I’ve decided to do a three part blog on my summer travels. Technically it is winter here in the southern hemisphere, but June/July/August will always be summer to me. I’ve visited some amazing places in Brazil and they deserve a little description.
I had two weeks of vacation in June because of the World Cup. While the world flocked to the big host cities in Brazil, I chose to escape the madness and visit some of the smaller towns. Recife was actually a host city for the World Cup, and the few days leading up to the event were a disaster with traffic and tourists. I was happy to say “sayonara.”
I flew out of Recife on the opening day of the World Cup (gasp). Incidentally that meant I was the only person in my row on the airplane. What a treat! I met my travel buddy Zoe in Porto Alegre where we began our adventures. I found Porto Alegre to be the most magical city. I’ve done a fair amount of traveling and I still consider it my favorite place. It was freezing while we were there, but that didn’t stop us. We visited the big market, the central plaza, and the art museum. There are quite a few ETAs living in Porto Alegre, so we were lucky enough to stay with one and visit with all of them during our stay.
Out in Porto Alegre with Catherine & Julia
The following day we took a trip to Gramado. The guide book described it as a Swiss mountain village and it was spot-on! We popped into small chocolate shops and sipped on hot coffee. We also fought the misty rain and walked around the Lago Negro. Then we ended the day with a fantastic fondue meal in a cozy fire lit restaurant. Can you imagine a better day?
The rainiest of days in Gramado
Our next stop was São Miguel das Missoes. São Miguel das Missoes is a small village that houses some of the best preserved Brazilian Missions. By missions, I mean Jesuit communities that were established to convert the native people of Brazil to Catholicism. There are 30 missions between Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. We spent the day wandering amongst the ruins and the museum nearby. It felt mystical and eerie. For a while we were the only people there.
After a few bus rides we found ourselves in Cambará do Sul. This city proved to be even colder than São Miguel and we were happy to rent a room with a heated blanket! The sleepy town is the base for two national parks that are described as the Brazilian Grand Canyon. We didn’t have much of a plan going into our day so we stopped by the little cafe in town to ask about a taxi. All the hikes are only accessible by car. The owner of the cafe also happened to be a taxi driver! She grabbed a water, a few snacks, and the newspaper, and closed up shop for the day. She agreed to be our driver!
Yes, I am wearing a winter jacket in Brazil.
We were some of the few visitors to both the Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra and the Parque Nacional da Serra Geral. The Lonely Planet described the views perfectly, “vast uninspired pasturelands give way to a series of stunning canyons, where the earth opens up and drops to depths of 720m.” We hiked multiple trails and took countless pictures.
The following day we were on the road again. This time heading to a bigger city – Florianópolis. The city was stunning. Lively, beachy, and packed with great restaurants. Even the drive from the bus station to our hostel was beautiful. We were eager to be in a warmer place with a little more action. Although not a host city, we found Floripa to be full of tourists. We joined in the World Cup excitement and watched a few games. Zoe and I had some ETA jealousy toward the lucky gals that live in this city. Moving around the city felt effortless and we were amazed to find peanut butter and stores selling chia seeds and gluten free bread!
I am serious about saving the sea turtles!
A few other highlights included seeing “A Fault in our Stars” where I cried so hard my scarf was soaked, and visiting the Tamar turtle refuge. Our days were pretty leisurely with nice runs on the beach and great food. Our last stop was a day trip to Blumenau. This German city is known for its Oktoberfest celebration. Once again we strolled the city and ended the day watching the USA Portugal game. These two weeks proved to be such a treat. We were able to escape some of the craziness and see a new side of Brazil.
Allow the Unexpected 