Brazil - Pantanal Wildlife Trail Trip Reports
The base for the South American Wildlife Trail
& Safari is the Baia dos Pedros Ranch. The Refúgio Ecológico
"ecologic refuge" is located approximately 140 miles from Campo
Grande in a 130,000 acres farm, of which 17,000 constitute an isolated reserve
with very rich flora and fauna. It has a diverse landscape of savanna lowlands,
seasonal wetlands and rich forest areas. The Pedros Ranch is also an active
working ranch with over 5.000 cattle. The Pantanal, known as the world biggest
ecological sanctuary and largest wetland area, covers some 240,000 sq.kms of
the upper Paraguay river basin. About 2/3 of it belong to the Brazilian states
of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, extending to the west into Bolivia and
southwest to Paraguay. During 6 days (5 full & 2 half days) the group will
be riding on the vast lands while the omnipresent wildlife catches the
attentions and provokes breathtaking surprises during the whole trail. It is
imperative, though, to keep cameras ready at all times. The trail includes boat
cruises on the Aquidauana river, an affluent to the Rio Paraguay, to watch the
river animals and on a night excursion we show you how to caress a Cayman's
neck. Trip Report - Wildlife Trail
Pantanal Brazil
Ryan,
 Jennifer and I arrived back from our trip
to the Pantanel and Rio not only safe and sound, but enriched by a remarkable
journey. I would like to tell you a little bit about our experience, so that
you will consider recommending this trip to your clients.
We were greeted at the airport by Peter, a
young university student who was our driver to the airfield outside of Campo
Grande to pick up our air taxi to the Baia dos Pedros ranch. Despite our 20
hours in transit, Peter made us feel relaxed, welcomed and in safe hands. The
air taxi was ready and waiting and we had a smooth flight to the ranch. Rita
and a gaggle of lovely young children were our greeting party as we taxied down
the grass strip runway, and we were ushered like royalty to our simple, but
clean, fresh and functional bedroom with private bathroom off the main salon.
We relaxed on the front gallery and 'decompressed' with very relaxed
conversation with Rita, visiting friends, Peter and Ronny, the air taxi pilot.
Peter would translate the important stuff, but mainly he was good at letting us
acclimatize our ears to Portuguese - we were there to learn as much as we could
about everything!
Lunch was the first of all the delicious meals
we were to have, both at Rita's and then at the Paso Alto. All meals were
highlighted by local cuisine, the most delicious meat I have ever tasted, home
made breads, beignets and rolls, exotic fruits and vegetables, home made
cheeses, compotes, and cane fudge and caramel sauces. During our trip we were
treated to fresh piranha, caiman, suckling pig, a BBQ of the hump of the Asian
cow, and many other delicacies local to the country and the Pantanel.
 After a walk to help digest and start to learn about the
magnificent birds and wildlife, we went on a short ride to test our riding
legs. Ryan, the Pantanero horses are wonderful. I am not an experienced or
natural rider. Yet the horses and the saddles are made for comfort and
security. I have never felt more safe or confident on a horse - and there were
many changes of horse during the trip. They are all very calm and surefooted.
While some are bumpy on the trot, they all have fast, smooth walks and very
smooth cantor. We were able to ride over 10 hours on the first full day, and be
ready for a sunrise start the next day!!
We were always escorted by at least one ranch
hand, as well as Peter, and often there would be an additional escort to ensure
we were well guided to the various destinations. Another remarkable aspect of
Peter's advance planning was that each day of riding found us at a shady
shelter, either a beautiful natural shelter or a ranch, when it was time for
lunch/siesta. All the people we met during our trip through the Pantanel were
very gentle and friendly. Even though no one could speak any English, we were
all keen to communicate and we always found delightful ways to do so.
Our hosts, Rita and then Fernando, treated us
like visiting friends rather than paying guests. They were kind and attentive
hosts. Special experiences were Fernando arranging a spur of the moment night
safari - there was a full moon - because Ronny, the pilot, insisted he could
find us a jaguar in the dark. And he did! ( I think). But nothing will erase
the memory of the millions of glitters reflecting off the large ponds - the
unwinking yellow eyes of the caiman - or the light-frozen capybara willing us
to pass on our noisy journey across the moonlit savanna. Or Rita finding out
that Jennifer loved fishing - instantly a truck with a driver was at her
disposal - again, escorted by Ronny, the pilot, who is a skilled hunter and
delightful card player, Jen caught the biggest and the smallest piranha, and
even gained enough confidence to go swimming in the cool ponds.
 The
fact that the Baia dos Pedros includes a boarding school for 30 Pantanero
children which Rita supports from her own pocket, provided an additional aspect
to our time there. The children provide another element - a rich and intense
source of discovery about Pantaneran social and economic issues - as well as a
delightful environment of laughter and soft voices to add to the symphony of
the birds.
I could write a travelogue, and perhaps I may,
about the Pantanel. When I consider the enormous distances, the uncertain
communication lines, power outages, and the general chaotic and off-handed
nature of Brazilians towards tourism, I am only beginning to realize the amount
of patience and organization, and attention to detail required by Peter to make
our trip so successful. He is an intelligent guide and sensitive to the quirks
and personalities of his clients. He was flexible and adept at changing course
when he got to know our particular tastes and interests. The time in Rio was
great. The hotel beautiful - right on Copacabana beach - we went to non-tourist
places for meals and entertainment - in a painfully too short period of time,
thanks to Peter, we got a very tantalizing taste of Rio.
Ryan, both Jennifer and I would be happy to
provide references to any of your clients who may be considering a trip to the
Pantanel, or feel free to use any of my foregoing remarks.
Thank you for helping organize this
extraordinary experience.
Janis A. Riven, Toronto
Please click here for further details
http://www.hiddentrails.com/america-south/brazil/index.htm
Hidden Trails
202-380 West 1st Ave. Vancouver, BC V5Y 3T7 Canada
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