The rain had stopped by morning. I got up a little later because after talking with the researchers about getting a guide, I had a feeling no one would be taking me out today and that's ok. They said I don't need a guide here but the guide is excellent. I could see the trails around the station and thought I could hike them alone and save on money for a guide. Only Taty and Zito were still around when I got up. I had breakfast and started hiking the road to a viewing tower that Zito gave me directions to. At first I passed the turnoff but then came back and eventually found the tower. It was a large wooden tower, 3 stories high but not much to see from it. I hung out here a while anyway. I went back in the afternoon for lunch. Just before I was going to go out again, it started to rain. It stopped and I went back out but not too far because I thought it would rain again and it did. I could hear it coming so I started running down the road but then it got really heavy and I had to duck under some trees. I was only one minute from camp but I didn't know at the time. I don't mind getting wet, I had my stuff dry in my pack but the only problem is drying stuff out after it rains or if it keeps raining. I was leaving the next day and hate to pack wet clothes for an 8 hour plus trip back to BH.
That night I asked about transport back to BH. It wasn't easy getting the 2 buses to connect. They weren't even sure when the buses went. At first they said the only bus from Caratinga to BH was at midnight and I could only get to Caratinga around 4pm! This all was sound like a helluva long day waiting around but I would figure it out tomorrow.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Caratinga part III
I woke up a little earlier this morning. I didn't want to keep anyone waiting for me. There was a new researcher here this morning, well, new for me anyway. Her name was Ingrid and she seemed to speak and understand english the best, though it was far from fluent. She asked if I wanted to join her and Zito in the forest and I did. Their study group is further away and we had to drive there on a steep and rutted road. We found their group and followed them up and down some steep hills. The group stopped to rest around noon so we did too. We were there for a while and didn't hear or see the group anymore. We looked for them but couldn't find them. While we were looking for them, we weren't on a trail sometimes. We were bushwaching our way up very steep forested hills. I rested when Zito and Ingrid did and hiked when they were ready. I never needed any more rest and they called me very strong. We waited and listened for muriquis for over an hour. Though we weren't hiking up and gruelling trails, it was just as difficult waiting due to the insects. There were tons of mosquitoes, small biting flies and other flies that don't bite but crawl all over you. I had brought some citronella repellant but it didn't work well. There no restful moments. We were all constantly swatting and slapping some bug or another. I liked to be on the move, because it took a few minutes for the bugs to find us once we stopped.
After a while, Zito and Ingrid, who were 24 and 25 and also married, admitted that they lost the group. We would go to a few lookout points and then back to the jeep. The lookout points were great and bug free! We spotted a troupe of muriquis later but they were on a steep hill were thick brush underneath. Too thick for us to follow. As we walked back to the jeep,we heard chirping like calls. It was the call of the tamarin, a tiny primate and the only species I had yet to see in Caratinga. They were hyper active and bounced around the trees being hard to photograph, though I managed a few ok shots. They look like a crazy clown with a white face, bald head and orange hair coming out of the sides of their heads. Even though it wasn't a great day for muriquis, I was more than happy to finally see the tamarins.
Once back in camp a group of capuchins and a group of muriquis came through camp. I always looked camps where the wildlife comes to you. Taty came back saying she saw a cobra, the portuguese word for snake. I grabbed my camera and we went off to find it. The way I understood the story was that she was washing her face in a small, clear flowing stream when the snake appeared in front of her and chased her up the bank of the river! It was a very poisonous snake so, she was obviously scared. The snake was still there, coiled up on the bank. It didn't react to us at all. Zito got it to move. It was light brown with some dark brown markings and about 1m long. I'm not sure what it was, but I might be able to identify it when I get home.
That night we hung out in camp. We watched local news, which I only understood a bit. After that it was only soap operas on TV, which are very popular here. They shut off the TV and played cards. They invited me to play but I wasn't up for trying to learn a new card game in a language I barely understand. It was ok though. I had my ipod to entertain me.
It was around this day that a guide showed up while I was showering. No one had said anything about a guide. I didn't know if I needed one or not. Early that day Ingrid had said that they never take tourists into the forest with them. I was special, she said. I'm not sure why they took me into the forest but I was glad they did. I was saving on guide fees. It was about $30 a day for food and a bed here. Which isn't super cheap but it's under my budget. I had a feeling maybe the researchers were stepping on the guides toes so to speak because they were taking me out. Thing is I didn't ask to go out with them and I didn't ask for a guide. Maybe they didn't know what to do with me! I was the first Canadian they had ever met. I looked through the guest sign in book. It was all Brazilian visitors. I had to go back 4 months to find someone from outside or Brazil who had visited. My guidebook said this Caratinga was remote and little visited. It was right and that was one reason I wanted to come here. It's a full days journey from the nearest large city and I guess most travellers aren't willing to make the trip out here just to see a rare monkey. I'm a different story, I loved the place and the further away from civilization the better. I had comtemplated skipping the place because it was so far and I would have to come back the same way, but I really wanted to see more Atlantic rainforest and I'm glad I didn't miss Caratinga.
For being a rainforest, the place was pretty dry. Leaves crunched under our feet. Ingrid said it rained a lot last week and now it began to rain tonight. It rained really heavy overnight.
After a while, Zito and Ingrid, who were 24 and 25 and also married, admitted that they lost the group. We would go to a few lookout points and then back to the jeep. The lookout points were great and bug free! We spotted a troupe of muriquis later but they were on a steep hill were thick brush underneath. Too thick for us to follow. As we walked back to the jeep,we heard chirping like calls. It was the call of the tamarin, a tiny primate and the only species I had yet to see in Caratinga. They were hyper active and bounced around the trees being hard to photograph, though I managed a few ok shots. They look like a crazy clown with a white face, bald head and orange hair coming out of the sides of their heads. Even though it wasn't a great day for muriquis, I was more than happy to finally see the tamarins.
Once back in camp a group of capuchins and a group of muriquis came through camp. I always looked camps where the wildlife comes to you. Taty came back saying she saw a cobra, the portuguese word for snake. I grabbed my camera and we went off to find it. The way I understood the story was that she was washing her face in a small, clear flowing stream when the snake appeared in front of her and chased her up the bank of the river! It was a very poisonous snake so, she was obviously scared. The snake was still there, coiled up on the bank. It didn't react to us at all. Zito got it to move. It was light brown with some dark brown markings and about 1m long. I'm not sure what it was, but I might be able to identify it when I get home.
That night we hung out in camp. We watched local news, which I only understood a bit. After that it was only soap operas on TV, which are very popular here. They shut off the TV and played cards. They invited me to play but I wasn't up for trying to learn a new card game in a language I barely understand. It was ok though. I had my ipod to entertain me.
It was around this day that a guide showed up while I was showering. No one had said anything about a guide. I didn't know if I needed one or not. Early that day Ingrid had said that they never take tourists into the forest with them. I was special, she said. I'm not sure why they took me into the forest but I was glad they did. I was saving on guide fees. It was about $30 a day for food and a bed here. Which isn't super cheap but it's under my budget. I had a feeling maybe the researchers were stepping on the guides toes so to speak because they were taking me out. Thing is I didn't ask to go out with them and I didn't ask for a guide. Maybe they didn't know what to do with me! I was the first Canadian they had ever met. I looked through the guest sign in book. It was all Brazilian visitors. I had to go back 4 months to find someone from outside or Brazil who had visited. My guidebook said this Caratinga was remote and little visited. It was right and that was one reason I wanted to come here. It's a full days journey from the nearest large city and I guess most travellers aren't willing to make the trip out here just to see a rare monkey. I'm a different story, I loved the place and the further away from civilization the better. I had comtemplated skipping the place because it was so far and I would have to come back the same way, but I really wanted to see more Atlantic rainforest and I'm glad I didn't miss Caratinga.
For being a rainforest, the place was pretty dry. Leaves crunched under our feet. Ingrid said it rained a lot last week and now it began to rain tonight. It rained really heavy overnight.
Caratinga part II
I got up at 8am, I could hear voices at the researcher station. Vera was there, as was 3 biologist, Taty, Marlon and Zito. I ate breakfast. It was self served but they helped me. Though I couldn't understand everything I was usually getting the jist of what they were saying. Zito opened the fridge and said something, so I took this to mean I could eat anything in the fridge or use it as I need to. After I finished breakfast, the short and tiny biologist, Taty, asked if I wanted to join her in the forest. She was researching the muriqui, the new worlds largest primate and the main reason I was here. I actually saw a troupe of muriqui yesterday as I was waiting. They crossed the road in the trees right near the station. I was surprised that both groups showed no fear of me, when they saw me below taking photographs.
I wasn't sure how I was going to explore the forest, if I needed a guide or what, so I was happy when Taty offered to go with her. We walked down the road, listening for the horse like call of the muriqui. This large primate stands 1.5m tall and weighs up to 15kg. They are more relaxed than most primates and spend a lot of time playing,hanging upside down and hugging. There are only about 2500 left in the wild with only 500 left of the rarer northern muriqui, the one in Caratinga. There are 300 animals in Caratinga, representing over half of the population. Back in the 1940's there were only 8 muriqui on record here. Then a farmer, committed himself to preserving a huge chunk on native Atlantic rainforest on his property. This was unheard of in a time when everyone was cutting down their forest. Years later, the property became a park and researchers came here to study the muriqui. They have been studied for over 25 years now.
Taty was looking for her study group. She kept in radio contact with Marlon and she had GPS. We walked further down the road and got word from Marlon where the group was. The park is very hilly and we climbed a huge hill. On top was a large group of muriqui. Even with us 3 right below them, they were not afraid. One that was eating allowed me to approach within almost 2m of him! They were fun to watch and I got a lot of great photos. Then a troupe of howler monkeys arrived. Then a troupe of brown capuchin monkeys! There are 4 species of primates in Caratinga and I was right below 3 of them. I couldn't ask for much more! This was so cool. We spent a while up here. Taty and Marlon were taking notes. Mid afternoon Marlon was going back to the station and asked if I wanted to go back. I did, we had been out for almost 6 hours and I was happy with what I saw today. I ate lunch, washed clothes and took a nap. I didn't do much the rest of the day.
The researchers have it pretty comfortable here. Vera cooks and cleans for them. They have a nice living area and TV, though no internet. After dinner I watch a movie on my ipod.
I wasn't sure how I was going to explore the forest, if I needed a guide or what, so I was happy when Taty offered to go with her. We walked down the road, listening for the horse like call of the muriqui. This large primate stands 1.5m tall and weighs up to 15kg. They are more relaxed than most primates and spend a lot of time playing,hanging upside down and hugging. There are only about 2500 left in the wild with only 500 left of the rarer northern muriqui, the one in Caratinga. There are 300 animals in Caratinga, representing over half of the population. Back in the 1940's there were only 8 muriqui on record here. Then a farmer, committed himself to preserving a huge chunk on native Atlantic rainforest on his property. This was unheard of in a time when everyone was cutting down their forest. Years later, the property became a park and researchers came here to study the muriqui. They have been studied for over 25 years now.
Taty was looking for her study group. She kept in radio contact with Marlon and she had GPS. We walked further down the road and got word from Marlon where the group was. The park is very hilly and we climbed a huge hill. On top was a large group of muriqui. Even with us 3 right below them, they were not afraid. One that was eating allowed me to approach within almost 2m of him! They were fun to watch and I got a lot of great photos. Then a troupe of howler monkeys arrived. Then a troupe of brown capuchin monkeys! There are 4 species of primates in Caratinga and I was right below 3 of them. I couldn't ask for much more! This was so cool. We spent a while up here. Taty and Marlon were taking notes. Mid afternoon Marlon was going back to the station and asked if I wanted to go back. I did, we had been out for almost 6 hours and I was happy with what I saw today. I ate lunch, washed clothes and took a nap. I didn't do much the rest of the day.
The researchers have it pretty comfortable here. Vera cooks and cleans for them. They have a nice living area and TV, though no internet. After dinner I watch a movie on my ipod.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Estacio Biologica Caratinga
As it happens, Paola and Deborah were leaving Caraca the same day I wanted to, saturday, and were headed to Belo Horizonte. They kindly agreed to give me a free ride. With their ride I was saving almost $50 in taxi and bus fare, so that really helped. Once in BH I spent a few hours updating my apparently nonexistent blog. I found a cheap place to eat under my hotel. Everything in BH is within 5 minutes of my hotel - food, internet, the bank or ATMs and the bus station. It's ok here. Christmas is in full swing too! I was only back in BH for a night before I went to Estacio Biologica Caratinga. I bought my ticket for 8am the next morning.
I got up at 7am for the free hotel breakfast. I packed and was on the bus by 8. It was another nice bus with a bathroom on board. Most of the buses have bathrooms on board which I hardly ever, ever see. It was a long 6 hour ride to Caratinga on winding mountain roads. We stopped at 10am for breakfast. Once in Caratinga, I took another bus at 2.30 towards Ipanema. I told the driver I was getting off at Estacio Biologica and they dropped me there about 2 hours later. The road up to the biological station was unpaved, rough and through the forest. Once they dropped me off, there was nothing around. It was quiet. I liked it already. I hiked on a dirt road for half and hour until I arrived at the tiny research station/ visitors centre. Just before I arrived at the station, a troupe of howler monkeys crossed the road in the trees right above my head! Wow, this was awesome, I just arrived and I'm already seeing monkeys!
Unfortunately for me though, the centre was shut up tight and no one was around. I guess that's why the guidebook says 'booking ahead is essential'! But that's not the way I do most things. I like to just show up and see what happens. I walked down the road further, thinking the accomodation for visitors might be at another place but I didn't see anything else. I finally saw a girl walking down the road. She showed me a key to the research station and where I could shower. This was where the researchers lived and there was coffee on the table and food on the stove. The only thing missing where the people! I checked out the place and behind the lab/garage was a room with a few bunk beds in it for visitors. The window was open. It was now 8pm and still no one was around so, I climbed in the window and opened the door. I set up my mossie net and got comfortable. I went outside to lie on a bench and watch the stars. The moon was bright but the sky was clear. I saw an absolutely amazing shooting star. It appeared as a very bright light,not really moving fast. I wasn't sure what it was at first. It slowly got less bright and then flared up and disappeared. The whole scene lasted almost 5 seconds. I know that doesn't sound like but most shooting stars flash by in a flicker of an eye, this one lasted. Shortly after that another one appeared. It didn't last as long but looked very, very low in the sky. I could almost reach up and touch it.
At 9pm a couple arrived on a motorbike. It was Vera, who worked at the station, cleaning and cooking, and her husband. With my limited understanding of Portuguese, she said that she didn't know I was coming and that's why no one was around. It was sunday night and the researchers were out staying somewhere else. She got me some proper bedding and offered me something to eat. I couldn't wait till now, so I heated up some rice and beans that were left on the stove. She left and I would see what the place was really like, with people, tomorrow.
I got up at 7am for the free hotel breakfast. I packed and was on the bus by 8. It was another nice bus with a bathroom on board. Most of the buses have bathrooms on board which I hardly ever, ever see. It was a long 6 hour ride to Caratinga on winding mountain roads. We stopped at 10am for breakfast. Once in Caratinga, I took another bus at 2.30 towards Ipanema. I told the driver I was getting off at Estacio Biologica and they dropped me there about 2 hours later. The road up to the biological station was unpaved, rough and through the forest. Once they dropped me off, there was nothing around. It was quiet. I liked it already. I hiked on a dirt road for half and hour until I arrived at the tiny research station/ visitors centre. Just before I arrived at the station, a troupe of howler monkeys crossed the road in the trees right above my head! Wow, this was awesome, I just arrived and I'm already seeing monkeys!
Unfortunately for me though, the centre was shut up tight and no one was around. I guess that's why the guidebook says 'booking ahead is essential'! But that's not the way I do most things. I like to just show up and see what happens. I walked down the road further, thinking the accomodation for visitors might be at another place but I didn't see anything else. I finally saw a girl walking down the road. She showed me a key to the research station and where I could shower. This was where the researchers lived and there was coffee on the table and food on the stove. The only thing missing where the people! I checked out the place and behind the lab/garage was a room with a few bunk beds in it for visitors. The window was open. It was now 8pm and still no one was around so, I climbed in the window and opened the door. I set up my mossie net and got comfortable. I went outside to lie on a bench and watch the stars. The moon was bright but the sky was clear. I saw an absolutely amazing shooting star. It appeared as a very bright light,not really moving fast. I wasn't sure what it was at first. It slowly got less bright and then flared up and disappeared. The whole scene lasted almost 5 seconds. I know that doesn't sound like but most shooting stars flash by in a flicker of an eye, this one lasted. Shortly after that another one appeared. It didn't last as long but looked very, very low in the sky. I could almost reach up and touch it.
At 9pm a couple arrived on a motorbike. It was Vera, who worked at the station, cleaning and cooking, and her husband. With my limited understanding of Portuguese, she said that she didn't know I was coming and that's why no one was around. It was sunday night and the researchers were out staying somewhere else. She got me some proper bedding and offered me something to eat. I couldn't wait till now, so I heated up some rice and beans that were left on the stove. She left and I would see what the place was really like, with people, tomorrow.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Caraca Part III
Dec. 9
I woke up this morning feel like a bag of shit. Headache, bodyache, head congestion and possible slight fever. I wasn't even that hungry but ate some breakfast. I cooked my own eggs over the wood stove. Even though I felt like crap I wasn't going to let it ruin my whole day. I still got ready and hit the trail for 2 hours. I walked slow and didn't go far, I just felt too terrible. I got hungry later and ate lunch and then lied back down. I slept for a bit but woke up and didn't feel any better. I indeed had a fever of 100F. I needed something so I got up to go find someone. I asked a guy who I thought was a priest. He was the right guy to ask. He took me to the 'pharmacy' down the hall and gave me 4 pills, 2 now, 2 before bed. I took them and read and relaxed in my room. By dinner time at 6.30 I was feeling loads better. I hung out for the nightly feeding and then went to sleep. I wondered what was wrong with me. I never get this sick this early in a trip.
Dec. 10
I woke feeling 10 times better than yesterday. Whatever I had was basically gone. I was hungry and wanted to get back out on the trail. I hit the trail at 9.30. I was on a 6km long trail to a cascatona, a large waterfall. Paola and Deborah had gone this way yesterday. They said it took them 3 hours each way and they saw monkeys on the way. I wasn't quite up for an epic 6 hour hike, especially after having a fever yesterday but I wanted to look for monkeys. I limited myself to hiking 1.5 hours one way and then return to be back in time for lunch. It also looked like rain again, which it has been doing off and on. The trail was nice and it was through forest the whole time. I turned around after an hour and a half and made it back to Caraca at 12.30. I didn't see any monkeys but I did see some cool flowers.
At lunch, just like yesterday, there was a huge group of school kids here. Thankfully they only eat and then leave. They don't stay the night or hike the trails. In fact it seemed like only Deborah, Paolo and I were hiking the trails. I didn't see a single soul out in the bush. I loved this, it was like I had the whole park to myself. After lunch I took a short trail that climbed a hill for a view of the park. The top was rocky and steep and crawling with lizards. I set my pack down and tried for some photos. I sat still and was trying to photograph one lizard when to my disbelief, he started coming closer! Most lizards are skittish at best, staying still for a short time and then scattering quickly if you try to come close. Not this guy. I stayed still and he kept coming. He was literally right underneath me! This was so cool. I must stress, this never happens. Only one other time did I have a lizard approach me. I remember it clearly because of how rare an event it is. This first time was also in a transition forest in southern Madagascar. I was sitting on some rocks in my swimming suit drying off after a swim. A largish iguana, maybe 30cm long kept coming close to me. I shoed him away at first but then thought, let's see what happens if I don't move. He came right up to me, actually on top of my bare foot and was eating the flies I was attracting! I thought this was the coolest thing in the whole world. I could feel his little claws on me. I will never forget that moment. It's not often that any wild animal approaches a human. They must know the wrong human can be bad news for them.
I could hear monkeys calling loudly to each other in the forest not far from here. I climbed down and went in that direction. I took a wide flat trail that lead to a small lake. There was a small trail up the hillside through the forest in the direction of the monkeys so I took it. The trail petered out at the top of the hill but it was shady so I took off my pack and hat and had a rest. I thought I would wait here and listen for the monkeys to call again. I saw an interesting hairy red and yellow flower. I got into a cramped position to take a good photo of it. While I was doing this I was hearing a bit of movement in the trees but didn't look up because it was only subtle movement. When I did look up I saw there were 3 monkeys right over me! They were looking at me! I stayed still and tried to get photos. There were insects everywhere around me. Mosquitos, black flies, small flies, big flies and other things I didn't know what they were but I stayed still to get the shot. Finally it was too much and I had to move to put on my hat. This didn't bother the monkeys. Something even painfully bit me in the ass! I was itchy all over my upper body. The monkeys moved on so I followed them. They crossed the trail and so did I. The little trail I was on led into the forest just below them. I was following them cautiously when suddenly I walked into some thing painful that stopped me dead. I walked into a shin high barbed wire fence. Ouch! I later learned that there was cattle in the area and this was probably to stop them. Still it hurt. I stepped over the fence and followed the monkeys. I was able to get some decent photos and look at them with my binoculars. They had black faces surrounded by black fur but the rest of their body was lighter brown. All their fur was thick to protect against the cold winter nights. They still didn't appeared bothered by me crashing through the undergrowth beneath them. They occasionally looked at me but that was it. I didn't influence their behaviour one bit. I liked that. Obviously these monkeys haven't been hunted in a long time or ever for that matter.
It's so funny. This morning I walk for hours away from Caraca looking for monkeys and now I see them within view of the pousada. I walk back after my encounter and take a shower to help with the bug bites. It's sunny so I wash with clothes with the hope they will dry before the sun sets.
It's friday night now and there are more people here. I don't like the nightly feeding as much now that there is 20 people here. They treat the wolf with no respect. I'm glad I'm leaving tomorrow.
I woke up this morning feel like a bag of shit. Headache, bodyache, head congestion and possible slight fever. I wasn't even that hungry but ate some breakfast. I cooked my own eggs over the wood stove. Even though I felt like crap I wasn't going to let it ruin my whole day. I still got ready and hit the trail for 2 hours. I walked slow and didn't go far, I just felt too terrible. I got hungry later and ate lunch and then lied back down. I slept for a bit but woke up and didn't feel any better. I indeed had a fever of 100F. I needed something so I got up to go find someone. I asked a guy who I thought was a priest. He was the right guy to ask. He took me to the 'pharmacy' down the hall and gave me 4 pills, 2 now, 2 before bed. I took them and read and relaxed in my room. By dinner time at 6.30 I was feeling loads better. I hung out for the nightly feeding and then went to sleep. I wondered what was wrong with me. I never get this sick this early in a trip.
Dec. 10
I woke feeling 10 times better than yesterday. Whatever I had was basically gone. I was hungry and wanted to get back out on the trail. I hit the trail at 9.30. I was on a 6km long trail to a cascatona, a large waterfall. Paola and Deborah had gone this way yesterday. They said it took them 3 hours each way and they saw monkeys on the way. I wasn't quite up for an epic 6 hour hike, especially after having a fever yesterday but I wanted to look for monkeys. I limited myself to hiking 1.5 hours one way and then return to be back in time for lunch. It also looked like rain again, which it has been doing off and on. The trail was nice and it was through forest the whole time. I turned around after an hour and a half and made it back to Caraca at 12.30. I didn't see any monkeys but I did see some cool flowers.
At lunch, just like yesterday, there was a huge group of school kids here. Thankfully they only eat and then leave. They don't stay the night or hike the trails. In fact it seemed like only Deborah, Paolo and I were hiking the trails. I didn't see a single soul out in the bush. I loved this, it was like I had the whole park to myself. After lunch I took a short trail that climbed a hill for a view of the park. The top was rocky and steep and crawling with lizards. I set my pack down and tried for some photos. I sat still and was trying to photograph one lizard when to my disbelief, he started coming closer! Most lizards are skittish at best, staying still for a short time and then scattering quickly if you try to come close. Not this guy. I stayed still and he kept coming. He was literally right underneath me! This was so cool. I must stress, this never happens. Only one other time did I have a lizard approach me. I remember it clearly because of how rare an event it is. This first time was also in a transition forest in southern Madagascar. I was sitting on some rocks in my swimming suit drying off after a swim. A largish iguana, maybe 30cm long kept coming close to me. I shoed him away at first but then thought, let's see what happens if I don't move. He came right up to me, actually on top of my bare foot and was eating the flies I was attracting! I thought this was the coolest thing in the whole world. I could feel his little claws on me. I will never forget that moment. It's not often that any wild animal approaches a human. They must know the wrong human can be bad news for them.
I could hear monkeys calling loudly to each other in the forest not far from here. I climbed down and went in that direction. I took a wide flat trail that lead to a small lake. There was a small trail up the hillside through the forest in the direction of the monkeys so I took it. The trail petered out at the top of the hill but it was shady so I took off my pack and hat and had a rest. I thought I would wait here and listen for the monkeys to call again. I saw an interesting hairy red and yellow flower. I got into a cramped position to take a good photo of it. While I was doing this I was hearing a bit of movement in the trees but didn't look up because it was only subtle movement. When I did look up I saw there were 3 monkeys right over me! They were looking at me! I stayed still and tried to get photos. There were insects everywhere around me. Mosquitos, black flies, small flies, big flies and other things I didn't know what they were but I stayed still to get the shot. Finally it was too much and I had to move to put on my hat. This didn't bother the monkeys. Something even painfully bit me in the ass! I was itchy all over my upper body. The monkeys moved on so I followed them. They crossed the trail and so did I. The little trail I was on led into the forest just below them. I was following them cautiously when suddenly I walked into some thing painful that stopped me dead. I walked into a shin high barbed wire fence. Ouch! I later learned that there was cattle in the area and this was probably to stop them. Still it hurt. I stepped over the fence and followed the monkeys. I was able to get some decent photos and look at them with my binoculars. They had black faces surrounded by black fur but the rest of their body was lighter brown. All their fur was thick to protect against the cold winter nights. They still didn't appeared bothered by me crashing through the undergrowth beneath them. They occasionally looked at me but that was it. I didn't influence their behaviour one bit. I liked that. Obviously these monkeys haven't been hunted in a long time or ever for that matter.
It's so funny. This morning I walk for hours away from Caraca looking for monkeys and now I see them within view of the pousada. I walk back after my encounter and take a shower to help with the bug bites. It's sunny so I wash with clothes with the hope they will dry before the sun sets.
It's friday night now and there are more people here. I don't like the nightly feeding as much now that there is 20 people here. They treat the wolf with no respect. I'm glad I'm leaving tomorrow.
Caraca part II
I was excited to get out on the trails for my first full day at Caraca. My allergies suddenly acted up and I was sneezing and blowing my nose constantly all day, so annoying. I walked to a 5 tiered waterfalls and then hit another trail. I thought I was following a trail but then it petered out into the bush. The trail was more like an old road with a lot of grassy areas. The vegetation of the park is a transitional forest of cerrado ( grasslands and small trees) and Mata Atlantica ( atlantic coast rainforest). I was walking through a lot of grass and my mind turned to ticks, as it usually does in grassy areas. I inspected myself and yup, I had ticks on me! They had not bitten into me yet so they were easy to remove. When hiking alone I always make sure I know the way I came just in case I have to backtrack. I returned to the main trail and saw that I wasn't on the trail I thought. I took this new trail and was looking for a junction to turn right and make a loop back to Caraca. I was walking for a while and didn't see any loop. It was getting late and I wanted to be back for lunch between 12 and 1.30. I turned around and went back. As I walked through a forested section on the way back I heard movement in the trees. Monkeys! I always have time for monkeys. I stopped and watched them but they kept getting further away. I will come back to this area to look for them again, I thought to myself. I got back at 1.30 and was starving. I ate a huge lunch and rested for a bit.
I went back out to the trail I had started yesterday. I would take it 3km to the grutas des lourdes at the trails end. The trail went uphill through dense forest. The trail was really tight and I was constantly brushing vegetation. A few times I lost the way but backtracked and found the proper trail. The grutas des lourdes was nothing special, just a rocky overhang with a little statue of Mary. Halfway back to Caraca, it began to rain but I was prepared this time. I saw a large 60cm long lizard on the way back. Not sure exactly what type it was but I got a great photo of it. I didn't bring any identification books with me this time. I do feel a little lost without them but my reptile and my mammal ID guides would have added more than a kilo of weight and I decided I could go without them, since this trip is a month shorter than my usual 4 month trips, I could make do. I would identify them from my photos when I got home.
There is a lot of wildlife here, parrots, hummingbirds, many other birds and lizards. There aren't many mammals though. Dinner was another delicious affair. The large pots of food sit on top of a wood burning stove. I was not losing any weight here. That night at the feeding of the wolf I got talking to the couple from the night before. They were Paolo and Deborah and they have been coming here every 3 years for the last 26 years. They have seen Caraca in every season. The park is 1300m and gets very cold during June, July and August, the Brazilian winter. Paolo said it drops to 3C at night! Ouch! Now thats cold considering there's no heat sources in the rooms. I haven't seen anyone on the trails. I think Paolo and Deborah are the only other people here hiking the trails.
I went back out to the trail I had started yesterday. I would take it 3km to the grutas des lourdes at the trails end. The trail went uphill through dense forest. The trail was really tight and I was constantly brushing vegetation. A few times I lost the way but backtracked and found the proper trail. The grutas des lourdes was nothing special, just a rocky overhang with a little statue of Mary. Halfway back to Caraca, it began to rain but I was prepared this time. I saw a large 60cm long lizard on the way back. Not sure exactly what type it was but I got a great photo of it. I didn't bring any identification books with me this time. I do feel a little lost without them but my reptile and my mammal ID guides would have added more than a kilo of weight and I decided I could go without them, since this trip is a month shorter than my usual 4 month trips, I could make do. I would identify them from my photos when I got home.
There is a lot of wildlife here, parrots, hummingbirds, many other birds and lizards. There aren't many mammals though. Dinner was another delicious affair. The large pots of food sit on top of a wood burning stove. I was not losing any weight here. That night at the feeding of the wolf I got talking to the couple from the night before. They were Paolo and Deborah and they have been coming here every 3 years for the last 26 years. They have seen Caraca in every season. The park is 1300m and gets very cold during June, July and August, the Brazilian winter. Paolo said it drops to 3C at night! Ouch! Now thats cold considering there's no heat sources in the rooms. I haven't seen anyone on the trails. I think Paolo and Deborah are the only other people here hiking the trails.
Feeding of the wolves
Many years ago a priest at Cararca ( this is the only park in Brazil administered by clergy and masses are still held in the old church) tried to befriend the maned wolf which lives in the park. After a few years he gained the wolves trust and now the nightly feedings are open to the public. I went out after dinner and waited. I talked to a friendly, english speaking couple from Rio, they said the wolf had already come but he might be back. Just half an hour later, he appeared, cautious yet confident and hungry! The maned wolf is the largest canid in South America. Their coat is a light rusty brown, their legs black and a white tipped tail. I was surprised at how big they actually are. His head could easily reach my waist. It was a magical moment to be alone there with the wolf while he wolfed down the meat scrapes. Bats circled over my head coming so close I could hear the wind on their wings.I took many flash photos but this didn't bother the wolf. He must be used to the paparazzi! He ate almost the whole plate of raw chicken scraps and then wandered back into the forest. I was so happy to see this wolf here but I'm also going to try to see them again in a more natural setting in a few weeks.
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