More rain today! I’m so happy we have our rain gear- if we hadn’t have gone to the Subantarctica Islands ‘on they way’ to here we wouldn’t have rain gear and would have been very cold.
Today we had hoped to go to a place with hummingbirds but because of the rain, the road wasn’t passable and the hummingbirds probably wouldn’t have be there anyway. We went on another back road but there was so much rain and water and very few birds came out so we went back to the lodge after a few hours.
When we got back to the lodge, we had some excitement because there is a winter storm in the US and many flights were cancelled. Delta (our airline) sent out messages suggesting we change our flights. We thought about saying another day but ended up changing flights to go thru New York trying to outrun the storm.
After lunch we walked to the hide again- it’s a nice place to sit and watch for birds to come to the hide plus we get to stay dry. We were excited to see a coati and then even more excited to see a covey of quail. Very fun.
After the hide visit, we walked back to the lodge and had our last lodge deck viewing, last caparhina, and last dinner have because we’re leaving 6am tomorrow heading to the Golden Lion Tamarin reserve and airport.
Trying to bird in the rainbeautiful primary forestbromeliadBlond-crested woodpeckerYellow-browed woodpecker- you can see how well they could hide even with all those colorswinter storms cause flight cancellationsspot-winged wood quailwe finally saw the red crown on the red-crested tanagerSpot-winged wood quail in hide
Another full day of birding in the rain. We drove off to Três Picos State Park and stopped a couple of times along the way to see if we could find any birds. Mostly the birds were hiding from the rain so we didn’t see as many as we would have if it was sunny.
We had lunch in the parking lot of the park- there was only one other car their and they arrived after we did and left before we finished lunch.
After lunch we went on a short hike- it was so rainy and there were so few birds we bailed early from the hike and drove back to the lodge where we watched a few birds at the feeders before dinner and going to bed.
Trees on the mountain sideforestready for our walk in Três Picos State Parkbirding on the trail In Três Picos State Parkon trail in Três Picos State Parkon trail in Três Picos State Parkflowerwild gingerflowerswallow-tailed manakinGreen-headed tanagermarmoset in Três Picos State ParkBasket stinkhorn or bridal vail fungusMagpie tanager In the rain by the lodge decksize difference of parakeet and tanager on feederToday’s view of the lodge deck
Our lodge is near the town of Nova Friburgo which is known as the undergarment capital of Brazil. There are lots and lots of lingerie stores and folks are always stopping to take pictures- here are the pictures we took:
Sign for lingerie storeTibor taking a picture of the sign for lingerie store and it’s store
Today it rained pretty much all day and we walked and birded on the trails around the lodge. We went to the bird blind on the white trail to see if we could see tinamou- and we saw two species! We were out most of the morning and came back to have lunch at the lodge. After lunch and a short rest, we went out again for the afternoon. We didn’t stay out too long- the birds weren’t calling or coming out to be seen so we walked back down to the lodge, had tea & cake and birded a bit from the deck. Then it was time for dinner and bed.
We expected we would be wet from sweat but instead we’re wet from rain. It’s been cloudy and wet instead of cloudy and humid. We were worried we wouldn’t have enough t-shirts but it wasn’t a problem since we’re wearing our long sleeve shirts and rain gear. When we packed we figured we’d put away our cold weather clothes when we got to Brazil but instead we’re still wearing them.
first stop of walk- deck of nearby hometrail signs- the trail names were white (the one we took), brown, green and yellowscaled wood creeperon the white trailwe listed to this pin-tail manakinpin-tail manakin callingblind on white trailVery nice blind- even had cushions on the seatsTibor brought something to do in the blind while waiting for the tinamoubrown tinamouTataupa tinamouSome mica on the white trailGrey fronted dove- which actually had a grey frontazure-shouldered tanager- with an azure shoulderviolet capped wood-nymph- which actually had a violet capOn the white trailPallid spinetail- with very stiff and spiky looking tailblonde-crested wookpeckermale(black) and female(cinnamon) ruby-crested tanangers- we never did see the ruby crest. I was disappointed to find out they are male and female instead of two different speciestea and cake for a late afternoon snack
Today we spent the entire day birding. We left the lodge about 7am and drove around the lower elevations. We would stop along side the road, get out of the car, bird along the road and get back in the car and drive to the next spot. Granted we were on the small country roads and not the main roads. There was hardly any traffic.
We had a bagged lunch along side the road on a hillside.
It was raining at the lodge and our guide was hopeful it wouldn’t be raining lower down and it wasn’t- well it was a little bit.
We saw 94 species of birds today. I think I missed a couple but for sure Jennifer saw them all.
We were pretty tired when we got back to the lodge and went to bed shortly after dinner.
great kiskadeecrested black tyrantsquirrel cuckooToco ToucanGray-headed tody flycatcherWhite-barred piculetRed-legged seriemaSavanna HawkBlack-capped donacobiusenjoying our lunchour lunchCrop fieldsChestnut-backed antshrikemasked water-tyrantThey sell different flavors of snickers and Oreos here than at homeBlue Dacnismaroon-bellied parakeet
Today we start our adventure in Brazil. We will go to Itororo Lodge in the Atlantic Cloud forest for a few days and then go to the Golden Tamarin Preserve on the day we leave Brazil.
Places we are in Brazil- Rio de Janeiro and the Itororo Lodge
Our driver and van picked us up from the hotel about 9am for our 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive to Itororo Lodge.
Expected driving routes from Rio de Janeiro GIG airport to Eco Lodge Itororó and from Eco Lodge Itororó to Golden Tamarin Reserve
It was the quietest drive- hardly anyone talked the entire drive. We stopped once for a bathroom break at a nice convenience store. Jennifer and I picked up cookies. Some of the road signs were interesting- especially the ones with photographs of animals
Beware of animals road signSample beware of animal photo sign- we also saw one for sloths, for jaguar, for wild dog beware of bicyclist road sign
We arrived at the lodge about 11:30am and were shown to our rooms after a cup of tea and slice of cake. We sat on the deck watching the birds come into the feeders until the drizzle started and at 13:00 we had lunch.
We are the only guests at the lodge right now. It’s a small lodge that has 8 rooms.
We sat and watched birds after lunch too. It’s pretty fun to just sit there and watch fancy colorful birds fly into the feeders. Then we went to the room to organize and rest but the birds were out and about so back to the deck we went.
Actually Tibor spent the time between lunch and dinner wandering on all the trails around the lodge. He made a nice map/track for the lodge.
It was almost dark when we started dinner at 6:30pm. Our caipirinha drink was a bit strong but after the ice melted a bit we enjoyed it. After dinner it was back to the room to get ready for tomorrow.
Our room at Itororo LodgeCoffee and Tea station- the milk in the brown cup is kept on the white warming potbird watching deckGuanfemale Ruby-crowned tanagerMale Ruby-crowned tanager- we have never seen the red crownGolden-chevroned tanagersome sort of tanagercaipirinha- Brazilian drink made from cachaça, sugar, lime, and ice Dinner buffet
Today we only had to go from Santiago, Chile to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and took the 8:30am shuttle to the airport where we checked-in, went thru security and found a very nice Latam lounge where we waited for our 12:20pm flight to Rio de Janeiro.
After about a 4 and a half hour flight that went over the Andes mountains we arrived in Rio. Very straightforward immigration and customs. We didn’t have too much trouble finding the shuttle pick up spot other than a little confusion about whether or not we had to call or not. Turns out the shuttle comes every 20 minutes or so.
It was a regular nice hotel close to the airport. Jennifer had drinks and dinner at the hotel bar, Tibor walked to a BBQ place on the beach and I had a granola bar & water. We were all happy with our choices.
Tibor and I watched Match of the Day and then it was time for bed.
Fresh squeezed Orange Juice and a mimosa at the LATAM lounge in SantiagoFlying over the Andes MountainsAs we arrived Rio we could just barely see the Christ the Redeemer StatueWatching Match of the Day in Rio
We left Easter Island today but before we did we went on a sunrise tour to see the Moai in the sunrise. It was pretty cloudy but we did get some nice light break thru the clouds.
We were expecting our guide at 6am but he over-slept and picked us up about 6:30am. We drove much faster than the other tours and got to Ahu Tongariki before the sunrise. It was much more crowded than last time we saw it. This time we saw the petroglyphs too.
We went back one more time to Anakena beach to see the Moai in a different light.
After the tour, we went back to the lodge for breakfast and to finish packing. We had a 11:30am pickup because we were supposed to pick up another couple. Turns out they got a different ride therefore we were at the airport quite a bit before we needed to be there.
Today there was only one flight from Santiago, usually there are two flights a day from Santiago- these flights are the only ones that are available.
We enjoyed a small snack and the free-range chickens wandering around the airport before boarding our plane.
It was a smooth, little less than 5 hour flight to Santiago and we arrived about 10:30pm. This time we had the official hotel shuttle and got to the hotel with no trouble.
Moai in sunriseCows drinking water from the center of the road- it’s fresh rain waterAirport snackFree range chickens in the ariportMoai at airport with our plane in the background
We saw Moai and more today on the Hidden Treasures tour. By the end of the day, we’ve traveled almost all of the paved roads on the island. Only one of the roads had a center stripe.
We visited random ruins, Anakena beach again to see it in a different light, a pink beach, a cave, the quarry again, Ahu Te Pito Kura,and an amazing tide pool.
Tibor really, really wanted to go to the quarry again so that’s where we went for lunch. Tibor walked around the quarry again and Jennifer and I enjoyed lunch. This time I ordered a chicken sandwich and thankfully it wasn’t raw like the fish dishes I’ve ordered!
After the tour, I went shopping and then into the pool to cool down, Tibor went looking for turtles and Jennifer prepared for tomorrow’s travel day.
In the evening we went to a different restaurant overlooking the beach to enjoy another sunset. We got a nice table this time and weren’t too hot and finished dinner in time to wander around and enjoy the nearby Moai by sunset.
Once again a meal ordered didn’t match expectations. I ordered salad and calamari expecting the calamari to be breaded and fried. Instead the calamari came just barely seared. It was super fresh and well prepared- it just wasn’t what I expected. It’s a shame I don’t care for such fresh seafood since I’m sure it was delicious. Tibor enjoyed another meal out of it and I did enjoy my salad.
amazing rock wallvery hardy plants near the ocean and rock wallMoai at Anakena beachMoai at Anakena beachpink beach- all the sand was washed away by large waves and then a few years later a large wave returned some of the sandRock chicken coop- they cover the hole at night so the chickens are safe and don’t leaveEntrance to Ahu Te Pito KuraAhu Te Pito Kura (Navel of light) special magnetic round rocksChicken Sandwich lunchcave with a viewOur guide, YoYo, enjoying the amazing tide poolAmazing tide poolCatholic Church in the town of Hango Roaswimming pool at the lodgeSunsetDiane and Jennifer enjoying the sunset and Moai
We had another full day tour today- Moai Monuments. We did indeed spend most of the day visiting Moai sites and then returned back to the hotel in the afternoon.
We learned that the Moai faced the village so they could watch over the people. They didn’t face the ocean.
We learned that the Moai had eyes made of shell and obsidian(pupil) that decayed over time. Once in awhile a Moai would have the white & black eye but they were modern and not the original.
We learned that Moai that were royal got a topknot- a special red block made of reddish-pink volcanic rock on top of their heads. All of these topknots were from a single location on the island.
We learned that during the civil war all the Moai were tipped over and many were buried with stones. At a few sites Moai were uncovered, tipped back up and restored to their original position.
Here are some of the sites we visited:
5 + 2 Moai at beach in town
7 Moai at the Anakena Beach (Hana Ray Anakena)
15 + 1 Moai at Ahu Tongariki
Untold number at Rano a Raraku (the volcanic quarry where most Moai were created)
number of fallen Moai at various sites
There were so many rock structures/piles on Rapa Nui it’s hard to determine which are ruins. Some are fences, some are piles of rocks covering Moai, some are buildings that have collapsed, some are chicken coops, some are just rocks and some are protections for plants. They use rocks to create a barrier to prevent the salty air and wind from damaging the plants.
Cows and horses are free-range and we had to mind our step whenever we walked around- even within the National Park sites.
As we left the quarry, Tibor bought us each a small pineapple from a vendor at the entrance to the quarry. The vendor cut off the skin of the pineapple and folded the leaves down, leaving us with a pineapple popsicle. We ate it like corn on the cob and left the center piece thinking it would be woody and fibrous like our pineapples at home and not really edible. When I took the left over bit back to the vendor for disposal, the vendor said the center was the best part and he was right. It was sweet and juicy.
In the evening we went to a cultural show at a local restaurant. It was amazing. The dancers were fabulous and the costumes were pretty neat too. Before the show we got a design painted on our faces- we never did learn if there was any meaning to each design. We ate dinner at the restaurant where the show took place. We were there very early so we were finished with our meal before the show started. Many folks were eating and drinking while the show took place.
This time I was the one that got the unexpected dinner. I ordered abalone and thought it would be prepared like we prepared it at home- breaded & fried. Instead it was marinated in lime? juice and not cooked at all. It was on a bed of lettuce with potatoes covered in something like mayonnaise. The lettuce and potatoes are tasty but I gave almost all of the abalone to Tibor to have with his dinner.
Moai on beach- these are the ones we saw at sunset. Notice that one has the white & black eyesgardens, cows and ruinsFallen Moai on top of pile of rocksruin site. Many Moai were covered in rocks so you see piles of rocks many placesDiane Jennifer and Tibor in front of a big head- you can see how big they areDistant view of the quarry. You can see some Moai on the slopeview of the 15 Moai from the quarrya fallen Moai at the quarry. You can see their size using Tibor as the scaleGenerally speaking we didn’t see too many others but we did see a lot at the quarrya very large Moai being carved from the mountainsome of the Moai at the quarryThey had to move the Moai from the quarry to their ‘home’. Many of the current paved roads are from the paths they moved Moai on. The horses are on one such path and you can see that many Moai fell and didn’t complete their journey.15 Moai at Ahu Tongarikibackside of 15 Moai at Ahu Tongarikicloseup of Moai they all look differentcloseup of Moai they all look differentEating a pineapple popssiclepineapple popssicle7 Moai at Anakena BeachLunchtime drinks at Anakena BeachPainted faces at dinnerAbalone dinner
We all slept in and almost missed our 9am tour. Even Jennifer slept in- we were all surprised when we woke up and it was 8:30 and time for breakfast.
Our tour today is Historic Pathways and we saw the same crater as yesterday but from another angle/side. Our first visit was to the Orongo ceremonial village (a site of Rapi Nui National Park) and we learned a bit about the BirdMan era. The park had many rock buildings and it was amazing how they could construct a building out of rocks that didn’t fall down.
There had been a civil war on Rapi Nui where the clans/families were fighting each other and in an effort to stop the civil war, they created the BirdMan competition where the winning representative of a clan was chosen as the island leader. The competition included climbing down the cliff face, swimming across the channel to an offshore island, collecting an egg from the Sooty Tern(manutara) colony and returning to the start. One interesting thing was that the competitors could be on the island waiting for days for the Sooty Terns to lay eggs so they could collect one. They had to cooperate in order to get shelter and food while they were waiting.
Rapi Nui National Park entrance to Orongo. The blue tarp is where visitors present their pass to be granted entrance. Rapi Nui people can go in without a pass, The visitor’s center is a little up the road.Rock work to make the roof of the building
Of course we went to Rapi Nui (Easter Island) to see the ‘big heads’. These are called Moai. Moai are giant monolithic human figures carved from volcanic rocks. They serve as representatives from ‘important’ people of the clan/family. They are supposed to protect the clan/family and bring prosperity. Once the civil war came, the Moai were pushed over by the enemy clan or by the clan they failed to protect. We saw fallen Moai. They are all over the island.
fallen moaiamazing wall similar to the walls the Inca’s built in Peru which supports the theory that people from Peru made it all the way to Rapi Nui
We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the bay where turtles are often seen and watched people play in the water while the turtles swam around. Tibor was extra happy the resturant served empanadas as that was something he really wanted to try while in Rapi Nui.
empanadas for lunchTibor enjoying an after lunch nap at the beachLunch with turtlesGreen Sea Turtle
After lunch we went to Ahu Akivi and saw seven standing Moai which were restored/moved so they were standing in their original position.
We were out most of the day and returned about 4pm. Jennifer and I took advantage of the pool at the hotel while Tibor napped.
In the evening we went out for dinner at the Te Moai Sunset restaurant because we wanted to see the sunset. It was further from the hotel than we expected but we did enjoy more Moai along the way. We didn’t have reservations so they sat us at the one remaining table- it was very hot and sunny there but we stayed anyway.
The menus are not in English so we don’t always know exactly what we are ordering. Today Jennifer ordered a dish she thought included grilled/seared fish but it was raw tuna and she can’t eat raw fish right now. Tibor was willing to trade his fish soup for her meal as long as she left the broth for him. He really liked the fish soup he had yesterday. He liked today’s as well but it didn’t taste the same.
We were almost finished with dinner when at 9:15pm the sunset was shining behind to Moai so Tibor rushed out for photos, then I rushed out for a couple of photos and came back so Jennifer could rush out for photos. While Jennifer stepped to a window at the resturant to take a photo of the sunset, the waitress removed the bowl of Tibor’s fish soup broth! Oh Oh. The waitress fixed the problem by ordering another complete bowl of fish soup for Tibor. We did have a fun meal and all enjoyed the sunset.
It was just light enough to see when we walked back.
Moai on way to dinner. One place that visitors can see without a guideMoai with sunsetNicely decorated cemetery on the way back. There were Christmas lights decorating some grave sites
Other photos from the day:
We weren’t really happy to see the mouse as mice decimate native faunaThere were many colorful hibiscus plants on the island which we did likeWe were near the international airport runwayInternational airport and the main town of Hanga Roa
