Our experts - tour leaders and collaborators
The following people (in alphabetical order) lead our expeditions on a regular or occasional basis. Please direct questions about trip scheduling, pricing, accommodations, logistics, etc., directly to Margarita Tours - trip leaders are not responsible for such details, and are on trips to interact with, and to contribute their expert knowledge to expedition participants. Margarita Tours personnel take care of the other details, allowing the expedition leader to dedicate his/her time to you, the client. Our leaders have myriad interests and talents, not all of which are mentioned here. If you are planning on a given expedition, we encourage you to contact the leader directly, as well as contact Margarita Tours.
In alphabetic order:
Dick and Patti Bartlett
Dick and Patty Bartlett have spent many years traveling through the US, Central and South America in search of reptiles and amphibians, and are experts in the husbandry and captive care of these fascinating animals. Dick spends considerable time on the road searching out rare North American amphibians and reptiles, while Patty does lots of professional writing when she is not accompanying Dick on one of his wild goose chases. Together, the Bartlett's have authored or coauthored over 30 reptile and amphibian care guide books and field guides, as well as numerous magazine articles. Mr. Bartlett is also a reptile and amphibian photographer whose work has appeared in natural history magazines and books. Patty's photographic talents are right up there too - but she spends more time focusing her lenses on insects. With the Bartlett's on a trip, there is rarely a dull moment as they both have remarkable senses of humor (remarkably deranged in Dick's case, possibly), and they are always ready to head out on the trails in search of the next interesting find. The Bartlett's recently published the only currently available guide to Amazon reptiles and amphibians, filling a big gap in field guides for the region - check it out. The Bartlett's reside in northern Florida where they tend a menagerie of dogs, tortoises and other animals, as well as tend an extensive collection of rare aroids and other plants. You can contact the Bartlett's directly at rdbartlett1@aol.com
Jim Serach - experience in student and academic travel
Lorrie Smith
Lorrie Smith officially joined our "family" in 2004, though she had been coming to the Amazon with Margarita Tours as a client for many years. Just goes to show that anyone can aspire to, and achieve greatness! A die-hard herper at heart, Lorrie is particularly fond of snakes of all types, and regularly road-cruises in search of reptiles in the southwest US where she resides, as well as in adjacent areas of Mexico. Ms. Smith's strong business background is a great asset to Margarita Tours, and her sense of humor also livens up any expedition! For Ms. Smith, getting away to the Amazon is a welcome and necessary break from dealing with the pressures of the modern business world. Lorrie can be contacted directly at trakracer@aol.com.
Ground Staff
Fernando Rios Tulumba is a native of the Mazan area (Rio Napo) of the Peruvian Amazon, and has been working with Margarita Tours for over 20 years. Previously, he worked in fisheries management and forestry for the Peruvian government. Fernando is a man of many capabilities, from boat piloting, carpentry, and plumbing, to expedition organizing and outfitting and dealing with local bureaucracies. Having spent many years working in the forest and on the rivers of the region, Fernando also has a keen knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region, and is always willing to share his knowledge and love of the forest with others. Fernando oversees expedition organization and outfitting, as well as ground facility and boat maintenance and development.
Segundo Rios Ramirez is one of our riverboat captains. He follows in the footsteps of his father (Fernando Rios) in being a multi-talented, capable and hard-working individual. A favorite among passengers, Segundo enjoys participating in fish collecting, herp searches and other activities. His keen eye and extensive experience in finding creatures generally ensure that he comes up with more "good" stuff than anyone else. His skills as an expert tree-climber often come in handy as well, such as when he was able to obtain this yellow-tailed cribo (left) which had climbed 20 feet up into a vine tangle. In addition to his other talents, he is also a master with the chainsaw, and personally cut most of the timbers used in the construction of our riverboats, as well as building materials for various of the ground facilities that we utilize. Segundo has worked with Margarita Tours since 1995. Often to be found at the wheel of one of our vessels, Segundo occasionally needs expert assistance from "professional navigators", such as these two orange- winged amazon parrots that we rescued from a hunter and rehabilitated.