We're in the Pantanal wetlands area which is the largest wetland region in the world. It's half the size of France and regarded (by UNESCO) as a natural region of international importance in terms of biodiversity. Our accommodation is in a bunk house with hammocks which are surprisingly very comfortable to sleep in. The insects however are prolific & despite our efforts to cover up, they attack any bit of exposed skin & even manage to bite through clothing. We're supporting the insect repellant business but it seems as if the mozzies like the added flavor to their meal! We are told that malaria & denghi fever are not an issue here so we hope they are right. After a quick evening meal we went for a night walk to a nearby bridge where dozens of caiman were floating with ekes and snouts just above the water. These alligators live to about 60 years and get to about 2m length. They don't attack humans we're told! In the morning we went on a safari in the back of a truck stopping frequently to watch the wildlife which included caiman, capabari ( a large guinea pig like rodent), giant otters, deer, numerous birds including, hawks, toucans, herons, vultures, kingfishers, spoonbills and pheasants. Our safari included a stop to go fishing for piranhas. This involved wading out into the mud and casting your line as far as you could without hooking each other. They were quite small and difficult to hook but we managed to get enough for dinner and it was a lot of fun. The activity for the afternoon was horse riding. As Corinne had never been on a horse before this was quite an experience. The horses were generally well behaved and it was a great way to see around the area. Sunday morning we went for a walk and were rewarded by viewing a pair of blue macaws performing their early morning rituals. We also spotted wild pigs, monkeys and quatis as well as numerous other birds. It was worth the battle with the mozzies.