Tuesday, November 21, 2006

The One in the Jungle

After a brief soujourn in Santa Cruz - not much to say about it except nice Ice Cream - we took the night train to Brazil.

A new stamp in the passport, a new currency to get to grips with, and searing heat and mosquitos. We were picked up and driven to our base in the heart of the Pantanal.

Bus journeys now send me instantly to sleep, but I awoke to amazing scenery - green lush marsha dn forest with a large brown river cutting across it like an open wound.

Even before we reached our home for the 2 nights we were turning into David Attenborough and snapping away at the wildlife all around us. We saw Jaribu birds the red throated Storks which are the symbol of the Pantanal, Capivaras - the largest rodent which look like a cross betweena moomen and a giant Guinea Pig, and hundreds of Caymen which lazed by the river side and smiled for the camera.

We went for a walk in the firest, and saw little mroe than mosquitos, apart from some footprints - anteaters, and ocelots footprints to be precise.

Our home for the two nights were a series of hammocks in a mosi proofed room. That said I am now starting to look like I have bubonic plague I have been bitten so much. Time for new insect repellant methinks!

Day 2 and who needs an alarm clock. You awake afetr a surprisngly comfortable nights sleep in a hammock to a raucaus cacophony of birdsong.

We went for another walk and this time were not disappointed. Giant Otters, Howler Monkeys, normal sized otters, and red macaws to anme a few. Plus the amazing toucan. I will never get bored of looking at that bird.

We went Piranha fishing. I eventually caught 4 (and managed to accidentely slap the back of H with one much to her pleasure!) and I even had one for my lunch! (not much meat i´m afraid to say!)




We had a siesta in a hammock, looked at more monkeys, Iguanas, a shy Quati (raccon style animal) and had lunch - I´m beginning to enjoy jungle life!

After lunch time for more horseriding. My horse this time did not like to be over taken so we trotted a fair bit! Robert - new to horseriding - was given the smallest horse, and having the longest legs looked rather silly on it!


Exhaustedly, we showered and went to bed.

The third day we went for a boat ride down the River Miranda. We were invited to go swimming, but after seeing a huge Caymen splash into the water I decided to pass!

We caught the bus to the small town of Bonito, where our hotel is all decked out for Christmas. it seems so wrong in such heat!

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