We travelled up the "WEST SYDE" of Brazil to Campo Grande, where we were mobbed by people trying to sell us tours, ended up with ecological expeditions, who were really good. We arrived in Campo Grande, after an 18 hr bus ride, at 930am by 1130 am we were in another bus, for a four hour trip into the pantanal. After transferring to a army style 4wd truck which took us another 3 1/2hrs along the bumpiest dustiest roads i've ever seen, we arrived at base camp (basiccally shelters with mossi nets and hammocks!) Safe to say we both had very sore arses, after all that travelling!!. But it was worth it, over the next few days we saw alligators, armadillos, toucans, macaws, deer, wild pigs, wild boars, hawks, kites, vultures, hornbills, spoonbills, igrits, storks and all sorts of other stuff. We also both swam in an aligator infested river and stroked the biggest one we saw! Like i said before, Steve Irwin Watch ya back! After two days at base camp we went to the Lodge, on the Paraguay River, where we went Piranha fishing and both caught a few that were deep fried and eaten for dinner! (obviously i caught more, noodle you'd be proud, imagine rudd and raoch with teeth!). Found a great bait for fishing that no one seems to use in the uk...cow heart, blood an all!