hola from Tarapoto. We enjoyed one last day yesterday, Friday, at Abra Patricia lodge. The facility is great, just it is really cold there for me who had to wear 6 layers on the top,including 2 long underwear tops. We did not see any owl there, Ramiro our bird guide says that too many birders have used tapes and the owl no longer responds to tapes. They don't get very many visitors at APatricia lodge, maybe 9-14 per month. Food was fantastic as was the accommodation and soon they will be getting electricity. They use a gas generator 3 times daily. We saw a different Tayra yesterday and took more pictures. That was definitely a highlight of the place.
I forgot to mention that when we were out driving in the afternoons, we passed by the traffic cops who sometimes look over the drivers papers, but basically they just want cookies and juice . . . .
which of course we gave them.
We were up at 5.50 a.m. this morning and breakfasted at 6 - neither John nor I slept much as he coughed all night (poor guy). We left around 7.15 and then stopped only twice I think on the way to Tarapoto, which is 4-5 hours east of Abra Patricia lodge. One stop was interesting as we stopped to see some Oilbirds in a deep cavern right next to the highway and almost as soon as we stopped some locals driving by on a motorcycle/truck thing stopped, got out, and were very pushy and wanted to see what we were looking at, one young guy about 12 wanted to borrow my binoculars which of course I did not let him. We looked quickly at the birds and Ramiro said to the people that we were looking at parakeets (which we were not) as they like to use sling shots to kill oilbirds. Right after we went back to the van, the locals started throwing sticks and rocks at the birds so our driver, Baldo, shouted at him but that didn't seem to matter to the locals.
We arrived at Tarapoto around noon and Ramiro and John and I went immediately to the hospital to see a doctor, and John has an infection of the trachea so we got him some prescriptions and then returned to the hospital for the nurse to give him a shot of antibiotic called Betasporina, which is also called Ceftriaxone. Also they put in the shot Dexacort which is a cortisone drug. We have 3 other prescriptions for him to take too (another antibiotic and some antihistamines and decongestants). Hopefully this stuff will work and make him better. He gets more shots the next 2 days of the Betasporina and Dexacort.
David, Russ and Marie got us checked in and then we all relaxed at the hotel for an hour and then they all went birding but I stayed in the room (too much van therapy for me as I get so car sick at the back of the van). Our hotel is called Cerro Verde here in Tarapoto, the room is teeny weeny but luckily we are only here 2 nites and then we go to Moyobamba for 1 nite, then back to Abra Patricia for 1 nite. Lots of moving around, I will be glad to get to Panama city and unpack.
I will try uploading some photos in the next blog.
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