Pousada Aguas De Bonito

Off to the Rio de Plata, Five of us in the car along with the guide - two spanish and a scotish girl (small world). We decide to head off to the Macaque (type of parrot) nesting ground as its not far from the Rio Plata. Just the transport is costing us an arm and a leg as we all had to dosh out nearly 15 euros for a return trip (just transport) which is why we were more than jsut me and agathe in the car. Lol ...

Waking up late we decided to roam into town (2km away) to see what was happening. Talked to a few tour agents to check the prices (which are incredibly high eventhough we are in lowseason) and did some food shopping. got back around 2h30 and after eating 2 boiled eggs each (keeping ...

OUCH!! the miracle plant isnt working on my hangover.! I tell myself to toughen up as we have things to get done (buy bus tix etc)<br><br>at 3pm we we hired bicycles and rode 7k out of town to a local river/swimming hole. It was gorgeous. We saw 5 macaws and about 20 toucans and heaps of fish. The life guard told us there was a resident ...

... for sure. Only thing was having got off a 19hour bus we were on another bus for 5 hours AND again no time to get food. We had a packet of wafer biscuits to see us through and water. All good really. So 5 hours later we are at the Pantanal area where we board an open back truck much like a cattle truck with 3other backpackers who had come from the north off another bus and were like us going camping in the Pantanal wetlands. It is much hotter than Rio here and we are sweating already ...

... there is no such thing as health and safety, its look out for yourself. So we are handed our equipment on the river bank, given a load of bait and told to fish for piranhas, ´oh and watch out for caimen, when they come onto the bank (that we were standing on) move along the bank´. So we start fishing and more and more caimen begin to appear on the banks, discreetly pearing their heads above the water surface. It starts with 2 or 3 and then there ...

... best things we've done this year. We visited the Brazilian side first which gives you a grand overview before visiting the Argentinian side the following day for a more close up experiance. We got a speed boat that takes you right up to a couple of the falls and over loads of massive rapids, we got soaked! it was brilliant. I would say if you come to South America for one thing make it this its awesome! After the falls we went to the small town of Benito for ...

... getting given a horse with a flatulence problem! We returned for lunch (the food was plentiflul and we tried lots of traditional Brazilian dishes), given a couple of hours rest before heading out on our next adventure. After another hour or so in the truck spotting birds, cows, deer, crab-eating foxes (yes, foxes that eat crabs) and caimans (small crocodiles) we arrived at the main lodge and then got into canoes. Claire plonked herself in the middle with ...

... to head up the river. At this point I was weary of keeping my hands inside the vehicle at all times as there where still plenty of crocs sunning themselves on the bank so no doubt there were a few lurking in the water. The boat trip down the river was again amazing, plenty of birds fishing, snakes and alligators in the river and thick green forest for as far as the eye could see on either bank. All we needed was David Attenborough there to describe it ...

... afloat, respectively.<br><br>Katie will kill me for putting this photo up, so enjoy!<br><br> <br><br>A few minutes later we climbed into the back of a truck and shortly afterwards jumped out and walked down a perfect little path - which would shame the most ...