Although we promised ourselves not to do it again, we stopped blogging again for weeks. Travelling from Brazil to Guatemala is more difficult than getting from London to Dover via Beijing. The Central American weather coupled with the climatic changes had it’s effect on everything, multi-day power shortages with no internet marked our days as we prepared for the steppes of Central Asia, where we will guide several groups of equestrian and adventure travelers through the well-known hills. Tomorrow we leave for the long trip: Guatemala – Columbia – Madrid – Vienna – Beijing – Ulanbataar. Even writing about it feels bad.

Our last day is marked by both positive and negative experiences. On road BR262 towards Corumba it is difficult not to see all the animals lying beside the road. In an area like the Pantanal and with people like the Brazilian truck drivers, it is easy to see that many hundreds of mammals, birds and reptiles fall victim to the wheels. Not spotted in the wild, the giant ant-eater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) and the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) lie dead on the road, but we see familiar species as well hit by traffic: giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus), brazilian rabbit (Sylvilagus brasiliensis) and South American coati (Nasua nasua). On one of the smaller roads we spot a rare cat, the jaguarondi (Felis yagouaroundi), a close relative to the puma. On the road piercing into the endless horizon we meet at last with real cowboys not seen previously during our touristic pseudo-adventures on horseback: they wear the traditional cowboy gear complete with chaps, lasso and iron whip, unlike the barefoot Pantanal horsemen with no saddle. They are busy crossing the road, that means a half-hour wait until the hundreds of cattle pass. In the evening Youth Hostel Campo Grande offers dorm beds for R$ 20 and we head off for a goodbye-dinner in one of the rodizos nearby. For R$ 15 per person you get a liter of beer and a plate that you can pack full as many times as you want at the huge salad and pasta bar. Of course, the real pro’s place only a few veggies on the plait, and wait for the waiter, who hurries back and forth from the kitchen carrying long spikes loaded with grilled steak, sausages, chicken and an assortment of other meat. The guests only have to point at the part they would like and it is cut right onto their plate. This goes on until you finally manage to say no more please.

The only animal regularly mentioned but never seen during the trip was the jaguar. Some say that the mystery surrounding the biggest cat in the Americas is attributed to its rareness (but then why we never mentioned the almost extinct golden tamarin?); others say the excitement comes from the fact that the jaguar is so dangerous (what about the way more dangerous rabies virus?). We even heard someone argue that the popularity has something to do with grace and beauty, but how can we say something is beautiful if we never saw it for real? Anyway, during our arguments we realized that our knowledge about jaguars is way too little, not to mention big cats in general. Even professional opinions differ, so here is a summary of our research using the internet and local info. But before we start explaining the characteristics of jaguars, leopards, panthers, black panthers, pumas and their relatives, let’s try comparing them. Almost everyone knows there are no tigers in Africa, the lion does not live in the jungle, the jaguar is an American cat and the pink panther is not a relative of the black panther. But do we also know that leopards have both black and white (melanistic and albino) varieties, the clouded leopard is the closest relative to the extinct saber tooth and the leopard can be found in the Far-East as well? But first things first. The most confusing are the differences between the jaguar and leopard, and the word panther, used for both species.

Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Area: Central and South America
Appearance: stronger jaw, muscles and stockier body
Skin: spots are usually full or semi circles with smaller spots inside, white belly
Habitat: A good swimmer, needs and likes water and thick foliage
Hunting method: kills prey with one bite on the skull
Human contact: Rarely aggressive towards humans

Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Area: Africa and Asia
Appearance: smaller jaw, lighter build
Skin: spots are made of several smaller sports, no inner coloring, and black behind ears
Habitat: A good climber, likes open areas with trees, attacks from above
Hunting method: kills prey by strangling it by the neck
Human contact: When wounded or threatened it may attack humans

Panther (Pantherinae)
It is only partially true that we use the word panther for Asian big cats. The panther itself is not a different species; the word is often used for melanistic leopard and jaguar varieties (black panther). The black color is based on a recessive gene, like albinism, and is very rare. Melanism can be either black or red, and melanistic leopard and jaguar varieties still have their spots, but those can only be seen in special light conditions. Two more distant relatives are the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), both living in Asia.

Bonito is undeniablya professionally developed tourist centre, making things all the more difficult for independent travelers. Around here it is impossible finding cheaper possibilities to visit a waterfall, and it is no use staying for days at a given hotel, you won’t be given a discount. A pizza easily costs 4-5 times the price of a complete all-you-can-eat churrascaria in Campo Grande. But on the other hand, tourist agencies offer hundreds of free, colorful and informative brochures about the region, the rooms are clean, there is hot running water 24 hours and occasionally places are environment-conscious. Tit for tat. All prices are fixed, which makes competition kind of difficult, but that is the aim of the whole system: make as much money from visitors as possible. A snorkeling trip to Rio da Prata costs the same on site as in the most expensive luxury hotel. And it seems this is what most people want, so who are we to decide? After the original, natural Pantanal, where the only foreigners we met were groups doing 2-day trips from Campo Grande, this place is bustling. Well, I suppose there are things we will never understand. Since it is difficult obtaining good info about the area, here are some links: accommodation, programs, further research etc, copied from local, up-to-date brochures.

Accommodation

Hotel Santa Esmeralda
Tapera Hotel
Hotel Fazenda Cachoeira
Hotel Fazenda Cabana do Pescador
Hotel Pousada Arizona
Jandiá Hotel
Pousada Olho d’ Agua
Pousada Canto do Bambu
Fazenda Santa Inés
Pousada Carandá
Gira Sol Bonito
Aguas de Bonito
Marrua Hotel
Bonito Hostel
Pousada do Peralta
Pousada Moinho de Vento
Wetiga Hotel
Chalé Apart Hotel
Pousada Remanso
Hotel Bonsai

Tourist information

Brazilian Diving Association
Bonito Travel Agencies
Abrasel
Atratur
Conference Centers
Bonito Conference Centre (1500 pax)
Brazil Bonito
Bonito Online
Agencia Ar
Tucano Tour
Bonito Adventure
Bonitour
Vanzella Transportes
Integrar

Sights, activities

Bonito Aventura
Rio Formoso swimming, snorkeling, regional dishes

Dive Bonito
Scuba diving

Buraco das Araras
Macaws by the hundreds

Balneario do Sol
Beach, restaurant, boat- and quad rental, playground, sports field

Reserva Ecológica Baía Bonita
Swimming, snorkeling

Barra do Sucuri
Swimming, snorkeling, boat cruises

Praia da Figueira
Snorkeling, restaurant

Circuito Arvorismo
Canopy tour, rappelling

Rio Sucuri
Swimming, snorkeling, horse riding, river cruises, bike rental

Projeto Jibóia
Snake exhibition

Anhumas Abismo
Swimming, snorkeling, rappelling

Reserva das Figueiras
Swimming, snorkeling, rappelling

Boca da Onca
Rappelling, waterfalls, hiking, bike rental

Back at the camping the receptionists have stopped greeting us, seems like they are hurt we don’t buy our vouchers for the daily programs from them. Today we are headed towards another speciality, a stalachite cave with water and sunlight, named
Gruta do Lago Azul. Miles away from the entrance the white tourist buses can be easily spotted, locals say that during high season it is impossible to buy a ticket weeks before. Even now we cannot buy one on site (since this part belongs to the Municipality of Bonito, and the places from the previous days were under the jurisdiction of Jardim), so one of us has to return to Bonito, buy vouchers for R$ 25 per piece and drive all the way back. The cave is interesting, nothing more. On the way home we enjoy the endless horizon of the Brazilian pampas, the clear blue sky and the small, fluffy clouds. Our journey is slowly coming to an end…

Today we return again to Rio da Prata, but carry on towards Buraco das Araras, a ten-minute drive from there. It is the usual entrance, T-shirts and Coke for sale at the reception, the entrance is R$ 20 and the guide takes us to a huge pit, repeat huge: 300 x 100 feet and 500 feet deep, it is actually an ancient dolina (collapsed cave) with a small lake at the bottom including a lone caiman. As soon as we get there industrial screeching greets us, there are over 100 red-green macaws living in the pit, they eat the clay on the walls rich in minerals, raise offspring in the holes and crevices and live with the fact that dozens of visitors stare at them daily from tailor-made lookouts. These birds turn sexually mature at the age of ten, lay one egg every two years, choose their partner for life and if one of them dies the other just stops eating and dies too. Their only natural enemies are a few raptors and the ocelot (Felis pardalis); they live for 70-80 years on average explains our kind and informative guide, who really goes over the limits to help us get closer for some good shots.
In the afternoon we make our way to Camping Balneário Assisi, a little-known place not far, where we intended to camp originally (R$ 10) but the group decided differently. The river is a 1-minute walk and a 5 R$ entrance from the camping area, a way better site than the neighboring Balneario Municipal. It has turquoise water, lush jungle around it and waters as full of fish as the R$ 83 Rio da Prata. The only difference is that here there is no DVD, wetsuit and snorkeling gear. We have a swim, eat lunch, laze around and return to Bonito for a little sight-seeing. Not much better than a Friday night in Mallorca.

We start early for our first tourist program, from Bonito to Jardim we have to drive through the city, which is basically a huge dump of souvenir stalls, travel agencies and Swiss-style beer gardens. After the real Pantanal it is a bit disappointing seeing this tourist zoo, but there is nothing we can do if we want to see why Bonito is so famous. A few of us have been around several times, and even they agree it just gets worse year by year. After two hours we reach the main road, turning left here the entrance to Rio da Prata is only a mile away. Manicured lawns and rustic handrails meet us, complete with a smiling, tourist-compatible receptionist who immediately makes us sit in front of a DVD player and starts the movie about the offered programs. Yeah, ecotourism and services and all that crap, but it is just so artificial. We have to refuse dinner at least three times (costs R$ 16, three times the normal price), and every time we are told this is the last opportunity to eat, later there won’t be any food and we might get hungry. After they tell us the rest of the group finally arrived (minimum number of participants: 6) we can finally pay for the river snorkeling program (R$ 83 per person). After a short walk in the jungle we see agouti (Dasyprocta agouti), capuchin monkey (Cebus apella), coati (Nasua nasua), chacalaca (Ortalis canicollis), bare-headed curassow (Crax fasciolata). The water is crystal clear and naturally full of huge dorado (Salminus maxillosus), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) and pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) species. Arriving back after four hours of floating, snorkeling and hiking we are offered yet another last opportunity to pay for a dinner or buy some souvenirs at the local shop. No comments. The birds seen on the way back: burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), rhea (Rhea americana), turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), oven-bird (Furnarius rufus), bat falcon, (Falco rufigularis) and yellow woodpecker (Colaptes campestris).

The pics of the fish were made by a kind local tourist, who rented an underwater camera

We wake real late, and join the group of guests heading out for some horseback riding. After all the quality service two things were amiss at Santa Clara, one was the pool: people who pay only for camping are not allowed to use the swimming pool. It was empty most of the time, with the local manager always watching if it was a camper using it and sending them away. It is kind of cheap, what difference do 3-4 extra persons make if the pool is empty any case? The other downside was the horse-riding; there were more than 12 people in the group, with some having their first experience with horses in their life. Two hours of slow walking around the ranch; it is almost like being led around on a pony at the local fair, although we do have a good chat with the other guests. We leave this hospitable fazenda around noon, meet the first agricultural plantations in weeks, the surroundings are getting artificial, power lines and cars everywhere. At Buranco das Piranhas our dirt track meets the Corumba – Campo Grande (RD226) motorway, and we are back on paved lanes again. Hours pass before we spot the sign towards Miranda, after that Bodoquena, and drive along another few miles of dirt road till Bonito. It is dark and late when we arrive, but manage to find a decent camping well inside the city: Pousada Peralta), the fee is R$ 15 per person. The bathrooms are clean, we have hot water and even a fireplace, and the receptionist is a kind guy who wants to sell us some package for tomorrow even before we get out of the car.

In the morning we walk down to the river behind the camp, and have a go at fishing with the line and hooks bought in Cuiabá. We were told it is pretty easy to catch almost anything here as long as you have the right bait. We heard that before somewhere…. We manage to find an earthworm, and soon we have a catfish (Liposarcus anisitsi) on our hook. We cut it up, and with the slices manage to catch a piraputanga (Brycon microlepis) and our first piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri). We stir-fry them in flour and oil, and enjoy every bit of our own catch. Later on we leave “town”, and after 20 minutes of driving turn right towards the sign Pousada Santa Clara. About twenty guests stroll about the courtyard, and from the reception a woman literally runs to us smiling and asking what can they help us. At first we only ask directions, this always being a good method to evaluate how much has money got to do with helpfulness. But they take the test, and give practical advice on other accommodations and sights in the area. Camping on the ranch costs R$ 20 per person, and all other activities (horse-riding, boat excursions, safari etc.) all cost R$ 25. The metal shield protecting the undercarriage got bent back by the road conditions; the local mechanic has a look, screws and straightens it out, all for free. Cool. The decision is unanimous; we will stay here for a night. The camping area is a grassy patch, 10 minutes by foot from the Pousada, on the river bank. It has a huge, netted wooden cabin built on stilts, with about 30 hammocks strung up inside. We pay for the river cruise, one hour speeding upstream followed by two hours of coming back. Lobo, our guide is patient and likes to explain about the area, although it becomes a bit annoying after a time when he slows down at every caiman and capybara and points: look, caiman. It’s like pointing out pigeons to locals in Rome. He soon realizes it causes us little excitement to see yet another sleeping croc, and stops only at birds or other animals. On the way back he hands out the rods and lines, we prepare our tackle with the bloody cattle intestines brought along, and cast out. Soon the hook is being attacked by swarms of furious fish in the deep, we can feel them fighting for the food but it takes more to actually catch them. Soon we catch our first piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), a few smaller piranbeba (Serrasalmus marginatus) with teeth the same size, and finally, just before we leave a better-sized dorado (Salminus maxillosus) makes the same mistake. This fish is the most important species for anglers throughout Brazil. In the meantime Lobo catches a decent size pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus). We pack up, and on the way home are lucky to see a whole giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) family hunting. In the evening we visit the diner of the Pousada and drink a few beers and play table tennis, pool and foosball with the other guests.

The Estrada Parque, with both ends connected to Road 262, takes you deep into the Pantanal. It is a popular destination with tourists from Campo Grande who usually stay at one of the Pousadas (guesthouse) along the road. While there is not much touristic infrastructure between Corumba and Porto di Manga, after crossing Rio Paraguay and leaving some flooded parts behind, all this changes. At Curva do Leque (a decently equipped general store with the usual number of locals sipping beer on the patio) the road takes a sharp turn to the right, and following water-lily fields and forests it heads straight south. Since we haven’t found any horse-riding possibilities since we left Cuiabá (excuses: too much water, no local guide, horses are tired, why would you want to ride a horse?) and some participants are keen to try it, we turn left at the first sign promising tourist facilities. Pousada Arara Azul is a neat, well-managed ranch at first glimpse, but then we meet the landlady. With a depressed and annoyed expression she tells us, horse-riding is R$ 35 per hour, take it or leave it (sorry, we never thought of haggling). We are not allowed to pitch tents anywhere on the property, which is totally understandable looking at the price-list. A room per person costs R$ 550, with breakfast and other activities included. Although it is late in the day, our clients decide to go for it, and accompany the guide to collect the horses. The landlady meanwhile refuses to let one of the women from our group to use the bathroom, seems like it is not included in the price of horse-riding. On the contrary, the guide is great, the riders see red macaws (Ara chloroptera), armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus), lots of peccary (Tayassu pecari), the guide is kind, helpful and knows a lot about the area. It is already dark when they get back, the owner walks up and down anxiously before the gate, and after we pay she disappears completely. The fact, that we were the only visitors whole day is maybe not so surprising after all. We move on, and after a bit of asking around we cross Rio Abobral on an old wooden bridge, and directly after turn right onto a narrow, winding sand road. Following this track leads us to a basic camp, where they tell us we can sleep in the communal, mosquito-netted house in hammocks or on the concrete floor. They won’t tell us the price beforehand, but assure us, it will be “mutto, mutto barato, amigo”. That means we shouldn’t worry, it will be unbelievably cheap but right now they can’t remember how cheap exactly, they have to ask their “boss”. A traveler would refuse immediately, but since we have clients the decision is not ours, so we accept. Pretty soon they connect to their boss, presumably through telepathy, and tell us, it will be R$ 20 per person, and they don’t have R$ 20 for change. Which is, compared to Pousada Sonetur yesterday, seriously overpriced. There is no electricity, only cold water, the mossie netting is full of holes, but we are allowed to use the kitchen if we collect some wood for the stove. It turns out these guys work for Ecological Expeditions, the same company reviewed in Lonely Planet as one of the operators running mass tours from Campo Grande. We chat a bit at the campfire later, they show us their photos taken the other day from an anaconda they captured and then let go. At last they ask us to leave the camp by 11 tomorrow, since they are expecting a big group and have to tidy up before they arrive. Whatever.

Our first guest photographer, Emese will also publish her pics on the site, where possible we will name the author

Corumba, being one of the largest river ports in the world at the time when colonialism and the gold rush made headlines everywhere, now is a place where even travel agencies close up on a Sunday. Remnants of the old glamour can be felt under the old, moldy buildings and along the long harbor, running parallel with the river for many kilometers upstream. Where else in Brazil can you find cities boasting 100.000 inhabitants with bars and restaurants turning off lights after 10 pm? Not far from the dock, near Praca Independencia we find cheap and musty rooms (20 R$ single, 35 double, 50 triple) at Hotel Salette with vent and shared bathroom. We decide to rent a car and drive from now on, which seems like a better option both financially and physically. Yesterday we received info on local possibilities: the only agency is Localiza, with an office closed at 4 pm, but with a receptionist who promised us full service by 8 am today. Just running back and forth several times from hotel to airport costs us more than 50 RS$ (mototaxi 4, cab 15, expect half-hour waits) before we reach the Localiza agent on her home number with the help of local firemen and security guards. She really makes an effort to arrive in time to work, so around half past nine we are paging through the possibilities in the brochure. All in vain, as it turns out: the only available car is a VW Gol (no misspelling, VW Golf here is called Gol). After the usual hassle with deposits, insurance, credit cards, signatures, blabla we visit the local Chinese market, the only difference is that the vendors are Bolivians, not Chinese. But they have the same stuff: plastic alarm clocks, expired canned food, Sany DVD players and thousands of other crap under plastic tarpaulins. As well-behaved tourists, we visit the Statue of Christ behind the city (an exact, miniature copy of the one in Rio), and stop for a huge dinner at an 8 RS$/person self-serve churrascaria. Heading back towards the Pantanal, a half an hour from Corumba signs mark the turn-off towards a road aptly named Estrada Parque Matto Grosso do Sul, which is by the way the only all-year road besides the Transpantaneíra that heads deep into the Pantanal. At first it is a twisting, up-and-down experience between serious hills, but after it stretches out towards the plain horizon the two red tracks disappear under a few feet of water. River Paraguay is busy with its’ annual flooding, nothing new, but what really surprises us is the water level: at some places it flows almost 2 feet above the road. Watching other cars (well, only 4WD-s and tractors) cross we make our attempt. One of us sits on the hood watching for shallow parts while the rest scoop the water flowing into the passenger compartment. Unbelievably, the over-revved engine never stalls; we make it through even the deepest parts. It is already dark, when the lights of Porto di Manga appear after a bend. The road ends, we arrived to Rio Paraguay. The only possibility to cross is by car-ferry, but there is no point, better do it tomorrow. No-one seems really excited about having half the village under water, movement between the 15-odd shacks and houses is mainly by boat; in one kitchen the housewife tends the stove in knee-deep water. The only dry strip of land is the road itself and a small patio before the general store. Merry locals sit around, with their beers in plastic thermoses, waving and shouting at us as if we were old friends. Although a small beer costs RS$ 2,50, the kindness of the owner makes us buy some more, and we join the locals, watching the empty road, talking and sipping cold beer, even dancing later. Pousada Sonetur, the local hotel stands in water as well, but this doesn’t deter the landlord to make good use of the higher floors, offering us honest and acceptable prices considering the low season (R$ 20/person). It turns out to be our best value-for-money accommodation since, with spotless rooms, complete with TV, minibar and helpful staff.

A vast amount of photo material is produced every day, so based on your requests we will try to publish some pics of questionable quality as well, especially if the given species is new. The Latin names are mostly from guide books and the internet, if there are any mistakes please contact admin [at] bedouin [dot] hu