Brasil - SP&Pantanal Day 11
Brasil - SP&Pantanal
Day 11 - Friday, August 7, 2009 – Snorkeling on the Rio da Prata
We woke up before the alarm went off at 6:15, took our showers, and packed our gear for our day of snorkeling with the fish on the Rio da Prata.
The weather forecast was for showers today but it was another beautiful day in Bonito. The temperature was 72º and the humidity was 83%.
Claudio and Rogério came to the hotel to pick us up at 7:30. They are both very pleasant and have a wonderful sense of humor as well as being very accommodating to help us know the region surrounding Bonito.
Our drive to the Rio da Prata took us south of the city 50 km on another dirt road. We are getting used to these bumpy gravel roads and think of them as a morning massages!
We arrived at 9:30 at Rio da Prata, another eco-tourism farm where Rogério helped us to register, and then we had to wait for our appointed time.
This is a very limited excursion as the firm will only allow 150 people on the river per day. Groups can be no larger than 15 and everyone must have a certified river guide.
We changed into our swim suits and were issued river shoes, wet suits, snorkels, and masks. We packed our clothes into a large dry bag that would be transported by truck to our final destination at the end of the river trip.
To access the river we were taken by open safari truck for 15 minutes to the edge of the mato. Then we hiked for 40 minutes through the dense undergrowth of the forest.
As we walked we tried to spot birds or animals but with all of the people traveling here everyday, it is rare to see any critters. Rogério did spot a carninana, a type of cobra that had just swallowed a mouse. It was hanging from the tree and looked like a vine; fantastic protective coloration.
At 10:30 we entered the cold water springs that form this river. Rogério gave each of us a short review to see if we could snorkel. Then we practiced for a few minutes in the deeper water before starting down the river.
In many places the first segment of the river was very narrow and shallow. We had to swim in a single file, all the way seeing thousands of fresh water fish. The fish were just as curious to come up and examine us as we were to see them.
After snorkeling for 25 minutes we had to get out of the water and hike around a very large set of rapids. Even after we got back into the water, the current was very swift.
We continued snorkeling and swimming the river until we reached a large lake. We had the option of swimming back to the departure dock or taking a boat the rest of the way.
Tia opted for the boat ride but the rest of us were happy to stay in the cold water and swimming for the last 500 meters.
At the dock we found the big bags and we traded our wet suits for our dry clothes. The safari truck took us back to the lodge where lunch was waiting for us.
Eco-tourism is a growing industry in Brazil. Many of the old farms on prime locations are now being bought by large companies and instead of food production they cater to the tourist trade.
After our lunch it was tempting to take a nap in many of the hammocks under the shade of the large trees. I checked the temperature again and it was now 90º and the humidity had dropped to 49%.
We decided to go back to Bonito at 2:00. Claudio had trouble starting the vehicle and he thought he might have gotten a tank of bad diesel fuel the last time he filled up.
As we traveled back to town, we saw huge cupin or termite mounds in the fields. The land here was once all forest, hence the name of the state, Mato Grosso.
Now the land is very acidic and the only thing that grows here are grasses and termites that eat the roots. There are many giant ant eaters in the region, but they are nocturnal and only come out to eat at night.
Gennie has been carrying the post cards she wrote around for days, and asked Claudio to stop at a post office so she could buy stamps and send the cards.
After our stop in town, the van would not start again. Claudio made the decision to go all the way back to Campo Grande, over 5 hours each way to pick up a new van for the remainder of our trip.
At 3:30 we were back at the hotel. We wished Claudio good luck getting back to civilization, and thanked Rogério for another great day. Gennie did a little laundry; I looked at photos as I was anxious to see how the new Vivitar underwater camera had performed.
After cooling off and taking a shower we met Tia and Thomas at 6:15 for a walk into town to meet Bob who was registering for a repelling excursion tomorrow.
Our hotel is about ¾ of a mile from the city center. Walking off the sore muscles from the past few days is good and certainly helps us to sleep well at night.
We had dinner together at the Casa do João and it was a superb filet mignon and fish. Both Bob and I could not finish our steaks but we have a very hungry young man with us who helped.
We then walked around Bonito and did a little shopping for friends back home. We returned to the hotel to finish the journal and then go to the lobby to post it and check our mail.
Comments
Hotel Tapera
Peach Crested Parrot at Rio da Plata
Snorkeling in Line
Dourado – 2 feet long
Cupin/Termite Mounds
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