Brazil September/October 2008 Trip

Part 4 below added Sunday, October 5th and includes up to Tuesday September 30th.
Part 3 below added Wednesday October 1st and includes up to Saturday September 27th.
Part 2 below added Wednesday September 24th and includes to the 24th
Part 1
Friday and Saturday , September 19/20, 2008
We left Vancouver on time and endured our 5 hour stopover in Dallas/Fort Worth airport, which is a lovely airport. We left Dallas at 8 pm for the overnight flight to Sao Paulo. Marilyn slept lots and Dave slept a couple of hours. We arrived in Sao Paulo 15 minutes ahead of time to a wonderful welcome from the Ribeiros', Agusto, Maria and Gustavo. We waited for Gustavo's girlfriend Aline, in the airport another hour. She flew in from Campo Grande. We then started our tour of Sao Paulo a city with a greater population of 30 milion. A hugh city from our standards with lots of one way streets. Gustavo did a wonderful job in driving the large Ford dual cab truck through the city with all 6 of us on board. We arrived at the hotel about 11:30and got our room and had a shower. It was then off to lunch, which is the big meal of the day, to a Brazilian BBQ. This is the reasturant where they bring the meat to your table and cut off pieces. A great meal but far too much. After lunch we continued our tour then had a break for a nap back at the hotel. That evening we went out to a large modern shopping centre which had all the brand names and was expensive. All of us could not afford to buy in this place but the shopping centre itself was great with a tall interior. A feature of the centre was that they saved all the big tall trees on the property and then transplanted then back into the main area and built all the stores (four floors) around the trees. After the mall Gu felt it was now time for dinner so we started to look for this pizza place he knew about. It took some time to find and even at 10 pm it had an hour wait which we did not want to do so it was off again on a long drive finally getting an italian resturant very late. Good food but too much. Bed at midnight that nightlooked good.

Sunday, September 21, 2008
We agreed to leave the hotel at aproximately 9 am and got away at 10 am. We stopped at a food market that made Grandville Island look small. What a place with all the meat, cheese, vegetables and fruit you could think of. We had a brunch at a hot sandwhich shop and the hot,similar to Montreal smoked meat sandwiches, tasted good. We then picked up fruit and meat. At the fruit stand because we were from Canada they wanted us to taste all the various fruits many we had never tasted before. Great time was had but the fruit was expensive. We then got back in the truck for the 560 km trip to the Riberio home in Pres. Prudente. Quite the trip with a great toll freeway for the first 300k then the freeway got a little worse but not too bad. The trip reminded us of trips we used to take in Ontario west of Toronto with all the fields for miles. One thing that has happened here is that sugar cane has taken over as the cash crop. They turn the sugar cane into alcohol for use in cars. It is cheaper to buy at the pumps.We stopped at Agusto's mother's home in Assis, she is a wonderful person in her late 80's and after coffee and light snack we were off for the last part of the journey. We arrived at the Riberio home at 7 pm. What a home in a walled comunity, solid brick with open spaces to the outdoors and a pool and great patio area to the back. We counted 6 bathrooms and our room, which was Ana's room Gustavo's sister, is large and very confortable. We ended up having a small pizza before we went to bed at midnight.

Monday, September 22, 2009
We got to sleep in today. All the family went to work in their business which is road and storm sewer run off construction. We were left with one maid and Maria's niece who was here to cook our meals. Before lunch (big meal of the day)we went for a walk in the area. Lovely subdivision with lots of amenities including a great outdoor gym just up the street. The family came home for the meal, another meal that was out of this world. We are going to have to watch ourselves or we will not get the pants on. After lunch we talked to Alan on skype along with friends Leo and Jo and Dereck later on. The skype reception was the best I have ever had. We also went for another walk. Maria came home and took us downtown to look around. Lots of shops and a street that is without cars and lots of shopping.One of our goals was to have a drink make with sugar cane and lemon juce. Literlly the sugar cane is put in a chopper similar to the ones you see eating up lims of trees. Out of just two sticks 2ft long comes the sugar cane juce into a glass with about a tablespoon of lemon juice. It tasted good. We had another treat made with tapicoca fried in a fry pan and once it looked like a white pancake they put on condensed milk and fresh coconut. Quite good. I will say that it does not matter what country you are in life goes on in a similar fashion just different languages and customs but if you stand back and just look it is the same. Back at home we had another lovely meal tasting dishes we have never had. A wonderful food experience but again we will have to watch it. After dinner I am writing this blog so hopefully I can publish it tonight. I will try and do a small update Wednesday evening before we leave for Campo Grande at 2 am on a bus.

Part 2
Tuesday September 23, 2008
I should have mentioned that yesterday I was playing with the two bulldogs Gustavo´s family has and I took a tumble on the hard stone patio. The dogs are great well behaved dogs and I was not paying attention. I scraped my knee and elbow which are fine this morning except I now have sore ribs. You can imagne what Marilyn said? We were up a little earlier this morning and I got a call from Gu to go out on the job site with him. His family company installs sewers. In Brazil lots of this work is going to happen as some sewers empty into rivers. One project we visited today was a 5 km section of sewer pipe coming from a pump station gathering point by a river where the sewer now empties. The pipe is being berried up to a bigger pump station then up a long hill and finally down to a mail distribution point to the sewer treatment plant. Gustavo has a degree in cival engineering. The second project were two holding ponds being built at the treatment plant. A smelley place to visit but interesting. I enjoyed the morning outing except the rough roads on my ribs. Serves me right. I am writing this in the construction company office waiting for Gu to finish some paper work. We went home for the usual large mid day meal and another great one. I decided to have a nap this afternoon getting ready for the big BBQ this evening. Marilyn went shopping with Maria and had a good time. People in these latin countries tend to do things late and so was the BBQ. In fact the last guests did not arrive until after 9 pm. 18 friends and family attended this event and Gu was his usual great host with the real charcoal BBQ going all evening with lots of Brazilian beer. Fun was had by all inclucing the Jenks.

Wednesday September 24, 2008
We got off to a very early start today as we had an opportunity to go for a ride in the company plane a single engine, 6 seater Beechcraft. The company owns the plane mainly to take guest to the Pantanal Park Hotel. They used to use the plane regularly themselves to go to the hotel but with burning 60 litres of fuel an hour at $3.00 can a litre they now drive the car or truck. They also have a modern 60 passenger bus to take guests to the hotel. We got about a 30 minute flight around the city and area. I was able to pick out the job sites I have visited yesturday. The pictures turned out ok but I had forgotten how you bounce around in a small plane and this was early morning. We landed and the plane took off again to go to have a reqular maintaince. check. We spent the balance of the day getting washing done and redoing some of our plans for the next few days. We will still go to the same places but spend only two nights at the hotel and add a day on to Bonito. I mentioned we are going to Campo Grande by bus at 2 am Thursday morning. The reason for 2 am is it is a delux sleeping bus with only a few stops. Gustavo's truck will be parked close to the bus depot when we arrive. So we will try and get some shut eye before we leave but sleep with our pants on.

Part 3
Thursday, September 25, 2008
We got up at 1:30 am, got ready and left for the 2:20 am bus for Compo Grande. The bus was a plesent suprise. The biggest bus I have ever seen. We went upstairs to the upstairs sleeping area with full recliner sleeping seats. The bus had left Sao Paulo earlier in the day so all on board were asleep. We were given a pillow and blanket and settled in. Believe it or not Dave slept 4 hours and Marilyn was off on on a little longer. She found the road rough. Gustavo was a couple of seats behind us and he slept well. We arrived at 8:15 am after loosing an hour time zone. Gu had his friend deliver his truck to the bus depot and then dropped us off at his sister Ana´s home. The maid had fixed us breakfast. Gu left to go to pick up supplies for the hotel. We had a shower and got ready for going out for the big day meal lunch with Ana and Ivan. Had a terrfic lunch. Gustavo picked us up a 2 pm in his truck and did more pick ups for the hotel. Gu had had lunch with his girlfirend Aline. We finally got on the road for the 350 km drive. Gustavo is a good driver but sure burned up the road but slowed down a dusk once we entered the Pantanal and all the animals would be on the prowl near the road. We arrived at the highway 262 and Pargaray River at 7 pm. The 18 foot aluminum boat and driver were waiting for us. We loaded the boat but left some supplies in the truck for a later pick up. So here we are in an 18 ft boat, no lights, it is pitch black, and as we move down the Paraguay River, we see the eyes of alligators watching us, we know lots of pyrana exist in the water, anaconda snakes are on the water and jaguar prowl the shore line. We were a little tense to say the least. Day time would have been different. We arrived at the boat landing area for the hotel at 7:45 without incident. We walked to the hotel entrance and the boat fellow looked after our bags etc. We then had dinner (yes another great feast) sitting in the kitchen. Rachael the black cook did a wonderful job but far too much food. Her husbund looks after the hotel checkin and running the main building. We went off to bed at 9:30, Gu went to the owners suite in building A and we went to our good room in building G.

Friday September 26, 2006 (a day to remember for a life time)
Gustavo woke us up at 6 am. Then a breakfast of fresh fruit, homemade bread with water buffalo butter and cheese along with the usual strong brazilian coffee.It was then off to meet the local kritters. Pantanal Park Hotel and the 1000 acres of land is a preserve within the bigger Pantanal and has been used by the Brazil government as a place to reintroduce animals into the wild. Most of the animals go back to the wild but some have stayed around the hotel. The first to greet me earlier was a blue maccaw and did he greet me. He flew out and landed right in frount of me and what a fright. What I learned later, he has been around for years and hates men. This was demonstrated when the second night Marilyn went to our bedroom a few minutes before me. The macaw saw this and when I came out flew in front of me and positioned itself between me and the door. He then started to peck my runners. It took some getting around him and through the door. Gu carries a grass switch around to hit him off. We then saw all the other birds including a number of parrots one of which landed on Marilyn`s head. It was the wild pig that got to me but more on that later. We went on a trek through the swamp land and it was wounderful. We could hear the monkeys but did not see them on the walk. We followed the Parguay River for some time then went inland. I was taking up the rear and when the guide stopped we all stopped then all of a sudden I felt a large object between my legs. It was that wild pig. He was following me and kept his distance except when we stopped. One time he had been playing in the mud and his whole face was covered and proceeded to go through my legs and rubbed the mud off on my pants. Along the way we saw the herd of 18 water bufflo who are important to the Hotel. The number of birds we heard and saw was unbelievable. The symbol of the Pantanal is the largest bird called the Jabiru Jaburu prononced You Too Too and we saw one with its large nest.We went by a swampy part with alligators fishing but hundreds of egrets also fishing; quite a sight. The trek was about 90 min and we saw lots of the swamp. We next went on a 2 hour boat ride down the Paraguay River. This is a big fast flowing river that starts in the mountains of the Paraguay and ends at the Alantic Ocean south of Argentina. A busy river with lots of barge traffic. We saw many of the same animals mentioned earlier but add to that monkeys and an anaconda,wild boar, Capybala (the largest rodent in the world) and of course all the birds you can imagaine. The anaconda was seen on the beach and I was trying to take a picture. Guess what ..... my battery ran out. So the boatman jumped on to shore with a paddle and picked up the anaconda at put it in a storage area under Marilyn and my seat. Marilyn refused to sit on that seat. This anaconda was a small one and had sharp teeth with venum but could not kill you. We were taking it back to the hotel so that once I had my battery charged I could take a picture. We next stopped at a large railway bridge and climbed the stairs for a great view of the the Pantanal. With no pictures I will have to keep this in my mind. We got back about 12:30 in time for lunch. When we got up to the kitchen a Toco Toucan (the bird with the large yellow beak was in the window. Quite a site. After lunch with a charged battery we got the anaconda picture and then set it free into the water on the swamp but it turned around and came back out towards the hotel so the boatman flung it further out in the water. We now hope it is part of the wildlife around the hotel. We then went fishing about 3 pm and were told this would last until 7;30 pm because the hotel has an agreement with hydro if they do not use power between 5pm and 8:30 pm they will get all their power at a very reduced rate. When guests are present they operate a generator in those hours but the staff had forgot to order diesel fuel so only 1 hour was left. I like fishing so did not mind but Marilyn was a little bored. The misquiotes came out at about 5:30 pm but the repellant we had from Ralaigh worked great. What a fishing afternoon we had with all of us catching lots of fish mostly Pyrana. I even think Marilyn got the hang of it and the beer sure helped. I caught the grandaddy of all the prehistoric fish a very ugly large fish. The boatman gave an alligator call and across the water came a medium sized alligator and boy did I get great pictures of the gator picking up the fish and taking it back out in the river. At 7:30 pm we headed in to eat supper. By 9:30 we were exhausted so went to pack and read. Both of us were asleep by 10:15.

Saturday September 27, 2008
We were up at 6 am packed and in the kitchen for breakfast. We missed the milking or the water bufflo because we were up to late. We said our goodbys to the staff. The boat left the beach area with 5 passangers which included the boat man and helper to pick up the supplies back in the truck. Our pack will come later as we will be back at the drop off point later in the afternoon. After the boat was loaded and headed back to the hotel we got in the truck and headed to Corumba 70 km further west. On route we ran into a cattle drive which is quite common. These cows were the all white Cebo cows you see with the big hump back of the head. These cows were imported from India into Brazil years ago as they can take the heat. They are the main stay of beef ranching particularly in the Pantanal which is the biggest ranch area in Brazil. We had to go through lots of cows and cowboys. In Corumba we had more supplies to pick up mainly feed for the animals. Corumba is on the Parguay River and a great sport fishing town. At the main water area there were floating hotels that take the sports fisherman out on the river and they fish in smaller boats and return to the hotel boat at night. A suprise for us today is that we crossed the border into Bolivia. It is like going into Mexico when we are down in Indio. They had one duty free mall which had all the real name brands including cheap booze. Gu picked up some items for his father and Aline his girlfriend. Marilyn picked up two gold chains and Dave a couple of small wood carvings it was than back to Corumba, Brazil for more supplies and back on the road. We got to the hotel drop off point at about 2:30 pm with the supplies which included 5 liters of fuel for the generator until the tank gets filled. The boat was waiting and loaded. We were on the road to Campo Grande and arrived at 5:30. We had a shower and short rest an then it was out to dinner with Gustavo, Aline, Ana, Ivan. Brazilans go out to dinner very late in the evening. This has happened a number of times since we have been here. It is mainly because of the heat and the cooler evenings. We have been sitting out in just about every restaurant or we are sitting near large open windows. We got home at 1:30 am.
Tomorrow it will be off to Bonito for 3 nights.

Part 4
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Up at 8 am for shower and breakfast. Worked on coping pictures to a cd to free up cards for camera. I then had a nosebleed just before we left for the bus. I can not remember when I had my last nose bleed but the group said it was the very dry climate and air conditioner. I got it stoped and Alaine gave me some ideas on what to pick up at the pharmacy. It happened 4 more time over the next few days all when I bent over too quickly. We said goodbye to Gu and Alaine and Ana and Ivan drove us to the bus depot. 4.5 hour trip to Bonito which went off uneventful. Good trip with a bus change about 2/3 way. Cost of buss was $30 on Sunday and $12 when we return on Wednesday. Good hotel. We went for a swim but felt cold because of the 30+ weather. Spent the balance of the afternoon arranging tours for the next two days and finishing off with a lovely dinner outside at the Hotel.

Monday, September 18, 2008
Up early but had a rocky sleep. About 2 am a bus load of middle school children arrived and made one heck of a racket. In fact knocked on our door twice. We learned later from the teachers they were told they were the only ones on the floor. They were from the American School Overseas in Brizzala for deplomat children. We started the day with a wounderful breakfast with lots of fresh fruit. We were picked up by a driver at 9 am. We went to Rio Suguri about 19 km away. I put on a mask and snorkel and went down the river while Marilyn followed in a boat. The water was so clear you could see everything including lots of fish. The river is fed from underground springs coming up through the ground. We were on the river about 90 minutes. We followed that up with a lovely lunch. It was then off to Parque Das Cachoeiras which is the water fall walk. We drove 36k to get there and walked up beside a river that had 7 waterfalls. You could swim at each pool. Wounderful place with lots of beauty. We met a guide and group from all over the world and the guide spoke english and we got along great with them and had a good time. We got back to the hotel at 6 pm for a shower then off for dinner in town. Great fish dinner and after we were going to meet the other tour group for drinks but Marilyn´s back was bothering her so we went back to the hotel to rest.

Thursday September 30, 2008
Our driver was here at 8 am to pick us up and we were off to Grutas De Sao Miguel, and Gruta Do Lago Azul both caves but entirely different in two areas about 10 km apart. The first cave was quite long and followed a trail. The second cave was a cave with water at the very bottom and very deep. The water was blue thus the Blue Lake Cave. We enjoyed both these caves. Got the driver to drop us off in town so we could have a drink and lunch at a special bar whe heard about then look around town. That was a mistake. The bar did not open until 5 pm and most of the stores were closed. So we walked the 2+ km back to the hotel. It was very warm and it seemed like such a long way. We had a shower, nap and just relaxed until we had a taxie take us back to town to the same Taboa bar. Had great special Brizilian drinks called Chipipinha make from lime and sugar cane alchol. We met up with the tour group from the other day but only stayed a short timr as we had to get up early the next morning and catch the 5.30 am bus.