[ncsc-moths] Re: Back from Brazil
- From: "J. Merrill Lynch" <jmerrilllynch@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, tn-moths <tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2011 12:54:53 -0500
Harry et al,
Brazil is a wonderful destination for independent travelers who are
interested in Brazilian culture, music, and of course the incredible
biodiversity. All of the details were arranged without the use of travel
agents or tour companies. We basically did all of the research and
developed our itinerary from information available on the internet. Brazil
is a big country (the size of the lower 48) and we focused on three
states--Bahia in the far northeast, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro--and
visited about 16 sites sampling three major habitat types: Atlantic forest
(one of the world's biodiversity hotspots), cerrado (tropical
savanna/grassland), and caatinga (arid scrubland in the northeast), each
with its own distictive flora/fauna with many endemic species.
We rented our own cars and drove over 4,000 miles in a month along with 4
internal flights. We spent much of our time at eco-lodges that have been
set up in wonderful places out in the middle of nowhere and the rest in
pousadas (small, family-owned bed and breakfasts) that you can find
everywhere, even in the smallest towns. Brazil has a modern infrastructure
with good roads and places to stay. We ate everything put in front of us
and never got sick. Food, by the way, was abundant and relatively cheap,
and delicous!
We saw about 440 species of birds of which about 140 were lifers for me (I
had been to Brazil once before). There are many national parks and
reserves and there are also a number of private nature reserves set up by
various individuals and conservation groups including the wonderful Serra
Bonita Reserve in Bahia, owned and managed by a nonprofit organization
created by Dr. Vitor Becker, a lepidopterist, where most of my moth photos
were taken.
We encountered no problems anywhere we went despite a lack of fluency in
Portugeuse. The people were very friendly and helpful and although they
spoke no English, we were able to get around and communicate basic
information with much patience on their end.
With a little sense of adventure and travel smarts, anyone can travel in
Brazil the way we did it and have a great time. I highly recommend it.
Spectacular scenery, fantastic birds and wildlife, great food, good
infrastructure, and friendly people. And there is finally a good bird
guide to Brazil just published by Oxford Press. I can't wait to get back
and see more!
Merrill
On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 11:41 AM, Harry Wilson <harrywilson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> Welcome back, Merrill! Like Ken, I am anxious to see your photos, as
> well as hearing more about the other part of your trip – the birds.
>
> Harry
>
> *From:* J. Merrill Lynch <jmerrilllynch@xxxxxxxxx>
> *Sent:* Monday, November 07, 2011 11:07 AM
> *To:* ncsc-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; tn-moths <tn-moths@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> *Subject:* [ncsc-moths] Back from Brazil
>
> Just wanted to let everyone know that I got back from Brazil this
> weekend and catching up on all the emails. At some point I plan to create
> a Google photo album of the many Brazilian moths that I
> photographed--several hundred species at least-- most of which I can only
> get to family.
>
> Not expecting much in the way of moths here in the mountains. Temps the
> past two nights have been in the mid to upper 20's. A little hard to get
> used to being in the tropics for a month!
>
> --
> J. Merrill Lynch
> Echo Valley Farm
> Watauga County, NC
> Elevation: 3,400 feet
>
--
J. Merrill Lynch
Echo Valley Farm
Watauga County, NC
Elevation: 3,400 feet
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