Well, we've only been home a week now, and already Fernando has taken off for his next adventure.
It's been a nice week with him here with us, if only Rebeca and Jason could have been here, too.
Fernando spent most of this past week editing his pictures, getting the necessary medication and shots for his trip to Africa, watching the sad Spurs games, eating out at his favorite restaurants and taking it easy. Today, we took him to the airport for his 2:10pm flight to Chicago, then from Chicago to London, and then from London to Accra, Ghana. He should arrive in Accra at 8pm Ghana time, 2pm our time, on Sunday, May 25th,which means he'll be in transit for 24 hours. I'm sure he and Eva will be happy to be together again. Eva studies the Colobus monkey there in Ghana.
Of course, Guillermo and I feel sad and kind of blah right now. We've been putting away the stuff he left behind, we'll take it to storage one of these days. When we hear from him again, and know he is safely in Accra, then we will feel a whole lot better.
Fortunately for us, Rebeca called RIGHT as we got back home from taking Fernando to the airport, so that was very timely and we thank Rebeca for that!!! That phone call lifted our spirits! She and Jason are driving today to Flagstaff, AZ for a little break from their routine. It should be cold there, with the highs in the 40's and the lows in the 20's. They seem to like Flagstaff quite a bit, as they've been there several times.
So, before Fernando left, he was able to post his favorite pictures to a website. If you go to Fernando's pictures, you'll be able to see some of the pictures he took with his camera.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
So, these are the last few pictures from my camera. Enjoy. And guess who the last picture on today's post is for?
This is one of the usual views from the many bridges on the Transpantaneira Road.
These capybaras couldn't ask for a better place to live - the Pantanal!
This is where we'd have breakfast every morning at the Araras Lodge in the Pantanal.
A view of our balcony at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge
The beautiful Cristalino River
Guillermo and Fernando outside the Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
This is the armadillo that is being pitted against the Energumeno. Fernando took this picure in the Peninsula Valdez, Argentina.
That's it!!
This is one of the usual views from the many bridges on the Transpantaneira Road.
These capybaras couldn't ask for a better place to live - the Pantanal!
This is where we'd have breakfast every morning at the Araras Lodge in the Pantanal.
A view of our balcony at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge
The beautiful Cristalino River
Guillermo and Fernando outside the Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
This is the armadillo that is being pitted against the Energumeno. Fernando took this picure in the Peninsula Valdez, Argentina.
That's it!!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
A few more pictures
This is one of the first things we did when I got to Buenos Aires - we went to an outdoor cafe and watched displays of the tango dance. It was beautiful.
Guillermo standing at the top of a lighthouse that we climbed in Colonia, Uruguay.
Another view from the top of the lighthouse in Colonia, Uruguay. In the distance is the boat that we took to get to Uruguay.
Another view of the falls on the Argentine side.
Same view of the falls, this time with Fernando in the picture.
Fernando and Guillermo on the walkway to the middle of the falls on the Brazilian side. We got wet here because even though we had rain gear with us, we just never took the time to put it on. But it was a warm day, so it didn't matter. We were more worried about our cameras.
I've got a few more pictures to put on, and I'll do that tomorrow.
Guillermo standing at the top of a lighthouse that we climbed in Colonia, Uruguay.
Another view from the top of the lighthouse in Colonia, Uruguay. In the distance is the boat that we took to get to Uruguay.
Another view of the falls on the Argentine side.
Same view of the falls, this time with Fernando in the picture.
Fernando and Guillermo on the walkway to the middle of the falls on the Brazilian side. We got wet here because even though we had rain gear with us, we just never took the time to put it on. But it was a warm day, so it didn't matter. We were more worried about our cameras.
I've got a few more pictures to put on, and I'll do that tomorrow.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A few pictures - finally!
These pictures are taken with my camera. They are decent enough, but I'm sure Fernando's pictures are much better. He has been working diligently, downloading his pictures to the computer, and working on editing them. I had a total of 161 pictures, he has a total of 3,700+ pictures!!!! I don't know where he's going to put them, on a photo-sharing website or what, but stay tuned and we'll post the place when we know.
This picture was taken in Puerto Iguazu, and it shows three countries at one time. Brazil is on the right, Paraguay is on the left and Argentina is at the bottom, from where we took the picture.
This picture was taken at a little restaurant in Colonia, Uruguay.
A picture of Vicki, taken on the Calle de Suspiros, in Colonia, Uruguay.
Iguazu Falls, taken on the Argentine side. The second picture is taken from the Brazilian side. The view of these falls is SO impressive.
Here we are canoeing down the Rio Clarinho. This section of the river was so full of vegetation that Fernando had to stand in front of the canoe and use a pole to push down the vegetation, so the boat could glide through.
A view of the Transpantaneira Road with part of a bridge, in the Pantanal.
This picture shows us just after we had gone with the horses through some really deep water, and this is why Guillermo didn't get his shoes or pants wet, look at him ride like a jockey!!!
Cooking the barbecue on the river. Notice the caiman in the foreground, he got really close to the meat when they took it off of the fire!
The Cristalino River in the evening.
So, that's a few pictures for now. Time to get back to work around the house, writing bills, fixing up the yard, washing clothes - all the usual stuff after returning from a long trip. I'll try to put up a few more pictures tomorrow.
This picture was taken in Puerto Iguazu, and it shows three countries at one time. Brazil is on the right, Paraguay is on the left and Argentina is at the bottom, from where we took the picture.
This picture was taken at a little restaurant in Colonia, Uruguay.
A picture of Vicki, taken on the Calle de Suspiros, in Colonia, Uruguay.
Iguazu Falls, taken on the Argentine side. The second picture is taken from the Brazilian side. The view of these falls is SO impressive.
Here we are canoeing down the Rio Clarinho. This section of the river was so full of vegetation that Fernando had to stand in front of the canoe and use a pole to push down the vegetation, so the boat could glide through.
A view of the Transpantaneira Road with part of a bridge, in the Pantanal.
This picture shows us just after we had gone with the horses through some really deep water, and this is why Guillermo didn't get his shoes or pants wet, look at him ride like a jockey!!!
Cooking the barbecue on the river. Notice the caiman in the foreground, he got really close to the meat when they took it off of the fire!
The Cristalino River in the evening.
So, that's a few pictures for now. Time to get back to work around the house, writing bills, fixing up the yard, washing clothes - all the usual stuff after returning from a long trip. I'll try to put up a few more pictures tomorrow.
Friday, May 16, 2008
The circle is complete
It's been 3 months for Guillermo and Fernando, and 23 days for me. Today, all three of us stepped back into our home at around 9:15 Friday morning.
On Wednesday, we checked out of our hotel in Chapadas and drove to a look-out point from where we should have been able to see canyons and views of Cuiaba and the Pantanal in the distance, but the view was obscured by clouds. We sat there a little while, hoping the clouds would clear, and they did a little, but not well enough to see much. From there, we drove to a nice little restaurant by a waterfall to have lunch and then it was back to Cuiaba to drop off our rental car back at the Cuiaba airport and wait for our 5:20pm flight to Sao Paolo. That flight didn't actually take off until about 6 and we got to Sao Paolo around 10pm. We found our hotel's shuttle and when we arrived at the hotel, we were a little overwhelmed at how fancy the place was. We felt a little out of place, but the hotel, "Caesar Business", was actually a very good place to stay since it was so close to the airport and it had all the conveniences we needed at that point. We had a good dinner at the hotel and enjoyed a good last night in South America.
Thursday, our plane wasn't due to take off from Sao Paolo until 9:15pm and thankfully, our hotel gave us a late check out of 3pm. So we spent most of Thursday morning in our room resting up for what was to come.
Our plane actually left Sao Paolo at 10pm Thursday night and we arrived in Houston at 6am Friday morning. With the time difference taken into account, that was being in the plane for a good 10 hours. We had a layover of about an hour and a half in Houston, and by 7:30am, we were on our way to San Antonio. We are pretty tired, as can be expected. South America is an amazing continent, and it is nice knowing what we now personally know many places there. We know that there are caimans sitting on the banks of the rivers in the Pantanal. We know that there are lots of kingfishers squawking and calling on the Clarinho River. We know that there are people eating at a "per kilo" place called Fellipes in Chapadas. And much, much more!!
On Wednesday, we checked out of our hotel in Chapadas and drove to a look-out point from where we should have been able to see canyons and views of Cuiaba and the Pantanal in the distance, but the view was obscured by clouds. We sat there a little while, hoping the clouds would clear, and they did a little, but not well enough to see much. From there, we drove to a nice little restaurant by a waterfall to have lunch and then it was back to Cuiaba to drop off our rental car back at the Cuiaba airport and wait for our 5:20pm flight to Sao Paolo. That flight didn't actually take off until about 6 and we got to Sao Paolo around 10pm. We found our hotel's shuttle and when we arrived at the hotel, we were a little overwhelmed at how fancy the place was. We felt a little out of place, but the hotel, "Caesar Business", was actually a very good place to stay since it was so close to the airport and it had all the conveniences we needed at that point. We had a good dinner at the hotel and enjoyed a good last night in South America.
Thursday, our plane wasn't due to take off from Sao Paolo until 9:15pm and thankfully, our hotel gave us a late check out of 3pm. So we spent most of Thursday morning in our room resting up for what was to come.
Our plane actually left Sao Paolo at 10pm Thursday night and we arrived in Houston at 6am Friday morning. With the time difference taken into account, that was being in the plane for a good 10 hours. We had a layover of about an hour and a half in Houston, and by 7:30am, we were on our way to San Antonio. We are pretty tired, as can be expected. South America is an amazing continent, and it is nice knowing what we now personally know many places there. We know that there are caimans sitting on the banks of the rivers in the Pantanal. We know that there are lots of kingfishers squawking and calling on the Clarinho River. We know that there are people eating at a "per kilo" place called Fellipes in Chapadas. And much, much more!!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Back Tracking a little again
Since we went to two places back-to-back that were very isolated (the Pantanal and Cristalino Lodge), there really wasn't a good opportunity to write about how our days were in the Pantanal. We went from one place to the next rather quickly, so with this post, here's a little summary of those days in the Pantanal.
Our first day in the Pantanal, we stayed at a place called the Pousada Rio Clarinho. It was a very rustic place, our room had 3 twin beds and a small table, a bathroom with no shower curtain and that was it! My pillow was about 1 inch thick. But we liked the place, it was very quiet, the people were nice and the first day there, the food they served was really good. Our guide spoke no English at all, so while we stayed at this place, we picked up a lot of Portuguese!!!! The first evening, he took us horseback riding through the forest, but it was a very short ride and very uneventful. There were a lot of birds at this pousada and that made being outside and walking by their lake very enjoyable.
Our second day in the Pantanal, our guide, Cesar, took us out in a canoe on the Clarinho River, and that boat trip was absolutely wonderful. Cesar never made a sound with the oars while he slowly guided our boat down the river, which was not wide and was so beautiful. We paddled among lots of water plants (lilies and hyacinths), saw many birds and there never seemed to be any shore anywhere. At one point, there was so much vegetation in the river that Fernando had to stand up in front of the canoe and use a pole to push down the plants. Cesar would slowly glide the boat along as the plants were pushed down. When we approached that section of the river, at first it looked like there was no way we would get through, but they did it!! We got through that section, and about an hour and a half later, we came to a place where there was a shore and Cesar pulled the boat up and we were able to get off for a while. As he guided the boat up to this shore, we were lucky to witness a most amazing display of kingfishers on the river. There were probably about 10 kingfishers flying and swooping over the water, screeching and calling and diving right into the water. It was a beautiful sight to see and hear and it made you think that those kingfishers were just so happy because they knew they were living in the most perfect place a bird could live. We spent about 45 minutes on shore, then we got back in our canoe and Cesar paddled us back to the pousada. All in all, we were on the river for about 3 and a half hours.
That evening, we used our own car to do a night drive along the Transpantaneira Road, with Cesar using a poor spotlight to look for animals.
The absolute best thing about staying at the Pousada Rio Clarinho was the amount of birds we saw while staying there, and that canoe ride, which no one else ever came even halfway close to as far as quality.
Our third day in the Pantanal, which I believe was May 6th, we checked out of the Pousada Rio Clarinho and drove the rest of the way down to the end of the Transpantaneira Road. As we drove down, we saw an ocelot, a tayra, lots of capybaras, lots of caimans, and many beautiful birds. As we got closer to the end, the scenery was just beautiful, looking like a wild coastal area, with many big lakes. It was just beautiful. The end of the road was very disappointing, we thought we could get something to eat there, but since there wasn't much of anything, we drove back up the road a little and ate some of our snacks on one of the 125 bridges that are along this road. Then we continued back up the road slowly and we saw a giant anteater very briefly!! When we got to the Araras Eco Lodge, which is at mile 32, we checked in there, just in time for a good dinner!! This place was more upscale than the Clarinho and we enjoyed our nice room and the lovely surroundings.
On the morning of our fourth day, we got up at 5:00am for a 5:30 nature walk. After the walk, it was time for breakfast, and then after breakfast, we did another horseback ride. This ride was a lot better than at the Clarinho, but we think the place assumed a lot of its clients, because the horses took us through some very deep water, which actually almost went up to our knees!!! The only person who didn't get his shoes wet was Guillermo, he rode his horse like a jockey. And I almost had a terrible accident on my horse, because it veered off the trail at one point, and I didn't think quickly enough as I saw him approach two very low branches with thorns on them. I knew those branches were going to knock me off that horse, and the only thing I could think to do was try to lift those branches over my head as the horse went under them. Somehow or another, don't ask me how, I managed to do that, but the force of the branches started to knock me off the horse. I sincerely believe a guardian angel was with me at that moment, because somehow or another, I was able to stop myself from falling off that horse. The other people on the ride who saw this happening to me commented later that it looked real bad for me, and they were all shocked I only had two little scratches on my face.
After dinner that day, we all got on a wonderful vehicle that took us on a night drive. The guide used a powerful spotter, but even so, we didn't see that much. We did see a tamandua eating termites from a termite mound that was in a tree, and that was exciting!
Our last day in the Pantanal, the guide took us again in that special vehicle to a river, and we all got in canoes and floated down the river. This float was nowhere near as good as Clarinho's float was, because since there were so many people, we all had to man our own canoes, and that is not a good setup. It's almost impossible to take pictures when you have to be rowing. The float was also very short, but when we got back they had a good barbecue waiting for us. It was very relaxing sitting by the bank of the river, watching birds and caimans and enjoying a good barbecue. After that, we got back in the vehicle, headed back to the lodge, packed up, and drove back to Cuiaba.
I really wish there was a way to upload our pictures, so that we could include images of what we are seeing, but unfortunately, we just aren't able to do that.
Today we are staying in a little town called Chapadas, but the National Park here is closed, so there is nothing really to do but just hang around. We did drive out to see the cliffs in the evening and they were just beautiful with the evening sun shining on them.
Tomorrow, we drive back to Cuiaba, and catch a plane at 5:20pm to Sao Paolo. We should get to Sao Paolo at 9:40pm and our plane leaves on the 15th at 9:25 at night. That is going to be a long night for us!
Our first day in the Pantanal, we stayed at a place called the Pousada Rio Clarinho. It was a very rustic place, our room had 3 twin beds and a small table, a bathroom with no shower curtain and that was it! My pillow was about 1 inch thick. But we liked the place, it was very quiet, the people were nice and the first day there, the food they served was really good. Our guide spoke no English at all, so while we stayed at this place, we picked up a lot of Portuguese!!!! The first evening, he took us horseback riding through the forest, but it was a very short ride and very uneventful. There were a lot of birds at this pousada and that made being outside and walking by their lake very enjoyable.
Our second day in the Pantanal, our guide, Cesar, took us out in a canoe on the Clarinho River, and that boat trip was absolutely wonderful. Cesar never made a sound with the oars while he slowly guided our boat down the river, which was not wide and was so beautiful. We paddled among lots of water plants (lilies and hyacinths), saw many birds and there never seemed to be any shore anywhere. At one point, there was so much vegetation in the river that Fernando had to stand up in front of the canoe and use a pole to push down the plants. Cesar would slowly glide the boat along as the plants were pushed down. When we approached that section of the river, at first it looked like there was no way we would get through, but they did it!! We got through that section, and about an hour and a half later, we came to a place where there was a shore and Cesar pulled the boat up and we were able to get off for a while. As he guided the boat up to this shore, we were lucky to witness a most amazing display of kingfishers on the river. There were probably about 10 kingfishers flying and swooping over the water, screeching and calling and diving right into the water. It was a beautiful sight to see and hear and it made you think that those kingfishers were just so happy because they knew they were living in the most perfect place a bird could live. We spent about 45 minutes on shore, then we got back in our canoe and Cesar paddled us back to the pousada. All in all, we were on the river for about 3 and a half hours.
That evening, we used our own car to do a night drive along the Transpantaneira Road, with Cesar using a poor spotlight to look for animals.
The absolute best thing about staying at the Pousada Rio Clarinho was the amount of birds we saw while staying there, and that canoe ride, which no one else ever came even halfway close to as far as quality.
Our third day in the Pantanal, which I believe was May 6th, we checked out of the Pousada Rio Clarinho and drove the rest of the way down to the end of the Transpantaneira Road. As we drove down, we saw an ocelot, a tayra, lots of capybaras, lots of caimans, and many beautiful birds. As we got closer to the end, the scenery was just beautiful, looking like a wild coastal area, with many big lakes. It was just beautiful. The end of the road was very disappointing, we thought we could get something to eat there, but since there wasn't much of anything, we drove back up the road a little and ate some of our snacks on one of the 125 bridges that are along this road. Then we continued back up the road slowly and we saw a giant anteater very briefly!! When we got to the Araras Eco Lodge, which is at mile 32, we checked in there, just in time for a good dinner!! This place was more upscale than the Clarinho and we enjoyed our nice room and the lovely surroundings.
On the morning of our fourth day, we got up at 5:00am for a 5:30 nature walk. After the walk, it was time for breakfast, and then after breakfast, we did another horseback ride. This ride was a lot better than at the Clarinho, but we think the place assumed a lot of its clients, because the horses took us through some very deep water, which actually almost went up to our knees!!! The only person who didn't get his shoes wet was Guillermo, he rode his horse like a jockey. And I almost had a terrible accident on my horse, because it veered off the trail at one point, and I didn't think quickly enough as I saw him approach two very low branches with thorns on them. I knew those branches were going to knock me off that horse, and the only thing I could think to do was try to lift those branches over my head as the horse went under them. Somehow or another, don't ask me how, I managed to do that, but the force of the branches started to knock me off the horse. I sincerely believe a guardian angel was with me at that moment, because somehow or another, I was able to stop myself from falling off that horse. The other people on the ride who saw this happening to me commented later that it looked real bad for me, and they were all shocked I only had two little scratches on my face.
After dinner that day, we all got on a wonderful vehicle that took us on a night drive. The guide used a powerful spotter, but even so, we didn't see that much. We did see a tamandua eating termites from a termite mound that was in a tree, and that was exciting!
Our last day in the Pantanal, the guide took us again in that special vehicle to a river, and we all got in canoes and floated down the river. This float was nowhere near as good as Clarinho's float was, because since there were so many people, we all had to man our own canoes, and that is not a good setup. It's almost impossible to take pictures when you have to be rowing. The float was also very short, but when we got back they had a good barbecue waiting for us. It was very relaxing sitting by the bank of the river, watching birds and caimans and enjoying a good barbecue. After that, we got back in the vehicle, headed back to the lodge, packed up, and drove back to Cuiaba.
I really wish there was a way to upload our pictures, so that we could include images of what we are seeing, but unfortunately, we just aren't able to do that.
Today we are staying in a little town called Chapadas, but the National Park here is closed, so there is nothing really to do but just hang around. We did drive out to see the cliffs in the evening and they were just beautiful with the evening sun shining on them.
Tomorrow, we drive back to Cuiaba, and catch a plane at 5:20pm to Sao Paolo. We should get to Sao Paolo at 9:40pm and our plane leaves on the 15th at 9:25 at night. That is going to be a long night for us!
May 12 - leaving Alta Floresta
The routine was the same this morning, with us getting up early, having breakfast, and then starting some activity at 6:30am. Guillermo and Fernando decided to do the trail that was scheduled for today, but I decided to take it easy by hanging around the bungalow. I spent my time taking pictures of the place, walking just for a little while down the trail they had gone on and sitting on the floating dock that the lodge has on the river. When they got back from the trail, we had one hour to shower and pack everything up for our boat ride back to the Teles Pires River. The rest of the day was nothing special. The drive in the 4-wheel drive car back to Alta Floresta wasn't as pleasant this time, because the guy drove really fast over those rough roads so it was a bumpy jerky ride. We stopped at the same restaurant for a wonderful lunch again, (buffet style and you pay per kilo) and then it was time to get to the airport and head back to Cuiaba. We stayed at the same hotel as before, and got the rest of our luggage out of their storage.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Day 3 (May 11) in Alta Floresta
Today we got up at the same time and after breakfast, we were on our trail by 6:30, since this trail started right by the lodge. We took the trail to the Canopy Tower, which is 50 meters high and from the top (and what a climb that was!) we could see over the forest canopy. We stayed on top of that tower for probably 3 hours, enjoying the scenery and the hunt for birds. It was always exciting to spot macaws and we'd follow them from tree to tree, hoping they'd get close to the tower for some good photo opportunities. We also saw spider monkeys from this tower, so it was very interesting. Fortunately, it was mostly cloudy this day, so it never got very hot. It was a very nice way to start off Mother's Day!
Once we got down from the tower, we continued on the trail to a tree house, which is by a little place that they call a salt lick. We sat there for a while, went up in the tree house, but didn't see much other than very beautiful butterflies.
We got back to the lodge around 11:30 again, had lunch and then rested.
After dinner, which is at 7:30, we went back out on the trail to the tree house, so it being that hour, it was very dark. We used our flashlights up until we got close to the treehouse, and then we turned them off, because of the possibility that there could be animals at the salt lick. There was really no light to see by, so what we did, is Fernando took the guide's hand, Guillermo took Fernando's hand, and I held Guillermo's hand and we slowly walked holding on to each other the rest of the way to the tree house. That was quite an experience, walking the trail with no light whatsoever, and then climbing up the ladder to the treehouse in total darkness! We sat in the treehouse for about 40 minutes, but nothing ever came. Our guide planned it so that we could be back to our bungalow by 10pm so we could take our showers while the generator was still on for lights. So we rushed back to our room, and took really quick showers and were actually all done right at about 10:30, but it seemed like they kept the generator on a little longer this night (for us, maybe) because it turned off at 10:40. Fortunately the nights get real cool, so we don't really need the ceiling fan during the night.
Once we got down from the tower, we continued on the trail to a tree house, which is by a little place that they call a salt lick. We sat there for a while, went up in the tree house, but didn't see much other than very beautiful butterflies.
We got back to the lodge around 11:30 again, had lunch and then rested.
After dinner, which is at 7:30, we went back out on the trail to the tree house, so it being that hour, it was very dark. We used our flashlights up until we got close to the treehouse, and then we turned them off, because of the possibility that there could be animals at the salt lick. There was really no light to see by, so what we did, is Fernando took the guide's hand, Guillermo took Fernando's hand, and I held Guillermo's hand and we slowly walked holding on to each other the rest of the way to the tree house. That was quite an experience, walking the trail with no light whatsoever, and then climbing up the ladder to the treehouse in total darkness! We sat in the treehouse for about 40 minutes, but nothing ever came. Our guide planned it so that we could be back to our bungalow by 10pm so we could take our showers while the generator was still on for lights. So we rushed back to our room, and took really quick showers and were actually all done right at about 10:30, but it seemed like they kept the generator on a little longer this night (for us, maybe) because it turned off at 10:40. Fortunately the nights get real cool, so we don't really need the ceiling fan during the night.
Day Two (May 10) in Alta Floresta
Today we got up at 5:30am, breakfast was at 6:00am and by 6:30, we were on our way by boat to our first trail which was 4 kilometers away. This trail took us through some dry forest, and eventually to a wonderful lookout point, where we spent quite a bit of time looking for as many birds as we could find. From there, we walked along a ridge, (so we were out in the sun a lot) to the next look out point. After that look out point, our guides took us down a brand-new trail, which was still a little rough, but was actually a very nice trail through some nice forest. We got back to the lodge around 11:30, so it was quite a morning!!
We were hot and sweaty, but since it wasn't noon yet, there was no way to use the fan in our room. That fan was scary anyway because it squeaked and rattled and once it had been going a while, it swung wildly back and forth. But it did give off good air, so when we heard the generator come on, we switched that fan on right away!! Lunch was served at 12:30, and it was delicious! The usual fare was rice, beans, some sort of meat, potatoes cooked different ways, some sort of pasta, salad items, fruit and always a delicious desert. Everything was always very tasty!
After lunch, it's "siesta time", and we rested until 3:30, when it is time for our next activity. At 3:30, we got in the boat again, and this time rode for 8 kilometers to a trail we would walk until about 5pm (it is dark here at 6pm). Then we got back on the boat, and went back the 8 kilometers down the river slowly, while our guide used a spotlight looking for wildlife along the river. All of our boat rides along the river were slow because there were always so many birds to see!! Everytime we were in the boat, it was always amazing to know we were in the Amazon, seeing such beauty.
We were hot and sweaty, but since it wasn't noon yet, there was no way to use the fan in our room. That fan was scary anyway because it squeaked and rattled and once it had been going a while, it swung wildly back and forth. But it did give off good air, so when we heard the generator come on, we switched that fan on right away!! Lunch was served at 12:30, and it was delicious! The usual fare was rice, beans, some sort of meat, potatoes cooked different ways, some sort of pasta, salad items, fruit and always a delicious desert. Everything was always very tasty!
After lunch, it's "siesta time", and we rested until 3:30, when it is time for our next activity. At 3:30, we got in the boat again, and this time rode for 8 kilometers to a trail we would walk until about 5pm (it is dark here at 6pm). Then we got back on the boat, and went back the 8 kilometers down the river slowly, while our guide used a spotlight looking for wildlife along the river. All of our boat rides along the river were slow because there were always so many birds to see!! Everytime we were in the boat, it was always amazing to know we were in the Amazon, seeing such beauty.
Our first day (May 9) in Alta Floresta
We just got back from Alta Floresta, and we are trying to decide what to do for tomorrow, since we have an extra day here in Cuiaba.
On May 9th, we flew from Cuiaba to Alta Floresta on a small Trip Airline plane. It made one stop in the city of Sinop before landing in Alta Floresta. Once we arrived at the airport, representatives from the Cristalino Jungle Lodge were waiting for us with our name on a card!! The first thing they did with us, was take us to a nice restaurant, where the food is buffet style and they charge you by the weight of your food on the plate. From there, they took us in a four-wheel drive vehicle to the Teles Pires River, a very wide brown-water river which was one hour away from the town. Once at the Teles Pires River, we boarded a motor boat with our bags and went down the Teles Pires to the Cristalino River, (a smaller black-water river) and from there it was a 30 minute boat ride to the Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
We stayed in a very nice little bungalow at the lodge, and they served us a really good dinner that evening. They also served our new favorite dessert - Maracuya pudding!! Over dinner, we talked about our plans for the next day.
There is no electricity at the lodge, everything is run by a generator. At 10:30pm, the generator goes off. There are candles in our room, but actually, it is nicer without the generator, because that thing is incredibly noisy. The generator is run from 12 noon to 2:30 and then again from 5:00 to 10:30.
On May 9th, we flew from Cuiaba to Alta Floresta on a small Trip Airline plane. It made one stop in the city of Sinop before landing in Alta Floresta. Once we arrived at the airport, representatives from the Cristalino Jungle Lodge were waiting for us with our name on a card!! The first thing they did with us, was take us to a nice restaurant, where the food is buffet style and they charge you by the weight of your food on the plate. From there, they took us in a four-wheel drive vehicle to the Teles Pires River, a very wide brown-water river which was one hour away from the town. Once at the Teles Pires River, we boarded a motor boat with our bags and went down the Teles Pires to the Cristalino River, (a smaller black-water river) and from there it was a 30 minute boat ride to the Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
We stayed in a very nice little bungalow at the lodge, and they served us a really good dinner that evening. They also served our new favorite dessert - Maracuya pudding!! Over dinner, we talked about our plans for the next day.
There is no electricity at the lodge, everything is run by a generator. At 10:30pm, the generator goes off. There are candles in our room, but actually, it is nicer without the generator, because that thing is incredibly noisy. The generator is run from 12 noon to 2:30 and then again from 5:00 to 10:30.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
We're back!
We are back from the Pantanal, where we spent the last four days! If you are able, you should look it up on the web; the Pantanal is one fantastic place. We drove from Cuiaba through Pocone, and if it weren't for Fernando's incredible sense of direction, we'd probably STILL be looking for Pocone! It was NOT that easy on those highways. A really good road map would have helped immensely. It's amazing, really, that Fernando was able to find his way relying on the maps we had.
Shortly after Pocone, the paved road ended and the next 140 kilometers were on a dusty dirt road. Our first little pousada (place we stayed) was at kilometer 40. We stayed there for 2 nights; the next day, we drove all the way to kilometer 140 or so, which is Porto Jofre at the end of the road. The next two days we stayed at kilometer 32. The drive on the road is very dusty. It didn't happen that much, but every time a car passed us, we had to roll up all our windows, which would make it hot in the car. Then we'd have to wait at least 3 minutes for the dust cloud to be gone before we would roll down the windows again. The scenery was straight out of a National Geographic special. The closer we got to the end of the road, the wilder everything looked. There was one part where it almost seemed unreal, scenery unlike anything we had ever seen before. All around us the lands were flooded or had flowing streams. They were simply beautiful and full of wildlife!
We saw over 100 different beautiful birds and more than 10 different mammals, including the giant anteater, an ocelot, a tayra, tons of capybaras, fox, tamandua, rabbit, red brockett deer, marsh deer, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, and marmosets. Every morning we would wake up to screeches, calls, whistles, cries, etc. from many different birds including hyacinth macaws, toucans, chachalacas and a variety of parrots.
We are heading closer to the equator tomorrow, so it is going to be getting hotter. It had been fairly cool until about 3 days ago. Now it is quite warm. We will fly to Alta Floresta where we will spend the next three nights, so it is quite likely there won't be anything posted here again until we get back!
Shortly after Pocone, the paved road ended and the next 140 kilometers were on a dusty dirt road. Our first little pousada (place we stayed) was at kilometer 40. We stayed there for 2 nights; the next day, we drove all the way to kilometer 140 or so, which is Porto Jofre at the end of the road. The next two days we stayed at kilometer 32. The drive on the road is very dusty. It didn't happen that much, but every time a car passed us, we had to roll up all our windows, which would make it hot in the car. Then we'd have to wait at least 3 minutes for the dust cloud to be gone before we would roll down the windows again. The scenery was straight out of a National Geographic special. The closer we got to the end of the road, the wilder everything looked. There was one part where it almost seemed unreal, scenery unlike anything we had ever seen before. All around us the lands were flooded or had flowing streams. They were simply beautiful and full of wildlife!
We saw over 100 different beautiful birds and more than 10 different mammals, including the giant anteater, an ocelot, a tayra, tons of capybaras, fox, tamandua, rabbit, red brockett deer, marsh deer, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, and marmosets. Every morning we would wake up to screeches, calls, whistles, cries, etc. from many different birds including hyacinth macaws, toucans, chachalacas and a variety of parrots.
We are heading closer to the equator tomorrow, so it is going to be getting hotter. It had been fairly cool until about 3 days ago. Now it is quite warm. We will fly to Alta Floresta where we will spend the next three nights, so it is quite likely there won't be anything posted here again until we get back!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Struggling with the language
Our day started off very early this morning, at 4:15am, and our flight on Gol Airlines took off right at 6:00am. It was so different from our flights here in the U.S. Water was no problem to carry aboard and we were all still walking down the aisle of the plane, looking for our seats and stowing away our carry-ons when the plane started taxiing to the runway. Nobody seemed concerned that everyone wasn't seated, but everyone was seated when the plane actually took off. The plane stopped first in Curitiba, and there we had to get off the plane, get our luggage and switch to another airline. So, from Curitiba, we flew with Trip Airlines to Londrina, then it stopped in Rondonopolis and finally our destination of Cuiaba. From Fos de Iguazu to Curitiba, they served us cookies and a drink (Guillermo called the cookies "dog biscuits"). From Curitiba to Londrina they served us a piece of candy, then a sandwich and a drink. From Londrina they served us some cookies and a drink and from Rondonopolis they served us peanuts and a drink. So, all in all, we didn't go hungry and we arrived in Cuiaba at 11:30am.
We are now in Cuiaba and this city is a lot different from all the others we've been in. We have had to look long and hard for internet cafes and restaurants, maybe we just aren't in the best area for that kind of stuff. We've been using the computer at the hotel, although it is more expensive than at internet cafes. Guillermo and Fernando just took a bus to the airport, they are going to look into renting a car that we can use to drive around in the Pantanal. We have tried looking into getting a tour guide to maximize our visit in the Pantanal, but evidently, that needed to be arranged a lot earlier. There are pros and cons of doing it ourself, so hopefully, it will work out that they can get a car and we'll see the area as best as we can.
We have really been struggling to understand the people here, and have them understand us. No one seems to know English at all, and there are very few people that understand Spanish. We have been trying to get some help from our phrase book, but that can only do so much. So, most interactions with people, since leaving Puerto Iguazu, have been real slow and focused, trying to decipher what words they are using in the context of the situation and trying to recollect words we have already learned and have come to understand.
We might have to take a taxi to find a place to eat tonight, the only kinds of businesses that are around our hotel are clothing and furniture stores, things like that. Our hotel is nice, maybe a little TOO nice, but hopefully we'll only be here one night.
If we DO make it to the Pantanal tomorrow, it is possible that I won't be posting again until May 7th or so. So, if there is nothing new posted here for a few days, it is because we are out in an isolated area.
We are now in Cuiaba and this city is a lot different from all the others we've been in. We have had to look long and hard for internet cafes and restaurants, maybe we just aren't in the best area for that kind of stuff. We've been using the computer at the hotel, although it is more expensive than at internet cafes. Guillermo and Fernando just took a bus to the airport, they are going to look into renting a car that we can use to drive around in the Pantanal. We have tried looking into getting a tour guide to maximize our visit in the Pantanal, but evidently, that needed to be arranged a lot earlier. There are pros and cons of doing it ourself, so hopefully, it will work out that they can get a car and we'll see the area as best as we can.
We have really been struggling to understand the people here, and have them understand us. No one seems to know English at all, and there are very few people that understand Spanish. We have been trying to get some help from our phrase book, but that can only do so much. So, most interactions with people, since leaving Puerto Iguazu, have been real slow and focused, trying to decipher what words they are using in the context of the situation and trying to recollect words we have already learned and have come to understand.
We might have to take a taxi to find a place to eat tonight, the only kinds of businesses that are around our hotel are clothing and furniture stores, things like that. Our hotel is nice, maybe a little TOO nice, but hopefully we'll only be here one night.
If we DO make it to the Pantanal tomorrow, it is possible that I won't be posting again until May 7th or so. So, if there is nothing new posted here for a few days, it is because we are out in an isolated area.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Brazil side of the falls
After getting dressed this morning, we went down to our hotel's lobby for breakfast and what a spread they had!!!! There were eggs, empanadas, many different kinds of cakes, puddings and flan, cereals, breads and rolls, cheeses and cold cuts, lots of different kinds of fruit, juices, tea, coffee, and probably many more things that I just didn't see. It was an amazing spread and we enjoyed having a variety of items to choose from, which is so unlike in Argentina. In Argentina, the usual breakfast offerings are small croissants, some bread, one kind of juice and either tea or coffee.
After breakfast, we caught a city bus to the airport to check on our flight tomorrow to Curitaba. Everything is ok with that flight, and we felt better as we headed out to the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls. We had been a little worried about that flight since we haven't yet paid for it, but we are scheduled on it and so all is ok.
The Brazilian side of the falls is set up quite differently from the Argentinian side. On the Brazilian side, you HAVE to take a bus to the various stops in the park, and only one of the stops you don't have to pay for. We got off at that free stop which has a walkway which takes you to views of the falls and it was very interesting to see the falls from this side.
The weather was not as pleasant today, it was very cool and cloudy, and it started raining before we left the park. We are glad we got to see the falls from this side, but we believe that Argentina has a much better set-up in their park. At least in Argentina you can choose to walk or ride their train and access to all trails is free. Also, the trails in Argentina are for walking only. There is a charge for all the trails in Brazil, and the trails are also used by bicycles and jeeps. So, those trails can't be all that serene.
Needless to say, we were disappointed about that. We were looking forward to some more hiking and seeing more animals and birds. The weather also was not the greatest today, so we had a quick lunch there in the park and headed back to our hotel way earlier than we had planned. Right now, we are waiting for our clothes to be returned to us from the cleaners and then we are going to head out to dinner.
Our flight to Curitaba leaves at 6:00am, so we'll be getting up pretty early tomorrow!!!
After breakfast, we caught a city bus to the airport to check on our flight tomorrow to Curitaba. Everything is ok with that flight, and we felt better as we headed out to the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls. We had been a little worried about that flight since we haven't yet paid for it, but we are scheduled on it and so all is ok.
The Brazilian side of the falls is set up quite differently from the Argentinian side. On the Brazilian side, you HAVE to take a bus to the various stops in the park, and only one of the stops you don't have to pay for. We got off at that free stop which has a walkway which takes you to views of the falls and it was very interesting to see the falls from this side.
The weather was not as pleasant today, it was very cool and cloudy, and it started raining before we left the park. We are glad we got to see the falls from this side, but we believe that Argentina has a much better set-up in their park. At least in Argentina you can choose to walk or ride their train and access to all trails is free. Also, the trails in Argentina are for walking only. There is a charge for all the trails in Brazil, and the trails are also used by bicycles and jeeps. So, those trails can't be all that serene.
Needless to say, we were disappointed about that. We were looking forward to some more hiking and seeing more animals and birds. The weather also was not the greatest today, so we had a quick lunch there in the park and headed back to our hotel way earlier than we had planned. Right now, we are waiting for our clothes to be returned to us from the cleaners and then we are going to head out to dinner.
Our flight to Curitaba leaves at 6:00am, so we'll be getting up pretty early tomorrow!!!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Now in Brazil
We are just so surprised how cool it is here in Puerto Iguazu!! We had breakfast in our hotel, and then bundled up our dirty clothes to take them to a lavanderia. Guillermo and Fernando walked all over the place looking for a lavanderia that was open, while I spent time in an internet cafe looking up the weather for today. They finally came back after a while saying that nothing is really open in the town. We found out later that the reason for that is today is Labor Day here in South America.
So, we packed up all our dirty clothes again, stored our stuff in the hotel and then caught a bus back out to Iguazu Falls National Park. At least we got to sit down on the bus today, yesterday we had to stand the whole way to the park. Once back at the park, I had planned on joining Guillermo and Fernando on their hike on Macuco Trail (Sendero Macuco), which is 4 miles long, but several people were turning back right after they started the trail because it was so muddy. I told them to go on without me, and we agreed to meet at the visitor center several hours later. There is plenty to do in the park and I had almost three hours until meeting up with them again. There is a free train you can ride so I did that for a little while and then decided to walk very slowly along the Green Trail (Sendero Verde). While slowly meandering along this trail, I came upon the sound of something jumping among the branches in the trees. At first I thought maybe it was coatis (which we saw a lot of), but then I felt extremely fortunate when I realized that it was Brown Capuchins jumping from tree to tree. I placed my pack down and stood there and watched them for at least 15 minutes and the good thing is that only one group of people passed by during that time. There were only two capuchins in the trees as far as I could tell, and they passed so close to me, actually crossing over the trail right where I was standing. I hung around that spot for a long time, even after they had left, hoping they'd come back but they never did. I felt happy that I had seen those capuchins, because I was so certain that Guillermo and Fernando were going to see capuchins on their trail also, but unfortunately, they didn't see any at all. But they did see a Toucanette and a Robust Woodpecker! Fernando had wanted to see a Toucanette and the woodpecker was also special to see. It is really big with a big red crest. They were happy that they got to see those two birds.
Right about the time I figured the capuchins weren't coming back, it started to rain, so I headed back to the visitor center. The sky was getting dark, it was starting to thunder, and I was glad I wasn't on that long Macuco trail with the guys. When they came back an hour and a half later, they were pretty wet! We had lunch there in the park and then caught the bus back to our hotel where we picked up our luggage. We then caught a taxi which took us to Foz de Igauzu, Brazil. Tomorrow we plan on going to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. It is also quite cool here in Foz de Iguazu and still raining a little.
So, we packed up all our dirty clothes again, stored our stuff in the hotel and then caught a bus back out to Iguazu Falls National Park. At least we got to sit down on the bus today, yesterday we had to stand the whole way to the park. Once back at the park, I had planned on joining Guillermo and Fernando on their hike on Macuco Trail (Sendero Macuco), which is 4 miles long, but several people were turning back right after they started the trail because it was so muddy. I told them to go on without me, and we agreed to meet at the visitor center several hours later. There is plenty to do in the park and I had almost three hours until meeting up with them again. There is a free train you can ride so I did that for a little while and then decided to walk very slowly along the Green Trail (Sendero Verde). While slowly meandering along this trail, I came upon the sound of something jumping among the branches in the trees. At first I thought maybe it was coatis (which we saw a lot of), but then I felt extremely fortunate when I realized that it was Brown Capuchins jumping from tree to tree. I placed my pack down and stood there and watched them for at least 15 minutes and the good thing is that only one group of people passed by during that time. There were only two capuchins in the trees as far as I could tell, and they passed so close to me, actually crossing over the trail right where I was standing. I hung around that spot for a long time, even after they had left, hoping they'd come back but they never did. I felt happy that I had seen those capuchins, because I was so certain that Guillermo and Fernando were going to see capuchins on their trail also, but unfortunately, they didn't see any at all. But they did see a Toucanette and a Robust Woodpecker! Fernando had wanted to see a Toucanette and the woodpecker was also special to see. It is really big with a big red crest. They were happy that they got to see those two birds.
Right about the time I figured the capuchins weren't coming back, it started to rain, so I headed back to the visitor center. The sky was getting dark, it was starting to thunder, and I was glad I wasn't on that long Macuco trail with the guys. When they came back an hour and a half later, they were pretty wet! We had lunch there in the park and then caught the bus back to our hotel where we picked up our luggage. We then caught a taxi which took us to Foz de Igauzu, Brazil. Tomorrow we plan on going to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. It is also quite cool here in Foz de Iguazu and still raining a little.
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