0247 Around Paraiso Suizo

16^th April 2015
I climb a mountain and find a Jaguar "at it" !

While it is peaceful sitting around the campsite, chatting to like-minded people, and generally relaxing, there comes a time when something needs to be done.  First of all, one needs to go to a supermarket to buy some more beer and wine to enable one to keep on relaxing.  (And also some more food supplies, of course).  Additionally, one feels a need for some exercise for other parts of your body than your drinking arm !  With this in mind, Swiss friends Simone and Michael and myself agreed to combine a trip to the shops in Piriapolis (about 15 kms down the road) with a climb of Cerro Pan de Azucar, Uruguay’s third highest mountain.  So I dusted off my crampons and oxygen tanks, and we set off for an adventure.

0246 Punta del Diablo to Jaureguiberry

10th April 2015
Almost the end of an amazing journey……..

Well the morning certainly didn’t go as expected !  The Army soldier from last night didn’t come back before I was ready to leave with any stickers or patches as he had promised, and then when I set off out of the park I went out on a totally different road from that on which I had entered last night, and not only found a very impressive fort, but shortly afterwards got pulled up by soldier at a guard house who requested paperwork I didn’t have before he would let me out of the park !   This looked like being an interesting day !!

0245 Rio Grande Brazil ro Punta del Diablo, Uruguay

9^TH April 2015
Into Uruguay for another day full of surprises.

Today I crossed in to my sixteenth different country since I started this adventure almost exactly a year ago.  But it was actually my 32^nd border crossing – Not counting going back to Australia at Christmas.  It will be my last border crossing – Until I get to Europe, anyway ! .    And I have to say it was one of the easiest and most pleasant, although maybe not the quickest.

0244 Gramado to Rio Grande

8^TH April 2015 

From the mountains to the sea

After breakfast and packing up, and a quick visit into the rabbit infested hotel lobby to get my blog up to date and do the banking from home (yes, some things never change !), I hit the road out of Gramado.  The first couple of hours down towards Porto Alegre were winding and slow, through little country villages – Many of which were seemingly of German origin, as well as a number of German style breweries advertising their brews. 

0243 Canela and Gramado

7th April 2015
A crazy day in Toy Town

After getting myself sorted at the camp site, I headed in to town to find out what all the Easter Bunnies and Chocolate are about.  And having spent most of the day in there, I have to admit that “I don’t know” !!

 

 

 

 

0242 Florianopolis to Canela

6^th April
From the tropical coast to the freezing mountains

I ended up spending Saturday and Sunday on Florianopolis.  Saturday I just lazed around and read my Kindle and walked on the beach, and then on Sunday I went to explore the northern part of the island, and alternative possible camp sites.  When I woke up it was trying to rain, and by the time I got going, it was raining quite hard, so it was just as good to be driving around in it as sitting in a camp site !

0241 Registro to Florianopolis

3^rd April 2015  

Mountains, jungles, and beachside resorts !

Last night had to be one of the noisiest nights ever in a roadside gas station !  I got a couple of hours sleep to start with but was woken up around midnight, and when I pulled back the curtains I looked out at about 100 big tourist coaches all parked up nearby, and disgorging 1000’s of tourists !  They must have all been heading somewhere for the Easter weekend, and have stopped for a midnight break, because by 2 am they were all gone again and it was back to peace and quiet ! But I haven’t seen so many big coaches all in one place ever before, I don’t think.  I got back to sleep again once they were all gone, and woke up later to have my breakfast, and a great shower in the services centre, before hitting the road.  Some of these freeway fuel stops in Brasil are superb, with shops, restaurants, wifi, and really great and clean shoers and facilities.  Some other countries could take lessons from these.

0240 Ubatuba to Registro

2^nd  April 2015
Miles of gorgeous coastline in Brazil

I got up slightly earlier than usual and went with Giovanna in the car when she took Pedro to school. After dropping him off, we made a quick stop at the local panaderia for bread, some for breakfast and some for me to take with me, and then headed back to the house. After the usual filling breakfast and great coffee that Giovanna makes each morning,  I said my goodbyes and set off down the road at about 9 am. I had enjoyed 8 wonderful days with Mauro, Giovanna, Leticia and Pedro – They could not have made me more welcome in their home. And it has enabled me to get a real feel for southern Brazil – a place not unlike Queensland in so many ways.  But it was time to start heading back to Montevideo to catch my ship to Europe, and while I have plenty of time to get there, I want to leave some spare time up my sleeve in case I find somewhere nice to stop for a few days – Or even in case something untoward delays me !!

0239 In the jungles of Ubatuba

1^st AprIl 2015
Into the Brazilian jungle with The Medicine Man !

Some days ago Mauro had said we should go for a walk up a local mountain – but he had not told me what was involved.  Then yesterday, while we were shopping in Ubatuba, we had met Washington, a friend of Mauro’s, in a shop, and we arranged to go up and see him the next morning.  So I presumed this was instead of the mountain walk.  So after our usual hearty breakfast, Mauro and I head off in his 4x4 – But at the bottom of his lane we do a V turn, and head up a dirt track right behind Mauro’s house !  Within 2 minutes the dirt track had deteriorated and Mauro was in low ratio 4 WD as we chugged up steep muddy inclines, through fords, and with the jungle encroaching all around us more and more as we headed up the hill.  Where on earth were we going ???