Denouement Diaries - Week 8

Essentially the ramblings of two adults that probably require adult supervision.

As usual, follow along at:

And...here. Anyway let's get into it:

30/3/23 - Day 50: Gramado --> Canela --> Sapiranga

  • I actually woke up a little earlier and used the hotel gym
  • Just a couple of exercises - squats, bench press, lay pull downs - because I hadn’t done any weights in ages
  • Then back up and got Casey moving
  • Lisi was up by now
  • Lisi went to the gym
  • Eventually got Casey up to head to buffet breakfast
  • And Lisi met us there
  • Huge buffet
  • Bacon and eggs
  • Afterwards, Casey had a swim and I did some reading
  • Packed up
  • Late checkout
  • Then headed off towards Canela
  • Stopped at Lago Negro
  • Casey and Lisi went up the Rapunzel tower
  • Stopped at some more chocolates stores
  • Then to Canela
  • Checked out the church
  • And had a snack at a cute pink cafe
  • Then started off towards Sapiranga
  • Tried to visit a Buddhist temple on the way to have a look - literally could not find it - it disappeared somehow
  • Found Lisi’s mum's place
  • Met mum
  • Then actually had a nap for a bit
  • Knackered
  • Got moving in the evening and off to Lisi’s friends' place - met Christian and Michelle and Agatha and Pietra
  • Played board games with Agatha - I lost
  • Ate a heap of Brazilian barbecue
  • Drank a heap of Fruki Guarana - local to the state
  • And checked out Christian's bike van
  • While Lisi live translated Portuguese to English all night
  • Very tired
  • Back to Lisi's mum's place

31/3/23 - Day 51: Sapiranga --> Cambara du Sol

  • Sleep in
  • Lisi had gone for a walk and got a massage by the time we woke up
  • Then very slowly got moving
  • Drove up to the top of a nearby mountain - Morro Ferrabraz
  • Nice views
  • Lovely blue butterflies
  • And saw a toucan - a legit toucan!
  • Back down and went for some lunch at a common Brazilian buffet place where you pay by the weight of your plate
  • Got some groceries for the next day on the way home
  • Back to the house and chilled for a bit
  • Tiago and Tamara came and picked us up around 1530
  • Bit of a drive
  • Tried to get into the Buddhist temple again
  • Hilariously couldn’t
  • Stopped at a nice lake
  • Then into where we thought our Airbnb was
  • Wrong dirt road
  • Went and got dinner of takeaway pizzas in the meantime while checking directions
  • Then found it
  • Had pizza dinner in our log cabin place
  • Then a big fire
  • Australian slang word game
  • Guarana drink, of course

1/4/23 - Day 52: Cambara du Sol

  • Up early-ish
  • Was able to see where we were
  • Nice fields
  • Tiago made coffee
  • Lisi already up - saw sunrise - crazy lady
  • Woke up Casey
  • Then I went and had a look at the creek
  • There was a little cascade
  • Breakfast with everyone
  • Packed up and left
  • Back through Cambara do Sul to the canyons
  • Rocky gravel track that you have to pay for for some reason
  • Walked up the top
  • It was amazing - massive canyons that you can walk right to the edge of
  • Drove back to the waterfall track
  • Walked across the top of the waterfall
  • Jumping over the rocks
  • Then a nice view back at it
  • Then drove back into town
  • Xis for lunch - like a traditional Brazilian burger
  • Was good
  • Set off for the Buddhist temple
  • Actually made it this time
  • Third time lucky
  • And it was really cool and unexpected
  • Lots of Insta twits
  • Then back to Lisi’s mums place
  • Massive day
  • Watched the local soccer on TV
  • And a Telenovella
  • And then went to bed
  • After dinner of bread and bananas of course

2/4/23 - Day 53: Sapiranga --> Gramado

  • Sleep in after the massive day
  • Packed up
  • Lisi’s sister came around with her little boy and husband
  • Hung around for a while
  • Then we headed off to lunch with Tiago’s family
  • Barbecue
  • Picanha
  • Was awesome
  • Saw some Portuguese coco melon - was fever dream, "Pão de queijo" on repeat...
  • Back to Lisi’s
  • Lisi and Casey went nuts and did the cheese dance
  • Then a nice fellow picked us up to drive us back up to Gramado
  • Easy check in
  • Swish hotel - didnt actually realise how nice it was when I booked it
  • We actually went for a spa just to chill
  • Then thought about doing a themed Harry Potter train style dinner but the sessions weren’t till a bit later
  • So we walked down the main street and found a fondue place
  • Casey ate so much cheese
  • Worried we would burn the place down
  • Meat
  • Chocolate
  • Stumbled home
  • Watched 'Murder Mystery 2' on Netflix


3/4/23 - Day 54: Gramado

  • Slow day
  • Feeling a bit out of sorts so we treated it as a bit of a recuperation day
  • Went to breakfast
  • Weird bacon
  • But good coffee
  • Then kind of half arsed some time in the gym just to get moving
  • Played with stupid acro things Casey was doing
  • Then had a swim in the hotel pool - which was cool because it is sort of in a greenhouse with reverse cycle air conditioners so they can turn them on as heaters - Gramado can snow in the winter
  • Chilled
  • Cashed in our free hot chocolate card we had
  • Then I’m the afternoon went and had a massage together
  • Crazy Brazilian ladies - they took photos with us and posted them to Instagram!
  • Was good
  • Eucalyptus oil on the face certainly clears the nostrils
  • Walked home
  • Grabbed a pile of subway from the Main Street
  • Very funny ordering in Portuguese
  • Then just bunkered down for an early night
  • Watched 'Waco' on Netflix

4/4/23 - Day 55: Gramado --> Porto Alegre --> Curitiba --> Iguazu Falls

  • Travel day
  • I was up before Casey and went and grabbed some paracetamol and ibuprofen before she woke up
  • Got some extra cash out as well
  • Woke up and packed up
  • Then down to breakfast
  • Checked out fine and walked up to the bus stop in Gramado which was very close to our hotel
  • Buses work in South America
  • It was right on time
  • 2 hour bus ride back to porto Alegre
  • A couple of old Brazilian ladies next to us would not stop talking
  • It was amazing
  • They spoke the whole ride
  • I don’t even think the knew each other
  • Cab back up to porto Alegre airport
  • The usual thing of watching wealthy South Americans behave in public continues
  • Short flight
  • In to Curitiba
  • Short layover
  • Then another short half empty flight in to Iguaçu
  • Very easy cab to our hotel
  • Which is very snazzy
  • Luxury massive place with golf course and lakes
  • Massive reception
  • Very suave
  • We check in and a fellow drove us in a golf cart to our unit
  • I am unsure - should I tip
  • I feel too awkward and walk in to our unit and shut the door
  • Dump the bags and straight back up to the restaurant past the massive pool
  • For buffet dinner
  • Excellent
  • Back to the unit after to digest
  • Finished the ‘Waco’ series on Netflix


5/4/23 - Day 56: Iguazu Falls

  • Easy wake up
  • Buffet breakfast
  • Pretty good coffee actually
  • Couple of local dogs wandering around
  • Had breakfast then wandered to the little concierge office at reception
  • We would like to see the waterfall please
  • Bit of translation issues and we thought we might just go and book something online
  • We are told our car will be here in 10 minutes
  • Ok
  • Quickly got changed and got our stuff then met a cab at reception
  • Down the road to the falls gate
  • Fairly commercialised but very well run
  • Into a line
  • On to a bus
  • Down to the start of the path along the top of the falls
  • Is awesome
  • Saw a monkey, then a snake, then some South American coatis
  • Out on to the 'Devils Throat' walk
  • Very wet
  • Much influencer
  • Amazing waterfalls
  • Up and back via the cafe - got an açai given we are in Brazil
  • Then bus back to the gates of the park
  • Instead of heading home we walked across the road to this amazing bird sanctuary
  • Lots of birds resuced from trafficking
  • It was amazing
  • Very unexpected and really well done
  • Then back to the hotel
  • Had a sit around the pool and some hot chips and sweet fizzy drinks
  • Then a bit of time in the gym
  • Buffet dinner
  • Bed

Stay tuned...