IE Blog
Guest Haiku: Cuba's Crafty Crocodiles
In January, Jim Smith joined IE to travel to Cuba. Jim commemorated his experience with a series of haikus, which he has graciously agreed to share. Read other entries here.
outstretched leather logs
blinking eyes feign innocence
crafty crocodiles
A crocodile farm open to visitors has approximately 110 crocodiles in its waters. In mid-afternoon when we visited, most of the crocs were lazily sunning themselves. An occasional croc would open its powerful jaws or opt to move a few feet. At least it proved they weren’t dead and stuffed. - January 22, 2013 - Boca de Guama, Cuba
- emily's blog
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The Face Behind Cafe de Maria
As part of International Expeditions' people-to-people Cuba travel experience, guests visit the eco-community of Las Terrazas, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. While in the planned community, we make a stop at Cafe de Maria for a cup of locally grown coffee. From the outdoor terrace, guests can gaze on the Cuban countryside while sipping cappuccino with a famous face or a signature iced coffee drink.
But the real highlight of the stop is spending time with the face behind Cafe de Maria. Maria, now retired, lives in an apartment above her cafe which is now run by her family. She is eager to invite you into her home for a visit and patiently listens as you practice your Spanish. Through the eyes of this woman who has seen the world change so much, IE guests glimpse into everyday Cuban life.
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From our Guests: The Crew of the Evolution
Everyone at IE loves hearing feedback from our guests! And while many travelers know that they'll love the wildlife and landscapes they encounter on one of our adventures, it is most often the staff who earns the highest praise. So it was no surprise when Februrary 22, 2013 Galapagos Islands cruise guests Mary & Giff Ewing shared this note about how much they were touched by the naturalist guides and crew aboard the M/V Evolution.
“I am amazed at how hard your entire team works to assure a unique and comfortable experience for every one of your guests. I observed acts of kindness by your staff towards guests that will forever remain in my memory. A few people were physically limited for some of the activities, but the staff and crew aboard the M/V Evolution encouraged them to participate in any activities that they felt were safe for them and not too strenuous.
"I observed one woman in particular change into a true stand out. Thanks to the constant care and monitoring of the ship’s doctor, this woman was much improved by the end of the trip. I watched her grow with confidence, because she had a team supporting her along the way. By the end of the trip she was a 'standout' personality and I think my favorite photo will always be of her with the owner of the coffee and sugar cane farm in Santa Cruz. Her smile was genuine — and Boli and company put it there. That was the testament to the International Expeditions commitment that every individual on the trip have the best possible experience.
“I will certainly recommend International Expeditions to anyone considering a trip to the Galapagos. From the delicious food to the incredibly friendly and attentive staff, my husband and I really did have the trip of a lifetime.”
Photo of the Week: Sumatra's Cutest Baby?
International Expeditions' Director of Program Development Bill Robison is currently in Indonesia researching travel options. He sent us this photo and story from the road. You can see his other photos on IE's Facebook page.
Back from the wilds of northern Sumatra, and it was worth it. I saw lots of Thomas leaf monkeys, some long-tailed macacs and the big enchilada - orangutans! This little lady and her baby came down to check us out while an older baby stuck closer, but out of arm's reach. I'm no photographer, but I hope you like the photos. Had a few geckos in my room at the ecolodge too. They barked a little, but none of them spoke with an English accent or tried to sell me car insurance. Off to Bali tomorrow...
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Piranha Do Not Eat People
The piranha conjures up all sorts of thoughts, many of which are based on movies, where piranhas consume anything that enters or falls into the water. Fortunately, this is not a usual circumstance and typically in the Amazon Basin, “People eat piranhas, piranhas do not eat people!”
In free-flowing rivers and streams, piranha are incredibly abundant fishes, and although the red-breasted piranha appears to be the most abundant, there are also black piranha, white piranha and even the big fruit-eating pacu is a type of piranha.
On my many Amazon River cruises, I have caught many piranhas on hook and line as well as in seine nets. YES, SEINE NETS. These nets are fairly long, about 20 feet in length, and are pulled through the water by two people, one at each end. The lower weighted end of the net is held to the bottom by a person’s foot and the upper rope is held in ones hand. The depth of the net is usually about four or five feet. Amazingly, we wade and often swim in these areas, then pull the seine net and catch all sorts of fish, including many piranhas.
The piranha has a reputation that is certainly not deserved. Although, in certain circumstances these fish truly do become eating machines. As low water occurs, fish get trapped in oxbow lakes or small pools. Once the piranha have eaten all of the other species of fish, it does get dangerous for any other source of meat – including people – to enter the water. The local people are well-aware of these situations and they avoid those areas until the flood waters return. Even young children learn what areas they should not venture as piranhas have the potential of being dangerous at certain times in certain places.
The piranha has an amazing mouth full of incredibly sharp teeth. Once caught on a hook, it requires great care in removing the fish to ensure that the fisherman’s fingers remain intact. One swift bite can easily result in the tip of a finger being severely injured. Red-breasted piranhas are not especially large, and a 10 inch specimen is a nice catch. They are quite boney as food fare but many guests enjoy trying piranha, if nothing else, just to say they ate piranha while on their Amazon River tour.
Naturalist Greg Greer is a favorite among IE travelers, and has gained a reputation for his friendliness and good humor, along with his incomparable knowledge of natural history, photos and articles have been widely published in books and magazines, including Georgia Outdoor News, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Alabama Outdoor News, Riversedge and Southern Wildlife.
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Guest Haiku: Cuba's Bee Hummingbird
In January, Jim Smith joined IE to travel to Cuba. Jim commemorated his experience with a series of poems, which he has graciously agreed to share. Read other entries here.
flitting branch to branch
sipping nectar ceaselessly
rare “bee hummingbird”
The smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird which is endemic to Cuba. It was a rare treat to be able to spot and watch this unique bird species gathering nectar. - January 20, 2013 - Zapata Swamp, Cuba
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Where in the World is Safari Planner Kim Guth?
It is Friday March 15 and that means I am finally on my way. Where? I am about to go sleep under canvas in the Serengeti! Wildlife viewing in the Serengeti ecosystem - with its famed Great Migration - is tremendous! Nowhere on Earth is there a sight rivaling the spectacle of 1.5 million hoofed animals on the march. The Serengeti has the highest concentration of large mammals on this planet and is famous for its 2,500 lions, the highest concentration found anywhere! Unlike in Kenya (and with the exception of the Ngorongoro Crater), you rarely see other tourists or vehicles on a game drives in the park.
Kim Guth is International Expeditions' Custom Africa Safari Planner. Kim has been planning travel to Africa for more than a decade and is always the first IE staff member to preview new opportunities in East Africa.
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An amazing fact in regards to the great egret, also known as the common egret: Not only is this a common bird in the Peruvian Amazon, but it is also a common resident over much of the United States. Often, however, on ecotours, guests seem to be quite enamored by the 3 ½ foot tall birds not realizing that it’s the same bird they may have seen in their own home state!
The great egret is a beautiful white-colored egret with a large dagger-like yellow beak and jet black legs. Both the legs and the bill separate this species from another all-white egret, the snowy egret. The snowy egret is smaller, has a black beak and black legs with bright yellow feet. Both species may be found together and when observed side by side, the size difference is very apparent. Although, at first glance, Amazon cruise guests have been known to exclaim, “Look, a baby egret!” IE’s knowledgeable naturalists are always happy to point out the differences between the two egrets.
During low water times in the upper Amazon Basin, fish are often trapped in the receding water, providing a wonderful smorgasbord of fish and amphibians upon which these birds gorge themselves. As excursion boats glide along some of the black water tributaries such as in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, hundreds if not thousands of egrets, herons and cormorants may fly ahead of the boat creating a spectacular display of color and life.
Naturalist Greg Greer is a favorite among IE travelers, and has gained a reputation for his friendliness and good humor, along with his incomparable knowledge of natural history, photos and articles have been widely published in books and magazines, including Georgia Outdoor News, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Alabama Outdoor News, Riversedge and Southern Wildlife.
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IE Staff Chooses ONE Destination
One of the biggest perks of working at International Expeditions is traveling to some of the world's most fascinating places. In the past year, our staff members have explored Peru, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Cuba and Indonesia. So we asked these savvy travelers:
If you could fly to one destination tomorrow what would it be?
Here is what the IE staff has to say.
Sonjia Smith, Accounting (pictured right on our Amazon River cruise)
"I would fly to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow if I could! First I would see Boli of course. But also, to me, it’s the best place for a unique wildlife adventure. Getting to experience the animals with their fearless dispositions would be an adventure of a lifetime!"
Sarah Meffert, Associate Director of Sales
"I would fly to Kenya and divide my time between Lewa Downs and the Masai Mara. The wildlife in East Africa is incredible and being there brings such a sense of peace. I can’t think of any better place to escape to and leave the day to day stress of our hectic lives behind, and truly appreciate just being a part of the big picture!"
Charlie Boyd, Art Director
"I would travel to Patagonia because it's fall there now, the weather is nice and I could go for some wide-open landscapes. I'd like to meet up with Claudio and Rodrigo, get a car and drive to Torres del Paine to look for pumas, take photos and hike. Drink some good wine and eat some good seafood."
Elaine Woolsey, CFO
"Africa. It is the last 'big one' on my list. Specifically, I'd like to get to Kenya and Tanzania."
Tara Ellison, Director of Operations
"If I HAD to fly somewhere tomorrow, I would fly to Kenya and join our Kenya and Tanzania safari. It would be my first time on safari and I think that is about the only thing that could take me away from my granddaughter, who is only six days old. It would still be a really tough decision!"
Where would you go? Leave a comment below or join in the discussion on IE's Facebook page.
Monk saki: It’s not a rice wine drink!
The monk saki is an unusual primate for many reasons. At first glance, they may appear to be an arboreal termite mound or a burl on a branch, but what gives them away as being a monkey is their very long tail, usually hanging straight down below the branch upon which they sit.
Monk sakis are certainly amongst the hairiest primate species found in the Peruvian Amazon. They are extremely shaggy which makes one wonder — as you sit in 90 degree heat and 97% humidity — why would an animal support such a wealth of hair in such temperatures. It occasionally even makes the observer feel even more uncomfortable in the heat of the day! Well, the shaggy coat insulates the body from heat and it certainly provides a wonderful raincoat in the very moist climate of the Amazon.
The long shaggy tail is not prehensile. Rather than wrapping around a branch as spider monkeys, woolly monkeys and capuchins do, the monk saki’s tail just hangs straight down. The tail is the best way to spot a monk saki as they usually sit quietly in small groups of two to four members and are fond of perching on fairly large branches in the mid-story of the rainforest. During IE's Amazon River cruises, daily naturalist-guided excursions will take you deep into the river’s tributaries. As your excursion boat glides along a black-water stream, many more monk sakis see you than you see of them. Once found, these endearing primates will often just sit and watch you, providing a wonderful lengthy observation of these shaggy old men of the forest. Additionally, monk sakis are mainly fruit and leaf-eaters and spend a great deal of time in one place, especially if the tree provides them with delightful fruit!
Naturalist Greg Greer is a favorite among IE travelers, and has gained a reputation for his friendliness and good humor, along with his incomparable knowledge of natural history, photos and articles have been widely published in books and magazines, including Georgia Outdoor News, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Alabama Outdoor News, Riversedge and Southern Wildlife.
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