From Diary 1.
26. As there is only one sheet, and slightly cold, I try to sleep on
a towel, underneath the folded sheet. Not perfect.
Then I wake up to a light drizzle, highly unwanted, due to the long dirt
road and walk in Parque Nacional de Chapada Diamantina.
I find breakfast and internet at a truck shop, and learn; the rain should
stop at one o’clock. No sure how Yr.no got that so wrong. What to do until then?
I head into tiny Cocho do Malheiro, which turn into
 a few home, found
along a red dirt road and surrounding green fields.
I should remember to mention: most trucks are road-trains, some up to 30
meters. Overtaking them on these twisted and narrow roads does take commitment.
On-route is a slightly bigger village; Palmeiras. I do the stroll, stock
water and food, but fail to find coffee.
Then
out the endless dirt road once more. The sun
 is almost breaking through
the mist, and I count on a dry walk. How wrong can I be?
A little café in Rio Grande have coffee, and I give the sun a chance to gain
strength.
In an attempt to stay lucky, I bounces several hitchhikers. However; I did
get a nasty scratch on my arm before. But the river was too tempting, and I
might have a photo of it.
I reach the footpath to the waterfall at eleven , in a drizzle. Spend some
time, getting the GPS out if incommunicado-mode once more. This time, it
might be caused by me charging it from the car’s radio. A reboot sorts it
out. Then I just wait for the drizzle to stop, sitting in the car. Here are
no cafes, but a barbershop, a tailor and a motorcycle repair shop. Guess
they don’t get that many tourists here.
At noon, I have to realise, I might have the time to
 wait for the sun, but
sure lack the patience.
I
boot up for once - unfortunately leather boots.
The trail heading into Parque Nacional de Chapada Diamantina soon turns into a steep creek, running over sandstone bedrocks.
The vegetation is soaked, and soon, I'm too.
Here are several interesting plants like terrestrial orchids and some I
haven’t a clue to. The views are hidden in mist
 and drizzle, and I have to
concentrate on the creek.
At first, it is steep uphill, then it flattens out. It is windy up here, and
the umbrella does not work in the bushes and wind.
After an hour, I have done one of the six kilometres, and skip photos.
After additional one, I reach a plateau and then the Cachoeira da Fumaca
fall, Brazil's highest waterfall. It is truly impressive, with one fall, 420 meters down in a gorge.
Real hard to get a picture of, though. The drizzle pickup, and I start the
long swim back, munching on coconut biscuits.
The last kilometre, the sun almost break through.
Completely soaked, I reach the car after four hours in Parque Nacional de
Chapada Diamantina.
Dry up - except the boots - while driving to Seabra. A real Sunday dead
town, with a tropical river and an open pizzeria. They don’t serve coffee,
but I get one anyway. The pizza, on the other hand, don’t show up. After a
good hour, the waitress returns and ask something. And I am the only
customer. I guess she didn't get my attempt to order the first time?
When I after 100 minutes finally get the pizza, it is with maize, broccoli,
potatoes and cheese and a black button. However the price is around eight
Euros, the twice as usually.
Eventually, I get home to my motel for some laundry, including the boots.
They might not make it…
Highlights of the day
27. A blanket was present
in the new room, and I sleep great - although short. It is yet another long
drive, this time 550 kilometres, estimated eight hours. I start in fog and a bit of
drizzle. Then it clears, and I can see, it is still fertile grass and
bush-land I'm in.
I only do a few stops, mainly at river, as it is familiar landscape and
plants. And I get the best "hare" you can get: An ambulance, with no
flashing lights. Great driver, locally
knowledge and keen to speed.
That last till after noon, where the landscape raises to a bit above 500
meters, and turn yellow. There are further space in-between the bushes, and
significantly more large
 cacti.
I do a single stop, and find around ten different species of cacti, one
might be Pereskia sacharosa, with leaves on. Here are a few other interesting
plants like Jatropas and a Sansevieria.
I reach the riverside town of
Juazeiro, at two o'clock, and it turned out, I cold have done
a few more
botanising stops after all. Well, it is cosy in its own way, hard to figure,
and a bit too new. I am parked right
 outside the cathedral, and live 50
meters down the main street.
Here are pedestrian streets, but pointing out
like fingers from a hand, and with nothing interesting in-between.
The riverside is great, with tour-boats or ferries, lots of greenery and no
trash. I have a real hard time finding something to eat. The Portuguese
still causes me problems, and it seems like they consider chicken
 to be a
fruit and pork a vegetable.
I end up with some bakery, but still have to pick-out the ham from one
croissant.
The market is new, and mainly with cell phone stuff, women's dresses and
toys. I find a leatherbelt-bag, and when she say 40 Real, I have to buy it.
And I get a big hug on top.
A bicycle and pedestrian path winds it way along the river or river side,
and it real lush and clean. I walk till seven, when the shops closes, but
have to settle for a weird bun with a spicy filling for supper.
Highlights of the day
28 . Not that long drive;
only 340 kilometres and four and a half hours. I hope for some cacti-observations along the way.
I find a pastry and a huge glass of tasty and thick juice for breakfast.
When I get into the car, the iPhone jumps out if the pocket, as the zipper
just opened the wrong way. The phone lands on the doorstep, just as I close
the door. It is stuck, but amassing enough; unharmed. Well, I have not had
any hitchhikers since Leila.
Another
 drive through bushes, grass and cacti. The goat-farmers have some
ponds, of which some look great with water-lilies and other aquatic plants.
Others are just a pan of dry clay by now.
I notes, my camera no longer focus, but it have experienced quite some
moisture lately. I massage the button, and it start working - at least
sometimes.
I stop at one lake and twice for cacti. The only new, is
 one species of Pereskia
with plenty of leaves and up to five meters high.
Halfway, I feed the car with gasoline and myself with coffee and a quarter
of a Oreo cheesecake, which is great.
My
debit-cards have been bounced recently, but I can’t tell if it is
closed, or the locals just only accept Brazil cards? I can access Facebook,
but not my bank, at the truck-stop. At least, I later successfully withdraw
some cash at a ATM.
I forget to mention it, but here are some wild animals: Geckos, lizards,
agamas, a tiny snake
and a few young green iguanas. Many birds, from hummingbirds
over read-headed bulbuls to vultures. Here are a lot of sparrows and some
birds of pray along with herons, cormorants, water-hens and alike. I think
it is mockingbirds I see too. And some giant grasshoppers cross the road
frequently.
I
reach my hotel
 - or private home - at noon, but they are not ready. That
is all right, I just passed anyway, on my way to Parque Nacional Serra da
Capivara with its 30.000 year old rock-paintings, making them the oldest
in the Americas. And I hope for some nature as well.
I make a pit stop at a supermarket for juice and bananas, and they serve
coffee.
It is an hour drive through mainly green bushes from 350
 to 560 metres
height. I find the visitor’s centre, and the girl explain in simple
Portuguese; I can book a guide for the morning for € 50. I cannot enter
the park alone. Well, I have seen rock paintings before, and with the
exception of the adorable agoutis, found around the office, I doubt I find
anything else.
I drive 20 kilometres across the plateau, between two, five meters tall
hedges, formed by
 the bushes, covering the entire area. It is Parque
Nacional Serra da Capivara, but it does not really look interesting.
I
head back to São Raimundo Nonato, and do the modern market and the
central part of this rather humble town. I find some grease to my new bag,
for half the price of the bag. Guess the boots will appreciate the rest, as a
first-aid treatment.
It is a small town, but it has a river or swamp, one street behind the
centre. And again, I am impressed how clean Brazil is.
I return to the rather expensive bed for the night, at dusk. It is actually
the entire two bedroom house I have rented. I cook my instant noodles. Way
faster than funding vegetarian food around here.
Besides from the usual fight with the computer, I treat my new bag and boots
with some grease, and I can do time and time again. Then I rebuild the bag
from normal belt buckle to snap-lock. Not exactly the entertaining day I had
hoped for, but nothing broke either, although it was a close call with the
iPhone in the morning.
Highlights of the day
And then it is
Diary 3. |