Sao Paulo, Bonito, Pantanal Brazil

We survived Sao Paul! It wasn’t as scary as it had first seemed although as a city it was very confronting; the poverty, the homelessness and the gap between the rich and the poor is huge. For some their daily commute is via helicopter, while others scavenged the bins for anything edible. One evening we had a meal so large we were unable to finish it, so I asked the restaurant to pack up the leftovers and passed it to the next person we saw searching the rubbish for their next meal. The leftovers were received with such gratitude. I came to the realisation then that I didn’t need to find a charity organisation to teach my children the difference they could make. We obviously can’t help everyone nor could we change the unfortunate situation these people found themselves in, but we could give a few the chance for a nutritious meal. I figured that, after all, it is better to do something rather than nothing.  The next day the girls and I packed salad sandwiches along with fresh fruit and biscuits which we then proceeded out to the homeless.  The girls showed such great enthusiasm for the activity, they could see the joy such a simple act of kindness could bring. Leaving the meal next to many sleeping on the street gave way to discussions about how remaining anonymous didn’t change the act of kindness or the impact it could have. As we returned to the hostel the way we came, many were now awake smiling and enjoying the meal.

Little people washing by hand!

Next, we headed inland toward the Pantanal. We hired a car and started the long 14-hour drive west, we broke it up over three days stopping each night at one of the towns along the way. We ended at a small town at the base of the Pantanal, Bonito (which translates to beautiful).  The town was very quaint and well accustomed to tourists, the main street comprised of a mix of restaurants, souvenir shops and agents selling tours of the local area. The first morning we spent chilling by the pool, doing laundry (the old fashioned-way, one that Lucy had never experienced before) and looking for things we wanted to do in the local area. 

Caving in Bonito

Late afternoon we decided to try our luck at caving. Arriving at the visitors centre we found a museum; I use that term very loosely as it was the oddest collection of items I had ever seen. It had everything from old typewriters, an accordion, farming machinery and a selection of taxidermy animals. We’d explored everything there was to see in about 15 minutes and we waited around for another half an hour for the caving tour to start. The hike was a pleasant one and although the whole tour was delivered in Portuguese, most of which was lost on me. I understood the caves where shaped over hundreds of years through a series of volcanic events and water erosion – the geology of the rocks was varied and impressive. The cave was vast and damp – we were able to comfortably walk through most of it.  At over 90 metres deep, when the lights were turned off, it was dark like I’d never experienced. 

Snorkeling in Bonito

95% of the Pantanal is private land owned by farmers, some of which have taken advantage of the tourist market, commercialising the natural resources. We spent a day at one of these farms ‘Baleario nascente azul’ which has some of the clearest water in the country care of natural sink holes, offering a perfect opportunity for snorkelling. We arrived at the farm early as they had quite a few other facilities, including a manmade lake with a rope course not unlike ‘Go ape’ (not as high and without safety harnesses as one simply lands in the water), a flying fox which was substantially higher – the only way down was to let go and land in the lake.  I found the courage to do this only once, whilst the girls spent hours scrabbling out of the water and up the stairs for another go. By midday we were starting to get a little bored and thinking we had overpaid for a B-grade amusement park. That was until we went for our scheduled snorkelling, WOW! After being fully kitted out and a quick practice session we were taken to the sink hole, where we dived down to get a closer look, before floating down the river with our snorkels. The water was so clear, and the colour and variation of the fish was impressive I loved every minute of it. The girls were also surprisingly good.  Mary only splashed a couple of times (disturbing the bottom of the river and clouding the water a little), but otherwise we didn’t hear a single complaint for the whole 45 minutes it took to get back down the river.

After coming this far we were determined to do the Pantanal justice and we felt a day trip to the out skirts of the Pantanal or a visit another amusement farm where not going to cut it. We decided to bite the bullet and drive another three hours into the centre of the Pantanal, where we had booked two nights at a Jungle Lodge. This was the best thing!

Mary cautious with her Sardine & Lucy excited with her Piranha

Shortly after arriving we went Piranha fishing. Lucy was very proud; she caught the biggest fish of the afternoon and Mary managed to catch a sardine. Nick and I spent most of our time re-baiting the lines and getting them back out in the water as the girls seemed to constantly be pulling their lines in. A key to the girls’ success was being kids it seems, as Piranhas are attracted to splashing and loud noises! It was a great afternoon except the mosquitoes were vicious.  Despite being covered head to toe in repellent (which I am convinced actually attracted them), I sustained 110 bites in the first 5 hours. 50% of my bites were on my backside and it seems the Pantanal mosquitoes can bite through clothing. I took no chances the following three days as I remained covered from head to toe in both clothing and repellent, despite the 40+ degree heat.  Good thing I did, as I only received another dozen or so bites for the remainder of the trip.

I was determined not to let the constant urge to scratch prevent me from enjoying this truly magnificent part of the country. We took night and day boat rides up and down the rivers, we took a 2-hour hike through the jungle and we were truly fortunate with the number of animals we saw. Capybaras, caiman, howler monkeys, jaguars, giant otters (who are actually the most dangerous to swim with, who knew…they seemed so cute!) and an endless list of birds including storks, macaws and toucans just to name a few. It was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting this part of the country. I would have loved to see this region during the wet season, when the whole place is flooded.

Following a final night in Bonito, we began our three-day journey back to Sao Paulo to return the car and spend a couple of days catching up on mundane tasks like washing. This time we choose to stay in another part of Sao Paulo near the famous ‘Beco do Baman’ (which is popular for its street) and it felt like we were visiting a completely different city. Clearly our hostel was located in a more affluent part of the city, with streets filled of quirky bars and cafes and with plenty of vegan and vegetarian restaurants to choose from.  So, we will relax here for a couple of days before heading south to Florianopolis.

Mel, 28th January 2020

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