October 10 2015 Oktoberfest in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Off we go to Blumenau, we got 3 hours of sleep on this Saturday morning, 10 October to catch a taxi to the bus station. Thanks to our hosts in São Paulo for the app named Taxi99. We got to the bus station with no problems and took a 5 hour trip to meet Giovani and his family. He picked us up at the bus station and drove by the house we would be staying at when he took us to his sister, Patricia's apartment to have breakfast. We were met by his wife, Cida, his sister, nephew, Andreas and Philippe. We had a great breakfast and then we took his sister to get a washer machine for her new apartment.  Giovani showed us around town before we headed over to the Mall to have lunch with his wife and sister.

After lunch, Giovani took us on a tour of the historic areas of the City.  We were able to get prime seats at a coffee shop to watch the parade which started at 16:00. This we a really great parade and our first for Oktoberfest. As we tell our story, this was the BEST parade ever seen in our lives, so much fun and interaction from everyone. We then got to the house we were staying at, took showers and got ready to head out to Oktoberfest Party.

Oktoberfest signs line the parade route

City Hall

Main street with European feel to this German City

Capybara along the banks

Keith and Giovani watching the parade

The parade started then there was a break, here we go!

Schweinwargon

Dancing and more dancing

Bicycle that weaves up and down the parade route with music

Parade in front of us, so much fun and excitement

Blumenau looks like it could be in Germany

Here we are in the crowd 

A little look of Europe in Brazil

Oktoberfest Blumenau 2015

Inside the party in one of the 4 staged areas. We had BBQ while listening to the entertainment

We were so lucky to be able to experience this event, we had no intention to go to Blumenau until everyone kept saying you must and just so happened to be Oktoberfest. At first we thought we would not get into the Oktoberfest Party since the ticket booths were closed since they sold out but a Military Police Officer told our host he thought the gate may get us in since he was with two American travelers. Finally we were told some tickets were being sold on the street, the tickets sold for R$30 at the booth and we paid R$50 ($12 USD instead of $9 USD). It was so worth the experience! Great rib BBQ meal was huge and we listened to 4 different bands staged in 4 areas of the venue.  

We had a very nice host in Blumenau and greatly appreciate his greeting us to his City.  We do not usually do a couch for one night but glad we did.

October 7 to October 9 2015 Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

We entered our third state in Brazil, Santa Catarina. We are looking forward to seeing the island of Floripa, as the locals call it. On Wednesday, 7 October we made our first stop at a Merlo Luncheonette at 6:45 a.m. Weather had changed to cloudy and 20c. Our estimated arrival time is 11:00 a.m. since the usual bus route is closed and we need to detour.

Our selfie on the bus

Landscape from Foz do Iguaçu to Florianopolis.

City along the way after Joinville

Landscape of Santa Catarina

Florianopolis in the distance

After being dropped off at the main terminal we walked over to the local buses for Florianopolis with Donna. She directed us to the bus that should take us to our Couchsurfing hosts home, went got on the 138 Norte, this bus took us to the northern route and our hosts were on the southern route of the same bus.  We got off finally at USFC, walked across the street and started our migration uphill. You have no idea how exhausting the incline is until you do it with two backpacks, we took a couple of breaks and then.... We walked past the entrance and further uphill. Keith sent an SMS to our host, Fabricio and Ana waited for us to come back downhill and greeted us. We felt like Mountain Goats climbing, would have been a great joy to just roll back down but we didn't.

The view from our room, balcony overlooking this wonderful landscape

Our couch in Floripa

We had a very warm greeting into their home and sat down to lunch with Fabricio, Ruy and Ana, then settled into our room once we got a tour of the house.  After lunch, Fabricio and Ruy went to work. Keith and Wayne joined Ana in a road trip to Joaquina Beach, on the Atlantic side of the island and Lagoa da Conceição.  

Joaquin Beach, looking down just after we got off the bus

Wayne, Ana and Keith on Joaquin Beach

Looking back at Joaquin Beach from the water

Looking at the beach from the rocks, great view, Yup it is raining but still looks great.

Wayne and Keith on the rocks

Hanging out with our hosts..Alex in the foreground, Keith is playing chess with Ruy, Wayne is chatting with Fabricio and Ana took the photo

Thursday, 8 October was a wash. Keith, Wayne and Ana went to the grocery store since we planned on cooking dinner tonight. We walked to the market, checked out all the food available and decided on a pork loin for dinner with mango, and salad. We bought chocolate cake for dessert. We got back to the apartment bags in hand and exhausted from another climb, but just in time before the skies opened to a torrential thunderstorm. We relaxed that evening with the group.

Friday, 9 October we got up and out early for a trip to the beach, the day was supposed to be cloudy and chance of rain. We were going to try and visit Donna on the south of the island at the Otter Rescue but an otter got loose the evening before and they closed the facility, plus the hiking trails in the south were closed due to flooding.

We got on the bus below the hill, traveled to the Central Terminal to change buses to Lagoa da Conceição then to Bus 360. We headed over to Praia Mole.  We walked the beach then into the paths above the dunes and rocks to Praia da Galheta. 

Praia Beach

Praia Mole beach

Path from Praia to Gharta

Walk along the rocks to get to the beach

Keith above the waves breaking on the rocks

Storm swells and surfers out in the distance

Path above the rocks and some of the dunes

Water coming from the dunes onto Praia da Galheta

Keith up in the rocks when we walked back

We stopped at Bar do Deca on Praia Mole, one of the few gay beaches there. We met Robert, an American from Louisiana. He works for United Airlines and based out of Houston, he was at the bar with his Brazilian boyfriend, David.  They drove us to Centro and we stopped at Jocas Bar, which opened when we arrived.  We then went back to the flat to have dinner and say our good-byes to our hosts, since we decided to leave for Blumenau. We had so much fun that evening with everyone.  We joked and laughed and played games, talked on and on.  

Our time in Florianopolis was so much fun despite the cold and rainy weather. We would love to come back to "Rainopolis" when it is not raining and we can go to the beach and swim.  Our hosts are very active in the LGBT movement and we wish them luck with their endeavor in Brazil. We hope to see them again.

Alex, Keith, Wayne and Fabricio

October 2 to October 6, 2015 Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil

Making ready to taken in our second state in Brazil, on October 1st we spent the day working and packing for the night bus to leave our hosts apartment in São Paulo for our trip to Foz do Iguaçu in Paraná. Clothes were washed and ironed, work accomplished and we even got to chat with Grammy on Skype.  All ready to leave for the taxi pick-up using Taxi99 app. Off to Estação Morumbi with backpacks on our backs and fronts. Took the Green line to Pinheiros on the Yellow line to Luz then change to the Blue line for our final destination to Portuguese Tietê and the bus station. The trip was crazy crowded with rush hour but we got there one hour before we left, checked in and grabbed something to eat. We got on the night bus on Track 71 in our seats and fell right to sleep.  Our first stop was at 23:00 at a restaurant bus stop.  We were freezing to death, got our windbreaks and at least were a little warmer.

We woke on October 2nd to Keith's birthday on a bus going along the highway with beautiful landscape of rolling hills of Assuncion to Foz do Iguaçu. We woke up in another State in Brazil. Our bus arrived an hour late and our host picked us up at the station. We arrived to Marcello's home to meet his wife Karina and the two Schnauzers. We had a great lunch to start our visit. Keith had to do some work so we sat at the table had lunch, talked, learned some Portuguese and then we took a walk around the town. We were hoping to see the river, border with Paraguay but could not. We went to the market and back to the apartment and stayed up late with Marcello talking about traveling and our life becoming Untethered.

Landscape from Cascavel to Foz do Iguaçu, State of Paraná 

Happy Birthday Keith from the bus

Assuncion to Foz do Iguaçu

View from Marcello and Karina's apartment looking at Paraguay. From the large tower out is Paraguay.

Lights of Foz do Iguaçu in the foreground and Paraguay in the background

3 October, Saturday we woke to the table set and had breakfast with Karina.  We decided to take a tour of the Hydroelectric Plant since it was a rainy day but could not go to the plant since they are on strike in Brasil. We decided to walk part way to the Bird Park (Parque das Aves). This is a beautiful park and must see, the best we have seen in the World. We were there for 4 hours and could have spent more time there. We hung out in the aviaries with Scarlet Ibis and Toucans flying past us.

Arara Azul Grande (Hyacinth Macaw)

Grou Coroado Africano (Grey Crowned Crane)

Flamingos in the pond, mirror wall in the background keeps the birds thinking there are more of them in the colony

Bromeliads in bloom along the paths within the park

Inside the Pantanal Aviary with the Guara' (Scarlet Ibis) in flight

Toucan in the Pantanal Aviary

Toucan

Toucans landed above us

Keith with a toucan in the Pantanal Aviary

Wayne with toucan in the Pantanal Aviary

Pantanal Aviary - Scarlet Ibis and Toucans flying

Male and female Harpy Eagles. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas

Macaw aviary with multiple different macaw species flying loose around us

Inside the Butterfly and Hummingbird exhibit, Keith gives a butterfly a ride

Golden Conure

Wayne with a large Macaw outside the aviary

Sunday, 4 October, we caught the bus on a partly sunny warm day to Catartas do Iguaçu. We started the day by taking the bus to Macuco Safari tour by electric vehicle then 1200 meter walk to a small water fall and then to the boat that takes you to the falls on the Argentina side to view from the river then upstream to another set of falls. You get soaking wet, first forward under the falls then reverse under the falls and back. Downstream back through class 4 and 5 waves. AMAZING! Worth ever penny and full of fun. We stood in the sun for a bit to get dry with smiles on our faces. We laughed all the way up and back from the falls and were still smiling as we made our way to the bus.

Wayne and Keith at the small waterfall on Macuco Safari 

Wayne beneath the small waterfall on Macuco Safari

Heading upstream to the falls

Approaching the falls from Brazil to Argentina

Looking upstream to the falls in Brazil

Argentina's falls

Keith and Wayne with the falls of Argentina behind us

Iguaçu Falls, Brazil

Boat is taking us to the falls on the right, get ready to get very wet :)

Keith drying off in the sun after the wild wet time

Walked to The Path of the Falls stop and walked 1,200 meters to the overview of the falls, stopping each time to take photos and look at this wonderful area. We are in another UNESCO site, imagine how wonderful and powerful mother nature is. 

Iguaçu Falls walking 1,200 meter walk along the river

Keith and Wayne with Iguaçu Falls behind us

We then went to the Tower that overlooks the entire falls. We walked to the end area where the restaurant closed at 16:00, put got a snack there before we headed back to Foz.  We got to the apartment changed and met Luis Santos at Januese Confectionaria for coffee and a sweet. We then went to dinner with Karina and Marcello.

Monday was a work day and weather was not great. We met Luis Santos again at Janeuse Confectionaria for coffee. He told us about his visit to Itaipu on the Paraguay side.  Marcello and Karina picked us up with Marcello's son, Louis. We went to Ouvidoria for dinner. We shared food and drink with many laughs. Another fun evening in Foz do Iguaçu.

On Tuesday, October 6th - up early and into the car for our adventure to Paraguay to see Barragem de Itaipu (Itaipu Binacional). Marcello drove us to the wrong entrance at first and then we were directed to the area for the beginning of the tour. We watched an informative film of the construction of the hydroelectric plant. We hopped on the bus with a school group to see the damn, we then drove to the Brazil side to see the lake and where the water empties into the river.  Very good tour with a lot of information.  When we returned to the information center our guide took us to the scale model of the dam. We met Donna from Toulouse, France and then she joined us to head back to Brazil.  Marcello drove back to the first entrance we went to and we picked on him that he wanted to say ‘good-bye to the guard”.  We then stopped for breakfast and coffee. On our drive back to the border, we got stuck in traffic for 2 hours due to construction, compared to the morning when we drove straight across without stopping.  While leaving we missed the entrance to exit and were in front of the motorcycle path, Marcello backed up and then“Marcello Andretti” drove us through the parking lot and into the right path. Phew, we then made it across the border back into Brazil. Marcello smuggled three internationals across the border without having to stop.  We then went to lunch and back to the apartment. A fantastic day with Marcello. 

Our first stop were the slides where water goes to the river

Penstocks with turbines inside them running the damn

Height of the dam above the ground with school group looking down into the damn

Man made Lake at Itaipú Oeste

Paraná River looking from Paraguay to Brazil, crossing the dam

Real working model of Itaipú

Being smuggled out of Ciudad del Este to the Friendship Bridge border crossing

We booked our tickets to Florianopolis on the night bus at 17.40.  Before we left, we laughed while trying to take a photo of the 4 of us while trying to include the Schnauzers.

Marcello and Karina with us before we left their home.

On the bus, ready to head off to our next stop, Florianopolis.

Marcello and Karina we the perfect hosts, we learned so much from each other. Marcello spoke really good English and Karina became more comfortable, we struggled with Portuguese but were always able to smile and communicate with each other. Thank you for the great time in "Foz".  (Marcello e Karina Nós, os anfitriões perfeitos , aprendemos muito um do outro. Marcello falou muito bom Inglês e Karina tornou-se mais confortável, temos lutado com Português mas foram sempre capaz de sorrir e se comunicar uns com os outros . Obrigado por o grande tempo em " Foz ".)

We met Donna on the bus, nice to see a familiar face. Within an hour we stopped to pick up more passengers at 20:47. Then at 21:00 we stopped for dinner.  Keith and Wayne had just started watching the movie 'Serena' When we stopped.