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The last three weeks had been quite hectic for us - one highlight after the other. Kirsten counted 363 videos and 2793 photos just from those few weeks!!! We were supposedly going to take it easy in Brazil so my back could recover further - "Well, that didn't go to plan did it!"
Now it was time for a break so we stayed in Praia Grande at a free municipal campground where we had an electricity hook up and water. It was a really nice, quiet park next to the river but close to all the shops. We stayed there for eight nights, sat out some heavy storms, got some hand washing done and managed to do a lot of work on our website. So it wasn't really a break after all!
The toilet and shower block were open for hot showers on our second night and then locked again. But I managed to find the office where someone made a phone call to get the showers open again for one night the following week so at least we had somewhere to empty our toilet and get a shower. Quite a luxury!
We also got really fast internet at the tourist info centre where we could sit on their comfy sofa and watch various football matches, including Liverpool getting into the Champions League final, Arsenal getting kicked out of the Europa League, and our home team Hamburg losing their last but one match! That meant Hamburg needed to win their final match but that still wouldn't be enough to stay in the first division! Now we needed help from other teams aswell. It was not looking good at all!
On the 10th May it was time to move on and do some more sightseeing. We managed to leave early and drove up a terrible gravel road to the first of two canyons we wanted to see. The road to Parque Nacional Aparados da Serra was supposedly tarmac for the first 7km but every switchback bend on the steep road was gravel and some of the straight stretches between bends aswell. So why bother with the tarmac at all, or why not tarmac the whole lot?
The gravel sections on the bends was really bad but once the tarmac stretches had finished the road got really bad. Lots of pot holes and huge rocks embedded in the road. It was also very steep and we ascended 900m. It took us 90 minutes to drive 17km (approx 10.5 miles) including the tarmac stretches at the beginning!
We got up to the park entrance and, unbelievably, it was tarmac for the last 2km to the car park!! Yippee!! We had a quick lunch and then went out walking for almost 3 hours. Itaimbézinho Canyon has steep, 700m high walls with viewpoints along two different trails with two waterfalls. It's certainly impressive.
At the tourist info centre in Praia Grande we had been told that we could hike through the canyon but must take a guide. It would have cost us 180 R$ ($60 US) per person. Looking down from the top of the canyon rim we couldn't see a hiking trail. That meant that the walk must go through the river and entail scrambling over huge boulders. Good job we hadn't bothered with that. It was far better seeing it from the top.
On the way back to the car park we spotted some vultures standing on rocks in the river with their wings spread out. They were drying their wings in the sun! Then it was back onto bad gravel for another 16km in the other direction to Cambará Do Sul. That took us another 90 minutes.
Along the way we had a quick stop to watch some turkeys doing a synchronised dance at a fence!! No kidding! It was quite fascinating. (See video). We just made it to the tourist information centre before it got dark and parked up for the night.
Canion Itaimbézinho
The next day we drove out to another National Park to see the Fortaleza Canyon. The first 13km were on good tarmac but that was followed by 10 km of really bad gravel, even worse than yesterday!
We set off along a trail which took us to the ledge from where a waterfall drops steeply down into the canyon. It must have dropped at least 500 metres and we were quite close to the edge. The trail was supposed to take us to the canyon rim but we couldn't see how to get across the river. Then we saw another couple coming the other way and watched where they went.
Then we jumped and hopped from rock to rock to get across the top of the waterfall and onto the trail on the other side. We got to the rim to see the canyon which is 8km long with steep walls that drop 900m to the floor. We had a nice view of the canyon and the waterfall but it was extremely windy and then it started raining.
On our way back we chatted to Aline and Vitor from Novo Hamburgo and they said we had to go to the end of the canyon for a fantastic view. So we drove another 3km along the very bad road to get there. Unfortunately the wind was so strong with severe gusts that we had to be really careful not to get blown over the canyon rim!!
We didn't stay very long because we were getting blown around and the wind was really cold. So we got back for a coffee break and a peaceful respite from the howling wind in our ears. Then we set off on the long, slow bumpy ride back. We only just made it back to the tourist office before dark.
Canion Fortaleza
The next morning we took our computer and WiFi booster into the tourist office to watch Hamburg play their last match of the season. We needed to win but also needed Wolfsburg to lose their final match. The problem was that Wolfsburg would be playing at home against Cologne who are already going down to the second division, regardless of the outcome. So Cologne had nothing to play for.
It took ages to get into the internet and none of the usual websites were working. Extremely frustrating. By the time we finally managed to get a connection Hamburg had been awarded a penalty and we were just in time to see Hamburg go into the lead 1-0. Yessssss!!
But then we also found out that Wolfsburg had already scored in the first minute and were leading. Sh**! Then Cologne equalised! Yes! Now we just need to hang on to our win and hope Cologne score again.
Hamburg kept up their half of the bargain and won 2-1 but Wolfsburg were too strong for Cologne and eventually won 4-1. So our team are going down! The first time in the history of the club. They are the last team to have only played in the top division. They've been there for 54 years, 261 days and I've been following them for the last 21 years. Now they're going down and I don't know anything about the second division! Truly, truly sad and a major shock for German football!
The team have played really well in the last matches and fought really hard but it wasn't enough. Now the team is going to change completely because there are a number of players who play for national teams. They're not going to stick around to play in the second division and take a massive pay cut! (I'm still in shock even though I'm writing this a week later!)
We stayed to watch reports and reactions for 2 hours after the match had finished. We were both truly despondent but somehow managed to get packed up and continue our journey. We're real football fans but there's more to life than football!
Our next stop was Canela where we found a great parking spot next to the large Cathedral. We had ascended to 900m above sea level and we certainly felt it. It was bitterly cold so, for the first time in I don't know how many months, we had to dig out our fleece leggings and fleece jackets. It was really unusual walking along the streets of this Swiss style enclave and seeing Brazilians in winter clothes!! Sometimes they even get snow up here!
When we got back to the cathedral which was built in 1960 it was lit up in different colours and there is also a light show to music at 8pm, 9pm and 9-45pm. It is a very impressive building and the lights showcase it in all its glory.
Light show at the cathedral in Canela
We also had to laugh at the "snow" photos - a booth with a foam machine blowing out what looks like snowflakes where the people stand in front of a snow scene for a photo!
It sounds funny for us seeing as we've experienced a lot of snow but here in Brazil it's very rare. No wonder people pay for such photos. There were some photos in the tourist info office in Cambará Do Sul where they had a heavy snowfall in 1983 so I guess that tells you how often it snows here!
Snow pictures in Canela
Canela and Gramado are two Swiss style towns right next to each other - it's difficult to see where one ends and the other starts. Lots of shops selling sheepskin seat covers and hats and lovely patterned patchwork mats made from cow skin. There are also lots of chocolate shops! We found out that each one gave us a small wrapped piece of chocolate when we went inside. So that lead to a little game for us to try and collect as many free samples as possible!! Great fun!
Chocoholics
The two towns are very much five star places and everyone was really dressed up. We didn't really fit in with our shorts and T shirts even though it was only 16 degrees! Then it was off to a bakery where they were making bread in large ovens and then to the Brazilian version of San Francisco's Lombard Street - a very steep zig zag road.
We drove out of the towns and went to Parque Estadual do Caracol via another GPS adventure - we ended up on a very narrow gravel road through dense rain forest. Good job we didn't meet anyone coming the other way as there wouldn't have been any space to pass. We were allowed to park on a car park opposite the entrance for the night and went in the next day.
Gramado
The park was very disappointing because it cost us $10 to see a waterfall from a viewpoint. The 716 steps touted on the advertising have been closed and it doesn't look like they will be repaired any time soon. The lift down to see the base of the waterfall costs extra. We weren't told any of this when we paid our entrance fee so we ended up just paying out money when we've seen loads of waterfalls!
The one in the park had a 130m drop and at least we managed to find a path that wasn't signposted but took us to the top of the waterfall. We couldn't look down on it though, otherwise we would have fallen off the edge!
We drove out and headed to Novo Petropolis and stayed at a restaurant Novo Augosto. It was closed when we got there but a cyclist came up and told us to go and ask at the yellow house next door - that's where the owners live. They have electric and water hook ups for motor homes but don't charge. We missed the buffet lunch the first time around because we went over at 2pm. Too late! We'd seen lots of cars turning up from 11-30 am - it's obviously very popular - and thought we'd wait until the rush was over. Oh well we stayed another night and went over the following day at 12 - 30pm. A very good buffet for only $6 per person and two free nights with water and electric on top - we certainly couldn't complain!
