View Brazil via Florida 2010 in a larger map
Impressions: a stream of consciousness...
... the Brazilian people are all pleasant and nice.
From the girl at the front desk of the Lord Manaus
Hotel to Jero's crew, they all were friendly and
helpful. Although, with the notable exception
of Jero, they're terrible drivers, but they don't have a monopoly there by any stretch :-)
... Brazil is not a Costa Rica. As Armas
suggests: "high diversity, low density". We
did not see nearly the bird variety we expected,
itinerary challenges notwithstanding. Did we
hit the best spots, or is that just the way is it in
the Brazilian Amazon?
... Dukarol is to be highly recommended. With
some of the stuff I ate, and generally not worrying
about the veggies, I only had one major gas attack;
my travelling buddies did not fare so well...
... ExOfficio Buzz-off insect guard clothing
works; I did not have a single bite from
mosquito, chigger or anything; again, my travelling
companions did not fare so well...
... spending time at a lodge with Kasia, Monika and
Elwira, three lovely young
ladies from Poland, along with a
nice couple from Sweden, Ligian and Daniel, and
Fernanda from Brazil and Rich from the US, a
nice couple who braved a birding boat trip with us, and
others, was a welcome break; yes, we were tempted to
join our Polish friends for a last night of
Carnival, but the birds just called more strongly
:-)
... definitely need to go back...
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February 2: Leave SJ at 5:40am, arrive
Toronto; clear customs (painful getting thru
security, but I get to keep all my camera gear with
me; others have to check their carry-on). Work
in the lounge, then meet up with Peter and off to
Miami, rent an SUV, and down to Forida City south of
Miami. Learn from Armas that there is a flight
mix-up into Brazil, and we have to leave a day
later, on Friday ...
February 3: Meet Larry Manfredi and
bird the Miami area
February 4: Spend the day with Peter around the Everglades
February 5: Up at 3:45, meet Armas,
learn the other two participants did not get visas,
so it is just Peter and me. Depart Miami,
arrive Manaus. First bird is a Fork-tailed
Flycatcher from the causeway. Wait an eternity
for our luggage, and after seeing everyone else on
our flight leave with theirs we realize ours is at
another carousel, and is already offloaded. Cash machine won't work for
Armas, so I pay for the cab (I owed Armas anyway),
down to the Lord Manaus Hotel*. Not bad.
Peter and I tour the Theatre Amazonas -- the Amazon
Theatre and Opera House*
February 6: Up early, Armas leads, Jero is our
driver, Ananias our native guide. It soon
starts pouring, we attempt to get to the tower at
Ducke reserve but we learn it's collapsed some time
ago; we get new directions and hike into a different
part of the reserve; then over to
close out the day birding along a local INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia) road*.
February 7: Up early; lots of
Carnival revellers still on the streets; Armas, Jero and
Ananias take us back to the INPA road. Starts
raining and we're stuck (a car is a poor choice
here), need to wait for the rain to clear and road
to dry. Very quiet, but we see one other group
who chastises us for not
having a permit; Jero concurs; I get worried my
stuff could be confiscated if caught by authorities,
so we bail and bird the road back into Manaus.
We stop at an animal "rescue shelter" run by a friend of Ananias; it is a creepy, depressing spot, in spite of the birds.
February 8: Down to a ferry and
meet our new driver, Pedro, then across the Rio
Negro. Bird south of the Rio Negro. Eventually
try to get to an Amazon overlook on a seriously
degenerated road (again, a car is a poor choice
here), hit a dead end but compromise by going to a
backwater lodge (a quaint surprise); Ananias takes
Peter and me out for an interesting adventure in a leaky
canoe. It is a very
hot day, and Peter pays with a dose of heat
exhaustion. Evening takes us back across the
Rio Negro and to the hotel.
February 9: Peter not feeling well,
Armas needs to get some administrivia done, permits
for INPA etc.; Pedro takes me to another hotel, the
Hotel Tropicale, and I
wander the grounds; brings me back after lunch, and
learn we still need to get the permit. We all
go to INPA HQ, Peter and I wait a few hours while they negotiate
a permit, eventually including overnight camping at the INPA tower.
Although it's midafternoon, Peter convinces Armas we
need to do something to salvage the day, so we take
a speed boat to the meeting of the waters* (Rio Negro
confluence with the Rio Solimões (as the Amazon is called at that point).
February 10: Up early, and Pedro
shows up with a truck (yay), though the morning is
spent watching Armas, Pedro, Ananias and eventually
Jero
negotiate for services provided and those pending.
Finally a deal is struck, and we head up to
Presidente Figueirido for a few days.
That afternoon we end
up at a nice lodge after Armas isn't able to find
the hotel he had used before. We pick up YAG (yet
another guide :-) who apparently must accompany us while in the
area. We bird a local reserve to close out the
day.
February 11: Up very early to head
to a Cock-of-the-Rock lek. I'm on edge as I
had major gas attack the night before -- luckily
nothing comes of it. Learn there is a
misunderstanding with Jero and Pedro and we actually only
have one day here. YAG comes through in spades
for us as we do the hike, and then Armas
elects to return to Manaus to sort things out as
Pedro is threatening mutiny after the continuing
confusion.
We bird the grounds of the Hotel Tropicale again and
then go to a new hotel. Armas has worked out
YAD (yet another deal :-) with Jero; we will go to
one of Jero's lodges south of the Amazon.
February 12, 13: Off to ferry, join
a number of others, and take the 45 minute trip cross the Rio Negro and the
Amazon*, take a bus to a small river, then speed
boat for an hour or so to the lodge on the River Juma*. Very
nice if rustic. We have a dedicated boat
driver during our stay, though we enjoy the company
of other (non-birding) visitors. We consult
with Armas and decide to spend an additional day.
February 14: Bird the morning, and
then return to Manaus.
February 15: Morning spent at a
spot east of Manaus with Armas and Jero; they drop
me off at the airport at noon (Peter flies out the
next day). I head to Miami.
February 16: Morning catch flight
to Toronto, day working in the lounge, then Saint
John at midnight. Home!
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