Date: Wednesday 14 September 2022

Trajectory:  Loreto – Ituzaingo

Distance covered: 120 km (with diversions)

Spent morning in Loreto, firstly visiting the Jesuit museum, containing valuable pieces rescued by families fleeing persecution and two previous incarnations of Loreto. Many valuable pieces are still kept in family homes but some are on display in the museum`:

And certainly worth a look at:

This crown of thorns particularly caught my eye:

Then on to Horacio Matarrasso’s new ecolodge project just outside Loreto, coming on very nicely. He’s decided to name the central lake (seen here filling slowly) ‘`Lake Appleton’, after our mutual friend Tim Appleton.

Here I shot my bird of the day, a green-winged saltator, in the feeding area. I’m not a fan of birds on feeders, but it was a lifer!

From there to the new ‘portal’ San Antonio on the other side of Loreto, in search of the black-and-white monjita, a bird that has eluded me for many years. Despite the efforts of local guide Ariel it continued to do so, so I cut my losses and drove on to Ituzaingó where Alejandra Boloqui had arranged accommodation for me at ‘Casa Bonita’. 

I found the plaque at top right of the door fascinating: it seems like a multi-use  facility for the elderly, a hotel for adults and a nursery for infants all rolled into one.  

Whatever, it looks very comfortable, even if the wifi is not very wonderful. 

Tomorrow I take a launch to Apipé Island.