October 15 to October 17 2015 Our Last Couple of Days in Brazil

We arrived back in São Paulo by bus to the Central Bus terminal at 6:00 a.m. Off we go into the subway system from Portuguesa–Tietê is a station on Line 1 (Blue) to Luz Station
Estação da Luz to change lines to Pinheiros is a metro station on Line 4 (Yellow). The crowds were growing traveling to work as we make our way to Line 9 (Emerald) to Morumbi station where we will meet Marco to pick us up by car.  We walked across the street through the crowds to our meeting place outside the Outback.  We settled back in to the apartment as Marco and João got ready and left for work.

Today brought sunshine once we woke at 12:30 p.m. then Keith spent the afternoon doing some work. We spoke with Ashley and Gram before we went to the grocery store. Nice to have connections with family while away from the US.  We went to the grocery store and grabbed things for making dinner, chicken in mango with coconut milk rice.

Back at Marco and João's 

Beautiful day, look at all the green space in the City

Friday, 16 October we toured several areas in São Paulo that we wanted to visit. First stop, after Marco and João take us into the City is Museu da Lingua Portuguese (Portuguese Language Museum) inside Luz station. After the tour of the museum among the hordes of loud school kids we walked to Parque de Luz and then to São Bento a Benedictine Cathedral and Monastery. We tried to get to observation tower at City Hall but could not to it since it was inside one of the banks. The banks were on strike for a couple of weeks.   

Portuguese Language Museum, area showing the remodeling of the building

Luz station

Parque da Luz

fountain at Parque da Luz

Corrupt built 1880 for the garden

looking down on the park and weight training area with Keith

Mosteiro de São Bento, fourth building of the Benedictines 

Mosteiro de São Bento

Mosteiro de São Bento

We had a really great lunch at Bom Gosto Restaurant  then we walked to São Bento station then changed lines for one stop on the green line to Brigadeiro at Paulista Avenue and down to Nogueira to Museo Afro Brasil about a 30 minute walk 8km. This museum is massive and full of interesting historical information. The exhibit on Dr. Lorenzo Turner was an African-American academic and linguist who did seminal research on the Gullah language of the Low Country of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Fascinating history and story on slavery and the amount of people affected on both sides of the Ocean.

Art deco style bank building

After lunch walk to the subway

Article on Dr. Lorenzo D. Turner

Mali exhibit with sand on the floor, great exhibit

Afterwards we stopped for ice cream and Cappuccino at Sabor Ibira. Then took a stroll in the park

Ibirapuera Park lake

flowers in bloom at Ibirapuera Park

Walked the park and then speed walked up Nobrega to Paulista to meet Marco at his office for 19:00, we googled the distance and made it with 10 minutes to spare. We walked so fast up that hill, sure did not think we would make it.  Took the subway to João's work and got home took showers then got in the car off to Bourbon Street for a rememberable evening of good conversation and music.

Paulista Avenue at night

Our last night in São Paulo at Bourbon Street listening to live jazz, what a great night with Marco and João.  Thank you for being amazing hosts during our time in São Paulo.

We spent our last morning and afternoon with Marco and João taking in a street festival in Brooklin section of São Paulo.  Lots of people, food and music...oh yeah the beer was flowing.  Another fun event.

Brooklyn Street Faire

Fresh gelato

Confections with fruit and coconut

Pork roasting

our sandwiches are being made, yum

We want to thank everyone we met on our adventures through the three southern states of Brazil. Your warm hearts and smiles will always be with us. The Brazilian people are always willing to help, even if we do not speak the same language but we can communicate with a smile.  We look forward to seeing our new friends again and another visit to Brazil is a must for us.  

(Queremos agradecer a todos que nos encontramos em nossas aventuras através dos três estados do sul do Brasil . Seus corações quentes e sorrisos sempre estará conosco. O povo brasileiro é sempre dispostos a ajudar , mesmo que não falam a mesma língua , mas podemos nos comunicar com um sorriso. Estamos ansiosos para ver nossos novos amigos novamente e outra visita ao Brasil é uma obrigação para nós.)

We landed safely at JFK, NY, NY, USA... we saw the sunrise over NY

October 11 to October 14 2015 Couchsurfing in Curitiba, Brazil

After Oktoberfest we got back to the house and settled in to a sound sleep and woke early Sunday morning for the bus to Curitiba.  Our hosts asked us to arrive early to spend time with them and a bonus, Monday was a Holiday in Brazil.

So we leave Blumenau at 9:40 on Sunday, 11 October and arrive to see two smiling faces from our Couchsurfing hosts, Ilton (Tim) and Jose Maria, waiting for us at the bus station. They helped us get our bags and ran to the car through puddles and driving rain. We drove to their place in Agua Verde suburb of Curitiba. We got settled into our room.  We were all hungry and decided to go to Batel Grill Churrascaria for Brazilian barbecue.  We did not know we would end up being in meat comas for the day.  Despite all the delicious food and rain we went on a tour of the City by car.

We went back to the apartment and chatted about travel with the guys, looking at all the fantastic photos of the World framed in the hallway and a great map of the World with pins for all the places Ilton has travelled.  Jose Maria showed us his video on Youtube of his beautiful homeland, Nicaragua. Keith, Wayne and Jose Maria went geocaching to two locations close to the apartment in the rain but came up empty.

We were then entertained later by their friend, Daniella and her two children, Ana and Tomas. Ilton played the piano and Daniella sang. She did a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, Brazilian and Nicaragua National anthems, along with show tunes.  She has a beautiful gift for song.

Monday, 12 October was a holiday in Brazil. We spent the day touring Curitiba and then went to a Polish farm for brunch at Novo Polska in Campo Margo. Delicious food and this time a Polish food coma. Jose Maria climbed a tree for fruit and made friends with a small white bunny in one of the pens. Really fun day even with the constant rain showers. 

Ilton left tonight at 20:30 for his flight. Jose Maria found a translation app on his phone so we could communicate easier. He then made a traditional rice dessert for us to eat (soak rice in water for 1 hour, place in a sive, push the milk out of the rice then put in a blender and then strain again, put liquid into pan with 3 -4 cups of milk, cup of sugar and let thicken. Serve with cinnamon on top. Best eaten warm. This was delicious, we are now completely hooked on Nicaraguan food.

Pedestrian mall area in Curitiba

Palácio Avenida

Praça General Osório fountain (a swan and mermaids, pieces that were imported from France)

Praça Tiradentes in the historic district

A Catedral Basílica Menor Nossa Senhora da Luz (Catedral Basílica Menor Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais) on Praça Tiradentes

an amazing shot of how beautiful the Cathedral really is in person

Historical Distrist starting along the Rua das Flores, the first pedestrianised street in Brazil, you can stroll up to the Paço da Liberdade

The opposite side of Paço da Liberdade

Igreja do Rosário dos Pretos São Benedito

historic Curitiba

road trip to Campo Magro

Keith, Wayne, Ilton and Jose Maria at Curitiba in the distance from road to Novo Polska, Campo Magro

after lunch Jose Maria was playing with the bunnies behind the restaurant

Jose Maria climbing to get the fruit on the tree while Ilton watches him

views on our road trip back to Curitiba

village along our route back

Tuesday, 13 October we are up early to get a taxi to the train station to Sierra Verde Express train that left at 8:15 and arrived in Morretes at 12:15. We walked around the small City and had lunch at Verdadeiro Barreado. Really good fish stew served traditionally. Nice day spent in Morretes, caught the 17:30 bus back. We arrived at Caritiba station at 18:40, where we purchased our tickets for São Paulo for 10/14 at 23:45 arriving there 6 hours later.

We walked back to the apartment from the bus station, while walking we saw a street blocked with Food Trucks, produce vendors, cheese and meat for sale. We had dinner with Jose Maria.

Sierra Verde Express train

Entering our first tunnel

landscape was beautiful even with the cloud cover

above large bodies of water along the way

deep fall off of land into ravens 

cross river on high bridge

some building ruins of Morumbi

Waterfalls were vast

coming out of a tunnel

view just before we get to Morretes

historic district in Morretes

Selfie to show our friends we made it to the restaurant they recommended

River Nhundiaquara

historic district of Morretes

Paróquia Nossa Senhora do Porto built 1812 and houses the artwork of Theodore de Bona

River Nhundiaquara

Wayne on the riverside deck of Nhundiaquara Restaurant

Keith on the riverside deck of Nhundiaquara Restaurant

Keith and Wayne on the riverside deck of Nhundiaquara Restaurant, look at all the amazing traditional food on the table

Street closed with vendors along both sides, tons of different food

Wednesday, 14 October  Keith had to work in the morning. We went geocaching in the afternoon then met Ilton at the apartment and went to Jardim Botanico de Curitiba for the afternoon. We had açaí with granola and banana.

We took photos and exchanged information for Jose and Ilton when they come for the US. Jose Maria made dinner with pineapple and coconut milk on hamburgers. We talked about astrology, music and movies. 

Jardim Botânico de Curitiba In the portal of entry

Fountain in the center from portal to the greenhouse

Keith and Wayne at Jardim Botânico Fanchette Rischbieter

Keith, Ilton and Wayne at Jardim Botânico Fanchette Rischbieter

looking at Curitiba from the gardens

lake inside the Jardim Botânico Fanchette Rischbieter

Another great host in Brazil, these two guys were so much fun and we learned a lot from them. Ilton is a very seasoned traveler and excellent pianist. Jose Maria is a great guy, who loves his homeland (Nicaragua) and taught us so much about that country, a definite must see for us.  We look forward to seeing you on your US trip this winter. 

Outra grande anfitrião no Brasil, essses dois caras eram muito divertido e aprendemos muito com eles. Ilton é um viajante muito experiente e excelente pianista. Jose Maria é um grande cara, que ama sua terral natal (Nicarágua) e ensinou-nos muito sobre esse país, uma definitiva deve ver para nós. Estamos ansiosos para vê-lo em sua viagem aos EUA neste inverno.