Arriving in Brazil we entered the area of great food, especially meat, but traded in the paper flushing toilets. On the upside we could now eat delicious meals, on the downside we had to put the used toilet paper in a bucket next to the toilet. Summary: Satisfied stomachs, low romantic vibe.
After a few hours at the airport of Sao Paulo we flew to Cuiaba in the inland of Brazil. Cuiaba is one of the main starting points for excursions to the Northern Pantanal. The Pantanal is a huge tropical wetland (230.000 km²) full of animals. Some regions can only be visited by boat and during the rain season nearly everything is flooded. It is home for over 650 birds, 120 mammals and millions of caimans (crocodiles).
In Cuiaba we stayed in a crazy pousada (hostel), full of mosquitos, cats, radios and relatives of the owner. Some of the rooms were like magic boxes, all the time new people popped out and you had no idea how they entered and how so many people fit in a room. Next to the relatives there were also other guests and it was really cool meeting other young people, sharing experiences and discovering the city together.
Joel, who owned the pousada, has also a tour agency. He made us a good offer and after a few days in Cuiaba we went on a 4-day trip to the Pantanal. In a new, old-school VW van we drove the 110km to the Transpantaneira, a street once planned to cross the Pantanal.
Soon after being on the Transpantaneira our definition of biodiversity changed. Despite the beginning of the rain season, and therefore less animals to see, was the grassland packed with birds. Not those boring, little brown ones, but big, colorful, beautiful ones. Next to the birds you could see the caymans and sitting next to them, tons of capybaras. The water is so full of fish; the crocodiles do not even bother with hunting the bigger mammals.
The first night we spend in a pousada more in the drier part of the Pantanal. Sitting in front of the house you could see emus, horses, capybara and fighting parrots, just great! Since it is very hot and wet, most of the tour activities are in the morning and late afternoon. In the afternoon itself you can rest and get ready for the upcoming activities.
The next two nights we spent in another pousada more in the wetlands. A jungle surrounds it; therefore it was harder to spot animals. Included in our package were horseback rides, night spotting tours and, my personal highlight, piranha fishing. It is like fishing in a fish farm, in less than 10 seconds they eat the meat on your hook. Sometimes they are so fast, you do not even notice it and the meat is gone.
For future travellers, the Pantanal is really worth a trip; just do not forget the repellant. A tour is not cheap (375R/day), but is really nice. You do not have to care about the trip from the city to the Pantanal, the guide speaks English and knows a lot about the area. Our pousadas were friendly and had great food, but could definitely need some fresh-ups. You can book the pousadas directly, which is cheaper and most of the meals and activities are included, but you have to organize your trip and there is a high possibility that the staff at the pousada does not speak English and can therefore not give much background information during the activities.
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