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.