Travelogue from Brazil: Pantanal

At the end of 2018, Christina visited Pantanal in Brazil for the first time – and what an experience it was! Read her report below.

I’ve always dreamed of visiting Pantanal! It’s the world’s largest tropical wetland and a mecca for nature and animal lovers. And right now I’m here, and my dream has come true!

It’s siesta time, and I’m sitting in the shade by the pool, looking out over the fields. The relaxing chirping of the birds is interrupted every so often by squawking parrots. It’s the beautiful hyacinth macaw, the largest bird in the parrot family, interrupting the idyllic chirping, so that’s okay. Horses and cows wander lazily in the midday heat and three cowboys ride out to herd the cows. I am at Pousada Aguapé in Pantanal, and in a short while, we’ll be going on yet another safari.

I arrived last night and by the time we reached the lodge, I had already seen more animals than I could have dreamed of. For the last 50 km of the drive, the road turned from asphalt to gravel, automatically slowing us down. We got to make a lot of photo stops, as we saw wild ostriches called reas, pampas deer, caimans, toucans and an anteater. When we arrived at the lodge, ten beautiful hyacinth macaws were sitting in the palm trees waiting for us. What a welcome!

Before supper, we went for a walk around the lodge and by the little pond, we met a family of five capybaras and wild pigs. Suddenly, we heard over the radio that an ocelot had been spotted just 3 km from the lodge, so we jumped in the cars – the searchlight on – and zoomed off. And right on the riverbank, we saw the beautiful cat. It is a member of the leopard family, just smaller – an absolutely amazing experience.

On my way to bed, I heard a rustling in the grass, and a small armadillo was searching for insects. What a day!

The animals are most active early in the morning and late at night, so our day started at 6.30 am with a boat trip up the Aquidauana River. Our skilled guide spotted capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, capybaras, toucans, ibis, kingfishers and countless other beautiful birds I had never heard of before.

The temperature has dropped now and we’re going on a jeep safari. I find it hard to believe that there are more animals to see, but I’m looking forward to it. On with the sunscreen and mosquito repellent. The battery in my camera has been recharged and I’m ready; excited to see whether Pantanal has any more surprises up its sleeve. It’s truly a magical place and even more beautiful than I had dreamed it would be.

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