Adventures in Brazil

Flying into Rio de Janeiro, watching the most amazing sunset below, we were met by our English speaking guide and transferred to our hotel for the night. Next morning we were collected by a local transfer company by coach for a very long drive to Buzios. The journey is actually 3hrs, but due to the time collecting others and waiting around, it ended up being nearly 6hrs. Already we decided the return should be by private taxi!

Buzios is a pretty beach area east of Rio. It has a very Mediterranean feel about it, much like Menorca. We stayed in a small pousada within 15 mins walk of a number of sandy beaches, and about 10 mins to the small centre with it's shops, beachside cafes and bars - very much a family resort area. Having now seen what Buzios is like, I personally feel it is too Mediterranean for my liking, and would have preferred something like Ilha Grande as our beach stay, as it is a bit closer to Rio and more tropical. So back to Rio for the next part of our trip, which involved a flight to Iguacu Falls. We spent 2 days exploring both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the Falls, both offering different views. Without doubt this was the highlight of our trip. The Falls are AWESOME! We saw various indigenous animals such as toucans, coati and capuchin monkeys. Our guide took care of all the border paperwork, and I think this is the best way to see the Falls. You can do both sides in one very full day, but the recommendation is to get to the Argentinian side for the first little train in the park at 8am that takes you to Devil's Throat, the thunderous waterfall at the head of the Falls. From there you walk a number of boardwalks to various points along side the river to marvel at the views below and across to the Brazilian side of the Falls. Included in the cost of the ticket is a boat trip which goes right alongside the waterfalls. You are provided with waterproof bags. and are advised to take a change of clothes and flip flips for the boat as you will get soaked to the skin. Great fun though! We saw some beautiful butterflies at this point. After the boat trip there is a safari ride through the undergrowth to see some of the wildlife. The Brazilian side would take less time, but is equally impressive and wet!

From Iguazu we flew to Cuiaba for a 3hr road transfer to the Pantanal Wetlands. This area takes you completely back to nature. We went in their dry season, so were able to see many more animals and birds feeding by the riverbed. We saw plenty of storks, herons, kingfishers, cormorants and spoonbills, plus a couple of hyacinth macaws and other birds which made a cacophony of sound especially at sunrise. We saw capybara, caiman, iguanas and howler monkeys within touching distance. We had activities included in our stay at our pousada. The staff were fantastic, very considerate and knowledgeable. The first morning we donned our chaps and headed off on the dusty tracks on horseback, followed by a few hours relaxing by the pool in the 35c heat. Later in the afternoon we took a boat with our guide along Rio Mutum, the main river there, where we saw an abundance of wildlife. We watched the sun go down on the river, and felt completely at one with nature. No street lights, no sounds except the lapping waters and birds calling. The following morning we were up early to go on a safari drive, on the look out for hyacinth macaws, tiny owls, rheas, gaucho farmers and hundreds of bird life. We relaxed again for a few hours in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day, and then took the boat out again , but this time on the lake, in search of giant otters. The light was tremendous, with mirror reflections in the water. As the sun dipped beyond the horizon we were invited to fish for piranha, as this is the time when the flies and insects come to the water and the fish pop up to catch them. Again some great sunset views. We arrived back at our jetty to some waiting caimans, literally a couple of feet from us. They come up on land in the evening waiting for any piranhas caught that evening! Next morning we rose before dawn, and took a canoe out onto the river to watch the sun rise. We heard the dawn chorus and gradually the roosting birds began to fly off. It was magical! We ate well at the pousada. I can recommend piranha soup!

After our sunrise excursion we packed and set off for the airport and flew back to Rio for our last day. The next morning we were met by our guide and had a full day exploring all the Rio has to offer. First stop was Christ Redeemer, the Corcovada statue standing high over the city. Unfortunately below the statue it was very misty so we couldn't see the amazing views of the city below, but the statue was very impressive. We drove down to a lower view point and through the haze could see Sugar Loaf Mountain. We continued into the old part of the city at Santa Teresa, where they have cobbled streets and trams. There are some fine colonial buildings which unfortunately have been left in disrepair, and could be beautiful again with some TLC. We took a tram down to the Financial district, and looked around the enormous Cathedral, which holds around 20,000. Built in the 60's to us it looked more like a large Dalek, due to its unusual shape. We wandered through Lapa District which comes to life in the evenings with street parties and live music. Next we stopped at some steps which have been covered in ceramic tiles from around the world...very bright and interesting to find your own country's. We saw the huge favelas cluttered amongst the rest of the city's buildings. These poor dwellings house anything from 35,000 to a million people. Nearly every building we saw had been marked with graffiti, some of it very artistic. The traffic was manic. Lanes of traffic converging, weaving in and out undertaking and overtaking at speed, but with few collisions . We spent some time on Copacabana beach watching the enormous waves crashing onto the empty beach. Our last stop before returning to the airport was Sugar Loaf Mountain. The haze had cleared enough to get great views across to the Corcovada in the distance, and Copacabana Beach. We could see the various beach districts from there, such as Botofogo, and Flamenca, and the smart marina below to the domestic airport in the distance. We had to take 2 cable cars to get to the summit and it really was worth the view.

Our trip was memorable and amazing. We loved it!