From the Depths to the Heights
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2004
1
106
165
Trip End
Ongoing
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Nick and Fran had identified this as an area of interest for its undisturbed expanse of Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with its ecologically important range of biodiversity, and the added attraction of an extensive network of caves and hiking trails
01 Early morning tea
. Although we had not been able to bring them here - the tenuous bus connections would not have got them back to São Paulo in time to catch their return flight home - we decided we would make the visit anyway on their behalf. And were we ever glad we did! We found a very tranquil camp site and spent the next three days exploring the area and hiking the trails. The highlight of our stay was a wonderful afternoon with our guide Moises as we marvelled at the underground wonders of Caverna Santana with its spectacular array of calcified stalactites and stalagmites. This particular cave system is mapped for eight km but is thought to extend for at least
sixteen km deep into the hillside. Almost 300 other caves have been identified and mapped to some extent, but Santana is renowned for its range of stunning formations. Rest assured, Nick and Fran, we did enough "ooohing" and "aaaahing" that afternoon for all four of us! That evening we walked into the nearby village for a local supper of fried chicken, rice and beans. On the return home the moon rose in full splendour behind us over the rainforest and we renewed our acquaintance with the star-studded expanse of the southern sky.
We had long ago decided to give São Paulo a miss - a megalopolis with an estimated population of over 18 million, is not our idea of fun - so our route now took us back down along the Atlantic coast heading towards Rio de Janeiro
02 'Tites and 'mites
. The summer retreats of wealthy Paulistanos quickly gave way to the grimy industrial estates and smutty oil processing plants surrounding the giant port of Santos (the largest and busiest port in South America) and we were happy to pay the toll for the bypass around the worst of the congestion. Sharon's notes in the diary for that evening observed that "the smog was thick enough to melt your knickers"!!Not long after leaving Bertioga the road started to hug the coastline, with steep climbs and precipitous drops around the promontories separating each cove - beach after beach after gorgeous beach. Some were isolated and quiet, others sheltered small fishing villages, whilst still more were heavily built up with condos, hotels and restaurants and all the tacky amenities of seaside resorts around the world. We camped along the way, but another cold front was moving through and the beaches were generally desolate and deserted - only a few brave souls were battling the surf in search of that elusive, perfect wave. However, it was easy enough to imagine the scene during the height of the hectic summer season. In Marangatiba a woman overheard us enquiring about campsites in the area. For the next hour she guided us resolutely around town on her bicycle, bound and determined to find us a site that was open during the off-season. No such luck, but another example of the extreme friendliness and helpfulness that we have experienced in our short time here in Brazil
03 The intrepid spelunkers
.As we approached Rio the resorts became progressively overbuilt and uglier, and eventually we got sucked into the extensive metropolitan area of this city of over 11 million. With rather more luck than skill we navigated our way cross-country through the western approaches, and almost by sheer chance stumbled across the Camping Clube do Brazil on the beach of Barra da Tijuca. We did not intend to spend long in the city - just enough time to savour the atmosphere of "Cidade Maravilhosa" (Marvellous City). After all, this is undisputedly one of the most beautiful city settings in the world. Although we've missed the fabled Carnaval by many months, we could at least check out the famous and beautiful strutting their stuff on one of the numerous beaches and join the throngs sightseeing on Sugarloaf and at the Christ the Redeemer statue.
The weather had now improved, with temperatures in the low 30s, so it seemed that the whole of Rio was out at Ipanema and Copacabana beaches on a beautiful Sunday morning. The long expanses of sand were jam-packed with bodies busy getting their bronze tans back up to scratch after the debilitating effects of sunless winter skies, and a few surfers were honing their skills. Colourful umbrellas claimed every inch of available space, and vendors offered wares from sun screen to snacks and drinks
04 Out of this world
. Along the promenade people were strolling, biking, jogging or walking their dogs, or just relaxing in the shade. Although the Cariocas are undoubtedly a beautiful people (and I am happy to confirm for Nick that the young women are certainly well endowed) it did strike us that the 'Girl from Ipanema' has maybe put on a little weight over the past few decades! Our trip up the two-stage cable car to the picture-perfect summit of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) was well worth the wait in line. At any moment we expected Special Agent 007 to materialize through the cable car trap door, after successfully doing battle with the villain on the roof and by some miraculous feat rescuing the blonde maiden in distress (you James Bond fans will no doubt remember those scenes from "Moonraker") - but fortunately we made the 400 metre ascent without incident. It is quite an engineering feat, but was generally dismissed as sheer craziness when it was first proposed by Brazilian engineer Augusto Ramos in 1907. He proved his detractors wrong, and the initial system was inaugurated in 1912 - only the third cable car system in the world at that time. Since then, innumerable tourists have taken the trip to admire the stunning views out over the city.
Later in the day we jumped back in the van and drove up to the Cristo Redentor statue at the 710m peak of the Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain. Yes, that's right...drove up! Although it looks to be absolutely impossible - as every picture postcard shows, the mountain seems to rise straight up out of the city - there is a way. The secret is a very steep, windy cobble-stoned road around the back that allows you to drive to within 50m of the peak, but you must be prepared to put all your faith in your brakes and tyres, and do battle with the trolley buses and hordes of taxis that you meet on the way. The reward is what must be some of the most spectacular panoramic views over any city in the world, presided over by the largest existing statue of Christ. We stayed as the sun set and the lights of Rio gradually brought the city to life. What an experience!
