to allow credit, no gambling, dominoes or other vices on the premises, and they were generally unadorned. In return they could promise an unadulterated product for sale at the bar, and profits fed back into the well-being of the local community. The No.1 Goth still stands in Kelty but looked decidedly closed when I passed through town. A mural here marks the life of young boxer Connor Law from the town, who died earlier this year. 

Totem pole, Kelty

An unexpected sight were several totem poles in and around the town. These were carved by Canadian aboriginal totem carvers who visited Kelty in 2005. You may be unaware, as I was, that Kelty was once home to an undefeated world champion. Robert Stewart became world draughts champion in 1922 after a narrow victory in Glasgow over the reigning champion from America (a narrow victory after 2 wins, 1 loss and 37 draws). His obituary in the Montreal Gazette reports that he "lost only 2 out of 8000 games" in his draughts career and retired as British champion after multiple victories "for want of competition". The table and chairs in Kelty's memorial garden are an appropriate tribute I think you would agree.

Sit and remember Robert Stewart. Champion.

Lochore Meadows 

The Fife Pilgrim Way as it is routed manages to just miss several other notable former mining villages. A short detour will be required if you want to pass through the villages of Ballingary, Lochgelly, Cardenden or Lochore. I ran up to Lochore to catch sight of a notable Goth pub that was still very much in business when I passed, The Red Goth, possibly named after a famous Communist Robert Smith fan (or maybe I just made that up).

Red Goth, Lochore

Before getting to Lochore, we pass through Lochore Meadows, a large country park on the edge of Lochore which has Fife's largest loch in the shape of Loch Ore. 'The Meadies' as it is more commonly known, is now an area of grass, hills and lakes used for dog-walking, outdoor pursuits and sports, but it is all laid out on land reclaimed from former mines and pit bings. A few mementos of the former industry of this site still exist, but you have to seek them out. (This short film shows the extent of the work that had to be carried out here to create the park-> Lochore Meadows Reclamation.)

Still from amateur footage early 1970s of pit bings at Lochore being landscaped

Canoeists and dog walkers are what can be found now in Lochore Meadows

Some memorials to the mining heritage of the area exist, in some subtle ways. The children's playpark consists of several hillocks, and each represents a pit from the area - the tree house below represents the Nellie Pit for example. The cafe and community building is called the Willie Clarke Centre, after Fife's longest serving Communist councillor, who just died last week. He had served as a councillor for over 40 years. He had began working as a miner in 1949 aged 14, and he was elected as the councillor for the Benarty ward in 1973, representing the Communist Party. Fife has a strong history of elected Communist representatives, founded in the radical history of the miners here, who had to fight for every advance in their conditions. We will come back to this in the next part of the Fife Pilgrim Way as we continue through mining areas.

Playpark at Lochore Meadows

Willie Clarke Centre, Lochore Meadows, Fife

The concrete headframe and winding wheels of No. 2 Mary pit stand beside the visitor centre at Lochore Meadows, beside a decaying NCB steam engine. Like other pits in Fife and elsewhere, the work of the miners was never safe and a board nearby lists the names of the 78 men who lost their lives in the Mary colliery that worked here from 1902 until 1966. Apart from maybe fishermen and soldiers it is hard to think of any other profession where death is accepted as an occupational hazard.

The concrete headframe of No. 2 Mary pit, Lochore

 A small plaque stands opposite the Willie Clarke Centre to commemorate the miners strike of 35 years ago that effectively marked the end of mining in the UK. It reads "Erected by the Scottish people in recognition of the struggle by Fife miners and their families during the year long strike 1984-1985".

Small plaque commemorating the miners strike of 1984-85

Nothing was put in place to succeed the mines when they all closed down. Thousands of skilled workers were abandoned and years later these former mining communities are still suffering. A report out this week (November 2019) shows that "Fife's former mining communities are being left behind the rest of the UK" with regard to unemployment rates, ill health and rates of incapacity benefits, both in former miners and in the generation that has followed.

Next the Fife Pilgrim Way heads towards Glenrothes, skirting past the delights of the Kingdom Shopping Centre for the more traditional pleasures of Leslie and Markinch....

Fife Pilgrim Way Links

• Part1A - Culross to Dunfermline - from Culross to Torryburn, Cairneyhill and onto Dunfermline

• Part 1B - North Queensferry to Dunfermline - North Queensferry to Inverkeithing, Rosyth and then Dunfermline

• Part 2 - Dunfermline to Lochore - from Dunfermline to Kingseat, passing Hill of Beith, past the lost village of Lassodie to Kelty and Lochore

• Part 3 - Lochore to Markinch - Lochgelly to Lochore, then through Kinglassie and along the River Leven to Leslie, Glenrothes and Markinch

• Part 4 Markinch to Ceres - Markinch via Widygates and Kennoway and then on past Clatto Reservoir to Ceres

• Part 5 Ceres to St Andrews - Ceres, Craigtoun and then to St Andrews on the coast

• Fife Coast and Countryside Trust
• Walk Fife
• Fife Pilgrim Way Facebook page
• Welcome to Fife
• Long Distance Walkers Association
• British Pilgrimage Trust

Ecuador and Galapagos...and Some Football Grounds

Ecuador and Galapagos Islands (...and Football)

As someone who enjoys travelling, and who enjoys football I often find ways to combine both these pleasures. After previous holidays I have written about taking in football matches in Greenland, and in the Faroe Islands. I have spent decades attending football matches (if you are American, I mean soccer) in Scotland. It is part of our history and culture that I understand, I feel part of. I can go for a jog in Glasgow around all the old football pitches that Partick Thistle have ever played at over the past 143 years and it tells may about how people in my city have lived, how industry has grown and fallen away in my hometown. 

So it is maybe no surprise that when I am on holiday in a foreign town looking for a wee running route, I often pick out local sports stadiums to run around. This is proving increasingly difficult as redevelopment often robs a local community of its historical social focus, and plops the new concrete bowl out of town on a turn-off from the motorway. 

I have been lucky enough to watch football matches in some of the world's most iconic stadiums. From the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, to Camp Nou in Barcelona or Carrow Road in Norwich it helps you see how a city lives and breathes. As well as being an entertaining spectacle you see what their equivalent of a pie and Bovril is, how their public transport copes and how the locals celebrate or drown their sorrows. As I am usually holidaying with my family during the school holidays, there are often no actual football matches to watch in the leagues' summer breaks. Nonetheless, whether I am in Hamburg, or Thessaloniki I will often get up before everyone else and batter round a quick 10K to see what part of town St Pauli calls home, or what the neighbourhoods around PAOK's Toumba stadium look like. I sound like am obsessed with jogging past football stadiums when no football is on the go, and on thinking about it, maybe I am. Over the next 6 weeks I am doing a half-marathon in Manchester that goes past Old Trafford, and a 10K in Cumbernauld that finishes at Clyde FC's Deadwood Stadium.

So this summer was no exception, just more scenic than these last two.

Why go to the Galapagos Islands?

Visiting Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands was never going to be an ordinary holiday. On my own personal bucket-list of destinations, this has always really been the only place listed. After my granny died recently a few years short of her centenary a wee bit of money came our way from her will and we blew it all on the trip. 

People in Quito's Plaza Grande

Flying halfway around the world to visit a place famed for its wildlife and natural beauty is not sustainable in a world being damaged by climate change. We sought out travel agents using local guides and companies in the region, and paid for carbon offsetting of our flights. Despite this I understand it would be better for the environment across the world, and in the Galapagos Islands, if we all traveled less and I justified it to myself as a way to inspire my children to care about these places, particularly my oldest who is at university studying animal biology, and who got so much out of the trip. 

My own personal interest in this area came from one of my favourite books that I read as a child, Charles Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle. Re-reading it again earlier this year reminded me how exciting I found it at the time. Darwin is often depicted as an older man with a long grey beard, but he was only aged 22 when he set off as a supernumerary member of the crew of HMS Beagle in 1831, working as naturalist as the ship circumnavigated the globe on what became a 4 year surveying and mapping expedition. Spending time on board collating his notes and reading other people's ideas, the things Darwin saw on his trip led him to conclude that species were not fixed. Why were the tortoises and mockingbirds of the Galapagos Islands recognisable, but unlike their nearest cousins anywhere else? Even between nearby islands in the archipelago he saw differences in the mockingbird species. It was not until 1859 that his thoughts and further researches were pulled together and presented in his book Origin of the Species. The full title summarises his theory, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, controversial at the time, but now "omnipotent because it is true" as someone once said about another writer's ideas. 

In a ground-breaking documentary series, full of portentous title music and beautiful exotic scenery, David Attenborough introduced children of my generation to Darwin's theory of evolution. Life on Earth starts with the Galapagos marine iguanas and giant tortoises appearing in episode 1. The Islands are classic example of where the powers of evolution can be seen in front of your own eyes. Funnily enough the Galapagos Islands' famous Darwin's finches don't actually feature in the Origin of the Species despite being such a visible proof of his ideas, although the mockingbirds appear. Although he collected many specimens of the finches, he had been less fastidious on documenting which specimens came from which island, only noticing whilst reviewing them on board The Beagle when back at sea that they were remarkably varied in the shape and function of their beaks. From common ancestors, 15 species had developed on the islands each with adaptions helping it to survive in its particular environment, from Cactus finch to the blood-sucking Vampire finch. An example of divergent evolution, the finches had changed over time to become different species, taking advantage of an ecological niche.

David Attenborough's Life on Earth, signed book from the series

After being enthralled by the television series aged 9 or 10, my brother and me had our copy of the book that accompanied the programmes signed by David Attenborough in a city centre bookshop in Glasgow, back in the days before he was a national treasure. Thankfully I have still held onto this fantastic book. 

This holiday was the one my 9 year old self has always wanted to make, to visit the islands where Darwin developed his ideas. Thankfully that Darwin connection now means that the islands are desperately trying to maintain their status as a unique, wild environment that jump-started scientific thought. As the Ecuadorians go forwards, the balance is between encouraging tourism and the money that it brings to fund environmental projects, and strictly maintaining the wildlife's isolation by rationing tourist numbers and designating 97% of the islands landmass as a protected national park. 

Ecuador

Quito, capital city of Ecuador

Plaza de San Francisco, Quito

Quito is home to 1.6 million people. The Ecuadorian capital city sits high in the Andes at over 9000 feet above sea level, a long stretched out city which has at its centre an old quarter with many buildings dating back to the Spanish invasion in the 1500s. Ascending the TeleferiQo cable car to the west of the city you quickly ascend to almost 13,000 feet, with views over the river basin where the city sits and the active volcanoes of Cayambo, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and more beyond. 

Quito, with the peak of Cotopaxi volcano beyond it

Do they like football? If the number of people wearing local football strips is anything to go by, that's a yes. There are four teams from Quito in the country's top league at present. Aucas have the best look, with their red and yellow tops (the corporate colours given to them by their former owner Royal Dutch Shell, the oil company), but Liga de Quito (LDU) was the one that was seen most frequently about town. Our taxi driver was excitedly telling us about the team's new signing, Ecuadorian former Manchester United player, Antonio Valencia. The other strip that was seen commonly all over the city was for Barcelona SC, which confusingly wears the Spanish team Barcelona's badge, put their by the club's founder in 1925, in tribute to his home city that he had left behind.

Aucas FC

The Ecuadorian national football team have qualified for World Cup finals three times since Scotland last made an appearance in the competition. Their most successful run in the competition was in 2006, when a David Beckham free kick eliminated them 1-0 in the round of 16. My son came home with a very authentic $10 Ecuadorian replica strip from a market in Otavalo, and was delighted to see an identical shirt on sale at the airport in Quito for $110. On the couple of days we were in Quito, none of the local teams had a match on. Any plan I had to go a wee run to eyeball some of the stadiums was thwarted by three things; how far from any of the grounds we were staying, the amount of hills in Quito, and the altitude. It was the first time I have ever been anywhere that high, and although we all adapted after a couple of days, when walking up a flight of stairs was leaving me puffing and peching, a 10K run was a non-starter. 

A flat back four. Dogs dozing on Panecillo, Quito

Quito card school

Quito is a spectacularly dramatic city, with great cafes and restaurants and a lively main square where buskers performed nightly in front of large crowds, before groups of men gathered to play cards together later on. Soon we were off to try and track down some wildlife though. After a couple of days in Quito, we headed to a lodge in the nearby cloud forest. One lodge in the mountains that we visited in the forest here, as well has having hummingbirds, tanagers and agoutis roaming around, also had a small football pitch laid out in among the trees. Nicely maintained and with a net behind one of the goals to stop any stray balls heading into the wilderness, it did rather beg the question of who was coming up here for a kick about?

An agouti ambling around

Sachatamia Lodge, Cloud Forest Ecuador

There is apparently a thriving local football scene in Ecuador, with hundreds of community teams playing off against each other regularly. One feature of a lot of these leagues is that many have mixed teams of men and women, and for many taking part is as important as winning.

Trekking around Cotacachi volcano

Babyfoot

Mindo football stadium

A popular base for tourists in this region is the town of Mindo. A one time logging town, the area is part of a protected reserve now and the town has found benefits in protecting the forest as a home to various tours and outdoor activities. It is also home to orchid and butterfly farms, coffee processors and chocolate roasters all of which are happy to offer tours.

Mindo

A collared aracari, my new favourite red, yellow and black bird

Every small town we passed through sported a well maintained grass pitch, whether nestled in among houses or commanding views over the Andes, such as on the outskirts of Otavalo, giving me plenty of targets for random evening running. I was advised that the large number of dogs roaming the streets in these areas were not strays, but much as we let cats wander off during the day, Ecuadorians will do the same with their dogs. Used as effective burglar deterrents, avoiding or fleeing these "pets" regularly added a couple of kilometers to any runs that I attempted.

Calicali

Otavalo market

Otavalo, with beautiful views over the Andes

So, farewell to the volcanoes (and llamas) of the mainland

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands lie about 800 miles west from the Ecuadorian mainland. At one time it was only home to buccaneers and whalers, who between them almost wiped out the giant tortoise population by using then for food and oil. There are now about 35,000 people living, on 5 of the 21 islands. The largest town is Puerta Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz, home to 12,000 people and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Landing at the airport on Baltra Island the cabin of the plane is fumigated to prevent alien insects landing on the islands. Then your baggage is searched, by hand and by sniffer dogs, for any foodstuffs that may contain pests, or muddy shoes that could carry non-endemic seeds. You pay your $100 per person tourist tax (most of which now goes to the local economy) and finally you are let loose on one of the most unique places on the planet.

As the birds and animals of the Galapagos Islands have no instinctive fear of humans, the problem is not spotting the wildlife, but avoiding tripping over it. Local rules ask you to stay 2 meters away from any animals, and to not touch or feed the animals or birds, all with the aim of preserving their wild habits. 

Giant tortoises on Santa Cruz

Brown pelican in the mangroves

Marine iguana

There is a balance in the Galapagos Islands, with many people keen to benefit from the money that tourism can bring, and others see the need to control the numbers visiting the islands. The locals that we spoke to held different opinions about how far things should be allowed to go. At the moment the balance is tilting in favour of preserving the environment, but as Brazil has recently shown that needs political will and government investment to persuade everyone of the benefits.
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The balance between tourism and nature, on Avenue Charles Darwin

Estadio Pampas Coloradas, Puerta Ayora, Santa Cruz. Galapagos Isalnds

There are two sports that we saw being played by the locals everywhere we went  in the Galapagos Islands; volleyball and football. The Ecuadorians play their own version of volleyball apparently (see below). The stadium above, in Puerta Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz, is part of a sports complex in the town which has other facilities including a swimming pool. It has all recently been renovated. There were many other small pitches around town, and most schools seem to have a covered area for playing sports in the playgrounds whatever the weather, pitches which aren't chained up behind fences at night and were regularly being used. The Galapagos Islands have at least one footballer who has made it to a World Cup finals, Denise Andreas Pesantes, who played for Ecuador at the 2015 tournament in Canada. In an interview on the FIFA website at the time she says

"The Galapagos are a great place to live your passion for football. A lot of people think there's no time or place for football there, but you can play from Monday to Sunday, from eight in the evening to midnight. Men, women, everyone plays."

Welcome to Isabela Island, the largest in the Galapagos

Sally Lightfoot crab

Isabela Island is the largest in the Galapagos archipelago, and home to almost 2000 people. In the mid-twentieth century it was known for two things, sulphur mining from the active volcanoes, and as a prison colony, with prisoners here forced to build and dismantle pointless walls of volcanic rock under the heat of the equatorial sun. Now it is the wildlife that it is known for, and the chance to enjoy snorkeling among turtles and sharks in crystal clear waters that attracts people.

Los Tuneles, Isabela Island. Popular place for snorkeling

Looking for places to go for an early morning run I headed to the outskirts of Puerto Villamil to wander around the municipal stadium, Estadio Municipal Misael Franco Vera. The old signpost for the ground seems to have been "up-cycled" as the bench in one of the dug-outs, but I can only guess the place's former name. I have a soft spot for empty football grounds. You are halfway around the world from home, but everything is instantly recognisable, but also a wee bit exotic and different. It is a place where local people spend there time, relax, have fun and is a universal environment, far removed from the glitz and showbiz of a Champions League TV game. 

Some people visiting the Galapagos Islands spend their whole time on a cruise ship, which allows them to visit lots of different islands, but we were happy staying in just a couple of places, getting to know them better and relaxing. Also the speedboat trip between Santa Cruz and Isabela Island across choppy waters convinced us that being on dry land for most of our holiday had been the correct decision. 

You need to get down to the beach early in Puerto Villamil if you want to get a bench before the sealions hog them all

Local teams played every night at the wee 5-aside pitch by the beach here

Blue-footed boobies dancing like nobody is watching

Swimming with sea turtles was a real highlight of our trip

Volleyball is very popular in Ecuador, in towns and on beaches. I don't play volleyball so I apologise if what I am saying makes no sense at all, but one of the local guides was telling us that here they play "Ecuavolley", which is similar to the traditional game, but involves a lot more scooping up of the ball into the air. To me it looked like volleyball, but as I say, I am ignorant of its finer tactics.

Volleyball in the main square of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

This was our first trip to South America. We came here to follow in the footsteps of a European scientist, but fell in love with the spectacular scenery, the wonderful wildlife and the friendly and welcoming people. All our guides were knowledgeable, accommodating and keen to go out of their way to show us as much of their country as they could squeeze into the time we had. So, special thanks to Tania, Andrea, Miguel, Cesar and Memo. Salud!