Week 5: The bus from Angra to Parati, was amazing it followed the coast, with great views of the beaches and the many islands that surround the Costa Verde. We arrive in Parati, a beautiful sunny day. Following the guide books advice we head for a hotel called Pousada Familiar. It was family run thing, the place was amazing, comfortable and cheap (not a dorm!)

We spent 2 relaxing days around Parati, which had lovely cobbled streets and peacful squares to sit.
This place was perfect with two baches just across the bridge from the old town, what more do you need?

This dog followed me and carol around for about two hours on a really hot day, I think we shouldn't have given it water!

 



On the third day we left for Sao Paulo. It was hot which is good to travel in as the buses had air-con. We arrived in Sao Paulo a little later than planned, we went to buy the tickets for the next bus journey as we were advised to do so by the owner of the hotel in Parati. Then a few problems start we found out we have to get to another bus station in town for the destination, so off we head down to the metro. Rush hour, here we faced a mass of people waiting for the train, when it arrived it was a massive shove, elbows out and real aggression much worse than anything I have seen in London. We got to our stop we forced ourselves off the train as people tried to get on at the same time, it was crazy! We got to the bus station buy are tickets for the following day, a night bus as the journey is 14 hours to Campo Grande. Rucksacks in lockers, we head to a hostel the guide book recommended. Once again a horrid metro journey and glad to be outside we search for the hostel, but the directions are vague and we spend about an hour wandering around before we ask for directions, by this time its getting late and we needed to find a place to stay. We find the hostel but its full, shit!! What do we do? we look in the guide book and go to the next place down. The decription in the book read something like this, in the red light district but Hotel Paulina is safe and clean. So we found the hotel book in but it feels a bit weird? Hungry and tired we just went with it and went out to get food. After eating feeling a little more relaxed we return to the hotel to find my bag covered in cockroaches! Disgusting!! We also noticed a few dodgy characters in the hotel, we were in a sex hotel!!!!

That night we left the light on to stop the cockroaches coming out and tried to sleep, but kept waking thinking things were crawling all over us. 5.30 comes sun rises, we head out, tired, uncomfortable and feeling dirty we went to see what Sao Paulo had in store. After walking for over an hour expecting to see the streets to get cleaner, the buildings a bit nicer (as we were in the red light district to start with) we just had more of the same and it felt very unsafe. Finally we make it to one main street that is of a modern quality, we had coffee and sat in a park till it was time to go to the first gallery. We enjoyed the Modern Art Gallery (this had an excellent exhibition on recommended by our friend Brigit) and  the Museum of Art. With that we went into the town centre for a short time, before heading to the bus station. Hot from the stuffy 37 degree temperature and glad to leave what is a very busy, ugly city.

That evening we got the overnight bus to Campo Grande, the gate way to the Pantanal.

On Arrival to Campo Grande, we were greeted with a leaflet to a tour of the Pantanal. After some pfaffing looking for places to stay with no luck, we went to the office of the tour. A bit tired and not really with it we signed up to the four day tour, which gave us that nights accomodation for free, had we been ripped off, who knows?.

The following morning joined by three girls from Ireland we set off for the Pantanal. Over the next three days (one day of the tour was getting there!) we walked through forest and wetlands, fished for Pirahnas, rode Horses, took a boat down a river, and did a safari seeing lots of amazing animals, including a giant Otter which was about 2 metres long!

This bugger stole Carols Steak one lunch, no camera though!

 

Glad we did it, we set off south for the town of Bonito (beautiful, to translate it) for more nature!