Bonito, MS

On Monday morning after Foz do Iguaçu, we had a long day of driving. We drove from Foz de Iguaçu all the way to Bonito in Mato Grosso do Sul. It was a 10 hour drive on a 2 lane highway. And unfortunately at around dusk we hit a bad pothole section. Clark hit one super hard and his tire was damaged but held for the rest of the drive. Needless to say we were all happy to make it to the most comfortable, wonderful airbnb.

The next day we took a slow morning and then headed to Sucuri River. We relaxed and swam at the clearest river area. The fish were calm and we got to swim with them. Then we took a tour up the river for a snorkel down the river. Kai was a bit afraid so he enjoyed it from the boat. Jane "snorkelled" riding on my back (she saw how much fun Simon was having on his Mom's back). But then that was too unstable for her comfort, so our guide balanced her on his feet from the front of the boat. I was impressed with our guide's ability to keep the kids happy. Kai and Jane were giggling the whole time. We didn't get any pictures of snorkeling for lack of a waterproof camera.

We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the pool. Around dusk, we heard the parrots begin thier lound chatter (yes it had been waking us up early in the mornings as well) and so we went to check it out from the upper deck. We were greeted by a very fun view of hundreds of parrots and parakeets flying around. We even saw a couple of red macaws fly by.

For dinner we tried a restaurant that had a few jacare(alligator) options. The fried jacare was yummy, but we got a soup and it was just ok.

The next day we did the Rio dos Peixes adventure hike. And it really was an adventure. We started out by jumping into a waterfall. We started on a platform next to the top of a waterfall and jumping down into a deep ravine the water had carved out. I was scared to death to do the jump and finally got up the nerve. It took a few of us time to get up the nerve, but Jake, Pace, Grant and I made the plunge (along with Clark, Ben and Janelle). Then we swam in several other waterfalls, swimming holes, and even a cave. We went on two different zip lines as well. It was amazing, but very tiring. Luckily they had a delicious local lunch all ready for us at the end of the hike

In the parking lot we found some very strenge large birds lying low in the gravel, and when they got up they also looked strange (we looked them up and there name is sereima). Aparently they are teritorial and protect other animals on the farm.

Despite our tiredness, the kids went right to the pool back at our pool and splashed the afternoon away.

Our last day we split up. Pace, Grant and I headed out with Clark, Janelle, Isaac and Ben. We headed for Rio Prata. On the drive down we saw a couple red macaws and a toucan, so we knew we were in for a special day. When we got there we changed into wet suits and took a tour of their farm before our snorkel.

Our snorkel started out in the clearest water ever(I know I said that about sucuri river, but this was even more crystal). And there were even more fish. We took some pictures with their photographer, then we did a few practice circles and then our guide took us to see a massive spring. It looked like a huge hole in the ground,but the water coming up was absolutely frigid. The river had a larger variety of fish, but much less snails. This snorkel was much longer and required a bit more swimming, as the current was slower. There were a couple of other springs, which were even cooler, because they made the sand bubble up with the water. The lanscape of the river bottom also changed from a shallower sandy creek to a deep ravine of water. Towards the end the ravine was so deep, blue, and colder. But it was gorgeous. There was a large dead tree and as I swam near it I though it had a lot of leaves still clinging to it, but when I looked closer they were fish. When we got ou and were about to catch the truck back Ben spotted an otter swimming by.

We ended the tour by eating a lunch made from the farm's milk, garden, and animals. We even enjoyed homemade cheeses, honey, and doce de leite. Then we got to nap in hammocks and view some macaws and a toucan (of a less traditional variety).

Meanwhile, Jake slept in a bit longer with Louis, Kai, Jane, and Simon and then he took them to a park with a playground and a swimming hole. Jake said that they loved the playground, but were all still a bit affraid to swim with the fish. He also said eveyone thought they were all the cutest. They ate a kid-friendly lunch (where Simon mostly enjoyed the condiments more than the other food). And despite all the fun the kids kept asking to go back to the airbnb to swim in the pool.

Later that afternoon we all met up at Buraca das Araras. It was a hike to a massive sink hole. Along the route there we saw armadillos, wild pigs, wild pineapple, and a toucan (the traditional kind). When we got to the sink hole it was huge and beautiful, but most of the macaws were far away and hiding from the heat of the afternoon sun. When we hiked to the other side they were much closer and they started flying a bit more. It was stunning to see so many. On the hike back we saw some agouti.

And even better on our drive back we saw a whole family of Rhea, which are Brazil's ostrich-like birds.

We went back and ate pastels for dinner and then had one last night of fun swimming at the airbnb. We drove to Campo Grande the next morning and flew home (we somehow got seats in the first row, first class, woot woot). This trip was so magical, and we will always remember it. It was made even more fun because we could do it with Clark, Janelle, Ben, Isaac, and Simon. We love any time we can get with family, so we're really thankful that they came to Brazil to visit us. Can't wait for our next adventure.