I left Cascavel and came across a Finnish cyclist fixing a flat on the other side of the road. He looked in dispair, but I think the presense of another cyclist brightened his day. We shared 20 minutes of war stories then went our seperate ways. He also advised me that there is a campground 30km from Iritiba.
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| I saw distance signs for Laranjeiras do Sul and thought this sign might be a typo. I realized that the name of this town was on the other fold of my map so I pressed on. I should have stayed here since I rode for 30 minutes in pitch darkness. |
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| In Laranjeiras do Sul, I stopped at my first Brasilian buffet. I had a ball, but I thought the bathroom was more intesting. This is a good use of waste water. |
Laranjeiras do Sul was pathetically boring. The city was fairly large, but there was nothing open. The bank ATM´s closed at 10pm and the only place to find a Caiparina was at a bakery. I have decided to try to find the best Caiparina in Brasil over the next month.
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| On my way out of Laranjeiras do Sul, I saw a trampolene. This would never happen in the US. Brasil 1 - US 0 |
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| Some random landscapes |
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| I thought these plants were only in the desert. I like that they represent the colors of Brasil well. |
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| I took this photo to show the corn kernals all over the ground. Trucks with cloth covers will pass me and corn comes flying out accumulating on the shoulder. I figure Brasil has corn subsidies coming out their ears much like the US. However, Brasilian coke is still made with sugar unlike the US´s version with corn syrup. Brasil 2 - US 0 |
By the time darkness hit, I realized I had 13 km to the next city, Guarapuava, which has a red dot on my map meaning that it will not completely suck. I got very lost trying to find the centro as there are no street signs to be found. I saw no street signs for the 45 minutes it took me to find the centro. I would later find them in the day light in the middle of the road on lamp posts.
I now have about 30 minutes before the ATM machines will close. I go to 3 different banks and they do not accept my card. I am really worried that I will be in trouble without access to my cash. I find an HSBC and my card works. I try to withdraw too much and my card is returned to me. I put my card back in the machine, then it will no longer work. I go to the next ATM, and it does not work. The last and 4th ATM in line accepts my card, and I reduce the requested amount to 500 Reais and walk out very happy.
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| I find a hotel for 15 R, and this is the scene right outside. The towns people drag up and down the street. |
While eating at a burger joint, I saw groups of guys wearing pink. Some had pink pants and some had pink hoodies. In these groups, about 75% were in pink. Many of them also had fur in their hoodies. These guys would come in and open the unmarked refrigirator to buy some bottle. I wasn´t sure what they were drinking so I checked it out to discover it was just a wine cooler. Now I am not sure if there is some pink wine cooler drinking gang in Brasil, but I will try to find out more.
Why is there fur on their hoodies? It is brutally cold. I had always thought Brasil was hot, but it is not. Not only is it cold, but it is windy. I have had headwinds the entire way in Brasil, and they blow even harder in Guarapuava.
I can´t accept that the only thing to do is hang out of your car and gawk at the people loitering, so I find a resto-bar. At this establishment, word spreads quickly that there is an American that doesn´t speak Portugues. I get interviewed by almost everyone there, offered to try native Brasilian cocktails, and given a discount in the end. I also find myself invited to a karaoke bar. Are you kidding me? Brasilian karaoke. Sign me up! Highlights of the karaoke include this lesbian who kept stealing my chair then a creepy old guy pilfering beer off my liter.
As the night was long, I was late to get on the road. I knew I had been at a higher elevation then when I left Iguazu and was waiting for my payoff.
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| I had about a 10 minute payoff. I was passing cars and semis and peddling in my highest gear didn´t provide any resistance. I now know coming the other way is why Lukas was hating Brasil. |
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| I ended up finding the campsite mentioned by the Fin. My first night camping in Brasil. |
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| This is the town of Irati that I never got to explore. It looked pretty cool and also had a red dot. |
I planned to ride to Curitiba (pronounced Koo-Ree-Chi-Ba) on the day which is the capital of the state of Parana. I fell about 70km short and ended up in a pueblo called Palmiera. I find a hospedaje and an internet cafe. As I am leaving the cafe, one guy trys to talk to me in his broken English. We talk about the fun things to do in town, then he offers me a tour of the city. We get in his car, then drive in up and down the same 3 streets for a while. The only thing cool we pass is an above ground graveyard between the churches he is trying to show me as he broached the topic of religion with me. This makes my interest wain quickly so I tell him I am hungry. He calls his mom. I am dreading a team of them trying to convert me, but fortunately, she does not answer. We end up at a burger stand, and I eat my standard, twice what a normal person eats. I get back to my place only to realize that my clothes are starting to decompose. My room wreaked of the worse smells I have ever produced. All of my clothes were dirty, and I must have left some wet ones sit around. Airing them out in the room was a bad idea.
In the morning, I give the whafting sniff test to my clothes and put on my clothese inside out. At least the ride is short so I don´t have to smell myself too long. On the way to Curitiba, I get stopped by a car. I thought at first the driver needed help with directions. I quickly realize that he is inviting me to his church to rest and get a meal. I take his literature and carry on. I have been in Brasil for 6 days and have now been approached about religion 4 times. The Korean ladies in Iguazu, the Arab in Cascavel, the Baptist Brasilian in Palmeira, and this `New Age`Brasilian in Campo Largo. I guess I have a beakon on me that I am alone and need to be saved.
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| The skyline of Curitiba. |
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| Really cool bus fare system. You pay to go past turnstyles, then you wait in these tubes. You board the bus from inside the tube a few feet off the ground in one of 4 entrances. |
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| The standard 4 Axel - 14 wheel bus. This one is leaving so you can´t see how high the entrances into the bus are. |
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| Respect to the guys that made this trip possible |
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| A church in the pedestrian square |
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| While I took this photo, there was a big group of people to my left chanting, singing, and bowing a lot who were following a guy with a cross and some candles. |
Next destination, São Paolo.
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