Rio to the Pantanal!!

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Sunrise in Rio is actually quite spectacular; the pictures we got don’t do it justice. There was a pink tinge to everything and the sun itself was red as it rose across the water. We were up at 4:45am for our 5:30am cab to Santos Dumont airport. We actually saw this airport from the top of Sugar Loaf; it is right on the edge of the bay so we had spectacular views on take-off. 2 flights today; 1 ½ hours from Rio to Brasilia (capital of Brazil), then 1 ½ hours from Brasilia to Cuiaba (gateway to Northern Pantanal). We flew with TAM airlines, great service and great seats (rows 5 and 7), all economy class though.
When we arrived in Cuiaba we were met with the hot blow of wind and sun (this is more like what we were expecting…) Ailton, our driver, guided us to the Pantanal Nature Tours “kombi” van and we were on our way… 1 hour later in Pocone we said goodbye to Ailton and picked up Paul (our Pantanal guide). It was another 2 hours before we reached our destination but along the way we were lucky enough to see some of the wildlife the Pantanal is famous for. We spotted caiman (croc-like creatures), Capybara (largest rodents) and the Jabiru Heron. Finally, we arrived at the Pousada (traditional Brazilian farm-house / Lodge) where we would stay for the next 3 nights. It was about 2:30pm and it was really hot. Apparently it was a holiday today so there was no one about in the 2 towns we drove through… not sure if everyone knew it was a holiday or if it is just one of those things decided on the day (seems to happen a lot here…). We had some Brazilian staple food for lunch (rice, beans and meat) and some salad. A siesta (another common occurrence) soon followed and at 4:30pm, once things had cooled a little, we went for our first walk. Now, just to warm up we were given a short or long option. Of course Mischa picked the long one; Jess nearly died!! Wearing jeans to protect her legs (already bitten by insects in Rio), she was quite warm. Our aim was to get to the observation tower to see the sunset and we made it, but unfortunately it was quite cloudy so couldn’t see the sun. Observation tower was interesting though, and allowed a beautiful view over the treetops all the way to the horizon. But a sturdy structure it was not, as it rose above the trees to at least 10m off the ground. It swayed a little (Jess stayed on the floor in the middle), but not as much as what it would’ve if we’d stayed another 2 mins. Suddenly strong winds blew through the forest, whipping sand across the road and lightning flashing around us, it was quite cool!! We also saw this wasp and spider, the wasp was dragging the spider across the road. We were then told that the wasp paralyzes the spider. It then lays eggs in it’s belly and buries it alive, so when the babies hatch, they have food ready for them…the Spider!! HOW GROSS!! The dampener was there was no power back at the lodge, so it was candles and torchlights for the night. This also meant no fans (or a/c), it cooled a little as night fell, so it was bearable.

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Comments

[Vee]

Out of all your stories the spider thing will haunt me forever!!! Im so disturbed that the babies eat the spider when they are born! Blagh! Also love the photo of the Toucan!!! :)

[Cheryl]

I check my email each day in anticipation! Thanks for sharing your holiday with us - so exciting. Take care and stay safe. Remember to check for ticks, bugs, parasites etc etc!!!

[Grummitts]

i know!! and the worst thing is the spider isn't even dead when they start eating it!! What a way to die!! Story is very gross!!

[Grummitts]

yes, sorry. We will try and do one tommorrow night, but the plan is to be on a bus to Iguassu Falls. But the next one, trust me, is going to be awesome!! Place we have been has been BeautifuL!!!

[anonymous]

is it a crocodile?

[Grummitts]

it's actually a caiman, something like a crocodile, but not nearly as vicous supposedly. lots of people swim with them....i think more like a larger version of the freshwater crocodile...