After the usual early breakfast we headed out on a game drive and walk combination. Once we got on foot we could really see all the Armadillo holes everywhere. Here are a couple examples:
The walk and drive were nice but we didn't have any incredible encounters like yesterday. Still, I was able to get a few photos.
Scaly-headed Parrot:
Red and Green Macaw:
We encountered a huge group of White-lipped Peccaries that didn't pay us much attention:
Hyacinth Macaw in Flight:
Gray Brocket Deer:
Crimson-crested Woodpecker:
Here is a look at the Barranco Alto truck we used for all the game drives. It was comfortable and provided a good elevated view of the surroundings:
Golden-collared Macaw:
Blue and Yellow Macaws flying by:
Rusty-backed Antwren:
I did a tick inspection when we got back to our room and had 6 of them on me! Karen had none and I don't remember Bill and Peggy picking up many the whole trip. So, I don't know why they liked me. I even put deet around my ankles but they didn't seem to care.
Lunch was again beef which was getting a bit old now. That was 4 meals in a row where beef was the main dish and it wasn't even that good either unlike other beef we have had in Brazil.
During the breaks before and after lunch, I wandered around the lodge grounds and only found one critter to photograph. The same Black and White Tegu that liked to hang out near the river:
Here is a look at the corral:
In the afternoon, we did a game drive from around 3:45 to 6:45. It too, was pretty quiet:
Little Blue Heron:
Gray Brocket Deer:
One of the typical lakes at BA:
Snail Kite:
We stumbled upon some Water Buffalo that were not very happy to see us. They moved the young ones to the middle of the herd while the adults gave us the old stink eye:
Red and Green Macaws:
Snail Kite with a....crab:
We did get lucky enough to see a Capybara with babies nursing:
As we were returning to the lodge after dark and spotlighting, we drove towards the tree with all the cormorants. As we were approaching it I jokingly chanted "Don't poop...don't poop...don't poop". Then we drove under them and something "splatted" on the seat between Bill and myself. "Ah, Crap!". We had Stefan stop the truck to take a look at the damage. The seat took the brunt but both Bill and I were in the splash zone. My clothes and arm got some of the splashing but our cameras were OK so that's the important thing. Luckily we had some napkins and cloths that we could use to clean up a bit. I KNEW those Cormorants were up to no good!
We got back to the lodge and REALLY needed a drink so we asked Stefan to put a little extra Cachaca in our Caipirinhas. Peggy and Bill just added shots of Cachaca to coke which was pretty good apparently.
When I heard the drinks get delivered to the common room I went out there to find one of the other guides trying to catch a bat that got in. He was throwing a towel up and trying to catch it. Eventually, he did and he asked if we wanted to see it. I grabbed my camera and just as I was about to take a picture the bat squirmed and in the process bit the guide. We felt pretty guilty since he was only holding it for us. He turned out to be OK but did have to get precautionary shots later which is too bad.
Anyway, dinner was a fun affair thanks to the extra Cachaca in our drinks. Plus, the main course was fish stew instead of beef and it was really good. At dinner, Stefan and I traded bad puns and jokes. Stefan knows 4 languages and saves up all his English puns for English speaking guests which meant we got 9 days of his humor which was awesome.
Unfortunately for Stefan, when I saw that there were no dishes for the Pumpkin Compote dessert I decided to help out by grabbing the bowl of compote and bringing it to the table. Well, I didn't know that he had come up beside me and when I turned to head towards the table Stefan got "Compoted" on his shirt and pants. I guess that's better than "composted" but either way I apologized profusely and will do so once again. Sorry Stefan!
So, even though it wasn't served tonight, I still acted like a "manioc".
One thing I have forgotten to mention is that each night around dinner, something has come to eat the mangos under the tree in the courtyard by the restaurant. There were lights there so we could see what came each night. On night one, there was a Crab-eating Fox. Last night, there was a huge group of White-lipped Peccaries. But tonight, there was nothing. Maybe we were a bit too loud at dinner...
Back in the room I found one more tick and this one had actually bit me. But, I won't tell you where. You will have to guess the location based on the name I gave the tick; Ian McCrackin.
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