Author: Lois Olive Gray
Photos: KayEllen Gilmour,MD
Photo Album: www.KayGilmour.SmugMug.com
PANTINGINTHEPANTANAL
October 2 to October 20, 2015
Introduction:
Jaguars rolling and grooming like kittens! Giant otters growling and shrieking like no river or ocean otter you ever heard. Common and great potoos, birds that look positively prehistoric. Flamboyant parrots gliding through the skies like aerial acrobats. Predatory birds of all sizes from huge roadside hawks to tiny kingfishers plunging into the ochre, silt-filled waters of the fast-moving rivers with deadly accuracy. The world's largest rodent, capybaras, weighing up to 150 pounds swimming easily past our boats. What exuberant nature all around us in the marvelous Pantanal of Brazil!
Because we had long wanted to visit "jaguar country" to see jaguars in their homeland, we booked a trip with our favorite travel company, Zegrahm Expeditions, to join other enthusiasts to explore the Pantanal, reputed to be the area of the Americas with the highest density of jaguars. This trip delivered on every level from lodgings to exploration experiences, food and food safety (no one got sick on this trip), and guides. So let me now prove to you why we had so much fun, satisfaction and great photo ops during this absolutely fabulous trip.
An explanation of the title of this journal is necessary at the beginning. The end of the dry season in the Pantanal occurs during the spring (remember Brazil is below the Equator). We knew to expect really hot temperatures even into the 100s and that did occur a few times. Usually however the temperatures were in the 80s and 90s. But the humidity is very high because the rainy season is hard upon. So we certainly did do a lot of "panting" in the heat, as did many of the animals, even the birds. We did experience one very rare occurrence where the weather turned really cold, but more about that later. Our usual weather kept us sweating, panting on exertion and very HOT.
WHERE AND WHAT IS THE PANTANAL?
The Pantanal is mainly in the country of Brazil in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, but small parts of it are within the borders of Bolivia and Paraquay.
pools and lakes in the Pantanal. Many other animals do congregate along the river banks in the dry season, making them easy to spot from eco-tourist boats.
We were lucky enough to view many mammal species as well as a huge number of birds from these boats. In fact, most companies advertise that the easiest and safest way to see the magnificent jaguars is from a boat and that certainly worked for us. The other way to explore the Pantanal during dry season is on the dirt roads that the big landowners have created to get wheeled vehicles in and out of their lands. Each ecolodge has its own style of safari truck which accommodates between 12 and 15 people comfortably. There are different configurations used in each place: some are like African safari trucks where the seats are raised from front to back and all face forward. Another style used the truck sides & back to arrange the seating. There were advantages and disadvantages to both styles. More about that as we get into the actual "safaris" we enjoyed.
THE EXPEDITION
Transpantaneira Highway
Our journey worked its way down from Cuiaba, a large city on the northern edge of the Pantanal. We stayed a couple of nights in a nice hotel (the Gran Odara) but really didn't do much sightseeing in the city. However, it gave us our chance to have a first meeting with the 11 other people who had signed up with us as well as our tour guides, Mark Brazil (Zegrahm representative & bird expert) and Frederico Tavares (our local Brazilian guide and trip coordinator and birding pro and expert on the Pantanal and all its creatures). Quickly we realized that this would be a very compatible and comfortably small group. Everyone wanted what we had come for: the chance to see and photograph as many of the amazing species of wildlife as possible in this charmed environment. That initial impression held true throughout our 18 days together!
The way into the Pantanal from the cities and towns on the periphery is via the Transpantaneira Highway - a raised dirt road punctuated by numerous perilouslooking wooden bridges over rivers, sloughs, and ravines.
The highway leaves the city of Cuiaba and is paved for about the first 40 miles. When we reached the actual "highway," we saw the wooden welcoming archway signaling our true entrance into the Pantanal. The smooth surface abruptly ends there and the bumps and thumps begin over the dirt road for another 80 miles to its end at Porto Jofre. So now let's make the trip from top to bottom, or from north to south. Luckily for our backs and bottoms, we did not have to travel the whole highway in one day, until the last day when we had to drive back to Cuiaba to catch a flight to our last stop, Campo Grande (but more about that later).
We stopped many times along the way for photo ops and "nature stops." Among the birds we saw were: herons, cranes, and various raptors. And then there were the Caimansandthecapybaras - the world's largest rodent.
The Yacare Caiman.
TheCapybara
The safari vehicles were old but not particularly uncomfortable they were the African type with gradually raised rows of seats, with ladders to climb to enter the viewing area. We did learn about the accent on "old" further into our explorations there.
First Stop: Araras Eco Lodge
The Araras Eco Lodge was our home and base camp for two days of very successful exploring of this part of the northern Pantanal. However, I must backtrack a moment to tell you that the very uneven and lumpy highway drive was not without its rewards. We saw many different birds and even the most famous reptilian denizen of the Pantanal: the hyacinth macaw.
One of the highlights of the environs of the lodge were our first looks at the beautiful and critically endangered Hyacinth macaws. The lodge owner is involved with rehabilitating and returning to nature injured macaws as well as providing nesting places for wild and healthy birds These parrots are the largest in the parrot family. Only pictures can reveals the beauty of these wonderful chatty birds.
The Araras Lodge was comfortable and the food was delicious.
HIKE TO MONKEY TOWER
On our first full day at Araras, however, we started out at 6:30 a.m. on a stroll on the impressive raised wooden boardwalk out to the Torre do Bugio (the Monkey Tower) where we would see panoramic views of the surrounding lands. On the walk to and from the tower we saw capuchin monkeys, woodstorks, and many other birds.
It was extremely hot already and by 9:30, we decided that we needed to shower and change clothes. I suppose we were still tired because we napped until lunch at noon and were very ashamed of ourselves. After an inviting alfresco buffet lunch, we were ready for the next activity: our first vehicle safari.
EVENING SAFARI RIDES
There were several highlights during our afternoon & evening safari rides. We saw crab- eating foxes and crab-eating raccoons but, oddly enough, neither species eats crabs. This was the only place where we saw the raccoons, but the foxes proved to be very numerous and easy to spot everywhere we went. Also easily seen were the fat pig-like Barzilian tapirs.
Our night rides here were accompanied by the rhythmic clicks of the castanet frogs all around us. A distinct and happy jungle sound. Other phenomena that made night
rides more interesting were the numerous fireflies winking on and off around us and the wonderful insects we couldn't identify except that they appeared to be pieces of silver razor wire suspended in the spotlight glare.
GET A HORSE
The most memorable highlight turned out to be related to the "old" safari vehicle. As we drove through a very dry area with spindly vegetation and open scraggy grasslands, we came upon a surprisingly muddypatch on the clay road. The driver either did not recognize the problem or thought the truck was mighty enough to pass right over the danger. WRONG! We became well and truly stuck and no amount of jockeying back and forth could free us. It became clear that it was going to take a lot of work to get us out of the muck and mire. Everybody off the truck and the driver and a helper as well as many of our party began to work on digging the truck out. That was when we learned that the tires were totally bald no tread to be seen and the trucks have no way to contact the lodge so we were really alone in the wilderness.
The knowledgeable staff and the willing workers began to gather branches to provide traction while the driver and his helper dug deeper into the mud to place the branches. Some of the group were a cheering squad, others went off to hike around the barren waste looking for something "wild" and others actually participated in the preparations.
When all was in readiness, the driver got back into the cab and all the willing workers began to push the truck. Several fruitless tries later, it was time to give up and start again.
More branches, more bushes and more digging. By this time the hikers had returned to the site and found that no real progress had been made so some of them pitched in with the second pushing effort! Success! We all thought we were out of there. But no! The truck rammed its way out of the mud only to slipslide away into still another muddy patch and was trapped yet again! More digging and more collecting and then more pushing and finally the truck got back onto solid ground. So our afternoon safari was shorter but it turned into an evening safari as well. And that was fine with us eager wildlife searchers.
The rest of our explorations at Araras were uneventful compared to that first afternoon. No more truck dramas. However, our safari drives morning, afternoon, and night were very productive for our desired wildlife viewing. This was not a lodge that advertised itself as a good place to see jaguars so we were not surprised that we saw none. But we did spot many bird species that we had never seen beforeas wellas mammals that were new to us in the wild.
Among the new birds we saw were scarlet-crested cardinals, purplish jays, savanna hawks, black-collared hawks, several parakeet species, cocoi herons and the huge jabiru storks nesting with chicks visible.
Among the mammals, we saw our first tapirs, marsh and brocket deer, the six banded armadillo, and capuchin monkeys. We spent the longest time observing the charming yellowish six-banded armadillos. Birds flit away quickly, deer are shy and skittish, and tapir just lumber along not doing anything very interesting.
The very pale, almost creamy-white, six-banded armadillos were quite busy in their dry open field home.
They had several holes to duck into when frightened and they also showed a lot of interaction among themselves They would run at one another, a pair seemed to be courting; they would waddle quickly away from outright confrontations; one was very industriously cleaning out his home by digging and throwing excess sand and leaves out of his doorway. All of them were very fetching and fun to observe. We even returned to their little homeland on another occasion to watch them again, but there were not many observable then.
WHITE-LIPPED PECARRIES
Another interesting species we saw only at Araras were the two varieties of peccaries: the white-lipped and the collared. The white-lipped fellows are only in Central and South America, but the collared subspecies is familiar to us since they are common the United States’ westernstates.
COLLARED PECCARY
Perhaps the most curious and mysterious bird we saw during the whole trip was the Sun Grebe There are two things about him that make him stand out as highly unusual. His strange feet are what immediately meets the eye, if you can see him perched somewhere rather than in the water. His webbed feet have distinct lobed "fingers" which are marked by black and white circular stripes from top of feet to the toes.
SUNGREBE
The other phenomenon is even more incredible and peculiar to this bird alone in the avian world. But this is something you cannot see unless you can lift his wings (unlikely in the wild). The male bird has a marsupial-like pouch beneath his wings where the chicks can hide and be carried. There are many questions about this unique feature: for instance, how the chicks actually get inside the pouch, does the male or female place them there, are they fed there, how long do they stay there, and oddest of all, why does only the male carry this pouch?
There are certainly other animal and bird species where the male does the caretaking of the young animals. The Rheas of South America and the Emus of Australia show this practice. Even Sea Horses are known for this behavior. The Wattled Jacana male has the ability to tuck his charges under his wings to take them to safety, but he has no pouch. He just holds them tightly between wing and body. So the Sun Grebe is an entirely singular bird.
IMMATURE WATTLED JACANA
Second Stop:Pantanal Mato Grosso Hotel
Our next stop for two days along the Pantaneria Highway was the Pantanal Mato Grosso Hotel which offered unforgettable boat trips on the Pixaim River.
Our drive along the thumpy bumpy highway afforded us many more looks at the roadside creatures: birds, caimans in profusion, capybaras. So we were never bored on the long drives between lodges.
The Pixaim River is interesting in that it is a river which in dry season is interrupted by higher lands which emerge as barriers to river flow. So there are "dead-ends" to various forks along the river's course. In wet season, all the barriers are
covered and the river flows without interruptions. So it is labeled a "seasonal river." Nonetheless its segmented parts offer water to the wildlife and places for tourists to travel along the banks searching for birds and mammals.
The Hotel was comfortable and again the food was quite good: lots of fresh vegetables and fruits and tasty main course dishes. Our private rooms were comfortable and spacious and the air-conditioning was efficient even in the really hot weather we were experiencing. There were many shady places to sit outside and watch the birds at the numerous feeders spread around the main public building where the reception area was located as well as the dining room where we were fed so lavishly and deliciously.
The fast - boat rides were the high points of this visit. We enjoyed two daily: one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The river was very placid and filled with birds of so many different species whether a.m. or p.m. The riverside forest galleries were wonderful homes to winged residents and to some of the arboreal mammals and even one species of reptile as well. It was amusing to see the green iguanas draped among the branches of the trees taking in the sun.
Near one jabiru stork nest, a very substantial iguana was relaxing on a branch immediately below the complicated architecture of the very large home the storks had built for their chicks. Neither species seemed to be aware of the proximity of its neighbor.
We saw capuchin monkeys, marsh deer, and brocket deer, capybaras and lots of Brahma cattle that belong to local ranchers in the area. It was clear that there was plenty of meat on the hoof to satisfy the jaguars, if any live in this part of the Pantanal. Kingfisher species abounded as well and we even saw dragonflies in many different colors. These river boat rides were just astounding for viewing the wildlife.
MARSH DEER
JABIRUSTORKS WITH CHICKS
CAPUCHIN MONKEY
GIANT RIVER OTTERS
The most exciting boating adventure was seeing the giant river otters up close and personal. The big male that swam directly at our boat looked as though he was going to jump in and join us. In truth, the staff brings a few frozen fish along to feed them so they are ready and willing to get close.
These are truly amazing animals. Their size - particularly the males - is stunning. And the teeth and claws could easily make a mess of any human flesh stupid enough to challenge them.
The staff also threw some fish to waiting hawks. They would tie the fish with a piece of river greenery that had small air bladders. That way the fish would float and give the bird a second chance if the first one failed.
ROADSIDE HAWK
BLACK COLLARED HAWK
The river was not considered safe for night rides due to fallen trees and other dangerous obstacles to run aground on so at night we took safari road rides. On our first night drive here, our best sightings were of the Great Potoo (such an improbable bird) whose feathers so closely resemble tree bark and lichen. When he roosts on a branch snag or a fence post he is almost impossible to see because his camouflage is just perfect. The only way he was detected at night was through eyeshine. When the spotlights swooped over him, his eyes would emit golden spears of light back at us. The first we saw was actually sitting atop a conical shaped gray termite mound. His eye- shine made him look for all the world like a little lighthouse flashing warning signals to ships in the night.
Another really amazing experience here on the night drives was hearing the frog species dubbed the Formula One frogs. Neither of our guides knew the real name of these wonderful creatures. But their nickname was perfect: they sound exactly like race cars on a curve going as fast as possible that high whining sound. Close your eyes and you are standing at one of those curves on a racecourse in Monaco!
BLACK HAWK
Another surprising and even startling experience on a night ride here was our encounter with a Pauraque, a species of nightjar, who decided the search beams in our dark truck revealed to him where the insects he sought showed to best advantage. So he flew right into the truck with us as he darted about trying to catch his supper. He is not a small bird either so we were all dodging and maybe even emitting a squeal or two until he sped out of the truck and we could see that he was a bird and not a bat as some feared.
On our 2nd day at the Pixaim river resort, we started the day with a birding walk along the river bank. A different way of observing the vegetation that lives a little back from the actual river bank. It was dramatic to see the high water marks on trees and bushes from this angle as well as from the river. A really special sighting on this walk which we probably would never have seen from the boats was the Pantanal Black-tailed Marmoset. He is one of the family of very tiny primates who live in South America. Our guidesandall of us wereso happyto seehim.
Another particularly beautiful creature we observed, not for the last time, was a bird most of us had never even heard of. the Glittering-throated Emerald looks quite a bit like a hummingbird but he is an entirely different species. Tiny and fastmoving like hummingbirds and therefore difficult to photograph well, he was still worth our patience in working for the perfect shot. Later on the trip, we would see him many times but never took him for granted.
The afternoon boat ride was very productive as well. We were quite struck with the beautiful and artistic patterns created by the exposed roots of the trees and
bushes living so close to the river bank that they were being undermined by the river's currents. It was pretty clear that many of the most dramatic of these "prop" roots were omens of the ultimate fall of these plants. So many seemed to be hanging on by one stringy root with its "claws" clinging to the sandy bank. This year's rainy season would probably bring many that we were admiring down into the river water. But these snags just off the banks provided excellent perches for the birds and even the iguanas who lived along the Pixaim.
BLACK AND GOLD HOWLER MONKEY
While we were in primate mode, we also got a tantalizing look at the Black and Gold Howler monkey. So well camouflaged in the heavy leafy vegetation, the black and golden females were very hard to photograph. However, we could bob and weave around to see the creatures anyway. This was definitely a new primate species for all of us. Not to break a trend, we also saw Pantanal Marmoset and Brown Capuchins on this walk.
This nice combination of explorations by boat, safari truck and on foot made our visit to the Pantanal Mato Grosso Hotel thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding in every way!
Third Stop: Porto Jofre
HOTEL PORTO JOFRE At the end of the Highway Pantaneria sits the Hotel Porto Jofre. It's a huge property with many buildings to house tourists, serve meals, provide internet access, and trees with enormous canopies to provide shade in the heavy heat to humans and homes for the noisy resident hyacinth macaws and parakeets.
Mornings were cacophonous but the sounds were joyous as the birds greeted the morning. Chaco
Chachalacas were the noisiest and easily woke all the others.
Weneeded no alarm clocks to be up at 5 AM. - this bird took care of that little chore
One of the most prominent structures on the property was a 500 ft. long boardwalk over a stream this structure was the jaguar walk. Across the stream the jaguars were often seen. So often that a webcam was placed there so anyone could see them strolling over to the hotel property, usually at night. We were cautioned not the cross the boardwalk, even in daylight, unless there were at least two of us walking together. We were clearly instructed NOT to cross the walk after dark no matter how many of us wanted to stroll over together!
That was a sign that was very welcome to the big cat lovers who were so eager to see jaguars in the wild. We knew that our best chance of seeing these gorgeous cats was during our four days here in Porto Jofre. And the signs with "night cam" pictures of the felines were convincing evidence that we had arrived in the right place!
However, our first sighting of a yellow-ginger cat was not a jaguar. When we went to the dining hall from our cabin for breakfast the first morning, we spotted on the porch of the building a rather beat up ginger tom cat felis domesticus. He was
obviously waiting for breakfast handouts and the property manager, Norman, was already there feeding him, lunch meat and cheese.
Norman told us that the cat's name is Harold Christian and he had lived there on the property a little over two years. We were amazed that a jaguar had not already taken him for a breakfast snack. For the next three days, we also took turns feeding poor lop- eared Harold. Norman expressed to us his worries about the cat during the 4 months that the hotel is closed. We asked if there would not be a caretaker during the down- time and the answer was affirmative. So we suggested that the caretaker be requested (bribed) to see to Harold during that time with the understanding that when Norman returned he would look for the cat and if Harold was well, the caretaker could expect a bonus above his regular salary. Norman thought that was a grand idea and agreed that he would try it this year. We certainly hope that the plan works because Harold Christian looks like a survivor in a hostile world.
Hotel Porto Jofre specializes in boat explorations on the Cuiaba River & its many tributaries. The hotel runs really fast boats (light aluminum skiffs powered by 150 horsepower outboards). The boats carried 10 or 11 people each. Normally, it would take about 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours to reach the point where we would begin exploring a particular river area.
AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER
We went out in the these boats twice daily: once at 6 a.m. and then again at 3:30 or 4:00. The average session lasted until right before lunch (noon) and dinner (7 p.m.)! So there was lots of boat riding for sure!
The first full-day boat rides (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) were so exhilarating. The
temperatures were mild, at least when the boats were flying as fast as possible, the sky was so blue and high over our heads, punctuated with the such dreamy white clouds, and we all enjoyed the air rushing through our hair after the really hot days on the Pixaim and at Azaras. Birds were everywhere, on branches, in the sky, on the river side banks, in the water
Of course on the first day's boat rides we were all eager for a jaguar but that wish was not to be satisfied on that day. All we really saw were suggestions of jaguar coats behind thick foliage No one really saw a whole jaguar; we all saw rosettes and knew there was a jaguar just behind the scrim of riverbank bushes. But no jaguar appeared so we could see him whole. Here with, a differentiation between jaguar spots and leopard spots. Since we were so well-versed in this difference, we knew the spots before our eyes could only belong to the jaguar. Ha! Ha! How about the fact that we also really did know that only jaguars live in South America. Therefore, no leopards in Brazil. Pretty easy, right?
The second day of speedboat explorations saw an enormous change in the weather! Instead of flying along under blue skies feeling relief from the heat as we sped along, suddenly we were under sullen gray overcast skies and the winds in our faces were no longer pleasant. WE WERE FREEZING!
COCOI HERON
No one had brought clothing for this 180 turn in the temps. We ended up that day using our life vests as shields against the winds. Those folks wearing sandals and shorts or cut-offs were particularly uncomfortable. But there was no slowing the boats down because the distances to be covered could not be shortened. The most discouraging thing about the abrupt weather swap was that the guides told us that we would be less likely to see jaguars along the riverbanks when the weather turns cool. Oh woe! Now we were really unhappy at least those of us whose primary reason for visiting the Pantanal was the opportunity to see jaguars in the wild. It was no more comforting when they told us that this weather change was highly unusual at this time of year.
Finally! Jaguars!!
But Guess What Surprise! The weather gods did NOT ruin our trip! That very morning as chilly as we were, we saw our first whole entire jaguar! He was sitting in a perfect frame of vegetation but was totally visible.
Even though the sky was overcast, a golden spotlight bathed him in clear and glowing light as if he were on a stage. And to us, of course, he was the star of the whole show!
He lounged there in regal splendor for quite some time, yawning and displaying his formidable teeth and very long deep pink tongue. He demonstrated feline grooming techniques as he washed his paws and his face as well as behind his ears. When he grew bored with us staring at him, he raised up on his front legs and stretched languorously for a few seconds. Then he disdainfully turned and disappeared into the deep vegetation behind his lounging platform. No wonder jaguars can be so hard to see; they can disappear with just a couple of steps their camouflage is highly effective.
For the next 2 days, the weather was just as temperamental really chilly in the speed boats. However, now we were forewarned and forearmed. Everybody brought extra coverings to the boats: towels from their rooms, more layers of clothing if they had any, ponchos to repel the winds, closed shoes with socks rather than sandals. Even cold weather could not dampen our spirits now that we had seen that jaguars do roam the riverbanks.
Each one of the boat rides we took revealed different scenery, different vegetation, different water colors, different birds (as well as the ones becoming more familiar to us), different mammals and their special behaviors.
We jumped aboard those skiffs both morning and afternoons eager to see what that excursion would reveal to us. We were never disappointed. The Pantanal was alive with so much natural scenery and so many creatures, particularly the amazing varieties of birdlife.
On our last and most special day, we were on the Negrinho River early in the morning and we had the entire tributary to ourselves, This river was the most beautiful in itself, black water instead of the more common ochre, delicate
vegetation on the riverbanks, picturesquely overhanging the calm and reflective waters, twittering birds everywhere and lots of animal life to see as well. Adding to the amazing morning was the fact that the overcast skies had been replaced by beautiful blue skies and the pillowy white clouds. The air temperature had also turned warmer but not hot! Cruising along this river setting was glorious!
We had barely gotten into this tributary when we had our best jaguar experience of this part of the Pantanal! And we were not surrounded by many other riverboats all jockeying for positions to assure their tourists had the best views. We had these two jaguars to ourselves and it was fabulous.
The first one we saw was an adult male who was moving about checking on scents in his area. The boat driver said that there was a female in the vicinity and so it was assumed that he was checking on her whereabouts.
He would stroll along the river, disappear behind the vegetation momentarily, reappear with his nose to the ground, and groom a little while, perhaps in anticipation of her return. Kay took so many unobstructed pictures of this really fine fellow and we allstared in amazement at his size and his beauty.
Jaguars are the largest of the cats in the South America, but there are several other cat species living alongside this giant feline. There are Margay, Ocelot, Pantanal Cat (also known as the Pampas Cat), Jaguarundi, and Puma The smaller ones are very hard to see in the wild and even the pumas are not common. The only one of these lesser cats we actually observed, to be described later, was the ocelot. And we were told that we were very lucky to see one of those critters. Just in case you ever wondered, the only big cats who purr are the snow leopard and the cheetah; the lion, leopard, jaguar, and tiger all roar rather than purr. No cat species can both purr and roar.
Back to the jaguar sightings while we were enjoying the big male and his activities, it took us a little while to notice another jaguar cat arriving behind the bushes a little to the right of the big fellow who was giving up on the female returning. He was backing away into the brush himself and disappearing. We had no time to be disappointed because a young female came into view somewhat down the river and around a bend.. We moved our skiff closer to her and the guide and boat driver both said it was unlikely that the big fellow was tracking her scent because he never reappeared. She definitely appeared to be much younger and smaller than the first. But she gave us a good show as well. Two jaguars in one session and again with no other boats around!
Another interesting phenomenon we had noticed earlier on other tributaries was the little eruptions in the surface waters which appeared to be little geysers. On the Negrinho, these were much more numerous and fun to watch. There was considerable speculation as what could be causing the little fish (or some other creatures in the water) to come to the surface in such numbers. We never got a definitive answer, but the most plausible seemed to be that the fish were seeing insects on the water surface and rising up to snatch them. One person suggested they might be coming up for air, so to speak, but that seemed odd since most fish do not breathe in air but in water. A couple of the fish actually jumped out of the water and into our boat!
We saw nesting male and female rufous-tailed jacamars scurrying about collecting nesting materials while also displaying courting behaviors. These are very colorful songbirds, rather like our painted buntings, except they are somewhat larger.
The river surface was covered in water hyacinths in lovely blooms light and darker purple blossoms like wisteria flowers except that the water-borne ones stand upright rather than drooping so lazily in the light breezes. The pretty flowers created a soft sweet aroma in the area as well. Just a lovely time to be "cruising down the river."
While we drifted along, we saw a caiman rise out of the water with a huge catfish in his mouth. The fish was speckled with orange colorations a very pretty fish actually. But he was also clearly doomed if not already gone by the time we saw him
An interesting bird we saw was the Crane Hawk, a gangly predatory bird, gray in color, who uses his very long legs to pursue his prey differently from other predatory birds.
Rather than flying down to the water and scooping up his prey or catching it on the fly, this bird reaches with those long legs into crevices and holes in trees to get eggs or young birds for his supper. The legs look out of proportion to the rest of the bird's body because of their surprising length. " All the better to reach you, my dear."
During our drift down the peaceful river towards evening, we came upon two trees leaning over the river that were filled with spectacular birds, white with reddishorange breeding plumage. At breeding time, the really remarkable thing about them is that their irises turn the same color as the feathers on their heads and necks. These lovely creatures flying back and forth, landing & taking off filling the skies with their long whitewings were very familiar to us they were Cattle Egrets, the bird that has managed to occupy every continent except Antarctica.
On other days on less magical tributaries than the Negrinho, we nevertheless saw marvelous sites like the capybara families on shore.
Sometimes an adult would be in the water with the babies standing around watching. We even saw one mother try to lure her baby into some lily-pad covered water with her. But the baby was very hesitant and when he finally ventured in, he didn't last long even though the cool water must have felt good. He just turned around and headed back to the safety of the shore and then the mother followed him.
We had two special encounters with giant otters while visiting the Cuiaba River and its tributaries. During the first one we watched a family cruising up and down the river bank near their home den. They treated us to the many vocalizations they can create. Unearthly sounds for sure. Some loud like screaming, others low like booming drums, another more like a croon. Truly amazing. The Giant Otters are prodigious hunters with huge teeth; they can even compete with jaguars for prey. Very muscular and powerful swimmers. Their faces are fierce in expression but another experience revealed what caring parents they are.
On another swifter river, we watched a family try to cross a really strong current to reach the opposite side where their den obviously lay. The adults had no trouble at all, but the 3-4 month old babies were struggling and unable to cross over.
The adults kept swimming back and forth trying to coax the two youngsters to follow them, but it was no use. They just didn't have the strength or maybe the nerve. At any rate, two of the adults swam back to the other side and each put a baby in its mouth where the tail was hanging out one side and the face out the other and carried the babies to the safety of the den.
The other otter species who lives in Brazil is the Neotropic River Otter. We also saw this much smaller otter displaying his customary behavior and we learned a new word connected with his territory marking. That word is "spraint" and it describes the otter's habit of smearing portions of his dung to signify to other otters that he is in this territory. The fellow we watched was "sprainting" all over and around a fallen log and he was quite busy at it. He is sinuous and muscular just as are the giant otters and the North American river otters. He is playful as are the others.
To compare the three species, here are some statistics. The giant otter can be up to 6 ft. long and weigh up to 75 lbs. He can use 9 different vocalizations to communicate with his family. The neotropic river otter tops out at 33 lbs and can reach 3 to 4 feet in length. North American river otters are similar in size to the Neotropic otters. By contrast, sea otters can reach 50 to 100 lbs. and can be 4 to 5 ft. Long. All these otters can vocalize, but the giant otter has much the largest "vocabulary."
One of the most ubiquitous creatures in the Pantanal is the Yacare Caiman. He is South America's answer to our Alligator. He doesn't grow to quite the size of the gator but he is not too far behind. His eyes sit a little higher on top of his head and he shows more teeth than a gator when his mouth is closed but not as many as the crocodile reveals. Fearsome as he looks, he can easily become Jaguar food. We were surprised at this revelation he seems way too formidable for a jaguar to chance attacking him. But apparently they regularly do, especially the smaller ones. We actually saw a good-sized caiman, dead, and pulled up on the bank where 3 vultures were feasting.
The guides said only a jaguar could have drug him from the river after the kill..
Fourth Stop: Bonito and a sinkhole
We stayed in this lovely tourist town of Bonito at the Pousada Ohlo de Aguas Hotel which looked quite prosperous for only one night. This property was very attractive and I think we all would have enjoyed staying another night or two. But we were here for only one purpose to visit Buraco das Araras. Before we visited this singular site, we enjoyed the best meal we had on the entire trip to Brazil. The food was exquisite and what the wonderful lady chef could do with manioc was just so delicious. I think everyone was blown away by all the food she served us during that lunch. It was not that the meal's ingredients were that different, it was the special way she used various spices to render the food so flavorful. We probably all would have taken her back home with us if only she could have brought all her spices and food combinations with her.
Buraco das Araras
In 1986 a cowboy named Modesto Sampaio purchased 247 acres not far from the town of Bonito. He discovered that part of his acreage contained a huge sinkhole (formed from the collapse of a cave) that was 407 feet deep and 525 feet in diameter. It was filled with trash and garbage and occupied by multiple vultures. In 1997 after hearing that red and green macaws had inhabited the sinkhole in years past,he decided toclean it out.
It was difficult to imagine how he managed such a feat when we looked down into the prodigious hole and observed how steep the sides are nearly perpendicular. But Modesto was determined and accomplished the task. Once it was cleaned out, he realized that there was a pool at the bottom providing water to wildlife who could utilize the sinkhole. So he released a captive pair of red & green macaws into the sinkhole and they pretty quickly flew out and away.
However, within a couple of days, they returned and brought about 10 wild macaws with them. The bird complement now is about 100 macaws.
In 2000, the macaws decided they had had enough of their neighbors, the vultures, and drove them out in screaming bird battles. Thereafter, Modesto decided to make his treasure into a Natural Heritage Private Preserve (RPPN) and so the area will be preserved in perpetuity even if someday his family wishes to sell the land. Nowadays, the macaws willingly share their vertical walls with all its accommodating cracks and ledges for nests with spectacled owls and buffnecked ibis as well.
There are also caimans in the pool at the bottom but researchers are at a loss to explain how they got there and how they continue to survive.
Modesto the cowboy now owns a popular tourist attraction which supports his family handsomely. He added trails to the sinkhole from the entrance to his land and built observation platforms where delighted visitors can enjoy the spectacular flights of these beautiful birds as they come and go from the sinkhole. In flight these birds are flamboyant and magnificent.
Our short stay in Bonito was certainly very much worthwhile! We loved the food and the lovely birds of the Buraco. And lots of kudos to Modesto Sampaio who brought the birds back and even gave them protection forever! However long that turns out to be!
Snorkeling The Rio De Prata
We left the Pousada Ohlo de Aguas by our comfortable touring bus heading south toward the Caiman Lodge, our last ecolodge stop. But we paused on the way for a surprise snorkeling adventure. All the necessary gear was provided and the group was divided in two for the drifting float down a crystal clear freshwater river—supposedly also clear of caimans and man-eating piranhas. The cool Rio
de Prata lived up to the hype and the 2-3 hour drift was enjoyed by the participants. Many colorful fish were seen & photographed with underwater cameras.
The many colorful birds congregated on the large property which also provided showers, changing rooms, shaded sitting spaces, and a restaurant for a substantial lunch. There were macaws and parakeets enjoying the feeding platforms. Other smaller birds (unidentified) also slipped in amongst their larger brethren tosneak a bite too.
After lunch, we reboarded our bus and headed on down the smoother but still treacherous gravel highway towards the Caiman Lodge and Fazenda (cattle ranch).
We saw many of the usual suspects along the way birds, capybaras, caimans but we weren't bored at all. We rode through agricultural properties, most of them really cattle ranches and if crops were being grown, we couldn't identify them. We did learn that the huge mango trees all over the area which were heavy with so much fruit are not commercially harvested or shipped. The local peoples use them and so do the many fruit-eating birds and mammals like tapirs and a couple of species of bats.
Fifth Stop:CaimanEcological Reserve &Lodge
As Zegrahm often does, they saved the most beautiful property for last - The Caiman Ecological Reserve and Lodge All the lodges were wonderful but Caiman was special. So special in fact that the Crown Prince of Japan chose Caiman Lodge for his one day chance to experience wild Brazil. We are sure he was not disappointed when he arrived on November 1st!
The property is 130,966 acres in size with 13,838 acres designated a RPPN, another one of those nature reserves in perpetuity.
The land has been in the same family for more than 4 generations and it operates principally as a cattle ranch with 35,000 head of Brahma beef on the hoof all the time. They also run several conservation and research programs on the property: The Hyacinth Macaw Project and The Blue-Fronted Parrot study as well as my favorite, the Oncafari Project (studying jaguars of the Pantanal).
There are 4 different lodges spread around the ranch, each with its own chef and kitchen and runs its own tours & trips in the area. We were a group of 13 with our 2
guides, so we were housed in the main lodge which has many types of accommodations from basic (but basic is wonderful) to fabulous suites But everything you see is first class and above. Pools, quiet rooms, outdoor picnic areas, lounges all around. There is a big dining room that serves the main lodge and a conference room as well.
About 250 people work on the ranch and in the lodges. Housing is provided for all of them very nice quarters indeed with pools for each block of apartments, air- conditioning in every apartment, elementary school for the young children, and a medical clinic to care for all the employees and their families. Older children are bused to the nearest town for high school. Promotions to higher paid positions are made from within the employee pool whenever possible. We met several workers who had benefitted from their ability to rise in the hierarchy of work slots.
For instance, the executive chef had been sent to culinary school in Rio after completing an internship on campus. When he finished his formal training, he was encouraged to seek employment in a big hotel in Rio or Sao Paulo which he secured. He worked 2 years in Sao Paulo and then returned to the Caiman Lodge as the Executive Chef. His food was delicious as we can certainly testify! You have to admit that man's rise shows a real commitment to one's employees.
We also met the very charming Lidia who is now the Lodge manager and learned that she too rose through the ranks to achieve this very responsible position. She started as a prep cook in the kitchen, became a waitress, then moved to housekeeping duties and with further formal education became the manager of the main lodge. We never learned whether she was also in charge of the other four outlying facilities.
On another level entirely, we enjoyed a demonstration of ranch techniques among the cowboys and learned that when the men doing this job (which is really heavy-duty, requiring youth, strength, endurance and courage) become too old to ride out any longer, they are assured of positions at the ranch doing other less physically demanding jobs—such as teaching young men the skills, caring for the tackroom and its supplies, working with scheduling and the like. No one ages out of his home or employment at this huge hacienda. Many of the cowboys are Amerindians who don't see many chances for good employment outside their home regions. So this family is doing real good in this part of Brazil!
Our explorations in the ranchlands of the Caiman Lodge were all done from safaritype trucks. We went out morning, afternoon and nights up until 10 p.m. The schedule was demanding but there was so much to see here that we wouldn't miss a single ride. For instance, though we had just barely seen a single very shadowy Giant Anteater earlier in the trip, here we saw them in the broad daylight, the crepuscular evening light and in the dark of night. Much better photographs and much improved observations here.
Two of the anteaters we observed at great length were mothers with babies on their backs. These full daylight sightings demonstrated to us the amazing camouflaging that helps protects the babies. The babies straddle the mother's back and place their heads in line with her backbone. The coloration on each animal was such that the patterning blended so perfectly that it was almost impossible to see that there were two animals and not just one.
All you can see is the baby's back and a front leg hanging down his mother's back. His head is drooped over her back to the far side and hidden from view.
In this picture, you can see the baby's long pointy head facing forward, a leg hanging down and his tail laying over his mothers. Take a close look - you'll see him in time.
At one of the outlying lodges, we saw Coatimundi for the first time and that was in daylight as well. These raccoon-like creatures are very attractive and amusing to watch. They scurry about searching for food and pick up things in their front paws to eat. Their noses are longer than our raccoons as are their tails but their patterning is very similar and indeed they are kindred species.
Coatimundi
Here in Caiman we also saw a bird that everyone hoped to observe the 2nd largest bird in South America (after the Rhea an ostrich-like bird) the Red-legged Seriema.
There are two types of this bird in the Pantanal area and we saw the red-legged variety. He/she is a stately bird who walks rather stiff-leggedly but with head held high as it marches across the grasslands. Interesting color patterns in his feathers too.
THERHEA
Now that I have mentioned the Rhea, I guess I need to say something about this close cousin of Africa's Ostrich and Australia's Emu All three are large flightless birds with very fast ground speed when running. All are in the family known as ratites. New Zealand has flightless birds as well, but the kiwis are considerably smaller than the three being discussed.
Ostriches are the earth's tallest living birds, reaching up to 9 feet in height. They can weigh up to 440 lbs. but they can still make 40 mph when running. Ostriches have only two toes while the other two species have three. Male ostriches have black feathers trimmed on the bottoms with white, while the females are a brownish gray color.
They are the only one of the three species where the male does not fully incubate the eggs; male ostriches sit on the nests at night only while the females take the day shift. As an interesting but maybe yucky aside, ostriches are the only birds to eliminate feces and urine separately. How's that for a conversational opening line?
In Emus, both sexes have soft brown feathers and they stand about 6 feet 2 inches in height. They weigh 110 lbs. and are excellent runners like the ostriches. Emu males do all the incubation of the eggs and also tend to the chicks once they are hatched. The females contribute nothing other than egg creation to the next generation.
South America's Rheas are brownish gray and stand 5 feet tall. Obviously smaller than the other two species, they weigh between 33 and 88 lbs. Again, the males are the incubators and the care-givers for the newly hatched chicks. Female rheas tend to lay their eggs in communal nests so there can be many half siblings in a single nest with the father their parent in common. Interesting family arrangement, eh?
One of our night rides out of Caiman Lodge introduced us to the "Marine Toad" how mislabeled or lost can that creature be so many miles from an ocean? A little further research reveals that he has another, more infamous, name - The Cane Toad. Because he was exported all over the world and became a terrible pest out of his own element, he is pretty much reviled, particularly in Australia where he was first introduced.
It was thought that the species could help rid the Queensland sugar cane fields of the cane beetle. He turned out to be woefully inadequate to that task and instead became a worse pest than the beetle. He exudes a milky-white venom from his parotid glands across the shoulders and it is highly toxic to other creatures. Smaller creatures die from the venom and larger ones suffer pretty miserably from
the poison.35,000 were originally released into Queensland and today there are millions all over the continent. The cane beetle? Well it took other measures to try to eradicate that insect and it is still being fought today. So now the Australians are dealing with two big pest species. You'd best not fool with Mother Nature. She puts her creatures where they belong not where people think they should be.
Another more unpleasant sighting at night was the tarantula tree. Every time we passed this one tree, we could see huge spiders on its bark the tree should have been shivering with the feel of them. One night we saw 5, another night there were 6. Poor tree having to bear that beastie but they probably didn't bother that tree all. Just we humans were disgusted. Check out the Brazilian Tarantula here.
Another interesting species we saw in the dark with murky backgrounds on the night rides was the very shy Brazilian Rabbit. Again, we were told that seeing these creatures was very difficult because they only come out at night and are very jumpy when spotlights are aimed at them.
Of course, it is very probable that the guides tell all guests that whatever they see is rare and difficult to find. That makes every experience seem "special." But the truth is that every sighting of any wild creature is a special event to us even if everyone who visits the area observed them. Anyway, back to the sweet rabbit. He apparently lives all over Central America as well as in all of Brazil except at high altitudes. The Pantanal is a rabbit friendly environment because it is low land and provides many species of grasses which the rabbits need for food and nesting.
On our very first night ride at Caiman Lodge, we saw an animal that is the rabbit's fearsome enemy the ocelot. Because we had enjoyed (endured?) such a long and rough ride to Caiman Lodge, many of our party decided not to take the night drive on the day of our arrival.
About 5 of us decided that we couldn't miss it and we were rewarded with a wonderful sighting of the beautiful ocelot. Even though we passed the area several more times during the stay, we never saw the cat again.
It was dark and we were about to cross a small river when the spotlight caught eyeshine. As the light swept the grassy background beside the truck, the long and slender cat emerged from the tall reeds right in front of us. He was not just strolling but he wasn't running either just moving purposefully on his way. The brilliant white spotlight allowed the photographers and the binocular dependent riders to take some really good pictures, especially given the circumstances. Though it seemed longer, the cat probably disappeared within 20-30 seconds. But he made a profound impression on all of us lucky and hardy travelers.
Once again, the best wildlife experience even here was seeing our "tubular jaguar." Why do I call him that strange name? Because we found him first resting in a culvert beneath one of the sandy roads on the ranch. The culvert certainly was tubular in shape and he was lounging with his entire body inside the large round stone structure.
Since we were all panting with the heat atop our safari vehicle, we could only surmise that he was using the culvert to try to stay cooler.
Though I am sure he did not need it, the bees buzzing around both entrances to the culvert gave him some extra protection from us or anything else stupid enough to approach either end. We were able to drive off road down below the culvert and look right in at the magnificent cat and he was not bothered in the least by our bold stares, even magnified by huge camera lenses and long binoculars. Occasionally, he would open one eye lazily at us, but he never really did much more than flick an ear at a pesky insect. He just slept on. That was our first glimpse of the king of this water world.
Since we had just had a lecture by the Oncafari Jaguar Project wildlife team, we knew that we would likely be seeing Felino again, in probably the same place.
So on one of the afternoon drives, we approached his "den" near sunset hoping he would be outside in the open. When we arrived he was still resting inside but it wasn't long before he came out into the open and walked around in front of our vehicle.
Wow! We were really excited now. He stretched and scratched a bit and then turned his rear to us and started down the road. He would stop every once in a while to sniff and then mark his territory. Then a little more pacing around would ensue.
At first he seemed a little stiff, like sleeping in the culvert was a bit constricting and he needed to work out the kinks. We thought we would lose him as he continued away from us but then he unexpectedly turned around and came toward our truck again. We were all holding our breath, when he suddenly flopped down and began rolling in the grasses, scratching his back, and stretching for all the world like anyone's beloved cat at home waiting for his family to return.
The quieter we remained the longer our experience would last as we had been told by the guides and we really knew that knew instinctively anyway. No human sounds came from the safari truck, but there was no way to suppress all the clicking emanating from the array of cameras pointing at our prize. He did not appear to be at all concerned about those sounds however. At last, he got to his feet and much more smoothly began walking again, but this time it was back towards his round O den. Guess he didn't think conditions were quite right for hunting yet.
With never a backward glance towards us, he re-entered the confines of his beeguarded lair and was visible no more from our angle.
THE JAGUAR KILL
The next day, we spotted what might have been his evening's activity when he left the den in the dark. We rode past a cow carcass, a fresh kill, not far from his secret hiding place. The Oncafari folks were there right behind us and checked out the carcass and placed a big number on the body and photographed it. They looked at the wounds around the neck and back and verified that it was a jaguar kill. Then they left the dead cow to the scavengers to consume if the jaguar did not come back to eat some more. Jaguars cannot climb trees as leopards do, so they can't drag their kills up into a tree to keep them from other creatures who would come to join the feast.
The strangest thing about the whole experience, however, was not the wildlife folks' simple activities, the absence of vultures at that point, the strange calm over the scene of what must have been a very violent encounter in the night. No, the surreal behavior belonged to the rest of the Brahma herd.
When we arrived, the cows were standing around with their heads down munching grass and totally ignoring the body of their late sister. They seemed totally unaware and must have had no memory of the terror in the night. However, when the wildlife team left the scene, the cows suddenly seemed to recognize the carcass and walked over and stood in a sort of semi-circle on one side of the body and seemed to be paying their respects. They just stood there looking at the body for some time and then backed away and returned to their morning breakfast.
Their behavior gave testimony to the truth of W.H. Auden "Musee des Beaux Arts" poem showing it extends to the animal kingdom as well.
About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky, Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
If you wonder how the ranch owners feel about these kills, I can tell you that they consider the approximately 150 kills a year "the price of doing business" in jaguar territory when part of their purpose is to conserve the jaguars and allow them to live alongside themselves and their cattle. Therefore, there are no reprisals against the predators. At one point, the Brazilian government fostered this effort by paying ranchers for the dead cattle so that the cats would be spared. However, that practice was abandoned a few years ago when the economy went south. Now if ranchers in the area do not feel like the owners of Caiman Ranch and Lodge, the jaguars must take their chances when they kill domestic cattle.
We learned about this practice from the members of the Oncafari Project who are working with other large landowners in the area trying to get them to "live with the jaguars" as the Caiman Lodge and Ranch owners do. We certainly wish them much success in this effort which must seem hopeless at times. But they are doing necessary work here on the Caiman Lodge fazenda in learning more about the jaguars and their needs, habits, and lifestyle.
On our last morning ride in the Caiman Lodge Reserve, we saw wonderful sightings of one of my favorite birds, the Burrowing Owl. We saw several of them in an open pasture area and they were very active. Flying from perch to perch, landing on a fence post with a good look-out position, even jockeying for a place in bushes and on observation posts.
We were all reluctant to leave the CER (Caiman Ecological Reserve) with the realization that we would also be heading home as well—ending such a wonderful wildlife experience! But we counted our blessings that we had been able to visit such a wondrous place and enjoy such superlative experiences.
Brazilian Cowboys were a really enjoyable entity for us - especially when we went to the tack room to meet the movie picture handsome Horacio.
We all agreed he looked straight out of Central Casting for any western movie. He was actually an Amerindian born and raised in the Pantanal. He was nominated to give us a demonstration of cowboy techniques used in cattle ranching.
First, he showed us how complicated the saddling of the horses is: so many layers to keep the horse and the rider comfortable since the saddle is partly constructed of wood. With us already aware of the "panting in the Pantanal" because the heat is so intense, we wondered how the poor horse could stand all that heat radiating from his body and then trapped beneath all the blankets and padding. But since this practice is a long tradition, we must accept that both horse and cowboy have found it useful.
Then he showed us a musical instrument (looking very like a Jewish Shofar) made from three Brahma horns. With practice, the cowboys learn to produce various sounds (difficult to do) which are used to signal the cowboys about needed actions.
Since a moving cattle herd is quite noisy, the horn is very effective in producing a sound that carries far and can be heard over the lowing, stomping of hooves, and other sounds made by moving cattle.
Each tone is a specific notice to the other cowboys, giving instructions, etc.
Some of our group decided to try to make some sound on the horn they really were not very good at it.
Takes skill and practice obviously!
Our last introduction to something typical of the Pantanal was the final night at Caiman Lodge outdoor barbecue. In the tack room, a huge barbecue pit had been set up and when we arrived several different kinds of meat and fish were roasting already: beef, chicken, sausages and fish.
Various side dishes were already invitingly laid out on the "groaning board": salads of several kinds, manioc, fresh vegetables cooked in delicious sauces, potatoes, manioc and rice.
And drinks were on the house. We all know Germany boasts of its beer, France of its wines, Cuba of the delicious "mojito," Scotland its whiskey, and Peru its "Pisco Sour." But then there's the Brazilian special cocktail: the "caipirinha." Early in the trip, we had been introduced to this delicious beverage made of limes, Brazil's most famous distilled drink, "cachasa" and brown sugar. Rather like a really strong limeade, it is quite powerful and very tasty. All of us grew to love those times when "caipirinhas" were ordered all around. Dessert included fresh fruits, pastries, puddings, ice cream and cake. Drinks of every kind just waited for us to ask for them.
Lights were hanging over the family style dining tables and plenty of the hotel staff were dressed for a party. Two of the cowboys were providing a musical background for dancing and general merriment. The guitar and the drums plus the cowboy singers kept everyone invigorated. Some of the employees jumped up on the impromptu dance floor and began to demonstrate Brazilian style dancing. Finally, all of us were on our feet, at least attempting to keep the rhythm and the dance movements going. We, the unhappy few, knew we had to leave early in the morning by bus in order to reach Campo Grande in time to catch our flights back to Sao Paulo and thence home. So we left the "swinging scene" about 9:30 p.m. to pack and catch a nap before the alarms would awaken us at 5 a.m. But what a "swell party this was."
We were all reluctant to leave the Caiman Ecological Reserve with the realization that we would also be heading home as well - ending such a wonderful wildlife experience!
But we counted our blessings that we had been able to visit such a wondrous place and enjoy such superlative experiences.
CONCLUSION
Our trip to Brazil's Pantanal was one of our TOP 10 adventures ever and certainly in the Top 5 among the Zegrahm trips we have enjoyed. There was never a dull moment, lots of variety in the experiences, good camaraderie among the 13 travelers and 2 guides, delicious foods to taste and savor, wonderful Eco lodges to enjoy, scenic and varied terrain to explore, different weather patterns, gorgeous skies, and so many birds and animals to discover that our senses were constantly overwhelmed and gratified. All the arrangements went so smoothly (at least on the surface who knows how hard Mark and Fred were working to keep everything moving in the right direction) that we were never aware of any problems at all.
I don't think I need to add more than my recommendation to any travelers who love to see animals and birds in the wild, enjoy being in foreign countries and meeting the locals, like to taste interesting foods, have good strong backs that can endure safari rides on really rough terrain and what passes for roads, are avid photographers and even binocular users, have a good sense of humor and lots of flexibility in their approach to changes in itinerary or disappointment when the very thing they want to see never shows up call Zegrahm now and book the next opening for this fabulous trip as soon as you can. You will NOT be disappointed but you WILL be exhilarated and happy!
