The film is fiction, based on a non-fiction book chronicling three top tier birders who set out to do a ‘Big Year’. This is a competition to see the most species of birds in North America in one year.  (we have 969 species ) It’s a loose competition though, based on the honor system. Few birders are at this skill level or have the money/time to devote to birding for a full year. There is no prize other than bragging rights.

Learning the cast gave birders a thrill. With three big names, how could it not be a great movie or at least not raise birding to Olympic levels?  Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black. Remembering back to the book, Martin is a good choice for his character. Jack Black, spot on. However the third guy doesn’t conjure up Owen Wilson for me, as I remember him as older and much more New Jersey caustic (I’m from NJ so can say that). Wilson played him as a bit of an insensitive rock star, but other birders seemed to flock to him.

Angelica Huston gives a spot on portrayal of a well known pelagic boat operator who has little patience for listers (birders who only want to see a bird, then move on quickly) and tells these guys what she thinks of them.  But she’s the only show in town and birders need her.

We all know someone with the obsession (or some other obsession for that matter), who puts his/her life on hold for a time period in order to achieve a goal. There are a lot of egos and family relations suffer.

So it’s a fun romp for viewers. The scenery is fabulous. The travel is amazing, thank goodness for modern technology, which was not used in the 1998 Big Year chronicled in the book.

Jean birding at Los Quetzales

Now, while the main characters were pretty cool, one even sophisticated, the rest of the birders in crowd shots looked a bit goofy. Honestly, who would take a new bride on a honeymoon to Attu? Did she read the brochure? Grounds for annulment. And the fallout at High Island was a bit much.  Other than our main three guys, the rest of the birders were actually running with binoculars at their eyes. That’s dangerous. The film made it seem that all birders were acting as a unit, going from one spotting to the next, never really taking time to see a bird, or drink in the beauty of the surroundings. One rare occasion was the witnessing the spectacular dance of bald eagles mating in flight, when each man realized he missed his mate back home.

There seemed to be no product endorsement, which was surprising in a sport that utilizes expensive equipment. No doubt each of these birders used binoculars that retail for $2500.  Very rarely was a scope set up for viewing.

As a birder, I hope the general public goes to see this movie. Just having it made was amazing to me, thinking there was not an audience for it. However, birding is said to be the fastest growing sport in the country with millions if not more spent on birding, including feeding backyard birds, purchasing optics and field guides, and travel hither and non to add another one to one’s life list.

Copper hood under which the magic happens!

Well known Spanish chef Manolo serves a 10 course tapas dinner at a fixed price in his Casco Viejo restaurant, an unassuming place at Avenida Central and Calle 3. The place seats about 50 and has an open kitchen with a large copper hood. It is under this hood that these fabulous small plates are prepared. Each month the menu is changed and it can easily be adapted to special requests, such as vegetarians or no shellfish.

So let me count the ways:

Happy Birthday, Bob!

1. Charbroiled octopus and a wheat couscous salad
2. Shrimp ceviche with passion fruit, onion, red pepper, pixbae and shaved dried pineapple. It was at this point that I figured I should start taking pictures of the dishes so I’d never forget. Easily the best ceviche ever tasted.
3. Chickpea, goat cheese, spinach salad
4. free range chicken ‘halla quitas’, a little tamal
5. Tomato soup with onion confit croquettes. Oh, the croquettes were rich!
6. Lobster brochette with pumpkin puree infused with ginger. Self-explanatory delicious
   

   lobster on pumpkin puree

7. coconut risotto with shitake mushrooms and osso buco
8. passion fruit lemon pie, grapefruit, and ‘cookie dust’
9. Seems I forgot one, might have been something with pork?
10. You get to choose any of the above and repeat. Two questions: how do you choose one and how do you squeeze in one more morsel?

It was a fabulous dinner and such a clever way to serve. It would cost a fortune to try so many different flavors in one setting. This was a $30 dinner worth much more.

one satisfied customer!

Just desserts

Little chicken tamales

Bocas del Toro

I want to re-introduce you to Tranquilo Bay Eco-Adventure Lodge in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Although Bocas is in Panama, it’s like a whole other country. More Caribbean than Central American, in Bocas, you’ll hear as much English as Spanish as well as a local dialect called Guari-Guari (pronounced wa-di, wa-di) When you hear Guari-Guari spoken, you might question is it English or Spanish, but you’ll likely not understand any of it. (as one fascinated with language, I am delighted it is still used)

Cabins

Tranquilo Bay Lodge is located on an old farm on Isla Bastimentos and consists of six cabins and a main building with reception, bar, dining room and spacious decks with fantastic views of the bay and the jungle in between. From here you might see pelicans soaring in the distance or just as easily you’d spot White-faced Capuchin monkeys crawling among the trees right in front of your eyes.

Did I say cabin? This is the best decorated cabin I’ve been in with a view to die for! I would compare it to a fine boutique hotel anywhere, lovely linens, tiled floors, fabulous walk-in shower.

Coral Reef Tranquilo Bay

The place was built by two Texas families who have made Bocas their home. They employ many Panamanians, even several who grew up on the island, and they share its natural beauty with their guests. Snorkeling Tranquilo Bay was a highlight for me, seeing loads of corals at fairly shallow depths. The salt water means that anyone can float (even me) and the temperature is perfect year round. (See my blog about snorkeling to see upside down jellyfish; it was thrilling)  And the birdwatching here is great: on the grounds both Red-capped and Golden-collared manikins on lek; on the Changinola Canal, five of the six kingfishers! And more.

Amazon Kingfisher

Bladder holds rainwater

Did I mention that they live off the grid? Tranquilo Bay creates its own power, captures rainwater, and has its own telecommunications tower.  Of their land they own, 5/6 of it is in preserve. Check out these ‘bladders’ holding rainwater!

A perfect family vacation can be had at Tranquilo. The activities are designed for all ages, but because these two families are raising their own young children here, they know what kids like. We’ve said it before about other places we represent, but at Tranquilo Bay, you arrive as a guest and leave as a family member.

Contact us about planning your trip to Panama to include this great spot.

Dock at Tranquilo Bay

Besides, I am not all that good in the water, I burn, the borrowed mask never fits, all that and more. But Bob looked really excited, and after all, this trip was to celebrate his birthday, so I said ok, let’s go snorkel with jelly fish.

Upside down Jelly Fish - cassiopea

Jim and Jay told us how cool these jellies are, being upside down and non-stinging. Their kids love them! We grabbed snorkel gear and hopped aboard our kayaks, and paddled away. Not 10-15 minutes from the dock at Tranquilo Bay, we plopped in and started seeing one of the coolest sights: hundreds of jelly fish, from saucer up to salad plate size, with what looks like cauliflower atop. They rest on the bottom and breathe, constantly in motion. Some have colors; I guess algae of blue or orange, among the cauliflower.

It was an awesome site, but just the beginning. We then snorkeled over some coral and then more and even more.

Corals the very color of red potatoes!

Around the world, coral has been damaged or even killed by various pollutants or raising water temperatures. A few years ago we snorkeled Isla Iguana on the Pacific side of Panama off the Azuero Peninsula. While there was a lot of coral, 100% was dead. It has a bleached-out look, almost like seeing bones at the bottom of the ocean.

But here at Tranquilo Bay, the coral just went on and on.  They live in fairly shallow waters and visibility was great. Forgot to mention, the salt water means anyone can float here, I mean anyone, like me, and the water temperature is perfect year round.

This area is not well known for corals, but I don’t know why. Not only were the coral in good health and plentiful, the accessibility and water clarity was excellent.

So this girl who doesn’t do well in the water had to be dragged out of it. What a perfect Caribbean day!

“Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves.”

There is a lot to talk about in those two sentences. Today let’s take the first concept, making a low impact on the environment.

HACIENDA SAN LUCAS

Consider Hacienda San Lucas in Honduras. A leader in eco-tourism in Honduras, Hacienda San Lucas honors the ancient Maya surroundings as well as the patrimony of the hacienda.

Owned by the same family for over 100 years, the hacienda became an eco-lodge in 2000. Visitors have access to 300 acres of pristine tropical forest which include the ruin site Los Sapos (the Toads) and many excavated ruins. Los Sapos is considered an important ceremonial site for ancient Maya.

Its location overlooks the expansive Copan valley and the Mayan ruins . Yoga retreats are held throughout the year in a specially built pavilion that takes advantage of the view.

Restoration on the hacienda was done by hand to original design using only local materials, techniques, and labor. Even the expansion of visitor rooms and kitchen (they are well known for delicious fare) was designed to preserve the authenticity of the original structure. Special attention was given to the design based on the analysis of an archaeologist from the Institute of History and Anthropology, who worked for several months to ensure that the proposed design would not desecrate or destroy any buried Maya structures.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Hacienda San Lucas has eight distinctive rooms, 2 double beds each, with private bath, hot water, solar lighting, and ceiling fans. The beds are hand-crafted from local cedar and have firm comfortable mattresses. The rooms are decorated with local fabrics and tapestries.

RESTAURANT

Well known for inspired cuisine, the owner/chef Flavia and her helpers create fabulous meals using traditional methods with a modern flair. Food is prepared in a rustic open kitchen which turns out five-course dinners with panache, or outdoors in a traditional Mayan oven. . South American wines and locally-grown coffees accompany meals. Delicious hardy country breakfasts are included in the price of the room.

With their commitment to honoring their past, living lightly today and preserving the area for the future, Hacienda San Lucas is a wonderful example of how making a low impact on the environment can work to enhance the experience of visitors.

Chimney Swift

This weekend, September 9th, 10th and 11th, is the 10th annual, continent-wide September ”A SWIFT NIGHT OUT.”  This is an event to get people out to count the Chimney Swifts at roost sites, and it is Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. I think it would be fun and a contribution to our knowledge of Chimney Swifts if we had a coordinated effort in Austin to count the swifts at all the known towers at least once this weekend. If you are not in the Austin area, look for A SWIFT NIGHT OUT in your area.

A field trip has been organized by Travis Audubon to view the huge roost in Jonestown, so that roost site is covered. Below is a list of the known towers in Austin.

Thanks and I hope to see you watching and counting Chimney Swifts this weekend! Please share this with others.

Becker Elementary
South 5th street at West Monroe
Brick incinerator chimney

Brentwood Elementary
6700 Arroyo Seco
Brick incinerator chimney

O’Henry Middle School
Exposition St.
Brick incinerator chimney

Travis High School
1211 East Oltorf
Brick incinerator chimney

Zilker Elementary
1900 Bluebonnet Lane
Incinerator chimney

ACC Rio Grande Campus
1300 West Ave.
Square chimney on south wall of the old gym

AFL-CIO building
1106 Lavaca
50 foot tall shaft attached to the N.E. corner of the building
Roost sometimes uses chimney on corner of the 1108 Lavaca building

Ridgelea Kiosk Swift Tower
Ridgelea Neighborhood Park
4000 block of Jefferson Street

The National Bird of Belize, Keel-Billed Toucan

You might consider going with us to Belize! For a birder with an interest in history, Belize is it; likewise for the amateur archeologist with an interest in nature. Our 8-day/7-night itinerary takes you to this small English-speaking country, just a two-hour flight from Houston. Check out the description of this trip on our website here. Don’t you think that February is the perfect time for the tropics?

I remember in the ’70s traveling on Spanish rail, at the time easily the worst in western Europe. The trip was so bumpy we held out our hands in case our bags fell from the overhead storage.  We returned years later and were thrilled with the high speed trains out of Madrid, Seville and Barcelona. Comfort and service are now the norm throughout Spain. Germany’s trains have always been good, and the Swiss even better. Such an efficient people, the Swiss.

About 10 years ago, as part of a convention I coordinated, we charted cars from the Nostalgic Orient Express line to go from Paris to Interlaken, Switzerland. Fabulous scenery, but one long ass trip! Another convention chartered transport from Vienna to Prague, also with great scenery, but Europe was in a heatwave, and their idea of AC and ours in Texas differ. After the convention group departed, Bob & I took a local train from Prague to Marienbad, or Marienski Lazne, in western Czech Republic. Although a short trip of about three hours, it took us not just kilometres away from the city, but years as well. That is another post.

Scenic car on Panama Canal Railway

A truly interesting train ride is the one in Panama.  For a ship to transit the Panama Canal takes about 10-12 hours, depending on the ship size and traffic. (also another post!)  But to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific by rail, the first transcontinental train built, long before trains in the US carried passengers or freight from the East Coast to the West, the Panama Canal Railway takes one hour!

There is little doubt that the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico, theCopper Canyon Railway, is the most scenic in North America. The train passes over 36 bridges and through 87 tunnels along its 410 mile ride between Los Mochis in the south and Chihuahua to the north. Connecting the mountainous arid interior of northern Mexico with the Pacific coast, the railway line passes through landscapes that include sheer canyon walls, waterfalls and high desert plains. At times you see the train’s tail as you take a curve. There is one spot where the train circles around and travels above itself.

At Urique Canyon

Stops in stations like Cerocahui, Divisadero, Barrancas, offer a cultural experience. Locals, the Tarahumara Indians, crowd the platforms selling their baskets, or fried plantain, or small dolls dressed like themselves. Throughout the trip, the scenery is breathtaking. Whether seated, in the dining car, on platforms between cars, or at your overnight stop, there is nothing like it.

Tarahumara Indian girl

We hope and pray that the violence in Mexico subsides and does not effect these beautiful mountains, small villages, and quiet people. A ride on “El Chepe” through the Barrancas (canyons) is one of the great train rides of the world.

Organized by musician Mauricio Callejas, originally from El Salvador but living in Austin about 10 years, the show started with Manuel Contreras, also from Salvador. Contreras sang complex ballads; one especially poignant was about Salvador’s Archbishop Oscar Romero, a hero to those with no voice, who was assassinated in 1980.  Jeana and Juan Carlos Ureña of Costa Rica and Nacogdoches, TX played next. Beautiful harmony and very clearly sung tunes were accompanied by their two guitars or Jeana on bongos. Their act was tight and appealed to adults as well as children. Juan Carlos mentioned that he liked Contreras’ tribute to Romero, adding that the TX Education Agency had removed the Archbishop’s contribution to world peace from our textbooks.

Host Callejas then introduced Guillermo Anderson of Honduras, an act that would blow our socks off.

Guillermo Anderson at Cactus Cafe-Austin

Anderson simply stole the show. I have been listening to his music from his website and loved it. Ballads, love songs, and some just fun.  Nice singing voice and quite a range. However, live, on stage, is another story. He is packed full of energy and a quite a performer. He plays a cool guitar unlike any I’ve ever seen, and jumps right into a piece, almost like he’s showing all his good moves first. However, it just gets better. His voice may start high or low and in most songs he uses all levels of his range.

But the guitar and the voice are just a part of his show. His face sings as well, and sometimes he keeps his eyes closed until a chorus and then they are wide open and he’s all smiles, like he just played a joke on you. And he is packed with energy, his feet seeming to want to dance.  At the Cactus he said the stage was too small as he wanted to add moves to the music.  He danced as best he could within the space!  At times he was Joe Cocker and other times Mandy Patinkin, but a true original.

Anderson’s style is afro-Caribbean-blues, influenced by Garifuna, the indigenous folk on the Atlantic coast of Honduras, with some salsa thrown in. His songs include one about the roles of the sexes in his country. The wife/mother must take care of an old aunt and asks her husband to stay home with the kids for just one day, with comic results. Another tells of the little things that immigrants ask visitors to bring them from the homeland, crazy stuff like iguana in coconut milk!  ‘Olaja, pasa la aduana’ – I hope it passes customs!

After the brief break, when we all rushed to buy CDs no doubt not available here in Austin, the second set opened with Mauricio Callejas and his band, all Austin local artists.  Then, each artist joined them on stage.  The band had a very short time to practice with the visiting musicians but you’d never know it. To me, it looked and sounded like they had all known each other and played together previously.  They left the stage to shouts of OTRA.  Let’s hope there will be more!

Nowhere.

My mother and I were returning from Providence to Houston after a family wedding. Travel to/from Providence always requires a connecting flight, and we changed planes in Newark.

Our flight was a 767, which means about 400 people.  We boarded as our row was called and for what seemed an eternity, others kept coming and coming. For a full hour we saw passengers seek their assigned seat, stow bags overhead, rearrange luggage, climb over other travelers, peel off sweatshirts or grab a sweater, pull a drink or meal from a travel bag, find reading material, try to rearrange seating, strap in a child, power up a DVD player, surf the on-board entertainment system, make last minute phone calls, and more. And we still had not closed the doors or left the gate.

We were nowhere.