As the sun sets on the swampy water, and the capybara turns its giant snout towards the breeze, you can almost hear the hushed tones of David Attenborough chime:
"This.... is... the Pan-tan-al... the world's LARGEST wetland... and home to the planet's BIGGEST rodent..."
And they really are big - like a pig. Big enough not to fear the jaws of the cayman (cousin to the crocodile) as they slither past in the mud. Only the sight of a tourist is enough to disturb their placid pose - too much attention and they simply walk away.
We've watched our fair share of Attenborough documentaries in preparation for coming to the Pantanal- and didn't leave disappointed. Thanks to our guide Jonny (the man holding the snake's head in the photo below...), we also saw howler monkeys, marsh deer, macaws, coatis, giant otters, toucans, armadillos and this anaconda...
And all that was before the piranha fish - which, as we all know from James Bond films, eat humans. But in this case, we ate them - fishing with big chunks of flesh on the end of the line to catch our lunch on the final day.
I also had my first taste of another local delicacy - ant. It was crunchy, but had an enjoyable hint of lemon. I wonder if they'll taste the same back in Cardiff?
The nights were spent trying to stay warm in our hammocks. Despite what you may have read in a previous blog, it seems not all of Brazil enjoys a gloriously warm winter. A few glasses of caipirinha - the country's favourite cocktail, did help matters, but we're glad to be back in a proper bed, away from the bugs, for now at least.
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