The Pantanal, Brazil

The Pantanal is a region in Western Brazil which also extends into Bolivia. It is considered one of the world's largest and most diverse freshwater wetland ecosystems and is one of Brazil's major tourist draws for its vast amounts of wildlife - and potential Jaguar sightings.

As keen as I was to try my chances at seeing a Jaguar - after seeing the price of tours from Cuiabá (around USD$2,000), I decided to explore the Pantanal from Campo Grande. There didn't seem to be a lot of reliable reviews on which company to go for, so I ended up choosing one that responded to my emails the quickest. The tour companies seem to work independently from the actual farms that you end up staying at, but everyone was in the same boat in this situation.

The transfer from Campo Grande took about 5 hours, but the accommodation we arrived at was pretty nice - much more luxuries on offer than in my time in the jungle - such as constant electricity!

The first night we took some foam noodles and just floated down the river - it seemed like a bit of a cop-out to include this as one of the "activities", but it was actually alright. Afterwards we played some 3-a-side football with the staff from the lodge (and beat them) which was much more enjoyable. Although we soon regretted being the "skins" team as we later discovered the amount of mosquito bites we earned during the win!

The remainder of the activities were much better - horse riding, fishing, canoe rides, trekking and finally a speedboat ride through the rivers - where I was extremely lucky enough to spot a jaguar for all of about 1 second. We turned the boat around and went back but it had vanished. We lurked around for a little while, and although we could hear it calling, we never saw it again.

The amount of wildlife we saw was very impressive, the most I've ever seen in the wild in my life - Capybaras, Caiman, Howler Monkeys, Macaws, Heron, Kingfisher, Stork, Falcons and more that I can't remember the names of. This is the only time on my trip I wish I'd brought along a better camera, so the photos here don't really do it justice. And while it wasn't the same type of experience we endured in the Amazon, it was a much better place to spot animals in the wild.

Cuiabá, Brazil

I don't like hearing people or websites say that a particular place is quiet, boring, or has "nothing to do", however that was what I was told of Cuiabá before arriving. I guess that's one of the benefits I've noticed from keeping up with this blog - it motivates me to turn every place I visit into it's own little story - of the things I do there or the people I meet.

After Manaus, I needed a bit of time to relax, wash my clothes and get myself back in to the gym. However after one day of relaxing I was ready for a new experience again, so I got in touch with a few people off Couchsurfing.

A girl named Juliana took me into her house with her mother, and straight away I felt at home. Her mum didn't speak any English but I surprised myself in managing to have a few conversations with her. I only spent about 36 hours with Juliana and her mum, but the whole time I was with them they were incredibly nice and generous to me, constantly driving me around and feeding me (guaranteed way to win me over).

On Sunday we spent the afternoon at Chapada dos Guimarães, where Juliana snapped this awesome picture:

It was a beautiful afternoon spent with great company, and another little story created in a city with "not much to see".

The Amazon Rainforest - Manaus, Brazil

Ever since I began my tour of Brazil, Manaus and The Amazon Rainforest had stood out as a significant stop, one that would be a rich experience yet significantly challenging. The lure of the jungle grew closer as I made my way around the North coast from West to East, and whilst I had no idea what to expect of my time there, I left with one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. 

There was one other thing I wanted to see besides the jungle - Theatro Amazonas. A visually stunning old theatre smack bang in the middle of town, spilling out in front of it an open square of food stalls, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, filled with locals and tourists alike taking in the atmosphere. 

My interest to visit the Theatre stemmed from watching footage of a performance there by one of my favourite bands, The White Stripes, back in 2005. The Theatre is mainly used for cultural and classical shows and to date it's the only performance there by a rock band. It is surprisingly large as it looks quite cosy on the inside - but full of beautiful sculptures and artwork. During the walking tour we were lucky enough to catch a performance by the local orchestra: 

Teatro Amazonas

I'd barely became comfortable with city of Manaus itself before I begun the journey towards the Amazon. I'd got a bit lucky as there was only one other person on my tour - a girl from Holland named Jolien. She was filming a documentary about her travels, so this was sure to make the experience that little more memorable - plus, I'd have some great footage afterwards! And maybe a mention in the credits ... 

Before reaching the jungle, we made a few stops for photos and to allow the guide to explain some of the more interesting facets of the Amazon. The speedboat out of Manaus took us to the "Meeting of the Waters", where due to a number of environmental factors (e.g. speed and pH level of the two waters), the brown water of the Amazon river cuts a visible divide with the black water of the Rio Negro river. 

The Meeting of the Waters

A change of boats and then another hour or so on a speedboat, and we had reached our lodge. It was simple accommodation - no electricity (except for when the generator was running, which was for about an hour each night) and barely any water - but it was enough. The host was extremely friendly and served us up some great meals - the first being a buffet of rice, beans, salad and armadillo. 

In the evening, we went fishing for piranhas and caught a Caiman (a species of crocodile), then retired to our rooms, where we found one of these waiting for us: 

In the morning our speedboat sprung a leak so we couldn't go out for the sunrise. So we had breakfast at the lodge and then did some more fishing and bird watching. In the afternoon we trekked for a couple of hours in the jungle, where we learned about what could and couldn't kill us if we went near it or ate it. We tried worms, Brazil nuts (in Brazil they just call them nuts), drank water from a vine, tasted a natural medicinal cream from a split open tree and swatted hundreds of different bugs off ourselves. 

In the evening we set up camp another hour or two further up the Amazon, and cooked dinner in what was by far the least hygienic meal I've ever had. We took a chicken that had been sitting in the sun for a few hours on our canoe, washed it in the dirty river, cut it on the side of an oar with a knife that was sitting in the bottom of the boat, then boiled it in more river water. 

In saying that, it took so long to prepare that by the time it was ready I was going back for seconds and thirds. Jolien brought desert for us - biscuits dipped in condensed milk, then we took the canoe out for some stargazing. Then it was back to the camp to set up our hammocks. 

By about 2AM we made it to sleep, and I use the term sleep lightly because I kept waking up and seeing gigantic bugs and spiders in my bed, only to realize I was still half asleep and it was only 20 or 30 mosquitos trying to get in. A Taipir came sniffing around our camp at night, but ran away before we could get close enough for a photo. 

Trying to get some sleep

After a couple of hours sleep we got up to take the canoe out to enjoy the sunrise and spot some wild dolphins. Then it was back to the camp for our last, but most frustrating meal in the jungle. All our pots and cutlery were infested by ants at this stage, so we again washed it all in the river then started cooking some pancakes for breakfast. I think we spent at least an hour just getting the fire and water ready to make the coffee and pancakes, and getting bitten by every insect that had come to taste the can of condensed milk. But the conditions made the otherwise basic food taste all the more delicious. 

Julien cooking up our pancakes, or "oil balls" as she called them.

Almost as soon as we finished, it began pouring down and we got absolutely soaked. We took the canoe back to the lodge, constantly scooping out water in the bottom of the boat (the leak wasn't fixed), but our guide assured us we'd take the shortcut back to the lodge. Which was fine until the motor broke and we got lost, so we all chipped in paddling our way to the nearest home to find an old lady who let us rent a spare motor. 

Wet from the rain and sweat, sunburnt, sleep, water and food-deprived, we made it back to the lodge for lunch and a well deserved rest. Although it wasn't over yet, we were to spend another difficult night at a local family's home to see how they lived, and share a few meals with them. 

We arrived there at night, began sifting through our hammocks and mosquito nets to get rid of the leftover bugs, then set them up for our last night of sleep. We prepared a fire and cooked some rice porridge for dinner (it was all we had left), and had a few shots of cachaça to put ourselves to sleep. Again it was only for a couple of hours, and I woke up by falling out of the hammock when I felt something crawling up my back. In doing so I woke the others up, so we took the boat out to appreciate our last sunrise together and spot a few more dolphins. 

Then it was back to the lodge to spend some time with the local family. To be honest, the house was an absolute mess. It was a bit ironic, here we were spending all this money to stay in probably the worst living conditions we'll experience in our life, yet it was the most realistic jungle experience we could get. 

There were about 4 or 5 dogs laying in the yard that barely had the energy to stand up, and there were various other animals roaming around the place - a parrot, a few turtles, some chickens and a couple of ducks. The animals were taking up any space in the backyard that wasn't filled by rubbish or poo. 

The family of 10 or so people slept on the wooden floor, showered and brushed their teeth in the river and didn't eat much for breakfast. They gave most of their food to us. We talked a little in my broken Portuguese, played football and then took some photos. Unfortunately we didn't get to spend a lot of time with them but Jolien seemed to have had an effect on one of the little boys as we saw him shedding a few tears as our canoe left their house. 

Playing football in the backyard

On the way back we stopped at the local community village which had a school, church and a couple more homes. Then it was back to the lodge for our final lunch goodbyes. The host had another group arriving and I honestly can't fathom how this is his job - living off practically nothing and rarely getting a day's break. 

Tired, burnt, hungry, thirsty, sleep deprived, bites everywhere, clothes sweaty and smelly, dirty, we made the trip back to Manaus. It was such an exhausting, yet unimaginably rich experience, one that I was lucky to spend with a knowledgeable and humble guide who did everything to look out for us, and a very interesting and down to earth friend who was perfect company for an experience like this. It was one of those things you don't truly get to enjoy until it's over, but I will never forget it. 

Last day at the lodge with our guide Adil and Jolien

Belém, Brazil

Before arriving in Belém, I was a little afraid I’d given myself too much time there. It wasn’t a city I’d heard of before this trip, nor one of the host cities of the World Cup last year. Yet I was about to spend 10 nights there - close to, if not the longest amount of time I’ve spent in a single city since arriving in Brazil.

It was in Belém that I had to apply with the Federal Police to extend my tourist visa, and knowing how brazil operates (especially in the north) I expected this to be an arduous process. But in almost typical Brazil fashion - I was surprised to be granted an extra two months in the country after only a brief conversation with a lady at the federal police and the handover of a few documents. Problem solved within my first few hours of arriving!

I had previously sent a few Couchsurfing requests to be hosted, and fortunately I was accepted by a local named Lucas. Lucas was an easygoing guy, and we shared a few common interests - beer and football. The first night I arrived, we went to his friends house to watch a Copa Libertadores match, and another night was spent at Amazon Beer in Estação das Docas to sample a few of Belém’s Amazonian flavoured craft beers. Lucas also introduced me to his friends Letícia and Suzane - who were extremely welcoming and went to every effort to make sure I made the most of my time in Belém.

Almost every day they would pick me up from the hostel and drive me around the city, sampling any kind of food I felt the hunger for, then drop me back at the hostel at the end of the night. I bombarded my stomach with every kind of national and local delicacy on offer - Tacacá (a very strong shrimp soup that also makes your mouth numb), Maniçoba (similar to feijoada), Pupunha (a small fruit), Tapioca, Guarana, Cachaça shots (with a chaser of soup, very weird!), unsweetened açai with fish, and a range of natural fruit juices and ice creams. Eventually my bowels had decided it was too much and well, you can guess what happened.

Amongst all the eating, I did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing. I visited Mangal das Garças to enjoy the sunset with Letícia and Suzane, then came back again a few days later with Josué (another friend from Couchsurfing) to take some more photos. We then took a boat ride around the docks of Belém and were treated to some local music and dance.

I also reached a minor milestone on my trip whilst in Belém - three months on the road. It’s crazy to think how quickly more than a quarter of my trip has already passed - and all in one country. But I guess looking back I’ve managed to squeeze quite a bit in. It just so happened that on 3 months to the day, Suzane and I went out for a nice dinner, which was fitting. She even managed to squeeze a free cake out of the waitress by telling her it was my birthday!

The last couple of nights in Belém I spent with Leticícia and Suzane - we ate a lot more food, ice cream and guarana, and also made time to check out some local bands at a bar, and go swimming at a nearby water park (even though it was cloudy and raining all day, the Brazilians seemed to love it). 

Although worn out from so much eating and sightseeing, I was really sorry to leave these girls behind. They had been the main reason I was able to enjoy such a long time in this city, and we genuinely got along like we’d been friends for years.

São Luís, Brazil

Arriving in São Luís, I felt a bit disappointed - there didn't seem to be much to do in this city, so I was glad I only booked one night at the hostel. Although, I had a great lunch at Restaurant Senac (A chef school that offers a buffet lunch of local dishes) and then spent the afternoon walking around the Historic Centre.

On Friday morning I took the bus from Sao Luis to Barreirinhas, the main entry point for tours into Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. During breakfast I made friends with Matthieu, a guy from Montreal who was making the same trip, and we decided to stay at a hostel in Barreirinhas with Assi, a girl from Finland who I met in Pipa. It was great to have some company for a few days, especially while travelling through these remote cities where there's not a great deal to do, and few people speak English.

Upon arrival at our hostel in Barreirinhas, Matthieu and I took a tour to Lençóis for the afternoon. It was an hour or so on the back of a 4WD, then a walk up a sand dune to reach the summit. When you get to the top, the only way I could describe it was either walking on clouds or something out of Jack and the Beanstalk. It really feels like somewhere you've never been before. We spent the afternoon walking around the dunes, swimming in the lagoons and taking pictures - which kind of felt like a waste of time as any picture wouldn't do the place justice. We stayed for sunset then took the 4WD back to the hostel.

The next day we took another 4WD to Atins, a small fishing village (even more remote) close to the beach. This was where the relaxing really began. There was no phone reception, sometimes no power at all, and we spent all of our time either at the beach, on a hammock or at the restaurant across the road. It was really nice to get away to a place that felt so far away, but in saying that I was also ready to move back towards civilization a bit come the next day!

We left Matthieu in Atins and came back to Barreirinhas for one more night, then Assi and I went out for dinner as it was her last proper meal in Brazil before returning home.

I must be really falling into the groove of travelling now as none of the discomforts of these remote places (Frogs in the shower, ducks running around the hostel, hot and humid weather with no air conditioning) seem to bother me that much anymore...

Jericoacoara, Brazil

After being on holiday for almost 3 months, a relaxing getaway wasn't exactly what I needed (or deserved), but my travels around the northern coast of Brazil brought me to a quaint little town called Jericoacoara.

Since it is relatively unknown to many people outside of Brazil, I've borrowed an introduction from Wikitravel:

Jericoacoara is a small fishing village cum beach hippie mecca in Ceará, Brazil, some 300 km west of Fortaleza. It is a place removed from the hurried modern world of screeching sirens, maniac deadlines, traffic jams and endless lineups. A place where streets are paved with sand, where beaches stretch as far as the eye can see and where warm water marries with palm swaying breezes. Until about 20 years ago, Jericoacoara was still a secluded and simple fishing village. There were no roads, no electricity, no phones, no TV's, no newspapers, and money was rarely used.

So you can imagine it's a pretty relaxing place to be. Upon check in to my hostel I put my bags down, and met up with a tour guide for a free walk to Pedra Furuda to catch the sunset. The contrasting landscapes of sweeping sandy beaches on one side and rolling green hills not unlike an Australian farm (it reminded me of childhood trips with my family to Bridgetown) was beautifully calming.

The next two days I spent exploring distant beaches, dunes and lagoons either side of Jeri, and as a result I left with a pretty sweet tan. Initially I was set on travelling from Jeri towards Barreirinhas (with the goal of visiting Lençóis Maranhenses National Park), however I soon found out it was going to be a pain in the backside to organise. It would've involved multiple buses and layovers in tiny cities I had no knowledge of, and in the end I was lucky enough to find a cheap flight from Fortaleza to São Luís, rendering the bus trip useless.

So here I am back in Fortaleza for one night with an early morning flight tomorrow. I'll make the trip to Barreirinhas and Lençóis from São Luis, and hopefully sort out my visa extension so I can (legally) continue my circle of Brazil.

Fortaleza, Brazil

The hot weather, beautiful beaches and delicious food continued in Fortaleza as I continued to make my around Brazil’s northern coastline.

Whilst a big city, I only spent 4 nights here as I’m eager to get started on the trail towards Manaus - i.e. Jericoaoara, Barreirinhas, Lençóis National Park, São Luis and Belém. I’m trying to strike a balance between being able to spend as much time in each place as I like, and making sure I’m at a suitable city to see the Federal Police and extend my tourist visa, which runs out on June 2.

On Thursday I took another tour of some beautiful beaches on the back of a buggy - Morro Branco and Canoa Quebrada. This type of tour seems to be the norm in most cities I visit in the north. Whilst on the tour, we had to form smaller groups and yet again NO ONE spoke English! But lucky enough I was offered by a nice Brazilian guy to join him and his family. We only spoke in very broken Portuguese over the course of the day but it was nice to have a group of people to enjoy the experience with.

Finding good food and coffee being one of my favourite hobbies on this trip, I decided to take a walk around the Varjota district, which is supposed to be famous for its abundance of cafes and restaurants. It didn’t disappoint and I found myself returning the next day to visit Amika Coffee House, and then Recanto da Varjota for their superb meats and salad. To top it off, I treated myself to an ice cream from San Paolo. Brazilian’s seem to have a bit of a fetish with Nutella, so I opted for the Nutella Ice cream with Kit Kat, Brownie, and M&M filling - and it’s safe to say I’ve rarely had so much enjoyment from food in that small space of time (Mum: besides your cooking of course!).

On Friday night I went out with some new friends (friends of Sálua whom I met in Salvador), but the shots of Cachaça left me with a rotten hangover on Saturday morning. So off to the beach again it was to try and shake it off. Simone and Alfredo (both who work at the hostel) took me to Praia do Futuro - a beautiful surfing beach lined with restaurants and beach clubs. We spent the afternoon looking out across the water, sipping on coconut water and listening to music - a superb way to cure my hangover and end my time in Fortaleza.

Natal, Brazil

A fairly relaxing 5 hour bus ride from Recife brought me to Natal, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte. I like to mix up my time between Couchsurfing and hostels - being around people and then spending some time on my own. It gives me a chance to zone out/relax/recharge/whatever you want to call it - and not have to worry about someone else's plans. It's good to have time like this to think only about yourself and do whatever you want... in moderation of course. 

Anyway. Natal seems to be used more as a hub to visit other nearby beaches. With only 5 nights here, I only really had time to venture out to 1 beach. One that almost every Brazilian recommended to me - Praia da Pipa. 

Before I took the bus to Pipa, I spent a whole day taking a buggy around various beaches close to Natal. I couldn't remember the name of any of the places that we went to, just that it was so refreshing to be sat on the back of that buggy driving across the sand, wind in your face and beautiful scenery all around you. It was only myself and another Brazilian guy on the tour (who speak absolutely no English), but we had a great day and took some pretty impressive photos. 

The next day I traveled to Pipa, on a bus that took the best part of 2 hours. I checked in to a hostel recommended to me by a girl at the hostel in Natal, then took a walk down to the beach to take some photos and enjoy the sunset.  

On Monday I woke up early to go for a run along the beach, just after sunrise. I ran across to Baia dos Golfinhos, a beach people told me it was common to see dolphins. Whilst I didn't see any dolphins, the view was beautiful. After breakfast I took another tour to some nearby beaches, this time with a bigger group on the back of an old Army style 4WD. Again, I got some more amazing photos, tried slacklining for the first time, did some sandboarding and finished off the day with another beautiful sunset. 

I took another gamble with a run to the dolphin beach on my last morning in Pipa, but no luck! I'll have to wait until my tour of the Amazon in Manaus I think. In the meantime, it's off to Fortaleza. Another new city to explore, more hot weather and more beaches!

Recife, Brazil

After my time in Salvador, I was looking forward to visiting a new city where I hadn’t had any previous experiences. Recife was to be one of the biggest cities in the north of Brazil I would visit, so I gave myself a week there to take in as much as possible.

I’d made contact with a number of people from Couchsurfing, which seemed to have quite a large community in Recife. By the time I checked in to the hostel, I’d already been having a bit of a conversation with a girl named Marcelle, so we decided to meet up for dinner in Boa Viagem (The main beach of Recife, and where my hostel was located).

On Saturday night I hung out with Marcelle and her friend JP in Recife Antigo, where we chilled out in Marko Zero and sampled a few of the cheap cachaças being sold by vendors on the street. The next day I was off to Porto de Galinhas with Zach, an American guy (living in Brazil teaching English) I met at the hostel. Relaxing on the beach with a juice in hand, we spent the afternoon talking aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds and getting a tan.

Monday was spent walking around Olinda with another friend from Couchsurfing, then finished off with an awesome (and cheap) all you can eat Japanese lunch – for just under AUD$20. This was to be my last day at the hostel in Boa Viagem, as I then moved to stay with a Couchsurfing host in a nearby suburb called Torre. Thiago was extremely generous in taking me in to his new apartment for 3 nights and not only feeding my huge appetite, also showing me around Recife and teaching me about his city and it’s culture.

For my last full day in Recife I met up with Marcelle again in Recife Antigo, and we visited Paço do Frevo (a museum dedicated to the culture and history of Carnaval in Recife), a train museum, and had lunch in Mercado da Boa Vista. I had a shot at another local dish ‘Arrumadinho de Carne do Sol’ - which was fantastic. JP met up with us after lunch and we took a couple of buses to Instituto Ricardo Brennand – a castle-like museum which holds a very impressive collection of Brazilian and European historical artefacts from the 15th to 19th centuries.

In the evening, we met up with Thiago in Recife Antigo and shared dinner together. We stopped for a while to enjoy a concert in the street, then it was time to say goodbye to Marcelle and JP.

In Recife I walked a lot of miles, took plenty of buses and topped up on my tan in what felt like a round-the-clock 35 degrees sun. I made some great friends from which I was sad to leave, but I guess that is the beauty of the Couchsurfing community - there’s a kind of unspoken agreement that one day, you’ll see them again and return the favour when they visit your hometown.

Salvador, Brazil

My stay in Salvador started off pretty hectic. Our bus in to the city arrived 3 hours late as we were stuck in traffic. The traffic was caused by a huge storm that saw more rainfall in one night than all of April last year. Houses were ruined, traffic came to a standstill, and sadly lives were lost.

The poor weather continued throughout the start of the week, gradually getting better. But my friends in Salvador told me this was the case for the majority of the year.

Still, this being my second time in Salvador meant I could skip the typical tourist spots and seek out sights. Luckily I was put in touch with Sálua, a friend of one of the staff at a hostel I stayed at in Rio, who was able to give me some tips on what to see.

After the first night, I switched hostels to the one I stayed at last year during the World Cup - Barra Guest Hostel. This place I knew was well kept, clean and served a great breakfast. I was almost considering a stay at a new hostel in Salvador - Açai hostel - that is, until I read a recent review from a guest explaining how the hostel was robbed at gunpoint at 4AM a couple of weeks ago ... pass!

On Wednesday I took a trip to the Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia, which had a very interesting exhibition on the history of slavery in Bahia. A lot of photographs were matched up to locations from the famous Tintin comics, which brought back memories of my childhood reading these with my Dad. Afterwards, I stopped for a juice in the cafe, then went back to the iconic lighthouse in Barra to try some Acarajé and see the sunset.

On my last night, I met up with Sálua and her friends in Rio Vermelho for a drink and some more Bahian food - more Acarajé and I also tried some Abara. It was a great night and while Sálua's friends could barely speak English, we had great fun. Unfortunately I couldn't stay the weekend to spend more time with them, but my visa in Brazil is coming to an end so I need to move on!

The lighthouse at Farol da Barra.