Prologue-A Paraque's Dream

As promised, I begin my journals today on Guatemala.  This blog post is about getting ready for these big trips.  They always start with an idea. Then they are followed by a financial plan.  Doubt and anxiety are followed.  Most of us call this a vacation.  For me, it's escaping into a new world full of unknowns.  I find that the older I get, the more anxious I become about those unknowns.  I've been on enough of these trips to prepare for those feelings.  And yet.......

Sun rising over the Avocado farms

I fall in between the lines of young and old. Many times on these trips, I'll come across the younglings who have just graduated from high school or are in the middle of college.  It's grand being a young person.  You know everything and everything is soooooo.....you know......cool!  It's like......spiritual.  To prepare for these "free spirited" people, I now try to remove myself from the kinds of places they stay. It doesn't always work. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not antisocial.  But I've been there and done that in my life.  Sadly, for many young people, it's their last big international party before settling down, getting married and having kids.  They have opinions about everything and of course will list off all the places they've traveled in this world to make themselves appear much more intelligent.  Later at night, they will drink lots, speak loudly, and have plenty of free love.  This is the way of the dirty hostels:)  And I admit that when I was their age, it was pretty damned exciting.  But one grows older........

Rufous-collared Sparrow

I avoid these places as much as I can, but as you can imagine, some towns don't always offer these accommodations.  And then you're stuck.  Such was the case in Panama several years ago.  The drunk young ones declared they would be rafting in the morning. We've heard a thing about drinking and driving or texting and driving, etc.  I'd like to add to that list, "Drinking and Rafting".   Needless to say, I did not go on their raft as they had flipped it several times.  I don't know how many panicked kids we pulled out of the water, but it was fun utilizing our safety procedures until I went in trying to help someone out of the water in the middle of the rapids!  It was an adventurous day.

Howler Monkey

So this time, I planned for some quiet and magical places where my thoughts were my own. The night before my trip, I dreamed of birds. I sat at the internet and researched all the birds asking myself, "Can I find all these birds?  Will I be able to enjoy this stay without birds taking over my mind? I dreamed that I was a Paraque.  I flew everywhere.  Seeing everything. Nothing could hide from my night vision.  I knew where to find them all.  As I flew back at dawn, I saw Red Crossbills drinking from a fountain!  Since I've begun this birding quest, I find myself fighting to keep sane. On this trip, I brought my first ever hummingbird feeder.  Would I remember to look up and breathe?

Groove-billed Ani

It was a strange dream.  You know the ones that make you cry?  In this dream, my mother gave me a wooden bug cage that I used once to capture butterflies, spiders and flies.  The gift came from my deceased Grandmother a long long time ago.  But the cage was now open and I remember my Grandmother smiling. I held the item in my hands and began to weep.  I woke up with tears staining my pillow case.  It was one of those intense dreams that kept me up for the remainder of the early morning hours.

Black Vulture

How many times have I gone to so many countries and never really watched birds? I've spent my entire life learning about people and their habits. But now it's different.  I'm finding myself  pulled in the opposite direction.....away from people.  It is precisely why I returned to Guatemala a second time.  I remember birds everywhere while we were on this trip and yet I was only focused on photography.  As of 2011, much of my work was photography based on cultural trends or themes. My friend Lynda reminded me to expand my views and hopefully, I'll present something new and fresh beyond birds. Over the next several months, I'll weave in these adventures and reports with my current AZ treks. There is a lot to share! More to come....

Inotawa Lodge

Talk about lucking out!!!  We were the only 2 people staying at this lodge for about a week!  It was quiet and relaxing the entire time. Today, we are going to look into this incredible place that is located off the Tambopata river near the Manu Reserve! A lot of people think that these ecolodges are just places to sleep, but they offer much more than a bed.   We had a guide by the name of Robin who was a local from the area.  Our experience was enhanced by his knowledge of the forest. The lodge is situated on a patch of forested land off the river.  We docked our boat and climbed up some wooden stairs.  A hike on a shaded path would eventually lead us to the beautiful and open Inotawa lodge where we would spend our nights under a mosquito net. 

I smile to myself as I remember how traumatized I was by the influx of monkeys around us.  Our room was open to the wild so at night I would turn on my light everytime I heard something.  One night it was our resident howler monkey, Pepe, digging in my backpack.  He took off with my underwear and socks.  The next night I heard some fluttering next to my net....again I turned the light on.  A HUGE bat was floating next to my head! I quickly shut the light off.  Yet another night, there were strange noises walking around in our room, but it wasn't the monkey......it was something else.  I learned to keep the lights off for a good nights sleep:) Strange critters walked around the forest while we hung out in our hammocks.  I'd be chilling and looking out into the woods between our excursions and see a weird animal come out from hiding.  There were several critters that looked like crosses between rabbits, pigs, rats, cats, and racoons.  Today I think I could identify them better, but because it was my first time into the Amazon, I hadn't expected seeing these bizarre animals. 

It was really a wonderful experience.  Inotawa makes some great meals.  Plus our guide ate with us and spoke about anything and everything.  Robby,or pronounced "Row-be", spoke only Spanish (which was a requirement for us on this trip) told us of his days as a poacher until the old man(a ghost) of the forest attacked him and threw him to the ground.  He was given one chance to correct his mistakes and so he chose to educate people about nature.  Normally, I wouldn't believe this stuff, but while he told his story, his hands shook and he became nervous.  He made me believe that there was a "Pacha Tata"(Old Man of the Forest/protector of all living things) and a "Pacha Mama"(Mother Nature or Lady of the Lake).  He believes that if the Amazon and other similiar places are wiped away from this Earth, we will have destroyed ourselves and the magic that lies within our world. Scary stuff.

The lodge is fun because there are trails all around it.  Just be careful where you step as we were attacked by ants in the darkness while searching for bugs.  I heard my friend yell out, "ouch! ouch!" and then I found myself burning up around the leg area.  We turned our headlamps on and discovered big ants on our legs and the bites hurt for days afterwards.  I still have a "souvenir" scar from that trip.  We also discovered where the Harry Potter tarantulas lived while not on set for the movies.  They lived here in the forest.  Now let me explain.  We have tarantulas in Tucson, but these hairy Peruvian monsters could do some damage.  There was a nest in the ground and Robin poked it gently with a stick.  8 spiders came out! And they were HUGE. I'd like to state on the record that I am not so much a bug person. One time a coworker of mine found a dead tarantula in her garden and put it in my microwave.  Yeah....not cool. Scorpions or spiders give me the heebie jeebies.

We saw plenty of caiman around the area.  This is a skull of the endangered black caiman.  There is an area on the front patio area(seen below) with a display of fossils and other interesting items to look at while waiting for your next excursion.

If there ever was a mascot or creature that owned the lodge, it would be Pepe.  Sometimes he was on a leash while other times he broke free and protected the property from other animals.  I think I learned to respect the power of a monkey on this trip.  He'd want me to pet him and when I stopped, Pepe would grab my hand and force me to continue.  Well, if I didn't want to pet him, he would get angry and try to kill me.  Not really:)  But he would get angry when you didn't focus all your energy on his stinky orange self:)  We really liked him a lot.  But my friend Jen really went ape over him and they hung out a lot taking siestas on the hammocks. I'll be honest, Pepe needed a shower.  On our last day, we caught him raiding the fruit bowl as seen below.  If you keep your eyes open, you'll see lots of monkeys all over the place.  During our breakfast sessions, these catlike Tamarin monkeys would try and get the bananas in the cabinet next to the table.  They threw the fruit out to them when the bananas started to get a little ripe.  Our fruit bowl consisted of some amazing selections. There weren't just bananas, apples, or oranges.  I don't remember what all the strange fruits were called, but there was a fruit from the tomato family that quickly became my favorite!

This is a terrible pic of me below, but it's the only one we have of the crew.  Robin was an amazing person who would turn out to be our favorite guide from this trip.  There were 3...Robin of the Amazon, Weynon of the Inka Trail, and Zhe(a throwback from the 70's TV show Chips with a little bulging eye syndrome going on and Farrah Faucett sunglasses).  All of our guides were great, but Robin was a genuine individual who after all these years is still fondly remembered from our Peru adventures.

Finally, I'd like to say that I suffer the "Oprah" syndrome.  There were times when I was skinny and times, like now, were I could stand to lose some weight....like in these pictures. These were taken back in 2008.  Today I'm working on getting myself back into better shape.  It's difficult.  I love all food and my genes, which stem from the Shire(aka Wisconsin) make me who I am.  Slowly I accept these things about myself, but it is a constant battle to keep myself healthy.  My people are hobbits and I'm Bilbo Baggins....I left the Shire for adventure.  The rest of my family, all 12! AND their many little Shirelings, have remained in Two Rivers and Manitowoc. Some call me the Black Sheep, but that has a negative tone to it. My entire family and I have a great relationship.  I'm just a guy who wanted heat, sun, and the ability to garden all year round. How does that make me a black sheep? Maybe it's because I like my Mexican food WITHOUT sour cream.  I'll never know:) But my point?  Peruvian food is divine and I ate a lot of it!  I'll be getting into some of the unique dishes in several days.

Here is some useful info on this wonderful lodge.  I highly recommend staying here if you are looking for a positive experience outside of the Manu Reserve.  Bring your camera because you'll need it!!!  There were several Scarlet Macaws that hung out in several of the trees near the lodge.  Wildlife is all around you.

http://www.inotawaexpeditions.com/

Monkey Business

The White Capuchin Monkey

What would a rain forest trip be without seeing monkeys?  Everyone goes expecting to see them and some people succeed.  My first time in the rain forest was the most disappointing because I NEVER got a good look at them.  They were high up in the trees and fast moving.  Over the years, I discovered that early mornings, sunsets, water and fruit were attractions for lots of monkeys.  But you had to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.  Today is a fun post with A LOT of pics from the Wildlife Rescue and Rehab center known as La Jungla which is run by Dorothy "aka Queen of the Jungle".  She originally hails from Florida and began working the wildlife rehab in Boquete. Here are some random and fun facts from my travels abroad observing both wild and "tame" monkeys.  

First off, I have to mention that I went through massive withdrawals without my 5 cats.  So when I was at this rehab, I spent too much time with these very active monkeys.  Both of the monkeys in this particular area were former pets from owners who no longer had space for them.  They played as if they were siblings and it was really cute.  Handling monkeys is a strange experience....because they have tails that act like a 3rd hand.  They are also quite intelligent and possess skills that no ordinary dog or cat has. You have to wonder why people would kill or trap such a magnificent animal that is in so many ways like us.

Here he is on my arm for a brief moment before jumping off.  On this particular trip, I witnessed wild capuchin on Coiba Island.  They were throwing mangos at our cabin in the morning.  I'll show those pics during the Coiba highlights post.  Capuchin monkeys are very curious creatures.  In the wild, they watch from a distance.  As former pets, they are like a younger brother or sister:) I imagine my cabinets and fridge at home and the food all over the floor!!

This look(above) was for the camera....as in stop taking pics of me!  Panama has several species of monkeys which also include the very loud howler monkeys.  My first experience with a howler was with Pepe in the Amazon.  He was smelly, big, and at times dirty.  At night, he would take my underwear out of my backpack along with other clothes.  In the morning I would wake up to find them all over our bungalow!  Howlers have a very scary call that can send chills up and down your spine, but they are, for the most part, peaceful creatures.  One day we found Pepe eating out of a fruit bowl.  I filmed some video and it's on this blog from last year.  Just type in Peru and the Amazon and you should be able to find that vid.  In Panama, there are two types of howler....one is brown while the other is black and only found on Coiba island.  They are commonly found in most places where there is rain forest.

This is my friend Desiree.  Our Capuchin friend bounced all over the place because he was excited to see us.  Now that normally isn't the case in the wild.  Monkeys have been known to throw their feces at people from above.  They've also been known to bite.  In Cape Verde, during my Peace Corps years, I remember watching a green monkey attack a woman with a broom on top of her roof while trying to do her laundry.  I tried to keep a straight face while teaching the very boring English language. 

This guy was fast.  The White Faced Capuchin is also commonly found in Panama wherever there is rain forest.  While I question wildlife rescue and rehab places anywhere I go(including my own country), I do see a need for them.  Here's a thought to ponder.  It has been known that poachers will kill an animal for their fur and then discover a litter of babies.  They then take these babies to rehab centers and ask for money or they'll kill them.  I don't know what the answer to this is because my mother was/is kind of a rescue person for parrots herself.  People really need to think about what they're doing when they adopt a macaw or monkey!!  My house is full of macaws and African Gray parrots that were raised from eggs donated to my mother because the owners could no longer care for them.  My concern for this particular issue is....what happens when my parents pass?  Someone on this trip gave me the idea that I need to sit down with them and have a will made up for these magnificent birds....perhaps a local zoo where they could educate kids and live a full life?   Do you see the dilemna? If you don't know, parrots usually outlive their owners.  My 5 other siblings have expressed concern over these "other members" of our family.  I got the sense that Dorothy didn't do this kind of business, but she did say that lots of people now come to visit her because they have these animals that they no longer want.  What would you do?  I'm an animal lover and when an animal is hurt or suffering, my heart bleeds.  I'll do anything for them.  Why?  Because animals are pure beautiful beings. 

Here I am with my arms full of sand fly bites and two monkeys playing.  The bottom monkey is the "mono titi" or the squirrel monkey.  He is endangered unfortuneatly unlike his companion. They both wanted attention and were wrestling me for it.

This pic with Desiree reminds me of how my cats look at me when I am on the couch relaxing.  Look at that squirrel monkey's face!!

Human to monkey ratio.

Lots of monkey love! This little guy decided to eat banana and get it all over my shirt.  No table manners at all:)

Exhausted after playing with us for awhile.

The Jungla Rescue and Rehab is 20 minutes away from downtown Boquete. There was a black monkey that was severely beaten by its former owner and is currently in the rehab area.  There was a Tamarin monkey as well.  He was a bit shy, but I did get a nice shot of him.  Dorothy had several birds including a scarlet macaw.  Of these two species, both are critically endangered in the wild habitat of Panama.  Panama is certainly not Costa Rica in that it has decimated a lot of rain forest for agriculture. Different needs from different countries.  I'll get into more of that later on. But you do need to think about this....Costa Rica's number one focus is tourism.  Panama's is agriculture.  Only now is Panama trying to attract more tourists to the country and protecting several large and unexplored areas of rain forest....which is a postive thing.  The Tamarin monkey can still be found in the very dangerous and unexplored  Darien Gap.  We couldn't get there due to the heavy rains which flood most of this area during this time of year.  The Scarlet Macaw has a large colony that is increasing on the sacred island of Coiba.  I will be able to take you there.....all I can say is that it was magical.  When you walk into primary forest, nothing in the world prepares you for the sights and sounds of unmapped jungle.  We had a great time at Jungla and I'd like to thank Dorothy for the opportunity to get an up close and personal view of many amazing jungle critters. While we were there, several possums were being relocated to farms to help with the poisonous snake issues (because possums eat snake...and pretty much everything else:).  They found the family of possums in a home and normally they would be killed, but Dorothy convinced the homeowners that they could be relocated....and they were.    I created 4 videos that I will be presenting over the course of the next several weeks. Several video shots will include our visit to this very fun center.

the Tamarin Monkey with my Canon.....I love my camera!

This monkey is very shy in the wild. He did like marshmellows:) The Tamarin monkey is on the lower end of the totem pole when it comes to dominance in the rain forest.  Other monkeys will attack and kill these little guys.  Therefore they go to bed earlier than most monkeys.  They also sound like birds chirping in the wild allowing themselves to go unseen by predators.

Jungla Wildlife Rescue & Rehab

                                                                         Dorothy

Telephone 6968-6010

info@jungladepanama.org

A donation is asked at the door

More tomorrow friends....

La Amazona

My friend Jen and I had the pleasure of meeting a local by the name of Pepe.  He quickly fell in love with Jen.  Howler Monkeys are amazing creatures.

While digging through papers for my taxes, I found two more rolls of film.  They are the very last remnants of my old camera.  During my trip to the Amazon in 2008, I filmed our locations using 3 different cameras.  Here are several more shots of our experiences in the Amazon rain forest.....

I hate rolls of film because you are kind of "blind" when taking the shots.  This pic above is of a morphos butterfly in its' natural setting.  Here's the close-up.  Look below.  See if you can spot this large electric blue butterfly with its' wings closed.

Camouflage is found among the forest's inhabitants.

We woke up super early to get this shot. Note the following...white steam rising from the rain forest floor. This was one of the many beautiful moments of the rain forest.

The Walking Tree that moves several inches every year.

Endless miles of jaguar, caiman, macaw, tapir, capybyra dominated rivers.....

The only way into the forest is by canoe or boat. Your mind goes empty by the natural beauty which surrounds you.

A breeze under the shade of your long canoe along the river allows you to snap pics of monkeys and other fauna without disturbing their habitat.

Some fun in the jungle

Butterflies love clay along the river.....

Incredible shots of color

Follow the stairs up and discover a whole new world!

Hope you enjoyed these pics.  Spring is just around the corner:)