Valledupar to Barichara

The hotel in Rioacha had a taxi service pick me up at the hotel at 9am for a ride to Valledupar. It was a new Toyota Camry and I sat up front. Three passengers in the back. We passed close to the Venezuelan border and stopped at a small village to buy gasoline. Cheap Venezuelan gasoline. The streets of the village were black with spilled petrol. They poured the gas into a tube through a cloth into a filter and into the car. I have never seen such filth and pollution. One match and this town was off the map. Benzene-laden children played in the streets. Finally we were on our way through the many check points where guards carry heavy assault rifles like the kids in the USA like to take to a movie or the mall. We arrived in Valledupar at 12 noon. I checked into Hostal Provincia and was met by the owners, who were very helpful in my birding pursuits. Valledupar has a music scene and the music is called Vallenato, They are famous for the accordion music. Not any accordion. Not Schmenge Brothers Yosh and Stan. This is a small accordion and they play it very well. I enjoyed it very much. Cristina and Miguel at the hostal set me up with a trip up the mountain to go birding near the Proaves Reserve in the Serrania Perijá. I took a small bus to Villa Adelaida in Manaure. It was a Sunday, which is family day in Latin America and the place was packed. Live music, food, people, people, people. I was intoduced to the owner who made sure I was happy. They gave me a room overlooking the valley and food- soup with chicken and...? It was good. I met the police chief who promised my security. They arranged for a mototaxi to pick me up at 5:30 am and take me up the mountain. I would walk down. I needed to be at about 4,000 ft for the endemic birds. I dipped on all of them, but it was still a wonderful walk down with a list of 73 species. I did see a Solitary eagle which blessed the sky. Two bat Falcons preened as I observed them. By noon I was back in Valledupar and had planned a visit to Ecolodge Los Besotes. I had met the owner/biologist and he had invited me but seemed a little put-off when I called so I decided to skip an overnight there. I arranged a 3:30 am pick-up for a ride to Mompox. Toyota Hilux truck and me in the back seat. We were in Mompox by 8 am. I checked into La Casa Amarilla, suggested by my friend Lorraine Caputo (as was Provincial), and was given a very nice, large room. It is owned by a friend of Lorraine's who is an UK expat within a radio show from Bogota. He sent me a message to welcome me, which was very gracious.  Mompox is a colonial village along the Magdalena river. A local girl married a Marquis from Spain way back when. Very nice village. Hot. 93 when the sun shines, which it didn't much while I was there. At dusk the bats would come out and birds would fly down river.  I sat and watched, in awe, as this went on. Very large bats swarmed the lights after 8 pm. Wow.  Lightening storms light up the sky in the distance each evening. I went on a boat ride to the Cienagas (swamp) with a pair of UK gals who were fun to be with. I pointed out all the birds we saw, which they enjoyed. To the locals, any large bird is an aguila (eagle). We saw three species of hawks. There was a Jazz Fest planned starting Thursday. With every room in town booked they were able to slide me in for an extra night so I could see the opening. They moved me into a larger room! I recommend coming to Mompox for the October Festival. And do stay at Casa Amarilla. Although I had only one night of music, it was enough for me. I was in bed by 10pm. I was up at 5 am to check out and catch a bus to Bucaramanga. A 8 hour adventure down very bad roads. I finnally checked into a very nice hotel, BGA Hotel, around 4. Hotels here aren't designed very well. Nor were they in Ecuador or Perú. Where they place a light switch makes no sense at all. They are placed where the electrician (maybe) finds it easier to put, not where it should be. In BGA Hotel they were under the tables, which were mounted to the walls. The first thing I do when I check in somewhere in locate the switches. Not easy sometimes. When I wake up to pee in the middle of the night I have to remember where I am and where the switches are.
Bucaramanga is a beautiful city of about 500,000. Located between mountain ranges, it is a modern city of high-rise condos. My friend Donna McCoy had given my number to a friend of hers who lives here and he called me to set up a meeting. I was tired the first day so he picked me up at 1pm the next day and took me to Punta Diamante, which is a exclusive resort, hotel, country club, on top of a plateau. Sergio Torres has English language schools here and does very well. I bought him lunch at a Peruvian restaurant and he introduced me to a lady who runs the Spa.  He knew everyone here, including the hotel owner, and he introduced me to so many people. We had a fantastic afternoon. People offered me a place to stay and insisted I call when on my travels. I intend to do so. We ended the evening at a Salsa Bar. I had so much fun. I am very grateful to Sergio and his friends. I needed to move on though and San Gil was next. A 4 hour bus trip as the roads were thick with travelers for the holiday weekend. We passed through height mountain passes and I checked in to look for light switches around 4 pm. A very cheap hostal on the river, but comfie. San Gil is not for me. Next day I took a taxi to Barichara. Barichara is said to be Colombia's most beautiful village. I agree. I checked into ArtePolis Hostal and found a little bit of haven. My room is large with an outside bathroom and a view of the hills. I like it here and will stay for possibly a week. This morning I took a 6 hour birding hike along the Camino Real to Guane. I added a few endemic birds. I adore this village. Beautiful scenery. Two kittens to sleep with. It is quiet here and has lots of birds. People have texture in Colombia. Ecuador as well. Texture is important in a person. Think about it.
I have decided to try to get the Scarlet ibis and the Jabiru stork in the Llanos region. The duck I missed is also there. Ecolodge Juan Solito Casanare. This is where the Anacondas live. The rivers here flow to the Orinoco. And so will I. I was warned about the dangers. Hahahaha.

                                                           Click Here For Pics

Minca to Rioacha

I did not end up on the back of a moto. I hired Gabriel Utria for $150 to show me the birds at El Dorado Lodge. He and his driver picked me up at 5am and within an hour we were axle-deep in mud. The Land Cruiser handled it with ease. There were spots I was sure we were not going to be able to pass, but we did. Gabo was very professional and our first birds were a Santa Marta Mountain Tanager and White-tipped Quetzal. In a few hours I had 27 new lifers. We stopped at a small home where a lady served me the best hot chocolate I have ever had. By 2pm were were back at Hotel Minca. I ended up staying there for 10 days. I walked each morning at 6 am. Along the road an old man was sitting outside his small yellow house. The smoke from his cooking fire smelled so good. He told me to come back at 9am because his yard was filled with birds. It was. He lived such a spartan life along a beautiful stream. There was a family of Howler monkeys near his yard. I watched them for 20 minutes. That afternoon the clouds gathered. Hurricane Matthew was offshore and gave us 15 inches of rain and heavy winds. No power on the last day so I decided to head back to Santa Marta for comfort. It is only 40 minutes from Minca. The sky cleared and I took care of some banking and had a great Greek dinner after sunset along the Caribbean. In the morning I was off to the east entrance to Tayrona Nationa Park by bus. A hot bus. They dropped me at Hotel Seineken. My cabana was rustic but sensible. I walked along the river and checked out how I would enter the park in the morning. Cottontop Tamarins played in the trees. Beautiful monkies. The park opens at 8am. Shit. You have to watch a video. Really? Then a taxi bus up to the beach area. By 9 am there were no birds as it was too hot. I saw a couple new ones but dipped on the lance-tail manakin and others. There are expensive hotels inside the park but I passed on that. Not worth it. I got back to my hotel and caught a bus to Camarones. An air-conditioned bus. It was a scenic ride along the coast and in two hours I was dropped in the sweltering heat of Camarones. I called the hotel and he sent two motors to pick me up. Now I have to ride on the back of a motorcycle. Bumpy dirt roads for two miles. A very tiny town. Everyone knew I was there for the American flamingos. My corner room looked at the sea and a bay. Just a fan to keep me cool. None of the hotels along the coast had hot water. It's ok. The lady at the Santuario Remanso gave me a beer and called a local bird guide for me. Jose Luis showed up quickly. He didn't speak much English but he knew the birds in English. At 4 pm I met him down by the bay where everyone fishes for sardine-like fish. They use a crab as a bait and their remains littered the beach. There was a dark storm approaching from the mountains. I spotted the flamingos and the contrast between the pink and the black sky was stunning. There were even snowy plovers along the beach. We had a great afternoon spotting migrants. Just as we got back to the hotel from the beach the storm let loose. I have never seen so much lightening. It seemed constant. The rain poured down. The electric went out. My room was illuminated by the lightening. Jose was coming by at 5:30 am to take me to search for endemics. I took a short walk in the dark before he arrived. I am always followed by animals at that hour. In Minca I had 5 dogs follow me at one point. Here I had two puppies and a kitten tag along. I added 17 more lifers by 9 am. Ruby-topaz hummingbirds! Crested bobwhites. Fantastico! At 1pm I had a taxi come to take me Rioacha, 30 mintues away. By 2pm I was in my hotel room.
I stopped along the beach for a beer, outside in the heat. I heard screams. People yelling. Now they were running. My table and beer knocked over. A kid threw a smoking bomb down the street. I wanted to knock the hell out of him. Glad I didn't. The riot police fired back with tear-gas. FUCK. Now I know what it feels and smells like. What to do. I causally righted my table and chair and went up to the counter to order another beer. To hell with them. The kid at the counter laughed at me and told me the university was protesting because they had not been paid. I don't give a damn, give me a beer. I wiped my eyes and sat down. I had the whole place to myself.
Rioacha is a dirty coastal city. I will leave tomorrow for........I'll sleep on it.

                                                          Click Here For My Pictures

Viva Colombia

My flight took me near Guantanamo Bay, which I could see from the plane. There are men there that stand on a wall with guns to guard our freedom- I guess. It will probably become a Marriot resort one day. I got through customs fast in Cartagena and exchanged some mula for pesos. I am not getting accostomed to pesos yet. Cartagena is an interesting colonial city. A bar called Donde Fidel was great for music and the walls were loaded with pictures of the owner with celebs. Two days was enough so I moved on to Barranquilla in a very nice van for $6. I splurged and stayed at a high-rise hotel for $63. They put me on the 25th floor but I discovered my room was directly below the restaurant and the band started to warm up around 4pm. They moved me to the 19th floor. The hotel was located perfectly for nightlife. Barranquilla is a pleasant city. I went to Bogota Beer Company and had a few. At breakfast a greater kiskadee came down to my plate and grabbed a bite. I took this as a sign to go birding so I took a taxi to the Magdalena river where it meets the sea. Russet-throated puffbird was a nice surprise. The taxi came back after three hours to pick me up. I packed and headed back to Berlinastours for a ride to Santa Marta. I decided to go directly to Taganga, which is a small fishing village that attracts Isrealis after compulsory military duty. I had a room with a balcony right on the sea. Too noisy. Not a lot of birds. I went back to Santa Marta and got a room on the Malecon. I visited the home where Simon Bolivar died which was very interesting. The museum had a display by some local artist whose drawings were mostly of his boyfriend, naked. He was well-endowed. The bus load of school kids paid no mind to him. CNN would go on for hours about subjecting school kids to porn.
There are prosititutes everywhere. Just ask Obama's security boys. Drugs are everywhere also. I have been propositioned several times. In October Colombians will vote on the FARC Peace Plan. It's seems a lot of people are against it because they feel it will pardon to many criminals. Where I am right now is a place that was closed to all but locals just 8 years ago. There are still areas near me which are off-limits. There are two sets of rebels here. One group are commies and the other hates commies. I don't understand it all and don't care. There will always be tons of drugs flowing through Colombia. I am not as at ease here as I was in Ecuador. I have to be very careful.
The heat in Santa Marta is truely oppressive. Thanks to Dios for lime-ade. I drink a lot of it when I'm not having Aguila beer. I'll never lose weight with beer at $1.50. Now I am in Minca just 40 mintues up the mountain. At 2,000ft it is slightly cooler. I can sleep without AC here at night. My room is adequate for $24. The restaurant has 7 hummingbird feeders and there are 8 species which come by. The white-necked jacobins have always been my favorite. Minca is somewhat like Mindo, Ecuador. The honey here is so delicious. Made from coffee flowers. Birding is popular here becuase the Santa Marta Range has about 30 endemic species. The  mountains rise to 18,700 ft. I am very frustrated because I can't find a way to get to where the endemics are located. Birding guides want $100-$150 to take me there. I drives me crazy being this close to a rare bird and not being able to get to it. Pisses me off. The Pro Aves Reserve named El Dorado wants $50 just to enter the property. All of their reserves charge the same amount. This hurts. I am on a very strict budget. I'll rent a fucking donkey if I have to. I want those birds.
                                             .............................................................
I just met with a guy who will take me up to El Dorado, or near, for $COP 80,000. That is about $28. I will be on the back of a motorcycle for the first time in almost 40 years. For 6 hours. The roads up there are in very bad shape which is why it is expensive. You have to have a good 4-wheeler. I'll do it. If nothing else, it will be an adventure. I forget- what do I hold on to?

                                                        CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

Back Home?

I just realized I left everything hanging from Paita, Peru, where I spotted the Humboldt's penguin. I had moved on to Cabo Blanco where I got very sick from food, then went to Mancora to get better, and, finally, back to Ecuador and Vilcabamba. I made my reservation to fly home and then spent a good week in Ayampe watching whales and setting bird records for the local Jocotoco Reserve. I have seen more species there than anyone else. I also went to Shaime and Cabanas Yankuam to find the orange-throated tanager. It took 3 days but I found the bird- three of them. I thought I had written about this trip but I must not have hit 'publish'. It was a  very remote area along the Peruvian border and a fantastic trip. Read about Arutam. I met Arutam. Google Arutam.
There is a book on the NYT bestseller list by Paul Kalanithi. When Breath Becomes Air.  I haven't read it, nor will I. He was a  surgeon with a promising career when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 36. He kept himself busy until he died. When I came back home I had to jump through the hoops to have a P.E.T. scan. I went to the Lynn Cancer Institute for treatment. That was my second mistake. The first mistake was coming home. But I didn't know it at the time. It took 2 weeks to get an 'opinion' from a doctor. I have 4 tumors- two on my liver and two on my right lung. My surgeon at Shands decided an operation on my liver was not an option. I was given a prescription for a chemo drug with a $3,200 co-pay. I decided to go to Cleveland Clinic for another opinion. The doctors there were quick and efficient. My lung tumors are just too large and the only option was for Xeloda, which I have taken before. It makes you fatigued and nauseous. It possibly would slow down tumor growth. But then I found out there was a $500 co-pay. When I had a different health plan it was free. Humana sucks. I have decided to go bird watching instead. My doctor approves. Why fight what you cant win. Embrace it.
I bought the Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia. There are more than 1,900 species in Colombia. I intend to go to Santa Marta, which has the highest percentage of endemics in the world. It also has the highest mountains closest to the ocean. Snow-capped peaks visible from the beach. My resident visa for Ecuador will be invalidated today, September 10th., because I have been out of the country for more than 90 days during the first year of residency. I could do paper work and get a waiver, but I have seen the majority of birds in Ecuador. Time for new ones. I must admit that I am a bit more concerned about safety in Colombia, especially being so close to the Venezuelan border. I do not authorize any ransom more than $50. I'm just not worth it.
I fly on the 18th to Cartagena. I do not intend to come back until I truly must. I very much doubt I will see a Blue-bearded helmetcrest- a bird just recently re-discovered after 70 years. But I better see a fucking Royal flycatcher this time!

Click Here For Photos        

Huanchaco and Paita

I took a Linea bus to Trujillo at 8 am. It was a double-decked bus with a nice Lazy Boy seat on the lower level. But you could not see out the window due to the busses' paint scheme. I could barely see the last snow-capped mountain as I passed over the cordillera headed west. In Trujillo I took a taxi to Naylamp Hotel in Huanchaco and arrived about 2 pm. She tried to put me in an interior room but I saw the corner room available and she gave me the key. $16.50 a night with a window to the sea and the sound of the waves. The bed was as hard as a rock but I could deal with that. The weather was near perfect with highs around 75 and lows about 58. I immediately scoped the sea for birds and was amazed at the number of Peruvian boobies off shore. There must have been a large school of anchovies as they torpedoed into the sea for a meal. Huanchaco has a lot of restaurants and hostels and caters to the young traveler. I found good food and plenty of Cusqueña. I asked the desk to provide a taxi at 6:30 am for a trip to Lomas de Cerro Compana. It was only 10 miles away and would give me a few birds to add to my list. Of course, the driver lied, they almost all do, about knowing where it was I wanted to go. Being shrouded in sea fog didn't help. But I found a quebrada to walk and did see Oasis hummingbirds. He returned 3 hours later to retrieve me. That evening I found a beach bar and watched the sunset with cheap rum. They tend to wash wood floors with a gasoline mixture. I have 'smelled' this in a few places around Ecuador and Perú. I don't know what the fuck they are thinking, when they do think, but this floor was so wet I slipped. My shoes smelled of gas for a few days. The stupidity is confounding at times. I stopped at another bar for a hamburger off a Charbroil grill. And a Pisco. And, well, a few more rum-n-cokes. And damn, is that Campari on the shelf? All bright-eyed in the morning, I decided to head to Chan-Chan ruins. Not a cloud in the sky. A bus dropped me on the main road for a 1 mile walk to the entrance. Anytime you do something 'touristy' there is always a Peruvian near by to try to rip you off. An old man with a car showed me a map and told me there are three ruins all about 5 miles apart. I didn't even give him a chance to throw out his price. I walked to the ruins. The place is huge and only about a fourth of it is 'uncovered'. At the entrance there were no signs, no guide book and no employees. One lady asked in English if I wanted a guide for 40 Soles. Nope. I had to search to pay the 10 Soles fee. Then walked and walked. It was all built around 1400 AD. An amazing place right on the sea. The Chimu, they were called before the Incas came and disrupted everything. Ropes indicated the areas closed off, but that doesn't stop a Peruvian kid. They sit on the walls, climb over the ropes. They generally disrespect everything. There were no guards or employees to watch over tourists. I avoided all contact with people. After an hour of my tour I headed back to the main road and a bus back to my hotel. Bar, beer, rum, pisco.
In the morning I watched boobies torpedo the water and spotted about 150 great grebe off shore. Bingo! I took a walk along the beach where they grow reeds in holes and spotted the many-colored rushbird. What a beauty. After breakfast I caught a taxi to Trujillo and a bus back to Chiclayo. Intiotel, same room as before. I arranged to go to Túcume in the morning at 6 am and catch a taxi to Bosque de Pomac for the Peruvian plantcutter. I arrived around 7 am and found a dirt road along a canal alive with birds. The Moche built pyramids here at Sipan about 700 years earlier than the Chimu. Greenery in the desert. But no plantcutter. No sheartail either. But I was happy to be birding. It was hot. Of course I took a lot of water. I walked about 8 miles, I think. When I got back to the gate I had to keep walking to find a mototaxi. A few guys were butchering something along the side of the road. I asked for a ride. Blood everywhere. No. Then one dude changed his mind and he took me to the main road where I caught a collectivo back to Chiclayo. Went to a restaurant with great steak in a coffee sauce. Campari, beer, sleep. In the morning a Linea bus, again, but this one had clear windows. I almost wish it hadn't. Peruvians are the worst litter bugs. The amount of trash along the highways is staggering. They give a fuck. It is really sickening. They have no respect for environment. They pollute, wash floors with gas, and dump their shit directly in the rivers and ocean. I thought Ecuadorians were bad. My opinion of the people has diminished greatly because of their trash problem. They will never learn. They don't care. I couldn't look out the window anymore.
I got to Piura around 12:30 pm and took a tiny, shitty taxi to another bus which would take me to Paita. "How far to Paita?" An "hour and a half". I don't know why I ask questions. The answer is never true. In 45 minutes I arrived in Paita and went to the old Miramar hotel. It is an old mansion along the shore. They had an interior room with a window to the street. Nope. I walked with my bags around the corner and found Anamar Suites. She wanted 80 Soles but I offered cash for two nights and got her down to 60 Soles. A room overlooking the bay and a private balcony. Soft bed, sounds of the sea. I like it here. Found a nice bar on the water to watch Perú loose to Colombia in the Copa America semi-finals.
In the morning I took a walk to the Naval Station. I just felt like relaxing rather than look for birds. At evening I strolled the pier and streets and finally stopped at the bar on the bay. Shrimp rolls and beer.  A few seal lions came looking for scraps. The moon rose above the cliff and a lone great grebe tucked its beak in its wing and went to sleep on the water. A lesser nighthawk took to the sky at dusk and swept for insects. Small bats poured out of the old buildings and bounced in the air. It is Saturday night but there are no people in the streets. They are gearing up for a festival for fishermen. Everything is getting a new coat of paint. Coat number 48 from what I can tell.

                                                ......................................................
There was music on the beach, somewhere, all night. Until 3 am. But I got up at 6 am anyway to a great sunrise and the intention of going to Islilla and Isla Foca. No one was here to give me breakfast, or let me out the door. I had to sneak out the restaurant next door. Caught a mototaxi to a minivan which took me to Islilla. After walking around town with my binoculars, the taxi drivers have been calling me Juan Jhony. I Like it. It is only 25 minutes from here. The drive is through barren desert. Desert along a deep blue ocean. Isla Foca is white-washed in guano. A beautiful sight for a birder. First new bird was a red-legged cormorant. Saw about 24 of them. A little boy came up to me and started asking questions. I let him look through my binoculars. He pointed to a boat coming in with a load of squid and said that was his dad. My dad would have been 99 on the 15th and today is Fathers Day. He told me his dad would take me out to the island to see penguins. Maybe 50 Soles. His dad later told me 100 Soles and I would have to wait for the tide to come back in around 1pm. A three hour wait. I had a mototaxi take me to a restaurant. No menu, just squid and octopus. OK, I'll have a tortilla of squid and octopus. Not bad. The rice saved me. I took a walk along the beach and looked out to the channel. Humboldt penguin! Close to shore and preening his feathers. He was just bobbing  along and gave me great views. Then all the cormorants on the island decided to go for a flight. Guanay cormorants! I estimated more than 18,000! Within 2 hours I had the only 3 birds I came looking for. No need to spend $30 for a boat ride around the island. Why look at 20,000 birds sitting on cliffs shitting when they are much more exciting in flight. Between the cormorants, gulls and boobies there had to be more than 50,000 birds. And the sea lions were everywhere. A dead one floated by. The Pacific glittered blue. This is where the Humboldt Current drifts farther from shore and the cold and warm water come together. Bountiful. The fishermen were bringing in thousands of large squid with huge eyes. Some were 4 feet long. But this little village in the desert, along the sea, is isolated. Garbage everywhere. Human waste everywhere. This is the only place in South America where I have seen cats outnumber dogs. Kitty's everywhere. I had a great day. There are few birds left for me to look for in Perú. The penguin might just be my last, great new bird. Number 1,332. 578 for the year. 416 for Perú. Not bad considering transportation has been a problem. With a car I would have added 200 more, at least. But I am satisfied. Juan Jhony got his penguin. Off to Cabo Blano tomorrow. Cheers!

                                                              Click For Smugmug Page and Pictures

Chachapoyas to Huaraz

There is a museum-bird lodge in Leymebamba which I had wished to visit, but they never responded to an e-mail. Had I gone there I would have visited Cajarmarca and then to the coast, or Huaraz. But I awoke and decided to back-track to Bagua Grande-Jaen-Chiclayo. It was a long trip in a van and two cars. The last driver was an old man that drove like a maniac. I finally arrived in Chiclayo at 5:30 pm and checked into Intiotel to a large comfortable room for  $35 a night. I roamed and explored Chiclayo that evening and found it to be a vibrant, clean city with a nice climate. Not too hot and not too cool. In the morning I arranged for a taxi to pick me up and take me to the coast to search for the Great grebe. No luck. I did see many species of sea-birds and a few coastal migrants. I went to the beach for a beer that afternoon but found that all alcohol was prohibited the before, and the day of, the presidential election. The hotel bar waved me to the back room and provided my required refreshment. The people were very kind in Chiclayo. I had intended to visit Chaparri Lodge but found them to be very expensive. They are 1.5 hours from the city and transportation would be 450 Soles- more than the room at 335 Soles. That's more than $200 for a few birds. Naw.
I decided to head off to Chimbote, a few hours south along the coast. The bus took all day to reach Chimbote. I arrived about 4:30 pm. The highway wound through a desolate area of dry scrub, when there was scrub. I was shocked and angered at the amount of trash along the roadside. Peruvians and Ecuadorians are shamefull litter-tossers. Their mentality angers me at times. A true blight on the landscape. The taxi driver ripped me off for 10 Soles and took me to the best hotel on the water. It was a large building along the bay, built in 1946. I had a room with a beautiful view of the boats in the bay. The city was loaded with casinos. The fishermen like to gamble, I suppose. I roamed the city, again no beer or booze as it was Election Day. I ate an awful Chifa (Chinese food) and almost got a beer by batting my blue eyes at a pretty bartender. She complimented me, but no beer. In the morning I walked the jetty along the harbor and added a few new species. The Inca terns are so beautiful. No Great grebes. No Guanay cormorants. I am still after these birds. The Gardens in Chiclayo were closed on Monday. So, at 10 am I took a mini-bus to Huaraz. Arrived around 2:30 pm and checked into La Aurora Hotel for $35. I was in awe of the mountains to the east. WOW! Incredible scenery. I met up with my friend Cecilia whom I met in Vilcabamba. She was born in Lima but lived near Panama City, Florida. Indeed, we both had been to Wonderbar many times! She resides here in Huaraz now. This is a touristy-mountain town but in a good way. It isn't overrun with Gringos. You come here to climb and trek the mountains and valleys. Cecilia took me to a restaurant with Alpaca on the menu. It is such a flavorful meat. Had some coca-liqueur as well. Whew! Cecilia helps a girl named Anthula with her adventure company. They arranged for me to go the the Lazy Dog Inn for a night. Anthula drove me up the next day but had car trouble half way and I hitched a ride with a local.
I arrived at the lodge and was greeted by Diana, the owner and her black labs. She showed me my room but when she showed me the cabin with a fireplace I decided to splurge on that. $100 a night which included all meals. My iPhone indicated I was at 12,000 ft. I took a walk up the mountain in the afternoon to bird an immediately added new species. Ground-tyrants and a black hummingbird! The scenery was stunning. I was so close, but yet so far, from the glacial slopes of the Cordillera Blanca. The Inn is also stunning. They put a lot of money into the construction. Very, very nice. A young couple from Spain joined us for dinner. I had one beer and off to bed. I built a large fire and settled in my large, soft bed. But no air. I did not sleep well. I gasped for air all night. I wasn't acclimated. I rose from the bed at 5:30 am and ate the breakfast Diana had sent me to bed with. I began walking back up the mountain but after one hour decided to walk the lower road through the farm land. This proved better for birds anyway. Baron's spinetail, black-throated flowerpiercer. Golden wheatfields. Colorful quinoa. Truly peaceful. When I got back to the Inn Diana insisted I eat more breakfast. They grow everything themselves in greenhouses. Home-made granola with fruit. Great coffee. I then met Diana's husband Wayne. He had been away. He wanted me to review their bird list. I did and found it to be very accurate. I even added a specie of flowerpiercer never seen here. At 11 Diana gave me ride back down into town. I changed hotels to one at $18 a night. It is clean and comfortable.
Cecilia arranged for a private taxi to pick us up the next day at 8:30 am. We would drive to the Huascaran National Park and the lagunas. We drove through the towns leveled by the earthquake of 1970. It also leveled 95% of Huaraz. There are no old buildings here. Just one small street of colonial times remained. There have also been avalanches that have killed thousands. With beauty comes risk. After 2.5 hours we arrived in the river valley surrounded by steep granite cliffs and glaciers. I have never seen such glory. Stop the car!. An Andean goose. Two of them. Further on to the second lake and 16 more! I strolled around for 20 minutes birding then Cecilia and I hit the trails. The polylepis trees are covered in soft paper bark that peels off to reveal a deep cinnamon color. Gorgeous. I saw a rufous-eared brushfinch. They only live here in these valleys. The two lagunas are a deep copper-sulphate blue. The altitude was almost 13,000 ft but I felt fine. We walked the paths for 3 hours then headed back down to have lunch along a river. All the rivers are a clear, bluish glacial stream. And COLD. We came back to Huaraz about 5 pm and Cecilia and I met for a drink to celebrate my goose sighting. Pisco and Campari. Bar service sucks here as it does in Ecuador. Different mindset. After several drinks off to my room and a good sleep.
Tomorrow I head back to Trujillo and Huanchaco beach for a few days. I still need the grebe, cormorant and a Peruvian sheartail hummer. Cecilia has made my visit here very special and rewarding. This has been the highlight of my visit to Perú.


                                                      Click Here for My Photos on Smugmug

Tarapoto to Chachapoyas

Moyobamba was such a pleasant small town a that I ended  up staying five nights. The birding was surprising. I said to myself that a red-capped cardinal would be a great find and within 5 minutes 2 popped into view. I smiled and thanked the bird gods. The more I explored the more beautiful Moyobamba became. But I need to move on so for $3.50 I caught a car to Tarapoto. The vistas along the Rio Mayo kept me looking out the window. We arrived and I took a mototaxi to Hotel Boca Raton. $24 a night and I had a good room with a large bathroom. The front desk told me they could help me with my birding pursuits but, again, they didn't know what they were talking about. The taxi drivers had no idea of the locations I pointed to on Google Map. So I dipped on a few species that were only 30 minutes away. I was very disappointed. I took a walk. I heard glass bottles being shaken about. They must be empties being loaded in a truck. I followed the sound and BINGO, a bar!  Across the street 2 more. Tarapoto is for me. Good food too. I watched the futbol championships between the two Madrids. Great crowd of people for the game. But birding was lacking so I  decided to splurge and go to PumaRinri Lodge and bird there one night. I stayed 2 nights. Again, I dipped on the species I was looking for but it was a very relaxing place. They gave me the best room- a kingbed, second floor with a balcony on the river Huallaga. Frogs sang me a sleep-song. A tropical screech owl woke me up. Food was good. As I uploaded pictures a very venomous snake crossed just beyond my feet. I saved it from the staff of snake killers. One young guy was about to hit it with a heavy stick and I yelled 'No!' They looked at me like I was nuts. I have learned how to assert myself in Spanish.
I am always amazed by the currents of the rivers. Swift and turbulent water. Again I was at 750ft in elevation which meant the river had almost 2,700  miles to reach the Atlantic but would only drop by that amount. Thank you river gods. But time to move on again. The owners have 3 hotels including Gocta Lodge. I would take their transport back to Moyobamba, then a van filled with folks and a spitting driver, including a fighting cock which shit everywhere, to Chachapoyas. Left at 8 am and arrived at 5:30 pm. Long day of travel and I don't enjoy days like that. Chachapoyas sits on top of a mountain above the Utcubamba River valley. It has been a dissapoinment. Hostal Revash is nice and cheap but the town is just a tourist trap. No birds. I found a nice bar, or 3, but I am ready to move on again. First, I must see Kuelpa so I am going at 8am tomorrow. I just came back from a bar called Reina and had a local liqueur called Pur Pur. I had a cat named PurrPurr. Lived to be 26 even after I had shut her in a freezer for 4 hours when I was 4 years old. She made the first page of the local paper. The bars here make their own liqueurs from so many different fruits. Aguardiente, all of them. Yummy. Going to sleep now and I will continue this after Kuelap (Quay-lap).

                                                               NEXT DAY
Went to breakfast at a small tienda and came back to the hotel for 8:30am departure. There were 8 of us- 2 'Mericans, 3 French and 2 Peruvians. We drove along the Utcubamba valley and then headed up a steep dirt road for 2 hours. The whole trip took 3 hours. It was a little scary. A French company is building a cable car system from the town of Rio Tingo and they hope to finish by November. It will make it a 2 hour trip from Chachapoyas. This will make it much easier to visit and increase visitation significantly. There were only about 150 people while we were there. Anywho, Kuelap was started around 550 AD by the Chachapoyas. The ruins are about 1,460 years old. This place was fascinating. It is a land-fill on top of a mountain built to ward off invasions. It is truly a fortrace with 3 entrances through narrow gullies. Our guide, Agusto, is a native and he spoke Spanish, English, French and German. The best guide I have ever had. Very knowledgable. There were 400 round houses built for the higher echelons. The peons lived in the valley. They buried their dead then dug them up years later and put their bones in a hole within each house. They were conquered by the Incas in about 1500. The Incas were a marauding, cruel group of bastards who borrowed all the customs of those they conquered. Even the spiritual aspects of living were taken from other peoples they enslaved. I was in awe the whole day. And we were so lucky it didn't rain. Kuelap is not as beautiful as Machu Picchu, but it was much more interesting considering it was built 1,000 years sooner. The views were stunning. There was a kid-25- named Mike from Montana who is touring Perú for a few months. We buddied-up for the lectures. After we got back to town we went out for a few drinks. He was a bright guy, math and engineering and I enjoyed having someone to speak English with. The town of Chachapoyas was a dissapoinment but the surrounding areas are beautiful. There are sarcophagi from the Incas nearby but I did not visit them.
I woke up this morning with the intent of heading toward Cajamarca. I am in Chiclayo tonight. I just didn't feel like a very long trip through more narrow mountain roads. I will have to skip a few birds but the Great grebe is next on the list. My car driver was and old shit and scared the hell out of me. We nearly tenderized a small pig and 2 chickens. It has been a long day. I walked around Chiclayo and sur-nuf they were parading a statue of Jesus and Mary around the Plaza. I like Chiclayo much more than Chacha. I will hang around the coast another week or so. It is cool here along the Pacific because of the Humbolt Current. I love a cool beach.

My Sugmug Page