Bienvenido a Brazil!

With heavy hearts and slightly lighter wallets, we bid farewell to beloved Argentina and headed towards Brazil. A $145 per person visa foreshadowed the storm of expenses to come, and the dark and dreary rainclouds that have plagued Brazil this year greeted us at our first stop, the beachy, tropical forest town of Florianopolis on Ilha do Santa Catarina. Prized for its many beaches that border subtropical rainforest and its laid back atmosphere, Floripa (as it is affectionately called) indeed has much to offer... particularly on bright, sunny days. Such was not our luck, so we took advantage of the few sunny moments we got and braved the rain the rest of the time.

Our hostel was next to Lagao da Conceicao, a beautiful and peaceful lake we enjoyed many walks along.

Me and my prima, Courtney, who came to meet up in Iguazu and run through Brazil with us.

As close as we got to sunbathing...

Brightly colored, adorable homes dot the coasts.

Jason and Courtney, preparing to hit the sand on the crazy sand dunes.

Our visit to a small, quaint fishing village on the island. Dozens of men throw out huge weighted nets, hoping for some luck in catching some fish.

Serra Verde Express from Curitiba to Paranagua boasts 13 tunnels and 67 bridges and tropical forest galore.

Unfortunately, the weather was sort of crappy, and most of the time the view looked like this.

Crossing one of the 67 bridges.

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The train ride also boasts several waterfalls, most of which you could not see through the fog.

After a short night´s rest in the shady town of Curitiba, some of us chose to option the train as nap time.