26.11.23 We are not only changing country, but also language. Adios Paraguay bem-vindo ao Brasil! It's Sunday and, as we've been told, the best day to cross the border from Ciudad del Este to Foz de Iguaçu. This is because the stores are closed on Sundays and shopping tourism is at a standstill. We take a leisurely drive across the Friendship Bridge over the Rio Paraná to the migration point to Brazil. So far, everything has gone smoothly. No traffic and virtually no people in front of the customs house. As we had already prepared ourselves for somewhat longer waiting times, we take our time. The customs officer takes a quick look at our papers, stamps our passports and wishes us a safe journey. That went pretty quickly now. Hmmm, the import papers for our motorcycles are still missing, aren't they? As always, we try to scan the QR code and open the import page. But unfortunately nothing happens. As the Policia Federal is responsible for this in Brazil, we ask the nice police officer how the import of the motorcycles works. He waves us off and says that if you have the stamp in your passport, you can ride. Fine, if it's that easy, we accept the offer. We are in Brazil and the border crossing took less than two minutes. That's the absolute record time so far! We are happy and are already looking forward to the Iguaçu Falls, which are only a few kilometers away. The Eco Parque Iguaçu offers rooms and camping. So we head for it, which is in the middle of the nature park. It already feels like being in the rainforest. The young man at reception confirms this and tells us we'd better take a room. They had already had three emergencies this year due to poisonous snakes and scorpions. OK, we decide on the room. And as we have saved so much time at the border, we set off on foot to the Cataratas do Iguaçu waterfalls!
Before- dry
at the Watherfalls
After "Garganta del Diablo" - WEt
The Devil's Throat, 150 meters wide with a 700 meter deep gorge
The Cataratas do Iguaçu consist of 20 large and 255 small waterfalls. The park is about 2.7 km long and we walk along the waterfalls for two hours on small paths. The waterfalls are breathtakingly beautiful and the humidity is high, practically 100%. At the Devil's Throat you can no longer avoid the water. It feels like a drizzle. We walk over a bridge that leads directly to the "Garganta del Diablo". It is incredibly loud, the water is literally hurled down into the gorge. The Devil's Throat is 700 meters high and you can feel the power of the water in every cell. Dripping wet, we try to find a small shelter. It is simply magnificent and sooo gigantic - unbelievable! Due to erosion caused by the deforestation of the rainforest, the river transports large amounts of sediment when the water level rises and the water turns brown. Two months ago there were floods here and the park was even closed for a while. The volume of water increased many times over.
The Parque das Aves is well worth a visit. It is the largest bird park in Latin America and is on the way back to our accommodation.
Our idea is to drive through southern Brazil, specifically the regions of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The weather is not exactly great and after our visit to the waterfalls it starts to rain. The rain will be with us for a while, which we don't realize at this point. Well, I guess that's part of the adventure. But Brazil is actually known as the land of the sun. We will only get to see it very rarely. We drive southeast on a main highway, overtake what feels like thousands of trucks and the rain gets heavier and heavier. In the end, we end up driving on water. All day long, the water comes from above, from below, from the side, from everywhere...
Eventually we end up in a small town and people wonder what we're doing here - we wonder the same thing! Finding a room is easy, as the choice is very limited. Somehow we have to get our clothes dry. We definitely want to leave here tomorrow! The reception looks ok... the room is actually a cell. All we're missing are the white and black striped convict suits...
Cell 28
Our clothes dryer
uuuuuuuhhhh
With wet shoes the next morning...
New Collection!
...there are plastic bags for dry feet!
The next morning doesn't really make for dry clothes, and the shoes are still damp. So we put our feet in plastic bags and then in our shoes. Breakfast leaves a lot to be desired. Coffee and off we go. Our destination for the day is Treze Tilia's "13 Linden". A Tyrolean village in the middle of Brazil! Today's rainy riding day is no better than yesterday's. We arrive wet from top to bottom and also stained red from the clay soil. Our motorcycles Barana and Wanda look accordingly. We can wring out our gloves and socks. There doesn't seem to be anyone at the first accommodation. So we take the next one. A nice little guesthouse. Will it fit our budget? Because yesterday's cell 28 cost us no less than 40 US dollars. And lo and behold, the universe is kind to us. We get a top modern apartment with kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom and two balconies for 40 US dollars including Tyrolean breakfast in the hotel around the corner!!! Hopefully we won't get lost in the apartment. We ask twice if the price is right. YES! Jackpot! We stay here until the rain passes and have a look around the village. The owner even speaks some German and his parents own the "Dreizehnlinden" hotel, which serves a fantastic breakfast like in the land of milk and honey! That's not easy to find in South America! There are eggs, cakes, even apple strudel, various freshly squeezed juices such as coconut, mango, orange etc. Cheese, smoked ham, fruit, coffee, butter, jam and honey. We have forgotten at least ten delicacies in this list.
As we are tired and urgently need a hot shower with pressure, the hosts recommend a Tyrolean restaurant. The best in Treze Tilias, the Edelweiss restaurant - with its own beer brewery "Bierbaum". We don't want to miss out, it's going to be a feast!
We can't believe our eyes when we read the food and drink menu! It's awesome! We drink black beer and eat spaetzle with sauerbraten! The next morning, fresh and well-rested, we explore the Tyrolean village of "Dreizehnlinden" in Portuguese "Treze Tilias". The village was founded in 1933 by the Tyrolean Andreas Thaler and today, especially the older generation, still speaks German. Tyrolean traditions and culture are highly valued and preserved here. It is also known for the large number of sculptors. We were even serenaded by the owner Conrad on the alphorn at breakfast. Incredible, just like in a movie!
barrigometro (Bally messure)
"extremamente sexy"
AT Lindenhof
Restaurant with Tirolian Music
Andreas Thaler
Founder of Dreizehnlinden
Miniaturland
Incredible but true, this is Treze Tilias in miniature
Now let's get back to our motorcycles. Because we are drawn further east to higher ground. We finally want to ride curves again and have heard about beautiful routes near Rio Rufino and Urubici in Santa Catarina. The Serra do Rio do Rastro and Serra do Corvo Branco are supposed to be wonderful to ride. But before that, Wanda and Barana need to be spruced up and given a wash.
Finally we get onto smaller roads. The truck traffic decreases and we feel freer again. The bends increase and the weather is pleasant, even the sun can be seen and we enjoy the ride to the full. Here too, the official national roads are not paved, as we had already noticed in Bolivia and Paraguay. We drive partly through jungle over hill and dale. It feels as if a big cat could jump out of the bush at any moment. Concentration is the order of the day and it's great fun. We drive about 100 km over gravel, clay, bridges where the railings are only halfway up and meet hardly any cars. Since a cyclone hit here in September, you can still see the devastation in the countryside. The water is up to the ankles of the cows and horses and we feel the effects of El Niño mainly through the cool wind and the rain. We find out that camping is not so easy in Brazil. Here they know camping with a tent a little differently. Most overlanders are on the road with their motorhomes and only need a parking space with electricity. Now there are accommodations (guesthouses) here, which they call "pousadas". Some of the pousadas also offer the option of camping. So we keep an eye out for the pousadas. Brazil is very extensive and not as developed as we know it in Europe, for example. Many areas are still unexplored and wild.
We arrive in Urubici on 1.12.23. We head for the Camping do Motochilero. Alfredo Souza, a motorcycle traveler, lives here with his partner Ellys and son Alejandro. Duglas and Cris are the men for all occasions. The campsite is slightly elevated at around 1000 meters above sea level and we have a meadow with a view of the jungle, a communal kitchen and great company!
Urubici In BACKGROUND
camping do Motochileiro
GIANT SHAKE
View in the Valley
OLD VW Käfer
serve as flower pots
Stefan & Cris
In Brasil ...
... Football is a MUST!
New ChAIN for Barana
Stefans New Friend
CURRENT FAILURE
We stay at the campsite for a week, it rains cats and dogs every day and is cold. When the power goes out, there are candles for romance and we wait a whole day until we are connected to the mains again. In between, we score a goal or two. We feel like children! But when the ball falls into the bushes, Duglas doesn't let us get it. There lives a rattlesnake uuuugggghhh.
Morro do Campreste
Parque Mondo Novo
The Football Team
Now that the rain has eased a little, I dare to get out of the four walls again. To be on the safe side, we put on our rain gear and set off in search of the two beautiful sections of Serra do Corvo Branco and Serra do Rio do Rastro. We are looking forward to finally experiencing these winding roads with the familiar 180 degree hairpin bends, mountain passes and unique nature... Let's go!
No View
The clouds hang low...
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD LOOK
Wallpaper at the bakery ;-)
WE WILL NOT LET OUR MOOD BE SPOILED
On our tour, we see a truck - which is clearly too long for these tight bends - get stuck in the mud. Its cargo is two huge generators, which are somewhat shakily fastened to the truck. The wheels spin and the mud flies through the air. The truck driver tries to wade through the mud in her flip-flops. Stefan gets off the bike and helps her. A queue of cars forms behind us. When she has completed the first 180 degree bend, the next one is just around the corner. The same game starts all over again. Forward gear, reverse gear, tires spinning, mud flying through the air.... hmmm this is going to be fun. We won't get far like this. We overtake them on the next bend. Cris said that the roads are so nice to ride on a motorcycle, you just fly through them. Yes, he was probably right, but for us it was more like flying blind through the clouds. Well, we didn't see much of the beautiful landscape. But we felt it - the wetness, the cold, the wind... But we didn't let it spoil our mood, because all of a sudden a nice little scent came flying over... there's a bakery and it smells of freshly baked sweets. So we warm ourselves up and try these delicacies. A different kind of adventure.
Alfredos Bike - cool!
Brasileiros auf dem Camping
In the meantime, Alfredo Souza has also returned home from his two-month motorcycle tour. Ellys is overjoyed and throws her arms around his neck. Alfredo helps us organize another front tire and a new chain for Barana. And as the Brazilian ATMs won't give us any money - we tried what felt like 100 machines with three different cards - we paid for his spare parts order with our credit card and he gave us some cash. Cool thing, thanks Alfredo! Despite the crap weather, we had a wonderful time here and made some great friends. It was hard to say goodbye and Ellis gave us an olive branch for good luck. Muito obrigado por tudo!
On 9.12.23 our journey continues towards Porto Alegre. We drive through the jungle on gravel roads. There is no asphalt today, or only crumbs of it.
Suddenly Stefan stops... You can't go any further here, there's water. We see a small dam. The road leads directly into the water and out again on the other side of the river. I wonder how deep it is? Stefan goes on an exploratory tour. He trudges through the water to the other end. Wet feet again.... oh dear. But luckily we realize that the water doesn't reach higher than our calves and the current is weak. The road is marked left and right, should work.
ROAD MARKING WITH FLAGS
TEST RUN ON FOOT
DRAIN SHOES
AFTER US THIS TRUCK
DRAIN SHOES FOR THE SECOND TIME
YES DONe!
And the video will follow! We still have to produce the movie. But on Instagram @rocknride_ontour we have captured a crossing for you! Mighty proud of ourselves, and not knowing what a big challenge awaits us in the coming days, we get on our steel horses and hop off.
We actually find a small campsite in the middle of nowhere, but drive past it. It's not that late and we decide to drive on for another hour. But sometimes plans just don't work out. Stefan's toolbox with the tools doesn't want to go any further... The fastening breaks. So we unscrew it and stow it in our luggage. We decide to drive back to the campsite we saw. A small, pretty spot and a nice host couple await us. Luis-Carlos is a gaucho and shows us his country. And just imagine, he has a pool table! How cool is that! Of course, after setting up the tent and filling our stomachs, we play a few rounds of pool. Since then, I've just called myself the "billiard queen" hehehe.
It's already 10.12.23 and we're asking ourselves what we want for Christmas. What wishes do we have? Hmm, it would be nice to celebrate somewhere in the country with loved ones. We send our wish to the universe. Today we drive around Porto Alegre with its huge bridges and mighty rivers. We step on the gas, because the route isn't exactly thrilling. We want to get away from the big city and the traffic as quickly as possible. After 400 km, the rain hits us again. We put on our rain gear under a bridge and drive the last stretch to the campsite, right on the Atlantic. We have now arrived in the Rio Grande do Sul region, the southernmost tip of Brazil. The small town of Cassino isn't exactly sparkling, but it's fine for one night. But if you make a plan, you should have a second one. The Wanda is acting up a bit and we notice that the exhaust is cracked. Ok, we'll deal with this problem tomorrow and decide to stay two nights. We meet a young motorcyclist from Sao Paolo at the campsite. Cicero wants to ride the world's longest beach of 240 km tomorrow, from Cassino to Chuy, which is the border town between Brazil and Uruguay. Apparently, this beach is accessible by vehicle. We get a new idea...
The sun wakes us up at seven in the morning and it gets hot in the tent. We get up, have breakfast and then go for a long walk along the beach before we devote ourselves to Wanda's exhaust pipe. After all, we have crossed South America once since our start in Valparaiso - from the Pacific to the Atlantic! This is something to celebrate!
On the beach we suddenly find lots of dead crabs, fish and boat parts. Including a radio, a single rubber boot and gloves... We wonder what has happened here. Has a boat sunk?
On the way back to the campsite, we pass a motorcycle repair shop. One look is enough. The workshop seems to be very tidy and the mechanic, a friendly young man, approaches us with a smile and asks if we need any help. Yes of course, we have a broken exhaust. He tells us to come by at two o'clock, he can weld it. Feeling good, we continue on our way and realize that our campsite is just around the corner. Wonderful, it couldn't be better. So we grab a bite to eat and Stefan dismantles the exhaust. We walk to the workshop with the toolbox that fell off the day before and the exhaust. Exequiel is already waiting for us and is ready to go. He welds the exhaust together in the small backyard. And when Stefan explains the problem with the toolbox holder, the boys get creative. Grinning from ear to ear, the two of them start rummaging through the garbage can full of scrap metal. They make a find, of course.... A disused motorcycle chain is now to serve as a new mount. It's a real pleasure to watch the boys work. The conversation takes place in Portuguese, Spanish, English and with hands and feet. A real pleasure! We leave the workshop with 5 US dollars less and an afternoon we will never forget! Thanks to Exequiel Motos in Cassino!
Wanda
with broken wing
WELDING
The boys have fun
Exequiel Motos
Obrigado!
In the evening, we are surprised to meet Cicero again at the campsite. He has mastered the beach trip, but he tells us that a fishing boat sank a day or two ago. He had found a dead man on the beach and had gone to the police. They said that they had rescued two fishermen so far, but four were still missing. We were overcome by an uneasy feeling. Unfortunately, we had been right in our suspicions this morning. Should we drive the route on the sandy track tomorrow or not? Cicero says it's an adventure and the track is hard and easy to drive on. However, he also tells us about a stretch with mussel beds where the bike could sink in a bit. Hmmm, what to do, our bikes are a bit heavier after all. We each have a load of around 250 - 300 kg. We sleep on it for a night. But the next morning we're the same weight. We can't make up our minds. Our deal from the start was that we would only ride one route if we both agreed to it and we felt good about it. The bikes are packed and we are still torn. What to do? Adventure or boring road? Then the boss from the campsite arrives, he knows all about wind and is a sailor. He says that if we go, we have to do it today. As soon as the wind comes from the south, it becomes difficult and the tide sets in. So we have just been told that we should only sail in north and north-westerly winds. OK... so this route is not to be underestimated. We decide together that we'll give it a go. We've agreed with the campsite that if we don't contact them by 5 p.m. at the latest, they'll drive off to get us.
The first few meters we drive a little hesitantly until we realize that the road holds and we can easily drive between 50 and 80 km/h. In between, there are small estuaries into the sea, which we easily ride through. We do get wet, but the water is not deep. It's a strange feeling to drive through here when we only found the wreckage of the fishing boat yesterday. Somehow a queasy feeling comes over us as we discover dead dolphins, seals and giant sea turtles on the beach. All the animals are dead. We drive on and this scenario never ends. The sea to our left is brown and the spray washes the brown broth onto the sandy beach. The sea and sand are almost the same color. To our left are sand dunes and behind them a large lagoon. The sea doesn't smell like the sea... it stinks and the smell that spreads through our noses is unpleasant, putrid, salty and makes our stomach walls tighten. On the one hand, the landscape is fascinating, new and at the same time it feels threatening. Our feelings are mixed and we don't know what to do with them. Now that we're here, we make the best of it. We motivate each other and pick out the positives - the track is super rideable with our bikes! Until Stefan stops after 100 km and notices that he has a flat front tire. He pumps up the tire in the hope that it's a slow puncture. I pray and run through all the possibilities in my head. We are halfway through the route. Should we go back or keep going? One thing's for sure, we'll need another two hours. Stefan confirms that it's a crawl plate. OK, we drive on. After another 50 km, we notice how the hard track is getting softer and softer. We slow down and our bikes start to sink into the sand. The dreaded enemy "sand"! I notice Wanda skidding and fall over. Well, luckily it's soft sand. But then it's only a few meters before I fall again. Stefan rushes to help because I can't get Wanda up myself. But he has to bury Barana in the sand, otherwise she'll fall over, the sand can't support the side stand and therefore the weight of the bike. Put one bike up, dig out the next. This scenario is repeated several times. We both fall, digging ourselves into the sand up to the rear axle. We try to pull the bikes out again. Our strength and energy wanes. After an hour, we've made it about 100 meters, knowing that we still have 50 km to go. The sea becomes a little wilder, the landscape is barren, the mussel beds increase and we no longer find it funny. We have to focus in order to think clearly. Which step do we take next? We decide to drive very close to the sea, because the sand is hard there. OK, sounds like a good plan. Stefan ahead and me behind. Occasionally we hit soft sand and the rear wheels start to wobble, but we manage to compensate by stepping on the gas. At the same time, we have to avoid the sea when the waves come in. What an undertaking.
Concentration is the order of the day. Breathe deeply. I drive onto soft sand, fall, a wave buries me and Wanda underneath it! I'm wet from top to bottom, like a beached whale on the beach. Covered in sand from top to bottom, I want to cry. Stefan rushes to help. I've had enough for good. The throw has thrown me off my game. I don't want to go any further. What do we do now! Either we unpack the bikes and take the luggage and bikes to the dunes one by one or we continue on. Staying here is not an option because of the tide. Ok, we decide to continue at a snail's pace. At least the weather is good and somehow the waves are suddenly in a better mood. It's going well and we increase our speed from 30 km/h to 50 km/h. What on earth is that? We can't take our eyes off it. There's a giant calamar on the beach! It is estimated to be around 10 meters long and 2.5 - 3 meters high! We stop and can't believe our eyes. It takes our breath away...
The giant calamar steers our thoughts in a different direction. We are overwhelmed, fascinated and somehow tragic. Driving now feels meditative. We have accepted the situation. And somehow we don't want to get out of this state, it keeps us in balance. We finally see Atlantis! We breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, we've made it! A pousada in front of us, I stop and don't drive another meter. No matter what the cost. That's enough for today! Our bodies are battered and mentally it was a huge challenge. It was definitely a borderline experience. Tomorrow we'll cross the border into Uruguay, but for today we've earned a night in bed. The tension slowly falls away from us and we try to digest today.
The last day in Brazil demanded a lot from us. Brazil is wild, rough and adventurous. Everything is much bigger, the animals, the country and the warmth of the people too. Thank you for these experiences! But in the meantime, we are saying goodbye to Brazil. We'll be back next year, when we'll be heading north! The journey now continues to Uruguay.