For centuries

A mailbox that no letter carrier ever empties

A replica of the wooden barrel that was used as a post box by whalers in the 18th century stands at the port of Floreana.

(Bild: sos)

An old whisky barrel on the Galapagos island of Floreana once served as a post box for British whalers. Travelers took the letters back to Europe. Today, tourists drop in their unstamped postcards - and take those with addresses close to home.

Rolf Odermatt from Switzerland looked out of the window of his house with some astonishment. A car with Bregenz license plates, from which two completely unknown women got out, suddenly pulled up on his property near the tranquil town of St. Gallen one Friday afternoon. "Can I help you?" he asked in a friendly manner. "We are the Equadorian temporary post office and would like to deliver a postcard," replied the two women from Vorarlberg.

Rolf and Vreni Odermatt were delighted with the postcard delivered by Lisa Gunz from Vorarlberg.

(Bild: sos)

They had taken the postcard with them from the Galapagos island of Floreana on their trip to Ecuador. It was in the letterbox that no letter carrier ever empties. A wooden barrel that has been used since the end of the 18th century to ensure that greetings still reach their recipients - worldwide. Back then, an old whisky barrel was used by British whalers stationed on Floreana. Travelers on their way to Europe took their letters to their loved ones with them.

While the old whisky barrel no longer exists and the "Post Office Bay" can only be visited with special permission, the system has stood the test of time to this day. A replica of the wooden barrel stands just a few meters from the harbour. It is very popular with tourists.

Inside the wooden barrel are hundreds of postcards, most of which are to be sent to the USA.

(Bild: sos)

The two women from Vorarlberg have taken their mail to Munich (the card has now arrived), to Wernstein in Upper Austria and to Ländle. "When we looked to see which cards we could deliver, there were countless cards from the USA, but not a single one with an Austrian address," says Lisa Gunz from Dornbirn.

Successful delivery
The two of them took two cards with them, one of which they still have to deliver in Germany - and the one for the Odermatts. The trip to the town of Abtwil (near St. Gallen), around 35 kilometers away, ends with the two complete strangers sitting in the home of the Swiss. The sender of the well-traveled card, daughter Linda, is called and the successful delivery is announced.

The young Swiss woman briefly talks about her recent, short visit to the Galapagos Islands at the end of January. The women from Vorarlberg talk about theirs in February. Rolf and Vreni Odermatt have also been to Ecuador. "We visited our daughter, who worked on the mainland three years ago and later on the Galapagos Islands," they say.

Linda Odermatt posted the postcard on Floreana in January.

(Bild: ZVG)

Vreni and Rolf Odermatt have been to the Galapagos Islands themselves.

(Bild: sos)

The system sometimes works faster than the postal service. It took less than 14 days for the card to reach Munich.

(Bild: sos)

The highlights of the Galapagos Islands - from swimming with sea lions and penguins to snorkeling with giant tortoises - are covered in just under an hour. The Odermatts talk about their most recent skiing vacation in the Bregenzerwald. "Unfortunately, we're not related to the ski racer Marco, even though I come from the same region," says Rolf Odermatt with a laugh.

The women from Vorarlberg still want to buy Swiss chocolate Easter bunnies. "Thank you so much for your spontaneous visit. It's cool that you took the time to do this," says Vreni Odermatt. And so the visit to the Ecuadorian temporary post office ends with a satisfied smile from the travelers, who are always on the lookout for new experiences and acquaintances.