Brazil 2016

In 2016, the Summer Olympics were in Brazil. As was an outbreak of Zika. And I opted to travel to The Pantanal in western Brazil) in hopes of seeing some jaguars. I was captivated by the leopards in southern Africa in 2014. Jaguars seem to be bigger versions of leopards, so count me in.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I arranged a side-trip to Iguaçu / Iguazú Falls at the border between Brazil and Argentina. The water falls mostly in Argentina, but the most spectacular views are from Brazil.

Brazil 2016 [HTML export from Keynote]

Brazil 2016 [Movie export from Keynote]

I toured the Pantanal with Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris.

I toured Iguaçu mostly on my own, with the assistance of the good people at the Hotel das Cataratas. [It's a luxury hotel ... and your only option to stay at the falls on the Brazilian side. There are more cost-effective lodgings in the nearby city of Foz do Iguaçu. But Hotel das Cataratas is at the falls. You could also stay on the Argentinian side at the falls; I might try this next time.]

SMUGMUG ALBUMS

2016 07 Brazil - Gold ***

2016 07 Brazil - Silver **

2016 07 Brazil - Bronze *

Brazil PREVIEWS

I have started processing the photograph haul from Brazil. Much more remains than has been done. But it's a start.

Brazil PREVIEWS

Eventually there will be a Finalists album. But that won't coalesce until the PREVIEWS album is complete.

Iguaçu and the Pantanal: Brazil 2016

One thing you learn when you try to feed an addiction to photo tourism is that small-group photo tours fill a year or more in advance of the departure date. I missed out on a couple of tours in 2014 due to this, and would prefer not to do so in the future.

So even though I have yet to see the sweeping vistas and salmon-fishing bears of Alaska, I've booked into a photo tour of Brazil's Pantanal. And to make that tour a little more interesting, I'm planning a side trip to Iguaçu Falls.

The scheme, as I envision it, is to travel first to Iguaçu, soak in the scenery and be mist-ified by the falls for a few days before proceeding to Ciuaba and the journey along the Transpantaneira highway into the hinterlands of the Pantanal.

If all goes to plan, I'll spend a few days at the Hotel das Cataratas at Iguaçu before joining the Joseph Van Os' Jaguars & Wildlife of Brazil's Pantanal.

Galápagos Islands 2008: The Amazing Adventure 3

In August, 2008, I traveled to the Galápagos Islands as part of The Amazing Adventure 3, arranged through the James Randi Educational Foundation.

I had been attending JREF's The Amazing Meeting since 2004 (TAM2). One of the movers and shakers at JREF was big into the cruise industry. He started arranging TAM-related cruises. At TAM6 (January, 2008), The Amazing Adventure 3: Galápagos was announced. I jumped on it. James "The Amazing” Randi was on board, as were many friends from the TAMs.

We assembled in Quito (as Galápagos travelers do), then proceeded to the islands and our vessel. We cruised from island to island. Our naturalist guides shuttled us to and from the islands via a set of pangas. I felt a bit rushed as we hiked the island trails, because I was carrying a camera and looking for compositions.

We had a great time. Some weather delayed my return to Sacramento. The ever-shortening summer break meant the school year started August 18 that year. The wether delay meant I missed the first two days of school. Mind you—no teacher anywhere ever misses The First Day of School. I left two days of “emergency plans” for my guest teacher, so I anticipated a potential delayed return. 

Nevertheless, my principal at the time was not all pleased, and indicated an interest in docking my pay as my absence did not align with the (never-enforced) strictures of “Personal Necessity” leave per our contract. I was able to talk him off that ledge, in part by listing all the “beyond contract” work I donated to the school. If he wanted to go by the contract, we could certainly do that. But it would be to his considerable detriment.

In any case, here’s the documentary recollection of the voyage.

Galápagos 2008 [HTML export from Keynote]

Galápagos 2008 [Movie export from Keynote]

2008 08 Galápagos Finalists Photo Album

2008 08 Galápagos Keepers Photo Album

2008 08 Galápagos Photos of Me Photo Album