Brazil - 13 February, 2002

.

Travel Distance

Leg 3 Total:

255 km

Leg 2 Total:

12,140 km

Leg 1 Total:

Galapagos:

771 km

Grand Total:

22,176 km

Today is the start of our third and final leg of our journey around South America.  We did not get much sleep last night, coming back late from the Gay Ball at Scala and we had to finish packing this morning.  We are too early for breakfast, and after checking out we catch a hotel car to the Dragoman joining hotel in Lapa.  We are a bit early and hang around and wait for every one else for a while before loading up the truck.  We have a new truck - Al.  She is, we are told, one of Dragoman's first super trucks.

There is a bit of confusion as we load up.  Craig, who had been with us on the first leg of the trip, had wanted to join this trip.  Due to some mess up, it appeared that there was a space and he got on the truck.  But before we left, when we did a head count, there was an extra person on the truck.  Well, he had to get off and, after digging his bag out of the back locker, we left him behind.  We found out later that he had five minutes later joined the truck going south back to Santiago.  Good luck, Craig and happy trails.

Well, with a bit of a late start, we are off.  We head out of town, but we are not going too far.  After about a 3 hour drive, we arrive at Parque Nacional Serra do Orgaos, a national park protecting a set of beautiful mountains and forest quite near the bustling city of Rio.  But we have only about 2-3 hours there, including lunch, so we do not really have a chance to do much.  It looks interesting, but many of the walks take a day or more.

So, we just take a nap on the grass near a pool fed by a stream.  It is wonderful, especially after the many late nights in Rio during Carnival.  We have a quick lunch and then we are off once again.  After a short drive, we get to Teresopolis.  The cook group goes shopping here, while the rest of us get to wonder around.  But there is not to much to do, so we just go and hang out at a cafe.  It is bloody hot.

From the town it is an even shorter drive to the campsite, where we arrive at 4:30 PM.  We have a lazy afternoon getting sorted out and setting up camp.  Dinner is a barbeque.