There is only one road into/out of the Pantanal...the Transpantaneira Highway, a rough dirt road with 140 bridges.

Of all the hundreds of spectacular birds that we saw, when I remember our trip to the Pantanal I will always think of the gorgeous hyacinth macaws.

Yep...that's a jaguar laying alongside the river just after daybreak the next morning.

This magnificent cat is the reason we decided to go to the Pantanal in the first place.

Before we head south down the Transpantaneira Highway deeper into the heart of the Pantanal, a few more favorite photos from our stay at the Rio Claro Lodge.

While we'd do early morning and late afternoon walkarounds, during the heat of the day we cruised the Rio Claro by boat.

We arrived at Rio Claro Lodge just as the sun was beginning to set...and these cute capuchin monkeys were there to greet us as we walked around our digs for the next 3 days.

Y'all ready to travel with me to Brazil?

Or I should say, "So short, October"

Where have you been all my life?