Stroll Through Morretes Brazil

Morretes is a small town not far from the coast. It is surrounded by mountains and is intersected by a meandering river. The town is a profusion of tropical plants, beautiful colors and intriguing little spots of interest hidden throughout the town.
It's the last stop of the tourist train trip and from here on a bus takes us on our way.

Onward to Morretes, Brazil

Luck was with me when I found myself sitting next to a group of three who spoke English and were kind enough to include me in their group for the trip duration. Jeffrey, Yao, and Roberto (top right), met when they all worked for Microsoft in Seattle. Roberto is back, living in Sao Paulo and served as tour guide for his friends on this trip. It was a treat talking to him and getting his perspective, especially with his experiences in both the US and Brazil. The remainder of the trip was filled with everyone on the train taking pictures of each other during the times we waited for the rain to stop. It amuses me to think that I'm in the background of over 20 pictures in family albums throughout Brazil, (unless they have photoshop).
The tent in the picture bottom left was a prevalent site. The clearings were packed with campers on their climbs up the surrounding mountains. Finally, bottom right, shows that horseback is still the transportation of choice for many of the folks along the way.
Next stop - the picturesque town of Morretes and a traditional Brazilian meal.
Happy trails until then.

More Train Talk - Curitiba to Morretes, Brazil

The train trip from Curitiba to Morretes can best be described as green and wet. The train ran through tunnels of green that had been hacked away just for the train. At times the train itself was trimming back some of the greenery. January is the wettest month in Brazil but Maria the guide insisted that it is the best month for the trip. For a lot of the trip visibility was close to zero but the times in between gave beautiful lush vistas of greenery, ferns,wild flowers, orchids growing wild on trees trunks, and rushing streams. The picture - top right is Maria, our guide and giver of snakes,(see last blog), and the other two members of my English speaking tour. Bottom left is the one train car used. I still have no idea how it was powered as I saw no engine and no power connections. On the bottom right is one of the many houses along the way built by the original company that built the railroad. At the time it was the single provider and only method of transportation for the people in these outlaying areas. In the picture bottom right, the details in the center peak under the roof is the symbol of the railway company. This railway is still used to shuttle people back and forth to work as well as providing this tourist ride.

Curitiba Brazil and the Great Train Ride

After landing in Sao Paulo, there was a mad dash across town to make my connection in a smaller airport to fly to Curitiba, Brazil. Because the flight from Dulles was 3 hours late I missed that connection, but thanks to the great staff of Gol Airlines at Congonhaus Airport in Sao Paulo I was able to make a later plane - and -after 24 hours of travelling - I made it to my Hotel in Curitiba; Hotel Slavierra Full Jazz. With its unusual name and description as a "concept hotel" focused on classic jazz, I couldn't pass it up. The small hotel (pictured bottom left in the middle of the pic) was a treasure and I would highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Curitiba. See my earlier blog on Curitiba for more details.
After a catch-up night of sleep, I made the voyage to the train station for the primary reason for the Curitiba trip - a train ride through Amazonian greenery. From Lonely Planet's South America on a Shoestring; "The railway from Curitiba (altitude 900 m) to the port of Paranagua is the most exciting in Brazil, with sublime panoramas."
The train trip consisted of one railway car carrying about 40 people. 3 of us were with an English speaking guide, who admitted that the usual English speaking guide was sick and she was filling in. She aplogized that English wasn't her stong suite and the last time she had to fill in for the English speaking guide, she told her tour group that she would be along shortly to hand out "snakes" to each of them. It would have been an unforgettable and very appropriate momento of the tour through the Amazonian rain forrest. Unfortunately (or fortunately) she handed out "snacks" to everyone.
More later. Happy Trails for now.

(Picture to left is of different types of architecture, all within a 2 block radius of my hotel in Curitiba, Brazil. The city is a hodge podge of small modern tall buildings, fading and also revived Victorian mansions, amid a lot of modern indutrial buildings. It's a relatively new city with great pride in its commitment to ecology and conservation)

Flying Into Sao Paulo Brazil

After arriving back home and sleeping for 2 days, I'm starting this blog at the beginning of the trip - this time with photos. Leaving Jacksonville Florida, I flew to Dulles in Washington DC and then on to Sao Paulo Brazil - a city of skyscrapers and very beautiful people - a little intimidating.

Chile's Enticing Secret, the Islands of Chiloe

The islands are south of Santiago, well on the way to Antarctica. Landing near Puerto Montt, a rental car was my way to make it to the large island of Chiloe. It was an easy drive down Rt 5 with an exciting ferry trip over to the island and then into Ancud to the Hotel Ancud, a large log cabin type structure sitting on a peninsula overlooking the ocean (gulf). The view from their balcony covers 270 degrees of water. It is breathtaking. One day a tour to visit the penguins (pen GWEE no) on the tiny islands offshore and then a day trip to drive all the way to the south of the island to Quellon which is as far south as you can go by road. The entire place is untouched by anything modern and feels like you have stepped back 30 years in time. Pure magic.
Now, I am back in Santiago at my home away from home, the Forresta, waiting for my ride to the airport for the last stop on the trip - Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hard to believe the trip is almost over.
For now - Happy Trails to you (and good luck to Sonny who is having surgery today. You are in my thoughts).
Ramblin Me

The Castle Across the street - Santiago Chile

The Forresta Hotel was an intentional choice both for price ($36 a night ) and location (directly across from Santa Lucia Park). It is one of the highest points in the city as well as a park full of exotic trees and plants, and winding trails that climb or level off at other small parks. It's like an Escher staircase of rambling trails that ultimately lead to a castle turret with a spectacular 360 degree view of the city. It was my last adventure in Santiago before flying south to Puerto Montt and driving down to Chiloe Island. (I actually drove in a foreign language and made it - at least this far). Stay tuned and Happy Trails....

Cyberspace Ate My Blog

A long blog that I wrote disappeared into cyberspace, so from now on - only short snippets. My heart can't take another cyber attack.
Two quick notes on Santaiago Chile - Valpairaso is great -90 min from Santiago - through beautiful wine country. Val looks like an eclectic more bohemian version of the victorian houses in San Francisco, only the hills are taller and steeper in Valporaiso. The town used to have over 40 fenunculars (elevator trolley cars that run at a sharp angle) and my tour group rode in one of the few left. Loved the town and its Kool Aid colors. Tune in for Santa Lucia Park In Santiago....
Happy Trails.

Santiago Chile-Snow in Mid Summer

Flying in yesterday I was amazed to see the city of Santiago surrounded by mountains. many of them topped with snow. This is prime skiing country, but I didnt expect snow in the middle of their summer. It is now my first morning here and as I wait for the restaurant to open for my first 10 cups of coffee, here are a few final notes on Brazil. The Carnivale there did start Feb 1 but tickets were impossible to get. They sold for $90 USD through regular channels but sold out almost immediately. I heard that the day of the event scalped tickets were selling for over $800 - so no Carnivale for me. One last experience that I would recommend is dinner at a Japanese retaurant called Irori. It has every combination of every kind of japanese food imaginable and the topper was a desert, - Banana Flam Bada Com Calde de Laranja. Actually it is the only bananna dessert on the menu and for $3 USD you get heaven. It is a variation of banannas Foster with the banannas sauted in butter and served hot over vanilla ice cream. In this version the very rich vanilla ice cream has a hint of mango in it.
Happy Trails

Lifechanging Experience - Iguassu Falls, Brazil and Argentina

The Falls are the pure genius of nature and the people who designed and operate the tourist experience. I had to sample it all.. First a helicopter ride over the falls. The copter takes off and in the distance in all the lush greenery is a cloud of what looks like smoke. As you get closer you see that there is a giant hole in the world where all the streams are converging to fall in massive water falls. The helicopter is a clear bubble so you miss nothing. Then the walking part which is miles of walkways to create a photographers dream - then a train trip to take you from one part of the falls to the other and then the ride of all rides - a boat trip that takes you into the falls itself. Did I mention that you get drenched? The boat ride decision was last minute for me so I wasnt prepared. You need a bathing suit under your clothes and I would suggest ear plugs. When you go into the falls the water is coming at you from all directions and I am still getting my hearing back - 2 days later. Another tip - remember to breathe. The pounding and cold water had me holding my breath and forgetting this basic rule of breathing. .....Walking back up the walkway after the ride, people were looking horrified at the completely soaked me - "are you okey? Would you do it again?" In a second! Its better than Disneyland - the ultimate E ticket.......
Including the falls, Ive taken almost 800 pictures, but attempts to send pictures to my blog have failed. I have to thank the incredible guys Thiago and Ispael from the Hotel Full Jazz in Curitiba, Brazil for going beyond the call of duty to help me try to transfer pictures. They were kindness and patience personified, especially with someone so computer challenged.... Their Hotel Slaviero Full Jazz is now among my top two in the world. It really is jazz themed. The decor is all cool browns, blacks and greys with full walls devoted to sepia toned photos of the jazz greats. Every room has high res flat screened TVs to play one of the hundreds of videos of the classic jazz concerts of the world. As much as I love music, it was hard to leave the hotel. I could easily live there. Obrigata (thanks) to everyone there.....
Its now 9 am in Sao Paulo Brazil and I hear that for the city, Carnivale (Mardi Gras) has begun early - so its off to find the festivites. A 3 am wake-up call for tomorrow and then its off to Santiago Chile and a farewell to the truly beautiful Brazil. Until then
Happy Trails