Brazil 2013

September 8, 2013

I nearly missed my plane to São Paulo in Munich. I had only 45 minutes. I was the last person to enter the flight before takeoff.

September 9, 2013

I met Paul Goldstein at the São Paulo airport, and he introduced me to some of the other participants. After the landing in Cuiabá the whole team was gathered and we went down south to the Araras Lodge. Here we live in the middle of nature. Here are plenty of birds and animals, but there are no jaguars.

September 10, 2013

Paul Goldstein has changed the plans so we stay here for another day. We were called at 04:30 in the morning, and after breakfast we were driven to a bird tower on the other side of the highway. The tower is built just across the nest of a jaibiru stork. We also saw two tukans.There was a terrible noise from several curassows while we were in the tower.

Late in the afternoon I went alone to another tower where you could see howler monkies. On the way back, I saw an agouti (rodents). I also met a curassow cock.

September 11, 2013

Departure from Araras Lodge. We drove south by the Transpantanal Highway towards Porto Jofre. We made stops several times on the highway to take pictures of caimans and birds. We arrived at our hotel at noon. The boats are sailing, right here from the hotel. We had the first trip after lunch. Not far from the hotel is a colony of skimmers, and we pass them every day both on the way out and on the return. After one hour of sailing we met the first jaguar. It was a big male, and there was something wrong with his left eye. He was lying resting and looking over the river. After an hour's time he went down to the river and took a bath.

September 12, 2013

We rise early in order to get on the river before sunrise. We are back again for lunch and depart for the afternoon at two o'clock. We are back at sunset for dinner.

In the morning we saw giant otters. We were following them on a long stretch.. Later we saw the same one eyed jaguar, and even later, another jaguar in another place. This jaguar was more yellow in the fur. We also spotted otters in the afternoon.

September 13, 2013

We did not see anything particular in the morning. In the afternoon we spotted a female jaguar well hidden in the dark forest. On our return at sunset we saw a jaguar rests on a sandy beach.

September 14, 2013

We saw the same hidden jaguar as we saw yesterday. It was nearly impossible to take pictures. In the afternoon we saw a hunchback caiman. At sunset we saw a female jaguar carrying a collar. It was pregnant.

September 15, 2013

We saw giant otters right after start this morning. A mother was trying to help her cub up on a steep bank. Later on we saw the one eyed jaguar again for a short while before it left. In the afternoon we saw the same female as we did yesterday. At sunset we saw and followed another female jaguar for as long as we could see.

September 16, 2013

We spotted giant otters right after the start from the hotel. Later in the day we saw both the pregnant jaguar and the collared female.

September 17, 2013

It is the day of departure, but we managed to get a full day on the river. We also visited a scientific research station where they study the jaguar, and how it is best preserved.

We drove back to the Cuiabá airport where I said goodbye to the English group and to Paul Goldstein. I took another plane and went by Säo Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. I was picked up and driven to my hotel right across the Copacabana beach.

September 18, 2013

I was picked up by my guide Carlos in the morning. First stop was Corcovado with the huge statue of Christ. You get there by a funicular railway. We had gray skies and cool with a light drizzle. The rain clouds took part of the view, but the cool weather was nice.

Next we saw the football stadium, and after this the Sambodrome, where the great carnival parade takes place. Here you could rent carnival costumes and have photos taken.

Next on the agenda was the very modern cathedral inspired by Oscar Niemayer.

The last point was the Sugar Leaf Mountain. You get there with several cable cars over some lesser mountain tops.

September 19, 2013

Alone in the city all day long. I tried to find the Santa Teresa district, but I took a bus in the wrong direction. When I returned to my hotel it was too late to start all over again.

September 20, 2013

Whole day trip north of the city to visit the conservation work for the Golden Lion Tamarin. This is a small monkey, that was seriously endangered. The population is now growing, but it is not out of danger. We were met by two guides, one equipped with a radio antenna. The animals live free in the woods, but a few of them are equipped with a collar carrying a radio transmitter. After one half hours walk we found a group, and I could start taking pictures. They were curious and not very shy.

Later on we visited the scientific institution, and they gave a presentation of their work.

Carlos drove me to the airport. I had plenty of time to wait there but there was nothing else to do.

The flight went to Manaus, where I was picked up and delivered at hotel Tropicana. It was one o'clock at night before I went to bed.

September 21, 2013

I was picked up at the hotel and driven to the harbor. From there we sailed to the Eco Lodge, where I have to stay for three days. I missed a trip to an island where it is possible to watch the monkeys.

After lunch we sailed to an Indian village. After the visit, we went to a place where we could fish piranhas. I didn't catch anything but one got a piranha, and another got a small catfish.

September 22, 2013

Whole day trip to the Meeting of the Waters. Rio Negro meets Rio Solimöes and they do not blend over a distance of 6 km. Then lunch at a restaurant along the river. We were back late in the afternoon.

September 23, 2013

Strolling in the jungle with a guide. We saw no animals or birds. The medicinal use of plants and trees were explained.

In the afternoon no activity was planned. I went alone on my own to take pictures. I only saw some lapwings along the beach. Close to my hut I saw some small monkeys, but they were gone before I could take pictures.

September 24, 2013

Departure from the Lodge. Flight to Cuiabá with stopover in Porto Velho. Hotel just across the airport.

September 25, 2013

I had a very early flight to Foz do Iguaçu. I was met by my guide and we went directly to the falls.

We saw the Brazilian side of the falls, and afterwards we had the time to visit the bird park. The last point was to check in at the hotel.

The falls has a shape of a giant reversed J. The U shaped part of the falls is the cataract. It is called the Devil´s Throat. The border between Brazil and Argentina goes right in the middle of the cataract. Only 20% of the falls lies in Brazil. Below the cataract there is a bridge right out to the edge with a splendid view. Here it is raining permanently because water droplets from the fall whirl into the air.

September 26, 2013

We started out very early by crossing the border to Argentina. We were going to see the Argentinian falls. This took all morning. The Argentinian part of the falls are the greatest, and you get closer to the water, but the panoramic view is better from Brazil. There is a bridge close to the edge of the cataract.

After lunch I visited a huge power station called ITAIPU. It was built as a joint venture between Brazil and Paraguay, and it is placed on the border between the two countries. Today it is the greatest hydroelectric power station and the longest dam in the world. The Paraná river makes the artificial ITAIPU lake, and the water run through 20 parallel Francis turbines. In China they are building something even bigger, but it is not ready yet. After passing the turbines, the Paraná river runs into the Iguaçu river.

September 27, 2013

I started my return home. On the way to the airport, I bought some gifts.

September 28, 2013

Home again at 4 pm.