Pantanal

Day 1

After our fantastic underwater adventure in Bonito, we were just as over excited to be boarding a bus to our next wildlife destination, the Pantanal! The journey itself took about 4 hours, and finally brought us to what looked like a half lodge/half farm. Here, we met Paulo who was to be our local guide, a once caiman hunter turned nature preservationist who has spent his whole life growing up in the Pantanal (the Brazillian side).

He didn’t really formally introduce himself, but the first time we heard him speak was when he pointed around a hedge and shouted ‘CAPYBARA!’, with a mischievous look on his face. We were amazed to see a whole group of the giant rodents casually strolling past the building.  Obviously we all scrambled for our cameras and tried to get some pictures of them, as they were one of the animals we wanted to see most. They were pretty relaxed, and didn't seem too fussed by us until we got a bit too close and they all scattered.

After the initial excitement, Giulia and Paulo rounded us up onto an open top jeep, and we embarked on the second leg of our journey (about an hour long) down a bumpy dirt track. After about 10 minutes we made a quick stop in the closest shop around which was in a small little hut. Paulo jumped out to buy some Cashassa, hooks and line for piranha fishing tomorrow! This greatly excited Tom, as catching a piranha was at the top of his bucket list. After the short shopping stop, we continued our journey down the track. This in itself was a great opportunity to see the local wildlife, and gave us a little taste of what a high concentration of biodiversity the Pantanal had to offer. Every single tree had a different bird in. Hawks, Eagles and Vultures were riding the thermals overhead, and swooping from branch to branch right in front of our eyes. The small waterways we crossed on the way harbored small caiman, herons, storks and kingfishers, all on the lookout for fish. There was a real buzz of wilderness in the air.

After about an hour we finally arrived at our ranch. There was a small ranch with a few cowboys who looked after a small stable of horses. The surrounding area was a mix of wild farmland, jungle and the infamous swampy wetlands the Pantanal is largely made from. There was no real clear segregation between these different landscapes, and they all seemed to cross over and intermingle with each other.

There was an open communal area with a roof over top like a giant pagoda, which was full of hammocks to lounge around in and take in the wildlife and scenery. Slightly offset from this, there was the kitchen area which supplied us breakfast lunch and dinner each day, and had comfortable seating for about 40 people. Here we could also buy simple supplies like water and a few Ice lollies.

From here there was a long grassy mound wedged In between two sections of wetland which lead to our sleeping quarters. There were caiman warming themselves in the sun either side of the walkway and Paulo with another giggle told us to be careful at night because they like to sleep on the walkway. We weren't sure if he was joking or not at the time….. It turns out he wasn't.

Our room was a large outhouse barn type structure and had a row of canvas hammocks where we would be sleeping. 

The toilets and showers were just across the way and were hilariously jam packed with little climbing frogs and geckos. They were literally EVERYWHERE! In the toilets, on the doors, climbing up the showers, lined up on the rafters above, and if we hadn't checked properly, probably in our pants. Tom found them quite amusing and a bit of entertainment whilst showering. Steph however was not too impressed and we could hear many a shriek coming from the bathrooms from most of our team.

There were also bats nesting in our dorm which we could hear squeeking through the night. Unfortunately we didn’t see them but it seemed everything here was alive.

Once unpacking our things and getting settled in our surroundings, we went to have some lunch. This consisted of rice, beans, and chicken and various vegetables, sometimes potatoes and sometimes other meats too. This was similar for dinner times. It was traditional but nice enough and filling. We quickly devoured it and proceeded to gaze at the abundance of bird life right in front of us. There were Blue hyacinth macaws, bright green parakeets, ungainly looking Caracaras that Paulo joked about being half eagle half chicken, egrets, ibis and woodpeckers to name but a few. There really was so much to look at, it was difficult to believe they were all in front of our eyes.

After about an hour of free time we were all rounded up again for a walking tour through the wetlands themselves. We all gathered, and Paulo told us to wear our flip flops and bring lots of bug repellent and water. He also halted us whilst he went to grab a massive stick. On his return I asked him what it was for, to which he replied with another giggle.. “the caiman and anacondas” again I thought he was joking, so laughed along with him but, AGAIN.. it turns out he wasn’t. 

We all proceeded to form a tight single line walking bare foot through the wetlands which Paulo waded through stick first to scare away any potential dangers in the murky waters. Luckily for us, it wasn’t high wet season so the water was only about knee deep. Despite this, the squidgy texture of the muddy bottom and not being able to see what was below, was more than enough to freak Steph out. Safe to say she screamed a lot and hated every minute of the barefoot wading, but to her credit she stuck with it. Intentionally or not.

It was such an amazing experience to be walking bare foot through completely untouched wilderness. Luckily for Steph, a heavy rainstorm blew in so Paulo took us under a canopy of trees to shelter. Like a real caveman, he cut down some palm leaves to keep everyone’s cameras dry.

We tried to wait it out but Paulo said we should head back, as he pointed out the low but loud grunt of a group of howler monkeys across the way, tends to be a sign there was more rain to come, as apparently they’re very fond of it.

After dinner we all sat around and watched the sunset as we lighted a big campfire and drank caiparinhas, which we had become quite accustomed to. 

Here we bumped into another G adventures group who had done their piranha fishing that day. This set the bar for numbers, and we had to catch more than their 9!! It also made us even more excited to go!! They were doing the same trip as us just the other way round, so it was nice to exchange stories about what we'd done, and it got us excited for the later part of our trip that they had experienced, including Bolivia which we would be going to the following day. Eventually it was time to return to our hammocks for the night, and played frog dodge on the way back, as well as taking great pleasure in shining our torches over the wetlands, to pick up the glare of the caiman eyes, which popped out of the water, watching us go to bed.

A large toad outside our room.

Day 2

We woke up early with sunrise and to the chorus of frogs and birds. Today we were having a morning horseback ride through the wetlands, and then an afternoon piranha fishing session.

After showering and getting dressed, we were on our way out our lodge when we spotted a dappled red snake half way into where we were sleeping through a crack in the wood. For some, this was disgusting but for Tom it was FANTASTIC! We spent the next 5 minutes taking pictures and filming half of its body until eventually it revealed its head with its mouth stuffed with a fat frog, a great snapshot of how wild the Pantanal really is. We watched it slither off and attempt to go through another crack, but the large frog shaped lump in its body wouldn't allow it to.

After the excitement of the snake we went to get kitted out a ready for our horseback riding. We each got assigned a horse and jumped straight on. Tom's was called Faffa, which Steph found hilarious as thought it was quite apt for me and the time we had spent travelling. Having said this, Faffa was actually quite a good horse and quite keen to be at the front. 

Steph's was a white horse called Cognac. It was really slow and grumpy, and constantly stuck at the back, stopping to eat whatever it could find. She assumed he had a hangover. Meanwhile at the front of the group, Tom managed to see a lot of wildlife before it was scared off by our clumpy horses. He saw an Armadillo and Toucans, and managed to talk to Paulo a lot about the wildlife as we waded through wetlands that went up to the horses tummies.

With a slight fear of horses, Steph didn’t enjoy it so much and couldn’t wait to finish, but strangely bonded with Cognac over their common interests and lack of enthusiasm for the morning they had together. Both just wanted to stay in bed, and eat snacks. With lunch being served shortly after returning, hopefully some food would perk her up for the afternoon of Pirahna fishing.

As we ate, a large cloud of rain hammered down, making us worry if fishing was still going to be on the cards. Paulo made the decision to go ahead with it, and we got onto the jeep and went to the river. As we arrived, there was a group of scary looking Hell's Angels looking men, staring at us as we approached their fishing spot. As we neared, the intimidation soon waned, as we could hear them blasting Cyndi Lauper's "Girl's Just Want To Have Fun" from their trucks.

The fishing technique was simple. Attach your bait, and wiggle your line and you'd have a bite in seconds. A long bamboo rod, is used as it's an eco tourism destination and protected area, so rods with reels aren't allowed to keep it sustainable. Paulo geared us up and attached one of three types of bait. Fresh and dry meat, and fish.

As Paulo promised, we had a bite each in seconds, the real technique however, was with the swift flick of the rod to catch them in time. Obviously, Tom caught two and was chuffed to cross this off his bucket list. 

Steph managed to catch a dog fish, however Paulo said they aren't tasty and have spiked barbs, so threw it back much to Steph's disappointment as in the end she didn't catch any Piranha's. Her day was going from bad to worse, whereas the group as a whole managed to catch five Piranhas. Luckily the other group left that morning so they would never know that they beat us!

As we fished, a sneaky caiman was getting a little brave, and started to approach us on the bank. Paulo grabbed some of the smaller Pirahna's left on the bank from the Hells Angels and started throwing them at the caiman, so we could see just how much power they have, and how scary they can be. It whipped it's head so fast like a flash, to grab the incoming fish. It was a great way to finish off the fishing experience.

We got back to the ranch and looked out onto the beautiful sunset and showered, whilst our Pirahna's were prepared for us in the kitchen.

We went for dinner and saw our battered beauties waiting there for us. The rule is you should never play with your food, but this was a slight exeption.

The taste itself was ok, but they were so bony, it was a bit of a high maintenance dinner. But an experience none the less. As we finished dinner, one of the kitchen staffs small son started running around the dining area. He was very cute, and the girls started to play with him and chase after him. Steph's day was improved dramatically after a bonding session with the tiny cowboy. He was very cheeky, and loved being shown round and round the garden, and how to make paper aeroplanes. The highlight was during a game of hide and seek, the four year old felt it appropriate to give everyone the middle finger once he'd been found.

The evening finshed with a few games of cards and a few beers, and we all went to bed feeling quite tired after our day of activities.

Day 3

As the walk on day one was cut short due to the rain, Paulo said he would take the group early that morning before we left. As the girls had struggled with basic living at the pantanal, they gave it a miss due to feeling tired after a few tense days. Swiss Tom stayed too as he had been unwell. 

The rest of the group, Guilia included, headed out at 6:30am, to catch the early risers of the natural world. Tom loved every moment, as it meant more one on one time with Paulo, who had become his hero very quickly. He showed us a variety of natural curiosities, including fever ants that could hospitalise you from one bite, a tree that reclines it's leaves to avoid being eaten, a pink flower that can be used for makeup, as well a making a necklace from a lily for Christina and teaching Tom a few Portugese chat up lines. Paulo is a man of many talents. Caiman hunter turned jewelry making hopeless romantic.

After the walk it meant it was time to leave, after a fantastic few days. We said our good byes to the team, however Paulo wanted to hitch a ride, as going to the city is an infrequent luxury for the people who live in the Pantanal. We drove for 3/4 hours, whilst Paulo waved an ad of David Beckham in Tom's face, as he finally decided he was his doppleganger. We stopped for lunch where Paulo left us, and we headed for the Bolivian border.

According to a few sources, Paulo is the most passionate and informative guide when going to the Pantanal. Tom tipped him slightly extra as he was so impressed with him, and they had an emotional goodbye to end the 3 day bromance that had budded like a lily flower necklace.

Bonito

We were on the night bus from Iguazu when we were suddenly woken up by huge speed bumps, as we entered into the small town of Bonito at around 7am. Bonito translates to 'beautiful' and it couldn't be a more apt name for this place. We looked out of the window and saw rolling countryside with palm trees and blue skies. We arrived at our Hotel which was equally as pretty, and decided what to do with our day.

Our guide Giulia said that they have baleherneiro near by, which the local people go to on the weekends. It is basically a fresh water river where you can swim and chill for the day. After a long overnight coach journey, this sounded perfect so we headed there.

The place was amazing and the sort of place you picture american kids spending 'Spring Break'. There were zip wires to fly down and launch yourself into the water, and waterfalls to swim under and keep cool. There were large fish in the crystal clear water, and it was just like the tropical oasis we were hoping for. We also strangely found the freshwater quite a nice change after spending 80% of our time in brazil in the sea.

Guilia called us over to say that a man she got chatting to would show us a waterfall round the corner that was off limits. She has a really cheeky face and can be very naughty sometimes, especially as she  was meant to be our guide! In Guilia's trust we skulked round the corner whilst the other life guards wern't looking, and with the help of the man in flippers we ducked and weaved under overhanging branches and battled the current of the small waterfalls in front of us. Again with his help we scrambled along some tree roots and then he showed us how to get underneath a water fall. It was then Guilias told us he wanted us to come because he saw we had an underwater camera and wanted us to get some cool pictures! It also turned out he was an off duty life guard with a bit of a rebellious streak so although we weren't 100% sure at the time, we were in safe hands. It was really good fun, and even more so because we knew no one else was allowed to be there. Unfortunately we lost the pictures so that's a real shame, but after Iguazu it may have looked a little measly!

After a day of soaking in the sun, Zip lining, chasing after fish, playing volleyball, laughing at greedy cappucin monkeys and generally relaxing, we headed back to meet the rest of the group who didn't come, and headed out to dinner. We went to a pizza place called Zappy Zen which was a small family run restaurant that Guilia was trying to help grow so was keen to take us there. They did the most delicious fresh fruit juices, and small crispy pizzas that were perfect for us all to share. To her delight there were an extra two tables present which hadn't been there the last tour she had done a few weeks back so was happy they were doing well. After pizza, we headed to a frozen yogurt place for desert.

The next day, was the day we'd been waiting for and something that Tom had been avidly researching before our trip began. This was snorkelling in the freshwater jungle river of Rio de prata. It is a little gem which for most people has been under the radar for a few years but with increased tourism to the area, local sources of income in decline and greater awareness and education for the native population, the local people realised the importance of this beautiful yet fragile ecosystem. It has now been declared an official eco tourism destination and great care is being taken to preserve the beauty and delicate biological balance which keeps the river of Rio de prata the thriving and jaw dropping natural wonder currently is.  Because of this only a handful of people are allowed to enter the river each day, so we felt really lucky guilia managed to secure us a place despite not being able to get one for herself.

We embarked on about a two hour bus journey from our hotel in bonito (the closest hotel to the site). It took us down a never ending dirt track right into the back of beyond until we finally reached the lodge. 

We were fitted into our wet suits and briefed for the day ahead. As a huge fish lover, and especially fresh water South American fish, Tom was beside himself with excitement. We then took a quick shower in our tightly fitted neoprene and boarded and open top jeep for a tour around the ranch.

 we saw lots of cow boys rounding up horses. It was a beautiful sunny day and looked like a film scene. We stopped on the edge of the forest where we would do a 50 minute walk to get to the river. Our guide who was also called Thomas, showed us all the flora and fauna of the surrounding area explaining the importance of each biological component to sustaining the surrounding ecosystem. We also took the time to take a semi naked picture of us all hugging the oldest (400 year old) tree in the forest. Quite a strange spectacle considering we had all only met a week or so ago.



We finally reached the area where you can practice floating and the rocks are allowed to be stood on. The water was absolutely clear and we waded into the fish infested waters. Our guide thomas showed us how to us our masks and how to float, and we went for a little test around the area. Even in just the test pool, the sights were amazing. Fish bigger than our heads swam by unphased by our presence, and thomas showed us a natural spring that was underwater. From here, we did the real thing and made our way down the river. Floating was actually Very easy in the wet suits and life jackets, and the current of the river was strong enough to move you along so you didn't have to kick and disturb the ecosystem but also slow enough for us to take in the amazing natural phenomenon in front of us.

After floating for about half an hour we got out and walked round to avoid a waterfall, and got back in to a much stronger current after the falls. It was so shallow and rocky that you had to take great care to be a solid plank and just let the river take you. Otherwise you ran the risk of getting bounced off the rocks and debris. It did however slow down again and we were able to peacefully be on our way.

The crystal clear water was packed with life and and everywhere you looked was full of huge schools of fish varying sizes and colours and beautiful aquatic greenery, rocks branches and wood. It really was teaming with life and was such a unique experience we felt lucky to be part of. 

At the end, we floated over another natural spring, and the sand underneath was bubbling away. Here the water was deeper and our instructor said there were good diving opportunities here, so here we divulged in some photos.

At the end of the river, there was an option to get out onto a boat, or to continue in the river. We decided to stay in and enjoy the calm, and we saw some large hummingbirds fly over us. We also saw a family of monkeys jumping over our heads across the river. It made some tense viewing as there were some small under practiced babies going for the leap, so there was lots of screaming and clapping on our part when the whole family made it over.

Our description or photos definitely don't do it justice but we hope it gives an idea of just what a special place this is.

That night we went to zappi zen again as the pizza was so good! Guilia bumped into an old friend who worked for G adventures for 10 years, so he was interesting to talk too! We ate up and headed back to to our hotel to get ready for the next wild life expedition ahead of us the next day: the Pantanal 

Iguazu Falls

We left Paraty in the early hours of the morning, (with the power cut still cursing us may we add!). We were picked up by a private mini bus to São Paulo at 6am. The drive was around 5-6 hours but the roads before the city were bendy and made everyone feel a bit sick. We had a small stop to gather our stomachs together, and then got onto the main road to São Paulo. The flight to Iguazu  was only 1 hour and the airport on the other side was tiny. Here, we met Lourdes who would be our tour guide and chauffeur for the next couple of days. We stayed at hotel Del Rey which was a bit fancy, and had a rooftop pool and bar. That night we headed to the nearest restaurant on the corner, which was another all you can eat meat buffet.

rooftop pool

The next day, we were all so excited to finally be seeing the falls, a natural phenomenon that had made us lust over South America in the first place. We say we were all excited, but Susan and Melisa managed to sleep in so had 10 minutes to get ready for our 10am lift so needed their breakfast on the go! (The breakfast by the way is one of the best we've had! Crazy amounts of food choices and all really tasty and fresh!)

Today we would be seeing the falls from the Argentinian side, the side with the majority of the falls. The Iguazu  Falls are spread over a 2 mile area, and span over the boarders of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. There are 275 individual falls, and some are over 2642ft in height! They are wider than Victoria falls and higher than Niagra falls! Iguazu translates to "great waters", however the actual spelling and pronunciation changes from person to person! We're still unsure!

The falls were declared as a national heritage site in 1986, so we had pay entrance which was about £40 each. We entered the park and swiftly made our way through a woodland walk to the small railway station. As its a huge tourist attraction, we had to follow a large crowd to get there. Suddenly up ahead there was a massive commotion, and screams and grunts could be heard. We ran ahead to find a large family of Coatis attacking a Chinese tourist who had got out some snacks for her walk. Coatis of all shapes and sizes ran off with all sorts of delights in their mouths, looking smug, naughty and yet still cute all at the same time.

We got to the small railway where we were surrounded by Coatis and then got on a train to take us to the highest point of the falls, The Devils Throat. 

Our guide Giulia

When we got off the train, there were hundreds of butterflies surrounding us everywhere we walked, they must like the moisture in the air from the spray of the falls. We got onto to some walkways that went right over the river, and tried to stop turtles and fish in the water.

A family of turtles sunbathing

 After about 10 minutes of walking on the walk ways, we saw the spray in the air as we got closer to the Devils throat. We got to the triangular platform that gives panoramic views, and we looked over the edge to just see thousands of gallons of water falling. 

There was so much spray you couldn't actually see much, and we got really wet where we were surrounded by water. We stayed there for about an hour taking pictures, and then headed back to the train to go back to the main park. We decided to do the added extra activity of going for a boat ride under the falls, which we would do after lunch. Whilst going to the lunch area, we went on more walk walkways that winded through forests, and gave us views of the other individual waterfalls. It was so beautiful from every angle, so we all took thousands of pictures. 

There were still hundreds of butterflies, and we saw a handful of lizards and more coatis. The walkways spanned round the majority of the falls, apart from the main sheet of water that goes down as one big mass.

At lunch we had some pretty rubbish sandwiches, and watched as a coati stole a whole one of a table and scurried it away, we realised that they are super greedy! We headed up to the meeting point for the boat ride, which included a jeep journey and "Safari tour". The problem with the safari your was that the guide was bellowing into a microphone so any wildlife would have heard us coming a me enough. Sure enough we didn't see any animals! We finally reached the area to aboard the speed boat, and we were all becoming very excitable as well as slightly nervous! With our life jackets on, we made our way up the river that separated Brazil and Argentina.

Brazil on the left, Argentina on the right

The waters got rougher and rougher as we neared the falls, and we blasted up river against Rapids and torrents, until we were eventually face to face with Iguazu itself. We were told to put electronics away and then The countdown began. When we got to "1" we zoomed into the wall of water, and were pelted with water drops. It was more of a sensory journey as you couldn't see anything but white, but you could hear everyone screaming and we all got absolutely soaked with cold water. Tom took a video on his Go Pro camera so hopefully when were home we can watch that back and see a bit more! We went under a couple of times, then headed round another corner to another large waterfall, to do the same again.

Our soggy group

When we got off the ride we dropped past all of the dry people who were queing up to go next. At the bottom of the falls, we had another spectacular view from another perspective, and probably a better one in terms of seeing the falls as a whole. We walked along the base of the rocks and looked up and saw rainbows being made from the sun shining through the spray. 

We had such a great day and couldn't believe the Brazilian side we'd be visiting the following day would be any comparison. 

That night we went out to dinner to a place called Laos to enjoy some sushi and Thai food, again with Giulia's approval. We ordered lots of dishes and really enjoyed our meals then headed back to the hotel where we fell asleep fast. Adrenaline can do that to you! 

The next morning we were slightly skeptical about going back to the falls, as we said, the day before had been so action packed. Lourdes picked us up and explained it would be about an hours trip as there isn't as much to do. We got to the car park and looked over to see the falls, only to fall in love with them all over again. Seeing them from further away gave you a real idea of the sheer size, and it meant you could see all the tiny waterfalls you couldn't see underneath the larger ones.

 It looked like paradise, and like the perfect backdrop for an Avatar movie. Again, we took copious amounts of pictures in hope that just one would do it the justice it needs when seeing it in real life, however we think you need to hear the sheer amount of noise and to see the water moving to get a real sense of its power.

 At the end of the walk, we had an opportunity once again to get a little wet as we stood at a platform that was above and below a large waterfall, as it had two tiers. Here you could look down the natural tunnel the falls created, and see right through to the peaceful river it left at the end. 

There was also a viewing platform that reached to the very top of the falls so you could see the sheer height of the falls.

If you get a chance to go to see Iguazu, then we would HIGHLY recommend going to both sides. It's impossible to get bored of, and we asked Lourdes who sees the falls every single day as her job, if she got bored, and she said that it looks different everyday, whether it's because of water colour of the kind of day it is.

After the falls we headed to a bird park for the afternoon, where we saw all the typical birds that live in the region including flamingos and the ever elusive shy toucan.

 The colours and sounds that came from each bird were dazzling, and at one point we found ourselves in a macaw sanctuary with streaks of red, green and blue flying past us. We think they started to play with us because at the end they were coming so close to our heads that Steph and the girls had to leave because they were a bit scared. At the end we got to have a picture with a parrot.

 We went back to the hotel to pack ready to be picked up for a night bus at 10:30 that evening. We went to the restaurant next door to our hotel, and waited for our bus to Bonito. When on the bus, we all slept quite soundly after the amazing few days we'd had.