Friday Feb. 22, 2008
Entering Brazil for the second time - after spending two weeks regrouping and finishing on my last update in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina - I crossed through some beautiful countryside on my way to Curitiba and the Atlantic coast once more. The weather here changes fast at this time of year and rain is never far away.
I knew Brazil was going to be expensive for me because of the gas prices, but I was told this state was even more so, and I was already starting to experience the frustration of being in Brazil by having to stop every 70 -100 kms (44-62 mi) to take out my wallet and pay another toll booth. There were a total of 9 on the 650 km (404 mi) stretch of highway between Iguazu and Curitiba alone that cost me $17 US. And the highways weren't even that good. So I can only guess where the money goes. Funny, in every other country I've visited so far (other than Chile and the very silly ones in Bolivia) they let motos pass through without paying or stopping. Perhaps that's why Chile and Brazil are the most expensive countries to live in?
I had caught a cold in Iguazu and it hit me full force when I arrived to meet Reginaldo Rohden in Curitiba. He is a fireman who has ridden his Honda 350 Sahara several times through southern South America (including Ushuaia), and like many riders here, has a strong love of all things moto. After meeting through the Internet while I was in Iguazu, he kindly offered his assistance. And when we met in person he wasted no time introducing me to his moto friends and fellow firemen Rafael and Daniel, and their mother Zilene who kindly opened her home to me for a few days while I regained my health.
While there we visited a small Suzuki dealership where I checked out a couple of things. I learned that the cost of motos and parts here is extremely high due to huge taxes and I learned why Brazilians were so passionate about motos - they had to be to have one! Surprisingly, the Brazilian made Pirelli tires I'd bought in Colombia and in Argentina were more than double the cost here. And a used 2007 V-Strom 1000 with 2,400 kms (1,491 mi) that I estimated would cost less than $12,000 in the US, had a price tag on it of $42,000 Reais, or about $25,000 US !!!!
Reginaldo and Zilene's family were extremely kind and helpful. I was starting to learn that the obvious corruption of their government somehow, abstractly, yielded a more generous and friendly average citizen.
From Curitiba I rode to the small city of Peruibe, starting my long coastal route of Brazil toward the Amazon river. I still wasn't quite over my cold so I decided to play the tourist role for a bit and catch some rays on the beach, but my white Canadian skin just wasn't prepared for the strength of the Brazilian sun and I got a bad sunburn. Mostly on my shoulders and legs, but the worst was my ankles, which would later prove to be quite painful while riding with motorcycle boots.
The real reason for riding to Peruibe in the first place was to avoid entering the gigantic (and legendarily dangerous) city of Sao Paulo. This coastal route was slower, but it allowed me to slip past Sao Paulo. Although I could still feel the presence of a large city as I rode through the area.
On a short ferry ride I noticed that my rear tire had a deep cut or split between the tread. It still had plenty of tread left and I knew it wasn't repairable, but since it was still holding air I decided not to change it with the new one I was carrying and to just continue riding while keeping a close eye on it.
I camped just outside the beautiful colonial town of Parati for a few days. It was quite touristy though, and so I often dined over my campstove rather than in a restaurant.
On one of my visits to the supermarket I couldn't help but think how different the selection of fruits and vegetables here is compared to back home. I imagine people here probably get bored with their selection like we do also, but after all this time I still don't know allot of them.
In the port in front of town there were several large schooner type boats, and I couldn't help but investigate what a trip on one might be like. It turned out to be relatively and surprisingly inexpensive as long as I packed my own lunch and drinks. When I boarded the boat for our 5-hour, 4-location cruise through the nearby islands I laughed when the Captain asked me if I was Chilean or Argentinean. That sunburn must have turned into a better tan than I thought.
The mini-cruise turned out to be very relaxing and we visited some nice little bays with secluded beaches and clear, warm water. Unfortunately, the snorkeling masks they had were really bad, making it difficult to see some of the beautiful little fish swimming around the boat without getting a mouthful of saltwater.
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