Ultimate South America 2024

 Bonito gets more domestic visitors than international ones so felt very privileged to experience the amazing water-based opportunities. We visited three different places  1. Nascente Azul 2. Bonito Baia - Aquarium Natural 3. Estancia Mimosa  Some photos from these are below 

 Bonito is a little town located in the west of Brazil in Moto Grosso do Sul. It’s close to the border with Bolivia. Bonito means beautiful in Portuguese, which was easy to understand when we visited the town and surrounding waterways.  Bonito is famous for its amazing crystal clear fresh water rivers. The visibility in these rivers is over 50 meters. We went to the Aquarium Natural to snorkel in the freshwater riverways with an abundance of fishes.  Part of the Reserva Ecológica Baía Bonita, the Aquário Natural is near the conjunction of the Baía Bonita, Formoso, and Formosinho Rivers. The stretch of the river is home to more than 60 different types of fish and underwater gardens full of exotic plants and grasses. Like the freshwater version of a coral reef, we snorkeled and floated on the crystal-clear water, enjoying a fisheye perspective of the river and the jungle above.

I love a country that serves pumpkin for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have been truly impressed with the variety of pumpkin dishes, from the humble mash to vegetable stews and the famous pumpkin, cheese, and shrimp dish  Camarão na Moranga.  Here are some photos of the fabulous pumpkin dishes across the country of Brazil.  1. The spread including pumpkin mash at a roadside service center 2. Pumpkin ravioli 3.  Camarão na Moranga 4. Pumpkin and vegetable stew 5. Pumpkin and garlic mash 

 I love the food of Brazil, especially the Brazilian Cheese bread - Pao de Queijo and the Pasteis (like an empanada).  I went to the Cipriani Restaurant which is in Copacabana Palace Hotel. Olaf and I stayed at the Cipriani in Venice in 2009 and really enjoyed our stay. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to revisit and eat delicious Italian food with a Brazilian twist.  1. Vitello Tonnato 2. Trufa Organic egg, artichoke, aged parmesan cheese and black truffles 3. Ravioli with chicken mousse 4. Chocolate Cigar  We had a wonderful ceviche in Paraty. The fish was done in a local coconut milk and was delicious.  You can bet there are more food pictures to come. 

 I finally caught up with the "boys on tour" at Paraty, a pretty little seaside town, about 4 hours south of Rio de Janeiro. Paraty has a chequered history. It was established by the Portuguese and was the original landing place for slaves brought across from Africa. The buildings in the town are brightly coloured and the boats in the harbour similarly wear decorations depicting a pirate past.  It was great to finally meet up with Olaf and he spent our first night together for 5 weeks, exploring the town, trying the local Cachaca ( Portuguese pronunciation:   [kaˈʃasɐ] and the cocktail,  Caipirinha (Portuguese pronunciation: [kajpiˈɾĩɲɐ]). It is Brazil's national cocktail from São Paulo, made with cachaca, sugar and lime. Definitely delicious but I stopped at one.