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Campo Grande to the Pantanel
Entry 7 of 87 | show all | print this entry |
After a 15 hour bus journey, arrived at Campo Grande bus terminal at 09:00, where touts selling Pantanal tours flocked around us. We didn't realise it would be so easy to book a tour! We went with a company called Gil's Pantanal Discovery as it was reasonably priced at 380 Real each for four days/three nights. The price includes our own room with bathroom in a pousada (B&B style lodgings), three meals per day, transport in and activities. Plus it was leaving at 10:30 this morning so meant we didn't have to hang around in Campo Grande for long.
They gave us breakfast and shower facilities at a nearby hotel and then we got in a van and was on our way. The five hour journey to the Pantanal was shared with a couple from Denmark, Morten and Karina and a guy, Martin from Czech Republic.
Just before entering the Pantanal, we had to change transport - a guy from the pousada picked us up in a jeep and took us through the Pantanal. It was a long and bumpy ride along a sandy dirt track. At one point we had to cross a river on a barge. The journey seemed never ending as we went deeper and deeper into the Pantanal. We saw lots of exotic birds and an alligator on our way. We finally arrived at Santa Clara pousada, a Portuguese family run farm. There are dorms but we have our own private room, which although is basic, is cute and has a rustic feel. With just a ceiling fan, it was extremely hot and my first thought was 'how are we going to sleep in this heat!'
The premises has lots of facilities including small outdoor swimming pool, volley ball, mini tennis, hammocks, table tennis, snooker, TV & DVDs, table football and piano. There is a laundry area, where you can do your own washing or they will do it for you - 15 Real for 10 pieces. Being a farm, there are lots of animals around including a resident pig that mingles with everyone. There's also a parrot and a macaw that sits on the tables outside. It certainly feels like we are cut off from civilisation with no internet or mobile phone signal but looks like there will be plenty to keep us occupied over the next few days. Husband and wife team, Trudie and Carlos, run the activities between them.
Dinner was a buffet of rice, beans, chicken and veg - you certainly don't go hungry!
Where I stayed:
Santa Clara Pousada, Pantanal
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