Free-Range Thoughts – Brasil

24 September 2024

The bartender goes about his business. I do too.

It has been a very busy 3 weeks. Time to collect my stream-of-thoughts. So many impressions, experiences, feelings. And answering the musac piped into the lobby, yes Cindy, “girls they wanna have fun.”

Why Brasil?

I will stay four days in Rio visiting the usual sites, museums, and galleries. But this city is not my main reason for traveling to Brasil. 

My reasons for coming to Brasil were threefold: the Amazon River, Iguaçu Falls, and the Pantanal. These are distinct ecosystems very different from each other. All should be experienced. I would find it difficult to choose a favorite, but to have missed the Pantanal would have been to miss Brasil. And I would have missed its invaluable lesson in global warming.  

Clarification: I realize I alternate spellings. To Americans, I am in Brazil. Here, I visit Brasil. I prefer using local spellings but am not always consistent. Portuguese is a difficult language to understand but there are words that one quickly learns. Spanish phrases are usually understood. English is not commonly used or understood. But locals are friendly and show patience with our limited language abilities.

Cerveja and Dining

Why are the main beers of Brasil  Budweiser, Becks, Heineken, Amstel? They love the long-neck here. Surely Brasil produces beer. I’ve tasted good Brazilian brews, which are  more costly, but they tend to be bigger bottles or large mugs of draft. Tasty local beers include Brahma, Antartica Original and Eisenbahn. 

Brasil, a hint from me: Dump the Bud. 

Food in Brasil is very good. 

Fish, chicken, and beef was cooked well. There was an excellent variety of seafood, breads, vegetables and deserts. Little spicy food was served. Coffee was good.

Domestic flights on Azul

However, Azul has done a good job. I have flown 7 domestic flights with Azul. One flight out of seven was late; two flights had to have a second go-around in order to stick the landing; all pilots tend to slam on the brakes upon landing (short runways?); staff was helpful and, be still my heart, actually helped the “elderly” lift bags into the overhead. 

A lesson for all airlines? Azul’s VP of People and Customers sent me an apology for the late flight. “We are very sorry for the unforeseen situation with your flight to Cuiaba…we’re sorry about that.” Easy personal relations, more airlines should automatically do the same.

One criticism: the flight crew’s announcements are all in Portuguese. I have no idea how to fasten those safety belts! 

I got to know VCP São Paulo International well. All flights appear to connect thru this airport. Brasil’s small domestic airports are considered “international.” Terminals have Priority Lounges that I accessed, making all these transfers more bearable. I have probably used my Priority Pass at least 6 times  and appreciate its lounge perks.

Pantanal Safaris

My Pantanal Tour was excelllent. Changes in itinerary were annoying but ultimately made sense. This region suffers from drought and water levels are low. Changes were made to benefit my experience. I  recommend Pantanal Safaris Tour. I booked through Viator because of ease but recommend booking direct with the safari company. 

Guides were excellent, knowledgeable and interesting.  My guide out of  Cuiabá and the following 2 days was Tim. He made the effort to find as many animals as possible while out on numerous safaris. Then in Porto Jofre, Roger took over. Roger was a fantastic guide. My experience was exponentially better because of Roger and the boat driver, Sapo. 

And of the tours I have taken in Brasil (airport drivers, my cruise in the Amazonas, tour of Iguazú Falls, safari through Pantanal), the providers/guides have been punctual, accommodating, and organized. Communication via WhatsApp is exceptional. 

Cruising the Amazonas

Actually, I spent but an hour on the actual Amazon River. This occurred at the Meeting Of The Waters where the Amazon’s brown waters and Rio Negro’s black waters begin to merge on their way to the Atlantic.

I realistically knew I was not going to see a plethora of wildlife because of the density of the Amazon forest. I imagined being eaten up by mosquitoes, leeches and ticks.

What I experienced on my cruise was a quiet, truly exploratory trip in small launches on the waters of the Rio Negro and its many tributaries. I enjoyed a very organized and relaxing few days in search of birds and the animals and reptiles of the forest and rivers. 

While I did find horrendous heat, humidity, and smoke from nearby fires, I didn’t find the horrors of insects. My overall experience was an excellent one and I enjoyed this ecosystem tremendously. I suspect had I been just on the Amazon River I would have experienced a very different, possibly more unpleasant experience because there the mosquitoes do thrive!

I recommend this 7-day cruise with the Tucano crew and their excellent guides, Alex and Osman. I booked through Rainforest Cruises out of Florida. The Tucano also offers a 5-day cruise and other opportunities for the Amazon. 

Cash or credit card?

No one wants cash. Credit card is king. Even in a small shop to purchase a 5 BRL água, credit card is preferred. Brazilians do not pay the outrageous fees that retailers are charged in the US. I tried paying for a 55 BRL dinner with  a 100 BRL note; they couldn’t cash it, nor could they get the bill changed at a neighboring restaurant. I needed little cash throughout Brasil. Everyone had tap to pay.  

And of course, always choose to pay in local currency. 

Not wise to mix species

If you want to have fun, don’t mix species. I do not wish to offend but I am soooo glad that I ended up on private tours. I had not intended this but at Iguaçu and Pantanal, I enjoyed private tours. The attention and service were amazing. I learned so much more than had I been with others. 

Also, observing other groups, it would have been AWFUL to be on safari with a birder or long-lense photographer. I can take a perfectly fine shot of that caiman or bird in seconds. To have waited at every bird sighting, every photo shoot, would have been excruciatingly painful. Sorry birders: pretty bird, take a shot, move on. Same for people lugging pounds of lenses and the souls who sit in the heat for an hour waiting for some “perfect shot.” I don’t pack that much weight even when I am traveling for a month!

Before leaving home…

I highly recommend downloading before you leave home. After four days in Porto Jofre, I felt personally connected to the jaguars I met. Through this project, I can donate to adopt a jaguar once I return home. 

For those interested in global warming, climate change and the fires burning in Brasil (and anywhere in the world), a second site to visit and keep handy is NASA FIRMS. This real-time satellite imagery was invaluable in helping me understand the devastating fires in Brasil.

Critical things to bring?

A water container to refill as you travel. For Pantanal, I shopped a grocery and purchased a 2/3-gallon jug of water. Probably no water is potable outside the big cities. 

A bandana is needed as you can use it over your mouth for dust. I wet mine and used it over the back of my neck for cooling and sun protection.

March of the Jaguars 

This same company has been in Porto Jofre the past two years following and filming the jaguars. Hopefully, their new film project will be completed during 2025. Each day I spotted their camera crew patiently waiting for jaguars to do what jaguars do. I look forward to revisiting these jaguars when the March of the Jaguars premieres.  

The more places I go, the more I learn

Even though I am a history major, I have studied little about South America. In the US, little news about Brasil is reported. Don’t know of a Brazilian beer or restaurant in my county.

This trip has been my opportunity to learn more about Brasil’s people, history and ecosystems. The flora and fauna has been fascinating. Every day has been a learning experience. 

As it should be.

Challenge your limits