The Pantanal - Day 70

Trip Start Jan 31, 2008
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Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
Pantanal Youth Hostel

Flag of Brazil  , State of Mato Grosso,
Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Left Cuiaba just after 8am to visit the Pantanal, Brazil's famous wetland area situated at the geographically centre of the continent. The landscape of the Pantanal only slopes one centimetre over a single kilometre, so the frequent rainfall accumulates to create rivers, swamps and small lakes interwoven with water lilies, grasses and trees. It's very similar in many ways to Kakadu national park in the north of Australia. Alligators prowl in the murky waters and over 650 species of birds are known to the area along with an abundance of mammal and fish life.
 
After a 100 kilometre drive on relativly smooth tarmac, the flat stuff abruptly ended and turned into a pot holed dirt track called the Transpaneira highway which cuts straight through the wetlands. Along the highway I saw many Caimen alligator's bathing in the sun beside the road and dozens of Capybara's which are the largest species of rodents on the planet. These strange supersized cousins of the rat are as big as a large dog. They're funny looking beasts who seem completely fearless of humans. They roam in large family groups and are absolutely everywhere in the Pantanal, swimming in the waters and slowly waddling on dry ground.
 
In the early afternoon I stoped off at a Pousada for a good hearty lunch and then went out in a small boat for a few hours, drifting down the beautiful little river channels. It's an extremely hot day with suffocating humidity and a storm is brewing over the wetlands in the distance. Everything is so green here, water lilies float on top of the black waters which vividly reflect the shadows of the clouds and green hues of the lush vegetation. As we continued along the still waters we saw and heard a troop of monkeys in the trees above so we moored the boat on dry land and had a walk to take a look. As soon as we stepped off the boat, hundreds of mosquito's started to swarm around us, I've never experienced anything like it my life. The guide had a sleeveless vest on and the back of his arms had at least 30 mosquito's clamped on having a good feed. All my skin was covered with clothing bar my face and hands which I had drowned with masses of repellent, I'm hoping I escaped the massacre lightly. I've been to many places on my travels where i've seen masses of mosquito's but the Pantanal is in a completely different league. It's hard to explain the horror of the sight of a mosquito swarm wanting to stuck you dry!!
 
Saw plenty of bird life today but not much else. Really glad I didn't book a longer trip, don't think I could bear the swams of mosquito's for more than one day. I think to really appreciate the Pantanal and see the wide variety of wildlife you need to stay for least 3-4 days. If mosquito's have a taste for you're blood, this is not a place for you!!
 
Rained hard on the drive back to the hostel in Cuiaba. Our 2-wheel drive Fiat Uno on this massively potholed dirt track just about made it back onto tarmac. A couple of times we got stuck in the muddy quagmire but the driver luckily knew what he was doing and we escaped lightly.
 
I only had a taste of the Pantanal visiting for one day, but to be honest I was glad to get out of these mosquito invested wetlands!!!
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