Brazil

Day 306: Tuesday January 18th 2005. Pantanal trip day one. Spent most of the day travelling to the Pantanal. Saw plenty of wildlife on the way though - looking good!

capybara	birds	sunset

Day 307: Wednesday January 19th 2005. Pantanal trip day two. Walk in the morning - all about alligators. It was very cool to get that close to them - they're not like crocs, they're far more placid. Piranha fishing in the afternoon. I, as usual, caught nothing!

lurking	cute	alligator
blue macaws	macaw	racoon?
	dinner

Day 308: Thursday January 20th 2005. Pantanal trip day three. We started out with a horse ride, where I got to gallop through the swamps - lots of fun, but a sore bum... We saw a Tapir, which apparently is less often seen than the Jaguar. A Jaguar would have been nice though! After lunch we went for a walk, and saw loads of wildlife. Photography is a bit of a challenge here, what with the bad light and dense forest - all good practice though!

tapir	howler monkey	female howler	racoon?	armadillo

Day 309: Friday January 21st 2005. The day started with a very early morning walk, which involved walking through the swamps barefoot in the dark, and thus getting my feet shredded. After breakfast we had a bit of a siesta, before getting in the trucks for the long journey back out of the Pantanal.

Sunrise	field of swords	deer	rhea	cowboys	stork

With one bus change, we found ourselves in Campo Grande by 10pm. After getting hold of some money, we booked into a hotel overnight, with full plans to get a bus to the coast tomorrow for Aaron's birthday.

Day 310: Saturday January 22nd 2005. We caught a flight to Curitiba, and met up with Rod, a mate of Aaron's from home. He took us out drinking and clubbing for Aaron's birthday. Top night.

Day 311: Sunday January 23rd 2005. Aaron's birthday. Recovered from last night.

Day 312: Monday January 24th 2005. Started trying to sort out flights and accommodation in Salvador with Rod's help.

Day 313: Tuesday January 25th 2005. Another day spent organising carnival - we seem to have left it a bit late, but we got a deal in the end!

Day 314: Wednesday January 26th 2005. Checked out of the hotel in Curitiba, hung around for the tickets and for Aaron to get more tattoos. Caught the overnight bus to Foz do Iguaza (the famous waterfall).

Day 315: Thursday January 27th 2005. Checked into a YHA / Ibiza style resort 12kms away from the falls. Full moon - as demonstrated by Aarons more lupine tendencies...

Day 316: Friday January 28th 2005. This YHA is just one big pissup - hoping to acutally get some sightseeing done tomorrow.

Day 317: Saturday January 29th 2005. Visited the falls, first by helicopter, which was awesome - another experience ticked off the checklist! After the helicopter ride we took a walk around the falls in the searing heat...

Foz do Iguaza (the Iguaza falls)

Day 318: Sunday January 30th 2005. A Brits on the piss day AGAIN, I'm almost ashamed to admit...

Day 319: Monday January 31st 2005. -- " --

Day 320: Tuesday February 1st 2005. Last day at the falls. Sat about with some other English lads, watching football - I put a bet on just to make it interesting. I won too! 20 Reals - sweet! By the time the game had finished, we THOUGHT we had enough time for a quick steak before the bus, but as it turned out, we missed the bus and had to check into the hotel opposite...

Day 321: Wednesday February 2nd 2005. Just hung around the hotel by the bus station all day - bit of a wasted day really, but at least we had use of free Internet... Got on the overnight bus around 9pm.

Day 322: Thursday February 3rd 2005. Arrived back in Curitiba, checked back into the Golden Hotel and slept.

Day 323 Friday February 4th 2005. Just hung about in Curitiba - bit boring really.

Day 324: Saturday February 5th 2005. Same again...

Day 325: Sunday February 6th 2005. We were bumped off our first flight, apparently for no reason other than overbooking, but were given another. Arrived in Salvador early evening, had a few drinks by the beach and headed down to the carnival for a quick look about. Was blown away by the shear scale of the event - huge. The atmosphere was truly uplifting, and I found myself dancing along with the procession for miles...

After a while though, I got the feeling that the locals weren't actually that pleased to welcome a white European, a fact seemingly backed up when a crowd of young lads tried to pick my pockets. I felt their less than subtle rummagings and took heed of the advice of a more friendly local to keep my money safe. So, money in hand, fags in the other, I hit another patch of pickpockets, who relieved me of my spare pack of fags and a pack of peanuts I had left in a back pocket - a sort of experiment on my part really.

 It was 4am, and the beer had been flowing all night - I was feeling worse for wear by this stage.I headed back to the hotel, where I found Aaron nursing two bruises on the back of his head where some young lad had decided he had something to prove. Hmm. I was kind of glad I decided to do a 'scouting' mission before taking my camera...

Day 326: Monday February 7th 2005. Both too hungover to do anything - a trip to Pizza Hut formed the major activity for the day.

Day 327: Tuesday February 8th 2005. Having recovered a bit, we headed back to the Carnival again, this time a little more, shall we say, street-wise... Money in one hand, and fags in the other. Other than the hotel's card (for use later with the taxi to get home) I had nothing of use or value on me. Again, the atmosphere and shear scale of the carnival just swept me away, and once again I was dancing along with the procession for miles. Aaron and I managed to get separated, but I was a little more tanked up by this stage, due to the proliferation of beer vendors every few metres, so I partied on alone. All was well, until I hit the inevitable patch of pickpockets - although the crowd was too thick to actually who was doing what, I could feel them at my pockets, until one of them obviously sussed that my money was in my hand. The scene got a bit heavy at that point, with them trying to prise my fingers open, whilst others rifled my pockets, literally tearing my trousers to shreds (see below)

pickpockets - thorough

I rescued by some kind hearted people, being taken 'under the rope' to safety with one of the floats. Well, since all my underwear was in the wash, I had to hold on to both my dignity and trousers and was thus unable to dance on. Bugger. I decided I'd best head home, only to find not only was the card with my hotel's address, but the pocket that had contained it were both missing. Of course, the taxi driver had never even heard of my hotel, so I had to direct him along the coast, more or less guessing the direction, until I saw some familiar landmarks...

Who says Africa is hard travelling? South America has provided far more dodgy situations....

I got back to find Aaron home with his newly acquired 'friend'. I was duly (and rather handsomely) bribed to go up to the roof garden for half an hour, to give them some time alone. Fair enough. I found the roof to be unlit, and so headed for what I took to be a marble tiled patio. Which actually turned out to be the swimming pool...

Eventful night. Enough carnival!

Day 328: Wednesday February 9th 2005. Uneventful day. Managed to get out for a few beers in the evening.

Day 329: Thursday February 10th 2005. Due to the fact neither of us have a watch, clock or mobile phone, we turned up for our flight a day early. Bugger. We caught a taxi to a cool hostel on the beach in Santa Cruz, Salvador. Had a good 'last night's travelling' bash with a couple of Aussies who had just got off the plane, and seemed to enjoy our stories of South American travel...

The place also had a resident chameleon, see below.

chameleon

Day 330: Friday February 11th 2005. Caught a flight to Sao Paulo, said a goodbye to Aaron, and checked into a hotel opposite the airport, where I sit now getting all contemplative about the last 11 months. Fun fun fun...

Day 331: Saturday February 12th 2005. Flight to Rio and then Heathrow. boo! Mind you, I have the 3 F's to look forward to - family, friends and food...

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