Dewald's Travel Blog

09/07/2018

Thanks for waiting, you can see the video of the Amazon trip here!

A dedicated birding trip to the Colombian Amazon

25/06/2018

Where it is

15/02/2018

t's been some time now since I posted anything, so yeah, I have not been anywhere!
However I am preparing for some trips and felt like I need a better travel camera. I need something that will give me a WIDE angle, good photos and GOOD video, all in one and easy to carry.
As I am forever birding it would also be nice to have a bit of a long lens capability should I see something nice when I am not carrying the big stuff.

Here is what I went for and so far (still learning the camera) I am super happy!
Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80

I went birding with a birdingpal last Sunday and include some shots taken with it.

What I find rather amazing is the zoom range of this Lumix - equivalent to 20-1200mm. Now, we all know that it is impossible to shoot at 1200mm hand-held....or is it?
Nearly all the shots below were taken at 1200mm 😱

07/03/2017

A very short video of a very short trip to Antigua, Guatemala

A very short video of a very short trip to Antigua, Guatemala. This was only a break for a few days with one day of birding. Overall a nice trip but I did no...

31/12/2016

Guatemala, a quick Christmas trip to Antigua, Guatemala.

I visited Antigua (22-26 Dec.) for a Christmas break and because the ticket there is cheap...$160.
From Guatemala City airport I used a shuttle to my hotel in Antigua, again cheap, $12 for ±50km.

Antigua is a very old, 1543 and sits about 1500m above sea level. This called me as well because I could find some new birds!!!!
A very typical colonial Spanish city, like Granada in Nicaragua or Jardin in Colombia but rather run down, too many buildings lacking basic maintenance or restoration.

Things that surprised me was the vast number of foreigners living there. Maybe because it is one of the cheap retirement hot-spots?
Another odd observation was in walking basically every street in the city, I never once saw a butcher shop! They do not consume a lot of meat, that I found on the menu's all over as well.

Hotels and food is cheap if you do the local thing like me but for some reason whatever you drink, like coffee, beer, sodas all come in rather steep at ± $3, no logic in that.

The people are friendly as usual in the Latino countries but I was not impressed with the number of beggars on the streets.

I went birding at a good site close to the city (Finca el Pilar) and in the end managed 11 new lifers.

Will I go back?....No, not to Antigua but there are a good number of other places probably worth visiting in Guatemala.

The album link is here if you miss it in the Photos area:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.361907554172547.1073741830.289660141397289&type=1&l=4871735310

10/09/2016

Some hummingbird shots taken in Costa Rica, some in my garden.

34 new photos · Album by Dewald Reiners

10/09/2016

Cuba

174 new photos · Album by Dewald Reiners

10/09/2016

The first visit to Costa Rica.....now you can understand why I am here!

80 new photos added to shared album

10/09/2016

The Buenos Aires video.

10/09/2016

Meeting Shirlene

48 new photos · Album by Dewald Reiners