We left Araras lodge yesterday after breakfast -but not before watching two hyacinth macaws sitting squawking - then going absolutely silent and preening each other - one even had its wing around the other - convincing me even more that the trade in these birds is nothing but cruel - they were clearly very content and as happy as birds can be! We set off up the Transpantaneira for the last time stopping and watching the array of birds and caymen at some of the drying pools. One pool even had cattle in amongst them eating the vegetation. This living in harmony is ok until next month when the pools really dry out; the fish run out and the caymen have to migrate to new pools if they can find them - apparently then they become a bit tetchy - humans and other wildlife need to be careful not to cross them! Not so easy when there are hundreds of them - a couple had already been found in the Arasas Lodge pool - and as the pump wasn't working and the water was green I decided not to swim even though the water was, so say, safe! We found one new bird for the Pantanal leg - the bald faced ibis - making it 99 in total that we have seen in the Pantanal. This part of the journey to Cuiaba had several really classic Pantanal scenes of wetland, birds, caymen and capybara all in close proximity. Then the road turned to tarmac, with lots of shallow holes which workmen were trying to repair, and we were soon in Pocone - the frontier town - where Sergio filled up with petrol and got all the dust hosed off his car.......he is back with more guests in a couple of days so it won't last!
90 minutes later we were in Cuiaba where we were going to stay before going to Sao Paulo to fly home. We stopped at another garage this time for directions to the Holiday Inn Express where I had booked 2 nights - they drew us a map which together with my google map got us there -it is a brand new hotel - with lovely big rooms; Johns eyes opened wide and a broad smile came across his face when he spotted an iron - his first for a couple of weeks - not much to iron though but he did find something - his shirt for travelling home!
The staff on reception saw us as a novelty - people to practice their english on - albeit the reception manageress, Ludmilla, spoke English very well - they could not have been nicer and more helpful and would always smile and wave as we went in or out of the hotel. If England get to the finals in Brazil and go to Cuiaba in particular for any matches they will be welcomed and helped.....fantastic hospitality and they even gave us a pack of traditional Mato Grosso drinks to bring home.
We went to the supermarket across the road and bought a few supplies .....even the cashier when I said thank you in Portuguese said thank you in English - lots of smiles all round- particularly when I mixed my bread rolls - they had to be brown in one bag and white in the other because they are weighed like vegetables and the have different base prices...she gave me another bag and we sorted it out. Back at the hotel we settled down to relax for a couple of days - well 1 and a half really as we leave at 1.45 tomorrow morning for our 4am flight to Sao Paulo!
I finally got to write a few postcards which will be posted on our return - we have been so remote we would not have been able to post them even if I had written them - they will probably arrive at the same time anyway - sadly not with a Brazilian stamp on though.
As the sun sets on this holiday we have Madagascar and Kenya to look forward to next - in October.