Captain’s Log: Brazil; Iguazu Falls, Rio, Golden Lion Tamarins

March 22 – 28

Hi All,

Another fabulous trip….this time to South America….Brazil and Peru all using Natural Habitat Adventures which we highly recommend!! This was a planned 24 day trip but turned out to be 25!! As I mentioned in the last blog on the Northern Lights, we are converting the Mystic Moon Voyages blog/website to a J&K travel blog. We have moved the website to be hosted by GoDaddy and I hope to make further changes to the website appearance to include our land travels, but that will take some time. Again you can receive this blog two ways…..one via this email and/or by subscribing to the website: mysticmoonvoyages.com

We first travelled to Brazil and started in Iguazu Falls!! We flew Delta from Sacramento to Atlanta to Rio then Iguazu….just a mere 24+ hour trip:))) This trip on Delta was “On Time” not like the horrible experience we had on Delta/West Jet on the Northern Lights trip in February or the trip home from the Amazon trip…more on that one in a later blog.

https://www.nathab.com/extensions/iguazu-falls-extension/itinerary

We had an 8 hour layover in Rio before the Iguazu flight so we took a 4 hour tour of downtown Rio. It was good to get some exercise after the long flights as well as sample a little Brazilian cuisine at a local cafe. The highlight was San Sebastian Cathedral. Not so pretty on the outside but gorgeous inside!!

We absolutely loved the Iguazu Falls experience….Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow….4 out of 5!!!. This was an Extension to the Nat Hab Pantanal trip and was off season so it was just Kathy and me….as in a private tour!!! We thought we are rarely in South America and even though it is a long ways from Peru, well, why not….we are retired after all.

There are 3 major world falls…..Niagara, the most volume of water, Victoria Falls, the tallest and Iguazu Falls, the longest!! Iguazu falls is 1.7 miles long, has over 275 individual falls and borders both Argentina and Brazil. As described by NH: “Iguassu Falls are one of the Wonders of Nature. It is divided between Brazil and Argentina, the imaginary line of boundary between the two countries is the Devil’s Throat, one of the waterfalls. The Falls are the largest sequence of waterfalls in the world and have been enacted as a World Heritage by UNESCO. The Iguassu Falls are formed by swirling water creating a unique spectacle.”

We got there on Day one in time for a nice dinner at the restaurant where we sat outside and enjoyed the moist, humid tropical climate!! We enjoyed the Brazilian cuisine through out our 6 days in Brazil….mainly a lot of grilled food….called BBQ, where you went to the grill and ordered individual meats and they cut your portion right in front of you….very tasty, lean, grass fed beef, some pork & chicken!! I also bonded with the Brazilian cocktail, the caipirinha, made from cachaca (made from sugarcane, like rum), simple sugar, lime, and ice…..excellent!!! We also bonded with the Brazilian fruit, cupuacu, a fleshy, white pulp fruit with a chocolatey, fruity flavor and is popular throughout Brazil….it made an excellent ice cream!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha

The first day we toured the falls from the Argentina side. “Arrive at the Visitors Center, an interpretative building with giant panels showing the importance of the biodiversity of the subtropical humid forest. To get to the catwalks overlooking the falls, visitors will board a gas-propelled train that will take them to the Upper Falls Circuit and the Devil’s Throat. To visit the Devil’s Throat, visitors should board the train at the Cataracts Station, close to the Upper Circuit. Once at the Devil’s Throat Station, visitors will take a walking tour on a flat catwalk built over the Upper Iguassu River, with an extension of 1100 meters that lead visitors to the balconies for an amazing panoramic view of this magnificent fall: The Devil’s Throat.”

It was a full day indeed but it was very hot and humid and we were with 5,000 of our best friends. It was like 3-4 people deep each viewing platform, you know….wait a few minutes for your turn, shove your way to the front railing, take a 30 sec view and then get out of the way…ugh!! We did about two thirds of the Park and then stopped for a late lunch in an air conditioned restaurant….ahhhhh!!! We were going to do the last circuit but a large thunderstorm developed and we decided not to go in the rain, thunder and lightning as we had done the most interesting part of the Park!! In all we walked about 8 miles!!

John tries to be romantic: I had arranged to have champagne and appetizers in the Hotel’s tower at sunset….one of their specials….well, the storm was still with us so it was rainy and cold (the host brought Kathy 2 blankets), and the view was blocked by a huge tree…really….arghhhhh. I did climb the tower for a better view but it was very windy and raining….whaaaa!! So we drank the champagne (Moet & Chandon!!) ate a few of the warm appetizers and then left for dinner:))))

Day 3: We woke early and were out by 7:00am. The Park opens at 9:00am to the public so you have 2 hours to walk the Brazilian side of the Falls all by yourself….oh wow, at times it was magical, almost spiritual!!! Very impressive. The Park has built a platform that takes you to the middle of Devil’s Throat. You get very wet but our guide gave us ponchos. You could see the waterfall all around you and feel the rushing water go by….very impressive indeed. The Park has also built a platform on the side where you can see the water rushing down a few feet away. The sound was thunderous…whoa!!

Later that morning we did a helicopter tour of the falls….hmmmmm…we waited for 1.5 hours for a 10 minute ride with maybe 1 minute viewing the falls….yeppa, felt a bit ripped off….damn tourists:))) But the view was spectacular!!

Later that day we flew to Rio where we stayed at the historic Copacabana Palace:
https://www.belmond.com/hotels/south-america/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/belmond-copacabana-palace/about
They even had a Wall of Fame with pictures of all the famous people that have stayed…..and no, none of our friends pictures were hanging…darn:))))

The next day we were up early again….like this is the early bird tour, every day….to go see the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey!!! “On a full-day excursion, drive two hours east of Rio into the Atlantic Rain Forest to learn about one of the world’s most exciting conservation success stories—the recovery of the nearly extinct golden lion tamarin. These tiny primates, about the size of a squirrel, take their name from their impressive manes—thick ruffs of golden-orange hair around their charming, wizened faces. The species is critically endangered, as are Brazil’s Atlantic coastal rain forests in which they live, under growing pressure from logging, agriculture and industry in Brazil’s most densely populated region. The golden lion tamarin conservation project was established as a collaborative program in conjunction with WWF in 1971 to save the species against enormous odds. The initiative has helped the golden lion tamarin recover from a low point of a mere hundred or so individuals, to more than a thousand today. Accompanied by an expert local guide using radio telemetry equipment, track the animals in their native habitat on an interpretive walk in the rain forest. In the verdant world beneath the canopy, listen for their high-pitched call and look for flashes of bright orange in the trees, where they spend most of their time. Living in social family groups, they forage for insects, fruit, lizards and birds by day while traveling from branch to branch, sleeping in hollows at night. Some are habituated to human observers, allowing us to watch and photograph a family group as they jump between trees in the canopy. Males help raise the offspring, and you may see them carrying infants, often twins, on their backs. Be sure to bring your camera and binoculars. Knowing that proceeds from your tour help support the conservation of golden lion tamarins in their natural habitat. Your visit also promotes forest-friendly income generation for the local community, contributing to the long-term protection of golden lion tamarin habitat.”

Golden Lion Tamarin Monkeys in Brazil

Seeing the tamarins was definitely a highlight!! There were 4 families in the sanctuary and we saw 2. At fist they were a bit shy but as we stayed and observed they became more playful & curious. Wow!!!! The guides only allowed human interaction for 2 hours and we needed to wear a mask to prevent any human diseases from being transmitted. At the end of our 2 hours, we saw a black tufted marmoset….cute critter!!

Later that afternoon we visited a local family, friends of our guide Eugenio. They have a 4 room Inn catering to people visiting the Tamarins. Oh what a treat…several caipirinhas made with local cachaca, a delightful lunch of local food, a tour of the facility and nursery, and lots of conversation….a perfect outing and day:

Principal

The next day we toured some of the sites in Rio…..Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and Santa Teresa. All were Big Wows!! Christ the Redeemer was very impressive….you get used to seeing the statue all around Rio!! The views from Sugarloaf mountain were spectacular as it was a blue sky, sunny day!!

And on Day 6….once again up at 4:00am for a 7:00am flight to Lima to start the Machu Pichu leg of this South America trip!!

Hope all is well!!

John

PS: Pictures in the Gallery:

https://mysticmoonvoyages.com/photo-gallery/nggallery/album/iguazu-falls-rio-brazil

https://mysticmoonvoyages.com/photo-gallery/nggallery/album/golden-lion-tamarin-in-brazil

Various Videos below: