Porto Velho and the Amazon

From Bonito we travelled 40 hours in 3 buses to get to Porto Velho where we took a 4 day boat trip to Manaus, where we were starting te trip to the Amazon rain forest. We stayed in a cabin on the boat. It had bunkbeds, a toilet with no seat or door and it was pretty small. You could also stay in hammocks, but as the boat filled up with locals the hammock area was completely packed. There were literally 30 side by side in a really small area. There were also hammocks in the aisles where you walk around, it was like a maze weaving and ducking under hammocks to get past. We stayed on the boat 2 days before departure. During this time there were dock workers filling the boats lower deck completely full with water melons, garlic, potatoes, bananas etc. Some of the workers were hauling 4 massive water melons at a time in a bag for the whole day. Once the boat left it took 4 days to get to Manaus. During the voyage we saw lots of pink dolphins in the Rio Madeira river (which was at least a few miles wide). We were the only forigners on the boat and one day two young portugese girls came up to us because they were facinated with blonde hair and our blue eyes. We also met a guy in the cabin next door to us who was teaching us Portugese and we were teaching him English. When we finally got to Manaus we saw a point in which a 'white water' (which was actually brown) and a 'black water' (darker brown) river mixed. At this point there was a sudden line where the water changed into the different river. It was quite strange.

We then booked a 4 day tour into the Amazon rain forest. When we first arrived we bought some local spirt made from sugarcane to make the Brazilian national drink Caipirinha. Firstly our guide James made some and on the second go Sam made some. Both were very nice. The litre bottle of spirt and 13 limes cost the equivilant of 2 quid. The heat in the Amazon really hits you, being 35 degrees each day. On the 1st day we went in a canoe into the floating forest because at this time of year the river rises around 8 meters and floods most of the forest. During the ride in the floating forest we did some more piranah fishing. Samantha caught 2 this time and Sam got none. The guide also got 1, but there was not enough to eat them. Some others did the same activity a few days later and caught 18! Later on in the evening, we went alligator spotting in the canoe. It was pitch black and millions of stars were out, it was really nice. Our guide managed to spot two alligators, the second of which he managed to catch, by jumping out of the canoe into the river and grabbing it with his hands. On the way back, Samantha saw 3 shooting stars, due to the sheer number of stars visible and luck. On the second day we went on a 4 hour jungle walk in the morning. We saw squirrel monkeys, stick insects, tiny frog, humming bird. We made braclets from the wood shaving of a tree, we drank fresh water from a Liana, which wraps itself around trees. James showed us various medicines that can be made from trees. That night we canoed to separate part of the forest, completed a 2 hour walk to a jungle camp and slept in the jungle, in hammocks. We ate our tea out of leaves and used cutlery made freshly from tree branches and washed in the stream. Our guide James, was washing before bed and smell't a tarantula which he caught and brought to us. During the night, Samantha saw a huge jungle frog. The next morning we collected wood to make some blowpipes and made our way back to the main camp. On our final day we made our blowpipes ad went dolphin spotting, but didnt manage to see any.

The Pantanal and Bonito

After we got to Campo Grande which took 23 hours on the bus we booked a 3 day trip into the Pantanal. When we got there we found out that camping which is what we booked was actually hammocks, but we were fine with that. On the 1st day we got up early and had a safari and saw a Tucans, Blue Macaws, Storks, Caimen, Capibara (the largest of the rodent family), Howler monkeys, all sorts of other birds like Kingfishers, Anteater. We then stayed and watched the sun rise over the wetlands. The next day we did Horse riding for a few hours. Sam´s horse decided it wanted to play in the water so it rolled over with him on the back. He managed to get out of the stirrups in time and just got wet up to the knees. We also did Piranah fishing. Sam caught 2 yellow and 2 white, but had to throw the white back because you cant really eat them. Samantha caught 1 yellow, 1 white and 1 stick lol. Later on that day we helped prepare them for tea and we ate them later on. The next day we took a boat ride up the river and samantha got on a rubber ring and floated back down to the camp with some others who were on the same tour. Caimen were also in the river, but if you go near them they get scared and swim away, so we got told the river was safe to swim in. On the morning of the last day we did a jungle walk. We saw a tree otter, a Tapir which is apparently as rare as seeing a Jaguar. The guide also told us about various plants and trees that have uses, like glue, water purification and bronchitus medicine. We then got a bus to Bonito.

In Bonito, we have done one activitiy so far. We visited Rio Da Prata which is a completely clear river system. We did a 3 hour tour of the park which the river is in, firstly a walk, where we spotted monkeys, some almost extinct trees and almost extinct birds. Next we did a 3km swim of the river, it was amazing, there were thousands of fish. Some of the fish were tiny little ones and they would attach themselves to you and nibble on your skin. They attached themselves to both our lips, it didnt hurt but felt a little uncomfortable. There were also these fish which were golden in colour and at least half a metre long and some massive black ones which were a similar size but a rounder shape. The river was so peaceful and at one point, Samantha got caught up in the scenary and swam into a big mess of tree branches. At one point we went through some rapids and had to make sure we didnt hit the rocks and trees. The river was warm throughout until the end, where the river got a lot deeper and widened and it suddenly turned very cold. The next day, today, we havent been able to do any activities due to the weather being rubbish.

When the weather cleared up we went to see a cave, Gruto de Azul. The water was bright blue because of the calcium and magnesium in the limestone rocks making all the sediment sink to the bottom. The day after we did rapelling in Abismo de Ahumas cave. We rapelled 72m down a rope to the bottom where there was an 80m deep pool throughout the whole cave. The cave its self was 120m x 90m wide. We snorkelled in the cave with fullbody wetsuits and there were stalagmites everywhere underwater. Despite some of the pics (thanks to the SLR) the cave was more or less pitch black inside, but we had underwater torches to look around. We then climbed back out using rope climing gear. We also ate Capirbara in Bonito one night. Its the biggest species out of the rodent family about the size of a normal pig. The meat came on massive skewers and it tasted kind of like salami/sausage.

Rio de Janerio

After the rainy day we had in Rio, it was pretty much around 30 degrees for the rest of our time there. Everyday we went to the beach on the Copacabana. Whilst we were in Rio we visited Sugar loaf, Christ the redeemer, Maracana football stadium and we went out to Lapas street party. Sugar loaf was 2 cable car rides up these hills to the top where you got a really good view of the whole of rio. We went up sugar loaf just before sunset so we got to see the city both in day time and at night. Christ the redeemer is a huge stone statue of christ that overlooks the whole city. We went to a view point there ans saw these very small monkeys with tiny, tiny faces no bigger than an inch or so (cant remember the name of them, but i know Christine will know what they are lol). The Maracana was absolutely amazing. We happened to arrive in rio the day before the 2nd leg of the Copa America semi final between Boca Juniors and Flumenese a local rio team. The match was totaly sold out. It was everything I had imagined about South america football, Flares being lit in the stands, Smoke bombs, Flour bombs lol, Fire works shot over the ground after every Flumenese goal. The stadium was never quiet, there was a contant roar from the fans and from whilstles blowing. At the end our ears were ringing as the fans never took a rest. Since Flumenese won 3-1, the whole stadium went completely mental on more than one occasion. Out of 100,000 seats I rekon there were a few thousand that were empty. The stadium being a perfect circle meant that from where ever you sat your view was excellent. We sat more or less at the top to get the best view of the stadium, but you could have sat where ever you want, there not seat allocations. The match ticket its self only cost 27 R$ (9 pounds), but in total we payed 30 pounds because went went with a tour group for ease and saftey. ONe night we went to a huge street party, ther ewere literally thousands and thosands of people, it was hard to estimate the amount because we didnt see the whole thing as we sticked to thie side street with some street venders selling the alcohol, but it was still packed even on the side streets. I happened to have a friendly portugese gentleman put his hand blatently in my pocket even though he has in front of my with his back to me. My wallet was in the zip pocket so he didnt find anything, but he the the cheek to come back for a 2nd go even though i caught him out the 1st time. The 2nd time I gave him a quick tickle on the hand and he left lol. Rio is one of the most expensive places in brazil so at the hostel we were paying 10 pounds a night each! for a dorm bed. I am used to paying Asia´s prices. In general Brazil as a whole is the most expensive country in South America. We have now left Rio and we are in Campo Grande to start a tour of the Pantanal (largest wetlands in the world). We had to get a 23 hour bus from Rio to get here as we have gotm from rio on right on the rest coast to nearly the other side of the east sode of the country that borders with Boliviar, so it was pretty tiresome by the end. The 3 day tour of the Pantanal includes the usual wildlife watching, we are camping right next to one of the rivers tributaries which will be good, piranah fishing and then eating them for tea after, boat trips etc. More on this when we start it tomorrow. Pics will be put on as soon as we have found a computer that doesnt have restrictions on it, because at the moment they have all denied access to my computer which is where we wana get the pics from the camera from.

Arrival in Brazil

After 3 flights, waiting around, 2 bus journeys and a taxi ride later (a total of 42 hours...) we finally arrived in Rio. During the bus journey from Sao Paulo to Rio the weather was a nice 23 degrees and the sun was shining all the way there. Today in Rio its raining and cloudy. We were going to go to the beach, but we may just walk around the city instead. Later on tonight we are going to watch Boca Juniors vs. Flumenese at the Maracana stadium.