- Drive deeper into the impassable Pantanal wetland
- Accommodation in the comfortable Pousada Rio Claro with a delicious buffet
- Afternoon boat tour on the Rio Claro
To see animals Getting up early is a must, the alarm clock rings at 6 o'clock. We fill our stomachs at the breakfast buffet to be ready for them Morning trip deeper into the Pantanal. The sky is overcast and every now and then it rains a bit, which forces us from our vantage point down into the sheltered car. Again, all kinds of birds can be seen, including other karakaras, herons and of course kingfishers. We can even see one jumping into the water. Some caimans and three toucans can also be seen, otherwise the animals seem to prefer to take cover in the thick undergrowth.
The Pantanal is roughly 230,000 km² in area as big as the island of Great Britain and only sparsely populated. Most of the land is privately owned by so-called pousadas. So farms that are used to keep cows. Suddenly a herd of zebu-like cattle comes to us with Brazilian cowboys - Vaqueiros called - contrary.
Suddenly Fabricio stopped and heard the calls of monkeys. It doesn't take long before we see a family in one of the trees Marmosette monkey. After the rainy season started surprisingly early this year, large parts of the Pantanal are already under water. Seeing the large mammals of the region is of course a lot more difficult than from August to October, when the land is bone dry and visitors can wait for the animals by the water.
We reach them at 11 a.m. Pousada Rio Claro, an ecotourist visitor lodge in the middle of the marshland. We move into our comfortable room and look around the garden teeming with birds. The different ones are particularly worth seeing Parrot specieswhich fill their bellies on the fruits of the mango tree. A little time ago a small anteater (also Tamandua) was spotted next door, but unfortunately our search for it is unsuccessful. After a delicious lunch we lie down for a while and write a diary.
A family grazes right next to the lodge Capybaras, the largest rodents in the world. At 4.30 a.m. the first boat tour starts. For the time being, you can hardly see anything in the scorching heat. Every now and then we do different things on the densely vegetated embankment Waterfowl from, no trace of the hoped-for mammals. Fabricio spots a well camouflaged one on one of the trees iguana while sunbathing.
At least I manage to take some great shots of Kingfishers and eagles. Lured by a fishing lure, I try that Eagle in flight taking photos is not an easy undertaking.
But even without the super spectacular animal sightings, the ride on the Rio Claro is an experience in itself. The heavy rains in recent weeks have already caused the foot level to rise by 70 cm, flooded the sandbanks and turned the surrounding meadows into a swamp. The leisurely flowing river is completely overgrown in places by a carpet of water lilies.
The towering cloud images including rainbows make the atmosphere even more magnificent. After a good two hours on the river, we are back at the pousada. Here we marvel at another incredible one sunset. After the delicious evening buffet, you go to bed early, because tomorrow we start again early.
