Under Construction...  

Brazil ... via Florida

Feb 2 - Feb 16, 2010  

The trip statistics:
- 77 species in Florida, 5 of them lifers
- 210 species seen in Brazil, 135 of them lifers
- 11 species seen in both locations, 1 of those was a lifer (Limpkin)
- 276 species total altogether, 139 were lifers

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...

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 years 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 to be in the INPA; 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.  What did they do that morning? 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 but not paid for, 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 and lack of payment.  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!