The Pantanal

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Hey kids, let's travel the world together.

She can make it easy and in any kind of weather.

No TSA, no bad checks, no patting down.

She's talking from the skies and city lights are feel-good sounds.

Oh, Betty in the sky, have you heard?

Oh, Betty in the sky, have you heard her yet?

She loves traveling, there's no doubt.

Oh, Betty in the jets.

Oh, she's weird and wonderful.

Oh, Betty, she's a podcast queen.

She's wearing high-heeled shoes, got her wings on too, you know, I've never seen her better

stew.

Oh, Betty in the jets.

Hello, and welcome to...

Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase. I'm Betty. I'm a flight attendant for a major airline and I bring

you stories from the airplane, from the flight attendants and the pilots, and from traveling

around the world. This episode is mainly stories from my recent trip to the Pantanal in Brazil,

along with some fun stories from other flight attendants, some just airplane stories, just

because I don't really like the episode to be all me. So we have stories about the Pantanal,

a fun surprise, headsets, turds, toucans, armadillos, bigfoot, and anteaters. The music

for the show I recorded in a park in Campo Grande, Brazil. Let's get on with the show.

You know, I'm going to the Pantanal and as I'm recording this right now,

I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow. My stomach gets all jittery with journey pride,

but my last...

So I must... I talk to a lot of people. I see a lot of flight attendants in the lounge and they're

like, where are you going to next? And I'm like, I'm going to the Pantanal. And I must have told

maybe 75 people this and all you get is a blank stare. And then, um, where? Nobody's ever heard

of it, it seems like. So then I'm on the beverage car with the male flight attendant and I had that

last trip before I was going to the Pantanal. And I said something about, well, after this,

I'm on vacation. He's like, oh, where are you going?

And, you know, pouring drinks. And I'm like, I'm going to the Pantanal. And his face lit up and

he's like, what? You're going to the Pantanal? And I'm like, yeah. And he's like, wow. And then

I said, and then I'm going and I'm going to Bonito. And he's like, what? You're going to

Bonito? That's fantastic. He was so excited. He was, he's from Brazil. I didn't realize he was

from Brazil. And he's like, only Brazilians know about these places, but you are gonna have the

best time.

Every once in a while, you have an outstanding day. And I was, you know, I'm planning my trip

to the Pantanal and Bonito. And you spend a lot of time trying to think of everything,

make sure you pack everything, you get yourself all, you know, prepared. So yeah, I'm there early.

And I find out, you can watch on your phone, it's very rare to get first class these days.

Back in the day, I got it a lot. But now,

that's a complicated thing. And I've been afraid for years and years and years that it's going to

go away because it's very kind of the company if you're flying standby as an employee, and there's

an empty first class seat that you get it. And I think at any point that can go away because

it makes more sense business wise to give it to the frequent flyers and employees, but whatever,

I'm thrilled to have it. And when you get it these days, it's a rarity. So I see on my phone,

I got first class.

First class to Sao Paulo, and I'm like, yippee. And then I'm looking at my phone,

and I get an email. And it was from Thompson from Vermont. And he said,

I realized that August 30th was your 19 years of podcasting anniversary. Now, I didn't realize,

I didn't, I didn't realize what date it was. But luckily, he did. And he can't believe how sweet

this was. He had some, he had some, he had some, he had some, he had some, he had some, he had some,

he had some guys in Africa sing a song to me. Happy anniversary. They had a little chalkboard

that said happy anniversary, Betty. And he had, he had printed out a logo, my logo. And it was

just so sweet. And in the email, he said, thank you for bringing so much life and joy and adventure

to our devices over the years. And I was like, that's so sweet. I just got first class. And now

I got like a tear in my eye. And then, then I posted the video. And I was like, oh my gosh,

and people wrote all kind of nice things. So somebody wrote, we have all experienced the world

through Betty. And it's like, oh, okay. Teary again. And somebody else wrote, you've brought

immeasurable joy and inspiration to adventure. And I was like, oh, so listen to this video.

I'm a little strange in that I don't want a perfect trip. I don't want a perfect trip to Brazil

because, you know, if the people are nice, everything went swimmingly. The food was great.

Everything was perfect. It's a dud of a story. The dreaded perfect trip. So I get there and,

you know, I'm used to a language barrier.

But this was a real, I get to Camp, it was fine, you know, in Sao Paulo, but get to Campo Grande

and it's like, nobody speaks English. So it's basically a silent journey. That's fine. I was

able to talk to one guy at a restaurant who said only 5% of tourists are from outside of Brazil

in that area. So I had lots of time to think, contemplate. I like talking to people, you know,

that's how I learn. So I wasn't so sure.

I didn't know how dangerous it was there, you know, because people say Brazil is dangerous.

I've heard, that's probably why I haven't been there that much. Cause I used to hear things like,

oh, it's not, if you'll get mugged, it's when you'll get mugged. And it's kind of like,

especially when you're by yourself. But I, I knew also that this part of Brazil,

Mato Grosso was most likely not going to be dangerous, not a big city. So, but you know,

you never know.

And I flew into Campo Grande and I had an extra day. I call it a buffer day,

just because I had that, I paid a hundred percent for that tour. And I found out stuff as I went

along on this tour. I couldn't book anything on the internet. And it turns out because the travel

agents pre, there's just so not that many rooms in the Pantanal. So they pre-booked the rooms

even before they have clients. And that's why I couldn't figure out how to book anything,

um, that's why I had to go through a travel agency, but I never go through a travel agency.

So I had already paid for everything. So I wanted to make sure I got there with the standby and

everything. So I, uh, the first day and actually this first day was pretty good. Lots of times,

the first day I go through a whole stupid little thing. Cause you've done so much planning,

you've done so much thinking and packing and you've got everything and you get there and you

go like, eh. Luckily that wasn't the case this time, but I wasn't sure,

you know, about walking. So the first night, I mean, I had phone all night and then I had the

day flight to Campo Grande. So I just decided to eat at the hotel. Um, it was fine. It's kind of

like an oil slick pizza, but you know, it was, it was pretty good as first days go. Now day two,

I decided, uh, I'm going to try to take Uber because I don't know how safe it is walking by

myself, but the Uber was fantastic. Everything was like $2, $3. And I don't know, I don't know,

I don't know how to explain anything where I'm going or anything. Cause you've already put it on

the internet. The Uber was fabulous. And I went to a place to hike and I saw coaties and I saw

coffee bars and lots of birds. And, um, yeah, that was a good day. Um, so then this was the

scary part for me that, uh, I've, I've had other places when I did the safari in Zanzibar to go to,

um, the Salou in Tanzania. I had paid,

um, half of that trip and it's like, how do you know these people are going to show, you know,

how do you know you're not just getting scammed on the internet? So I'm literally in, they're

supposed to meet me at eight o'clock and it's not like anybody gets to you the day before and goes,

you know, yeah, we're good for eight o'clock, you know? So it's just like, okay, the schedule that

I got a long time ago says eight o'clock. So, so I'm down, I'm in the lobby going, Oh, cause what

if they don't show? I mean, it's like a six day trip, but it's like, Oh, guess what?

Perfectly on time. Guy doesn't speak English, but that's fine. There's no internet on like a

three and a half hour drive. So, uh, I had a lot of time to think, and you know, sometimes

thinking, having a lot of time to think is very good. I got some ideas that I want to work on

later. So I get to Bonito and nobody speaks English and I can use the Google translate.

You know, you kind of use it, your phone over it so you can read it. And it's like, Oh, I don't

want to eat the alligator for the menus and stuff. But there were places if they didn't have internet,

uh,

and I had a menu that was all in Portuguese. It was kind of like, I'm just going to point and hope

there was one where I was like, well, I know this has rice. Cause like a Rosa anyway, um,

for some people, this would be catastrophic. Cause you know, they're so concerned about what

they're eating, but I'm not that picky. Uh, one of the things I don't like, I don't, I'm not crazy

about octopus, but you know, what are the chances that this is going to have octopus? So, you know,

most dishes don't have octopus.

Okay. So back in the day, we used to have those headphones that you put under your, under your

chin, like a stethoscope, like a stethoscope, like a thick stethoscope. Yes. And this gentleman would

take it and he'd tear it apart from that one ear, put it down inside of a vodka bottle that he had

between his feet that he brought on from duty-free. And so he'd be drinking out of the vodka and

listen to the television with the other ear. Like a camelback.

So Bonito means beautiful. And it's probably called that because Bonito is beautiful. I it's

hard. It's hard to explain in words sometimes how impressive something is. The first thing I did,

I had, um, two tours already scheduled, uh, with my big tour. Uh, the first thing was the Gruta

Del Lago, which is like a big,

cave with ridiculously blue water. You like hike down in, it was very impressive. And then we went

to Rio de Prata and Rio de Prata. And let me tell you, this thing was unbelievable. So it was almost,

it didn't feel, there was part of me that was like, this seems fake. Nothing can be this pretty.

Like it's like, it was as if,

some billionaire with an amusement park wanted to make the best ride ever. And he's like, we're

going to make this long river with like Caribbean blue water. We're going to put in this beautiful

vegetation with like pinks and purples. And then we're going to, we're going to fill it with

exotic, colorful fish, maybe a few non-biting anacondas for added excitement. And then,

you know, we don't want the tourists to,

have to swim. So we're going to pump in a current. So they just drift like a lazy river snorkeling

through crystal clear blue water with exotic fish and beautiful vegetation. I mean, and then it's

almost like the, the, the, the guy who has this amusement park, they say to him, well, you know,

that's going to cost $3 billion. And he was like, done, but it's all natural. I mean,

I got there and they give you a wetsuit, water shoes, and they tell you certain things. And as

we're like, they, you got on like a truck and you drive through some forest and you arrive at the

river. And I'm just looking around going, wow, look at, look at this. And I like to snorkel,

but I've never snorkeled in a river. It was out of this world. And so I had an extra day.

Um, you could put an extra day in Bonito. And I thought, when am I going to be in Bonito again?

So I did a different snorkel trip, uh, the Sakuri river, and it's actually in, they call it the

green Anaconda river. And I was really hoping to see an Anaconda because how exciting would it be

to see? I mean, and scary, of course, but to see an Anaconda as you're snorkeling, but that one was

also, uh, ridiculously beautiful. Um, I had one little problem.

Uh, the first day it was a longer, uh, you had a longer float and I don't believe in that,

that spitting in your mask thing. I don't think it works. So I have what somebody told me,

or I read somewhere a long time ago that you take baby shampoo and I have a little container of baby

shampoo mixed with water because baby shampoo doesn't hurt your eyes. And I, I put it on my

mask and then I put the water on and then, um, it works like a charm. So.

The first day was a little bit longer. So like halfway through we had to get out of the water

and because it got too shallow at one point, cause you know, the billionaire didn't make it.

It's natural. So at one part of the river, it's too shallow for you to snorkel. So we had to get

out and walk and I took the mask off. But once you take the mask off,

it no longer works. The baby shampoo, like I need more baby shampoo, but I didn't have anywhere to

put it on my, you know, my mask. So I had to take the mask off and I took the mask off and I took

the mask off and I took the mask off and I took the mask off and I took the mask off and I took the mask off.

In a wetsuit or in my shoe. So I didn't have anything. And, um, so I tried to spit thing.

And so now we're going and the current's getting a little stronger cause it's natural,

you know? And, but now my mask is all fogged. I'm having trouble seeing. So then the, the lazy

river that's getting a little faster with the current kind of felt like a white water rafting

without a raft. So I was afraid it was going to like hit a branch or something, but,

but I figured out was, um, for the next day and now for future trips anywhere else is that, uh,

my GoPro has a handle that's so it'll float, but there's, you can open it and you can put

something in it so I can put my little, uh, container of baby shampoo in my GoPro. So I

never have to have this fogging up, uh, issue again. And sometimes when you learn something

like that, it's like,

Now, this story's a little bit off color. It's kind of a little bit of a

podcast potty story. You know, we take our good plumbing for granted. And there's a lot of places

in the world where they have that little sign, even in the nice hotel. I get the Marriott. It

says, please don't put the toilet paper in the toilet. So you can't put anything in the toilet,

except for what comes out of you. And, um,

because it's a little bit off color, it's kind of a little bit of a podcast potty story.

Because the, the plumbing isn't that great. So I, I find it off putting to put the toilet paper

in the bin, but that's what you do. So that's what I do. I, I'm good at following directions.

So I'm in Bonito and this is where it gets a little blue. Uh, I went number two and flushed

the toilet. And I did, I didn't put the paper. I put the paper in the bin and, um, one

third would not go down. I would flush it and it go round and round and just pop right back up and

float. And it was like, Ooh. So I thought, okay, that's okay. I'll hold the flush lever down

longer. It'd go round and round and float back up to the surface. And it's like, Oh, maybe I hold

the lever down shorter, round and round and pop back up to the surface. And it's like, sheesh,

maybe I just need to keep trying. Just be patient. Don't worry about this stray,

bird. I do it. I flush again, goes round and round. Nope. Won't go down. And it's like,

do I leave it for the maid? The maid has to come in lots of times. I don't use a maid service. I

put like a do not disturb. There isn't that here, but, um, when you're putting the paper in the bin,

you basically need someone to come to get the trash. So what am I supposed to do? Just leave

it floating there for the maid? Do I need, this is a terrible thought, but do I fish it

out? Do I leave it floating there for the maid? Do I need, this is a terrible thought,

but do I fish it out and put it in the bin? It's like a turd conundrum. So finally like 10 flushes

later and it went down and I was like, sure. Okay. All right. So a lot of the things that I

was concerned about on this trip were of no concern. Everything was so much better than I

thought. So I had read it was really hot. So I was prepared for, you know, really unbearable heat. I

had read that the, the insects will eat through your clothes. You should have multiple layers on

and the heat. And I was like, well, but, uh, Bonito wasn't, wasn't hot at all. And so, um,

I didn't, like I said, I didn't really have a lot of people to ask questions to. So now it is time

to leave Bonito and go to the Pantanal. And, uh, my schedule said 8am. So I'm like, okay, 8am.

And at 8am, my guide arrives, my guide, my own guide. I, in the little itinerary, it said,

uh, there's tours in the morning and at night, like on a safari walking or boat,

and there'll be English speaking guide. I thought it just meant there was a guide on the tours,

but no, I had my own guide for like three nights and four days. And she speaks English and she's

lovely. Her name was Deanna and she could not have been,

so now we have like a three hour drive to the Pantanal. And now guess who gets to ask a bunch

of questions? Cause she speaks English. So I was like, how is it going to be so unbearably hot

when it's only three hours from here? And she explained that the Pantanal is like a cup of soup.

So you, you have mountains land around it and then you go down and then that's where the water is.

And it's also hotter. And I was like, okay, let's go to a cup of soup.

And then on the ride, um, I was very curious about the ant eaters. I find them to be such an

odd looking creature. And I was like, how, how, how many ants does this thing need to eat? It's a

big, it's a giant ant eater. How many ants does this thing need to eat to be this big? And she

said it eats 200,000 ants and, or termites a night, 200,000 ants a night. Wow. So, um,

I also was asking about, uh, there's cows everywhere, not that many people. And she said,

oh, in the area of that area, Brazil is Mato Grosso. And she said in Mato Grosso, there's 2

million people and 24 million cows, 24 million cows. So then I was asking more questions about

the ant eater cause it's got this giant furry tail. And she says it uses that furry tail as a blanket,

which I thought was,

interesting also. So now we're on the drive and I'm like, is there any chance of us seeing

animals on the drive? And she goes, well, you know, it's a, it's not the good time of day

cause it's getting hot now. So probably won't see anything. And as we're driving, she's like,

there's an ant eater, there's an ant eater. And I'm like, there's an ant eater, a giant

ant eater right on the side of the road. It was so exciting.

I want to thank any of you who are so kind and generous. You took an extra second when you were

going to buy something.

On Amazon, you went to my website, Betty in the sky.com. It doesn't cost you anymore. It supports

the show. And I like to see what people buy this past month. Somebody bought in the garden of

beasts, love terror and an American family in Hitler's Berlin. Somebody else bought a go-go's

album and somebody else bought 12 Hawaiian Aloha party. And I just want to thank you again. If

you're going to buy something on Amazon, just consider going to my website, Betty,

in the sky.com. It doesn't cost you anymore. And I thank you so very much.

So I was telling these flight attendants that sometimes passengers can be confused.

So did you have a confused passenger?

Quite a few times, but a couple of them that I can, I give you at least one right now is

how I was confused as a dog.

They thought I was a dog.

Um, the passenger, bless her heart, uh, was coming on to go to a, um, a sabbatical type

situation out West that her husband and kids had put her on and she didn't know where she was

going, unfortunately, which was the sad part. But, um, she was a little nervous about the flight

and I was, um, consoling her and telling her everything was okay. And she was,

got a little sick at takeoff. So as I come back through,

the aisle to check on her, I bent down to kind of clean up mess in the aisle and she immediately

started petting the top of my head, thinking that she had brought her dog on board. And then when I

turned my head and looked at her, she said, Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought I brought my dog on board.

You're not my dog. So yeah.

We arrive at Pusata Agape and I had read reviews.

And I really wanted to stay there because I had read that there were animals all over the place.

It's a working farm. Uh, and as soon as we got there, Deanna is showing me around and I was just

like, Oh, a Twitter. I was like, I was like, it's a little piece of paradise. It's it was everything

I hoped for and more. So we're just, she's just showing me around and there's this, there's a bird

in the living room. Uh, and it's, she's like, Oh, he came here.

And he's just never left. And it's like, well, I like that already. And there's a beautiful pool

and it's just about time for lunch. And it's the kind of lunch that I love that kind of,

it's like a safari lodge. It's just a different type of safari lodge. So it's like a buffet,

lots of different choices. Uh, and we're getting our meal and there's a little armadillo.

I didn't realize how cute armadillos are. They're adorable. He's running around and I'm like,

there's an armadillo. There's an armadillo. There's an armadillo. There's an armadillo. There's an armadillo.

There's an armadillo at lunch and armadillo at lunch and armadillo at lunch. I'm already like,

I love it here. And she was, they, I had read that they do an activity in the morning and an activity

at night. Cause it's very hot during the day in the cup of soup. That is the Pantanal. So, uh,

she's like, we're going to do a safari tonight. And I'm like, great. Cause there's never a bad

day in the bush. So, um, I thought, okay, so there's a pool and I love a pool.

And, uh, there's a pool, but there's a, it's a pool with such unbelievable things around. So

I get on my swimsuit and I start to swim and there's, they have three different kinds of

macaws, not just a scarlet macaw. There's a blue one. There's a yellow one. And so the macaws are

flying around. There's two cans around. There's cowboys on horses riding by. It's kind of like,

this is the best pool ever.

So now it's time for my first safari in the Pantanal. And I have a guide and she's like,

she was so great at saying here, we want to sit up front. Cause we're closer to the local guide.

And I was like, okay, whatever you say. So, uh, it's, um, it was a different type of safari

vehicle. Didn't have a roof on it. It's kind of like a truck with, um, like, uh, something built

and then chairs on top. Anyway, it's great.

Held quite a few people, probably like, uh, a dozen, uh, maybe a little more. And now we're

going out and I know I said it before, but there's never a bad day in the bush. I don't even have any

expectations at this point. I just think, Hey, let's, you know, let's see what we can see.

And, you know, I was hoping for, there's a couple of different kinds of anteaters and we saw that

anteater on the road, but, uh, it, it basically ran off after I took a picture, but it was nice

that it stood there for a second where I got the picture. So,

we're going for a little while in the safari vehicle and, uh, the local guide stops. He goes

and gets a, um, ladder and he says, we're going to walk. And this is when I was like, we're going to

what? Huh? What was that? Cause I'm used to an African safari where you can't get out and walk

cause there's animals that'll kill you. But, uh, uh, it was explained to me that there really

aren't any predators. It's fine to walk. Um, you know, the anteater is not going to bite you.

Uh, there are pumas, but they're kind of hard to see.

There's mountain lions, but they're hard to see. And, um, I, I wanted to see the Jaguars,

but it turns out I've learned now that the Jaguars are further North and I'd have to go back. So

since there isn't anything out there, you could just get out and walk and it's fun to get out and

walk. And I don't even know what we're going to see, but the local guys has seen something. So

we, we, and they tell you to be quiet. And my guide, uh, Deanna and I, we were, um, since we

were in the front, which is a good call on her part, we were the first ones there and there's a

giant anteater and they're giant animals that just eat ants. So now we get back on the safari

view.

We drive a little further and it's so pretty there. They have these trumpet trees. I had been

seeing them back in the beginning of the trip, like in Bonito, uh, these big yellow trees,

but you can, you can eat the yellow flower trumpet trees, but there's also white and pink and just

gorgeous. So even if you don't see anything, it's just so such pretty terrain. And Deanna kept

saying, and I agree with her that it looks like, it looks like Africa. So now, uh, the local guides

spot something else again. So we get out of the safari vehicle and it's a lesser anteater. And I

don't really like that name lesser because it's so cute. It's just smaller, but it's a different,

it's like black and white. And it looks like a stuffed animal or like almost like a lemur.

And he's hugging a tree eating ants. And the way he's hugging the tree, uh, it, the thing is just

so cute. I can't explain how.

Exciting it was to see it. And then we, we get back in the safari vehicle and now it's getting

dark and he's looking for things with lights and then they do something else, which I find very

special. They just turn all the lights off. And then you just look up at the stars in the sky

and the Milky way. The thing we never get to see anymore. And it's so majestic. It's like,

what a perfect day in the Pantanal. So I've been going to Seoul and I've been having fun,

just experience.

And so you've been to Asia.

I have been to Asia. It's only one country being Japan, but I spent a lengthy amount of time there

in Japan. I spent four months with my previous career and, um, we had toured all the cities and

all Northern Island, mainland and Southern Island. And, uh, when we would go do things, uh, with,

with my cast and crew that we traveled around with, um, and this, this hasn't been stated yet. I am,

uh, uh, gentlemen of height of six, four. So going to Japan, um, I stuck out like a sore thumb

or maybe a lucky thumb as they call it, because when they see me, everyone's like, Ooh, ah,

can I pet you? You're lucky and all, because, you know, they see people that are not of the norm and

they, they think it's a lucky thing, um, that I'm at my height, but we were going bowling one time.

Is that popular in Japan?

I don't know.

It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's,

it's very popular in Japan. Extracurricular activities, a lot like karaoke and those other

things they want to do. Anything you can do as a group they love. So I went up to the counter to

get my bowling shoes and he asked me my shoe size and I told him in, um, us size and in European

size. And he said, Oh no, so sorry. You too big foot. We don't have it. No, so sorry. And you know,

in that culture, we might take offense to it, but they,

they're just to the point and blatant. Um, so I didn't take offense to it,

but I was unfortunately not able to bowl because I got too big a feet.

So my guide, Deanna, she says, um, tomorrow we're supposed to go on a walk with a group

and the group isn't going to after breakfast. So at like seven 30 and she goes, if it's okay with

you and I'm thinking it's okay with me, whatever you're suggesting is okay with me. I'm not that

concerned. I'm not that concerned. I'm not that concerned. I'm not that concerned. I'm not that

concerned about breakfast. She's like, let's, let's, um, go on a walk. Just the two of us at

five 30. Cause the earlier, the better for spotting animals. And I'm like, great. And I'm

like, is there going to be coffee? She's like, there'll be coffee there in the breakfast area.

It's like an open air breakfast area. And I should also note that the there's fences,

but the fences are just for the cattle. So the animals can freely go through. It's, it's, it's,

there aren't any, um, barbed wire. It's just, uh,

the animals can eat it. It's just, uh, it's just, uh, it's just, uh, it's just, uh, it's just,

easily get through. So anyway, uh, I'm like, great. I will be up and ready. I do want a cup

of coffee, but, um, I will be up and ready to go for our hike at five 30 in the morning. So she's

like, okay, well you'll be ready at five 30. And I'm like, I will be ready. And she goes just so

she's always looking out for me, which is so nice. She goes, you might want to, we're going to be

walking in the fields. So you might want to, um, wear socks that you can tuck your pants into.

So you don't get any ticks. And I was like, Ooh, I don't want any ticks. So I will,

definitely put my pants in my socks. And she goes, Oh, so you might want to also before you

put your shoes on, always check for, um, snakes and frogs. And I was like, okay,

guess you're not in Kansas anymore. Check your shoes for snakes and frogs. So, you know, that's

kind of early, but I get up and, um, uh, in the, the sounds of the camp, it were so nice in the

morning and I, she's already there. And, um, cause I got there, you know, like five 25 and

I'm going to go to the camp. And I'm going to go to the camp. And I'm going to go to the camp.

I'm going to get the coffee. And she goes, um, you know, there's a crab eater fox right there.

And I was like, Ooh, there's what? Forget the coffee. There was the cutest crab eating fox.

I love fox standing there. Cause they can go anywhere. And sometimes they come up to the

lodge and I was like taking pictures. I'm like, there's a fox before breakfast, a fox before

breakfast. So we had coffee and we go out and, you know, we go to the camp and we go to the

You know, the light is so nice for, for sunrise and the light on the capybaras. I don't know if

you guys know, but a capybara is like, it's this cute animal. They're like the size of a big dog,

but they're rodents. Um, but they're, they're very, I, I find them extremely cute. So first

we see some capybaras and then we walk a little further and we see some caimans, actually a lot

of caimans. And we walk a little further and we see some capybaras. And then we walk a little

further and we see some foxes out in the, not by the lodge. And it's just, you know, we're seeing

all kinds of great birds and I'm fine. I'm thinking this is like a magic morning. And then

Deanna is like, and she, I could, it was fun to see the excitement in her. Cause she does this

all the time. She's like, it's an anteater. There's an anteater. She's like, come this way.

So we're trying not to get too close to it and not disturb it. But we got to spend a lot of time with

a lesser anteater. And it was just so exciting just to be in its presence. It didn't seem scared

at one point. It kind of, she said it, they don't have good eyesight or hearing, but they can smell

you. At one point he kind of stopped and went like, but he kept going, but we were so close.

This was really exciting. It was fun to see the joy and excitement and Deanna, my guide, finding

the anteater. And then to watch the joy on this anteater's face when he found a good, like they,

they like dig in the ground and they find a good hole and they suck up all the, the ants. And it

like, it, it really enjoys those ants, but it was just such a fun hike, you know? So we get back

for breakfast and now there's two cans on the table. There's two cans at breakfast.

There's two cans at breakfast. I'm sorry. It's like the best breakfast ever.

So that day I got to go to the pool watching all the macaws and the two cans and the horses.

And then that night we did a boat safari and at dinner, I, I don't know if it's exciting to

everyone else, but to have the armadillos walking under the table, then here comes this big, um,

feral pig. He just lays down by the bird feeders outside the, where you have dinner. And, uh, some

people came in like pet his belly and he's like smiling. And I was like, okay, there's a pig at

dinner, a pig at dinner. And later on, um, a raccoon wandered by, they can smell the food.

So they come to that, they come near the house and there aren't any fences. So the next morning we had

a safari with just she, I, and the local guide. And we went to a part of the farm that a lot of

people don't get to with this water and these beautiful birds walking by and the trumpet trees

and somebody that's someone being me was feeling very happy to be alive. And at that special place

later on that day, we went on a two hour horseback safari.

And I was like, life just keeps getting better and better that last evening. Um, I would, I would

have my meals with my guide, which was very nice. Cause she was just a lovely person to be around.

And she seemed like she could just be a flight attendant. You know, she just seemed like one of

us, you know, someone you would like to hang out with. And here comes the big pig at dinner. And

now, um, I'm always wondering like, you know, this, is this work for her? Cause like, you know,

I was going to say, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't

have another drink. And I was like, you can go. Cause you know, like, like how long is her workday?

We started, you know, early in the morning. And, uh, plus I'm fine with talking with people. There

were Germans and Dutch people there. So they spoke English and the other guides. So I said,

you know, I'm fine. I'm going to get one last capreña cause I do like those. And, um, there

was a bartender there who for the last few days, it became obvious to me, like on day one,

when I was in the bar, I was like, I'm going to get one last capreña. And I was like, I'm going to

get one last drink. And, uh, she spoke Portuguese and she asked my guide if, um, I was married.

And I said, uh, I've never been married. And she seemed very happy about that. And I was

like, the next day she's making like finger hearts at me. And I was like, oh, okay. And

the female bartender has a little crush on me, but you know, it's that sweet. So anyway,

I tell her that she can go and I get one last drink. And I was talking to, uh,

some of the other, uh, tourists and their guide having a nice conversation. And, uh, later on the

next day, she tells me she, uh, the guide came back to check on me cause she was a little worried.

I'm not used to somebody worrying about me. You know, it's really sweet. She was worried that the,

the bartender with a crush, you know, anyway, she saw that I was fine and she went back to bed and

I was like, so nice to have someone looking out for you. Well, I had a bit of a conundrum coming

up. So then I get back to Campo Grande and now I'm focused on, so uh, the plan was to go back the

next day to Sao Paulo and, um, their seats the next day, going back to the United States.

But there aren't any seats on my flight, my little commuter flight back to, um, Savannah. So anyway,

I was like, so I could go that same night. So I would arrive at Sao Paulo at like 3 PM and there's

all-nighter but I'm going to be stuck in the middle and coach or even worse I'm going to be

have to be on the jump seat because there's almost no seats but I can take the jump seat which means

I'm on the little fold-out seat in the galley but you know that's miserable all night not only are

you going to be up all night but you're in the other flight attendants way and I know the next

day I can there's not only seats but there's first class seats and now like it's really a privilege

to be able to sit in first class on a long flight so here's my conundrum I can go when I know I can

I can get on and I know I can get on the next flight but if I I already booked a hotel in

Sao Paulo so I already had that I was going to have to pay for it anyway so I can just stay in

the hotel that I already booked in Sao Paulo get first class back to the states then there's like

a five-hour sit at the airport and then I don't there was no jump seat so it was already gone

so I don't think I'm going to make the flight home so that means I got to get

another hotel in Atlanta and get back the next morning so it's like I could be miserable

in coach or on the jump seat but I could get home like 30 hours earlier or I could sit in first

class try to get on the flight home because there's still possibility you never know you

know people misconnect or whatever but most likely I had to stay another night in Atlanta

and get home the next day so it's like I could get home

hours earlier or be miserable or I could first class and it could take me an extra 30 hours so

I bet you can guess what I did it took me a lot longer to get home but guess who was a lot less

tired sitting in first class I did not get on the flight so I sat at the airport till you know 11

p.m. and I was next in line so I I almost made it on but I didn't so I got a hotel in Atlanta

went back the next day and I was like I'm going to get home I'm going to get home I'm going to get

home and that trip to the Pantanal was just out of this world well that's about it for this

episode of Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase I hope you'll join me again next time so we can

travel around the world together thanks bye

you

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