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We spent most of November in Brazil, part of the entourage for Simone's cousin who was attending a couple of conferences there. It was an unmissible opportunity for us to see Brazil in the company of someone who spoke the language, and to meet Brazilians outside the usual touristic environment. We didn't realize just how big the country is, loosing several days from our itinerary in just getting from place to place.

Lisbon

Thursday 1 November

A walk through the old city took us to a traditional Portuguese restaurant that did not deserve its reputation nor popularity. A dinner comprising uncooked kebab, cold fries, and a seafood stew of sorts with rice that tasted of nothing but fish was not the most auspicious start.

Friday 2 November

We found a nice Italian café for breakfast, then walked past the former now facade-only rail station with its double horseshoe arches, the square in front of the museum, and down Rua Augusta noting the elevator to higher levels of the city. At the large square reached through the Triumphal Arch and beside the river (Lisbon is 15km inland) we got on an open-deck bus. We drove past the art deco theatre, patterned paving, the bull ring in Moorish style, Edward VII Park, 25 April Bridge, Discoveries Monument, the Tower of Belém, and cut short the tour at Hieronymites Monastery in order to get to the airport.

Tower of Belém

Fortaleza

Saturday 3 November

The almost 7 hour flight from Lisbon to Fortaleza was not so nice with a cold. It was also an exercise in tolerating one's fellow passengers; him in front decided to take my pillow so he could have one behind his head and one to separate himself from his neighbour. Him forward decided to stand and block my view of the in-flight entertainment. Him behind in the immigration queue moved so close with each shuffle as to make contact.

Sunday 4 November

At 0530h Fortaleza was lighter than the middle of a grey and damp Autumn day in Chesterfield. Our hotel was just across the road from the beach, our sea-facing room on the 12th floor commanding a good view of the Praia do Meireles. At the hotel's breakfast buffet one was torn between "healthy and sufficient" and "indulgence and gluttony". The sea was not cold, but the higher equatorial salt content evident as irritation to the eyes. A constant stream of touts offered shrimp, watches, sunglasses, clothing, jewellery, ice cream, cheese, fish, toys, sunscreen, manicures, fruit, and cigarettes. The odd beggar would cross the line and make physical contact. For someone not too keen on seafood, I did well over a dinner of fish in batter, grilled crays/ shrimp/ fish, and fish in sauce. It was more difficult being the sole English-only speaker in a German group.

Praia do Meireles, Fortaleza

Monday 5 November

In the morning the effect of the previous day's reflected sunlight was manifest on my back. We took a taxi to Praia do Futuro were I stuck to the shade; Simone likened the surf to being inside a washing machine. As well as the usual touts massage, table cloths, and even hammocks were paraded in front of us.

Following a pre-dinner caipirinha (cachaça, limes, sugar and ice) dinner was taken in a churrascaria (grilled meat restaurant); it was like a buffet, except the dishes came to you instead of you going to them (in the rodizio style). A disk on the table was used to indicate "Yes please" or "No thank you" for each arriving dish.

Tuesday 5 November

In the morning we visited the Central Market, and in the afternoon the Cultural Centre. Neither were remarkable.

Wednesday 7 November

The nearby shopping mall was like a mall anywhere. After lunch a swim was anticipated but not enjoyed due to all the seaweed and toilet paper in the water. The group appreciated dinner at Ionele's place, with its Mediterranean-style courtyard and bars protecting the doors and windows as per most other buildings. Her son drove us there and explained that he keeps a broken mobile and old wallet with R$20 in it ready to hand over to thieves who pounce at traffic lights; most of his friends had been victims.

Thursday 8 November

We drove 2.5 hours to Guaramireinga in the mountains, passing through cane fields, banana plantations, and people living in poverty. The copious amounts of roadside rubbish stand testament to the reality that subsistence is a higher priority than saving the planet: people don't care about their environment until wealth brings them leisure, education, and choices. We visited a couple of monasteries, and took lunch at a restaurant by a water hole that had run out of bread to make our sandwiches. On the return journey we stopped at Senzala do Negro Liberto at the Livramento Sugar Mill, located in the first Brazilian town to set its slaves free in the early 1880s. In the slave pens one got a sense of the violence perpetrated by the slavers. That evening Simone went with the group to a German function held at a local university.

Friday 9 November

After walking along the parade to the boat harbour we spend a good number of hours sitting on our balcony reflecting on the lessons of Project Koru and how we might apply them to the next 5 years or so. An afternoon walk led us to the Apple retailer and to discovering a place to eat that night.

Vitoria

Saturday 10 November

It was a 2.5 hour flight to Brasilia, then 1.5 hours on to Vitoria.

Sunday 11 November

A city tour, shopping mall, and beach walk filled the day. Dinner was at a restaurant opened just for us (G had the right connections), with a dedicated waiter.

Monday 12 November

We drove into the mountains to visit a coffee plantation, Café da Gruta in Saint Maria. Regrettably there were no beans on the bushes, no beans drying or being roasted; we had not come at harvest time. Our hosts generously gifted us a bag of roast beans and another of ground coffee.

Coffee plantation in Saint Maria, inland from Vitoria

Tuesday 13 November

We enjoyed a walk around Ilha do Frade, then did a little shopping before visiting a cachaça distillery where we were plied with sweet cakes, sweet biscuits, sweet bread, and sweet coffee (and we thought New Zealanders had a sweet tooth; it's relative!). Again, regrettably, there was no production, just idle equipment. We made it back to the hotel in time for happy hour and free yet delicious feijoada.

Foz do Iguazu

Wednesday 14 November

After an early departure, three flights, and 12 hours we arrived at Foz do Iguazu.

Thursday 15 November

The morning saw a visit to Itaipu, a hydroelectric power station built jointly by Brazil and Paraguay on the Paraná River. After a propaganda video mentioning only the positive aspects of dam construction we drove for a photo stop on the Brazilian side then across the dam into Paraguay and back—a disappointing "tour". After lunch in Iguazu National Park (during which we had a view of tourists at the Devil's Throat in Argentina) we walked along the Brazilian bank, in awe at the volume and breadth of water that is Iguazu Falls. Some of us took a boat ride, getting rather wet but enjoying the different perspective nevertheless.

Friday 16 November

The day began with a helicopter flight over the Paraná River, Paraguay, Itaipu, and of course the Iguazu Falls. Most of us crossed the border into Argentina and entered the Argentine Parque Nacional Iguazú. We first took the train to Garganta del Diablo, or the "Devil's Throat", then walked the Upper Circuit. Want we saw was nothing short of spectacular, and the close proximity to the edges of some falls added an element of adrenaline. It's certainly worthwhile to visit both sides of the Falls; you miss out of you see just one.

Garganta del Diablo, from the Argentine side

Blumenau

Saturday 17 November

A 0400h rise began another long day of travel, flying to Florianopolis via São Paulo and Curitiba. By this stage we were thoroughly sick of TAM sandwiches (dry bread roll with gum-like cheese and maybe ham). We arrived at our hotel in Blumenau just after 1800h, following a 2 hour bus ride from the airport.

Sunday 18 November

Despite the drizzle we walked into town, noting the oversize guinea pigs (capibara) by the river, and visiting the beer museum seeing as the shops were closed. That evening were were literally "taken for a ride" by a taxi driver whose tank and presumably wallet were running on empty. Eventually arriving at a restaurant, the goulash and Spätzle were good (not that the beer didn't help).

2.5 L of beer

Monday 19 November

We attended the delayed opening of the Economic Congress Brazil-Germany, leaving before the Brazilian president took his turn on stage.

Tuesday 20 November

A taxi took us to Pomerode, also with a German flavour, smaller and much more likeable than Blumenau. A local brewery caught us peering in the window, and despite being closed opened the doors and invited us in. A brief tour and a few samples of the produce later we'd all bought T-shirts and headed off for the zoo. Lunch was at a traditional German restaurant, where the waiter wore Lederhosen but spoke little German.

Rio de Janeiro

Wednesday 21 November

We flew from Florianopolis to Rio, catching our first sight of Sugar Loaf and Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado. Our hotel was located on Copacabana beach. We attended the welcome dinner for the German-Brazilian lawyers conference, but it was 2230h before any proper food was served.

Thursday 22 November

R. and I walked along the beach to Forte de Copacabana (1914). The group went to Confeitaria Colombo at lunch, and then to Sugar Loaf. The evening saw us cut short a painfully loud and overcrowded samba show, held not too far from our hotel although getting there involved a 1 hour traffic jam.

Copacabana and Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro

Friday 23 November

We ascended Corcovado and descended via Floresta da Tijuca and several fine-looking beaches. After a swim we walked along the beach, Bruce displaying the second whitest body on Copacabana. We opted out of the evening meal.

Saturday 24 November

A boat trip within the dirty green water of the harbour was followed by dinner at an overpriced seafood restaurant where the beer was cleverly served in small wine glasses making it difficult to keep track of the bottles consumed as the waiter kept it flowing. We walked back along the Copacabana promenade, inhaling the offensive smell of sewerage, dodging the odd beggars and vendors and taking care not to trip on dislodged cobbles.

Sunday 25 November

We arrived at the airport too early, before the check-in desks opened, and were then delayed two hours. Missing our connecting TAP flight in Lisbon, we were transfer to a Lufthansa flight a few hours later. Frankfurt was a good 30 Celsius colder than Rio, but it was nice to stop sweating and return to the welcome of our friends and cat.