Backtracking: Briefly Back to Texas

Carol speaking with Joan Campbell. Joan was on our 2008 Northern Ecuador trip. We happened upon Joan and her husband as they were birding in Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park where we volunteered.

We spent our next to last day in Ecuador saying goodbye to the staff at Tandayapa, riding back to Quito, and included a swing past the Tropical Birding home office to say thank you for all their help. Later that evening we caught up with two former Tandayapa guests for dinner. They had also left Tandayapa the same morning and, like us, were in dire need of a pizza. Fortunately, there was an old established pizzeria within walking distance of our hotel.
Along with having to amend our airline tickets for our earlier than anticipated return to the U.S. we had also contacted Bentsen Palm Village RV. Our 'regular' site would be occupied through the end of Februrary and unavailable - yet we would still need a place to park. Not only did our BPV neighbors go to bat for us by helping secure a site close to where we normally parked, they also pulled our rig out of storage and reconnected the water and electric. They even went so far as to have fresh flowers and baked goods sitting in our RV when we arrived! All we had to do was open the door, bring in our luggage and tumble into bed!
Back in Texas we lost no time slipping back into birding mode. Before leaving Ecuador we had learned that a Black-vented Oriole, a rare Mexican visitor to the U.S., had somehow made its way into our RV park. We'd hoped it might still be around when we returned. Sure enough. Carol discovered the bird the next morning in nearby trees. Another life ABA bird sighting a mere three hundred yards from our RV! How easy was that!
Over the course of the next weeks we enjoyed many afternoon, evenings and a few day trips socializing with our BPV friends and neighbors. And let's not forget watching the Packers win the Super Bowl!

A group of RVers spent an afternoon cruising the waters off South Padre Island where we joined a pirate crew.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley had suffered another killing frost in our absence which had again set vegetation back a bit. But the severely flooded state park next door was once more mostly open again. Before departing for Ecuador we had signed up to be volunteers in the park (Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park). We checked back in with the office where we picked up our volunteer badges and Texas State Park Volunteer t-shirts. Our volunteer responsibilities would be similar to the ones we had in Ecuador - help people find and ID birds. No busing of tables though. As the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a hot spot for birders we even bumped into many familiar names and folks from Wisconsin and beyond. It is a small birding world after all!

Friends Connie and Chuck enjoying a meal at Dirty Al's. They are work campers at Estero Llano Grande State Park about 30 minutes away from our site at Bentsen.

However, our return to Texas was short-lived. A year earlier we had planned another birding trip to Costa Rica with a group of Wisconsin birding friends. On March 13 our kind and patient neighbors, Gayle and Harvey, once more ferried us to the McAllen Airport. Following a connecting flight in Houston we flew straight on to San Jose, CR where we caught up with our birding group. Fresh out of a nasty Wisconsin winter they were delighted to be back in familiar territory - the warm embrace of the Bougainvillea Hotel. For several in the group this would be their third trip to CR. Billed as a "best of" trip it included several past favorite birding spots and lodges as well as some new ones that our friend and guide, Richard Garrigues had pulled together. It wasn't difficult at all for us to once again slip into tropical birding mode!

As Easy As One, Two, Three

Our third year at the Ward's in Dale and something has changed

When we went through the process of choosing our popup camper years ago, we attended several RV shows. You know...to see what RV manufactures offered as their newest innovations to woo potential buyers. Even after we purchased our popup we didn't stop attending RV shows or observing what other vacationers like us were using. Maybe it's an RVer thing, this "the grass is greener" obsession, although, we've noticed the same behavior with boat and car owners who also continue to attend annual manufacturer shows. So it wasn't surprising that our obsession with RV shows also didn't end with the purchase of our KZ Spree.
During our two years of wandering we kept track of our experiences along with those of other full-timers. We witnessed all manner of RV's that folks like us had chosen for their road abodes. Travel trailers similar to ours, fifth wheels, and motor coaches seemed to be the predominant groupings, each with their own subset of variations. Many pluses and minuses to consider. We kept track of our likes and dislikes.

Parking this year at the Ward's "Snug-Inn" was challenging

Our continued interest in RVs and the RV industry in general remained justified. After all, as was stated in our first blog entry in May 2009, part of our RV experiment was to determine if a nomadic lifestyle would suit us. And now, two years after we began, the short answer is yes. We have found our vagabond existence to be mostly agreeable. And we offer as proof that we have managed not to kill each other while living in what some have viewed as a confined space.
Once we concluded to continue our wheeled wandering, the decision then became in what kind of an RV would we continue? Our current trailer, despite a few shortcomings, really was fine. But if we were to continue we also realized a bit more space would be welcome along with more creature comforts. This was after all, our home. Still, whatever we chose had to allow us to remain mobile enough to access the more out of the way destinations we've come to appreciate.
When it came down to it, the decision about what RV style to choose from wasn't all that complicated. A large Class A motor home would be, well, too large. Besides being high maintenance and overly expensive, they would require towing a second vehicle for transportation wherever we parked. The same held true for the smaller Class C motor homes. The latest travel trailers on the market did not offer floor plans that felt comfortable so we opted for what many full-timers use, a fifth wheel.

New GMC parked at Marge's home (Carol's sister)

As with most decisions in life, there are consequences. Ripple effects. We understood that choosing a fifth wheel would require a different truck. One with a diesel engine. That immediately ruled out our trusty Toyota Tundra and Toyota in general as they do not make a diesel powered truck for the U.S. market. That left the big three: Dodge, Ford and GM (Chevy and GMC).
Suffice to say there were no lack of opinions among our RVing friends as to which breed to choose. On our way back to WI from TX we stopped in Tucson, AZ for a month (subject of a future blog post). We used part of our time in Tucson to visit truck dealers, an enlightening adventure. As with our RVing friends, sales people also had their opinions as to which brand would best serve our needs. Balanced against industry reports, truck magazine reviews and our personal inspections, we settled on a GMC 2500HD which we purchased at Quebedeaux GMC/Buick (great customer service!). Step one of our three step process was accomplished. After matching our KZ's hitch system to the GMC and acquiring enough 'break-in miles' we headed back to WI with an eye to buying a fifth wheel.
As much as we respected and trusted the terrific customer service we had received at Kings Campers  in Wausau, where we had purchased our KZ Spree, sadly, they did not handle the Carriage brand, the company we had eventually chosen. In our search for a reputable Carriage dealer our good friends and neighbors from TX, Gayle and Harvey, suggested the small family owned Keepers RV Center in Mankato, MN where they had recently purchased their new Carriage Cameo. We targeted Mankato on our way back to WI where we pleasantly discovered the folks at Keepers to be most agreeable. As luck would have it they had in stock the very Carriage Cameo model (34SB3) we sought with most of the options we wanted in stock. We placed a down payment to hold the RV. Step two now complete, we continued on to WI to run our plan past our financial advisers to ensure we were not overstepping our financial resources.

Our KZ Spree and new Cameo 35SB3

A few weeks later, and with a green light to proceed, we returned to Keepers to trade our beloved KZ Spree. The whole process to transfer our belongings, have a fifth wheel hitch installed in the truck bed, and do a walk-through of our new Cameo took less than two full days. By late morning of the second day we were hitched up and on the road to Carol's sister's home on Lake Wisconsin near Merrimac, our three step plan now complete. So how is it working out for us? What new and different? And what do we miss about our KZ?

kitchen

desk with electric fireplace

Most noticeable was the hitching process. The Blue Ox Sway Pro system we had used with our Spree had never failed us but it did require more physical steps and parts. Leveling the KZ was always a bit of a challenge even though we had become quite proficient. Leveling the Cameo by comparison was a breeze using the built-in Big Foot landing gear. The Big Foot's "Auto" control button levels the rig automatically via four hydraulic jacks in just a few minutes. No more hand cranking and no more bubble levels!

recliners and larger rear windows

sleeper sofa and coffee table

The "basement" space below the bedroom is far roomier and convenient for storing/accessing outdoor chairs, tables, the portable grill, water hoses, etc. Many of these items formerly resided in the bed of the truck which now, with the installation of the Curt fifth wheel hitch, no longer fit. Additional storage beneath the rear of the Cameo accommodates our luggage when not in use along with other less used items.
Storage in the living areas is also improved. The raised bedroom, now part of a slide out, has a large closet for all our hanging clothes now located in one place. There's a six-drawer dresser. The bed, now a full-sized queen, offers more space to walk around along with easier mattress access for making the bed (always a struggle in the KZ). Two more nearby closets boast space for laundry, linens and cleaning supplies. The bathroom, also raised, is now a separate room (in the KZ we had to walk through it to get to the bedroom). While smaller it still offers plenty of storage space.

view toward dining area

view from dining area

The dining/living area is more roomy with two large slide outs (the KZ had just one). All four dining table chairs fit comfortably around the table (which now can extend when a table leaf is inserted). A sleeper sofa utilizes a real mattress as opposed to an inflatable one. A coffee table with a raised top function, two large recliners with lamp table, more electric outlets, and more wall space for our artwork compliment the areas. There's a fireplace (electric) next to a built-in desk. And the rig has a built-in vacuum system.

hallway to upper level and bedroom (bathroom door immediate right)

The kitchen is where the pinch for space is noticeable. Fifth wheels by design have much higher ceilings, thus, the cabinets are now much taller. This necessitates more frequent use of a step-stool to reach the new heights. On the other hand, the higher ceilings accommodate a ceiling fan. Gone is the large food pantry we loved in the KZ (so deep that a flashlight was required to see to the back). New and different challenges on how to store food stuffs and cooking utensils but the fridge has two more cubic feet of storage.

bathroom cabinets and shower

KZ knew how to build a travel trailer well, but the build quality and finish of the Cameo is superior. It has four seasons insulation, hidden hinges on all cabinets, hardware that is more familiar in "real" houses and overall, at least to our eyes, a much more tastefully decorated interior.

bedroom

The KZ footprint was shorter by three feet so perhaps we're comparing apples to oranges. But while the KZ was shorter, the use of a fifth wheel hitch actually shortened the overall combined length of the truck when connected to the Cameo. The Cameo's height is significantly higher (12' 8" versus KZ's 10' 10") which makes for greater drag when towing although with the GMC we haven't noticed any difference in gas mileage. If anything the GMC is slightly better even with its significant increase in power and low end torque. Of course we have to be even more mindful of pulling into gas stations with low overhangs...

The Cameo has more outside surface area to clean but the attached roof ladder makes for easier roof access. Its window design does not allow for windows to open as fully (horizontally side-to-side) as the KZ did but the design allows for more opportunities to leave them open when it rains.
Currently we're parked at Todd and Cindy Ward's home in Dale, WI. Our third visit in as many years. Centrally located to friends, family and all the other appointments we have, the Ward's are most gracious hosts. Cindy's dad, Lyle, added a 30amp plug so we could run our air conditioner (although this spring has been cooler than normal).
We anticipate that with this new setup we should have a another five years on the road (health willing) before we will have to decide if we wish to continue. In the meantime we look forward to more grand adventures in a space more suited to our lifestyle.


"How dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnished, not to shine in use!"
 - Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Ulysses"

¿Dos Meses?

Originally our volunteer gig was to span three months. December through the end of February. Imagine our surprise when an Immigration officer stamped our passports with a departure date for early February!? How could this be? Our return airline tickets, we pointed out, were for the 1st of March. Her eventual response was, with the wave of her hand to move on, "don't worry about it". We weren't sure what she meant by that but we DID worry about it. Eventually we sorted out that our tour in Southern Ecuador earlier in the year had counted against our 90-day visa limit. Who would have thought? We certainly hadn't factored that in nor had the Tropical Birding staff. The Tropical Birding staff also told us not to worry. Extending a visa was a simple matter and would only cost us a few extra dollars per person to do so. However, one of the Tropical Birding guides shared a different experience. He had recently investigated extending a visa for his girl friend who would be in Ecuador for four months volunteering at another lodge. Instead of just a few dollars, Ecuador was now charging $240 per person to extend a visa. Yikes!
Upon further investigation we learned that changing our airline ticket for an earlier departure would cost about the same. The volunteer host who was to replace us would overlap our stay for the latter part of January and all of February. Clearly, three volunteer hosts would be overkill. In the end we opted for changing our tickets knowing we still had to deal with returning to the RV park a month earlier and dealing with getting a site. Love these ripple effects...

Carol in the kitchen with Ryan Merrill, the volunteer host we replaced

So how was our stay at Tandayapa? Would we do it again? December turned out to be a slow month (it typically was we learned) with just a handful of guests coming and going. There was to be a week lull with no guests so we took advantage of an invitation to be house guests of Iain and Christina, the lodge owners, in Quito for three days. A nice diversion which gave us the opportunity to play pure tourist, visit old town Quito and tour several old churches and museums. Oh, yeah. And there was pizza and McDonald's...!

José and his son Casey

Christmas and New Year were very quiet. One highlight was having José Llanos, our guide during two previous Tropical Birding Ecuador tours, spend Christmas at the lodge with a small tour group. José's wife and young son had also arranged to be at the lodge to help celebrate. The staff outdid themselves helping decorate the lodge with Christmas lights and a somewhat dog-eared fake Xmas tree. How odd to be listening to Christmas music with hundreds of hummingbirds buzzing around outside!

Rosa, Isabel, Richard, and Angel

Speaking of the lodge staff, they were delightful. It worked out that most of the time we shared our meals with them in the small kitchen. Not that we didn't enjoy dining with guests - it really was more of a practical solution since we frequently helped bus tables. Besides, it allowed us ample opportunity to work on our Spanish. We never realized how much body language played a role in speaking Spanish.

Pablo was also handy in the kitchen!

The lodge staff consisted of a lodge property manager, Pablo, two maintenance men, brothers Richard and Angel, and two housekeepers/cooks, Rosa and Isabel. Pablo, the only one fluent in English, was usually only on the property Tuesday through Friday. The rest of the time he was in Quito. Angel and Richard, principally responsible for building and trail maintenance, lived on the property. Richard in a house next to the Car Park with his wife and two small children. Angel stayed in the lodge.

Tom learned his way around the kitchen, too. Here brewing up another batch of hummingbird go-juice.

Rosa and Isabel lived with their respective families in the tiny hamlet of Tandayapa (population give or take fifteen). Everyone's work schedule revolved around the number of guests present and their needs. For example, if a tour group required breakfast before departing the lodge at 5:00 a.m., Isabel or Rosa would have to trek up from the village in the dark to make sure breakfast was ready for the group to make their 5:00 a.m. departure time. For groups requiring early departures several days in a row, a spare bed was in the rear of the lodge to avoid the treks from the village.
Isabel, the younger, and Rosa the elder, took turns covering the morning and afternoon shifts. Most mornings it was usually Rosa. She would leave around 2:00 p.m. when Isabel arrived to handle preparation for the evening meal. Dinner was typically at 7:00 p.m. but sometimes sooner or later depending upon a guide's requirements. Before anyone could leave for the evening, the kitchen needed to be cleaned and if there were box lunches required for the next day, they were to be prepped and ready the evening before. Suffice to say these folks were very hard workers! But they always seemed to have a smile on their face!

guests Jennifer and Peggy from so. CA w/José and their driver

As volunteer hosts we were not required to wait tables but we still often helped fill in the gaps when things got busy. Whenever we could (usually most every day) we helped bus tables and do dishes. Besides, remember, it gave us more opportunities to practice our Spanish! It also gave us more opportunities to interact with guests. And while we were not obligated to help with breakfast, when there was a large group early morning outing, we always pitched in, specially when guests had an early departure time for their last day at the lodge.

TB guide Gabriel Bucheli with guests Linda and Jimmie from TX

We also assisted with room scheduling, room assignments, answered guest questions about billing and payments for laundry, T-shirts, beer and wine purchases, and any additional transportation arrangements, etc.. For those guests without benefit of a guide we introduced them to the trail system and helped with bird I.D.'s around the lodge. And when guides arrived with tour groups we offered them any pertinent information on unusual recent bird sightings.

TB guide Sam Woods (rear center) with group

The mission of the lodge in both it's physical layout and operation was to make guests feel as though they were as welcome at Tandayapa as they would be visiting the home of an old friend. We did our best to help folks assimilate into the lodge's relaxing atmosphere - dead easy. Just point them to the hummingbird deck! And we acted as liaison's between guests and the non English speaking staff. Guests arrived from all over the U.S., Canada, Europe and beyond. Greeting and engaging guests in conversations wasn't all that different from what we had experiencing during our RV travels. It would be nearly impossible to relate all the wonderful stories and friendships we experienced - the guests were surely the highlight of our stay at Tandayapa.

a birding/photography group with nature photographer leader Glenn Bartley (lower right)

Perched at an elevation of 5750 feet in subtropical cloud forest, the climate for the most part was comfortable with an average mean temperature of 67 degree. Definitely cooler than we had anticipated. No wonder the staff in Quito smiled when we initially inquired about the need for a fan in our room. And while we were smack dab on the Equator, the elevation kept the temps down. No need for those shorts we had packed. And, it was also the start of the rainy season so there was no shortage of wet weather.

Steve from Ohio had an eye for finding the smallest of critters on the trails

The lodge's location relative to other nearby (within an hour and a half) birding opportunities at higher and lower elevations were enticing. But, lacking immediate personal transportation, difficult to get to. We did manage a few trips off the lodge property to Rio Silanche, Milpe Reserve, Pedro Vicente Maldenero, Mirrador Rio Blanco, and Mindo-Loma. This was in great part thanks to Tropical Birding guides Andrew Spencer, Sam Woods, and Gabriel Bucheli (and various tour group participants) for allowing us to tag along when there was room.

Luke, at age 17, was our replacement volunteer host. A very talented artist, the first piece he did at the lodge will grace the cover of Tropical Birding's 2012 catalog.

Still, birding around the lodge was nothing to sneeze at, with the possibility of over 300 bird species to be seen or heard. The Tandayapa Valley is home to the Choco Region which has more endemic species than anywhere else in the Americas. Tom kept a daily spread sheet of bird sightings. On average 64 species were seen daily and for the two months we were in Ecuador we tallied 318 species, often times with excellent and frequent views. This included several life birds we had missed during our 2008 tour.

Carol, guests and TB guide Andrew Spencer (far right) on Nono Road

The montage of hummingbird feeders located around the lodge were huge hits with the guests. Nesting species like Powerful Woodpeckers and Golden-headed Quetzals were dead easy. And near daily hummingbird incursions into the main lodge always made for exciting up-close-and-personal bird encounters.
After two months of near daily walks on the trails and road, and in spite of eating what we felt to be a lot, we managed to collectively lose 25-pounds. A diet of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry (very rarely any red meat) was effective. The homemade soups especially were a big hit. We were constantly amazed at how both Rosa and Isabel could whip up a variety of meals (and yummy deserts) at a moment's notice in such a small kitchen!

Nelson with some of the TB staff loading up supplies in Quito

All food supplies were delivered by truck. Nelson, a local who lived in Nanegalito (a twenty minute drive by car) was responsible for most supply deliveries. Some vegetables and fruits (mainly those used to stock bird feeders) came from Nanegalito. The bulk of shopping, however, was done in Quito by Tropical Birding staff at Quito stores. Once a shipment was ready, Nelson would drive to Quito and deliver supplies at the bottom of the lodge steps. All supplies were then schlepped up the steps by staff and yours truly. This included all drinking water used at the lodge. No doubt this factored into our weight loss program as well. Nelson made multiple trips to and from Quito on behalf of the lodge so his trips were also a convenient way to ferry folks when there was room. Nelson was the person who originally delivered us to Tandayapa and who then drove us back to Quito when it was time to depart.

You never quite knew what to expect when exploring the trails each day

By the end of two months we discovered we were ready to head home. The utter lack of any reliable Internet or phone service had been wearing. And besides, the Packers would be in the Super Bowl and we'd be able to watch the game in the U.S.! We have no regrets about our experience and would highly recommend volunteering at Tandayapa to anyone who has the time and inclination. Would we return to Tandayapa for another volunteer stint? Probably not with so many other volunteer opportunities in the world. Our experience, though, has certainly whet our appetite to seek out other locations. But, a visit to Tandayapa Lodge during a future return tour to northern Ecuador? It isn't out of the question!