Cambara do Sul - The Brazilian Grand Canyon

  Cambará do Sul, Brazil
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Cambara do Sul

September 25 - Fear is the mind killer ...better yet; Fear is the destroyer of life.

Cânion da Fortaleza-09

Portuguese has two words for life.  One (morar) means where you live or that you are actually breathing (not dead).  The other (viver) means to be or feel alive, possess life, passion, existence; the very act of actual living, expression, and spirit.  I like the fact that Portuguese has two different words for the two different meanings.  In English it's too easy to confuse one word with the other.  People do it all the time. We call them the walking dead among us. Being alive and actually, truly, living are two different things entirely.
 
Many times, in the past few months, I would find myself hearing fear in the words and tones of others.  So many of us, (me included) have forgotten or forget how to live, not just exist.  When I told people I was coming to Brazil, I would constantly hear "you´re so brave or I wish I could do that." (Fear) Sometimes fear for me and my safety and sometimes the wish that they weren't so afraid, for themselves.  The wish that they could do something like that, when a lot of times, they know, down deep, they could ... if only they weren't so afraid.  In a lot of cases, it's the only thing that keeps people from truly enjoying their life.
 
Now ... there is reasonable fear, and unreasonable fear and knowing the difference is everything.  Reasonable fear keeps you alive, but unreasonable fear keeps you from actually living.
 
Everyday in Brazil I am having a new relationship with fear; trying to learn and speak the language, adjust and navigate the culture, traveling and backpacking alone across the country.  (And trust me, when a person can't speak or understand the language, they feel as helpless as a baby.  Daily, everything and everyone is a potential threat or challenge that has to be overcome.  All because you have no ability to communicate what you want or need.  You become dependant on others to help you navigate basic daily living ... (language is that powerful thing ... it's that big a deal).
 
So now, everyday I find myself asking the question, what is reasonable fear and what isn't; and then taking a deep breath and walking the line between the two.
 
When, in Canela, Brazil, I mentioned that I was taking the next bus to São Francisco de Paulo, where I would get a different bus to Cambara do Sul, I heard fear.  Yes, São Francisco de Paulo and Cambara do Sul are small dusty towns with more poor people than usual for South Brazil, but I am so glad I went.  In São Francisco de Paulo, the bus stop was so dusty and rural that, I admit, I began wondering if this was a good idea.  I had a 4 hour wait for the next bus to Cambara (an even smaller town of 7000), so I had no choice but to wait or head back to Canela.
 
Everything and everyone was so dusty.  Their clothes, their cars, their skin, their faces, everything.  After 2 hours of enjoying a hot cup of café com leite (coffee with hot milk, instead of water) and keeping my stuff really, really close, I suddenly began to relax.  The place and the people had grown on me, somehow.  Seemingly and suddenly it all reminded me of the little town of 10,000 I grew up in (that still has no bus stop), in a time when I was growing up there; the same dusty, little town, with very similar characters.  People living with similar passions and similar despairs.  Suddenly, this place was all too familiar and in my own way, I knew these people.
 

Cânion da Fortaleza-06

Once I was on the bus to Cambara do Sul, it became apparent to me that I was venturing into the middle of nowhere.  We weren´t stopping in towns anymore, we were stopping in tiny little villages that seem to always be down a one-way, long and winding dirt road.  Finally, we reached Cambara do Sul.

Cânion da Fortaleza-25

  
 
What should have taken 30 minutes took an hour and a half and I wasn´t happy about the fact that we arrived at night in a dusty little town with very few stores and hardly any streetlights and I don´t like arriving anywhere at night.  When you're a foreigner traveling in a strange land, the daylight is your friend.  Although, I must admit, that didn´t keep me from finding a cute little Italian restaurant to get an awesome hot meal.  I also really loved the Pousada (family owned hotel) that I was at, once the owner finally arrived back from grocery shopping to let me in.  After a really nice hot shower, I was ready for bed and for an early rise to see the Canyons.
 
September 25 - Cânion da Fortaleza - Many times with nature, there are no words ... thank God for pictures!

Cânion da Fortaleza-40

Cânion da Fortaleza is protected forest area and (supposedly) inaccessible without a guide.  Taking a taxi here or trying to trek this one alone would have been really stupid.  First you have around 13 miles on a rocky dirt road and once you are there some of the trails are almost impossible to spot.  Without a guide you would have been probably doing a lot of dangerous wandering around and you also would have probably missed a lot.  Also you have to be careful not to walk too fast.  The cliffs really do drop out of nowhere and if you´re not paying attention you could miss.
 
Enjoy the photos... !
 
Tomorrow, I think I´m going to head out for an all day journey to Curitiba!  I have to change a few different buses and navigate a few different times, but hopefully all will be well.

Tchau!!!