Atlantic Coast

Because I wanted to have a few days of beach holiday we went to a tiny fishing vilage Pauba just off a larger resort Maresias on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. We stayed only 5 days in a small and very comfortable hotel (two buildings across the quiet road, 30 rooms each)

Everyone was very friendly and helpful. A lot of small things such as beach towels, free deck chairs and parasols which could be taken to the beach (or shuttled there by hotel's car), free WiFi internet (which was important for my husband) - all these things made our stay very comfortable and enjoyable.
Beach is wide and often rather deserted. Very green and lush tropical trees, plants and grass - such a contrast to a parched Mediterranean landscape!

I am looking at the water because it has am amazing golden glitter in it! Apparently in surrounding rocks there are a lot of minerals such as a mica tiny particles of which give the water such a glow!


This is a morning, fresh still, no people, just two sandpipers. We saw a lot of birds, lizards, crabs, but managed to catch only this little chap! And we saw a lot of fish. Once I was a bit scared when saw a fin crossing my way while I was swimming!



It is a very small place, actually, but very quiet and beautiful.

People are coming to make pictures of a sunset.


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Bird Park

Bird Park (Parque Das Aves) is located next to Iguacu Waterfalls National Park and we went there on our last day in Iguacu. It is 12 acres of natural tropical forest with a lot of spacious enclosures with many exotic and beautiful birds mainly native to South America. Usually I am not very keen on zoos but here I was really impressed how happy and healthy all animals looked. And very social as well!
Of course a lot of of tropical plants and flowers. And I never thought that monstera plant is actualy a climber!


Chillean flamingo. To bred they need safety of large numbers so there are mirrors on both sides of the enclosure to create an illusion of large flock. And their chicks are true "ugly ducklings"!

Even reptiles were moving around and did not look as stuffed toys.

The most amazing experience was in some huge enclosures where we could walk in and stayed very closed to the birds! Toucans were so friendly that came to us themselves! They are so beautiful and their colours are different!



Another one with the brightly coloured parrots. They liked to fly just above our heads, sometimes we had to dive!


The last one was with the butterflies and hummingbirds. Unfortunately they are so quick we did not make proper pictures!



In the evening we left to Sao Paulo. Then it would be Atlantic coast!

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P.S.
About monkey. There was only one kind of monkeys in the Park - tiny marmosets. By the way the image of this animal is present on the bank note of Brazilian real. Now two pictures from internet:

Iguacu Waterfalls

The very short factual information: up to 300 waterfalls 60-80+ meters high with the main fall is "the Devil's Throat", which is U-shaped, 82-meter-high, 150-meter-wide, and 700-meter-long. Detailed information is here in
Wikipedia and on numerous internet cites, because Iguacu Waterfalls is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world. Water falls from Argentine to Brazil so views are very different from both sides.
It is only 90min. flight from Sao Paolo and after arrival by very early flight we are going to National Park. Entrance to it is only 1 km away from our hotel and even I can walk this far!

Inside the park you are getting close to the waterfalls by bus and here is the first glimpse of what is ahead.

"Impressive!" - it was my first thought but it was nothing compared to what was expecting us later. We followed narrow path and with every new turn we got even more magnificent view!

In some places there are such platforms on stilts to get better view:

Gradually we are getting closer to the main waterfall - "The Devil's Throat"

Water mist and spray were so powerful there that I was wet through!

And rainbows were everywere!


Some more pictures:


More pictures are here Iguacu-Brazil
Waterfalls from Argentine side tomorrow!

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