ZECO TRAVEL TALK

We had a wonderful trip to the Galápagos… I am still dreaming of the many places we saw. Spending time with Jack (Grove) and Pauli in this rarified environment was such a treat, and being with Greg Estes, our veteran naturalist guide, in his own territory really added to the experience. The most amazing aspect of being on these islands is that there is a total absence of fear. There are no weapons and no predators. We went ashore one morning on the pristine island of Genovesa, and basically just slowly moved around at the mouth of a tidal basin that ended in mangroves, where we observed the birds—mostly red-foot boobies, their fledglings, some Galápagos doves, and a lava heron or two. It was probably one of the most peaceful moments of the trip. I was reminded of that when we got back to the mainland and I spotted a bird I wanted to observe more closely. As I moved closer, of course it flew away. I had forgotten I was no longer in paradise, where you can walk between and around nesting albatross and lovemaking frigatebirds and nobody seems to notice you are big and somewhat out of place. M. & H. Smit

Our visits this past week to Rano Island, Vanuatu, and Utupua and Santa Ana in the Solomon Islands were truly memorable, both for the incredible array of colorful sights, and for the warmth of our welcome by the villagers. Here are some brief excerpts from emails we’ve received from our staff aboard the recently-refurbished Clipper Odyssey on our Faces of Melanesia voyage:

…One thing that stands out—and everyone has commented about it—is just how amazing it is that each island is still so different. The dances are different, many of the flowers and plants are different, the people look different, and their clothes (or sometimes lack thereof) are different. But the warmth of the welcome is always the same! We are all loving coming to these remote places… when the Zodiacs hit the sand the entire village is there, often with flower leis or palm necklaces to greet us. They have huge smiles and are eager to shake our hands and welcome us. In many of the villages the little kids run up and hold our hand and escort us through the village… It’s very special and touching each time. The music has also been fabulous. My favorite new instruments are the pipe drums that are either made out of bamboo or PVC pipe and they’re played most commonly with a flip flop! It makes the most wonderful sound…you can’t help but sway your hips, tap your feet, clap your hands and smile!!

Rano – At dawn the Clipper Odyssey pulled into a lovely inlet surrounded by islands with white sandy beaches and fringed with palm trees. As we boarded Zodiacs, welcoming music by the local band echoed from shore, and when we stepped onto the island we were overwhelmed with color! The path along the white sandy beach was lined with birds of paradise, heliconias, hibiscus, and red ginger flowers. The women and children wore bright muu-muu dresses, the men had on Hawaiian-style shirts, and as we walked into the village a market of local goods was spread before us: sarongs of every color in the rainbow, dyed and dried palm baskets, and lovely purple and pink shell necklaces. Read more

With the recent return of our first Galápagos trip of the year, we thought we’d post an advance notice of a momentous occasion: February 12, 2009 will mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and has been designated “Darwin Day – An International Celebration of Science and Humanity.” Events will include symposia, seminars, stage productions, and exhibits held at universities, museums, and theaters around the world. UNESCO will also be associated with the celebrations that honor the man credited with the first measured study of biological evolution through the process of natural selection. The anniversary also marks 150 years since the publication of Origin of the Species and 50 years since the establishment of the Galápagos National Park. The Charles Darwin Foundation commemorates its 50th anniversary in 2009 with the launch of a new Darwin Galápagos Education Center. Zegrahm’s Galápagos voyages visit the Foundation on Santa Cruz Island. For more information, and for regular event updates, visit the website: www.darwinday.org.

After our relaxing day at sea, we were ready to hit the Vanuatu island of Ambrym running! The two incredible volcanoes were what first drew Captain Cook to its shores and our warm welcome was probably much the same. Our visit to the village started off with the traditional pig slaughter and a gift exchange ceremony with Little John, the Captain, and the local leader. We were then treated to the amazing Rom Dance—the performers, covered from the neck down in volumes of dried banana leaves, wear huge elaborate masks and stomp in rhythm to chanting and drum-beating. It’s such a hypnotic experience, and the opportunities for photography were fantastic.

We were able to really experience the local flavor of island life when we walked down the little dirt path “Main Street,” and visited the local school and looked inside local houses. We also tasted the traditional baked coconut “bread.” In the afternoon, the birders set out to look for the elusive megapode—which they didn’t find, but did get to see several nests. Many of us went snorkeling or diving in the 83-degree water and the color of the coral against the black sand was other-wordly!

The year was 1981 and my parents had just bought me a pair of binoculars for my thirteenth birthday, a significant improvement on the minimal magnification, mother-of-pearl-coated opera glasses that had piqued my early interest in all things feathered. The birding bug had bitten hard, my youthful interest had exploded into an obsession, and my personal “life list” of just over 200 local bird species had become a source of great pride to me. One afternoon, while browsing through the natural history section of my municipal library, I happened upon a book written by a birding businessman estimating that a dedicated birder, in a lifetime of travel, could reasonably hope to see a maximum of 5,000 bird species (approximately half of all birds on Earth). Times changed, jet travel improved, new field guides and bird-finding site guides were written and, in the early 1990’s, this 5,000 limit was handily passed by a new generation of world birders.

Having never dreamed that such lofty goals were possible, I found myself passing this magical milestone in 2002, a combination of two decades spent birding in my home continent of Africa and two years working and traveling in the “Bird Continent” of South America. My work with Eco-Expeditions, apart from providing rich birding opportunities on the expeditions themselves, facilitated personal exploration of bird-rich areas in Asia and Australasia, and my global bird tally crept over 6,000 in 2004, approaching the magical figure of 7,000 in mid-2007.

Still a full 50 species short, I pondered where to start hunting. Zegrahm’s “March with the Penguins” expedition made up my mind for me: it would be South America, home to over a third of all bird species on Earth. Read more

Costa Rica: We had a great day in the Tortuguero Canals of Costa Rica! We saw dozens of sloths, lots of green iguanas, a few basilisks (Jesus Christ lizards) and, of course, more and more birds! The holy grail of the day—and Peter Harrison says maybe even for the trip—was the great potoo, usually a noctural predator!

Panama: Rain caused us to change our plans somewhat and we did a Zodiac cruise in Escudo de Veraguas which was a big hit. Though a bit wet, people loved it! The birders had a clean sweep finding all the endemic species, and the zodiac cruise found the real prize of the day—the endemic pygmy sloth. Everyone returned with a smile. We decided to heave anchor and head straight for Bocas del Toro. Read more

What amazing contrasts we experienced, beginning with our somewhat damp welcome in Nagoya. From the tea plantations and flowering plum trees of southwestern Kyushu, to the light snow followed by sunshine in the forested mountains of Nagano Prefecture. And finally, day after day of glorious sunshine reflecting on packed snow in east Hokkaido.

And what wildlife experiences we had! The spectacle of more than 12,000 Hooded and White-naped Cranes at Arasaki in Kyushu was our southern highlight—but with the added bonus of close encounters with individual Common and Sandhill cranes. Four species of cranes in two days, coupled with delightful glimpses of displays among the White-naped Cranes left us with the ultimate dilemma: which crane is most beautiful? The displays in Kyushu were just a prelude for the magnificent dancing cranes of Hokkaido, which we experienced under so many different conditions, and at sites around Tsurui (the village of the cranes), and Akan Villages. Read more

From the urban chaos of our first afternoon in the narrow alleyways of old Delhi to the serenity of our time on the sacred Brahmaputra River… from the timeless elegance of the temples at Khajuraho to gaudy roadside markets, India boasts a cultural and scenic richness second to none. No single trip to India can hope to cover the rich spread of this immense country. But in our case, it was tigers we were after!

The global plight of tigers is among the most publicized of all wildlife conservation stories, for no other animal can match this largest of cats for sheer beauty and charisma. Ironically, the day before we commenced our expedition, the sobering news broke of the latest Bengal Tiger census figures: 1,411 remaining at the end of 2007, Read more