Venezuela-Caracas

Amy, Dan, Leonard, Carol

Three toed sloth


On January 31 we flew to Caracas for a 16 day birding trip to various areas of Venezuela that offered a great diversity of birds. The trip was through Victor Emanuel Nature Tours [VENT] and the leader was David Ascanio, a Venezuelan who was a co-leader on our trip to the Amazon of Peru last year, and an outstanding birder. We went with friends Carol and Leonard who we had been with on other birding trips. After flying all night [not my favorite thing] David picked us up at the airport and since we could not check into our hotel until 3pm we headed out to El Avila National Park [http://www.birdvenezuela.com/birding_el_avila.htm] in the mountains surrounding Caracas. We were tired from the long flight but that was soon forgotten when we immediately started finding new and colorful birds…and a sloth. We ended the day with 48 species, many of them common, but some difficult to find, including the black-throated spinetail and Caracas tapacoula which are both endemics.

Caracas is a city of 8 million people, with all the sights and sounds of a big city….including automobile exhaust fumes. The price of gas is 12 cents a gallon [huge government subsidies] and people drive everywhere and all the time. Plus, the gas is 91 octane and there are minimal pollution control devices on the vehicles so air quality becomes an issue. Traffic congestion is major and it takes a long time to get anywhere, so I was happy on day 2 when our group of 6 birders and 2 guides left the city and headed into the country for more birding adventures.

Slate throated whitestart

Blue capped tanager

Golden breasted fruiteater

Groove billed toucanet

Rufous tailed jacamar

Hotel Tamanaco-Caracas

Caracas at night

Mardi Gras Parade

For Mardi Gras some of us in the RV park decided to have our own parade. Those of us who had trikes decorated them with streamers etc, and then all of us wore masks, beads and had noise makers. We then paraded around the park either walking or riding, and throwing candy, coins, beads etc to the residents who came out to watch us. It was a lot of fun. We then had a party with tons of good food, and of course, various selections of booze.

Upon returning from our Venezuela trip we found the garden had grown like mad. The weather had been cool, with rain and the cool weather crops I planted did well. When looking for seeds last fall, I had a hard time finding any so when I found some turnips instead of lettuce, I thought I would try them also. I don't like them too well, but a couple of friends here do, and I had the space to plant them. They are now large enough to pick, and I have become a convert to raw turnips. They are so mild and taste kind of like mild radishes. Dan won't try them, but that is OK.....more for me. We have had tons of lettuce and really enjoyed all the good salads with lettuces that did not spend a week on a truck before it got to our dinner table. Looking forward to doing the same thing at home.

We are leaving here March 1 to head home. There is a lot of organizing to do before we hit the road so we have started the process. We enjoy being here but it will be nice to be at home also.