A boat trip on Ibera Lake

We were up early after a sweltering night! Breakfast was at 6.20am for those of us who were going in the boat trip or horse riding. The six of us on the boat left site at 6.40 to be at the jetty on the municipal campsite by 7am.

Our boat was on time and we were soon kitted out with life jackets and on our way. Our skipper didn't speak any English, but we managed with our limited Spanish. He certainly knew the best places to take us. Over the next two hours, we saw everything we'd hoped to see and more, including lots of caiman, capybara, countless birds, a few deer, and a family of greater rhea, known by the locals as nandu. This is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America. It inhabits a variety of open areas, such as grasslands, savanna or grassy wetlands. Weighing 20–27 kilograms (44–60 lb), the greater rhea is the largest native bird in the Americas. In the wild, it has a life expectancy of 10.5 years.

It was a really enjoyable trip - one of the highlights of the whole tour.Read more