Muito Bonito

So having left the Pantanal on a ridiculously hot day we arrived in Bonito - via one of the worst roads known to human kind. The journey was quite uneventful apart from the solitary lost bat that decided to pay us a visit inside the tiny coach in pitch black - however after some gentle encouragement i.e. all of the girls on the bus screaming their heads off, it flew away.

Anyhoo we arrived in Bonito and walked straight into a lovely Pousada, which we have decided is much too nice for backpackers. The family who run it are lovely, Harriet spent today learning how to count to 10 in Portuguese. We also met 2 crazy Frenchmen who are travelling all over south america in the coolest offroad jeep thing ever. They definitely haven't given us any ideas for the future - honest!

Bonito is famous for the rivers in the surrounding area, they are incredibly clear and full of hundreds of different species of fish. The first day we went to the municipal pool, where I - Matt - amazed them with my amazing tan (or lack of) and inability to snorkel. Also because the water is so "perfect" we were not allowed to wear sun cream cue horrific burns. Harriet also insists that she got sun stroke, I am sure it was just an excuse for her lack of fitness - we had to cycle 6km to and from the river. 

Matt not really pulling off the snorkel look.

Harriet relaxing in the municipial river pool above, and some of the fish below.

The next day we went on what can only be described as the most expensive day trip ever, to a river a bit further out of town. But it was definitely worth it. We snorkelled for several kilometres down stream and saw a huge amount of different fish - it was like working at Tom's shop all over again. We also saw Capuchin monkeys in the trees and a huge scary looking Golden Dorado in the river - with a mouth not dissimilar to a T-Rex's, this is not even exaggeration.

Update - photos from Rio Prata, kindly sent to us by cool Brazilian guy Anderson.