8th day: Linha Paissandu - Rio Pardo (Dec 25, 2006)

From Linha Paissandu I take a narrow asphalt route to Westfalia, then the main road via Teutônia, Lajeado, Estrela to Santa Cruz do Sul. Nice houses, very intensive agriculture. The roads are excellent, they are under private concession, frequent toll stations (free for cyclists) and have excellent large emergency lanes, the same quality as bike paths in Holland! Near Lajeado, unexpectedly, a provisional Indian settlement at the road side. Quite shocking: shanty huts, lots of dirty children, women cooking on open fire. Later on, heavy rainfall, I keep on cycling but repeatedly taking refuge in roofed bus stop when the rain becomes unbearable. Near Santa Cruz do Sul, the Brazilian tobacco capital, the heaven clears off, and again a very nice road with little traffic until the historic town of Rio Pardo where I stay in a simple truck stop hotel. Unbelievably the historic Rio Pardo has no tourist infrastructure, numerous old buildings are ruins, some others restored, but very much has been lost. I eat a delicious fish meal at the bank of the Jacuí river, then I have some pleasant chats with locals in the town center which is crowded of people sitting outside bars.