There exists far more to Rio than sandy beaches, Carnival, and volcanic plugs. The city is a jumble of wide chaotic streets, a fusion of colonial and modern, and a population of 6 million. Colorful favelas (slums) crawl up the hillsides.
But Rio is also surrounded by bays, hills and forests of natural beauty. Rio looks a mosaic from a distance but up close its heartbeat is robust, loud and lively. Exploring Rio represents a definite real-life experience.
Life is good. I sit in the hotel bar in Rio de Janeiro, enjoying a cold Antarctica Original Cerveja, catching up on writing, watching YouTube, checking out news, hearing English around me even tho sometimes drowned out by fire alarms blasting.
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. To answer the muzac piped into the lobby, yes Cindy, “girls they wanna have fun.”
No rush this am, yet the birds don’t know – or care. I am awakened at the first light of dawn by the raucous Curicacas. Their antics act as my avian alarm clock. Mouthy little guys are a pain in the ass this morning.
I awake to an opera of birds. One cannot describe it as a symphony as it is too discordant, too raucous. The Curicaca’s endless squabbling as they chase about the grounds and into the trees will wake the soundest sleeper. It begins at first light and continues for hours. The beautiful pair of blue Hyacinth Macaws and the Taco Toucans cannot compete.
Also in the yard is Eddie. I call him this because I cannot look at the floppy long-eared jackass and not think of Shrek, the movie. Eddie silently stares, calmly ignores the monkeys and scurrying birds at his feet, and continues to search for a blade of grass.
The native Tupí-Guaraní word for jaguar is yaguará or “he who kills with one leap.” When it comes to jaguars, this is an excellent description. To watch a jaguar stalk and pounce is a unique experience.
Boating the rivers of the Pantanal, I was fortunate to witness two such hunts. Not all jaguars were lazing in their special cool spots. Some were hunting, some were arguing, all were doing what jaguars do.
The Pantanal alarm clocks awake everyone around 5:30 am. The raucous and slightly crazy Curicaca scurries about the grounds and trees screaming and screeching to start a new day.
Some consider their sounds as singing, most think they are just screaming out its name over and over. They will not be ignored!
