Columbia was our last big port to visit before getting back to the U.S. We headed out on another bus into the Cartagena area in search of more birds and wildlife. What we found was pretty exciting but we had a little trouble at the end.
Columbia is another hotspot for birds and wildlife but you don't have to go out into the jungle to see a wonderful variety of birds. We were on a tour to the Columbia National Aviary and it didn't disappoint. We had a tour guide but the crowd around him was so big that it was hard to see the birds that he was talking about. We took advantage of a lull in the action to skip ahead and wander around on our own and saw some amazing birds there. Some of the areas are enclosed by wire fencing, some areas are open and there are a few areas that are larger enclosures blocked by doors at either end to allow you to go in among the birds while keeping them safe and sound. The variety was amazing and included some exotic buzzards and even a Harpie eagle. There was one particular oddity of a Kookaburra which seemed out of place but was so cute that we forgave him for invading the Columbian bird atmosphere. Another thing that we notice were the omnipresent iguanas there. We weren't concerned so much about them causing any issues for us, but I was worried about simply stepping on one by accident.
It was so hot and humid again and all of the walking started getting to me. We had so much fun there but because I was getting overheated, we pretty much walked right past the last couple of birds. We went the wrong way at one point and headed into another area but found our way back to the exit path. By the time we got back to the bus, I was sure I was experiencing heat exhaustion even though we brought water and I'd been drinking it (though apparently not enough). Luckily, the bus was running and the a/c was on so I drank more water and held the water bottle against my face and neck to cool down. It worked and we had a nice ride back to the ship. That is probably the reason that this was the last Panama canal cruise for the season. It just gets too hot down there for people to enjoy the adventure. I don't think I recommend going in May. The weather forecast consistently called for rain and heat and though we lucked out by not having any rain, we still got a ton of really humid heat. Even on the ship out at sea, as soon as you stepped outside, the heat hits you and fogged up my glasses. I guess there's a reason we like Alaska so much :)
After this experience, I was a little concerned about getting to Florida because I knew it would be hot and humid there as well. It turns out I didn't need to worry and we had a great time but more about that in my next post.
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