For weeks we had been traveling through the Amazon Forest in Brazil. Some areas consist of virgin forest, but large parts have made way for cattle ranching. The region is known as the Arc of Deforestation.
We were ready to see some wildlife again.
Then we met Paulo…
In 2013, the Cristalino Jungle Lodge was selected as one of National Geographic Traveler magazine’s 25 Best Ecolodges.
Time to check it out!
In South America we often feel overwhelmed by our surroundings, marvel at views, camp in grandiose terrains, and feel dwarfed by canyons and mountains. Among the well-known spectacular sceneries on the continent are the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, the Lake District in Patagonia, the colored lakes of Sud Lipez in Bolivia, and Valle de la Luna in Chile.
Let’s explore some of the lesser-known forces of nature.
Just outside Guayaramerím, in northeast Bolivia, we stumbled upon Ituaba Eco Hotel, a hotel-cum-animal-refuge-center-cum-recreation park.
During our visit the animal refuge center was home to two blue-and-gold and two scarlet macaws, two toucans, two ocelots (medium-sized wild cats), wild boars, a young tapir and a couple of emus.
Can we stop hunting and trafficking them, please?
Have you ever heard of the Rupununi Savanna in Guyana?
It’s a place where you can just sit and watch the world go by. For hours; for days; for weeks.
Colors are forever changing.
The waterfalls of Iguaçu have been credited with all kinds of superlatives: the best, the highest, the largest, the most spectacular, the deepest, the most impressive.
So, what are they?
I can’t remember ever having seen one before. No matter how I turn the bottle, this water creature keeps its head turned from me. Later the opposite happens with another one and I figure that maybe they prefer facing` towards the sun.
In wonder I am staring at a gray-colored seahorse.
“The sound of silence”
~Paul Simon
My parents had an album by Simon & Garfunkel. I loved listening to it and when I started learning English in high school, one particular song triggered me: The Sound of Silence.
The rustling of leaves brings peace of mind. It slows me down and makes me aware of my surroundings: nuts and flowers, delicate mushrooms, fabulously twisted lianas, colorful leaves. I spot butterflies, crickets, leaf cutter ants. I take note of the soothing sounds of humming insects and scurrying lizards.
A forest is hardly ever silent.
In the early morning we sailed through the Baia de Guaraqueçaba in an open motorboat: a world of sapphire-colored water surrounded by blue-grey mountain ranges outlined against a cobalt, slightly clouded sky. With dolphins accompanying us in the distance, the scenery couldn’t have been more peaceful.
We were on our way to the Ecological Sebuí Reserve in southern Brazil.