Argentina, October, 2010

Tue, Oct 5 Departed  7:40 PM JFK, terminal 4; TAM Linhas Aereas JJ8081; Long flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil, Guarulhos International Terminal, arriving at 6:40 AM; Departed 9:35 AM (an hour late) TAM Linhas Aereas JJ8000; arrived Buenos Aires 11:25 AM  

Wed., October 06:
Arrived at Ezeiza International Airport , where our guide, Lucas Marti, was waiting holding up a sign with our names. Changed some money at the Argentine National Bank Lucas recommended, and our driver, Rinaldo, took us to the Lafayette (www.lafayettehotel.com/ar) , a very nice business hotel in the heart of the city. Unpacked and left for Costanera Sur Nature Reserve. We had a not-so-hot dinner (overcooked steak) at the hotel, then to bed for a solid eight hours.

Costanera Sur –The hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires are lost in the cooling mood of the only ecological reserve in the city, the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur. A stone’s throw away from the trendy, modern Puerto Madero and you find yourself walking along the park’s pathways littered with nuzzling couples, parrillas, and more pigeons than you can throw a stick at. The Costanera Sur’s walkway borders the front of the reserve and from there you can see the greater landscape that opens up into the park. The walk itself is entertaining, with beautiful architecture and sculptures, casual food stands and dozens of pickup games of futbol. Our initial examination of the swampy marshland was only an introduction to the many more birds, especially ducks, and interesting views that we saw within. During its construction in the mid-20th century, remnants of demolished buildings and construction debris were discarded into the Rio de la Plata . Gradually the debris, mixed with sand from the river began to create the marshy foundation for what is now the reserve. Soon, the plants began to grow, and, not long after, the birds followed. The ecological park is the result of this interesting history, and a great location for observing that fascinating border where city and country convene. We did the entire walk around the reserve. From the park’s entrance a quick look back gives a different view with the city stretching up behind it. The Rio de la Plata borders this edge of the reserve and boats can be seen sailing in the distance.  

Thu., October 07:
Off at 6:30 for a full day birding northern pampas to Otamendi and Ceibas. Very full day. Back at 7:30 pm . Had a very good dinner (parilla, a speciality of grilled meats (short ribs, blood sausage, steak, veal, chicken, etc) for Jerry and sweetbreads for Gail at El Parador 1820, Tucuman 501. Slept very well.

The Pampa is an extensive humid plain shared by Argentina , Uruguay and Brazil . In Argentina , the Pampa Grassland covers an area of more than 50 million hectares in the central part of the country. This unique habitat is well represented in the Province of Buenos Aires , where birders and naturalists can enjoy nature in a diversity of wildlife reserves spread throughout its territory. The Argentine Pampas are well known around the world mainly by the famous “Gauchos” -Argentine equivalent to the North American cowboys- and for the supreme quality of the Argentine beef, which is mainly produced in the “Estancias” (cattle farms), located in this part of the country. Ceibas and Otamendi offer a unique opportunity to explore a diversity of Pampas ’ ecosystems, including grasslands, riverine forests, marshlands and thorny woodlands.

Fri., October 08:
Breakfast at hotel, then drove about 350 km to the Southern Pampas and San Clemente , arriving about 6:30 . On the way, we stopped many times and saw many birds. It is here where the Bay of Samborombón and Punta Rasa are home to the most spectacular flocks of migrant waders, a wide array of grassland birds, and some unique mammals, like the scarce and elusive Pampas Deer which we did see. Northern migratory shorebirds, like Hudsonian Godwit, Red Knot, White-rumped and Baird’s Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs among others, spend the northern winter (South American summer) here, and Punta Rasa is one of the main feeding grounds for these long range travelers. Lunched at a brand new roadside parrilla (one of the most popular types of eating places in Argentina , a place for grilled steak and minimum salad) and had delicious steak sandwiches and rice pudding along with the ubiquitous dulce, a thick caramel sauce served with every meal here. The hotel, Gran Hotel Fontainebleau (www.granhotelf.com/ar), is very nice, and we have a great ocean view. This is the start of a three-day holiday weekend, so I guess it’s also the opening of their “season”. Went to the docks and watched plovers and flamingoes in the distance. Dinner with Lucas and Rinaldo at a parrilla. Jerry had sweetbreads and potatoes for two and I had ravioli with pesto.

Sat., October 09:
Punta Rasa migratory bird reserve
The Pampas are huge flat plains that have the Atlantic Ocean as their eastern limit. From the west to the east there is a slow drop in the land level that becomes salty lowlands close to the Ocean, interspersed by marshes, canals and small rivers that provide shelter and food to hundreds of thousands of local and wintering migrating birds. All these shoreline lands make poor quality cattle grazing fields with scarce farming productive patches. Native woods are absent and any wooded area seen has been planted by man. Very close to the shore, runs a sea-conch layer many million years old. This makes a higher line on which certain very local twisted trees grow making a shore gallery. They are called locally "Tala" (Celtis tala) and abate the ocean winds giving nesting  possibilities to many birds. Close to the ocean, their shores look like a slowly dark brown moving mass due to millions of Fiddler Crabs walking on them.
Breakfast at the hotel. Did a walk along the trail before the beach. Then watched shorebird, gulls and terns. Pizza for lunch. Napped til 3 (Jerry did). Wonderful afternoon at an estanzia. Dinner at the same parrilla. We had asado al asador, the specialty. When we left at 9:45 , there were 100 people lined up outside.

October 10:
Long drive back to Buenos Aires and flight to Iguazú falls. Security found my Swiss Army Knife (again!!) so had to check one more bag. At least they didn’t confiscate it.

(Ar 2734 Departure AEP 03:35Pm ).  Arrived at Puerto Iguazú a little after 5, where our guide, Patricia, was waiting. Transfer to Orquideas Palace Hotel orquideashotel@orquideashotel.com. Very nice hotel with all the amenities. Did laundry.

Mon., October 11:
Very long day. Up for a 6:15 am walk in the hotel garden with Patricio where we saw very colorful birds. Buffet breakfast, then LONG walk in the Park. The most important forest south of the Amazon is formed by a set of subtropical rainforests including the Brazilian “Mata Atlántica” and the Interior Atlantic Forest in the Argentine province of Misiones . The most remarkable natural wonder of Misiones is Iguazú National Park , with its unparalleled falls. Here, the Iguazú River falls 70 meters down, forming a fan of cascades with more than 250 individual falls. Iguazú Falls can be enjoyed to their fullest by walking (and walking and walking) along the different walkways of the park and stopping at their many lookouts to behold the most spectacular views of them all. These trails have been built in different levels, and visitors have the chance to see the falls from above and below. After a good lunch with delicious grilled steak in the Park Restaurant, a narrow gauge train took us from the entrance gate of the park to the trails’ entrance, and on to the most spectacular fall of them all: Devil’s Throat. Thanks to years of effort to preserve the falls and their surrounding habitat, nowadays the area looks almost as pristine as it did when the Spanish “Conquistador” Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca first saw them in 1542. Dinner at the hotel. Practiced my espanol.

Tue., October 12:
Up at 5:45 for an early morning drive to the famous Route 101, a rough road through the park. Walked and looked at birds until lunch (also at hotel).Praticio and Carlos picked us up at 3:30 , and we spent an hour and a half at the hummingbird garden. This is a family backyard which has held a feeder for the last 10 years. Got lots of good photos. Went into town and saw the place in the river where Argentina , Brazil and Paraguay come together. To bed early for a good night’s sleep. 

Wed, Oct 13 October 13:
Checked out of the hotel (leaving two bags for later pickup). Patricio met us at 9:00 for a morning walk across from the hotel. Good birds and a pretty church on the mountainside.. Carlos took us to the station where we met the people from Yacutinga Lodge (www.yacuting.com). Rough three-hour bus ride, rather primitive and too many people. But we’ll see. Had a PowerPoint presentation (!!) on the ecosystem. Good chicken dinner. Slept well in our unique cabin.  

Thu October 14:
Breakfast. Walked five solid hours, often in the pouring rain. Jungle trails. Few birds. The chief birding guide is on vacation, so we had some very pleasant, but not too skilled, leaders. Back to the Lodge for lunch. W opted out of the afternoon kayaking because of Jerry’s shoulder. It was a good decision as they had high winds, whitecaps, and more rain. We walked for three more hours in the jungle. The night walk group only saw insects, no birds or mammals. Dinner and to bed.  

Fri., October 15:
Breakfast and the bus out. Everything was pleasant, but I would skip this two-and-a-half days next time. Patricio took us on a short walk in the afternoon.  

Sat., October 16:
Full day at Uruzú in Urugua-í Provincial Park . Wake-up call at 5:15 for an early start. POURING rain. Drove about an hour and had a rather miserable three and a half hour walk through the jungle. Lunch at the ranger station accompanied by a very friendly (and hungry) howler monkey. Patricio said not to feed it, but then he left the remains of our lunch on the ground. Then I stayed to take pictures and Jerry and Patricio walked and saw a Black-throated Trogon. Later we walked around the station and saw, finally, a Piping Guan.  

Sun., October 17:
Left at 8:15 (Patricio was late) for a long drive south to Posadas , the Ibera Marshes and our long-anticipated stay at the Estancia San Juan Poriahú. We stopped for a tour of San Ignacio Mini, one of the many missions founded in 1632 by the Jesuits in the Americas during the Spanish colonial period. The original mission was erected near the year 1610 by priests José Cataldino and Simón. Because of the constant attacks of the Portuguese Bandeirantes, the mission first moved in 1632, and didn't settle in its current location until 1696. In the 18th century the mission had a population of around 3000 people, and rich cultural and handicraft activities. Nevertheless, after the Suppression of the Society of Jesus of 1767, the Jesuits left the mission. The mission was finally destroyed in 1817. The ruins are one of the best preserved, and one of the most visited. The main square was surrounded by the church, a cabildo, a cemetery, a monastery and some houses. The magnificent church was 74 meters long and 24 meters wide, was designed by Italian priest Juan Brasanelli, and was built using the local red sandstone. The walls are almost 2 meters thick, which has allowed the construction to remain standing after over two centuries. In 1984 the ruins were declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The World Monuments Fund recently completed restoration work on the main portal.
Lunch was steaks at the La Carpa Azul (The Blue Circus Tent). Continued the drive slowly, stopping for many of bird sightings. The Estanzia is wonderful. We have a whole house, formerly a Jesuit chapel, furnished very personally, with lots of antiques and traditional furniture. It is much cooler here than in the jungle. This is a working ranch, and we had dinner with the manager, sort of a Rossano Brazzi type, and his two nephews in the house’s dining room.  

October 18:
Very long and wonderful day birding the estanzia’s edge of the marshes and grass land. Morning walk before breakfast. Then alternately riding and walking till lunch. Afternoon boat trip in the marshes. Jerry caught piranha for caiman food. Covering an area of approximately 1,200,000 hectares (2,965,000 acres) this is an immense system of estuaries, swamps, marshes, and lagoons. As one of the major natural areas of the country, it contains amazing wildlife and flora. There is enormous interest in this humid region because it represents an exceptional ecosystem at its latitude because its waters depend exclusively on rainfall. The government declared the area a National Reserve in 1983. The reserve protects four species: the giant river otter, the maned wolf, the pampas deer from the grasslands, and the marsh deer from the marsh area. The area also possesses two species of Argentine alligators: the Black Yacaré, and the broad-snouted caimen.  The area hosts some 350 different species of birds. The Ibera Lagoon constitutes the epicenter of the reserve, where you can find incomparable sightings of animal wildlife and one of the most important wildlife refuges in the world. After dinner we spotlighted and saw deer, an armadillo, nightjars and owls.

October 19:
Drive back to Posadas . Saw a marsh deer. Short flight to Buenos Aires, then five hours in the airport before a two-hour flight to Salta AR 1752 Departure 12:10Pm Arrival 09:20Pm   where our guide, Mario and company owner, Ricardo, were waiting to take us to the very nice Selva Montana Hotel.  

Wed.,October 20:
Pre-breakfast walk at the Lodge, good breakfast, then a five-hour walk followed by a good empanada lunch and a siesta. Afternoon city tour of Salta . We saw the cathedral and Saint Francis. Went to the Mueso de Arqueologia de Alta Montana and saw the mummified bodies of the Inca children discovered there in the not to distant past. Visited the local craft market and got some things. Steak dinner at Dona Sanca.
 

Thu.,October 21
Northwestern Argentina is a land full of spectacular landscapes and with a vast cultural heritage. Remnants of buildings and roads from the “Great Inca Empire of the Sun” can still be found every here, and many cultural events and pre-Hispanic rituals, such as that in honor of the Pacha Mama (Mother Earth), are still celebrated. This incredibly varied region has a great diversity of natural habitats, ranging from Yungas Cloudforests to dry Chaco woodlands. Today we saw a lot of these ecosystems. After breakfast, we left La Selva ( 7:15 am ) and drove for about twelve hours, stopping frequently to walk. Left the valley where Salta is and drove through the “ Enchanted Valley ”. It ended abruptly and cloud forest began, very lush and green, even though everyone has been telling us how dry last summer and winter had been. The cloud forest also ended abruptly, and we spent most of the day in a very harsh, arid, rugged high Andean landscape, at bout 10,000 feet of altitude. The "Los Cardones" National Park is named for the Cardones Cactus which are everywhere at lower altitudes and disappear entirely at upper ones. Drove through the Lerma Valley and dry Chaco forest. The Chaco is a very particular ecosystem, mainly a thorny woodland, which covers most of the northernmost part of Argentina , and it is well divided into a dry, montane and a wet area, each of them with different flora and fauna. Today was dry.  Arrived at our very basic hotel, Terrazas del Lago, with a beautiful view of the lake about 7. Had a local fish (pejerry) for dinner. Very good and mild.  

Fri, October 22      
Checked out after breakfast and drove around the lake. It was very pretty and we say condors!!  Also, due to recent rains, a layer of the mountainside had fallen away and we could see the prints of prehistoric dinosaurs.  Full day searching the Dry Chaco. Nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Sleeping was not too good—screaming children and barking dogs. The hotel, Posada El Sol, is in the middle of the city in a walled enclave. I think it is mainly for business people in Libertador General San Martin.  

Sat, October 23
After breakfast, we were joined by Calilegua Park guide, Tela.  Stopped to get me some calamine lotion for my hugely swollen legs from bugs at Yacutinga. The Calilegua National Park is located in the southeast of the province of Jujuy on the eastern slopes of the Calilegua hills. Forming a wedge along the southern Andean chains of Bolivia and northwestern Argentina , the Yungas Cloudforest supports one of the greatest biological diversities in the Neotropics. It harbors a wide variety of forests and woodlands, each hosting its own and unique community of flora and fauna, and all varying according with their altitudinal ranges. Wildlife is abundant in this humid environment. Ferns, bromeliads and other epiphytic plants are particularly stunning here, and they cover every single corner of the forest. This biological treasure is well protected within the boundaries of several national parks and nature reserves, and we explored it thoroughly in different areas.

Sun, October 24        
Beautiful drive up the Rio Grande Valley to Purmamarca. Detour into Yala for a picnic lunch by a rushing stream where a family of torrent ducks cavorted for an hour in the white water. I’ve never seen ducks have so much fun. The road into town if flanked by the towering walls of the massive multicolored gorge and the drive was especially beautiful in the evening when the eastern wall of the Cerro de los Siete Colores (Hill of the Seven Colors) reflected the sunset, bringing out the flaming orange and vermillion of the mountains. Checked into Complejo Huaira Huasi, our home for the next three nights. It’s very new and nice. Rested and toured the tiny town. Got some Christmas gifts at the market. Walked through the town and up into the mountains—breathtaking!!  Went to La Posta de Purmamarca where we had an excellent dinner. I had llama and Jerry had the local specialty, lorca, a kind of bean and beef stew, perfect for a chilly night in the mountains. We can sleep late tomorrow, breakfast isn’t until eight.  

Mon, October 25     
Beautiful day exploring the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a geological marvel, a canyon steeped in Argentinian history. As the road rose above Purmamarca, the Technicolor strata of the walls of the Rio Grande Valley were revealed. Shades of rose, emerald, violet and every hue or yellow and brown glowed on the rocky surfaces. First stop was the town of Tilcara , a tiny village which is the site of an important pucara (pre-Columbian fortification and town) that was discovered in 1903 and reconstructed in the 1950s. We spent most of the morning touring the ruins, then drove on to Uquia, a quiet village noted for its Cusco School paintings of arcabuceros, angels armed with Spanish weapons, on display in its 17^th century church, Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula. Lunch was a picnic by a lake with Andean ruddy Ducks and ducklings. Drove a very steep and windy road to the Devil’s Throat, where the villages get their water. We picked up three Indian kids who climbed the mountain daily to go to school. It reminded us of the boys in Machu Pichu who run straight up and down to beat the tourist busses. Then we visited the pretty large market at Humamuaca, the most populated settlement in the valley and got a few more gifts. Back to Purmamarca, passing the Tropic of Capricorn. Dinner at the very nice Los Morteros. It’s quite cold.  

Tue, October 26       
Full day searching west of Purmamarca , on high Andes . Visted the Salinas Grandes salt flats and learned how they “mine” salt. The big lake ( Lake Guayatayoc ) was dry so there were no flamingoes. We traveled on and found a very small town. Parked outside of the school and hired the janitor to take us off the beaten track to search. We found a little bit of water and some water birds. Saw some ancient petroglyphs on the way back to Purmamarca. Dinner at La Posta.

Wed October 27
Enjoyable ride back to Salta . Lunch at the airport as EVERYTHING was closed for Argentina ’s census collection. Did bird cataloging during our three-hour layover in Buenos Aires . Flight to Trelew in Patagonia . Short drive with our new guide, Jorge Pineau, to the Hotel Libertador.  

Thu, October 28:       
This was a long, full day. We left Trelew and drove to their local sewer/dump (really!). There we crawled over rubbish but saw lots of beautiful water birds. Then we drove south along the coast to Escondida, where we watched elephant seals, gulls and various little birds. We also saw a Chubut Streamer Duck. On to the  Punta Tombo Reserve and Magellanic penguins, petrels, skuas and other water birds. Nesting in the thousands of holes along a marked path, the penguins take turns sitting on the nests and going into the sea for food. Those going down to the ocean are fast and skinny. Those returning are fat and very slow, resting their round bellies every few yards. Rode to the Peninsula Valdes and checked I at the Motel ACA Puerto Piramides . This is obviously a one-purpose town, tourists abounded. It was raining hard, so we ate at the hotel and had wonderful fresh shellfish.  

Fri, October 29
Woke up to rain, and it continued all day. VERY unusual here in Patagonia , so they say.  Went on the Southern Spirit Zodiak in the morning and had a ball watching the Southern Right Whales. They didn’t seem to mind the rain at all. There was a mother and calf who kept coming up. There is a big problem with the gulls here. Apparently the increase in population has meant an increase in gull eating the increase in garbage. But there is not enough food, so they have begun to eat the whales. Literally. They wait until the whale surfaces, then peck at its back. Eventually many succumb to infection. Drove a bit and found some raptors and a whole cliff full of very wet Burrowing Parrots, finally venturing out, probably for the first time today.Came home early ( 6:30 ) to pack. Stayed at the hotel again for dinner.  

Sat, October 30:     
The roads in the Park were all closed so we didn’t get to see the Peninsula at all. Disappointing, but we did see birds. Drove inland to Port Martyn. Lunched there, then n to Trelew for the 10pm flight to Buenos Aires . Lucas met us and Giraldo drove to the Hotel Lafayette. Slept til 8:30 am .  

Sun.,October 31:
Morning tour of Buenos Aires . Flight to Santiago was changed from four o’clock to eight. Ate (Super Pancho—a hot dog with crushed potato chips—delicious) in the airport then flew.After paying $280 entrance fee, we went through customs. I got arrested in the airport in Chile because I had an orange in my bag. What a hassle!! First I had to fillout all kinds of paperwork and was issued a summons. Then I had to wait with three other viejas on a bench for the customs officer. At midnight , he interviewed me, threatened me wth a million dollar fine, and let me go. A man who had been on the plane with us was waiting after two hours with his wife and son to take us to our hotel. After a wild ride on Halloween night, we got there and collapsed (they had wanted to go out to eat at two in the morning)  (See journal for Chile)