October 10 Wednesday We flew to Miami on a five hour flight, very smooth. We had worried about Hurricane Michael, the category 4 storm, due to hit Florida this day. The captain assured us that we were outside of the storm vicinity. In fact, we were treated to a beautiful sunset, all lavender and pink.
October 11 Thursday We landed in Rio de Janiero at 8am. Even through a blinding rainstorm on the runway Ron spotted a southern lapwing, our first Brazilian bird. Customs was easy to navigate. The taxi personnel inside the airport were quite aggressive, one girl practically leaping over the counter to get our business. Our taxi ride to the hotel was wild! We went across the city, passing and beeping and cutting across lanes. The Windsor Plaza hotel is an oasis in the madness of throngs of people and heavy traffic. Guards manned the doors, the staff were all professional, and the bellhop was dressed up in all his garb, including a little cap. After exploring the hotel and rooftop pool and patio, we showered and napped for about two hours before venturing out. There was hammering in the walls all afternoon. We walked the two blocks to Copacabana beach. Too cool for beach goers so it was mostly empty. We ate at a tiny open restaurant called El Cid. Ordered risotto, which turned out to be loaded with chicken (Portuguese: frango) and veggies, a dish big enough for two. Ron ordered fried cod balls, like round crab cakes. Our appetizer dish contained olives, fresh-baked rolls, and quail eggs. Once back in our room we rearranged the contents of our luggage and decompressed.
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| Copacabana Beach |
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| View from our rooftop patio, looking out to Copacabana Beach |
October 12 Friday Despite noise from hallway and adjoining room we slept well. The 7am breakfast buffet was so bountiful and beautifully presented. After eating, we spent some time up on the rooftop patio, birding and looking out over the rooftops to the ocean. The front desk called and said our driver was here, about 45 minutes early. Fortunately, we were packed and ready to go. Our driver spoke only Portuguese, but you could tell he was a real character who loved his job. He started communicating with me (as I was sitting next to him in the front seat) via Google Translate app on his phone. I cringed at the idea of texting while driving, but it actually worked out. He explained that all of the families lining the freeways, roads, and streets turned out for National Children's Day, a national holiday. Drivers would stop and hand out bags of candy and maybe some toys or money to the kids. We met up with Thomas who drove us the final five miles to the lodge. REGUA ( Reserva Ecolo'gica de Guapiacu) is "the premier bird watching site in the Atlantic forest– one of South America’s most bio-diverse and endemic-rich biomes." Thomas, the owner's son and hotel manager, showed us around the lodge, then hefted both of our duffel bags up to the second floor. We had the best room in the lodge, with our own private balcony overlooking the pool. Lunch, served buffet-style, had about five dishes of local foods. We were introduced to manioc, a yam-like vegetable that is shredded, dried, and cooked with plantain chunks. It basically looks and tastes like panko bread crumbs. Cassava flour is also made from manioc.
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| Buffet table at REGUA |
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| SE Atlantic Forest of Brazil, typical view |
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| Rusty-margined guan |
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| Tufted marmoset |
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| Masked water tyrant |
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| Common potoo |
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| Rufus-collared sparrow |
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| Hibiscus |
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| Blue dacnis |
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| Cocoi heron |
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| Blond-crested woodpecker |
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| Wanda & Denise |
We met a German couple, Helmut and Marie, who were staying as guests of the owners. Helmut is 83, and his passion is studying orchids. He and Nicholas (owner, and Thomas' father) traipsed the mountains around the Reserve looking for new orchids.
That afternoon we swam in the pool, a beautiful gem. The water looked crystal clear and inviting....except for the layer of "angel hair" green algae on the bottom! We tried to not stir it up, but jumped out as soon as it floated all through the water. Even though our swim was cut short, it was so refreshing. We must have been the only swimmers in a long time, because right after we left the pool area, one of the workers was right there cleaning it, performing a vacuuming and skimming miracle. We were entranced by the two hummers defending their feeders: black jacobin versus swallowtail hummingbirds.. Kiskedees talked all day long.
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| Great kiskadee |
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| Brazilian tapir |
The property around the lodge supports five "wild" Brazilian tapirs. The purpose is to reintroduce them into the wild, but the all-around feeling is that they are unlikely to leave. They have a good life right there! Ron spent the afternoon on our balcony watching and listening to all the birds in the trees. We were late for "Caipirinha Hour", a mistake we would not repeat! When we got to the dining room, everyone else was almost done eating, there wasn't even table settings for us. We ended up eating on the outdoor table, which was actually really nice. Thomas served us our drinks, which are delicious. Caipirinha is the national alcoholic drink. This is a simple drink made with tiny lime wedges, very fine white sugar, served over lots of ice cubes and cachaca, a Brazilian take on rum that distills fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses. Ron did not care for it so I got to drink his share, too. Yum! The air conditioner in our room did not work, so Thomas found a powerful fan to use tonight.. I have the usual Chinese laundry spread all over the room and porch. We are on our own for birding and exploring tomorrow.
October 13, Saturday Breakfast served at seven, the usual buffet-style of all the meals served here. Most breakfasts are basically the same: a platter of tightly rolled ham and cheese slices, bread, some kind of sweet baked goods, cereal,fresh unknown fruit juice. Sometimes a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon brought out as an afterthought when everyone is almost done eating. And the best coffee!
We always fill our water bottles from the never-empty five-gallon water dispenser in the dining room. We got ourselves all geared up for a forest hike. Long sleeves, long pants tucked into socks, hiking boots. We started out on the "yellow trail", or wetlands trail. We spent three hours in the bird blind (hide). Everything we saw was new and exciting! There were caiman and capybaras, the largest rodent in the world, about the size of a huge dog with webbed feet and no tail! Red dragonflies, large yellow butterflies, and orchids falling out of trees. The birds were quite spectacular, too!
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| Neotropic cormorant |
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| Caiman |
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| Capybara |
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| Striated heron |
Ron was in heaven photographing and scoping the large pond. It was quite hot and very sunny today. When we returned to the lodge, the pool was sparkling and inviting. Our air conditioner was working and we still had the fan. After a huge thunder and lightning storm right over the lodge we slept very well.
October 14, Sunday Noticed first thing that the pool is once again filled with debris from the storm! We spent the morning at the lodge, relaxing and birding right from our outdoor dining table. After lunch we walked the wetlands trail, and it started to rain fairly hard. We did not have our waterproof camera bags along, so we cut it short. No water that night. Ron said I used it all up on laundry in the sink! In the middle of the night we heard all the pipes filling up again.
October 15, Monday It is so peaceful here today, only six guests. Our guide for today is Kevin, a British bird guide who is volunteering here at REGUA for a few weeks.
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| Kevin |
October 16, Tuesday Our expedition today is to Sumidouro, looking for the 3-toed jacamar. Our driver is Alcine, guides Kevin and Adilei. Adilei, one of REGUA's expert guides, did get us on 80 birds. He was persistent and made sure we each saw every bird. He spoke only Portuguese but was able to tell us the English names of the birds. We drove in a spacious and comfortable Mercedes van. The good road wound up and down mountains on a sinuous route. We made several birding stops of about fifteen to forty-five minutes. We walked only around 2 miles. The ride back to the lodge seemed longer than the ride there! We stopped in Guapimirin for bathrooms and snack. Alcine bought me a treat from the bakery, a manioc and ground meat fried pastry, very delicious. This was the last evening with Chris and Dave (who we referred to as Dale as he reminded us of Dale Paulson!) We bonded nicely during their stay. Drank my caipirinhas a bit too fast!
October 17, Wednesday We walked the Wetlands Trail (Yellow Trail) this morning, and was it ever steamy! We did see some good birds including rufous-tailed jacamar, and black-bellied whistling ducks. We enjoyed a quick swim before lunch, ahhh! A new birding group of British birders arrived in time for the meal. Thomas had advised us there was to be a special barbecue today, which is why we opted change our off-site excursion until tomorrow. The food was delicious, and there was homemade ice cream for dessert. After dinner (empanadas, vegetable soup and flan) Ron joined Adele and Kevin for the giant snipe hunt. They did see both the giant and South American snipe, plus burrowing owl and tawny-browed owl.
October 18, Thursday Breakfast today was hilarious! These birders acted as if this were their last meal, stashing bunches of bananas in their pockets! We ate at 6:30 am, and the buffet included (Polly-made) ham and cheese paninis, bacon, grapes and papaya, and fresh coffee. We drove with our young Portuguese-speaking driver in the Mitsubishi truck to Macae' de Cima, a private reserve in the cloud forest. Took some awesome photos of orchids growing wild on the property. Helmut identified them.
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| Oncidium marshallianam |
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| Miltonia caneatum |
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| Lime tree |
We decided to have Kevin be our bird guide rather than Adilei. We thought the day would be more enjoyable with Kevin, and Ron told him that one lifer would be a good day! The road soon degenerated as we climbed up, becoming quite steep and muddy. We walked about two miles on the road in the high montane forest. Once the bellbird started singing and calling, his bonks filled the air. At the reserve the heavy mist turned into rain, and the wind picked up. We actually wore our rain gear. Various hummers were feeding from the flowering bushes. There was a beautiful fruiting tree heavy with limes. We had a massive lunch of sandwiches, granola bars, candy bars, nuts, sodas. We got back to the lodge around 2pm and enjoyed another dip in the pool. Ron and Kevin then birded the yellow trail. We got our duffel bags packed for the trip back to Rio tomorrow.
October 19, Friday As I made our breakfast paninis, there was a lively debate as to the correct way of making them. Andy, a British guide who now lives in Rio, and Kevin and I discussed the pros and cons of cheese on the inside or the outside, or both, and if there is ham allowed inside the bread. We relaxed around the table, drinking coffee, enjoying our last day here at REGUA. All the other guests left on their excursions.
Ron spent a few hours back on the observation tower while I sat on the veranda. Lunch was beef stuffed with sausage, rice, scalloped squash, watercress, and mango fruit salad. We settled our bill with Thomas. This included our five off-site excursions and drinks. We left around 2pm for the trip back to Rio. My Fitbit battery was not working properly and I tried to ask our driver if he could stop somewhere on the way so I could buy a replacement. Although he spoke no English, I know he understood but had no intention of interrupting the trip. He dropped us off at our new hotel, Vila' Gale'. The hotel is situated in a tightly packed old downtown neighborhood, with all the buildings connected, on a busy street. Ron had asked me not to look it up prior to the trip as he wanted something about it to be a surprise. We pulled up to a pink building with lovely flower boxes on the front windows. There was a doorman, valet, and bellhop waiting to help us. Behind the front doors was another world, a peaceful hidden oasis with pristine marble floors, and a massive outdoor pool surrounded by gardens. Unfortunately, it was raining and too cool to swim.
We walked a few blocks to find the electronics store, like Radio Shack, and bought my battery. A few blocks further we chose a restaurant. Most of the stores, bars, and restaurants opened directly from the sidewalks, with patrons mingling outside. Many cafes had someone outside, calling to passersby to come on in. We saw a large barbecue, everything smelled delicious. We sat far back in, away from the street noise. Ron ordered frango (chicken) stroganoff, a popular dish we had eaten before. I ordered beef skewers. As usual, the portions were massive and we should have shared. I thought I had ordered the wrong thing because my plate only contained fries and farofa (manioc and plantains). Then, when we were almost done, my meat and chicken skewers and salad/salsa were brought out. Then Ron realized he only had 55 reals, luckily our meal came to 54,50! (about $14)
We got to sleep early, maybe 8:30pm since we had to leave at 3:30am. We were woken up less than an hour later by loud partying neighbors. No soundproofing at all in the walls! The party continued all night long.
October 20, Saturday We had arranged the night before for a taxi to the airport. Good thing we got to the front desk a bit early because they thought we were going to the international airport (GIG). We actually needed the domestic airport SDU (Dumont), so the doorman just hailed us a regular taxi. Couldn't believe the street parties at 4am! Hundreds of people walking around every block. Vendors set up along the streets were actually selling alcohol. The airport was not far away. We were checked in by a very nice agent.. We ate breakfast at a quiet cafe, empanadas and juice and coffee (served in those mini cups!). We arrived in Cuiaba' at 10:30am after a smooth flight. We found out there was a one hour back time change.Taxis were lined up and the drivers were hanging around. We tried to get a taxi to Taina' Hotel, but the driver instead called the hotel and asked for their shuttle service. When our car arrived, they waved us over to it. All were very nice and polite. As it turned out, we actually could have walked to the hotel, it was right outside the airport parking lot. We walked a few blocks to a buffet (what else?!) restaurant for lunch. Very good food with many meat choices. After lunch we slept for a few hours, feeling the effects of the short noisy night. Texted Lelis that we had arrived, and made plans to meet in the lobby at 6:30pm. We met Terry and Sally first, then Lelis arrived. He informed us that Bobbi was delayed for a day, her Denver flight was cancelled. She will join us tomorrow evening. We walked a few blocks to the Airport Grille for dinner. What an experience! We started with the massive salad bar, which included many hot dishes as well. Lelis explained churrascaria, Brazilian barbecue. A token is placed in front of your plate, green side up. Every few minutes the servers come around with large skewers of grilled meat. If you want it, you use a small tong to hold on to the top of the meat as it is sliced onto your plate. When you are done eating, simply flip the token to the red side. We had a lively meal getting to know one another. We arranged to meet for breakfast at 6am tomorrow.
October 21, Sunday Breakfast at Taina' Hotel was a culinary feast. Ron's favorite dish was a 4-layer chocolate cake. A festival of baked goods included pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese puffs), other pastry stuffed with meats and cheese, Italian bread wrapped around meat and cheese. Then then were eggs, bacon, ham, panini makings, fruit tray, soup, various hot and cold meats, cereals, fresh juices. There was constant resupply from the kitchen staff. Oh my! Our driver, San (short for Santos) was waiting for us after. We rode in his meticulously clean Mercedes van. The actual drive time to Pousada Pouso Alegre in the Pantanal took about two hours. We stopped about five times at various birding areas. A fun sighting was a male rhea with about a dozen chicks. Almost every bird we saw was a lifer. It was a wonderful introduction to the Pantanal.
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| Water hyacinths |
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| Greater rhea |
Our rooms at the lodge were clean and quaint. We met in the dining lodge at 7pm for the daily countdown. Bobbi arrived after dark. There were many guests, and it was a race for the food line. Each group we met along this trip were basically defined by their nationality. We joked that the tall Swedes, who were the first in line, had never before seen food. Our group was last to eat.
October 22, Monday We met up at 5:30am for a bird walk around the property. Breakfast at 6:30, more birding at 7:30. Lunch at 12:30, another bird walk at 3pm, 7pm countdown , 7:30 dinner (we were not last tonight!), asleep by 9pm. I will mention that the heat and humidity were like nothing we had ever encountered. Even though there were few bugs and mosquitoes, we were vigilant about long pants tucked snugly into our socks over boots.
October 23, Tuesday Same start as yesterday, but after breakfast we piled into Luis's truck for a ride to the river. It was a wild and bumpy ride. There were two rows of seats bolted to the top of the pickup bed, and we held on for dear life! As we drove through the woods on the narrow muddy road, the folks in front would yell "duck!" and we doubled over to avoid being slapped in the face from all the tree branches and fronds!
We stopped at the boat owner's house to pick up our river guide, a teen aged boy. The boat was big enough for the 7 of us, but Lelis and the guy had to paddle. The highlight was a family of giant otter swimming and playing. After our bumpy ride back, we showered and met for lunch at 12:30. Then we had a 3 hour siesta.
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| Typical cerrado road |
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| Tapir tracks |
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| Sunset |
We met again at 4:45 for our bird walk, 7pm countdown, 7:30 dinner, 8:30pm night ride back in the truck. We looked for night mammals and birds. The first one we saw was a Brazilian tapir, then the red eyes of numerous caiman. We saw potoo on fence posts and trees, lots of nightjar on the road, and a crab-eating fox. Ron and Bobbi sat inside of the truck, hoping to photograph. Lelis stood leaning over the cab with a powerful light. It was a thrilling ride.
October 24, Wednesday Same start to our day: 5:50 bird walk, 6:30 breakfast (Swedes have left, so the buffet line is easier to navigate!). Once again, I started the "panini parade" for our group. Good thing it is a large grill because there were four sandwiches on it at the same time).
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| Dawn |
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| Caiman |
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| Black-fronted nun bird (photo by Lelis Navarette) |
We spent the rest of the morning organizing, packing, napping and relaxing. Oh yes, and itching! The dining room has the only Wi-fi zone, so I spent some time trying to send a voice file to MK so she could play the bird songs back to mom. Supposedly, if there are too many people connected at one time the system slows down. We joked back and forth to whoever was around that they were stealing our Wi-fi!
October 25, Thursday Usual morning routine: Up at sunrise, run outside to catch a photo, fill our water bottles from the communal jug, bird until breakfast. There are certain elements at the buffet table that we have seen everywhere. Always a platter of tightly rolled up slices of thin ham and cheese, panini maker, fruit, eggs (usually those appear when we're almost finished eating), beans, red chunky gravy, coffee and juice. We had our last bird walk here at Pousada Alegre. After lunch we paid up our "bar tab" and tips to Luis and staff. Everyone else said they only needed 15 minutes to pack. Good thing we had everything ready to go. Ron has not feeling well since yesterday. We both like a more relaxed pace. We had a long ride in the van to our next hotel, Pousada Vento Sul (Hotel South Wind). Our rooms at the pousada (literally means a place to stop) are large and clean. We each have a separate cabin, with a comfy hammock outside on our patio, a shared courtyard across from the dining room. A beautiful pool and patio behind the dining hall complete this paradise.
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| Hibiscus |
October 25, Thursday Our 5am breakfast was a delight!. Pastries freshly baked and hot eggs were perfect. It was a first class meal. Ron continued to feel sick so he skipped breakfast and our morning bird trek. We walked a sandy road outside of town for about two hours. There were some colorful and dramatic flowering trees and plants. We did see some new hummers. We went back to the hotel for a short break and Ron joined us for the next phase. He had slept a bit and enjoyed sitting on the patio, despite a chainsaw working next door. Lelis took us on a long slow walk (birder's pace) on a shadier road. It is actually a bird sanctuary surrounded by beautiful homes set behind fences and trees. A black and yellow grasshopper landed on my shirt to the delight of everyone. We saw a small snake in the road.
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| Cerrado |
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| Chestnut-eared aracari |
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| Capped heron |
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| Cattle tyrant |
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| Scaled dove |
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| Yellow-billed cardinal |
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| Chaco chacalaca |
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| Jabiru |
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| Coatamundi |
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| Bare-faced currasow |
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| Bare-faced currasow |
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| White-lipped peccary |
Our buffet lunch in town was fun. There was a bottle with a spigot and small cups at the start of the line. I assumed it was a special olive oil since all the other places we had eaten offered it. So I told the others what it was. They proceeded to pour it over their salads. After tasting it I thought it tasted weird, and Lelis informed us that it was rum! Of course I enjoyed drinking it up and everyone had a good laugh at their rum salad dressing! Afternoon trip to Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park. The area resembles Utah Canyonlands with red rock formations and steep canyons. There was an enormous thunderstorm brewing as we hiked to the overlook. We saw the magnificent macaws and parrots flying around the waterfall. We made it back to the van just in time for the storm to hit.
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| Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park |
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| Blue-winged macaw |
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| Terry, Sally, Lelis, Bobbi |
October 26, Friday After our delightful breakfast we drove off by 5:45am.
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| All this food prepared for our group of 7, set out by 5:30am |
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| Barred antshrike |
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| Green-headed tanager |
October 27, Saturday We were up at 3:15am. The shuttle trip was about 5 minutes long! We ate ham and cheese croissants for breakfast. The plane trip was uneventful, we even had an empty seat next to us. GOL Airlines is a great company to use despite terrible reviews of their app. We actually enjoyed the three-hour layover in Brasilia. The airport is lovely and modern, and we found an empty room to ourselves. The worst part of the day has been the increase of chigger bites and itching. I don't have a clean pair of long pants, and it is embarrassing to show these red blotchy swollen legs! Ron has bites also but not as bad. Ron is so rummy that he walked into the women's bathroom! Fortunately, there were no screams, just a few disapproving women waiting outside when he emerged! The best meal ever at the airport: McDonald's quarter pounders! We saw a nun running through the airport and started laughing, thinking of Sister Mary Hot Lips! We arrived back at the Windsor Plaza Hotel in Rio around noon. We promptly crawled under the covers and slept for three hours. After that we went in search of food. One block away we found the perfect pizza place. I ordered one last caipirinha (delicious!)
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| The dregs of my caipirinha |
That night we slept ten hours straight!
October 28, Sunday Can't say this enough, but the breakfast buffet was phenomenal! We wanted to tour the botanical gardens, and we found out that our hotel offers a car service. We arranged a late checkout. Our driver dropped us off at noon and agreed to return in three hours. The extensive gardens were beautifully maintained. We toured almost all of it, and my favorite part was the orchid and bromeliad houses. Ron loved seeing the toco toucans again. We panicked a bit when we couldn't find our exit, but fortunately we had given ourselves plenty of time to make our way back. Our driver came right on time. He also drove us back to the airport at 4:30pm.
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| Iconic Christ the Redeemer statue |
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| Channel-billed toucan |
Birds seen:
243 species
153 lifers
