Colombia: Bountiful Birding

I used to think birding was for nerds, but hear me out before you shoot me a side glance with a glare. My mind and my outlook of birding has been changed! I can remember the exact moment when it happened. I was in South Africa on safari and our ranger promptly stopped our jeep to see a bird on a tree, just off the road and perched on a branch, hesitantly looking over at us. The colors from his feet, beak, his wings, to the tip of his tail, it all stopped me and made me reach for my binoculars in the seat beside me to get a better look. I sat there thinking, mother nature, you’ve done it again. What an incredible sight! As you’ll see from my other blog posts, South Africa was a life changing trip for me and I can thank that two quick weeks for my new appreciation for birds.

They are incredible creatures in our world. Always surprising me with their beautiful feathers, different sized wingspans, legs and beaks. The calls that they make are the most intriguing! There’s nothing like it when you’re out in the wild, no noises of cars passing by or just normal city commotion to interrupt your surroundings.

In September I had the pleasure of traveling with Juan Ortiz, cofounder of The Colombian Project (also the owner of these spectacular photos). I’ve never met someone so passionate and so genuinely thrilled about birds and natural in general!! He introduced us to some very special places in Colombia and some equally special guides that share his adoration of Mother Nature’s work in the wilderness.

My first morning on this research trip was an early start, I believe we had to be in the hotel lobby and ready to go by 4:30am? They were all early morning starts, but this was pretty brutal as I had just arrived a few hours ago, because my plane arrived late. Though while I’m on vacation, I don’t mind rising with the sun, as long as there is something exciting happening- and I make sure that there is! Juan had planned for us to meet the rest of our group (other travel agents also coming to learn more about Colombia), as well as our birding guide for the day and then to jump in a large van and head for the mountains above Bogota.

After a couple of hours of going up up up, in the middle of who knows where, we arrived to the hummingbird sanctuary. We arrived shortly after the owner had gone around to each feeder and filled them up with the hummingbirds favorite meal, sugar water! We all stood still and kept our eyes on the feeders, the only movement at first was me shivering #alwayscold. Then before you saw anything, you actually heard them zoom past you, but they were so quick that you didn’t know which way they came and which way they left until they perched themselves on a branch.

Fun fact for you, or for those that don’t know… there are 147 different species of hummingbirds in Colombia. My father has always put out hummingbird feeders, so I was used to seeing our typical species in Oregon and California. I wondered how different they could all possibly be from each other. It only took minutes for us to see several different types. Some with long long tails, some short and stocky, cute little chubby guys! The one type that really amazed me was the sword-billed hummingbird which had a ridiculously long beak. Just how that bird managed to fly around and effortlessly zoom up to the feeder with such grace, was mind boggling!

Another birding morning we were just outside of the center of town in Guaviare. We parked in one corner of the town and began walking across a small pedestrian bridge. Which had just enough room for you to stand on one side of it, while scooters passed by us with the dad driving in the front and at least 2 kids sitting in the back. We looked out on each side of the bridge, scanning the horizon and in the tall grass. I never thought I’d get competitive, but it was exciting! Who would spot the first bird?! Seconds after we arrived the binoculars were already out and I saw an arm pointing out something in the distance.

With close to 1900 species of birds, Colombia is ultimately the place to be if you’re a bird lover! With all of the different and incredible regions across the country, it just depends on what type of itinerary you’re looking to enjoy and we can provide you with the trip. I trust that Juan will take care of any of my clients that I send his way and I look forward to organizing more wildlife focused itineraries!

Italy: Boisterous Bari

I was intrigued by Bari, but I don’t believe the right word for it was “excited”. At least not the same way that I’ve been excited to visit other cities. Boy was I wrong. I checked in and dropped off my luggage at the Albergo delle Nazionali, which is just across the street from the sea. I set off on foot toward the old town, having no plans but to find myself some lunch in a piazza where I could do some people watching and sipping on local wine. It’d been a busy last week and a half, so I opted to just see where the wind took me.

As I walked along the edge of the water on the sidewalk, I came up to a small port where I could see fishermen cleaning up their catch of the day. It took me a whole 3 seconds to recognize where I was. I’d seen it many times before, but not personally. Elizabeth and Sophie Minchilli visit Bari often and when they do, one of their main stops is at this port to taste test the local fish. In that moment, I sure wish I liked fish! There were tables set up, with plates full of different kinds of fish, each with a wedge of lemon on it. I sat there staring at the fish, with my camera clutched in my hands, when all of the sudden two fishermen weren’t going to let me go without asking me to buy something. When I turned them down, one of them came back right away with “buy a fish for your mamma.” I told him my mamma is in America and I don’t think the fish would like that long of a journey. By the look of surprise on his face, I think he liked my very strange response.

I bid the fishermen farewell and looked at the skyline to see which way was one of the tall towers or churches that I knew I’d probably plant myself in front of for a while. I passed a group of tourists on a walking tour, then Italian families that you could see where on holiday, pointing at a map that they had in their hands. I saw tourists on a bike tour, their fearless leader hardly looking in front of himself as he shouted back to the people behind him, in a strong German accent. By then I had made it into one of the main squares, where each restaurant is packed, side by side to each other, most with seating in the glass containers that make me feel like a fish in a fishbowl. If you’ve been to Italy, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. In one corner was an old fountain and people were lined up filling their water bottles. 

I found a small restaurant that served only meat and cheese plates and panini. No menu on the tables to be found, everything was written on chalkboards, which were hanging on the doors of the place. I took a seat, ordered a spritz and panini. I was more thirsty than hungry, but I couldn’t resist when I saw a panino go by me, the fior di latte cheese dripping from the bread. I sat and took my time at this place, I could tell it was family run and the women behind the counter were inviting and kind. I ordered a second spritz and bantered back and forth a bit with the owner. She was stunned when I told her how much aperol costs in the states! (Double that it does in Italy).

My next stop was to visit the churches in the old town. I rounded the corner and came upon my first church, which was the Basilica di San Nicola. I was immediately drawn to the entrance of the church, which still had the impressive external details, such as the two lions that are carved out of limestone. I circled both of them, in complete awe that these have somehow withstood so much time and so much ware in the weather. There they stood, intact and still fiercely guarding the doors of the church. I walked into one of the side doors and was floored at what I was looking at. Finally, a differently designed church. The arches which crossed from one side to the other of the church, were slightly off set, but obviously on purpose. It drew me in and had me gapping, literally with my mouth hanging open saying “woooow” until I realized I said it a bit too loud and a lady in front of me turned around and giggled. The ceilings were a brilliant red and gold. The paintings seemed fresh and new, so vibrant against the stone of the structure it was painted on.

I saw someone walk down a staircase to the back right of the church and proceeded to follow them, hoping that the crypt was open. It was open, but there was currently a church session or mass happening (and in Russian I believe), so I stood by the door and gazed across the crypt. Others passed me and walked straight through, taking photos without even a slight bit of hesitation. Though I’m not religious, I believe we should all have the same respect for each others beliefs and with that comes space. I took a couple of photos of the entrance, but I took my leave pretty quickly.

From the church I zig zagged through the small alley ways, making up each turn as I went. I passed by grandmothers that were planted in their folding chairs, each wearing a decorated apron and they were in their house slippers. They were chatting with someone either in the house across from them or to another person in a balcony nearby. I call those people the “Italian security guards”, always silently watching from above.

Bari certainly lacks in the rain department, so the streets aren’t as washed down as you’d hope. Though the only smells I was experiencing were coming from the kitchens with their windows open. I smelled sauces being cooked, espresso being brewed, I could hear chopping on a cutting board and a voice asking for someone to get something out of the fridge. Each of these small moments made me feel relaxed and so at home in this foreign place. There’s one thing that Italy does to each of it’s visitors, even to people that don’t claim that they are foodies- they become foodies while they are in Italy. If you ever travel to Italy and don’t eat well, you’re doing it all wrong…somehow. It’s not just about a fancy dinner reservation that you make at a Michelin star restaurant, food is a way of life, it’s a daily enjoyment of flavors and mainly of balance.

I was walking along, thinking about which way I should head next, when I came across a woman sitting outside of her home, making pasta on a table. Her head was down and she was focused, but you could tell this was a rhythm that her hands knew well. She pressed and pushed, pressed and pushed and then grabbed the next set of pasta dough that was on the side and began the same repetitive motions. Pressed to make the shape, pushed it to the side to dry. She looked up from her work and greeted me. Not in the most welcoming of ways, but more cautious as she looked from my camera to me and then at her work. She probably knew I wasn’t going to buy anything, but she asked anyways. I told her that I was still traveling for a while, otherwise I wish that I could buy the whole table of goodies. I asked if I could take a photo and she nodded and went back to work.

I continued on and just a couple of unknown turns later, I saw an old column, then two, then I realized it was a small courtyard with 6 of them. Not all completely intact, but there they stood, surrounded by apartments and cars parked next to them. Like they weren’t there at all. I walked closer and realized that the ground where the columns were, were made up of very well placed and beautiful tile. Not mosaics, but just tiles that were all placed quite differently, never mimicking the last pattern. The shapes and colors all different as well. I looked around for a sign, some kind of explanation of what this fantastic find was, but all I saw were two men, sitting on the side of the courtyard, drinking beers and passing the time. 

Just like this small courtyard, I felt like I had found a special place in Italy as well. I really enjoyed my time in Bari and I look forward to my return. Possibly even in 2019?

Colombia: Grasslands Tractor Safari

It was a late start to the day, only because I had sleepily snoozed my 4:00am alarm. While the others in the group headed off on a sunrise excursion, I was completely passed out and glued to my bed. If I’m being completely honest, it’s because I hadn’t slept much the night before. I was listening to the sounds outside of my screen (notice I say screen), because this hotel has no windows, only screens. The sounds in the night kept me up like a child on Christmas Eve, but there were no presents, just spiders and creepy crawlies that I couldn’t pronounce the names of, perhaps all hiding under my bed. I didn’t have the guts to check. Though I claim to not be a city girl, I also don’t consider myself an outdoorsy person. More of a “enjoys cocktails on outdoor patios, with optional shade.”

Where we enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner and lots of laughs.

I made my way to the dining hall that morning, which I can say more simply as an open aired building with a table, as long as a tree that sat us all together for our meals. Hot cocoa, some kind of fried dough, soup, leftover rice, beans and fruit was served. I checked through my bag one more time, knowing we were leaving at 9 and we’d back to the property around 8pm. Bug spray, check. Camera with full battery, check. Hat, check. Water, check. Rain jacket, check. Although my bag was prepared, I was feeling quite anxious. It’s not every day that you might be introduced to an anaconda. 

Here’s the property we stayed at. The only neighbors they have are the howler monkeys!

We hopped on the wooden boat to pass to the other side of the river that flowed along the side of the property we were staying at. Then there sat the horses and a tractor with a trailer attached to the back of it. I opted to go in the back of the for the trailer, since my Irish skin wasn’t completely agreeing with the heat and direct sun. It was exciting at first, I was grabbing the binoculars, looking at each bird that passed, my head went left to right and right to left, searching for any sign of wildlife in the tall grass or trees. My anxiety was gone and now I was just giddy to be back in the nature and hopeful to lay eyes on a new type of animal. Would we see the giant ant eater today, maybe the local anaconda? 

What we did see plenty of that day, were cows and capybara, which I now like to call care bears. Honestly I’m sure my guide was so over me by the end of the trip, continuously asking how to pronounce things. He finally had to write it down for some of us. Annnd it’s spelled just the way it sounds.

The capybara is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire or chigüiro.

Though I adore my camera, what you really need for a trip like this is a fantastic lens. Something you can zoom in with, otherwise you’ll end up just giving up like I did! We saw so much different wildlife, but my camera just didn’t cut it. Luckily my brain is still sharp, so I’ll cherish all of my mental images for a while longer!

As the tractor took us farther and farther away into the grasslands, I began to think…what if the tractor broke down out here?! Spoiler alert- it didn’t and we made it back safe that night.

After about an hour the tractor stopped and we hopped off to go and look for cayman and crocodiles. While all of us were sinking into the mud everywhere, losing our shoes left and right, the guides headed off to an area to search for an anaconda. Think about it for a second, how would you search for this giant snake? What kind of gear would you wear for this event? I’m thinking medieval armor and possibly a sword. Well these men head out there in some old jeans, a t-shirt and get this- WITHOUT shoes! Brave much? They poke around in the mud, literally poke at it with a long wooden stick, until the ground moves and jackpot! Unfortunately I didn’t head off in that direction to help them out, I figured everyone was better off with me about 100 yards away. Meanwhile I was sitting on the ground, chatting it up with a ground owl.

This sweet boy was actually down inside of a hole in the ground when we first wandered up. All you could see were two, brilliant, yellow eyes in the shadow, staring out at us. I was worried we were scaring him, but after a few seconds he surprised us all by scurrying up the hole and out into the sunshine. Now staring up at all of us, wondering what the heck we were doing. He gave us quite the show, hardly moving an inch as we slowly scooted on the ground closer and closer to him. The owl looked from person to person, we sat there whispering to each other and then to him. “Who’s a good boy?!”

After no such luck of finding the anaconda, we left our new friend behind and carried on in search of more wildlife. In the distance we saw the Andes, what a sight!! The rain clouds that seemed to be hovering near us all morning, finally let lose as we sat down for lunch at someones home. We ate as the rain came pouring down around the open aired patios and slowly we left the table and found a hammock to pass the time in. We enjoyed siesta time until the rain stopped and it was time to load back into the tractor and this time we were on our way to find the rare and very special ant eater.

We passed a small croc and he waited in the tall grass, standing there watching us pass him by. We saw a family of capybara, which did not care one bit about the tractor coming toward them. Then it happened very quickly, but all of the sudden one of our guides and the driver of the tractor named Don Julio, shouted to all of us in the back and he was pointing out to the left and there it was, the ant eater was slinking between the grass! He disappeared into some bushes and I wondered if that was the only glimpse that we would perhaps get to see of him. I held my breath as the tractor kicked into gear and we were on our way to attempt to get closer to him. It took us about another 5 minutes and we were actually able to see him again and he was much much closer to the tractor this time. You could see his strange, but beautiful, long, bushy tail, and his thin nose pushing through the grass. I cursed under my breath realizing how absolutely useless my photos looked, so I gave up and just watched him.

Giant Anteater, also known as Ant Bear

Did you know: The front feet bear huge claws and giant anteaters walk on their knuckles with their claws folded up into their palms for protection.

This was the perfect ending to a very long day. We headed back toward our hotel, mostly in the dark. I started to have flashbacks of my night drives in South Africa and I half expected to see large eyes staring back at me in the night. Though all we saw were owls, small crocs and eventually we were handed a cold beer and we all cheered to another fabulous day of exploring the grasslands!