Like many travelers, I came to Curitiba for the Serra Verde Express train ride over the Serro do Mar mountains. However, as it was raining, and busloads of tour groups were heading for the train. I decided to explore the city, wait until the weekend crowds had left, and hope for better weather (no such luck). In 1885, a railroad was built to get Curitiba's products from the high plains to the shore for ocean transport. Goods are still transported on trains a hundred cars long, but most days, a tourist train also slowly chugs up over the mountains, crossing bridges and passing through tunnels blasted through the granite. Clearly, the route had once been more important, for all along the way, there were once-beautiful stations, now in ruins, except for the sweet one in Marumbi.
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