South America in 125 – Paraguay – Brazil: the waltz of mercury! –

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Paraguay – Brazil: the waltz of mercury !

South America in 125 - Paraguay - Brazil: the waltz of mercury! -

Leaving Paraguay for Brazil with 20,000 km on the clock and dreams full of dreams about this mythical country (white sand beaches, coconut palms, sun …), our two adventurers in 125 first face a weather forecast for the least chilly…

The capital of Paraguay, Asunción, is a city without much charm: with its 600,000 inhabitants and its succinct historical past, cultural visits are limited. We find it dirty and without much interest…

So we quickly take the road to Cuidad del Este, a border town with Brazil. The route offers us a very different face of the country: forgotten the loneliness of Chaco, the trucks are innumerable, the same service stations and the roadside restaurants pile up on top of each other! The road will not remain in the annals, a "transit" stage as we call them so well !

Along the way, a retired couple lends us a piece of their garden for the night and invites us to share their evening meal … Butcher by trade and still working, our current host tells us his little stories around a glass of wine, while questioning us about France (are there horses?) … Once again, the welcome is memorable !

This stop is also very symbolic for us, because the counter of our small bikes passes our mythical 20,000 km bar: a nice hike all the same. !

This Friday morning, last strides in Paraguay and goodbye to a country unknown before, but which is my good faith to discover if you wander around. The people are lovely !

Do Brazil !!!

Mythical country … We expected it, but we dreaded it with its somewhat different language: Portuguese! And as soon as you go through customs, you discover your talents as mimes because Portuguese is not as close as that to Spanish … to our great regret! Once the formalities are completed, Foz do Iguaçu, a border town, suddenly appears with its concrete towers, McDonalds and Auriverde flags floating around every corner! We are far from modest Bolivia and its odds and ends…

On the program this Sunday, May 31: the impressive Rio Paraná waterfalls, near Foz Do Iguaçu. The green setting is superb: we are speechless in front of the mass of water surging more than 60 m in the 80 waterfalls … To see !

And for you ? What does Brazil evoke? Beach, sun, heat, football? Yeah yeah, us too … before going! Because for the moment it’s cold, rain, highway and cold … Juggling between 2 ° and 10 ° C, it’s a different image than that of Brazil caliente! In 2 minutes, all our clothes, including balaclavas, are up to date … The kilometers seem longer with frozen fingertips and the three lanes are boring … Fortunately, we still find more pleasant alternative routes.

The villages indicated on our maps in small dots are megalopolises where it is difficult to find quiet places … Opened by the director of the local branch, the HSBC car park was a choice camp site for a peaceful night, a dream in short! This Wednesday, the mercury cools again as we head for the coast. The afternoon in a swimsuit on the beach will remain in our dreams … But luckily, in 300 kilometers the weather warms up and Florianópolis opens up to us in a mild climate. Yupi !

Connected by a bridge, the island of Santa Catarina – where Florianópolis is located in one of its bays – is 70 km long offering dream beaches, palm trees galore, white sand and company! The waves make it a landmark for experienced surfer !

The Brazil of our dreams and books is finally finding color, although the little freshness does not allow swimming … We can not have everything !

PE and Beru

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