Brazil > Spotting Toucans and Macaws

The weather still seems good enough to visit the bird park. It looks like it won’t rain until after ten o’clock. In the early morning twilight, I get dressed and pack my luggage. I move quietly so as not to wake my roommate, who isn’t coming along. At breakfast, I meet the other travel companions who are going. With a bit of shuffling and squeezing, the seven of us manage to fit into a six-person taxi. The taxi driver finds it amusing—he’s convinced it will work. He cheerfully gives a thumbs-up when we later take a selfie with everyone packed in tightly. At exactly half past eight, we stand at the entrance of Parque das Aves. The park was established in 1994 to protect the local nature and provide a breeding ground for endangered exotic bird species. Most of the birds come from zoos or were previously kept in captivity. What started as a bird rescue center has grown into a unique bird park.

Brazil - A toucan sits close by

In spacious aviaries, toucans, macaws, and other exotic birds fly freely. It’s fun to walk through the large enclosures. Birds fly right over my head. A toucan perches on the railing, completely unbothered by my presence. A park employee makes sure visitors don’t get too close—after all, it can bite. In the butterfly garden, tiny hummingbirds dart about. These restless little birds never sit still for more than a second. I end my visit to the park with the owls, which gaze down at visitors from above. Just as I reach the exit, it begins to drizzle.

Brazil - Several types of macaws live in the park

By the time I’m back in the taxi, the rain is coming down hard. I’ve been able to walk around the park for two hours without getting wet—I realize I’ve been lucky. Back at the hotel, it’s still raining heavily. The taxi driver parks the car right up on the curb under the awning so everyone can get out dry. The bus for the next leg of the journey is already waiting. The rest of the day will be spent on a long trip—today we drive over five hundred kilometers to Dourados. Tomorrow, we continue to Bonito. The trip to Dourados will take nine to ten hours, including rest stops. It’s not ideal, but fortunately, it’s a spacious bus with enough room for everyone. I recline my seat and try to sleep. After two hours, we stop for lunch. At first, the restaurant seems like a regular buffet, but it’s more traditionally Brazilian than I first thought. Many meals in Brazil consist of arroz (white rice), feijão (beans), and farofa (flour made from cassava). These are supplemented with salads, pasta, and meat. At the head of the buffet are the beans and rice; the other dishes are laid out in buffet style. The price is calculated by weight—you simply place your plate on the scale. In a large pot is feijoada, Brazil’s most iconic dish—a stew of beans, sausage, and meat. Though it doesn’t look very appetizing in the pan, I scoop some onto my plate anyway. It tastes better than it looks. After lunch, I catch up on my travel diary in the bus. Outside, the weather has cleared. We drive through a vast, gently rolling landscape. Occasionally, we pass through small villages, where the speed immediately drops because of numerous speed bumps. The bus has to crawl over them. There’s little life in the streets on this grey day. We drive close to the border with Paraguay—my phone even displays “Welcome to Paraguay.” When the connection switches back to Brazil, I notice the time has changed as well. In this part of Brazil, it’s probably an hour earlier. Slowly, darkness falls. Around seven o’clock, we arrive in Dourados. I quickly drop my luggage in my room. Together, we head out for dinner in town.