The Pantanol

This vast natural paradise (the size of Texas!) is Brazil's major ecological attraction and offers a density of wildlife that exceeds even the the Amazon.

During the rainy season from October to March (yes, I was in the thick of it!), the Rio Praguai and other lesser rivers flood much of this low lying region creating patches of dry land where animals congregate. The waters rise as much as 3 metres above low water levels. This limits human habitation and provides a perfect feeding ground for wildlife.

I have aways wanted to visit the Pantanol (what do you expect with 650 bird species to offer!) so was very excited to spend 5 nights in the heart of it. I stayed in a simple lodge built on stilts to combat the annual flooding. Ally was a bit swamped out from Argentina and decided to rather relax on Isla del Mel) off the coast of Curitiba while I battled the mosquitos.

Altogether the Pantanol supports 650 bird species and 80 mammals including jaguars, ocelots, pumas, maned wolves, deers, ant eaters, armodillos, monkeys, tapirs and capybaras. I saw many bird species but mammal sightings were a little more limited due to the lushness of the vegetation at this time of the year.

The Jabiru stalk is one of the largest stalks in the world and is the official symbol of the Pantanol. It is a very impressive bird with a wing span of 3.5 metres.

I really like this photo I took of Monk Parrots in the early morning. They seemed to be having a lot of fun on the branch, all talking at the same time over breakfast. Reminds of me of some other families I have met!

The main mode of transport in the Pantanol as you would expect is by boat. We did a wonderful day trip along a course of rivers - including the beautiful and abundant "Red River" that gets its gorgeous colours from its rich iron content and provides beautiful reflections against the clouds.

Boats and water always seem to bring out the fun in people. Here we are having lots of it. Thanks to Yasuhiko for his fast trigger finger! The other guy in the photo is Greg, a fellow Cape Townian who I met on the trip. Needless to say, we got on famously! SAFA's always know how to have fun.

Another great way of exploring the shallower areas in on horse back. We did some great excursions along water logged paths and saw many birds this way. I also got to experience the thrill of galloping through water - totally exhilerating. Once of the guys in our group is a Canadian farmer who lives on a horse, so the pace was very fast, much to my great delight.

We also went walking through the jungle and had to cross several alligator infested rivers as we moved from island to island. Thanksfully the alligators here do not seem to eat humans, probably as they have so much else to eat.

Marcello was an awesome guide. He is an Indian who was born and grew up in the jungle. He speaks 6 languages and has the eyes of a hawk which came in very useful for spotting wildlife. We were very lucky to get him (he is famous in these parts as the best guide) and to spend time with him and hear his stories and share his vast knowledge. He was tremedous fun too. Amazingly, he seemed to speak fluent monkey language too and watching him howl with the Howler Monkeys is a memory I will never forget.

A great highlight of the Pantanol was the people I got to meet. Our all guy group (Frank from Germany, Greg from Cape Town and James from Canada) were a lot of fun and we all shared the same passion for the wildlife and the outdoors. Frank enjoys photography as much as me so it was great to share tips.

We experienced a couple of impressive downpours, including one while we were on horseback (refreshingly cool). I loved the dramatic clouds.

We went fishing the one day and James the Canadian, caught some Pirhanas. Scary looking, but they don't eat you unless you are dripping blood from a nasty wound. In which case, they would strip you in less than 3 minutes. Needless to say, when we swam we were careful not to cut our feet!

I keep learning cool new camera techniques. Here I discovered the amazing power of my super macro function. You can get your camera so close that you have to be very careful not to knock the poor little critters with your lens. I love modern technology.

The mosquitos were merciless. I was bitten on every inch of my body just about and it got a little much at times - there was just no reprieve! But I certainly did not suffer as much as Marloes and Harold (a great couple from Holland). They went rubber tubing on the first day without mosquito repellant and paid a heavy price. Like the troopers they are, they kept there sense of humour and their backs were much sought after for photos!

The sunsets over the swamp were as beautiful as any we have seen on this trip - and we have been blessed to see a lot of them. Funny how you can never get "sunsetted out", no matter how many you see. Could be the fact that they all look completely different.

Birds

New birds seen

• Bare-faced Ibis
• Jabiru
• Turkey vulture
• Black-collared Hawk
• Solitary Eagle
• Chaco chachalaca
• Common Piping-Guan
• Bare-faced curassow
• Hyacinth Macaw
• Black-hooded Parakeet
• Reddish-bellied Parakeet
• Swallow-tailed Hummingbird
• Ringed Kingfisher
• Green Kingfisher
• Rufous-tailed Jacamar
• Black and white Monjita
• Bananaquit
• Puna Yellowfinch

Letter to Marcello (Pantanol Guide - 04 March 2006)

Hi Marcello

What can I say?  It was awesome and you are awesome!  The best guide ever.  Period.

Here are some reasons why I think so.

• Your fantastic knowledge of the wildlife of the Pantanol.  You showed us so much and told us so many interesting things.
• Your unbelievable ability to spot even the smallest birds and animals from far away.  You can see better than any hawk.  You helped me see 20 new species of birds.
• Blue Macaw and Toco Toucan!!  I wanted to see them - you found them.
• Your passion for the jungle.  It is in your eyes - it is everywhere in you.  It inspires me.
• Your amazing energy.  You always liven people up - no matter how tired they are.
• The incredible way you talk to Howler monkeys.  Awesome!  Its like Dr Dolittle but better!
• Your great sense of humour and fun - you made us laugh so many times.
• The way you let us know about your culture and the peoples of the Pantanol.
• Your knife!  That's one big mother!
• Your ability to make the horses go.  So much fun!
• Opening up and telling us about your life.
• Your great singing voice.  U2 rocks!
• Great volleyball!!

You are amazing and we will never forget our time here.  

Bye for now my friend

Graeme

Iguazu Falls

As an African, I am very proud that the Victoria Falls cracked the nod as one of the official "7 Wonders of the Natural World" (the only waterfall in the list). But having visited both Iguazu Falls and Victoria Falls, I am certain that there must have been some very serious contention between the judges (whoever they were...) as to which falls made the final list. The stupendous roar of Iguazu's 275 different waterfalls crashing 80 metres into the Rio Iguacu is truly spetacular.

The falls are situated on the border between Brazil and Argentina and we visited them on both sides to see them properly. Brazil gives the grand overview and Argentina the closer look. I had already seen the falls on a business trip to Brazil in 2003 but I was thrilled to get a chance to see them again and show them to Ally.

Some photos of the falls on the Argentinian side...

The falls on the Brazilian side...

The most awesome part ofthe falls is the semi circular Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), a deafening and dampening part of the experience, approached by a series of catwalks across the river. There's no doubt that it's spectacular - there's only one question: Where's the bungi jump?

Despite development pressures, the 55,000 hectare park is a natural wonderland of subtropical rainforests with over 2000 identified plant species, countless insects, 400 bird species and many mammals and reptiles. Here is a collage of some of the critters (some cute, some creepy) I managed to catch on camera.

Ok, so these racoons are officially the cutest furry animals I have ever seen (apart, perhaps, from Sally.) They are very social and gregarious - two racoons will disappear into the tree to shake fruit off the branches for their little friends below. Occasionally, with all the shaking, a large branch will fall down to, as I discovered to my cost while photographing. My poor head still has a bump...

This squirrel was also mighty pretty. Check out that blue right eye! No photoshopping there, I assure you.

I went on a 6 km hike through the forest to a clearing with a waterfall. The water cascaded down onto a shiny rock that looked very much like an inviting chair. I couldn't resist - much to the initial amazement (then amusement) of some other hikers.

Here taking a dip close to a somewhat more powerful cascades. I didn't have the courage to duck my hair under this one.

Iguassu Bird Park

A fun place to see a fascinating variety of captive, colourful birds up close. Of course, I couldn't add any of them to my list of new species. That would be cheating!

This parrot took an instant liking to my hat. It nibbled the little button right off the top. No worries though - With the heat increasing exponentially as we move north, I need all the ventilation I can get.

These hummingbirds proved rather tricky to photograph. They're tiny and only hover for a short while before flittering off in unpredictable directions. I have seen a number of them in the wild recently (much to my delight) but not been able to positively identify any yet (much to my frustration) due to them all looking too similar and moving too fast. Hopefully it will be a bit easier in the Amazon.

What a beautiful lizard. They chill out all day and have such an enlightened, happy and peaceful look in their eyes, you'd think they had discovered the meaning of the universe.

Talking of the universe, I really like this analogy of time (on one of the exhibits at Iguazu.) Condensing the age of the earth into just one year provides an amazing perspective. I developed this thought a bit in a previous blog post.

Here are some videos . The power of the water was awe inspiring.

New birds seen in Iguazu

• Red-rumped Cacique
• Squirrel Cuckoo
• Crested Caracara
• Plush-crested Jay
• Amazon Kingfisher
• Great Kiskadee
• Rufous-collared Sparrow
• Great Dusky Swift
• Rufous-bellied Thrush
• Toco Toucan
• Black Vulture
• Black-throated Mango

Trip to Brazil and the Iguazu Falls

One of my highlights from 2003 was visiting Brazil. It was a business trip but I got to spend 4 days exploring the region around the Iguazu Waterfalls. The falls themselves are stunning - over 200 separate falls melding into a churning mass of frothy water and spray. This is where The Mission was filmed (remember that unforgettable scene of the cross going over the falls).

The most exciting moment for me was when I got to see my first wild Toucan - these colourful, big billed birds have fascinated me since I was a child and it had been a life goal of mine to see one.