Várzea Grande

The map shows differently, but this post takes place 220 miles south, in the town of Coxim (pronounced “ko-shíng”). It is famous for its fishing along the Taquari River, as well as its local folklore and history; every town feels very important—even the center of the universe—once one is there. It gets no mention in the guidebooks I use.

I stayed in an inexpensive pousada right on the river; Juliana and her “namorado,” boyfriend, kept the never-updated rooms clean and simple. My first night I saw a cockroach the size of a mouse and a spider the size of an apricot, but fleeing terrified, they never appeared again. I took an eleven-mile walk the next morning on the “Estrada Para o Pantanal,” a dirt road where I saw six toucans, seven owls, and some very odd road-runner-like birds. I also stumbled on the Coxim Shooting Club. The members meet once a month or so, do competitive target shooting, and have a jolly huge barbecue lunch afterwards. I walked the long way back—utterly exhausting in the 95-degree heat.

I loved staying in the small town, as I could calmly walk around and chat with the residents. I developed such a country accent! I found the library, and Niuva the librarian-cum-primary school teacher, Jaque did my eyebrows, and the owner of a bake shop chatted about her fear of everything. My pousada hosts took me to see a Christo Redentor overlooking the Taquari, and even cooked up a big feast for all the guests on my last night. The signature dish was “correiro,” “truck driver,” a mix of fried bacon and beef mixed with rice. My best “find” was an eccentric Andorran immigrant, who built his own museum/park/apartments/ranch house compound. In the park he placed his own sculpted life-size figures of famous town citizens. In the museum, students from the nearby university (who rented his apartments) curate his collection of 19th century porcelain, silver, paintings, and other objects. He also runs an online newspaper, “The Newspaper of the North Pantanal.”

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