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2005-04-08 - 7:55 p.m. - highlights from Los Llanos

Second entry for today. Given that I'm in the grading mode, if I had to grade the last entry on a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 2. This one...a 7. Maybe even a 7.5, and it's significantly better given that nature of the subject matter - my vacation. Here's the review I sent to my guide for his tour review book. I've changed some spelling's (i.e. replaced the letter "i" with the number "1" in order to not get some many google hits with names). A certain degree of anonymity is good...

Highlights from Los Llanos

Day 1: Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005

Alan�s name opens doors....
The van broke down just outside of Barinas � it was the first time it had ever happened. Now you might think that our tour was off to a horrible start, and perhaps if you had some other guide and/or some other tour agency, such would be the case. But not with Alan H1ghton at the helm and Arassar1 people back in Mer1da helping to get us on the road again via another vehicle.

When it happened, the nine of us were told to go down a couple of blocks to the local liquor store where Alan normally stops to buy beer and drinking supplies. �Just tell them you�re friends of Alan.� Well we did and what do you know, the locked bar door separating the patrons from the workers was opened and we were allowed in �behind the scenes� where there were blowing fans to cool our faces and ice cold drinks to quench our thirst. Here it is on Easter Sunday and I�m in a liquor store chatting it up in my broken Spanish/Spanglish with the locals. Freddi and his co-workers are an amusing bunch, and needless to say we had a great time. Another half hour before our new transport arrives? No problema, Alan. When life hands you a lemon, you made lemonade, and Alan knows how to serve up some great lemonade � a near endless supply of ice-cold beverages on a very hot day.

Day 2: Monday, March 28, 2005

Alan�s funniest joke�
Due to a slight change of plans, we spent our first night at the white water rafting camp. The next morning, with our helmets and life vests on, and our inner-tubes inflated, we were instructed on how to �surf the rapid� that they appropriately call �The Washing Machine�. It sounded like a terrifying ride and I started to picture El Cap1tan carting carnage of ourselves back to the camp for our memorial services. Alan stated that once we made it through, we could climb out and walk back up the river to ride through it again. I could not stop laughing at that one � very funny Alan, that was your best joke yet. But Alan was right � despite me being thrown out of the inner tube and bopping up and down the white water until El Cap1tan threw me another tube, when I had to make the decision of going through it again, I said, �sure.� There�s nothing like a good adrenalin rush at 10:00 in the morning. With hands like suction cups and a butt wiser, I stayed on that tube the second time through and felt a sense of satisfaction at overcoming my fear of that rapid.

Always bring your camera�
We went out on an evening boat ride on the first night in Los Llanos. I didn�t bring my camera in the boat because I don�t have a good flash, and I figured we wouldn�t see any animals close enough for me to get any decent pictures. WRONG! Carlos, our boat driver extraordinaire, had a flashlight that could easily be categorized as a small spotlight. The red eyes reflecting that light were the only hints that we were not alone on the Apure River � the caiman crocodiles watched us from the shore as we rode by. Up ahead, a pair of red eyes floated on the river. Right as the bow of the boat approached them, Alan reached down and grabbed the body that housed those floating eyes. As he was reaching down, I thought, �Oh�my�God�he�s going to bring it on the boat!� Sure enough, seconds later, Alan had the young caiman in his hands and was walking to the center of the boat for all of us to have a close look. �Can I touch it, Alan?� Yes � this was a hands-on tour. In fact, Alan informed us that we were doing it a favor by giving it this experience � next time the caiman hopefully will swim away from the bright lights (which could have been held by hunters). Alan delivered it to a safer spot along the river before we headed on to our next wildlife experience.

Now I already said how the Washer Machine rapid was an adrenaline rush, and seeing Alan pull that caiman out of the water got the adrenaline pumping again as well. What previously felt like a waterfall of adrenaline was a mere drop in the veins compared to what happened next. Shine that spotlight in the brush, yes we are approaching our next reptile species � none other than�the Anaconda.

Eagle-eye Carlos had spotted it and brought the rear end of the boat (where I was sitting) right up to it. But not satisfied by just having us look at it, he reaches out and starts pulling it into the boat!!!! What is it with these guys??? I stood up wide-eyed while a voice in my head silently screamed, �there�s an Anaconda right behind you, wrapping itself around your boat driver!!� Carlos leaps out of the boat and onto the sand while at the same time trying to release himself from the Anaconda�s grip. Alan ran over to assist and together they were able to unwrap it from Carlos� arms. �Who wants to hold it?� HAHAHAHAHAHAHA�. o.k., I do. It was about 2 meters long, perhaps a little more. Alan put the middle part of the snake�s body behind my neck. I could feel the sand on it rub against my skin as the lower part of its body and tail were draped over my extended left arm. Alan showed me how to properly hold its head with my right hand and use my left hand to support its neck.

Did I tell you I did not have my camera? Fortunately others did, and one person was kind enough to take my picture on his digital camera and has promised to email it to me. I�ll say it a second time�always bring your camera.

For me, holding a wild Anaconda at night on the banks of the Apure River is an experience I will never forget.

Day 3: Tuesday, March 29, 2005

The title of our tour�
I hate getting up in the mornings, especially when it is still dark out. But waking up in time to be ready to go at 5:30 a.m. for some wildlife viewing is a different story. The sun was barely up as we made our way down the road in the van. We slowed down upon Alan�s request when we reached this grassy field. He had spotted something � yes, it was there � the giant anteater. As we quietly exited the bus, Alan climbed under the barbed wire fence, walked across the field and approached the anteater from the rear in an attempt to have it come closer to us for better viewing. I was watching all this from Alan�s awesome binoculars when I saw him wave his arms. He was telling us to come closer. The nine of us approached the edge of the fence. Alan waved us on some more � he wanted us to come under the fence. Unbeknownst to us, Alan knew what was on the back of the anteater and he didn�t want them dislodged if the anteater tried to escape under the barbed wire fence. This was the safer method for viewing. As the anteater slowly made it way towards us, I admired the beautiful tri-colored coat of fur it had. It looked like it had two dark colored lumps on its back�what??? Twins??? Yes, this endangered species was carrying twins on its back. To see one endangered species is quite a thrill, but to see one carrying two more of its own kind is a precious gift. That is the origin of the title of our tour � the Twin Anteaters Tour. Truth be told, it all happened because Alan didn�t have any slide film for his camera. But we won�t remind him of that�

Further down the road, we saw the pink river dolphins mating, more caiman crocs, capybaras, red ibis, various kingfishers, each of the three main types of storks (no babies!), heron, egrets, snake birds, spoonbill, Venezuela�s national bird � the turpial. Alan must have pointed out well over 30 different species of birds to us throughout our three days. He also has a talent for talking to the animals � he �iieeiieeiiee��s at the dolphins and has another call for the giant river otters (although �Roopee, Roopee, Roopee� works best). Having trouble with your camera or aren�t sure of the best shot � hand your camera to Alan - he�s a wildlife photographer and has been doing this for over 300 tours now. Like to look at flora as well? Alan will share with you his knowledge of the plants as well as the ecosystems of the rain forests and cloud forests.

�What out for that piranha� now has more meaning for me other than just being a line of lyrics from the B-52�s song, �Rock Lobster�. When you have one dangling at the end of your fishing line and still chomping your bait to bits, you don�t want to get to close to its razor-sharp teeth. We�ll let Alan take care of it.

Don�t worry about sleeping in the bush in hammocks. Drink enough rum and coke and you�ll pass out in one � eye glasses on and all. And when you wake up in the middle of the night and hear heavy breathing and some grunting in the trees above you, don�t be alarmed. It�s just my favorite bird � the Hoatzin. I call it the punk rock bird since its Mohawk plumage and tree/stage diving (it doesn�t fly too gracefully) are reminiscent of some concerts I have attended. What�s even cooler is that it may have some link to Archaeopteryx given the claws on its wings, but genetic studies have linked it to the Cuckoo. In any case, it�s in a family all its own.

Day 4: Wednesday, March 30, 2005

The weirdest animal of all�
Ask Alan about the cabbit. That�s all I will say about that.

A few last words�
After going on a tour with Alan, you will never look at a butterfly the same again. In fact, you will probably notice them a lot more and start asking yourself, what kind is it? Is it the millennium butterfly? Will I be lucky and see the blue morphos today?

By now, most people have heard of the �butterfly effect� which describes physicists� idea of chaos theory.

"The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done. So, in a month's time, a tornado that would have devastated the Indonesian coast doesn't happen. Or maybe one that wasn't going to happen, does." (Ian Stewart, Does God Play Dice? The Mathematics of Chaos, pg. 141)

This is basically saying that it is impossible to make predictions for complex systems, especially when you have so many factors interacting. Such can be said about predicting your enjoyment on any wildlife tour you may choose. But when you have Arassar1 Trek as your tour company, Carlos as your boat driver, El Cap1tan Samuel as your white-water lifeguard, all the wonderful cooks at the camps and drivers of the vans, and most importantly, Alan H1ghton as your Los Llanos guide, I guarantee that no matter how many times that butterfly flaps its wings, if you go in with an open mind and adventurous spirit, you�ll come out with memories that will last you a lifetime.

I know I sure did.

Thank you, Alan, for sharing your vast wealth of knowledge, spreading your contagious enthusiasm, and providing me with the trip of a lifetime.

Peace,

teop

oreos - 2005-05-29
hearing the call - 2005-05-04
highlights from Los Llanos - 2005-04-08
total eclipse of the heart - 2005-04-08
vacation - two days and counting.... - 2005-03-21
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