Feb 9, 2011 - Bonito

9th Feb: After our last breakfast in the pantanal we took a truck and mini bus to Bonito which took a few hours. We loved the pantanal but are also glad to be leaving as we had been bitten sooooo much and are now itching like mad!! Simon had 39 bites on one arm alone!! Again our bus journey was a bit sketchy, because it had rained lots we had to take a detour onto a very thick mud road and the mini bus was skidding all over the place, then we got stuck in the mud and a tractor had to pull us out...twice! No much more to report today, just...

Feb 23, 2010 - Corumba, Brasil

After our bus ride through the Pantanal, we arrived at the border town of Corumba. We decided to stay there since it was late in the day instead of crossing into Bolivia to stay overnight. Big mistake. I saw a hotel near the bus terminal that looked OK and since they were cabs to take us to the border the next day, it seemed ideal. We checked in without looking at the room, second mistake. I never thought I´d say that the worst hotel we would stay in would be in Brasil, but this was definitely it. The manager showed us the room, which was...

Feb 21, 2010 - Campo Grande, Brasil

So we took a plane to Campo Grande because it was cheaper and more time saving than a bus. We didn´t really do much there since we were only spending the night. We stayed in an hostel that our guidebook said was near the bus station and ate at a buffet around the corner because it was the only restaurant open within walking distance. It turned out that the main bus station had been moved and we had to take a special bus from the old one to the new one. So we spent half an hour waiting for it until it finally came. We bought bus tickets for...

Nov 30, 2009 - Bonito (Brazil)

I headed back to Santa Cruz after Inti Wara Yassi and it was nice to get out of the humidity of the jungle and feel clean again. A group of us went out for a meal on the first night. Then people headed on to their next destination and 2 of us stayed a second night. We then got (yet another) overnight bus, this time to Quijarro which is a Bolivian town that borders Brazil. After a 2 hour wait for the border to open we crossed into Corumba on the Brazilian side and after another long, but this time air conditioned and comfortable bus journey,...

Oct 23, 2009 - Snorkelling in the world's 3rd clearest water

We have today had an interesting excursion to do some snorkeling. Strangely enough we’re not by the coast or the ocean. We’re right in the middle of central Brazil. As usual we got up around half past seven in the morning and had breakfast. The hostel served the same breakfast as yesterday and we liked it. The coffee is very nice here in Brazil. After breakfast the reception confirmed that our tour to Rio Sucuri was on and that the bus there would depart at ten sharp. This gave us about one hour and a half before we were due to leave. We...

Oct 22, 2009 - A day in the jungle and swimming in waterfalls

Much to our surprise we actually managed to sleep quite late today and we didn’t wake up until 8.10 in the morning. This must be because we’re still on Bolivian time… But we were feeling very tired from yesterday’s traveling and we probably needed our rest. The breakfast served in the hostel was surprisingly good and they served some fairly nice bread. I haven’t had western style bread in a long time and I really enjoyed getting their white buns with nice hard crust. They also had a nice selection of fresh fruit that Iris really liked....

Oct 21, 2009 - Entering Brazil and going to Bonito

We have today had quite a long day and done a fair bit of traveling. Although we haven’t traveled that far we still feel really tired at the end of the day. We got up around seven in the morning after a good night’s sleep. It felt very nice with the air-conditioned room and the comfortable bed. After packing our bags (we’re getting very quick at doing this - 15 minutes) we headed to the restaurant/bar to have our breakfast. We were there at around half past seven in the morning but the staff didn’t manage to have the breakfast done until...

Sep 24, 2009 - Asuncion

In Paraguay wurden wir gleich mal ordentlich von unserem Taxifahrer abgezockt. Im Busterminal angekommen, mussten wir erst mal feststellen, dass es dort keine Geldautomaten gibt und man bei den dort ansaessigen Busorganisationen nicht mit Kreditkarte bezahlen kann. Also konnten wir uns mit unserem restlichen brasilianischen Geld nur den billigsten Bus leisten, welcher dann auch doppelt so lange gebraucht hat, wie die anderen und auch nicht besonders komfortabel war. Das war eigentlich auch nicht das Problem, sondern die Eiseskaelte im Bus...

Sep 21, 2009 - Bonito

Schlechte Dschungel Internet Verbindung verhindert leider dass ich meine Eintraege auf den Neusten Stand bringe! Wir sind wohl auf und geniessen die brasilianische Wildniss... ---------------------------------- Very bad jungle internet connection keeps me from updating pictures and stories. We are well and enjoying the brazilian wilderness... Finally the entry: Bonito ist ein kleines, eher unspektakulaeres Oertchen mitten im Nirgendwo. Gluecklicherweise fliessen ein paar kristallklare Fluesse durch diese Gegend in denen man schnorcheln und...

Sep 21, 2009 - Schnorcheln

Nachdem wir abends in Bonito angekommen sind, sind wir mit Roelant und drei weiteren Hollaendern in eine Bar gegangen und haben Caipirinha getrunken. Am naechsten Morgen ging es zum Schnorcheln. Wir haben Ausruestung und Wetsuits bekommen, dann gings nach einem kleinen Marsch durch den Dschungel in einen Fluss (ohne Piranhas :D). Das Wasser war super klar, leider waren die Fische nicht wahnsinnig spektakulaer, aber trotz allem hat es Spass gemacht. Die geplante Weiterreise am naechsten Tag hatte sich als sehr kompliziert herausgestellt,...

Sep 18, 2009 - Pantanal

Morgen Abend fahren wir ueber Nacht in die sprichwoertliche brasilianische "Pampa", ich denke da gibt es dann mal ein paar Tage kein Internet also nicht beunruhigt sein. Unser Pampa Trip hat uns ins schoene Santa Clara gefuehrt, eigentlich keine Stadt sondern eine Ansammlung von einigen weitverstreuten "Farms" in der Pampa in denen Touristen aufgenommen werden die ein bisschen die lokale Flora und Fauna erkunden wollen. Geschlafen haben wir in Haengematten was wesentlich bequemer war als ich es mir vorgestellt haette und leckeres Essen,...

Sep 18, 2009 - Piranhas, Kaimane und eine Anaconda

Nach 4 Tagen im Dschungel im Pantanal in Brasilien, sind wir nun wieder heil in der Zivilisation angekommen :) Nach einer anstrengenden Busfahrt von Iguazu nach Campo Grande, haben wir dort eine Dschungel-Tour gebucht und sind nach einer wiederum mehrstuendigen und sehr holprigen Jeep-Fahrt im Camp angekommen. Alles war sehr einfach gehalten, wir haben in Haengematten geschlafen, was sich um einiges bequemer herausstellte, als wir urspruenglich dachten. Mit uns gebucht haben Rulant (Hollaender), Tom (Brite), sowie Maybrit und Jasper (ein...