Tuesday, June 14

The plan was to wake up early and take a trufi to Miguelito on the Chapere Road. I did wake up early. I did get myself out of bed. I did put on pants and a sock. On second thought, I went back to bed. After another 15 or 20 minutes, I re-motivated and was packed and out of the hotel by 7am. I took a cab to the trufi stop, and the driver was the same man as yesterday morning. It took some discussion to decide precisely where Miguelito was, but eventually I got in the minivan and was on my way (Bs35). There are markers at each KM, but these use a different system than those mentioned in my reference notes. The older system only has markers every 10 or 20km. I tried to align the old and new system when we passed KM40 around Corani. After the trancha, the old numbering system is signed more frequently at every 2KM.

I stopped around KM 95 and began to hike along the road. At this time of the morning (9am), the traffic was substantial and with the narrow shoulder, I was not entirely comfortable as oil tankers rumbled past within a foot or two. Nonetheless, the early birding was superb. I quickly spotted a Silver-beaked Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, Giant Cowbird, Dusky-green Oropendola, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Purplish Jay,  Lineated Woodpecker, Blue-capped Puffleg, Red-billed Parrot, Speckled Hummingbird, and Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer. 

Saffron-crowned Tanager (300mm, F5, 1/320, ISO-400)

As I worked up the road looking for a stone path (I found one that lead between two dilapidated houses and did not push further), a mixed flock of tanagers were feeding in the trees. These included: Saffron-crowned Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Bolivian Brushfinch, Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager, and Blue-capped Tanager.

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager (300mm, F5, 1/320, ISO-400)

Continuing toward the Electric Substation trail, I found Blue-banded Toucanet and Inca Jay. Heading down the trail, I was treated with a Giant Cowbird actually perched on a cow.

Giant Cowbird (300mm, F7, 1/500, ISO-400)

As the trail made a sharp left turn, a pipeline from the right hillside crossed under the trail. This area was particularly birdy with Common Bush Tanager, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer, Montane Foliage Gleaner and Sparkling Violetear. Walking back along the roadside, I spotted a Torrent Tryant on a boulder in a fast-moving stream and a pair of Red-billed Parrots flew overhead. From a turnout just after a rock face is (incorrectly) painted KM94, a female Masked Trogon flew into view and perched for several minutes.

Masked Trogon (300mm, F4, 1/160, ISO-400)

I stopped at the turnout where I was dropped off at 2:45pm and waited for a trufi or bus to Cochabamba. And waited. And waited some more. I sang to myself and used my two empty soda bottles to compose the first verse of a blues song. And then, I waited.

Unlike the morning, the traffic was much lighter in the afternoon and consisted mostly of tankers. When a trufi did pass, they inevitably gave a shake of their hand indicating they were full. This went on for two hours and I had already decided to accept a ride in any direction, so long as I returned to civilization. Eventually, a truck pulled over. The driver picks up empty bottles and drops off fresh cases of beer for the tiendas that line the road. He told me he couldn't take me to Cochabamba, but I asked if he would go as far as the trancha, which his route did, in fact, cover. Once at the trancha, I only waited five mintues for a bus from Santa Cruz to slow through the inspection point. I pointed at the bus driver and then at myself and then in the direction of Cochabamba. The driver nodded and I hauled over to the bus.

When I got in, the driver said I would have to stand as there were no seats. Not understanding the layout of the bus, I pointed towards what I thought was the stairs to the seats on the first level of the bus. The driver indicated that would be fine and I hopped over the passanger-side seat to find myself in the little cubby-hole that the drivers use for sleeping. This was just as good as a seat as far as I was concerned and I made myself comfortable.

Another gentleman eventually sat on the stairs leading up to the top level of the bus. He tried to engage me in conversation, but I understood nothing that he said. This is a strange fact of Spanish in Bolivia—it seems an all or nothing proposition. After much difficulty, I understood that he was asking from where I was coming. I replied with Miguelito, which, of course, he did not recognize. I explained a bit, which only led to the question of why I was there. Talking about Aves only led to another question of what about aves. I was lost until he pretended to take a picture.

This served as a real breakthrough, as I took out my camera and showed him some of the pictures I had taken. If this had been two days before, I would have been sunk, as few of my photos from San Miguel are of high quality. But, the photos of the tanagers and toucanet (tocancito) and woodpecker (carpenterio) were well received. Conversation proceeded with greater ease as I finally had the drift of the discussion to help me out. Even the driver started to chat about how he did not understand any of the English lyrics to his songs, but he liked them nonetheless.

It required almost 5 hours from the time I stopped birding to cover the 90 minute drive from the morning. Thinking that it would be impossible to catch the night bus to La Paz, I started to consider staying in Cochabamba for another night. Walking through the bus terminal, I noticed that busses to La Paz were running until almost midnight, leaving me plenty of time to return to the hotel, change clothes, repack my bag and grab a good final meal in the city. I decided to head back to La Estancia one last time, but noticed that Churrasco Tunari was actually open. Ben had mentioned this restaurant as having the best beef in the city so I altered my plans.

I was seated no more than 10 minutes when Ben and Kristina show up! They had been done in by the blockades and were only now leaving Cochabamba after a meal. We each ordered the Bife de Lomo and enjoyed a delicious meal. Around 9:45, we caught a cab to the bus terminal and I bought a ticket on the same bus on which they were traveling (Bs50).  

Bird Tally: 19 new, 17 lifers

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.

Sunday, June 12

The day started early as I hired a taxi to take me to the San Miguel Polyepsis forest (see map under location). We first stopped at the turn off for Liriuni where a Giant Hummingbird was active and a White-browed Chat-Tyrant skulked through the brush. A second stop a few kilometers further up offered a Chiguanco Thrush, a nosiy Grey-headed Parakeet and a female Red-tailed Comet. At the bridge (KM 461), I found Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, White-winged Black-Tyrant (female), Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bar-winged Cinclodes, White-winged Cinclodes, and Baywing,

Admittedly, this was a frustrating day of birding that seemed much worse than it was. I was having trouble with every aspect: locating birds, focusing, and metering correctly. Given the notoriety of the site, I expected to load up my lifer list, but the warnings that both abundance and diversity are low should have lowered my expectations. I also was not a particularly happy renting a taxi for the day. When we stopped, the driver would amp up his music, which I am sure was not good for the birding. In addition, his taste in music was awful. More importantly, having a driver waiting for me made me feel rushed. I really enjoying birding at a slow pace, but the knowledge that I was paying by the minute ruined the experience.

The most interesting part of the day had nothing to do with birds. Pushing on past the bridge, we came upon a Feria for a small Indian village of maybe 10 stone huts at roughly 4000 meters. The setting was beautiful. The women all wear traditional clothing with wide-brimmed hats to block out the sun (I wonder why men are not similarly capped?). I had not eaten breakfast and asked a women if I could buy some of her food. I ended up with a plate of roadside llama meat that had been smoked dry. While I ate under a blue tarp, an older woman pulled llama cuts from a plastic sack and went about reducing the legs and hind-quarters to edible size for her stew.

After a nap, I met up with BK for dinner at La Estancia, then watched the last 5 minutes of the Mavs-Heat game.

Bird Tally: 11 new, 11 lifers.

Saturday, June 11

I awoke around 7am to the bus arriving in Cochabamba's bus terminal. It was colder outside the bus than inside. Having no clue where I was or even where I was staying, I accepted a ride from the first taxi that arrived and use the GPS on my phone to get us to the hotel (Anteus) suggested by the hostel owner in Santa Cruz. They had a room (Bs240) and I took the first few hours of the day taking a shower and washing my hiking clothes.

I spent the rest of the day exploring the city by moving from plaza to plaza. In the alley behind Iglesia San Juan de Dios in Plaza 14 de Septiembre I found a store that sold items produced by Bolivian artisans. Every article had a tag that included the materials used in its production and the name of the artist. I purchased a handmade hat, which will surely come in handy in La Paz, and two scarves. On the walk back, I noticed a White-faced Ibis, a flock of Andean Gulls, and a man in his underwear in the river.

After a well-earned nap, I went to dinner at La Estancia, a restaurant mentioned in the trip notes of other birders. I enjoyed an incredible Argentinian steak (Bs90) and a very nice salad bar.

Bird Tally: 2 new, 1 lifer.