Sunday, February 04, 2007
Journeyman
Once more, we loaded the car with all our luggage and mess and memories from the past, and left Punta del Este, heading to our next destination. Fittingly, my ever loyal Ipod played the song “Journeyman”, (Fromthe red skies on the east, to the sunset in the west....) by Iron Maiden, as we headed north now, direction of Chuy, still 198 kilometers away. Getting out of Uruguay two hours later was a matter of minutes, and after almost two months of traveling, we were back into the Federal Republic of Brazil.
From Chuy to the north over the only interstate BR473 with all its trucks, roadwork and one-lane traffic at an average of 70 km an hour took more than seven hours, and when we finally got close to Porto Alegre, I decided to throw in the towel, and find a hotel to stay for the night. Close to the airport was a decent and reasonable priced Ibis, and so Ibis it was.
We attacked the salad bar in the hotels’ restaurant, and hit the sack at 10 PM, because our wake-up call was expected as 5.30AM, just like the army.
At 7 PM we drove away, and driving through a fine fog we took the BR 101 interstate, which leads you along the beautiful beaches of the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. As traffic was heavy again, around midday we took some small roads, and approaching Farol de Santa Marta, a small bay with a lighthouse, white beach and large shrimps our stomachs ordered us to stop. I parked the Land Rover on the white sand, fine as powder, and sat down at some restaurant, where we had grilled Pescada with shrimp sauce for 34 reais. That’s about 10 Euro’s, and served the three of us. Lucas got into the sea, and no way he was planning to come out. Fernanda ordered another beer, and as my eyelids started to fall I was thinking of another 400 kilometers to drive today. Just then, my almost closed eyes fell onto a very nice brick building, with small veranda’s, hang mats and palm trees. Someone had painted the word “Pousada” (that’s hostel in Portuguese) on a wall, and after we informed if there was room, we checked in, paying 50 reais a night.
Once more, we loaded the car with all our luggage and mess and memories from the past, and left Punta del Este, heading to our next destination. Fittingly, my ever loyal Ipod played the song “Journeyman”, (Fromthe red skies on the east, to the sunset in the west....) by Iron Maiden, as we headed north now, direction of Chuy, still 198 kilometers away. Getting out of Uruguay two hours later was a matter of minutes, and after almost two months of traveling, we were back into the Federal Republic of Brazil.
From Chuy to the north over the only interstate BR473 with all its trucks, roadwork and one-lane traffic at an average of 70 km an hour took more than seven hours, and when we finally got close to Porto Alegre, I decided to throw in the towel, and find a hotel to stay for the night. Close to the airport was a decent and reasonable priced Ibis, and so Ibis it was.
We attacked the salad bar in the hotels’ restaurant, and hit the sack at 10 PM, because our wake-up call was expected as 5.30AM, just like the army.
At 7 PM we drove away, and driving through a fine fog we took the BR 101 interstate, which leads you along the beautiful beaches of the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. As traffic was heavy again, around midday we took some small roads, and approaching Farol de Santa Marta, a small bay with a lighthouse, white beach and large shrimps our stomachs ordered us to stop. I parked the Land Rover on the white sand, fine as powder, and sat down at some restaurant, where we had grilled Pescada with shrimp sauce for 34 reais. That’s about 10 Euro’s, and served the three of us. Lucas got into the sea, and no way he was planning to come out. Fernanda ordered another beer, and as my eyelids started to fall I was thinking of another 400 kilometers to drive today. Just then, my almost closed eyes fell onto a very nice brick building, with small veranda’s, hang mats and palm trees. Someone had painted the word “Pousada” (that’s hostel in Portuguese) on a wall, and after we informed if there was room, we checked in, paying 50 reais a night.
In the late afternoon we walked on the beach, visited the lighthouse and had another dose of shrimp with garlic. I wanted to make some pictures of the sunset, so we headed out to yet another beach with even whiter sand and blue-er waves and less people. As the sun fell slowly into the sea, we drove through the dunes over rough tracks with loose sand until we could drive no more. Then, for almost 30 minutes we enjoyed complete silence, only disturbed by the sound of the waves. After the sun was gone, we drove back in the direction of Farol Santa Marta, still amazed by the scene we’ve been presented minutes before. Halfway we found some tourists with their car, sunk about 30 centimeters into the fine sand. No way would they have come out if it wasn’t for us. Any Land Rover Owner’s dream!
They asked for help, and that, my friends, is what the car is made for. See the pictures below.
January the 31st we left early and drove for an hour over dirt roads with mud and water – so much for a washed car – until Laguna where another river with another ferry was waiting. Back on the BR 101 again, and again a lot of trucks
and traffic, as this is the only connection over land from Porto Alegre to Cutitiba and São Paulo. At the exit of Porto Belo we took a right turn, and drove to the direction of Bombinhas, a nice and sympatic community, favorite to Argentines. At restaurant Ribeiro we had an amazing seafood platter with five types of shrimp, dover sole and squid, served by a friendly waiter who I would have contracted on the spot. Even after he served me one of the hottest pepper sauces in the universe. From the corner of my eyes I saw the waiters watching if I could handle so much fire. The waiter promptly sat down with us to pose for a picture. The afternoon we stayed on the beach, rented a try-cycle which ride the waves and took in the last rays of sun. We talked for hours about our past seven weeks. About the breathtakingly Iguazu waterfalls, About our juicy steaks at the zucchardi family and about Té fria in Puerto Montt, Chile. About the impressive Perito Moreno glacier, the sea lions in Ushuaia and the funny penguins in Punto Tombo. We remembered Pancho, who sacrificed his siesta for a broken Dynamo, and amazing Buenos Aires with its European flair.
And we talked about what the coming weeks will bring us. We know that after visiting Paraty we will be back in Rio again, and watching the news the past few weeks, we are not really looking forward to it. I have to find a job. Either as a chef or photographer or clown in cirque du soleil. Whatever…..Now, I took off on December the 12th 2006 in search for something. Peace of mind maybe? I’m not sure. If I have to make up the balance today, after 54 days of traveling, I have a slightly different vision on things. First of all, I am not planning to die from gunfire in Rio de Janeiro. Second, I am going to take it easy. But after all, what I’ve learned from this trip is that beauty is out there, oh yes. But above all, it’s within our selves. You maybe have to look a bit harder sometimes, but it’s there, I guarantee.
Now for all of you, my dearest friends, who have been reading the blog, and virtually traveled with us, I have a surprise. I have three questions for you. If you can answer the three questions right, you win, and I will donate 10.000 airmiles of the Star Alliance consortium to you. These 10.000 airmiles serve for example to upgrade your Tourist class ticket to Business Class. If you are not planning to come to Brazil, you still can use them on TAP Portugal, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines or many other airlines. Check out the Star alliance website for that. And if you are not interested in these miles, I will be happy to donate them to the Cancer Foundation in Brazil. So here we go with the three questions:
Which wine estates we visited in Mendoza?
How many states in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay did we drive through?
Exactly how many kilometers did we drive, from Rio de Janeiro, until back in Rio de Janeiro?
You all have until February 21st to respond.
So here, this Pilgrim of the South is leaving you. I sincerely thank you all for being around. I thank Geoffrey Carpenter for giving me the inspiration for this incredible adventure. I strongly encourage you all to read his book “Pilgrim of the Sublime”. I thank so many other people, like my “amigo de peito” Lamosa who is in London right now, on his own pilgrimage, Mr. Jairo, from Land Brasil, who was (and ever will be) our technical support. Wim, who should be playing guitar in Whitesnake, Margarida, my friend Walter, my cousin Gerard, Danusia, who inspired me to put the notch in my kitchen higher, every single day. Frank T. (you wrote a great e-mail to me buddy), Tatiane, Ton en Loes, Andreas (“f*cking snapper”) Theissen, and so many others, too numerous to mention. But especially I thank my great family; mum and dad, Christa and Otto and their two wonderful boys Jasper and Jeroen. And Fernanda, for just being there, serving me mate, reading maps and our ever loyal Garmin GPS 162, even if it took us to the wrong direction, and for taking care of me. I love you dearly. 
I leave you all with some words from a master piece called “A Change Of Seasons”, written by Mike Portnoy, drummer for Dream Theater, which since I heard the song for the first time, deeply impressed me.
“I’m much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
Run through my head
They taught me how
For better or worse
Alive or dead
I realize, there’s no turning back
Life goes on, the off beaten track”
(A Change Of Seasons, Dream Theater)
Bless you all.
Now for all of you, my dearest friends, who have been reading the blog, and virtually traveled with us, I have a surprise. I have three questions for you. If you can answer the three questions right, you win, and I will donate 10.000 airmiles of the Star Alliance consortium to you. These 10.000 airmiles serve for example to upgrade your Tourist class ticket to Business Class. If you are not planning to come to Brazil, you still can use them on TAP Portugal, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines or many other airlines. Check out the Star alliance website for that. And if you are not interested in these miles, I will be happy to donate them to the Cancer Foundation in Brazil. So here we go with the three questions:
Which wine estates we visited in Mendoza?
How many states in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay did we drive through?
Exactly how many kilometers did we drive, from Rio de Janeiro, until back in Rio de Janeiro?
You all have until February 21st to respond.
So here, this Pilgrim of the South is leaving you. I sincerely thank you all for being around. I thank Geoffrey Carpenter for giving me the inspiration for this incredible adventure. I strongly encourage you all to read his book “Pilgrim of the Sublime”. I thank so many other people, like my “amigo de peito” Lamosa who is in London right now, on his own pilgrimage, Mr. Jairo, from Land Brasil, who was (and ever will be) our technical support. Wim, who should be playing guitar in Whitesnake, Margarida, my friend Walter, my cousin Gerard, Danusia, who inspired me to put the notch in my kitchen higher, every single day. Frank T. (you wrote a great e-mail to me buddy), Tatiane, Ton en Loes, Andreas (“f*cking snapper”) Theissen, and so many others, too numerous to mention. But especially I thank my great family; mum and dad, Christa and Otto and their two wonderful boys Jasper and Jeroen. And Fernanda, for just being there, serving me mate, reading maps and our ever loyal Garmin GPS 162, even if it took us to the wrong direction, and for taking care of me. I love you dearly. 
I leave you all with some words from a master piece called “A Change Of Seasons”, written by Mike Portnoy, drummer for Dream Theater, which since I heard the song for the first time, deeply impressed me.
“I’m much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
Run through my head
They taught me how
For better or worse
Alive or dead
I realize, there’s no turning back
Life goes on, the off beaten track”
(A Change Of Seasons, Dream Theater)
Bless you all. 
