I wake up to two macaws yelling at each other just outside the living room window and I know it is going to be a great day. Even though it is the middle of winter in Mineiros, I put on a pair of shorts, t-shirt and I am
ready to begin our journey south. My travel companions advise me that it is quite cold in the south and I begin to fear that I have not packed well with only one pair of jeans and one long sleeve shirt. At least I brought my fall jacket and let's be real, I am from the Midwest and cold used to be my winter reality. Junior has to get some work done in the morning but 10:00 A.M. comes early and soon all our suitcases are in the trunk, gas tank is full and we are on
our way. This day is going to be filled with riding down bumpy roads as we pass a ton of trucks on two lane highways. Not the most relaxing way to start a trip, but the conditions will hopefully improve soon and we will say good bye to them for the most part until our return trip. Once we leave the state of Goias, the road conditions do improve but we soon realize why. It is not due to a different government managing their infrastructure better, it is the fact that a lot of the roads we will travel are privately operated toll roads. And to be quite honest - some of those roads are great and some you wonder why you are paying for them. In the end we will spend R$162.00 on tolls and I wonder what the local people think about paying these tolls.
Do they realize the money that went into this companies pockets would have been spent at their shops and restaurants. I wonder if they saw a break in their taxes or if they are paying the same amount as before the roads went private, so where is the win for them. But back to the trip, the toll plazas seem to appear out of no where and as method of keeping things even we create a toll /
parking pot. Every time there is a fee to pay for travel we take it from the pot and when the money in the pot gets low, we each add R$10.00 to replenish it. It seemed like we were adding money all the time but I guess that is the price for good roads in Brazil. It was an expense we did not predict when we discussed saving money by road tripping. But then again I love a good road trip so as long as we don't spend more then airfare would have been, I am good.
The landscape starts with the same fields and grasslands as I shared yesterday but after a while it changes to rolling hills with occasional wooded areas. Even though it is dry, it is beautiful countryside and we passed by towns like: Jatai, Murutinga do Sul, Valparaiso, Aparecida Do Taboado, Aracatuba as we drove. Each town has a white concrete sign at the entrance of the city declaring their identity. They
all seem like typical small towns in this region of Brazil. With seven foot high walls surrounding the ceramic block homes with their tile roofs and laundry hanging on the line to dry. A posto (gas station) or two on the corner and little luncheonette that serves a lunch buffet of beans, rice, and meat for the locals and truckers traveling down the road. Little stores selling the typical hardware, groceries, produce, etc and each one selling their specific niche. (no K-Marts or Walmarts here)
On our journey, I spend a little time studying our travel plans and the twenty six states of Brazil (that does not include the federal district which includes Brasilia as it is not actually a state). I learn how there were originally two states which were
controlled by the Portuguese Royal Family. These two states have been divided and the state lines have changed over the decades to their current boundaries. Actually this year the state of Para (in northern Brazil) will be deciding whether to split their state up into two or three different states. I was not able to find out when this decision will be made but we may see a Brazil with twenty seven or twenty eight states soon. As with history in the United States, I find it interesting to learn about Brazil's history and I am sure I will be able to find time to learn while on this road trip. On our current travels, we will be traveling through six of the states: Goias, Mato Grossa do Sul, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. This first day is a lot of driving and little site seeing as planned, but we do stop late in the afternoon at a roadside stand and buy a couple of pineapples. The lady cuts them up for us and we devour them quickly. There is nothing like a fresh picked pineapple for an afternoon snack.
As we drive the many miles of today's journey, the ipe trees appear quite frequently as well. The yellow and purple trees are just as beautiful as the day before and help us pass the time. Soon we come across a huge dam and reservoir. The Represa de Promissao was finished in 1975 on the Tiete River. It creates power for the state of Sao Paulo and is an important part of the states infrastructure. Comparable to the damn in
Yankton South Dakota in size, but there is no town and only sparse recreational fishing on the lake created by the dam. (no jet skis, boating, summer cabins, etc.) It is a beautiful man made structure and it is not hard to see how powerful it is and how much energy it can create.
Shortly after the sun sets we arrive in Lins Brazil and since it is a little further then we expected to travel today, we decide to stop for the evening. There are a couple of chain hotels but no Marriotts or Best Westerns in town. We end up choosing a local hotel and next on our adgenda is dinner, a nice Brazilian buffet of course. We take a short trip around town and soon find a local restuarant. After eating, we decide it is time to head back and turn in early so we can get plenty of rest and be prepared for the next day of road trip. It has been a great day with little distraction from our journey and a good start to our travels.
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| Can you see the macaws? |
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| Ipe tree - simply marvelous |
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| toll road |
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| Another Difference -- Palm trees lining the driveway instead of oak. |
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| And the terrain changed! |
To read "Cross Country Travel - Day 1" click here
To read "Cross Coutry Travel - Day 3" click here
After a good night sleep, we wake up, eat a little breakfast provided by the hotel, put on shorts and t-shirts and we are on the road by 9:00A.M. The travel begins like it ended the day before with fields, grass lands and sunny skies. Soon the terrain changes and becomes hilly which is something different and yet familiar. 
The area reminds me of the Great Smokey Mountains in the eastern United States and just like the Smokey Mountains there are a lot of low lying clouds this morning(which looks like smoke). Every time we head on a downward section of the road we soon encounter limited visibility due to fog. The lack of visibility slows our progress as we are unable to pass any vehicles that are creeping up the hills. 
It seems like the scenery would be wonderful but the fog keeps us from enjoying it and I struggle to keep my eyes open (for some reason I really want to take a nap). We finally get to the other side of the valley and peak up above the fog for a moment to see fields of pine trees, but the view is fleeting as we soon head back into another valley and the thick fog. After about 2 hours of in and out of dense fog we stop at a truck stop for a coffee break and gas refill. The truck stop is very similar to those found in the United States with displays of candy, snacks and sodas properly positioned to tempt you into spending a little money. 
The restaurant served average food, the restrooms were dirty (but not the worst I have seen) and the rest of the store is loaded with souvenirs for the average traveler to spontaneously purchase. Junior and Luiz strike up a conversation with a truck driver that has come from the opposite 
direction and he says the fog continues for quite a ways. We adjust our expectations a bit as we recalculate what our end of day destination will be due to the slow day of travel. Soon we are on our way and after a short while we are pleasantly surprised as it seems the twenty minute stop for coffee has allowed time for the fog to lift. We do not have any more visibility issues today. We drive up and down
more valleys and hills and everything seems so green compared to where we have been the last few days. This part of Brazil has had a lot of rain last week and the rivers are out of their banks and there are a lot of ponds where fields and pastures used to be. I am sure the people who live here are glad it is a sunny day. There is an occasional splash of color provided by the Ipe tree (Eeepay tree) to contrast the green. We had originally planned to tour a small town or two during the day but due to the slow going in the morning we decide to bypass these little detours to make up time. The first little towns we pass still have their white declaration signs at the entrance but by the end of the day these entrance signs will be much grander (see below). The small towns are also changing a bit as we drive along. Instead of the brick walls with brick houses hiding behind, the houses here are made of wood and there is no brick wall for hiding. The roofs are still tile and clothes are still hung out to dry. 
In this hilly country side we begin to see some vineyards and wineries along the road. This part of Brazil is known for its wine and although it is not as developed as Napa Valley, it has some quaint wineries. I will definitely be bringing back a bottle or two for friends. The other crop that I notice in this area is coffee. I have never seen coffee fields before and imagine what it would be like to harvest this crop. It must be hard work. I will have to pay attention when I have my next cup of coffee to see if it is grown in Brazil. 
Back in the car we drive through a little more rain, by some more little towns and Luiz points out a tree along the road which seems appropriate for this rainy weather. It is an evergreen that looks like an umbrella. I have never seen this tree before and it is truly majestic. It is an Araucaria angustifolia, otherwise known as a Parana Pine or Brazilian Pine. The Parana Pine grows in the south central area of Brazil (where we are traveling) and due to logging and the collection of its seeds for food -- the tree is currently on the endangered foliage list of Brazil. 
All along the road now we see people with a small fire and jars of what looks like boiled peanuts. The native people of the region harvest around 3400 tons of the seeds each year and sell them for winter snacks. (wikipedia to the rescue) Junior and I discuss stopping and trying some and in hind sight I'm not sure why we didn't since my time in Brazil is about trying new things, but we didn't. The afternoon of driving is pretty uneventful as each little town passes by with it's Catholic church providing at least one shot for photos as we cruise through. 
Back in the car we drive through a little more rain, by some more little towns and Luiz points out a tree along the road which seems appropriate for this rainy weather. It is an evergreen that looks like an umbrella. I have never seen this tree before and it is truly majestic. It is an Araucaria angustifolia, otherwise known as a Parana Pine or Brazilian Pine. The Parana Pine grows in the south central area of Brazil (where we are traveling) and due to logging and the collection of its seeds for food -- the tree is currently on the endangered foliage list of Brazil. 
All along the road now we see people with a small fire and jars of what looks like boiled peanuts. The native people of the region harvest around 3400 tons of the seeds each year and sell them for winter snacks. (wikipedia to the rescue) Junior and I discuss stopping and trying some and in hind sight I'm not sure why we didn't since my time in Brazil is about trying new things, but we didn't. The afternoon of driving is pretty uneventful as each little town passes by with it's Catholic church providing at least one shot for photos as we cruise through. 
For our afternoon break we stop in a small town and since we have made up some time we decide to walk around a little and explore. This will truly be a good break from being crammed in the car. It is a cute little town with wooden houses and visible green yards. (only thing hindering viewing the front yards is an occasional iron fence) We venture into the old rail station that has been turned into a town hall. There a lady offers us coffee and the use of the restroom as Luiz asks her a couple of questions about how far we are from today's destination. They talk in Portuguese of course and I listen intensely for any words I may know. Trying to figure out what the just of the conversation is. We leave the town hall and and across the street there is a large house that grabs out attention. We head in that direction and I am amazed by the great amount of detail in everything from the peak to the porch rail. 
We get back in the car and we all notice it is getting quite cold. We travel until just after sunset and stop in Lages for the night. Lages is located in Santa Catarina with a population of around 160,00. Established in 1766 it initially served as an Inn on the trade route between Rio Grande de Sul and Are Paul and today the local economy is forestry, agricultural, livestock and some tourism. (Thanks wikipedia) We grab a Subway sandwich and find a hotel. It is getting cold as the sun is no longer providing any warmth. Unfortunately the hotel we choose has no heat but they do bring us plenty of blankets and a small electric heater. All will be good! (OK maybe it will be a little colder then comfortable but this is a road trip and what is a road trip without a good story about the hotels you stay in) 
