Where We Be
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| Pantanal, Brazil -- By Horseback & Canoe |
We mentioned in our previous post that a hand-
ful of pousadas, or lodges, are located along
the Transpantaneira offering a good meal, a
bed for the night, and the chance to explore
the countryside along the way. We stopped at
one of these, Pousada Canto do Arancuan,
about halfway along our route. After settling
into our simple room (but with AC!), we had
lunch and went for a swim in the delightful pool.
Our guide Luis kept us busy the rest of that day
and into the next. By late afternoon we were
horseback riding through the Pantanal. At this
time of year (mid-November) large parts of the
wetlands are dry, but we've seen photos of
folks riding through knee-deep water in rainy
season! After dinner we went on a night walk
and saw a tarantula, a great potoo owl, and
hundreds of shining, unblinking caiman eyes.
By 5:30 the next morning we were hiking a trail
spying marmosets and capuchin monkeys in the
trees. Then it was on to breakfast and a canoe
ride filled with more birds and butterflies than
you could imagine. After lunch and a final swim
in the pool, it was back to the van to finish our
drive along the Transpantaneira to Porto Jofre.
ful of pousadas, or lodges, are located along
the Transpantaneira offering a good meal, a
bed for the night, and the chance to explore
the countryside along the way. We stopped at
one of these, Pousada Canto do Arancuan,
about halfway along our route. After settling
into our simple room (but with AC!), we had
lunch and went for a swim in the delightful pool.
Our guide Luis kept us busy the rest of that day
and into the next. By late afternoon we were
horseback riding through the Pantanal. At this
time of year (mid-November) large parts of the
wetlands are dry, but we've seen photos of
folks riding through knee-deep water in rainy
season! After dinner we went on a night walk
and saw a tarantula, a great potoo owl, and
hundreds of shining, unblinking caiman eyes.
By 5:30 the next morning we were hiking a trail
spying marmosets and capuchin monkeys in the
trees. Then it was on to breakfast and a canoe
ride filled with more birds and butterflies than
you could imagine. After lunch and a final swim
in the pool, it was back to the van to finish our
drive along the Transpantaneira to Porto Jofre.
| The best part of Pousada Canto do Arancuan: the pool! |
| Country living Pantanal style |
| Our guide Luis seemed to know every bird and beast in the Pantanal by name |
| We'll never forget our first glimpse of these brilliant blue hyacinth macaws |
| Along the way we saw brocket deer, marsh deer, and, best of all, an armadillo running with surprising speed through the grass |
| We got to hold one of the tortoises in our hands. They're surprisingly heavy -- no wonder they're so slow. |
| We finished up our ride at sunset, saddle-sore but happy |
| We also saw several tortoises during our ride |
| After dinner we went on a night walk and saw this tarantua crossing the road |
| Early next morning we went for a hike and met a group of capuchin monkeys who were quite curious about us |
| After breakfast we went on a serene canoe ride down a quiet stretch of river |
| Our friends looked like they might never escape this dense patch of water hyacinth |
| We saw more trains of butterflies than we've ever seen before |
| I doubt we'll ever see as many herons and egrets again as we did in the Pantanal |
| A night heron and a rufescent tiger heron were just two of the many bird sightings during our canoe trip |
| Back on the road, we spotted a large herd of capybara just beyond the pousada grounds |
| Who knew large rodents could be so cute? |
| Now on to Porto Jofre where the road comes to an end |
| A quiet side road leads from the Transpantaneira to our bed for the night |
| We enjoyed the cameraderie of riding with new friends from Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands |
| My horse Thunder didn't really live up to the name, but we did manage a trot and canter now and again |
| Lodging here is simple, peaceful, and filled with birdsong |
| Luis crept up on this nightjar and caught it in his bare hands before releasing it again |
| For some strange reason they seemed to avoid these trees |
| This fish hawk kept following us, croaking "feed me" -- clearly he's been fed before! |
| The canoe ride was our last activity at the pousada, other than lunch and a final swim |