Diary Entry
The morning is foggy. Only the rising sun visibly burns away the clouds. Nevertheless, it is much cooler today than before.
It’s only 49 minutes to Curitiba from our overnight accommodation in Wilmarsum. We stay in a luxurious Airbnb. We take an Uber into the city center. Compared to Guarapuava, Curitiba is very nice, even though it’s much larger.
We stroll through Avenida Liuz Xavier and Rua das Flores and have the feeling that we could be in Lisbon among these magnificent townhouses.
Osório Park, in the heart of the city, is like a small jungle full of large, tall tropical trees and a fountain in the middle; it’s a cool, pleasant place.
I’m still looking for my SIM card. Why is this always such a problem in Brazil? Claro is the largest provider. I was rejected again at a Claro shop and referred to the large shopping center. A competitor there also rejected me.
A Claro shop there finally sells me a SIM card, but it turns out the internet plan can’t be activated. A system error. I’m supposed to come back tomorrow. What a mess! Things work better from Uganda to Bolivia.
“Don’t let mosquitoes bite you”
…they say. “They transmit malaria, dengue, and other diseases.” Even though we rub ourselves with mosquito spray, swatted at many mosquitoes, or worked toward a conciliatory dialogue, our legs, in particular, look like crumb cake. Do you bathe in mosquito repellent in the morning, wear beekeeping clothing all day, have you stopped sweating, or how do you manage not to get bitten by those nasty beasts?!
There are lavish buffets, but most of the time the food looks better than it tastes
The city of Curitiba appears modern and livable. In our Bigorrilho neighborhood, there are many new high-rise buildings, and chic cars drive through avenues of tropical trees. We visit the nearby Parque Barigui. There’s a large lake and paths for jogging or cycling, sports facilities, playgrounds, restaurants, and an amusement park.
Birds and capybaras frolic in the lake. Leon is delighted to see the giant guinea pigs in real life again.
A wonderful oasis in the middle of the city
Leon also takes advantage of the jogging track, bravely running halfway around the lake. He then takes a long nap and is available to us when we go to a cocktail bar in the evening, where he gets lots of attention with the little guy.
In addition to Heineken, there is also a beer brand on every menu throughout Curitiba:
Spaten, from Munich!
We’ll also be visiting the Ópera de Arame in the “Valley of Music.” Here, an opera house in the shape of a large greenhouse stands amidst a lake and a small jungle.
Two musicians play jazz on a platform, guests sit in the café, and rehearsals take place on the stage. It’s a truly impressive place.
The opera looks like a botanical garden and fits very well into the tropical climate of Brazil
We explore the city by Uber. Next, we visit a modern art museum by Oskar Niemeyer. We skip the art, but we do enjoy the unique facade.
The entire museum was built in the shape of a giant eye and can be seen from a great distance.
Then we visit the botanical garden, which this time actually features a greenhouse. Many interesting plants are exhibited here in a humid and a dry glasshouse.
But it is very hot and we spend more time in the nearby café with cold orange juice than with the flowers in the park.
In the heat we are more interested in the cold orange juice than in the beauty of the flowers
In the evening, I also meet Nathan, whom I found through Couchsurfing. I invite him over for a beer and we share our stories.
The nights aren’t particularly pleasant, even though we’re in a modern room. It’s either very warm, or, when we turn on the air conditioning, it gets very cold and, above all, so dry that it dries out our throats and noses.
Before we know it, we have caught a bad cold.
After a few days in Curitiba, we have to move on with this cold. We use our camper again and finally drive to the sea. However, there are severe storms, thunderstorms, and flooding there. Things seem to be better in the south, so we drive to the small town of São Francisco do Sul.
