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South America

José Ignacio: In Search of the Elusive Capybara

Uruguay

We spent several days at Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio in Uruguay. As we drove across the long, moss-covered wooden bridge toward the estancia, we all wondered the same thing: What in the world are we going to do out here? As it turned out, the answer was plenty, and very little, which was exactly what we needed. We enjoyed wonderful local food, rode horses across the wide-open countryside, and took long walks in search of the elusive capybara. We heard them rustling through the grasses and splashing into the river, but they always managed to disappear before we could actually see them. Mostly, though, we simply slowed down and enjoyed the remarkable sound of silence. After coming from the thunderous roar and raw power of Iguazu Falls, the peaceful landscape of Jose Ignacio felt like the perfect place to exhale, unwind, and appreciate doing absolutely nothing at all.

Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio photographed in Uruguay.
A moss-covered wooden bridge leading toward Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio in Uruguay.
The long wooden bridge toward Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio.
A capybara family near the water in Uruguay.
This AI-enhanced photo shows the peaceful scene capturing the quiet beauty of Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio in Uruguay, with the river winding through tall grasses beneath the soft glow of the setting sun. A fire burns beside Adirondack chairs in the foreground, adding to the tranquil landscape that was the original photo that I captured. Then I added the capybara family near the water's edge, gathering among the grasses, almost blending into the landscape. It captures the scene we had hoped to witness during our walks: capybaras quietly emerging at dusk beside the river.
A capybara moving into the river in Uruguay.
This AI-generated image depicts what my husband heard as he passed by the river on a full-moon evening: a sudden series of grunts, a rustle in the tall grasses, and then the unmistakable splash of capybaras disappearing into the water. Once again, they were close enough to hear, but too quick to see. The elusive capybaras of Jose Ignacio had outsmarted us yet again.
A dramatic cloud rolling over a hacienda landscape in Uruguay.
Storm clouds gathering over the hacienda.
Moonlit campfire atmosphere in Uruguay.
Moonlit campfire atmosphere in Uruguay.
Sunset color over the Uruguay landscape.
Sunset over the Uruguay landscape.
A tree-lined path forming a green tunnel in Uruguay.
Tree tunnel in the Uruguay countryside.
A toucan photographed in Uruguay.
Toucan sighting in Uruguay.
RhodiClicks capybara traveler illustration.
The capybara became the playful guide for the first book.

Animal Note

Capybara

Capybaras are the world's largest rodents and are highly adapted to life around rivers, wetlands and marshes. During our stay near José Ignacio, we searched for them along the river and heard them rustling through the grasses and splashing into the water, but they remained just out of sight. That elusive encounter eventually became the inspiration for Capybara Adventures, the first RhodiClicks coloring book.

Related Books

Capybara Adventures