Brave New World

Swamp. Mud. Alligators. Piranhas. Beautiful rare birds, like Tucans and Macaws. Monkeys. Iguanas. Giant rodents. Jaguars. Fishing. Sleeping in hammocks. All of this and much more you will find in Pantanal.

Dorm... doesn't get much better than that, if you ask me!

This little guy would come everyday at breakfast and eat off our hands... he even drank my coffee!

I have been here before, six years ago, and unfortunately the government has implemented some regulations since then, which were put in place to protect the environment, but also interfere with the possibilities for wild-life viewing and some amazing experiences… However: a trip to Pantanal is always an incredible thing, and I’m very glad I had the chance of going a second time… :)


*Side-note* à The world really is a tiny ball (un pañuelo, as we’d say in Spanish). Six years ago I had eaten a baked pumpkin filled with a delicious home-made tomato sauce, the whole over rice. I have even made it since, because it was such an amazing and simple dish… Well, this time around, the guy who was the cook for the place I went to the first time, happened to be my guide!!! I didn’t remember him, but while talking to his wife about the first time I came to Pantanal, she mentioned that he used to be the cook, and that’s where she had met him… later on I asked him directly if he had been the one to make the stuffed pumpkin, and sure enough, it was him! How cool is that?

Beautiful, isn't it?

--Day 1--
We arrived, and did a bit of exploring on our own, watched alligators down by the river, hang out on hammocks and watched the stars…

A bit too close for comfort? nah... they're pretty laid back... I think...

--Day 2--
We went horseback riding, then fished piranhas side by side with the alligators, ate the piranhas for dinner (ironic, no?) and laughed our heads off with our new friends.

Yes, yes, the helmet is silly, but unfortunately mandatory...

At one point this alligator started coming towards me and I thought it'd be better to move out of his way...

I was waaaay too excited after catching that Piranha! :)

--Day 3--
We went on a walk through the jungle to spot some wild life, had lunch, then went on a boat “safari” down the river to see some more animals.

Somebody got to his dinner before he did!

--Day 4--
Woke up at 4am (yep!!) to go on yet another “safari,” this time by truck up to a point, and then on foot. We stopped somewhere in the middle to have breakfast and then headed back to the camp, to relax for a bit, have lunch and prepare to leave in the afternoon…