Return to Brazil 2017

I was nearly at the end of my holiday and I returned to Rio. Copacabana to be exact. It was pleasant walking along the front but it wasn't as exotic as I had imagined. For a start the day was cloudy and the distant bay was hazy. I would have loved to have experienced a blue sky and a clear view of the hills overlooking Rio. There were lots of beach bars offering fast foods and beer. I resisted. Reaching the fort at the end of the beach, nearly at Ipanema I espied a bike shop and couldn't resist entering. It was very triathlon orientated  stocking Specialised, Pinarello, and Cervelo. I returned  on a road parallel to the beach with many shops and found a little restaurant tucked away between shops and up some short stairs. I chose tilapia again but was denied a beer as they didn't sell it.  I discovered that they can quote a price for a meal but at the end add a further ten per cent service charge and that this is legal. After all I had heard about Brazilian coffee I had...

The descent from Petropolis to Rio was exilharating giving views of the surrounding mountains. It was good to be on a coach and not have to worry about watching the road. I doubt the coach exceeded 40  kmsh (25 mph)  for most of the descent. Eventually we reached the suburbs of Rio passing the favelas and uncompleted houses which are very common. Buzios has a number of beaches and knowing that my accommodation was distant from local transport I had hired a car to travel the 180 Kms. It was another journey of constant speed changes enforced by radar and the savage speed humps. I am sure that paying constant attention to the speedometer detracts from road observation and safe driving. The chalet was only 200 metres from the beach, a walk along a sandy track and on to the beach, It seemed endless with very few people. The area in general is very popular and I visited other beaches, Manguinhas, Rasa And Tucuns and was surprised how quiet they were. Armaçao de Búzios on the oth...

It was a wrench to say goodbye to São João but I was scheduled to be in Petropolis where I had booked a car to visit Teresopolis the following day. It was a four and a half hour journey costing 89 reais (£22) with a few stops in towns along the route and a longer stop for refreshments at Juiz de Fora. I was impressed by the food on offer. None of the dried out food on offer like UK services and a good selection of fruit. Petropolis had two bus stations, One on the periphery of the town for inter city routes and a one in the centre for the city services. It was a fifteen minute journey to the hotel and I thought the bus was going to fall apart on every bump in the road. The hotel was ok, nothing special but it was clean and economic. The restaurant was on the fourth floor and the staircase reminded me of that in the film, The name of the Rose with Sean Connery. Petropolis is about seventy Kms from Rio and 800m above sea level. As a result it is much cooler than Rio. It ...

For anyone who would like to see the photos I took they can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/open?id=19t9sUm0ldobWxr8EMKB__nQqLZoJuApu There are 1400 spread over 18 folders. I will try to title the folders so you know the area they were taken.  will try to incorporate some into the blog but that may be some time.

I am sorry I have not uploaded any photos yet. It's going to be a mammoth task editing and selecting which to show. But they will appear in due course. I promise. I am still completing the blog. It started off as all blogs do with good intentions but I fell behind. I reckon I have another 6 posts to make. Then I can start on the photos.

Another change of location. Monday I was relocating to São João del Rei about 190 Kms south. Although the bus station was only a kilometre distant I called Uber again. I had previously visited the bus station so I knew where to go. It was on two levels with several platforms, one for local, the other for long distance. Case loaded and receipt given we set off on the two and a half hour journey. It was a long climb out of Belo Horizonte on the BR356 a federal highway. The standard of driving seemed so much better than around towns and I was much impressed by the coach drivers professionalism. The coach arrived at São João del Rei where I had arranged to be met by Edson, the brother of my host. Rose, my host, She had an interesting house in the historic part of the city. The style and colours reminded me of the nineteen thirties. A simple house on one level but very clean. Breakfast was quite simple. Coffee from the thermos flask that every house seemed to use, some bread and chee...