Just got back a few days ago from a month in Brazil. We arrived on Dec 21, about a week before Brazil imposed a negative COVID test requirement to enter. We returned on Jan 18, about a week before the US requirement kicks in - no boarding a plane anywhere to enter the USA without a negative test result, starting Jan 26.
We were masked whenever indoors, found copious amounts of sanitizer available in all stores, restaurants, and hotels, and used it. Buffets required the use of gloves to get your food. Social distancing protocoals were in effect everywhere. If anything, things seemed more strict there than in the USA.
We are on self-quarantine now here at home for 14 days, getting groceries delivered, etc.
It was the best birding trip we have ever done. 25 days of birding, 672 species, 284 lifers. Specifically we hit three areas: Amazonas, near Manaus, Sao Paulo, and the northeast states of Bahia and Ceara.
We used Brazil Birding Experts, and they set up a fantastic itinerary and provided crazy good guides. We got 100% of the northeast endemics possible on our route from Fortaleza down to Salvador.
Pictures and more detail here:
Claire and I started our 14-day home self-quarantine yesterday, after a month in Brazil. I hope that will be enough time to finish parsing the 1,500 photos and several hundred audio recordings that we brought back. This was our single most-productive birding trip: 672 species and 284 lifers over...
legallyblindbirding.net
During the first leg of the trip, while we were still in Manuas, birding with Gabriel, we got a message from our São Paulo guide, Caio Brito; it turns out there would be a COVID-related impact to the trip after all. The state of São Paulo had just decided to shut down Intervales State Park,
legallyblindbirding.net
After completing the São Paulo leg, we arrived in Fortaleza at 2:30 AM. We started mid-day on the following day with ornithologist Ciro Albano. We are getting quite spoiled with these outstanding guides from Brazil Birding Experts. We've had great guides here and there around the world, but not...
legallyblindbirding.net