Welcome to Brazil!

A new year, a new country. Well ok actually we arrived in Brazil on Christmas eve, you’ve already seen our Christmas antics in the previous post but suffice it to say that our wonderful camp in Foz do Iguazu with its pool, bar and huge kitchen was a great place to spend the festive season!

Welcome to Brazil

During our time in Foz we got to see the major draw of the area, the might Iguazu Falls! Wider than Victoria, higher than Niagara, they are a spectacular sight. We visited them on both the Argentina and Brazil side, getting up close and personal with the unfathomable amounts of water pouring over the cliffs. One good way to experience it was to get in a boat and get as close to the falls as you could.

Iguazu

Triona at the falls

Maddie & Lou on the waterfall boat

Boat ride

Local lizard

People were also able to head to the bird park and begin to see some of the avian life we were about to experience as we headed in to the wilds of Brazil. Some of the group also headed off to the enormous Itaipu dam and to pop over the border to Paraguay to tick another country off the bucket list.

Then it was time to head out in to the vast expanses of this enormous country. We left early as the sun rose and got our first sight of the miles and miles of fertile farm land that help to make Brazil so wealthy.

Heading north

Our destination was Bonito, famous for its crystal clear waters, most of the group went out to experience the rivers first hand by snorkelling along the Rio Sucuri seeing all kinds of fish-life and even some howler monkeys.

Snorkelling

Rio Sucuri

Stunning clear waters

Bonito also gave everyone a chance to relax between the chaos of Christmas and New Year by partaking of some of our favourite activities

Internetting and sleeping

Simon works on Ithaca

Maddie makes friends

Then it was time to find a good spot for New Year, we headed off to Santa Clara in the Pantanal, a huge wetland area of 210,000 sqkm that is home to a mind-blowing variety of wildlife. It would also be our home for a few days as we stayed on the Fazenda Santa Clara. The farm was perfectly set up for overland groups with space for tents, lots of comfy hammocks, fresh mangoes growing on the trees and even a big communal hammock room for people to sleep in when the tents got too hot in the blistering Brazilian sun.

Something told us we weren't the first Odyssey group to stay here... (note the piranha bites out of the corners!)

Hammock sleeping room

AJ demonstrates the front sleeping hammock position

We weren’t the only wildlife at Santa Clara, a little bit of adjustment was needed by many in the group to deal with our new neighbours, from fire ants whose bite caused us to hop around from foot to foot to the billion bugs who buzzed around us in the evenings not to mention one tarantula called Fred who set up home on Wayne and Danielle’s tent for 3 days. But for every unwelcome creature there was something that had us all reaching for our cameras, beautiful macaws, parrots and even a camp kitten.

Fred

Le with some friendly camp neighbours

Camp caiman

Ants

Eagle

Camp pigs and Maddie

All of these exotic creatures, and we were still charmed by the camp kitten

Friendly local macaws

Santa Clara gave us all a bit of time to relax after a hectic couple of weeks and catch up on daily chores.

Washing time for Danielle & Wayne

Lou sets up a hair salon

Emma eats mangos right off the tree

Aside from all the creatures we shared our camp with we were taken under the wing of the Fazenda’s guides, Tom and Elias, who took everyone out to get up close and personal with some harder to find creatures.

Setting off to find some wildlife

Capybaras

Giant Pantanal Otter

Cute baby caiman

Armadillo

Baby howler monkey

Tom one of our guides points out some exotic plants

Elias, our other guide

Night safari

Night time tarantula

There was also the chance to head out on horseback.

Horse riding

A highlight for many however was the piranha fishing trip, heading out on a boat the guides showed the group how to fish for the carnivorous creatures. Many fish were caught and some even braved the caiman and piranha infested river for a cooling swim.

Setting off to hunt piranhas

First catch

Sharing the catch

Tom invites everyone in for a swim in the piranha / caiman river

Maddie took him up on the offer

For half the group the piranha fishing trip turned in to even more of an adventure as a failed engine on the boat left them stranded for a few hours.

Donna & Glenn attempt to get phone signal

However after alot of waiting, wading and paddling a rescue boat turned up with ice cold water and a tow line and the group were brought back to the camp safely!

On tow

The survivors

Dinner

Of course during our time at Santa Clara the big event was the end of 2013 and beginning of an exciting new year. The staff at the Fazenda did a wonderful job of putting on a beautiful meal and champagne while we sucessfully highjacked both the music and the dance floor, a wonderful, joyous evening was had by all, with lots of smiles, hugs and half the group ending up in the pool accidentally on purpose! We were all happy to celebrate the year that had passed and feel secure in the knowledge that the next one was going to be an adventure!

Happy New Year!

Lou

DJ-ing

Donna, Lou & Hannah

Steve, Hannah & Emma bust some moves

For many it was a sad goodbye to Santa Clara, particularly to our guides Tom and Elias who had really made it very special for everyone, but onwards and upwards, it was time to head on. We were moving in the direction of Paraty down on the Costa Verde near Rio de Janiero, but not being in to rushing too much we split the drive up with a bush camp (not easy to find in heavily agricultural Brazil) we tucked in behind some forest just off the road for a quiet night interrupted only slightly for Donna by a close encounter with what she believes was a puma sniffing around her tent, coupled with the large paw prints we’d seen in the evening it was more than believable, these shy creatures are almost impossible to see in the wild so if she was right it was a pretty rare and special moment (if a little terrifying!)

Not a bad find for a Brazilian bush camp

After that it was another long drive to a fishing spot down just outside Sao Paulo. Emma had tried to get directions from the camp before we arrived, possible some GPS co-ordinates, which failed to materialise, all we had was a hand-drawn map. We turned off the motorway and our sat nav promptly had a hissy fit and refused to accept we were on a road or help in any way. However after an interesting, sandy and very steep drive we arrived at the Pe da Serra camp who were very excited about our arrival, they roped in one of the guests who spoke English and he showed us around the pool and natural waterfall shower while the local kids hung around practicing their English and giggling until we finally gave them the left overs from dinner. It was a great little find.

Pe da Serra camp

Then the final push to Paraty. We got an early start from camp, after dropping us all in Paraty Simon was going to push on to Rio early to get some bits fixed up on Ithaca so he had a long drive ahead. The day went beautifully, being a Sunday Sao Paulo was deserted and we whipped around the ring road of this enormous city in a flash. Off the motorway we winded our way down to the coast along steep twisty roads with spectacular views, we were 20km away from Paraty and it wasn’t even lunch time, things were going beautifully, too beautifully as it turns out, we got to a roadblock and after a bit confusion and failing to communicate in what Emma has dubbed ‘Portuganglish’ a young guy from Rio who spoke English came over and explained that after heavy rain overnight a bridge had washed out ahead and we’d have to turn around and go another way.

As it turned out the only other way was a 350km detour back to Sao Paulo. It was what Simon calls ‘type 2 fun’ something any traveller will be familiar with, fun that isn’t actually all that fun at the time but seems fun looking back on it and makes an excellent story.

20km from Paraty...

Re-routing

So we finally rolled in to Paraty at around 9pm. Now of course as Ithaca was heading off to Rio we weren’t able to camp, Emma had had to rustle up some last minute accommodation at the height of high season, she found the last beds in Paraty some in a hostel and some in our own little quirky house.

Late arrival, waiting for check-in

Poor Simon still had to drive to Rio and his long and difficult day was topped off by getting caught up in a local protest which involved 3 of Ithaca’s windows being smashed. He ended up near Rio at 2am very ready to sleep.

Luckily for the rest of us the long drive, diversions and late night were all worthwhile as it turns out that Paraty is pretty much paradise! Blue seas, green islands, white beaches, it’s a little gem. It’s an old town with uneven cobbled streets that mean moving anywhere fast is impossible. It’s a lazy, pretty town, the centre is closed to traffic and it’s a fantastic place to wander around taking photos, visiting the churches and generally soaking up the unique atmosphere.

Paradise

Paraty rooftops

Collecting rubbish in a pedestrianised town

Our little Paraty house

The courtyard

Churros bike

Boats lined up at the pier

Some of the group headed off on a boat trip around the bay which involved some serious relaxing, a bit of swimming, a lot of bobbing around in the perfectly warm seas some tasty fish for lunch and a few beers.

Boat trip

Mike

Ann

Swimming with noodles & a beer

A well-earned drink after a hard day relaxing

Dragging ourselves away from Paraty was difficult but made easier by the fact that we were heading to RIO!! Everyone was very excited, even more so when they realised that our alternative transport had air conditioning, we also stopped en route and had what is known in Odyssey lingo as DFG, deep fried goodness, something Brazil excels at.

Everyone loves air con!

DFG

Arriving in Rio, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, was made even better by the fact that we had managed to find a luxurious 4 star hotel 2 blocks from this...

Copacabana Beach

and with this on the roof

Rooftop pool

Most of the group fell head over heels in love with Rio de Janiero, it is mad, there is always something crazy happening around you, Christ the Redeemer looms over the city watching the chaos unfold, it has a buzz and a rhythm that you have to embrace, it’s completely captivating and we were blessed with stunning weather tempered by air con at our hotel!

Some of the group headed off on a full day city tour to hit as many of the sights as possible in one go, the guides from Rio Xtreme did a wonderful job of showing off their city with enthusiasm including a visit to one of the Favelas or shantytowns that highlight some of the social problems in this country.