Hotel Zagaia Resort Bonito

... us off at the edge of a tropical rainforest and then we started hicking through the rainforest over 2km (I can hear you thinking - yes we were in a our wetsuits !- dont ask me, I felt as stupid as you think we were). It was really warm so I had put the wetsuit down half way but on the otherhand their were loads of mosquitoes and we werent allowed replent (ecotourism). After 'admiring' a couple of ...

... made us rush out and as we arrived at a sheltered bar the dounpour commenced.<br><br> <br><br>After enjoying a Caiprinha (The drink of brazil) we went back to the riverbank where we glimpsed our first Toucan and Parrot. We then went back to the road and our drivers came to ...

... 8211; 258 km or 3h by car or bus<br><br>There are 2 ways of going to Bonito: you can either go on your own, book hotel and tours and find transportation, or buy a package that includes it all. It should be cheaper to go on your own, and it&#8217;s definitely more flexible, since in a package you might get stuck with a huge group of Brazilians (which can be quite an interesting experience). <br><br>Travel agencies where you can buy a package ...

... turned up loud... *Snorkelling 2km up a Brazilian river surrounded by hundreds of fish, some over 2m long, with capuchin monkeys playing in the trees above, sightings of a cayman and hundreds of birds and butteflies all around. The water was incredibly warm - 26 degrees, as there are natural hot springs which we swum over - amazing to see the sand bubbling up with the water. *Spending time with a great group of people on the truck - there ...

... first of two observation points of this truly massive natural crater in the earth with a green mossy lake below enclosed by rust red cliffs which is covered by lush rainforest-like vegetation. As we head to the other side we spot dozens of brightly-colored Macaws up in a few trees but unfortunately the presently overcast sky is horrible as a backdrop to any intended picture as it just produces mostly silhouetted figures. Bummed about ...

... though and we were so glad we did it. On the way back to base we saw an armadillo! It was literally the coolest, funniest animal encounter as it clearly had no idea what to do or where to go once it had seen us and just ended up running round in a circle. We also, amazingly, saw three giant ant-eaters (one with a baby on its back) which were so cute and funny looking and shy. In the afternoon we just chilled out ...

... but on top of trees or flying overhead and when we heard there was one down by the swimming hole we dashed over just in time to see it taking off again (nicely enough a humming bird came over to make us feel better though!). We hung around the bushes for a while acting like ornithologists and trying to see something else but in the end made our way back to the campsite to do some hand washing. Once I&#8217;d hung up everything to dry ...

... speech on snake conservation in the area (with a chance to pose with a giant boa-constrictor afterward) I somehow managed to work up my appetite again. We stopped by the casual "Vício da Gula" (The vice of gluttony) which was participating in a regional gastronomical festival with a featured plate: Grilled Alligator sandwich. I decided to go for it, heartily encouraged from my companions, and was well rewarded. The meat had a texture between a fish fillet and a chicken ...

... Brazil is phenomenal, and this farm (like a playground for the rich!) was one example of it. In Brzail 97% of the land is owned by 3%of the people - a common south-american scenario. Like a peaceful part of paradise it had gree, green grass, gushing waterfalls, a zip line to jump into the clear waters and most of all it was practically desserted and gave me some zen time to recover from the stresses of banks and phones which should really be far from your mind when you're in heaven.<br>

... a crystal clear river where Katie would do some snorkling and I would watch on jealously!<br><br>We would then transfer to a larger river (the Rio Sucuri) in the afternoon to do some rafting (not of the white water rafting this time!) down waterfalls, which ...