Vast expanse of the Pantanal as seen from Mount Caracara

At the heart of Brazils Pantanal national park is a hill that the locals call Caracara, it's named after a common bird that you can often see rising on the thermal currents here (see my post from August 2011). This hill is part of the Amolar mountains and affords a breathtaking view across the otherwise flat expanse of the Pantanal - the largest wetland in the world. The lush vegetation, rivers and baias spread 195,000 square kilometres over Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay and from up here you really get a sense of scale. I've posted a couple of iPhone Photosynths below to help give you a feel for what it's like at the top of Caracara.






From Lake to Savannah

If you were to stand on Caracara at different times of the year you'd witness a spectacular transformation. In April the view would rival that as seen over the great lakes of North America. By November the landscape more closely resembles the savannah of Africa. The Pantanal is one of the most dynamic landscapes on earth, where the weather, the floods and the wildlife are constantly in a state of flux. You never quite know what to expect, how wet it's going to be, or what wildlife you're going to see, but you can always be sure that it's going to be spectacular. (see my post from July 2011)