Curitiba- Morretes- Rio (NS)

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We arrived at Curitiba at 6.45 am after a comfortable journey on the Leito. We had a coffee/tea in the bus station cafe to re-energise ourselves then headed off to the train station to get the tourist train to Paranagua. The journey was advertised as a scenic, romantic journey through the mountainous atlantic rainforest of the South-East of Brazil. What they don´t advertise is the fact that it only runs once a day at a time when civilised people are re-energising themselves over coffee/tea in the bus station. Nor do they advertise that the train is only a tourist train on weekends so is not the luxurious air-conditioned train either, nor does it run all the way to Parangua, it now only went to the stop before, Morretes.

Flexible as we are we decided the best bet was to get out of the city by bus and get to Morretes where we could take the train back the following day. It all turned out well, Morretes was a very picturesque Riveriera style town. It turns out there are many European-like places in Southern Brazil and most of the people are of European origin unlike the rest of Brazil where the people are of Black origin. We checked into a hostel and went for a walk along the river - it was beautiful.

The next day we took the train back to Curitiba, and it was everything we through it would be. The line was built in the 1800s to connect Curitiba to the sea for commerce purposes. The 75 km line runs over 67 bridges and through 13 tunnels as it clings to the steep edges of the atlantic rainforest covered granite mountains. The views sounds and smells were beyond words. I love travelling by train and this journey had me in silent awe for most of its 3.5 hours. To top it all off a guide on the train thought we were with her group so kept on giving us free drinks and snacks.

That night we travelled to Rio for the Stones concert (almost on the wrong bus and got into a fracas over seat asignment.) We arrived in Rio at midday and with the help of Dr Rod got some some accommodation. We met Dr Rod on the bus from Curitiba, he spoke fanastic English on account he had lived and worked in London for a couple of years. Not only was he a Saint for helping us find a room, he also perscribed some medicine I should take to cure the stomach bug I had had for a few weeks, thanks Dr Rod!

The evening was spent with 1 million other people on Copacabana beach watching The Rolling Stones - it was cool. They played all the hits and some others I did not know over a period of 2 hours. Tas couldn´t see so we built a sand mound to stand on. All over the place there were hawkers shouting ´Coca-cola, Agua, Skol´. These items were sold chilled from massive polystyrene boxes. The gig finished at 1am and as it was 30 degrees c we decided to walk home along Copacabana and Ipanema beach. I am not really a beach person but these are the two most perfect tourist beaches I have ever seen. Fluffy sand, small shores and loads of music and drinking and impecably clean. All the way home the hawkers were still chanting ´Coca-cola, Agua, Skol´. The following day started with a sucos and vitaminas, these are juices and smoothies resepectively. Every town on Brazil has a few juice bars and Ipanema has one on every corner. It was while we were at the juice bar that we realised how beautiful the people of Rio De Janeiro (Cariocas as they are known) are.

That afternoon we got the bus then a boat to Ihla Grande just off the coast of Rio, where we could stay for a few days waiting for carnival. It would have been nice to stay in Rio but it is quite an expensive city whereas Ihla Grande has campsites and we are on a budget.

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Photos

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The train at scarey heights

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View from the train

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We made a mound for Tasmin to see the Stones.....

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....and everyone else copied!