So, back to Wed and our shopping trip to Trinidad, this week in the Mitsubishi Pajero with Rafa, which copes well with the muddy unmade road. We left at 8.30, with Nick in charge of the birds and homestead. After a stop at the mechanics to sort out a loose wire in the vehicle causing some light on the dashboard to come on, Rafa took me to the veg shop, then the fruit market, and finally the supermarket (the size of a corner shop back home) to which in future I shall be doing the rounds on moto taxi and returning with it all by car taxi. Could be interesting with about 10kg fruit and veg for us and 7 dozen bananas for us and the macaws, before you start on the dried and tinned food! At least it was in the car this week though.
Rafa then took me to meet the owner of the land who he needed to talk to, who is very nice and friendly, and we had a drink, then lunch in his restaurant. They specialise in caiman so I had to try it - very tasty! It started raining over lunch, then pouring, quickly flooding the streets and leaving many motorbikes (very numerous locally) up to their axles in water. Despite the deep gullies each side of the road the rain was so heavy they couldn't cope, and in places the pavements were flooded too, no doubt somererties too. Small wonder most people wear flip flops, then no worries about your feet at least!
Once all the tasks were complete we headed back, hoping our road to Sachajere would be open, as rain often causes the police to close it. We we're in luck, they let us through, to relieve Nick of his responsibilities. Quote a tropical rainstorm, but it eventually stopped around 4pm and the evening was pleasant.
Rafa and Nick then set off nest checking, I started getting concerned when they were not back by dark, but guessed Rafa had stopped off for a drink with friends- they eventually returned about 8pm, 3h late! Apparently they phoned but didn't get through.
Thursday it dawned fine, so I decided to risk going into
Trinidad by taxi for my day off. I managed to get one after only waiting by our gate for 20mins (reading a book to pass the time!)
Not having done much excercise recently I decided to enjoy exploring the town on foot, first heading to the market, and then on to a local park which used to be a zoo. They still had a few animals, large tortoises and turtles, caiman and collared peccaries, and lots of wild waterfowl on the lakes which made it quite interesting, and a pleasant walk. Then back into town to find almuerzo at a recommended restaurant - good soup followed by chicken leg with rice and really nice mixed veg, so VG. By then it was raining but fortunately only for about an hour so out came my book, then more exploring on foot.
I finished back at the market to purchase the hammock and the mugs (both lacking at the centre) that I had spied in the morning. Plus another bottle of wine...Then to the taxi stop which hardly looks like one - a delapidated estate car or two, waiting with boot open ( they take goods without passengers too). And a table with fruit drinks and some big log seats and a bench to wait on. Usually a group of men sitting around chatting with the taxi driver who's next to go out and this time one guy, Raul, had a guitar and they were all singing songs. I chatted to him about my work and he was amazed about the dedication for saving the macaws when mostly the locals don't understand the need or the consequences of not preserving the habitat. He wanted to ensure we spread the word, embarrassed that it took foreigners to ome to save their endemic species!
You have to wait until there are enough passengers to fill the car, at least 6 in the 4 seats (luckily most Bolivians are small). I had a long wait this time but shared their bottle(s) of red wine with ice and their sing song, so time passed very pleasantly!
Once on route the car stopped, a breakdown? No, just a change of gas bottle - the fuel they use! Shame they can't harness the methane from all the cows locally, as ranching is the main commercial activity and the major cause of habitat loss for the macaws!! A good day out and with lots of new friends at the taxi rank for my next trip ...
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