The best plan can always fail, as we experience Carnival weekend. Our plan was to escape the crazy of the area during the 5 day weekend and head to Buenos Aries, Argentina, only to be thwarted by an unprecedented number of accidents due to the rain. Arriving 50 minutes before our flight took off was NOT enough time according to the big airport in Sao Paulo. Coming from a small town and small airport, this was a big disappointment to the four of us. As we traveled back home in the dark, tears marking the eyes of the boys, we began devising plan B.
We took time Saturday to develop our plan, woke up Sunday and we were off!
The weather, rainy and gloomy, did not let up at all as we drove the 4.5 hours north to what we would call 'The Ozarks" of Brazil. In an area of lakes created by the Rio Grande and bordered by the Serra Da Canastra National Park, you will find canyons, caves, waterfalls, forest, natural lakes, and unbelievable backdrops of natural rocks.
Capitólio is a town separated by the water. We rented an AirBnB and were pleasantly surprised!
This small town was VERY busy due to Carnival, but we soon found out why!
After checking in, we drove around and took in the view.
We found ourselves at a Beir Haus restaurant (we seem to be drawn to those) and enjoyed some new beers and delicious burgers.
The boys were impressed by the flags, I was impressed that Zane could identify so many of them.
Beer number one was a Pilsner, but resembled a Dunkle too much for us.
The next two were a Pale Ale and a Belgium Strong Dark Ale and we found them much more enjoyable.
The burgers were so HUGE! I was truly impressed at how much Alden was able to eat. The meat on this burger was amazing, so juicy and flavorful. For a small town restaurant, we were pleased!
Day two, we thought, 'Hey, let's drive to the National Park and check out some waterfalls." Sounds like a good plan right?!? Well, you know us and how much we research, and trust me we did, but there was a BIG factor that was left out of all the research, all the reviews, EVERYTHING! While the drive was beautiful, when we entered the last 20 KM, we became very worried.
The safeness of the black top left us as we entered 'minimum maintenance roads'. This, with the constant rain, created a very interesting hurdle. Unfortunately, we were so focused on driving that we did not snap many pictures. Please remember that the family car we use is a Honda City (similar to a Civic). We finally had to turn around and call it a day. The bumps, the slipping and sliding, the mud covered car, all entertainment to the boys and incredibly stressful to the parents.
Even the animals find it amusing!
Returning home, we ventured to the other side of town to a restaurant called Hud's. Here, we enjoyed food that impressed our taste buds, beer that went down smoothly, a view so relaxing and a visit from a toucan!
Returning home after a quick stop at the grocery store meant an ice cream picnic in bed!
Day three, we admitted defeat from this entire vacation and paid for a tour. We were left in awe at the beauty of this place.
Stop one took us to the canyon. Please note: there are no sidewalks or guard rails. It is all natural beauty, with strategically placed guards to protect you.
Second stop took us on a 30-40 minute drive through the mud, dirt, rocks and more. A much easier trek in a 4X4!
At the top of the mountain, we were in a slate quarry with natural pools. While the altitude and temperature did not stop the boys from exploring the water, I felt it was a little too chilly for me!
The boys, following the inspiration of others, had fun building with the rocks. This toothless smile is priceless!
It is amazing how 'Life Finds a Way'. For in the natural pools, away from the lakes and rivers, there exists baby fish, dropped from the mouths or bodies of the birds that live in the area.
Stop three took us to a waterfall. The boys were eager to explore and in the fun, fell into the water! The giggles and realization that they were in clothes was amusement to all!
In the conversation on the way home, we agreed that this state (Minas Gerais) feels more like 'HOME' to us. The large farms. The corn and other crops. Nature in abundance. The lack of huge cities. We were in our happy place and look forward to exploring this area more in the future.