Pantano do Sul

Hello Everyone,
It took a while to get here but I think we have found paradise! From the border with Uruguay up Devils Inferno road onto BR 101 which will take us all the way to Rio. There were small ferries, large ferries and sometimes no ferries and we had to backtrack. Each time the scenery was spectacular.


From the moment we got onto 101 though we knew something was wrong. Every bridge that day (maybe 60) was gone, vanished. All being rebuilt simultaneously. So all of the traffic had to move down two levels than back up two levels, around the bridge construction, then back onto the main road. All while trying to maintain speed. Sometimes it seems that the posted speed limits are actually the minimums.
It was getting dark so we took a right to the Island of Santa Catarina. That was 6 days ago. We are in Pantano do Sul a small fishing village at the southernmost point of the island. As close to heaven as I think I have ever been. Jungle and beach merge with small houses here and there. Fisherman push their boats from shore into the Atlantic on greased boards. From our deck you can see canaries, parakeets, toucans, parrots and many other birds I can’t identify. Flowers are springing up after each rain, wild orchids, bird of paradise and cyclamen all common plants.


The main city is Florianopolis about 400,000 people and yes it is the city of flowers. Also being the cultural capital of southern Brazil there are many options, from organic markets, to street Capoeira performances(begun by African slaves as a means of self-defense it combines fight, game and dance in a very fluid circular movement) there are performances and practices all over.

So the island along with the beautiful city I just mentioned has over 42 pristine
Beaches all more or less used for surfing. They even do a little sand dune surfing here. The story we have read is about the Pororoca Evidently at the mouths of some rivers when tidal conditions are just right powerful waves can form that push up these rivers. The waves can be 4 meters high and travel at 30 kilometers per hour temporarily overpowering the seaward rush of the rivers waters. There are national championships each year and the record goes to a guy who rode one of these waves for 37 minutes covering 13 kilometers. Wow!

There are also many lakes within the island, some fresh water and some connected to the ocean. Surrounded by hiking trails there are plenty of options for things to do. Nights get pretty cold, (of course no heat in any of the places we stay) so we around the flashlights at night for warmth! Check out the photos for Pantano do Sul.



When you go into a restaurant/bar they serve for free unlimited shots of Cachaca. This is a pure distillation of sugar cane coming in at about 120 proof.
You can see from this photo of me what happens to one after a few of these shots.


On another topic they recently discovered a cave in northern Brazil filled with cave art dating back 50,000 years. That makes it the oldest inhabited site in the Americas. What did the cave art depict? Lots of hunting, eating, dancing, drinking and of course sex!



One last item. I did find the valve adjustment tool at the 49th store. Not bad, they even had curbside service.
Miss you all,
Todd