May 24th 2019: Down the hatch

From Argentina we crossed into Brasil for take two of the Iguazu falls and visit the 5th country of our trip! Crossing was almost too easy here, they stamped our passports nodded no when we asked if we needed paperwork for our car, didn't even look at the car and off we went. Once we arrived in our very nice airbenb house we did some more research online to check if we really didn't need to import our car into Brasil temporarily, just like you have to do in other countries. Because we leave the car in Brasil when we fly to Holland this didn't feel right. Information was inconclusive so we decided to go back the next day and yes, we did find the aduana in a different very small building and yes, they confirmed we did need a temporary import permit. Those translator apps surely come in handy! They were very helpful so in 25 minutes we left with the valid paperwork for our horse with no name. Pfew.

We decided to spend the day in the country house we rented as it was bucketing down and that reminded us too much of our first visit to Iguazu falls on the Brazilian side about 20 years ago when we got completely soaked as well. Both finished a book, wrote the blog and I finally did some yoga after weeks which was nice.

On Monday the weather cleared and we decided to visit the famous bird park first and then head to the falls. The Brazilian side is 'small' compared to the Argentinian side with only one long walk way but gives a very good overview of the scale of the falls. The falls are never clear anymore but because of all the rain in the previous days it seemed even more brown.

Stunning nonetheless with the sun providing lots of rainbows.

As we entered Brasil with no further plan than to sort of stay in the south we changed that plan and headed north west along the border with Paraguay and Bolivia to go to the Pantanal. A long two day drive with heaps of trucks on small two lane roads full of potholes. Hans did a stellar job as always but tough driving with a few hairy moments thanks to idiot drivers. We spent the night in a hotel of which this was the restaurant that was closed in the evening but we thought the name was quite funny. Turns out that here in Brasil kilograma restaurants where you pay for your food by weight are really popular, we see them everywhere now. Still doesn't make us want to try one....What we now also know is that Brazilian portions are basically always for two. So you have to agree before you order otherwise you end up with food for at least 5. Every meal also includes rice with beans, which I do like actually as it's better than fries with everything like in Chile.

The Pantanal is a region that includes the world largest tropical wetland area. Most of it is located in Brasil but it also stretches into Bolivia and Paraguay. In the rainy season 80% of it is under water. We visited the south side of this area as we thought two days of driving just to get there was enough. Even though it's one of the largest reservoirs of biodiversity in the world, only a very small part has been established as a national park, at the north end. Outside of that area it is considered a 'reserve' area, but large farms have been established everywhere into the wetlands mixing grass and cows with water and wildlife. We drove the Estrada del Parque through an area which is labeled as Parque or Reserve, but the road is really first and foremost the access road to all the farms that are located at that road and double up as pousadas providing tourist accomodation. The first section was really nice, we stopped at the bridges and saw lots of cayman, birds and also a few capybaras.

After about 20 kms road widening works were underway, meaning a big loader was pushing over rows of trees along the road into the wetlands, destroying the habitat of the animals. Just sad to see this devastation that went on for the next 20 km. Towards the river there wasn't much to see anymore and mosquito attacks prevented us from getting out of the car.

Since the weather was very nice we decided to hop on the ferry (honk two times and they'll come and get you) and stay at the fishing pousada located on the river. Simple but clean rooms and full board. Lovely views of the river and tucans flying from tree to tree made up for the disappointing 'nature drive' where the 'heaps of wildlife' were obscured by destruction.

For dinner for in total four guests an enormous buffet was served of local Brazilian food. Starting with Jacare (cayman) bites. Very tasty with some lime, posh chicken nuggets really :-). And no, cayman are not protected here as there a many because of the lack of natural predators.

These two guys came back from their fishing trip when we were sitting on the deck and during dinner we started chatting in a mix of Spanish, English (three words) and Portuguese. After a few beers this became easier and we ended up having a very nice evening exchanging experiences and sharing Brazilian and Kiwi music.

Since it was such a nice a tranquil place we decided to stay another night and go with one of the local boat/fishing guides and check out the area from the water.

This bird we saw a few times - the Jabiru. A very large bird, their height is 1.25m! They always live in pairs and they move so serenely, just beautiful.

Few capybaras checking us out from under the trees. We also saw lots of cayman basking in the sun, some very large ones too.

For the last hour of our morning outing Hans got the shorter end of the fishing stick as he had to try and catch Piranha's with a very long bamboo stick and an even longer line. Which makes is almost impossible to jerk the rod right out of the water as soon as you see some movement.

Our guide was using his old rickety fishing rod with a reel and because he fishes every day (of course :-)) he caught two Piranha's and Hans none....oh well no fishing for 9 months means you're out of practice.

The catch was turned into a very nice sashimi which served as the starter for (again) an enormous lunch buffet. Luckily a few more travelers turned up looking for a meal and the rest was probably eaten by the staff or school kids that were located above our heads on the third floor of the hotel building in the local school. All ages ranging from about 6 to 13 in one class. We were happy our second morning was Saturday!

The end of our afternoon boat trip with the sun setting provided beautiful colours. We'd been trying to spot a giant otter all afternoon checking out their burrows (more precise where you see their marks of climbing ashore) but unfortunately no luck. The one we spotted was very big but next to the road so we only saw his back and tail.

All in all for wildlife spotting we wouldn't recommend two days of driving to see the south end of the Patanal but we had a few nice days. The Ibera area we visited in Argentina was easier to reach and showed a lot more wildlife thanks to the fact that a large part is protected as a national park.

The good thing about our drive was that on the way 'down' again we were passing through an area that is populair because of it's pristine rivers and caves. We checked out the 'tourist options' but found out that the nice spots were always located on private land and required an all inclusive tour including lunch and walking around in groups of 20.

Not really our thing so we just stayed in Bonito and relaxed checking out the live music on Saturday which turned out to be quite good. We even skipped going to one of the paid beaches where all the local families go to bbq and swim to do our washing - after so much traveling some of that domestic stuff can be relaxing believe it or not. On Monday we headed to Refugio Canaa which we had found our our priceless app IOverlander, where it was described as a total gem.

We just drove up early as we wanted to not just spend the night but also as much of the day as we could. Nice drive through a river (the bridge has collapsed and hasn't been rebuilt), 20 km into the rain forest passing small farms. As soon as we got out of the car we saw and heard lots of birds and than specifically very noisy Ara's.

The entrance sign said "this is paradise, welcome" and that was not overstating it. Lush beautiful green trees, very nice buildings, lots of hammocks and a very clear river with small beaches and hammocks in the water. On top of that these fantastic birds, 24 hrs of entertainment.

The completely blue Ara's are rare in Brasil (thanks to us humans) but this couple lives on the property. They are not being fed but they've decided to stay. Very inquisitive and not shy at all. They slept on a ledge at the back of our room. Other blue Aras did come and visit from the woods during the day. These Aras are so funny and clever, this blue/yellow one opened the tap do have a drink. Didn't bother to close it of course. The blue/yellow ones were by far the noisiest, chasing each other and the papagayos around the property. One couple again and one single one. The couple slept on top of the same air conditioner unit every night.

This large walking bird just loved the bar area and came and checked it out as soon as there were people. And as tablecloths are comfy that's where I'll have a lie down!

This red Ara came an visited the second day, on its own which is a bit unusual but what an beauty.

The Emu couple had probably been brought in by the owners as they do live in the wild but usually more in the pampus/grassland areas. Also very inquisitive and so funny when they come and check you out. The male was very busy trying to impress the female but don't think it worked very well as she slept somewhere well away from him.

The river was a delight to swim, so clear, full of fish and such a nice temperature. We used large inner tyres to jump in at one end and float down. End of the afternoon from my tyre I saw a howler monkey very close above me, just fantastic. On our second day we walked along the river through a few private farms with Elio one of the staff. He was lovely even though my Portuguese still leaves a lot to be desired. We did manage to understand each other. He showed us two waterfalls where of course all three of us went for a swim.

The second waterfall where we went for a swim, creating another great memory :-). Funny thing was then when we crawled out of the bushes to go for that swim on the other side of the river a large group of about 15 people were just getting dressed after their swim. That turned out to be a group doing the 'touristy tour' that we had politely declined when we visited the tour operator a few days before. Reviews were you walk for one hour to take pics of waterfalls, you can go for a quick swim and then back to the lunch buffet, cafe and souvenir shop - not allowed to check out the falls on your own as they don't make any money while you do that. We just felt so lucky to be on the 'other' side having the whole place to ourselves as we were the only guests.

The blue Ara couple with the day visitors, how cute eh?!

Hans was reading his book in the bar area when this guy hopped on the bar, grabbed a small shot glass and checked it for some cachasa (Brasils famous sugar cane liquor) - just hilarious.

And because the bar must be where the fun is, the other family members paid a visit as well.

Final afternoon swim with hammock stop - what more could you ask for? As rain was predicted we decided to pack it in and start driving south east again. We wanted to make it to a campground on the river but as we drove from one province to another the time jumped an hour ahead and it was dark before we knew it. So we found a cheap hotel and the greasiest pizza ever. Lesson learned; don't eat pizza in Brasil.

 We're now in Tibagi where we've waited out the very heavy rain yesterday and this morning at Pousade Longa Vista, run by a Dutch Brasiliero and his Italian Brasiliero wife. His Dutch is very good even though in his own family he is the only one who speaks it. He stills talks Dutch with hi brother and nephews that live in the area. A very successful Dutch colony and cooperation was started by his grandfather in 1911 when the Brazilian government helped Europeans that wanted to come over and work the land and start farms by giving them land.

We will visit the Dutch colony which is now also an historical park tomorrow but today we could match up the history in the local supermarket by checking out the dairy products from Batavo (the Brasilian version of the Dutch Batavia - the famous ship of the VOC) with the very Dutch milk maid logo.

This choco milk was invented by his grandfather and it not made with milk, but with the 'water' that is a byproduct of cheese making. Mixed with cacao and voila, choco milk. It tastes really good actually, I had to buy one to try. Reminded me of the choco milk you buy in Holland.

We decided to postpone our walk into the canyon to tomorrow as today it was covered in clouds. After 3 it cleared a bit and we checked out the two waterfalls in this area, the Santa Rosa falls on the photo. Water all brown from the massive rain last night and yesterday.

The very green landscape with horses on our way to the second waterfall. Blue skies again so walk around the canyon should be good tomorrow, our first walk up and down in a long time so I'm looking forward to it. At the moment the background noise here at the pousada is an evening mass in the shed for a small group of worshippers that started about on hour ago at 10pm with fire works and very loud music. Hmm, interesting shall we say. I'll go and find my earplugs - 'til next time xxx

May 12th 2019: Brazil, lalala lalala,

In Argentina you can drive without a license, without quite usual car parts, without license plates or with completely worn tires, etc. Using your phone or even watching a movie while driving (we've seen it), no problem. A seat belt? That is for wankers. We've seen many police driving around like that. But we got fined for not having our full lights on. It was at one of the about 75 police road checks we encountered. They'd seen it on the camera he said (which they most likely got from the regional council in order to contribute a bit more to their account).

Anyway, we made it from BA to Itazaingo where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the Paraná river.

We were there to visit the Esteros de Ibera, a wetland that was given back to the Argentinian government by Doug Tomkins (The North Face owner) who bought it to preserve the nature for future generations. Just like he did in Chile. We decided to book a driver so we both could enjoy the views. We saw hundreds of storks when we drove from BA to here and were pleased to see more of them here.

Nice to see the Garza blanca (white heron in English, albino reigah in our Dutch town The Hague), here accompanied by an alligator.

This is a rather big guinea pig, the capybara who enjoys swimming, amongst the alligators. The capybara is the biggest rodent around. They get about 7 young twice a year of which 50% is alligator food!?!

Me and my friend.

Lovely creatures, who clearly liked the dirt road we were on and only seemed to be prepared to move from the road when the car completely blocked the sun.

I had to get out of the car several times to open gates and occasionally, like here, to chase away some alligators blocking the road. I'll show you my new boots when I'm back in New Zealand.

You don't see these two very often in one picture.

We even found a matching pair of boots for Nienke.

This guy thought I was making a joke......
And then, just when you want to be home again in time for drinks, ......
Nice view though.

Nevertheless, we had a great time and can recommend this rather unknown park to anyone.

We went to the Toyota garage in Posadas as our car had developed a nasty tremor (the whole car started to shake when we reached about 80 km an hour) for which we could not pinpoint a cause. I thought it had to do with the alignment of the tires after our mishap on the narrow bridge on the Carretera Austral. After that we drove for 3 days with one slightly smaller tire until we could buy a new one. Well it turned out that there was a nail hidden inside our brand new tire. No puncture, just a joke by a bored staff member of the gomeria in Punta Arenas. 

In the area where we were (Missiones), a lot of Jesuits settlements were established in the 17th and 18th century. A kind of sociological experiment where the Jesuits tried to mix Catholicism with indigenous traditions, basically food and a roof for work (a bit like (woofing). It sounds quite nice, but looking at the size of the prison on the first (Unesco heritage) site, it makes you wonder....

Thanks to the native work the Jesuits became quite successful and of course European powers became jealous. They 'convinced' (no money involved) the pope to condemn them and expulsion of the Jesuits from the Catholic church started.

So we moved to a small part of jungle near the Paraná river. In this park there was a trail to the ruins of the house of Bormann, a famous Nazi who disappeared at the end of the war. The Argentinians (like many other countries in South America) offered residence to Nazies who fled Europe after the war (Mengele and Eichman being the most famous ones). It must have been some other Nazi as it was later (in 1972) established that Bormann had committed suicide in 1945 in Germany. By the way, we did not honour the Nazis with a visit to these ruins, The other tracks were much nicer.

The last Jesuit site we visited was used by locals as a cemetery for years. Amazing what nature does when you do not maintain the property.....

Posadas was a pretty boring town, but we managed to walk in to a party in honour of the 'Mujeres de Tierra Rojas', the women of the red earth. Some nice food, artisan beers and music. Good talk with some locals. Like in Australia the earth here is red and so is our car now.

Walking back to our car we saw many Argentinians who parked along side the river, got the camping chairs out and start sipping their mate. Mate is a caffeine rich infused drink Argentinians sip all day. It's fair to say that if you see a person walking around with a thermos flask it's 99% sure an Argentinian. Not surprisingly it is sometimes difficult for us to find a cafe/bar as the Argentinians always carry their own drinks.

Travelling without a plan means we do not aways know where we'll sleep that night (or at all for that matter as dogs are always around). This night we were very lucky. Found an amazing nice and quiet spot on the Rio Uruguay.

This is butterfly country. All colours and sizes.

And they have their favourite spots as well! We were on this side of the Missiones to see the Mocona falls. It's a 2 km long waterfall, perpendicular to the river, it's a canyon in fact. Because of a dam upriver in Brasil the height varies quite a bit. If you're there on a Sunday or a Monday the falls are quite high (they told us on Tuesday). But because the dams had just opened and it had rained a lot there was a lot of water.

A few small tracks in the park were nice to walk. Saw some monkeys (or they saw us). No jaguars though.

Next stop were the famous Iguazu falls on the border with Brazil. We did visit it some 20 years ago when visiting Rio de Janeiro for a  congress, but our memory fades. The falls did not change, but the tracks did. These are Coaties, a type of raccoon. So accustomed to humans that they just roam around the feeding areas for the food deprived idiots who can only think of cola, chocolate, fried food and ice cream when 'visiting nature'.

Luckily there were enough beautiful things to see, although the occasional whiff of fried empenadas is annoying. Here you see the Brazilian side on the left and the Argentinian side on the right.

The falls used to have clear water, but because of deforestation upriver in Brazil the water has turned red/brown. Pretty sad come to think of it. Bad for fish (who find it difficult to breed in the murky water) and also good for the fish, as birds can't find them anymore. Maybe that is why there were not that many birds around.

A short rest during our 10 km walk around the park.
Made a short video clip of some of the falls in the park. Like with all the pictures you can click on to enlarge, click on the square in the right lower corner to enlarge it.

Some nice birds in an animal rescue park close to our 'home'. Mainly pets who were abandoned by their owners. What a silly bunch of creatures we are ay?

Two types of toucans.
And then it started to rain, a bit more and then even more. Quite fitting as an extremely cruel last second made an end to the success story of my football team Ajax. Thanks to the love for football in South America I have been able to watch all the games. I'm still not over the sick making goal in the very last second that shut the door to the Champions league final for Ajax.

Time to leave Argentina and enter the fifth country on our journey, Brazil, where we are staying in a nice country house.
Next blog will start with a view from the Brazilian site of the Iguazu falls.
Cheers.