Date: Saturday, 01 October 2022

Trajectory:  Oberá – Puerto Iguazú

Distance covered: 392 km

A day of bad weather and journey changes. Started with a good breakfast alone in a huge dining room with five staff attending me.

Good coffee and lots of fruit. I stole some cheese and ham and a banana for lunch and set out into the fourth (or is it fifth?) day of heavy rain. Misiones much tidier, more civilised than Chaco, with countryside completely different and excellent roads (highways at least).

Drove up to the border with Brazil at Bernardo Irigoyen …

… a busy, bustling border town full of discount shops for Brazilian tourists …

… and drove on. I had arranged to stay two nights in the Karadya Ecolodge (photo from previous visit) …

… but there was a misunderstanding with the encargardo and it was not to be so I drove on. (I received an email from the owner in the evening, apologetic, offering to refund my reservation fee – he seems to have difficulty communicating with his employee too!).

Karadya is one of a number of lodges within a 10-12 km defined eco-corridor, in the middle of which is a rather wonderful ecobridge.

I took the RN 101 for Puerto Iguazu, which took a lot of finding, and drove west on a rough, muddy dirt road through the Iguazu National Park. Here I saw a number of animals including this (I think) agouti …

… and my bird of the day, a giant wood rail.

Arrived in Puerto Iguazú late afternoon and found a cabin for two nights, very comfortable and with basic cooking facilities.

I’ve lost the two days planned for Karadya but will use them to get earlier to San Martín (or for anything interesting that suggests itself, perhaps one or two Mission sites). I do have a full day of activities planned for tomorrow, to be reported in due course.

Date: Friday, 30 September 2022

Trajectory: Ituzaingo – Oberá

Distance covered: 180 km

Left Ituzaingo after early breakfast. Went to YPF to fill up with diesel and found huge queues so left till later, trusting to luck and my jerry cans. Stopped at second YPF along the road and was limited to 40 lts – seems fuel is in short supply in Misiones.

In a last ditch attempt to score a monjita dominicana digressed 1k km down the RP41 towards Pelligrini …

… but nothing doing birdwise, so came back and drove on to  a new province, Misiones. 

… and on to the town of Santa Ana. The weather was vile all morning, torrential rain still, so I chose an indoor activity – a butterfly house … 

… where there were not too many residents owing to the time of the year, but all bright and colourful on this miserable day. 

I rather liked the colouring on this one …

Drove on to Oberá as the rain began to ease off and visited a ‘bird garden there…

… where the steep and uneven walkways would never pass an H&S check. The number of birds was very small and some were in very small cages; not a wonderful collection, though the park was lovely.

One example was this red-breasted toucan … 

But this was not my bird of the day – instead, a campo flicker, shot from the car window in a moment when the rain eased off. 

Found a pleasant looking hotel in Obera, with individual cabins spread across a park. – aptly called the Hotel Cabañas del Parque. A huge complex, it seemed empty other than me. I ate in a large and empty dining hall that reminded me of ‘The Shining’. My cabin was fine though (at the back in the picture below).

A good supper (chicken and salad), and a cold evening. The last two nights have been quite cold – something I don’t associate with Misiones. Tomorrow north, towards Iguazu.

Date: Thursday, 29 September 2022

Trajectory: Resistencia – Ituzaingo

Distance covered: 235 km

After a leisurely breakfast left for Ituzaingo, still a little bemused by the splendour of my hotel.

Stopped for good coffee at an ACA service station which was full of Brazilian bikers. I see quite a few on the road: big, heavy  and expensive bikes, usually in groups of four or five.

 As I drove away the heavens opened and I had torrential rain until just before Ituzaingo, as I approached the Cambyreta Portal to the Esteros de Iberá.

I went a few kilometres down a side road in search of the elusive Monjita Dominicana, once again dipping. I did, however, see a number of birds and chose for my bird of the day: the Black-collared Hawk.

The rain shortly returned, accompanied by cold – the coldest day so far. I’m back at the Casa Bonita, dry and comfortable. Scheduled to meet Alejandra tonight for dinner, and a debriefing on my Tantanacuy experiences.

I’m driving tomorrow to Posadas and possibly on to Obera. Will sleep on it.

Date: Wednesday, 28 September 2022

Trajectory: Presidencial Roque Saenz Peña – Resistencia

Distance covered: 205 km

Left the comfort of my hotel after a leisurely breakfast, feeling slightly discombobulated by the spider in my bathroom as I paid a last visit. I would think about two inches long.

My first objective of the day was to find a replacement cable for my Apple laptop charger which had become unusuable. Couldn’t do that, but with the help of a friendly electrician I was able to invent a replacement (don’t tell Apple!).

Then I took a few detours on country roads near Roque Saenz Peña looking for early morning birds. My bird of the day, a guira cuckoo, comes from these early morning wanderings.

And just as well I went off looking for birds. I arrived at Quilitipi to find they were just ending a three piquete (that’s when citizens block highways). Guess luck was on my side; I could have been stuck on a hot highway for hours.

The short drive to Resistencia was otherwise uneventful. I passed lots of wood sellers on the road …

… and was tempted to buy one or two bits and pieces for my new house. 

Alejandra Boloqui had arranged tonight’s hotel for me and it turned out to be quite palatial, both outside …

.. and inside 

I ate in the hotel, and intend to leave early tomorrow for Itzaingo.

Date: Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Trajectory: Tantanacuy – Presidencial Roque Saenz Peña

Distance covered: 205 km

Still not feeling a hundred per cent. Drove away from the Impenetrable, from the heat, dust and flies, back to relative civilisation. Roque Saenz Peña is the second city in Chaco, and a bustling, modern place.  Found a room at the same hotel as before – a comfortable and comforting space.

So, a short entry again today – but at least a bird of the day from a quick revisit to the zoo as I drove past. A Ñacarutú, known in English as the great horned owl.

Tomorrow back to Resistencia.

Date: Monday, 26 September 2022

Trajectory: Tantanacuy

Distance covered: 300 km

Work up with vomiting and diarrhoea. Spent day in bed, with broth and dry toast for supper. 

No blog today. No bird of the day.

Date: Thursday 22 September 2022

Trajectory: Pampa del Indio – Tantanacuy Ecolodge

Distance covered: 230 km

No breakfast at hotel as owner Carlos had forgotten to buy anything, so off to Shell where I grabbed some coffee, filled two 20 litre jerrycans with diesel and bought some cans of beer for my sojourn in the outback.

Then drove the 130 km to Tantanacuy Ecolodge. Actually, because of misleading instructions and the total absence of signage and people to ask it was more like 230 in total. The only vehicles I saw were logging trucks, deforesting the Chaco.

A consequence of this was that the roads were not only badly cratered and with accumulated sand banks – there were also logs all over the place. Twice I had to stop to clear a way through.

I finally arrived at Tantanacuy ….

… parked up, and went over to the guest house ..

… where a late lunch was waiting for me …

… washed down by a drink made from prickly pears – novel, and very tasty.

Lots of blue-crowned parakeets around the place I’m staying …

… and not very popular with owner Luis as they attack all the cacti for the water content

After lunch we went for a walk through the Impenetrable …

…. leading into a dusk merienda with bonfire … 

… and staying a while to see the sunset.

On the way back to the guest house where I am staying we saw a scissor-tailed nightjar sitting in the road, which is today’s bird of the day.

Not quite sure what tomorrow has in store, but looking forward to it.