Blogs from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, South America - page 10

So, we hopped on a bus from Bonito to Jardim, where we could transfer to a bus to go to Ponta Pura, at the border of Brazil. In Jardim, we lunched and went to an internet cafe. As the bus terminal was a good 2km from the town, we needed to catch a taxi back to the station. And all we could get were MotoTaxis - essentially taxis where you ride behind the driver actually on the motorcycle (and not on a cab connected to the cycle, as in Iquitos). The idea of this scared Sarah, but she hopped on and greatly enjoyed the ride (I did too, but I was not quite as freaked out - plus I had ridden on the back of a motorcycle before). We took our bus to Ponta Pura, a ... read more

Dec 25th-26th: We left the Pantanal and after a 5 hours bus trip down a dirt road we are now in Bonito which is a cute little town with pristine spring fed rivers. We spent Christmas here and went to dinner with our German friends whose names allude us. Today we went snorkelling down a river with crystal clear water and an abundance of fish life. What we plan to do tomorrow could be perhaps the pinnacle of our trip, we are heading to Paraquay home of the contraband and every fake good imagineable. They have Dolcy and Gabbany, Diezel, Addiddiddas, Nikee, Prady, Tippany, DVD´s , perfumes etc. It´s a cheap skates Mecca, which is why I´m particularly excited. I plan to buy alot of quality merchandise. Anyway that´s my contribution for the next few weeks. ... read more

We spent a few days relaxing in the eco holiday town of Bonito where we had a great time watching hundreds of fish of all colours and sizes whilst snorkelling in the Rio Do Prata. A relaxing experience with no effort required, we just lay there in our wet suits and let the river current do all the work. After Bonito it was off to Foz do Iguacu and two days of exploring the huge and awe inspiring Iguacu Falls which lie on Brazil´s southern border with Argentina. The first day we spent viewing the falls from the Brazillian side with its panoramic views of the huge sequence of waterfalls. The next day we went back over the border to Argentina (steak sandwiches for lunch again - yes!) where it is possible to get really close ... read more

ITA - Bonito Sbarcato a Porto Murtinho, cerco inutilmente un ufficio dove farmi timbrare il passaporto, e altrettanto in vano una banca dove prelevare "reaís". Riposo qualche ora in un ristorante-albergo libanese, e poi prendo finalmente un autobus per Jardim, e da lì a Bonito. Bonito è una città piccola, ma che sta crescendo rapidamente, grazie alle risorse naturali che la circondano: fiumi, grotte, selva.. Il turismo sta crescendo, ma tutto è molto ben organizzato, in modo da salvaguardare l'ecosistema: il cosidetto "eco-turismo".. primo giorno: Río da Prata, Fiume d'Argento Parto con un tour organizzato (è impossibile fare altrimenti) a questo fiume dove ci immergiamo con maschera e boccaglio in mezzo a una quantità impressionante di pesci che, per niente spaventati, nuotano tranquilli intorno a noi. Non ci sono certo barriere coralline, o pesci di tutti ... read more

Greetings from South Pantanal! I just finished up my 3rd English class today! I have found teaching to be very rewarding both emotionally and physically. I am supposed to be focusing on the field guides but all of them have been at another lodge all week. So all of my students so far have been the kitchen staff, wait staff, bar staff, and the nurse. I am a lot more happier and healthier feeling now that I have become friends with the kitchen staff for the guest. The food they feed the staff here is very different than what they serve the guest. The staff’s cafeteria serves very hearth meals that only consist of rice, beans, beef or chicken, and either raw cabbage or lettuce leafs for both lunch and dinner. Breakfast is sliced white bread, ... read more