Hi
Long time since I sent any news your way. This newsletter will be quite personal, but there are bits about birds and birding tours, too.
In this newsletter:
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Car stolen - New car
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No more COVID tests when returning to the US
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Aardvark Tour and Comrades Marathon (90 km) in South Africa
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Gunnar's new single with Guran Guran is out.
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Sweden, Global Birdfair, Uganda and Spain.
My car was stolen!
Just when one thought that things are going right for a change, then a new disaster hits my company. Our workhorse Hyundai H1 van was stolen! Just 150m from my home!
Did I report it to the police?
Yes!
Any chance it will be found and returned?
Very unlikely!
Was it insured?
No! Insurances for older vehicles that include theft are too expensive in Peru to make them worthwhile.
Am I depressed or sad?
No! I am always looking for positive angles.
My wife says... they stole your car and you don't seem to care.
I have stopped worrying about things I can't control and do anything about. I guess I have become a Stoic with age.
So what to do?
The car was getting old anyway. Time to carefully analyze the situation and make a new strategy! And sell more trips to recover some of the loss.
How to get a new vehicle in less than a week in Peru!
Questions.
Do we need a car?
Yes. We have several small groups and even car+driver requests over the next couple of months which have already been paid for.
They would be very expensive to outsource, leaving no profit.
Can we get a new or second hand van?
No. It was impossible in the time I had available between trips. We tried between June 16-18 just after my Iquitos trip to no avail. Because of the Ukraine conflict, COVID and possibly also the Peruvian politic instability, there is a crazy lack of vehicles like vans (Perhaps, the likely reason why it was stolen in the first place).
Do we really need a van - right now?
No. When there were no vans to be found, it was a great relief to realize that we actually don't need a van right now, but rather a spacious SUV would suffice. Practically, all confirmed groups the next couple of months are with just one or two people. We had to move fast!
On Monday June 19, we had found a Nissan SUV and on June 20 at 11 AM I had paid and signed all the papers. At 1.15 PM I was on a flight to El Salvador with my wife for a holiday.
Our driver Yeltsin, picked up the car at 4pm, checked the breaks, changed oil and drove to Chiclayo to meet up with our guide Juan for a nine day tour of Northern Peru and then he continued to Tumbes for a private "car and driver program" for another three weeks.
New strategies regarding our transport in Peru.
With the uncertainties that COVID and the world situation has presented, I think I will wait a while before getting our own vehicle again. Most of our groups are small, and if we'd have larger groups than just 4 birders our small van started feeling quite crowded. We are probably better off outsourcing transport in those cases.
In Lima we are starting a condor-watching program in the Santa Eulalia canyon directed not only towards birders, so we shall have several larger vehicles and drivers that we will work with.
In Cuzco and in the North we are already outsourcing to a large extent and have several options of vehicles with safe and service minded drivers that know how to prepare Kolibri Expedition type breakfasts in the field.
This means that we shall scrap the present vehicle and experienced driver program that we have offered to independent birders until now, as we don't have our own vehicles.
Instead we shall promote programs without a guide for independent birders, where Kolibri Expeditions will plan the itinerary and the places where to stay together with the clients, and charge for a full service with hotels, vehicle, fuel, driver and breakfasts in the field. The clients cover their own lunches and dinners when they are not included in the price of the lodging.
It will greatly simplify our independent birder operations.
We shall naturally still run our guided tours as usual.
Higher prices.
Regardless, COVID and the loss of our vehicle have affected our business. Our staff is employed on demand now, rather than having fixed salaries as a result of COVID and the uncertain situation, so the cost per day has increased.
External costs such as fuel, hotels, and restaurants, have incremented substantially the past couple of months as well. We feel forced to raise our prices. We have kept the same prices now for five years. It is never pleasant to announce increased prices, but it is still not too late to enjoy our old prices.
New prices will be presented on August 1.
Finally, no more COVID testing before flying to the US or UK, and many other countries!
I do believe this may be a turning point. It is becoming much easier to travel when these restrictions are gone. More people will start coming to Peru. In a coming newsletter, I shall tell you more about how the projects we are running in Peru are developing, and a little bit more about some upcoming programs to incite you to come to Peru sooner than later.
But before that, there is some personal news I would like to share with you, and a couple of newly scheduled birding trips with 7 Wonders Birding.
Comrades Marathon and Aardvark-tour in South Africa
It may be the craziest thing I ever attempted. I am going to run the famous Comrades Marathon in South Africa on August 28. I only have 8 weeks to get in shape for the race. It is a “DOWN RUN” starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The race distance is approximately 90 km.
The longest race I ever ran was a marathon (42 km). This is more than the double. It is a classic and I am very excited to do it, even though training has not been that great so far this year.
While in South Africa, I would like to do a test run for some birding-mammal watching itineraries I have set up. I had put up an itinerary for seeing Aardvark for January this year, as I was considering going on the South Africa Birdlife Flock to Marion cruise. In the end, South Africa was out of reach for me because of COVID restrictions re-entering Peru after South Africa.
If you have time, you may want to join me after the Aardvark program for a budget scouting trip via Cape Town to Durban with Lesotho, and Swaziland, including the famous Sani Pass and possibly also Wakkerstroom. We shall search for a large number of special endemic birds.
There will be a break in the program in Durban on Race day Aug 28 and in the morning of Aug 29 (for recovery). Don't worry, I will not force you to run the 90 kms with me. The scouting trip ends in Johannesburg in the early afternoon on Sep 1.
We shall use self-drive vehicle and employ local guides here and there, and self-guide at other places. Detailed program on request. Just reply to this email.
Not too old for Rock'n'Roll.
My band Guran Guran is back. We recorded 7 songs in May when I was visiting Sweden. They will be released one by one during the course of 2022. We are very pleased with the result.
First out is a song that I wrote 30 years ago. It is a peace chant - you know... like "Give Peace A Chance".
Sadly, this old song seems more current than ever. Check out the video below. English and Spanish captions can be activated.
