"Don't wake me up -- I am enjoying this dream"

I have been trying to figure out "How to state how much we love this area of Brazil", without using words like "great', "favorite", "nice" and on and on!  The most sincere way is the following.........

If my parents had been Brazilian, I would not have been upset!

We have spent a week between Florianopolis and Joinville, Brazil, with visits to Camboriu, Blumenau, Pomerode, Bombinhas, Porto Belo, Itajai, Gaspar, Brusque, Sao Francisco do Sul and Joinville.  This area has been a real eye opener.  This area also has me concerned about home, and what has gone wrong in our California paradise!  "California" is thought, by many, to be perfect.  It is nice.  It is beautiful.  But there are problems.  Litter, graffiti and dirty in places.

Many may read this and think I have turned on the USA.  That is not true.  But it is also not perfect.  And Brazil is not perfect.  But, this area of Brazil is cleaner than any area that I have visited in the USA.  I am not sure if it is the German influence, but it is clean.  No litter.  No dirty cars.  No dirty busses.  The streets are spotless.  If you see a piece of litter, it strikes you as an "unusual" eyesore!

In the city parks the trash is put directly into 4 different colored trash cans for recycling.  There is a cultural difference in this part of Brazil, and it is working! 

We are in Florianopolis, Brazil.  It is the 6th of April and we head out for a local relaxing ride in the western parts of Florianopolis, which is on the mainland.

The picture, below, is taken from the mainland.  We are staying in the high rise area on the other side of the bay.

(we took a picture from the hilltop, where the antennas are in this picture (see 5 pictures down))

This is the Atlantic Ocean, not a lake.

These guys were net fishing. The waters in this part of Brazil are extremely clean.
And the people have all been extremely friendly........

The closer buildings are on the island, in the city of Florianopolis. 

Florianopolis is also on the mainland.

We enjoyed dinner with Salcar on our last night in Florianopolis. He is also traveling around South America on a motorcycle (and posts pictures on Adventure Rider).

On the 7th of April (Saturday) we leave Florianopolis and head for Bombinhas, Brazil. 

We got caught in the rain and had to don our rain gear.

It is starting to feel like the "South Pacific".....
And it is getting more and more tropical....
It has a fishing village feel to it......

This picture is taken from our hotel room at the Pousada Villa Paradiso. 

Click on the link for more pictures of the grounds of the hotel. 

I have been traveling for over 2 months, on this part of our trip, and it is places like these which makes me feel like I just left home!    

On Easter Morning, we get a knock at the door, and room service delivers our breakfast and Easter Eggs!

Life is tough.... The hardships of this trip can wear you down.... The fatigue is a never ending battle.... Enough of that..... Now back to reality!

We loaded the bike up for a 200 mile "day trip" to the German areas of Santa Catarina.  We are driving through very rural areas and all of a sudden, the road is lined with over 100 shops.

They are not selling fruits -- or leather goods -- or trinkets -- or pots --- or jewelry -- or wicker ware ---

BUT.............

Lingerie..............     Literally.... over a hundred shops.
No other products.... Only lingerie....
It has to be the lingerie capital of the world. I have never seen anything like it. Business after business. The only other product I saw for sale was sewing machines!
It is obviously a lingerie manufacturing area. It is not like a seedy area in Las Vegas selling lingerie to show girls!   (PS: nothing against Las Vegas show girls.... Got to love them!)
For some unknown reason I enjoyed the signage for this shop! It was like some magical piece of art by a master. Her eyes followed me wherever I walked!

This is the river which flows through Blumenau, Brazil.
Heavy German influence in this town.... Very clean and peaceful here....
Very different than the churches in Peru and Ecuador! Much more European,

	Pinch me.... Is this really Brazil? Notice all the Easter Bunnies.
	The city hall of Blumenau, Brazil. Wish we could come back for Oktoberfest!
	The river which flows through the city.

Just outside the city, we ride by "Hering Harmonicas".  (Hering Harmonics).  It was founded by Mr. Alfred Hering in 1923.  According to their web site, the Hering company has long enjoyed a reputation as a world leader in the manufacture of fine harmonicas.  How strange it is, to ride a motorcycle through the tropics and come upon a "Harmonica Factory", which you would expect in Germany.  But in BRAZIL? 

This is the entrance to the city of Pomedore.... Another city of German background. We are having problems communicating, but when we bought gas here, Sandy spoke to the guy in German, the primary language in this city!
Typical home.

On the 9th of April, it is time to leave our beach retreat and head north to Joinville, Brazil.

This is the room we are leaving in Bombinhas..... Our private balcony....
The view from our room....
View from our room, looking the other direction....
There was nearly a Spa for each room.... Hey, this is a necessity for a rough trip like this.... It helps with the fatigue.... And helps digest the Filet Mignon Dinners....
The pool was only 10 inches deep.... Lounge chairs are sitting in the pool.... Feeling sorry for us yet?

This picture was taken 20 feet from our room...........

The only hardship here..... Is leaving the place!
View, on the ride to Joinville....

This is a boat house in the city of Balneário Camboriú, which has a population of about 100,000 people.
This is the other side of the bay, near the boat house.

The coast line of Brazil has been great!  What a ride this trip has been!

Our last view of Balneário Camboriú, as we continue north.

North of Balneário Camboriú, there is a waterway, which would require an inland drive. We took the option of a ferry ride.
We were one of many motorcycles. The ferry took us to the city of Navegantes.

Then we took the small, 2 lane road, up the coast, passing many beaches like this.

Quick stop for lunch....
And into Joinville....   "Willkommen?"   We feel like we are at Disneyland riding the "It's a Small World" ride!

We ride up the dirt road in the middle of the city, to a microwave tower.... and do the self portrait picture..... Why? I do not know....
Joinville circles the mountain peak... That is the Atlantic, in the distance....
Sandy, enjoying the view....

Our hotel is near the leg of the microwave tower.... (Bourbon Hotels)

We have been emailing, back and forth, with a gentleman named Mike Jacobs, who is riding South America on a Kawasaki 650.  Today we are going to ride and meet him, and the family he has been staying with.  It is also my Dad's 82 birthday, so it is time to Skype him and say Happy Birthday.  He is heading to the Amazon Basin in May.

We met Mike Jacobs in Sao Francisco do Sul, which is the 3rd oldest city in the Brazil.

This place is good for about a 10 point drop in blood pressure.  Very relaxing!

Mike Jacobs is on the left.  The gentleman riding a Honda is Schemmel, and his wife Rita.

Mike and his 650 KLR.... I think he is hauling more than Sandy and I!
Another lunch stop....
Schemmel took us to a fort where he was stationed. This is the view from where the guns are mounted.
The view looking the other direction....

Schemmel and Rita invited us for dinner, but Sandy left her medicine at the hotel, and we were concerned about riding the 30 miles back to Joinville after dark.

That is it, through the 10th of April, 2007!

"Don't wake me -- I am enjoying this dream"

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