Day 07: February 24, 2014
After an early breakfast and check-out, we left Camino Real Tikal by 7:30 am. Accompanied by a security company, we started our long drive to the BioTopa de Quetzal, located in the cloud forest south of Coban, Guatemala. Along the way, Alex found a beautiful spot for lunch that had a view of wide open grassy lands in the distance. All the techies with Smart Phones checked for Wi-Fi and were shortly connected. So with a short amount of time, we all got some needed connection with our lives back in the homeland.
The drive seemed to go on and on as each hour passed and we thought we were almost there. This drive is unavoidable if one wants a chance at the Resplendent Quetzal and so despite the monotony of driving nine easy hours on paved roads, we were all happy to be there. While our bags were being delivered to our rooms, we immediately went to the gardens where we sighted wrens, jays, and warblers. After that short time for garden birding, we had time to freshen up and grab a beverage before dinner was served. Alex bought a glass of wine for whoever wanted it.
There were several fire pits in the lobby/dining area that had been started and since it was cool due to the higher mountainous terrain, several of us were happy to lounge around the fire after dinner, but not for long, as our upcoming day was to begin early.
The lodge was very charming and oddly artistic. The gardens were some of the best I had seen on this trip and many plants were in full bloom. The cabins were artsy as well, but the construction was not “tight” with many open spaces in the walls allowing for the potential of many insects.
Birds of the Day: Melodious Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Townsend’s Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Brown-backed Solitaire, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Guatemalan Flicker, Common Pauraque, White-chinned Swift and Vaux’s Swift.
