|
|
|
 |
|
| NATURAL
BRAZIL, our roundtrip through the |
 |
| Brazilian
States São Paulo, Parana and Rio de Janeiro. |
|
After
a flight of 11 and a half hours by KLM to São Paulo a coach brought us to Hotel Othon Flats. The
one night stay was'nt enough to get an impression of
Brazil's economical centre which has a population of 18 million inhabitants.
This metropole produce more than 65% of the industrial turnover of Brazil. Highways and skyscrapers
determine the centre of São Paulo. Next morning we travelled to Curitiba, 255 miles (410 km)
further south, through the Serra do Mar,
a landscape with lots of banana plantations. |
 |
| |
Curitiba
is the capital of Parana State.
It has 1.36 million residents and is a model city for Brazil, almost European. You can discover, on
your own, what it means to be a city well-loved by its own people. After spending 2 days in this
city we travelled to Foz do Iguazu. A long drive through the Parana State. |
 |
On
the first day we took the train through the mountains to Morretes and had lunch there. In the
evening we've had our first typical Brazilian BBQ-diner. The second day was a free day and because
it was a Sunday we spend the day visiting the handycraft market, walked through the city centre and
ended up shopping. |
| |
Foz
do Iguazu lies at the borders with Argentina and Paraquay.
Beautiful situated in the Iguazu National Park, a tropical rainforest with the Iguazu Falls, one of
the wonders of natur in the world. First day we walked along the Brazilian side of the falls. Next
day we've been to see the Itaipu Dam and travelled to Paraquay for taxfree shopping, in the
afternoon to the Argentine site of Iguazu Falls. Eleanor Roosevelt, spouse of the American
President, once said:
"Poor Niagara", when she behold the Falls. |
 |
| |
Day
8 we travelled to Castro. Settlers from the Netherlands immigrated at an area pointed out by the
Brazilian Government after WWII in the 19-fifties. They were farmers from the Dutch provinces
Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe. Fifty families went to Brazil in the years between 1951 and 1956.
They founded the Castrolanda Co-operation for farmers. Nowadays most of the farmers are Brazilians
and a member of Castrolanda.
In 2001 the Dutch built a windmill in Castro as a memorial of their 50-year anniversary since
immigration started.
They showed us around
and offered us coffee with Dutch cakes. Day nine 440 miles (700 km) to Penedo close to
the Itatiaia National Park which we visited the next day. Did some rock-climbing upto the Véu
da
Noiva falls at 870 feet (260 m). Residents of Rio like to go on holiday in Penedo which is a
typical
vacation and recreational area. |
^ in Penedo we spent the night
in a vacation bungalow.
|
|
Finally
for 4 nights to Rio de Janeiro.
On the way we stopped in Petropolis to see the emperor Don Pedro II crownjewels in his former palace
and the cathedral of Alcäntara with the mausoleum of the Royal Family. Our hotel in Rio on the
Avenida Copacabana are 100 yards away from the beach. The next day a roundtrip through the city and
visited Christ on Corcovado Peak, Maracana Soccer Stadium, the Sambodrome and Suger Loaf Mountain.
The weather was nice with 27 Celcius but a bit misty. The second day we went for a walk to Ipanema
and Leblon and got a suntan on Copacabana Beach. The last night we've seen a Brazilian folclore
show. Day 15 we drove back to São Paulo. |
 |
| On the way to São
Paulo we stopped at one of the largest cathedrals in the world, the Cathedral of Aparecida, room for
45.000 believers. After being there we had a safe flight home with one of KLM's 747-400. |
| |
| << Foz
do Iguazu |
|
Curitiba
>> |
|
