Diary Entry
In Blumenau, we’re in awe, but we don’t want to spend the night there. We drive on, desperately searching for an ATM. There aren’t many in Brazil, and the few we find are very fussy.
We often get the message “Communication not possible“—and that’s it. Regardless of whether it’s with a Mastercard, Visa, or debit card. Two places later, we finally find cash.
Attention with ATMs!
ATMs are difficult in Brazil! VISA or Mastercard cards are often simply declined without explanation! I haven’t had any problems with the same cards in any other South American country.
By now, it’s really started to rain. We’re in the mountains, driving through the tropical rainforest—and the forest is living up to its name. It’s pouring! However, traffic is also heavy, and the trucks are jostling along, despite the poor conditions.
We follow the Itajai-Açu River, a brown, whitewater stream that brings floodwaters from the mountains. We spend the night on a farm in Apiúna, amidst the tropical “rainforest,” rain, clouds, and palm trees.
Want to see more of my trip through South America? Check out my full route!
We find a farm on the map that also offers campsites. It’s in the middle of the rainforest. We’re the only ones there. It’s very beautiful. The mist drifts through the river valley, giving Brazil a lovely touch of tropical romance. We even see a toucan, which flys off from a tree.
We decided not to take the same route back, but to take a route through Argentina.
A route via Resistencia would require another 1,700 kilometers. So, we’ll have a lot of driving to do. But since it’s also been raining a lot, we don’t really feel like we’re missing out on much.
I don’t know yet that soon I will be in a town called Fraiburgo, a Brazlian twin to my home town Freiburg!
