Mar 9, 2020 - Day 37

I got up at 5:00am and did most of the packing since my flight back to Bogota today is at 1:30pm. At 5:30am the breakfast was served. At 6:00am I left in a taxi with the young men. After about 20 minutes we arrived a rural area. Another man joined us. I was told he is the staff at their private reserve and will be my guide. I asked the young man about the garbage problem I saw everywhere in this area. His explanation is that the Wayuu traditionally throw garbage where they please. Because years ago, it was all organic, there was no problem....

Mar 8, 2020 - Day 36

The taxi showed up at 7:30am. Zaida (grandma) and I got in. After 25 minutes we arrived the small-town Cameron. After dropping Zaida off to a house, the taxi took me another few kilometer to the house of the indigenous guide Gorge. He was not home but his sister was. While waiting I looked around and found a few species. A young man came and shook hands with me. He looked just like a farmer in China: small in size (a bit taller than me), black hair, brown skin and has a totally Asian face. I showed him a photo of a Scarlet Ibis and asked...

Mar 7, 2020 - Day 35

The sons of the housekeeper helped me with luggage to the main road. We waited a while and I boarded a bus passing by that was heading to Riohacha. I sit by an indigenous woman who wear a black simple dress with embodied front with butterflies, leaves, trees and sun. We started to talk. She said she is an Wayu and was returning home near Riohacha from Santa Marta. She makes the famous Wayu mochita (bag) and bring to Santa Marta to sell. Her daughter is 23 and is at Santa Marta. She sells the bag and goes to a school to learn English. I...

Mar 6, 2020 - Day 34

The breakfast was served at 7:00am. I still felt a bit nausea and did not want to eat much. The park nearby opens at 8:00am. When I got there, there was a long line. The park closes several times of the year per local indigenous people’s request who live inside the park. It just opened the door after closing for the entire February. There is a different price for foreigner versus Colombians. After entry most visitors opt to take the park shuttle to get to where the trail starts or horse ride could begin. I started on the 9 stone trail....

Mar 4, 2020 - Day 33

I did get up at 4:15am. My driver: the brother of Andres came at 5:30am. He is only 25. We started up the mountain. At one place we stopped to look for birds and saw 5 Kael-billed Toucans on the same tree. This is a large toucan with a multi-colored large bill. They were talking to each other and playing with each other. Not far we found a tree full of Scarlet-fronted Parakeet. They are a noisy bunch. The most productive is at a place called Tienda (shop) on the way to el Dorado lodge and reserve. They had several banana feeders and...

Mar 3, 2020 - Day 32

The guide came at 6:00am and I hopped on his motorcycle to start to head uphill to the mountains. He said his name is Richard, can speak English and knows the English, Spanish and Latin names of the birds. He is about mid-30th , mid-size and has a strong build. I told him that I rode motorcycle one once on a police motorcycle for less than 30 minutes. With the steep rocky dirt mountain road, I felt unbalanced with a heavy camera. I had no choice but to hold on his shoulder. At some places I was so scared that I simply closed my eyes. After...

Mar 2, 2020 - Day 31

Since my host at Minca cannot check me in until 1:00pm, I have the whole morning in Santa Marta. I went back to the Parque Novio to try to get a photo of the Caribe Grackle together with the Great-tailed Grackle for comparison. Both are totally black bird with white eyes. But their size is very different and the tail shape is different. I saw both together yesterday. But no luck today. There was no Great-tailed Grackle to be found there. Then, I went to the Marina to try to film the Magnificent Frigatebird. There were lots flying low...

Mar 1, 2020 - Day 30

February has passed. Today is the first day of March. The weather here in Santa Marta is almost the same everyday: sunny and very hot about 35C or 90F and humid. I went to the tourist office at 8:03am as requested. When I got there, I was told it was delayed until 9:00am. By then a few more people showed up. One of the staff walked us towards Marina and boarded a party bus. The bus was filled by 9:30am by different groups and left town. After about 30 minutes we arrived a large parking lot with several other buses. We walked along a dirt...

Feb 29, 2020 - Day 29

Got up at 6:30am. Decided to visit the near by Lover’s Park to see if I could find any birds before breakfast. In the early morning it was very enjoyable in mid-70th. There were not many birds but it has both Caribe and Great-tailed Grackle. It is a good comparison to see their differences and similarities. I wish I had my camera to take a photo when they both were side-by-side. At 8:00am I went to the Basilica nearby. After Salmon Bolivar’s death, his body was kept there for 10 years until it was returned to his birthplace in Venezuela....

Feb 28, 2020 - Day 28

I went out of the apartment at 8:00am to go to Marina Park. According to ebird it is the best spot in town for birds. I did find a few birds but not many at all. When I passed the Malecon, I saw Brown Pelican, Royal Tern, Snowy and Great Egret, Gray Heron and Magnificent Frigatebird. At the park I heard the tapping on the tree, then found 3 Red-crowned Woodpeckers. I walked on the wall again until I saw some rocky seashore. I walked there and found many Snowy Egrets following a beaching fish boat. When I went back to the apartment at...

Feb 27, 2020 - Day 27

I was eating breakfast at 6:45am. Gladys got up and made coffee for me. We talked a little about our kids. I asked why her daughter lives in Spain. She said she got a Ph.D. in social psychology and found a job there, then married. She has a twin boy and girl. They are 6 years old now. I told her my son is studying kinesiology. At 7:30am I hurried out to a hotel that I made reservation for a shuttle to go to Colombian Aviary. I found the hotel in 10 minutes and waited, waited, waited until 8:30am. I tried to call the travel company but their...

Feb 26, 2020 - Day 26

I got everything ready by 6:45am. Rey came and called a taxi. It showed up about 7:00am. When we got to the Marsol bus station, it was only 7:15am. I was told a van was leaving at 7:30am that I could get on. I started to load my luggage and realized that I left my camera backpack on the back seat of the taxi. My heart sank. It has not only all the photos I took at Colombia but my credit card and ATM card. If it could not be found, I would be in real trouble. I called Rey immediately and told him what happened. He said he would call the taxi...