First day in Alto Paraiso
After a full night’s sleep, I’m still exhausted and aching all over. I must have got under the wing on my back and up again at least 100 times yesterday and the hangar floor wasn’t all that comfortable. My back, neck, arms, everything aches. Another hot shower, breakfast and we’re off to discover the area.
Flemming and I followed our guide, Rafael, on an 11 kilometer walk in the Cerrado, their version of the US savannah. This is a necessary part of the ecological system with smaller trees and deeper roots. This 70,000 hectar National Park represents only3% of their total national park system. Unfortunately, this part of Brazil is being lost to deforestation at an even higher rate than the rainforest. We saw a number of fascinating plants and flowers, such as the Candonba, the shower flower and the mimosa. The mimosa puts out purple flowers which turn white when pollinated, thus saving time for the bees so they know which flowers to go to. Several plants were good for medicinal purposes for the lungs, kidneys and cuts. We first went to a canyon with a terrific swimming hole, and then to the Carioca Falls.
There is a protected path which is no longer open to tourists because there are nests of the Brazilian Mer Ganser a rare bird with only 10 known nests and only 250 birds remaining in the world. It is a type of duck which can swim underwater and catch fish by swimming upstream.
We were happily exhausted upon returning to the pousada and we had seen another interesting part of Brazil. The pousada is the Bagua in Sao Jorge and Rafael can be reached at rafaelsaojorge@yahoo.com.br. It is well worth a visit for anyone coming this way.
This town is hard to believe; it’s a red dirt town, over 20 miles from Alta Floresta, the closest real town. One would think that it has nothing to offer, but it is on the edge of a national park and thus has tourism. The pousadas are upscale and we had tremendous dinners in the restaurants that cater to tourists.
After a full night’s sleep, I’m still exhausted and aching all over. I must have got under the wing on my back and up again at least 100 times yesterday and the hangar floor wasn’t all that comfortable. My back, neck, arms, everything aches. Another hot shower, breakfast and we’re off to discover the area.
Flemming and I followed our guide, Rafael, on an 11 kilometer walk in the Cerrado, their version of the US savannah. This is a necessary part of the ecological system with smaller trees and deeper roots. This 70,000 hectar National Park represents only3% of their total national park system. Unfortunately, this part of Brazil is being lost to deforestation at an even higher rate than the rainforest. We saw a number of fascinating plants and flowers, such as the Candonba, the shower flower and the mimosa. The mimosa puts out purple flowers which turn white when pollinated, thus saving time for the bees so they know which flowers to go to. Several plants were good for medicinal purposes for the lungs, kidneys and cuts. We first went to a canyon with a terrific swimming hole, and then to the Carioca Falls.
There is a protected path which is no longer open to tourists because there are nests of the Brazilian Mer Ganser a rare bird with only 10 known nests and only 250 birds remaining in the world. It is a type of duck which can swim underwater and catch fish by swimming upstream.
We were happily exhausted upon returning to the pousada and we had seen another interesting part of Brazil. The pousada is the Bagua in Sao Jorge and Rafael can be reached at rafaelsaojorge@yahoo.com.br. It is well worth a visit for anyone coming this way.
This town is hard to believe; it’s a red dirt town, over 20 miles from Alta Floresta, the closest real town. One would think that it has nothing to offer, but it is on the edge of a national park and thus has tourism. The pousadas are upscale and we had tremendous dinners in the restaurants that cater to tourists.
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