Pantanal - my expectations
Pantanal is known as the Brazilian wetlands and although I had done my research and knew that it was the dry season, I still expected a lot more water than there actually was. Evidently when the rains start in December and January the level of the rivers rises by 6 to 9 metres and vast areas become flooded and under water. Going in the wet season must be a completely different experience and one that I would love to have now that I have been there in the dry season.

This photo of a cattle ranch which we passed on our journey to the place we stayed, shows how dry it is at this time of year.

I was also expecting it to be cooler, but we hit a hot week when you certainly didn't want to be out in the sun in the middle of the day. Even so, when we landed at Campo Grande airport in a temperature of over 30 degrees centigrade one of the ground staff told me that the weather was cold! They are used to temperatures of over 40 degrees in the summer.

Beyond this I'm not sure what I expected. Brazil is a country that has always excited me ever since I studied it for A level Geography. I was hoping for a unique experience on this trip and I was not disappointed. It was 'magical'.