The Vagrant Gypsy Life

My photos dont quite do justice to the beauty and the majesty of Pantanal or the wildlife! I also managed to forget my camera on a couple of occasions.

Pantanal

Day 24 – 26 Wed – Fri 22/9 – 24/9, Pantanal

Pantanal is a wetland and is a great place to see wildlife! It is dry season and was extremely dusty the first two days in Pantanal. It was amazing how beautiful it looked after a night of rain (Thu night).

After breakfast, it was off to Pantanal in a van from the hostel. 4 of us, yours truly, a Frenchman and an Aussie couple in their late 50s/early 60s, who are travelling South and Central America, as well as the USA and Canada for a year or more. They told me about their trip to Kerala in 2006 (?) and their first long trip in 1972 when they travelled through South East Asia (Afghanisan, North India, Pakistan…) to Europe. They spent 2.5 years in Asia and Europe, most of the time in a van driving around Europe. It is great to meet people like this, as it lets me know that I am not alone in my madness!

After 5.5 hours, we get to Pantanal, and are picked up in an open truck by a sweet old man (60s? early 70s) whose only English is “Some moment, please”. Valentin luckily speaks a bit of Portuguese. We end up at the camp at 16:30 (an hour from the entrance to the Pantanal). Nothing much to do that night except walk around camp a little bit, rest and sleep. Choice of hammocks or tents to sleep in – I decide on the hammock. Hammocks are hung up in an open shed-like room with mosquite net covering. I am delighted to see a mango tree next to the sleeping quarter! I grab a couple of green (unripe) ones for the road.

Dinner (rice and beans, of course), chat with the folks and off to bed. An early start to Thursday. Bfast at 6 and then we head out trekking with our guide. Cayman here, cayman there, cayman everywhere. Our guide, Ronaldo, explains that we’d go looking for an anaconda after having our feast of caymen-watching. We walk around for 2.5 hours, seeing capiveras (water pigs), red and blue macaus (Arrara azul/vermelha), Tucans, herons, howler monkeys, deer, and a wide variety of birds. Lunch, a couple of hours of rest on the hammoc and it is out for a couple of hours on the boat. The group that were on the tour the day ahead of us had seen a jaguar and we were keeping fingers crossed. No luck, but it was a nice day out on the water . The Pantanal looked absolutely fabulous from the water. More animals and birds. We even fish for piranhas for an hour or so. I had never been fishing ever before, and land a piranha in about 10 seconds! Talk about beginner’s luck. The teeth on the piranhas!

It was pouring by the time we got back to the camp. t is a relief from the dry heat and the dust. However, it meant that we could see no animals or birds from the truck on the way back.

The third day was cooler and the Pantanal seemed greener and more beautiful. The lack of dust probably made it seem so.

The morning was spent on the van, on the lookout for more animals. It was a lovely morning and I see a lot of pretty small birs I had never encountered before. Sadly, I had forgotten my camera back in the camp. My photos dont do justice to what I saw, anyway. Maybe my eyes were more in tune with nature after a day in Pantanal. Spoke to the members of the next tour group. Met a Brazilian who had been on the road for 18 months, after quiting his job in Chicago and was headed home to Recife! Lunch, a bit of football, lazy time in my hammock and time to head back!

The bus stop is by the road, and there is no sign anywhere. I am however joined by 2 other Brasilians who are on their way to Miranda, an hour from Pantanal on the way to Campo Grande. After a 1.5 hour wait, the bus arrives and to my relief, stops! 5.5 hours to Campo Grande!

Day 27 Sat 25/9 Bus to Brasilia

I leave at 11:00 on a 22 hour long ride – gulp! I am glad I have Lord of the rings to keep me company!

It proved a long ride indeed! The bus wasnt the most comfortable either. They turn the temperature down as if there is no tomorrow. Got to Brasilia at 10:30 am Sunday.

Sao Paulo Angra and Trindade

I had been to Sao Paulo in 2005 and didnt like it much! Now, after nearly 3 days here, it is starting to grow on me. Sao Paulo has 20 million residents and is the New York of South America. ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 18 Thu 16/9, Trindade Another rainy day drove me to Paraty with Jana and Coco, two other members of the Hostel Holandes touring party. We walked booked tickets on the bus to Sao Paulo and then walked around centro. Paraty ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 15 Mon 13/9, Ilha Grande/ Trindade Breakfast and goodbyes again. Aboard the ferry to Angra dos Reis at 10:00 sharp. 1.5 hr boat ride leaves a bunch of us tourists in Angra with a lot of locals. Most of the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Photos: Ilha Grande Day 13 Sat 11/9, Ilha Grande (Villa Abraao) A warm sunny day. Perfect for a day out on a boat. I decided, with a group of flks frm the hostel to go snorkelling - my first attempt. The boat ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 12 Fri 10/9, Ilha Grande (Villa Abraao) Today I was an honourary Irishman. Went hiking out to the Praia Lopes Mendes with 3 Irish girls. Ran into more Irish folks (from Rio) before the start of the hike. It was a ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 11 Thu 9/9, Ilha Grande (Villa Abraao) "When from our better selves we have too long been parted by the hurrying world, and droop, sick of its business, of its pleasures tired, how gracious, how benign is solitude" I've probably got it all ... [Continue reading this entry]

Day 9 Tuesday Sept 7, Rio/ Ilha Grande (Villa Abraao) Another (free) breakfast at the hostel with fruits, fruit juices, bread and cake. It seems like a Brasilian thing, cake for breakfast! I have been trying out all the fruits available ... [Continue reading this entry]