Carnaval in Brazil. I recently learnt that it is not just colorful and impressive parades but also a very important holiday. To extra days off. Instead of going to the obvious carnaval destinations up North, Rio and Salvador, we drove down to Curitiba.
Early Saturday morning we left Sao Paulo thinking we would escape the traffic but, of course, we didn't. (Still crazy to believe that one can actually outwit traffic in Brazil!!) A lot of traffic combined with heavy construction work, our journey lasted for 10 hours instead of, as expected, 4 hours. Luckily I had baked a cinnamon brownie cake to appease our passengers. It worked!
My first impression of Curitiba, one of the World Cup cities, was that it lacked a soul. Plenty of graffiti, broken windows and all so quiet. Ghost city, if you like. We checked into our hotel and went out for a nice evening stroll and dinner. Found a cosy square.
On our way back to the hotel we ended up in the middle of the Curitiba carnaval parade. Very nice to experience.
The lady with the yellow feathers is not me.
Still not me!
Happy people in the parade. Looking forward to the World Cup.
On Sunday we went on the Serra Verde Express. An amazing and winding train ride from Curitiba to the small town of Morretes. For four hours we indulged in beautiful Brazilian landscape. It is really something and vast. Maybe that is why Curitiba is regarded as beautiful place because its surrounding nature is incredible.
Guessing the flora and fauna.
Pine trees.
Not too shabby. Could be a setting from The Pirates of the Caribbean.
Cumulus, maybe?
Stratocumulus? Cosy rainforest climate.
One of the bridges that we crossed. Never dared to look back...
Happy after a heavy traditional lunch in Morretes. A van picked us up and brought us back, in four pieces, to Curitiba.
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