5th day: Jaquirana - Lajeado Grande (Dec 22, 2006)

In the early morning crossing the Rio das Antas river then uphill, entering the small town of Jaquirana through its ugly backside. After one hour's rest and a good picnic, again downhill, crossing a river (bathing) and painful way uphill. Taking another (better) gravel road, passing at the cachoeira das princesas, a nice little park with waterfall, entry 5 R$. Finally, at sunset arriving at Lageado Grande. I stay in the Parque das Cachoeiras camp site, hang my hammock in a billiard room...

4th day: São Joaquim - Jaquirana (Dec 21, 2006)

I came with the night bus from Curitiba via Lages. After picking up the bicycle in São Joaquim I set out on the Santa Catarina / Rio Grande do Sul border which coincides with the sinuous Pelotas river. Very quiet gravel road through orchards, then native vegetation, a simple bridge across the river, some scenic outlooks. After reaching the plateau again, large meadows. Silveira, small rustic village, then São José dos Ausentes, small town, increasingly touristy (evolving ecotourism, impressive canyons nearby, I had visited in 1990). Westbound direction Bom Jesus, horrible road (under construction) then at rusty sign "matemático" taking a narrow bad road towards Jaquirana, passing sparse homes with crazy dogs, no vehicles, only some people on horses. Scenic landscape, still plenty of virgin forest. A brown ape on an Araucaria tree, later on large pine forests. For the night I hang my hammock in the backyard of an abandoned house.

3rd day Serra do Corvo Branco - São Joaquim (Dec 18, 2007)

Foggy morning, heading to the mountain town of Urubici, nice scenario, landscape resembles Europe, very green. After a cup of coffee and some conversation with the staff of the local tourist bureau (with big pictures of snow-covered mountain tops on the wall - this is the only region in Brazil with regular snowfalls im Winter) I hit the road towards São Joaquim: Asphalt very little traffic, great panoramas. Meadows with cows, rests of native forests, an archeological site with wall paintings, a big waterfall looming in a distance of about 5 km. At Vacas Gordas ("Fat cows") light rain. Passing through a village with utterly shabby huts, drunken men on the street. An impressive thunderstorm on the road, I ask for shelter in an old man's hut. After that bad whether until São Joaquim, a fruit-growing center, known as Brazil's coldest city, but not very interesting. I stay in a pousada. The next morning I take a bus to Curitiba via Lages since I have to attend a student's presentation in Curitiba the next day.

2nd day Anitápolis - Serra do Corvo Branco (Dec 17, 2006)

From Anitápolis very pictoresque gravel road with tight vegetation, no traffic to Santa Rosa de Lima. From there difficult but scenic drive with involuntary detours (missing signs, no people to ask) via Rio dos Bugres to Aiurê. Frequent baths in small creeks. Extremely hot. Steep descent to Braço do Norte River, very scenic with a steep descent. Panorama of the impressive Wall of the Santa Catarina Mountain Range in the West. Quite exhausted in Aiurê, having a coke in a little bar. People complain about extreme heat (38°C). Afterwards climbing up the Serra do Corvo, pushing the bicycle, quite worn out. The final, extremely steep and narrow curves before the climax of the Serra spectacular, one of the most carzy roads in Southern Brazil. Road with bad asphalt, extrmely steep, requiring highest concentration for truck drivers. Lookout point with the message "Let peace be on Earth" in four languages. Before sunset I meet a couple of cyclists heading downhill in the opposite direction. Finally I camp near the highest point of the road, approx. 1300m altitude.

1st day: Florianópolis - Anitápolis (Dec 16, 2006)

By night bus: Curitiba - Florianópolis, starting with sunrise, driving along the coast, then via Santo Amaro uphill to Rancho Queimado. Good road with broad and trafficable emergency lane, good for cyclists. Nice wheather, but increasingly hot. Then a quiet but long gravel road (with some km of new asphalt, practically no traffic). Overnight stay at Pousada Weiss (German-speaking owner) in Anitápolis.

Cycling across South America

Idea: Cycling from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, far from big cities and tourist magnets. Exploring landscapes, small towns and villages, everyday life in four different countries.

Geographical Setting: Southern Part of South America: Brazil - Uruguay - Argentina - Chile

Previous experiences: Bicycle trips in Germany, Italy, Spain, France. In Brazil: Cycling in the Ceará (North) and Paraná (South) state.

Bicycle: Brazilian Mountain Bike, individually assembled by Hunger Bikes, Curitiba, for about 400 US$.

Time:

1st stage: December / January 2006/07

2nd stage: ?

Start: Dec 16, 2006 in Florianópolis, Brazil