Monday, June 13

[Note: it is now September, but things have finally settled enough to sort through my photos from this summer.]

I woke up at 5:30 determined to have a better go at San Miguel. Since there was an impending taxi blockade, my choice was either to leave Cochabamba early or not leave at all. I chose the former. The plan of attack was different given my unhappiness with the day before. First off, I took in a much better attitude. Second, I hired a taxi to take me to the bridge and would walk down to Liriuni on my own, hoping to catch a trufi from there. The driver was great to chat with as his Spanish was very clear and he was very understanding of my limited knowledge.

Arriving at the bridge at 6:45, I quickly became cold and walked upward toward sunlight. The birding was excellent from the start, as I located Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Black-hooded Sierra Finch, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, Cochabamba Mountain-Finch, Rusty-vented Canastero, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Rufous-bellied Saltator,  Bar-winged Cinclodes, Golden-billed Saltator, Cliff Flycatcher, Sparkling Violetear, Brown-capped Whitestart, Sierran Eleania, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Grey-hooded Parakeet, Mountain Caracara, Giant Hummingbird, Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-tailed Hawk, Bolivian Warbling-Finch, Band-tailed Sierra Finch, Hooded Siskin [NB: After sorting through my photographs, a bird I had initially considered a wren was actually a Puna Tapaculo, a very pleasant surprise]. I saw many of the same birds as I walked from the bridge (KM 461) to Liriuni (KM 451). Between KM 455 and KM457 there are numerous turnouts and the hillsides were fully blanketed in flowers yielding numerous Giant Hummingbirds and Sparkling Violetears. Near the bottom of the road, I picked up  Ringed Warbling-Finch, Paramo Seedeater, Baywing, and Chiguanco Thrush.

With little traffic, ample turnouts, and trails cut by herders with their llama, horses, cattle and alpacas, the walk down was an enjoyable hike, made more so by the yellows, oranges, pinks, purples and scarlets that painted the hills. At Liriuni, I walked down the turnoff toward the river hoping to find a Bolivian Blackbird, but they were not to be found. A number of families were doing their wash in the river, however.

Another Bolivian travel adventure ensued as the taxi drivers had organized a blockade of Cochabamba to protest new laws limiting the importation of old automobiles. A taxi from Liriuni (Bs30) got me as far as the main road between Cochabamba and La Paz. From there, I walked 4 or 5 km toward Cochabamba before getting past the last of the blockade. A taxi (Bs30) then got me the rest of the way to the hotel.

For a change of pace, I had dinner at Casa de Campos, also on Boulevard Recoleta. My waiter was quite taken with my smart-phone “Que lindo” and did not hesitate to ask for the chance to play with it. Google maps with its GPS was the most intriguing as he naturally used it to locate his home. He started to call over other waiters to show off his new toy. I knew a question was coming and I fully dreaded it, hoping it could be avoided. Of course, he eventually asked how much it cost. I grudgingly and somewhat guiltily replied $200, maybe equal to what he makes in a month. I ordered a plate of food which actually turned out to be a mountain of beef, chicken legs, hot dogs, chorizo, morcillo, and an assortment of offal. I knew something was wrong when I tasted the chalkiness of liver.

Bird Tally: 14 new, 14 lifers.