Just returned from a first trip to Brazil. A few friends travelling together looking for a little adventure and to take in this amazing country...we had a great time. Here's the itinerary:

Rio de Janeiro for 4 nights: Stayed at Ipanema Sol Best Western on the beach

Iguazu Falls for 3 nights: Cataratas Iguazu Falls Hotel

Northern Pantanal at a Fazenda near the Paraguay River for three nights and then 3 nights camping on the Paraguay River

Night in Sao Paulo

Maybe I should start with the Pantanal and work backwards since a lot of folks are interested in safaris...we chose a pretty adventurous route a little out of our comfort zone. We used Pantanal Ecoexplorers, Carlos is the owner. He has scouted some Fazendas that are not typically used for tourists in wildlife rich areas. We loved the place (Fazenda Santa Lucia) and the surrounding areas seemed rich in flora and fauna...

The camp we used was an old fish camp or shack along the Paraguay River...very basic...very simple, but clean. We had anticipated sleeping in tents out doors but there had been several jaguar incidents recently and so we pitched our tents inside this screened enclosure...tin roof, screens half way down with wood slats and then the lower half walled...

Tourism outside of game fishing seemed nearly non-existent...all we saw were the occasional house boat of Brazilian fisherman with smaller boats to go out and fish all day attached in the rear...

It was quite the adventure...the camp sat perched across an enormous rookery of wood storks...I'd estimate more than 1000 strong...roseate spoonbills sprinkled in along with a jabiru or two....these birds would make quite the racket in the setting sun but settled down after dark...bright and early they'd be clattering again...another wake up call would be the otherwordly call of howler monkeys...sounded more like the autobon than an animal call...

Our goal was to spot a jaguar and we were fortunate enough to do that in the Taiama Jaguar Reserve...a lone female prowling the shore. Usually they spot them under a shady tree looking for opportunity be it an unlucky capybara or a careless caiman. But there are long stretches of (for lack of a better word) tall green weeds...that's where we saw her...she didn't seem alarmed but she didn't stay long as she made a turn..and we watched the weeds shake and sway as she departed...very Jurassic Park! I was hoping for a Travelynn-like experience with jaguar-polooza but alas we'll take the one we saw....marvelous!!

We spotted a number of groups of Giant River Otters---one group of eight was particularly entertaining...when i saw two of these out of the water, it was almost shocking....they are HUGE! Capybaras were plentiful and fun to watch as well as hundreds if not thousands of caiman over the course of a week...For a birder (of which I am not) the Pantanal is a must...just simply incredible variety...large ostrich-like rheas, we saw a number of hyacinth macaws mostly squawking at each other like an old married couple...a scarlet and green macaw and yellow collared macaws...dozens of Toco Toucans, peach and blue fronted parrots, caracaras and king vultures (just one); and the amazing roseate spoonbills, huge jabirus and other secretary bird-type jobs as well as the small colorful ones like the yellow-billed cardinal....it seems to me only Africa compares but I'd say the Pantanal is the equal if not better with the abundant Toucans and macaws...

At the fazenda we saw a Giant anteater, many a crab-eating fox...and troops of coatis...an agouti...some black tailed marmosets, a few howlers and a coupe capuchins...the guide spotted a night monkey behind the fish camp but it lept off before we could get to it...we also spotted the freshwater stingrays I'd seen on Animal Planet...besides the caiman we saw a two meter anaconda...a first for the guides in these locations (they've only been operating trips here for a month or so)...a tapir had been coming for a drink around 2P each day at the lagoon at the fazenda but apparently changed its schedule upon our arrival...we also missed out on maned wolf and southern tamanduas, but you gotta save something for next time right?

Fishing-wise we couldn't get a line past the voracious pirahnas...one spot we saw several dorado hunting for food---a yellow green splash---and I did catch catfish but everything else had sharp razor-like teeth in the form of a pirahna...

Overall, we were taken care of very well out in the Wilds of the Pantanal...

Iguazu was stunning...the hotel is just an old colonial beauty---an Orient Express Hotel now...the President of Brazil was staying there at the time and they doubled the flow of the water...hope it didn't effect the nesting swifts! It is a privilege to stay long after the last tourist bus leaves the park since the hotel sits inside the park with a view of the falls...but it is expensive as hell...a bit annoying since they know they have a captive audience...The Argentina side is worth a full day and seemed to have the better jet boat ride....it gets you soaked at a couple different spots! Butterflies fill the Atlantic Rain Forest...toucans and plush crested jays...we also spotted a broad-nosed (snouted?) Caiman...dinner is also a bargain on the Argentina side...the exchange is much more favorable than in Brazil...

Rio was awesome...highly recommend the Scenarium in the Lapa District for great music and dance....a Sunday at Ipanema and Copacabana beaches is a scene! Took in a soccer game at Maracana which was also a treat...great trip...hope to get back and explore some more!

Will post my Iguazu pics later but here's my Pantanal pics for anyone that wants to see...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...hotos-_-Sharee

nice trip report great detail thanks for posting...

This is a truly picturesque Trip Report; I really enjoyed it and am sending it on to friends who are 'Birders.' I have to get out of the house now, and breath some fresh air...

~MarnieWDC

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...hotos-_-Sharee

Not sure if my pics came through for the Pantanal..here they are in case someone wants a look...

Thank you for the report. We are family of 4, visiting friends in Sao Paulo for the new year. We want to visit rio on our own, and wonder how did you book and go around in town? did you have a guide, how was your hotel, close to the beach? Noisy? Service? etc. If you had a guide, do you recomend him? Did you try to visit Angra or Buzios? As we need to buy the tickets, could you let us know asap, would very much appreciated. And for flights in Brazil, did you get the TAM pass? Thanks

Enjoyed your trip report and loved your photos, especially the wood stork rookery, the family of capybaras of all sizes, and your photos of the vaqueiros.
I was in the Pantanal (both North and South) two summers ago, but, alas, saw no giant otters or jaguars. In fact, my trip was similar to yours, as I also visited Iguazu and stayed at Ipanema Sol in Rio. Though I also spent time in Florianopolis/Santa Catarina and Buenos Aires.
Thank again for sharing.

I booked my flights through Brazil Nuts which is a US group out of Naples FL I believe. We got a good rate on the internal flights and used a direct flight out of Orlando on TAM...the internal flights were not all that expensive i think there was some sort of internal pass on TAM that made it pretty cheap. Brazil Nuts Tours booked our hotels in Rio and Iguazu too and got us a good rate...we didn't use a guide in Rio although as a family that might be a good option...we wanted beach time and just a relaxed tour of the main sights...we took in a game at Maracana (which we booked at the hotel desk) which is a cool experience....went to the race track and watched the horses run...hit some of the nightlife, but I can see that a tour guide would be useful especially for a family and for getting around the city without hassle. Most of this we could do on the internet but the deals/rates seemed similar...

Ipanema Sol is right acrss from the beach...did not try to visit Buzios or Agra...we just used taxis...

Thought i'd update this Trip Report with a few videos, since a pic is worth a thousand words most times...a moving picture even more I guess...interesting thing happened recently as I was contacted by the Martha Stewart show asking permission to air my footage of the capybaras...supposedly set to air in January on a wildlife themed show...they saw my little movie by searching YouTube...anyhow, here are a few from the Brazilian Pantanal and Iguazu and Rio...

Pantaneiros/Cowboys of the Pantanal at the Fazenda we stayed:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../3/GHUUJ_Tiur8
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../5/BWx_srQiMxI

Wildlife of the Pantanal/Capybaras:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../1/-DaXFOXzQzQ

Giant River Otters:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../2/aBw5p1dp7s4

The President of Brazil was at our hotel at Iguazu:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32...10/bbHPf9ohpFc

Devil's Throat at Iguazu/Argentina side---you can see the swallows flying in and our of the mist here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../4/81LaBA5OJFM
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../3/ujFoyBwL2IQ
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../7/R2dg_8poAF8

From the Brazil Side:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../5/x8JnKnEJeZg

Some vids from Rio---the Scenarium---and street music across from the hotel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../0/Uz2PXxky2kU
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../8/vE2yst4ZpKI
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gunter32.../5/H6n21N5Dc1g