Into the jungle
After 10 days of diving the finest spots around Fernando
de Noronha, we flew to São Paulo and then to Campo
Grande in Mato Grosso del Sul. When traveling in
Brazil, you must expect delays and cancellations. Our
shuttle from the airport to the Jungle Lodge broke down
and we arrived three hours late. When we flew from
Bonito back to Campo Grande eight days later, we had
only 20 minutes to collect our luggage and run, sweat-
ing and cursing, to our connecting flight.
The Jungle Lodge is accessed via a dusty 7.5-mile
(12-km) road through the Pantanal. Upon arrival we
were given a refreshing caipirinha (a traditional Brazil-
ian cocktail made with Cachaça, a sugarcane liquor)
and then immediately went fishing for piranha. But
“fishing” is hardly the right term—these voracious fish
ate the bait off the hook in record time. Somehow, the
mosquitoes had colluded with the piranhas to stymie us,
so a graceful retreat to the bar was our best option.
The next day, we rode for an hour and a half in
a pickup to Fazenda Jose, where we saw crocodilian
caimans dozing at a waterhole, Hyacinth and Yellow-
Breasted Macaws, and countless other bird species.
We also spotted several toucans and even a family
of tapirs—but we were traveling too fast to take any
decent photos.
AMAZONAS
The dreamy and magical
world of Lagoa Misteriosa.
In the tributaries of the Rio
Miranda, a closer look is always
worthwhile. Many animals hide
among the plants.