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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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arrived monday morn 6am after the night bus ride on the real express bus. after finding a cheap but comfortable pousada with a family for 15 reals ($9 canadian) which includes the best breakfast spread i~ve ever had in brazil to this point, we rested for the morning. The breakfasts include papaya, melon, watermelon, steamed milk, authentic and amazing brazilian coffee, mango juice from 100% natural fruit (blended fruit only), eggs, bread, etc.
you can~t move after eating a Lencois pousada breakfast. Washington was the name of our guide. a really funny and cool guy...a 22yr guy with a 2 yr old son and a 29 yr old wife. their kid is very cute.
we stayed in his mother's home. it was excellent hospitality where we were treated just like family, one of their own. the mother was so funny as we tried to communicate. monday we just walked around and saw the old town of Lencois. it is a beautiful old dimaond mining town in the Chapada Dimantina, a wooded mountainous oasis in the deep dustry desert. Lencois is inbetween vibrant hills with cobblestone streets that ride up & down with the land, and the old 19th century buildings are brightly painted. the centre square is often quite busy with mostly local residents and shops, restaurants and cafes. there is a very safe friendly atmosphere as it is a small town. the children play freely anywhere and it is safe to wa lk around with your camera, money, et c. unlike Salvador and Rio; a welcoming c hange i appreciated very much.
Tuesday we went on the 5 site day t rek. the car picked us up at 9am and it was a great way to see 5 sites without having to trek too much. 1st we saw Poco do Diablo (Devil's waterfall). swimming in it was very cool. the 2nd site we hit was Morro do pai inaciio and Vista do pai Inacio (plains and tabletop mountains). it was like being in LOTR with the incredible views from the top.
pictures never do the sites justice. Then we drove and hiked a caven called Gruta Azul that is filled with rainwater creating a magnificent crystal blue pool. the pics don't pick up much of the blue unfortunately. (see them on facebook).
the 4th site was Gruta da Prainha which is a natural swimming pool that is green & blue. it was warm and c lear and great for relaxing by, swimming, and kayaking.
On the drive to the 5th and last site, for the day, we ran into a massive herd of cattle that wouldn't really move -- quite amusing.
Gruta Da Lapa Doce is south america's largest sandstone cavern. we walked in the dark caves following only the 1 guide's lantern. i slipped once and landed on my left hand right on a big round rock...thankfully only a bruise on my palm. 8or9 of us had to follow the guide, which was tricky at times. it took almost 1 hour to walk through this awesome cave. i have never seen such massive caves -- they make OntaRIo's look like small holes in the ground. the stalactites (roof) and stalagmites (floor) formed by rainwater seeping and dripping thru the caves results and is still formin g these peculiar massive structures. the walk thru the caverns felt like that scene from LOTR where they have to travel underground beneath the mountain. we did a 5 minute meditation in the last cavern where we all sat down and the guide turned off his lamp. it was so dark and quiet and eerie -- i couldn~t see my own hand right in front of my face. i came to think how scary it could be if this is what separation from God would be like! how amazing God~s creation is and nature can never be desc ribed in word on a page. next is the 3 day trek where we rough it!
-Eric
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