聖克里斯托瓦爾島位於科隆群島最東面，地質上由最老的火山持續上升至潮濕高地，海拔2,400英尺／730米。1835年，查爾斯•達爾文首次從這裡登陸科隆群島。繁衍在該島的某些特有植物種屬和亞種屬隨生長環境不同而出現表徵變異，不過，人為因素給當地生態環境帶來的影響更大，島上大片雛菊林已遭受外來引入的番石榴嚴重威脅，野牡丹植被帶幾乎瀕於滅絕，發人深省。 

      San Cristobal Island was not only the easternmost island in the archipelago, but also one of the oldest eroded volcano ascending to moist highlands nearly 2,400 feet/730 meters above sea level geologically. It was the very first island that Charles Darwin visited in the Galapagos in 1835. Several endemic species and subspecies of flora had evolved on San Cristobal, but human impact had ruptured much of the island, the once extensive Scalesia daisy forest had been choked out by introduced guava and the miconia zone was only a remnant of its former extent.

      In the morning, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno looked like a sleepy capital of the Galapagos Province. Artisan fishing and tour boats moored along the coast. A large colony of playful Galapagos Sea Lions was walking all across the beach and even on boardwalk.

      清早，科隆群島省城巴克里索•莫雷諾港尚未甦醒，漁船遊輪擺渡仍在碼頭集結待命，大批貪玩的加拉帕戈斯海獅已經開始岸邊活動，有的甚至爬到人行浮橋大搖大擺逛街溜彎。

      Mom and I went onshore and steadily trotted through the Galapagos National Park with our naturalist to a trial on Frigatebird Hill where it had rich diversity of flora and was blooming with endemic flowering plants across the vegetation zones in the Galapagos.

      我和媽媽隨導遊一行多人由此登陸後，便直奔加拉帕戈斯國家公園軍艦鳥山，觀摩豐富多樣的植被生態和無以倫比的珍稀物種。

      In coastal zone, vegetation was influenced by the presence of salt like mangrove trees and salt bushes. In arid zone, the giant saguaro and prickly pear cacti were tall enough to shield ourselves from the blistering hot sun. In transition zone, tall trees were replaced by low and dense bushes, Pega Pega (Pisonia floribunda) grew abundant while Cacaotillo (Miconia robinsoniana) was in danger of extinction. In humid zone, the Pawpaw tree grew predominantly up to 66 feet/20 meters tall, together with the Guava tree. The trailing vegetation was made up of bushes, lianas, bromeliads, numerous species of ferns, orchids, mosses, liverwort, and lichens which grown on trunks, branches, stems and even on leaves of some species symbiotically. Monarch Caterpillar catholically fed on green leaves. Passion Flowers, Petunia, and Morning Glories leaned everywhere and attracted Darwin Finch to dance and Chatham Mockingbird to sing in harmony.  

      沿海地帶的紅樹林和耐鹽灌木因受海水影響而具有高鹽耐受能力；乾旱區的巨型仙人掌和仙人球林頂天立地，為我們遮日擋陽，全然不在話下；過渡區中高大的樹木林被低矮茂密的灌木叢取代，多花腺果藤盛開，羅賓遜野牡丹這種科隆群島特有的珍稀植物卻越來越少。濕潤區多姿多彩：木瓜樹高達66英尺／20米；番石榴樹欲與天公試比高；蔓生植物由灌木、藤本、鳳梨、若干蕨類、蘭花、苔蘚、地錢和地衣混合組成，常常與某些種屬的樹幹、樹枝，葉莖，甚至葉片共生在一起，表現得親密無間；斑蝶毛毛蟲吃素，對具有光合功能的宿主並不挑剔；西番蓮、喇叭花和牽牛花嬌艷奪目，“林花長似錦，四季色常新”；達爾文雀歡舞，查塔姆仿聲鳥歌唱，“飄飄仙袂縷黃金，相對弄清音”。軍艦鳥山因為“天北天南繞路邊，托根無處不延綿”而生態濟濟，大自然到處溫馨和悅。

      There was an American-made cannon stood in a vista. It had played an important part in protecting the Panama Canal during WWII and later taken by the Ecuadorian Navy in the early 1970s for military exercises.

      美國製造的榴彈炮成為軍艦鳥山旅遊熱線上的景點之一，二戰期間不僅保衛過巴拿馬運河，上世紀七十年代初期又參與了厄瓜多爾海軍軍事演習。

      A statue of Charles Darwin stood on the original site where he first disembarked in the Galapagos Islands during the voyage of the Beagle about 178 years ago. He left with "Origin of Species".

      查爾斯•達爾文雕像矗立在偉人第一次登陸上岸的地方，178年前達爾文乘坐“小獵犬”號來到科隆群島，從此《物種起源》像星星之火，燎原了整個世界。

      After a fast-paced walk along Frigatebird Hill in the park, we entered the Interpretation Center that stated the history all the way back from a priest who came in 1535 and declared that the islands were cursed by God because there was no fresh water. It also exhibited the formation of the Galapagos, the variety of the wildlife, the arrival and impact of man and the importance of conservation. The displays made it the best visitor center in the Galapagos Islands.

      很快轉完軍艦鳥山之後，我們又來到公園展覽中心參觀。該館上溯1535年第一位牧師來此布道，宣稱因為上帝詛咒才使科隆群島缺乏淡水資源；下至科隆群島的由來、野生動物多樣性、人類的出現及影響與科隆群島自然保護的重要性，圖文並茂，內容豐富，可以說是科隆群島背景介紹最全面的遊客服務部。

      Frigatebird Hill was one of the most popular places we knew better about the natural habitat of wild flora in the Galapagos.

      “遠芳侵古道，晴翠接荒城”。軍艦鳥山是我們了解科隆群島野生植被生態最佳去處之一。

(二O一三年四月五日)