Mirjam, a Swiss lady who married a Pantanal born and bred legend (more about him later), had been very helpful providing us information pre and post booking. Mirjam and Marcello ran a tour company called Explore Pantanal. It's been very successful, and with guests querying why they don't have their own accommodation, Mirjam decided to give it a go and develop a small offering on a ranch.
Mandy booked on Ranch Mandovi with them after reading the reviews available and picked up that is was a more personal touch experience. A week before arriving we found out that they have closed that ranch and replaced it with a new improved one. Mirjam said she'd honour our booking at the new Mei Lua Ranch.
We expected our bus from Corumba to Miranda to stop outside a restaurant before the bus station stop. We didn't expect the restaurant stop was for the driver to have a meal for half an hour or that the bus stop was an easy 200 meter walk away across the field opposite. Anyway we arrived with a taxi waiting to take us to the ranch.
It's only 10 minutes from the town so we were there in no time, winding along the clay road through fields with herds of white cows and bulls. We'd not seen this breed before with hanging skin from under their neck and virtually no hair. Not sure how they survived in the blistering sun, but they seemed happy enough. The ranches are impressive with grand entrances and the cattle troughs all covered in stands with orange tiled roofs.
We passed Mirjam on the way, flagging us down to say hi. We pulled up to the main house and Hector came to meet us, then show us to our room and around the ranch dotted with palm trees and hammocks. We'd been travelling for hours, so it didn't take long before we were in their large pool, floating our temperatures down on their pool noodles - these seem quite popular in Brazil.
With the sun setting we grabbed the camera and walked down to the small dam with wooden jetty and watched the sun slowly disappear and the resulting orange and pink sky frame the black silhouettes of the palm trees on the ridge. We snapped away with the camera and Mands then spotted fire flies darting around next to the jetty.
It was only the 2 of us staying at the ranch that night, but an American, Brandon, and Marcelino joined us for a great chicken stew dinner. Brandon is staying on the ranch for a few months to help with online marketing, a new video and website.
Marcelino is Mirjam's husband and Mr Pantanal. Long hair in a pony tail tied with a feather, khaki trousers and bare foot - always bare foot. He told us tour options and as we only had two nights, we wanted to cram in as much of the Pantanal experience as we could, so we changed or plans and decided on a half day 4x4 / walk half day boat tour - they are flexible like that.
Hector ran in saying that there was a snake outside, so Marcelino charged out, not wanting to miss the opportunity of our first show, see, taste, feel experience. It was a baby, but Mands still put up her don't bring that snake near me warning before he got too carried away. He explained that diamond head snakes are poisonous and this had a diamond head. it wasn't too happy about being handled so was biting Marcelino at every opportunity who would merely suck out the venom and spit it away. He kept saying it made him light headed and would joke to be stumbling around a bit. Tomorrow would be interesting with him if this was the start.
Our ranch breakfast was impressive with a full spread of fresh fruit from the ranch, baked cakes, fresh rolls, cheese, ham and the best avo we may ever have eaten. We gulped this treat down with fresh fruit juice and coffee and headed off with Marcelino and Mirjam's eats and drinks cooler box. Marcelino thought it would be a good video opportunity for Brandon and at last minute brought him with.
We had an hour transfer in the car to get to the river, where we'd transfer onto the 4x4. Along the way we saw macaws, toucans and rhea (large flightless birds similar to ostriches). The 4x4 was had an open top with benches and sun canopy. We headed down a gravel road with farms and bush on either side. When Marcelino spotted something we'd stop and go look. The first was for monkeys.
They were high in the trees and without warning, Marcelino started with his imitating whoooa whoooa calls and grunts. This whipped the monkeys up into a frenzied chorus and much jumping around. Wish we'd got it on camera.
The truck stopped for our bush walk, with Marcelino leading together with his waist belt and knife (all local men seem to carry one when in the bush) and still without shoes. He'd walk, call out to birds, listen to birds and plot his route. Man it was hot. There was quite a bit of suspense as we were in the land of pumas and jaguars. A few large rodent and bird sightings later and we found big cat tracks and he motioned not to stray too far. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the cat, but perhaps it saw us.
Onto the truck for a lunch of rolls, water and Guarana cold drinks. Guarana would turn out to be a favourite for Mands. We could see more monkeys and a troop of raccoons cross the track as we ate away.
The next stop was for capybara, learning males have a mud like spot on their snout and then caimans. More like caiman city. Stacks of these reptiles lying packed together in and out of the water. These were white caiman and dwarf caiman, largest probably two meters, but still sizeable enough to be on lookout for anything being too interested. So got some great photos really close to them, definitely the highlight of the tour.
Further along we found caiman and learnt that they would be present in every waterhole and along all river banks. Literally hundreds of thousands. Marcelino pointed out that capybaras and caimans are happy to lie next to each other and we found many such strange pairings. The caimans are very different in size, number and behaviour than the African crocodiles we're seen previously. African crocodiles wouldn't put up with any rodent, no matter what the size lying in dinner range!
Following our land tour, we returned to the main river and changed onto a small boat, probably only three meters with a ten horse power motor on the back. We cruised up the river with more bird and capybara sightings before stopping at a sand beach for a river swim. Marcelino said not to bother about the caimans, as they mainly come out at dusk, so we waded in keeping a look out for any protruding eyes.
Further upstream the water lilly like plants grew in numbers until they completely stretched across the breadth of the river. Marcelino wasn't deterred and launched the boat straight into them at speed, stopping the boat with a shudder. Suddenly a flash of reptile skin launched up, brushing the side of the boat and darted out of reach. I'm not sure who got the bigger fright, the two meter caiman or us at this meeting. I didn't think think that the caiman would lie on the lilies, so will keep more of an eye out now.
As the dragon flies started their rounds with the day ending, Marcelino baited the bamboo fishing rods' hooks with chocked pieces and tested the water for piranhas. 10 seconds later, the first catch. He pulled up the 20 cm mean eating machine and carefully took it off the hook. It waited with it's mouth open for anything to get hold of. Marcelino first put out his knife and you could hear the noise from it's furious razor sharp teeth chomping at the blade. Lilly stalks were made mince meat of. We'd use this piranah's flesh for further fishing, so one last show of the piranah's never stop attitude, was to cut it's head off and it continued biting away!
I had a go and caught my first pirana, and second, followed by Mands who looked like an old hand at this, probably from all her South African camping experience.
Marcelino replaced the hooks with a simple knot and tied up a chicken foot for Caiman fishing. Hmmm. We'd just had a caiman almost jump into the boat and now we were going to lure them in snapping again. The caimans would take turns swimming and then when close enough slowly open their mouth and bites down with a crack. The younger ones are more enthusiastic about this game, the older ones must have played this with The Pantanal Man over the years and wised up to it. I felt some mosquitos land on my leg and swotted them away furiously - Marcelino caught the commotion out the corner of his eye and jumped around in a panicked state thinking there was a caiman in the boat much to the laughter of the rest of us in the boat.
We started heading back and heard the calls of giant otters. This triggered Marcelino into his friendly come play otter responding calls to try and lure these shy creatures to the boat. Again, much commotion resulted from the otters screeching away in response. They did appear, but timidly would disappear whenever we were close. We followed them for a good half hour.
Back on terra firma for a sunsetting beer on the bridge before driving back to he ranch for dinner and chats to Mirjam and the crew.
The next morning was an earlier start and another good breakfast before meeting Alex at the stables for the start of our horse ride and my quest to see a giant ant-eater. Alex too had his knife and barefoot for the ride. We mounted and headed out catching up in his Pantanal adventures including the time he did have a caiman jump on board with him and 2 guests for a river cruise. These horses were great and obeyed like machines they had been trained so well.
The ride was cool with our earlier start and we walked through the still active cattle ranch sections. It wasn't long before we noticed the first cattle. It seemed that something had spooked them from the opposite side as they started running towards us from afar. We continued. So did they. We followed Alex to our left with the cattle still audible with their rumble. When next I looked around the cattle were right us and Mands seemly leading the herd like a cow girl. It turns out the cows are well trained and with the sight of people on horseback they figure that that's their queue to head off somewhere. Quite something when you don't know what they are up to.
We saw macaws, toucans, rheas and finally needing the end of a 2 hour ride, a giant ant eater, a meter and a half with it's bushy tail. When it got sight of us it didn't stay around, but great seeing it considering they are mostly nocturnal.
The rest of the day was spent lounging at the pool. I'd given Mirjam feedback on the ranch (the first weekend with full occupancy when a group from Germany arrived) and discussed what the good and could improve areas were. Just before leaving Mirjam offered for us to stay for 2 weeks to help as they further setup on the ranch and the Internet site. It would have been great, but with time being short we decided to continue as planned on our adventure.
Mirjam drove us to the fast taxi transfer arranged to get us to Bonito and told us of her battles to get Brazilian government and farmers working to protect the Pantanal. Majority of the land is now privately owned and and with high demand on cattle farming and the money involved, it's going to be quite a struggle. There are definitely success learnings from South Africa that could be applied. Mirjam and Marcelino are great people and run a fantastic ranch. I wrote a detailed ideas email for them during the transfer to Bonito and sent it through. They've got a good formula of personalised service, so eagerly await their developments.
Off now to the crystal clear waters for some snorkelling near Bonito.
No comments:
Post a Comment