BRAZIL - 5th to 7th and 15th to 28th February 2010

Introduction

Oi to our 67 th country! Brazil sprawls across half of South America , packed with tropical forests and great biodiversity. The 7000km coastline though is what enchanted us – white sand beaches, thousands of offshore islands and music filled cities that seem to explode at carnival time with dance and revelry. This Brazilian soul is a result of the rich melting of its people – indigenous Indians, Portuguese colonists, African slaves and the last century's waves of immigrants from around the globe. Brazils only drawbacks that we experienced are the expensive toll roads, great distances and that you simply do not want to leave!

Background and History

Archaeologists estimate that the humans arrived here 50 000years ago, predating estimates in all of the Americas . The indigenous population at the time of the Portuguese landing in 1500 is also a mystery with speculations of over 1000 tribes living as nomadic hunter gatherers or semi sedentary agriculturalists. But colonists demand for the red dye from brazilwood and then sugarcane, enslaved the Indians with ‘bandeirantes' hunting them for commercial exploitation. In the late 16 th century Jesuit priests arrived, particularly in Brazils south to convert and to protect the Guarani (albeit with their philosophy) but their success and roaring trade had them expelled in 1759 by King Carlos of Portugal. 40 percent of African slaves brought to the new world, worked Brazil 's plantations or died in its gold mines from 1550 until abolition in 1888. Napoleon's march on Lisbon in 1807 caused the monarchy to transfer its court to Brazil and its colonial status was lost without blood shed in 1822 when Dom Pedro I declared Brazil independent and himself as emperor. His son forged a parliamentary system, went to war with nearly every neighbouring country until 1889 when a coffee backed military coup toppled the empire. Repressive military regimes and the odd fascist, effectively controlled Brazilian affairs for the next century. Democracy really arrived in 1989, but along with a booming economy and well developed infrastructure came corruption, crime and widely varying living standards.

Our Experience

Brazil 's border town of Corumba was a breath of fresh air – a lot more organised and ‘well kept' than the Latin American countries we had been passing through. But the actual border is 10km from the city and we had to find the ‘Policia Ferderal' at the bus station, then return to the border for customs paperwork for Tipperdee – at least we didn't need visas and there were no costs involved. Brazil was also the first country to ask for both parents as Gary had to make a dash for the restrooms leaving Jo-Anne alone with the kids at the customs window.

This country appeared to have the ‘right' mix of structure and laid back friendliness, but we were on a mission to get to Sao Paulo for our flights home. We decided that all four of us should return to say our farewells to granny and had another 1600km to cover in 2 days. We were in the Pantanal which is one of the planets most important wetland systems with meandering rivers, savannas and green forests that harbour a variety of plant and animal life. The weather was perfect (just very hot) and the seasonal flooding inundated most of this low-lying region as we drove a dirt track that seemed suspended above the water for over about 150km – the Estrada Parque. We crossed 50+ rickety wooden bridges and had to take 2 barges across the Rio Paraguai and Miranda. This area is for parking and just observing the wildlife but our desperation to head on could not afford us this luxury. The birdlife was impressive and we spotted the world's largest rodent, a capybara, an alligator as well as some peccaries (like a wild boar). Shortly after our last river crossing we joined the tarred road east for 400km to Campo Grande . We settled into a hotel with wi-fi to finalise flight arrangements that the SA Embassy were organising for us at a reduced rate.

The 6 th was just for driving east along Brazil 's perfectly signposted highways with amazing gas stations complete with shops, restaurants and even free hot showers. But the costly toll roads totalling around $45, also took it's ‘toll' on our budget! Around sunset, we veered off the highway to the town of Assis to catch up with internet news and had our first glimpse of Brazilian culture – road side eateries, drinking and partying. A few kilometres later and after a 650km day of driving, we wild camped back along the highway at one of the many spacious gas stations.

The final 450km push to Sao Paulo 's Guarulhos airport was through similar rolling green hills cleared for white cattle ranching. By 2pm we had somehow found our way without a wrong turn, but 3 hours of chaos then ensued! Miscommunication between SAA and the SA Embassy eventually had us pay 50% more for our return tickets to South Africa . Delays at the SA Airways desk and Brazil 's immigration had us running to board the plane for the 18h30 departure to Johannesburg .

At noon the following day we were in Port Elizabeth for a happy/sad reunion with our family. The next week was for prayer meetings, funeral arrangements and eating. The 13 th February 2010 we said our final goodbyes at a beautiful ceremony for granny, which was followed by the customary family and friend kinship.

By 6am on the 15 th we were back on planes to Brazil to continue the trip. After arriving in Sao Paulo , we made our way to Tipperdee that was parked in a long term parking lot. Feeling rather ‘lost', we had to adjust to life on the road again, with our first duty being cleaning out a rather smelly fridge. The day had just over an hour of light left as we hit the road east towards Rio de Janeiro . That night we again made ourselves comfortable at one of the highways gas stations. Breakfast the next day was rolls with cream cheese courtesy of SAA and 300km later we were lost in Rio 's outskirts as we edged our way towards Barra de Tijuca. Friends Gregor and Luciana that we'd met in Goa over a year ago were our contacts in this marvellous city. Unfortunately due to the size and complexity of this city combined with a GPS with no mapping we opted to contact them from a shopping centre. After a happy reunion they introduced us to Rio 's spectacular setting. It was the last day of the Carnival and the broad white sand beaches of Barra, Praia do Pepino and Ipanema were packed with scantily clad cariocas ( Rio residents). Unlike Rio 's unattractive north, the Atlantic coastline was eye-catching, albeit interspersed with unsightly favelas (illegal slums) that have the most gorgeous views. At Ipanema beach we stumbled upon the last of the festivals Bandas or Blocos, which is a float topped by beautiful writhing dancers and followed by a lot of party people drinking, kissing and shaking their booty's.

Gregor and Luciana led us to their neighbourhood, Itanhanga, and after welcoming home-made tasty rice and black beans, we relaxed for the afternoon. We spent the next 5 nights wild camping in Itanhanga, an illegal informal housing sector of Barra de Tijuca amidst a small ‘favela' community. The first night the streets were abuzz with music, drinking and dancing as locals enjoyed the final pre-Lenten festivities. We had to sample some typical Brazilian street fare – acaraje which is made from peeled brown beans mashed in salt and onions and fried in palm oil, then filled with dried shrimp, green tomatoes and caruru paste that's prepared from okra, shrimp and peppers. A bit too fishy for Jo-Anne, she tried a tapioca, made into processed white flour that is fried and filled with cheese, ham and coconut. We also had to taste Brazil 's celebrated cocktail, the caipirinha which is made with lime, sugar and the rather harsh sugarcane white rum cachaca.

The next day, we all piled into Tipperdee and Rio 's mountains and tropical rainforests led us to awesome views of the city. We weaved our way up past waterfalls to the Chinese pagoda viewpoint in Tijuca National Park , then up Corcovado to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The drive then led through bohemian Santa Teresa with cobbled streets and aging mansions to the gorgeous crescent shaped Copacabana beach. This was the place to sample an assortment of Brazilian dishes at one of the many per kilo buffets before the coastal drive back home.

The 18 th February, it rained most of the day – perfect for schooling, planning and for the kids to play with 9 year old Julia, Luciana's niece (despite the frustrating language barrier!). The next day the bad weather cleared just enough for a 2 hour return hike through the Atlantic rainforest up Pedra Bonita to the 700m peak with more impressive views of Rio .

But Rio 's beaches with their entertaining people parade beckoned and we were back at Copacabana until sunset. Brazilian culture is all about beach life, outdoor eating and sumba – they appear to really live life just about everywhere.

By the 5 th day in the neighbourhood we became familiar faces and a retired French expat Jean Pierre took us under his wing. He kindly invited us to do our laundry, take hot showers and had a delicious meal prepared for us. His advice guided us to a gorgeous small cove beach surrounded by green mountains, about 20km south of the city and more g-string eye candy for Gary to enjoy! That evening we decided to visit the party area of Lapa which was filled with a carnival atmosphere as cariocas partied, spilling out of an infinite number of samba clubs – an unbelievable vibe!

The final morning in ‘our' neighbourhood started off with another resident, an actor/director and his son filming our trip for a documentary. After sad goodbyes to our new friends as well as Gregor and Luciana, we just couldn't leave without a last drive around one of the world's most beautiful cities. So back we went through Ipanema, Copacabana, around Urca at the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain, Praia Botafogo, Flamingo and Gloria where we picnicked with gorgeous views of the city. With just under an hour of daylight left, we were forced to start heading south and only made it to Recreio beach on the city's outskirts. An official campsite was just too expensive at $120, but after some scouting around we found a safe spot to wild camp in a side street near the beach. Friendly cariocas Jonny and his friends spotted us and came around for a chat with a large cerveja beer, and then we slipped away into another day to local tunes blaring from a nearby vehicle.

On the 22 nd February we only managed 200km further down Brazil 's Costa Verde. We weaved our way through rainforests that descended ½ km high mountains into clear waters creating an overwhelming number of picture perfect bays dotted with hundreds of islands. One particularly deserted beach took some descending to reach but the setting and warm waters had us smitten for hours. With the last rays of light we continued and passed many heavenly beaches eventually finding a safe looking spot at the waters edge of a tiny fishing hamlet. Again friendly locals made us feel at home, crowned by gigantic chef's fish special which sealed our admiration for this country.

A few kilometres later the following day, we arrived in the cutest, peaceful colonial 16 th century town of Paraty . The white washed buildings all have beautifully coloured doors and framed windows that line old cobbled streets proudly displaying the quaintest of restaurants, shops and pousadas. The real natural beauty though is from the water and we arrived just in time for a 6 hour schooner trip to 2 idyllic beaches (Lulas and Vermelha), as well as 3 other nearby tropical islands. Tanning, swimming and eye-candy was the day's menu which was topped with a prawn-smothered local catch that evening at one of the town's quaint restaurants. We spent a sweaty night wild camping along the bay surrounded by the water one side and the colourful old buildings on the other. The following day after schooling, we hugged the coast further south for just over 200km.

It was impossible to rush this gorgeous coastline as frequent stops to capture this beauty or just watching turtles play in the surf took most of the day. A leisurely lunch at one of the beaches contributed to our slow progress, but also allowed fate to do its thing. Around sunset, as we started scouting for an overnight spot, we bumped into English speaking Fabio Steagall Conde who simply invited us over to stay at his family's home in Boraceia. We were very amused at his opening statement upon meeting us - ‘What are you guys trying to do? Drive around the world?'

Together with his girlfriend Jacqueline, his mother Yara and dad Evo, they reinforced what warm people Brazilians are and they made it incredibly difficult to continue our trip. Their company, the great meals prepared by Diane and Yara, together with accommodation with hot showers and laundry facilities allowed a 3 night reprieve from Tipperdee. Their home is set in a beautiful environment on the edge of the rainforest surrounded by a wetland with birds, ducks and turtles. The kids were in paradise, playing with the dogs, taking little boat trips into the wetland to view the wildlife and of course watching TV! The rainforest lived up to its name as it rained heavily for most of our stay. Our meeting with Fabio really proved fortuitous because Tipperdee's makeshift covering over the sunroof leaked like a sieve. We had an array of buckets, towels and bowls where we would have slept. A brief break in the rain allowed Evo and Gary to redo the temporary cover and also reinforce cupboards that had shaken loose from the roof. Fabio and Jacqueline even spoilt us with momentos from Brazil, but it is the memories of spending 3 days with them that we'll carry close to our hearts – especially the morning drives with Fabio to Boicucanga and the visits to some rich person's fabulous home that some of his friends house-sit.

After breakfast on the 27 th February, Fabio and Jacqueline entertained us in his jeep for a short excursion to a nearby indigenous Indian reserve at the foot of the coastal mountains. The Guarani who live here survive on selling handicrafts and Dane just had to have a bow and arrow set! The original people sadly appear marginalized from society and exist in poverty with little pride in the appearance of what is fairly reasonable homes. Back home, the family's helper Diane, sent us on our way after a hearty lunch and Fabio had to throw in another memory of this beautiful coast!

With heavy hearts we drove south via the beach town Bertioga, then skirted around heavily industrialized Santos to Peruiber. Still overcast with the sea an ugly brown, we headed inland over the lush mountains and wild camped at one of the highways great gas stations just after Jacupiranga and 340km from Boraceia. The final day in February was 600km of highway scenery via Curitiba and over the green undulating landscape back west to camp at another gas station outside Ibema. The highlights of the day was rodizio dining, a $10 lunch buffet where waiters cut meat off 8 different types of skewers at a churrascaria (meat BBQ restaurant). After 2 hours of schoolwork then some bible reading (a Sunday regular event when we remember!), we were off to bed in the cool air back at an altitude of 1000m.

Our final stretch in Brazil was about 200km of the familiar great highways west to Foz do Iguacu, the jumping off point for the famed Iguazu Falls . Not cheap at US$52, the entrance fee included a compulsory bus ride to the cataratas and this touristy site was presented in typical 1 st world style. We jumped off at the start of the beautiful 2,5km hike through the forest that provided ever-changing vistas of the worlds longest and most spectacular falls (2.7km) that crash over an 80m fissure into Rio Iguacu. It's made up of 275 waterfalls and the most awesome experience was the deafening, dampening catwalk to the base of horseshoe-shaped Devil's Throat.

After this fitting finale to a country that demanded much more time, we effortlessly passed though Brazil 's immigration and customs. Obrigado to all the wonderful people of Brazil and Ate mais tarde!

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