Thursday 17.11.2016: Loulé - Lisbon - Flight LIS - GRU

We drove from home to Lisbon and took the flight TP87 at 23:30 and arrived 10 hours later in São Paulo.

Friday 18.11.2016: São Paulo - São Francisco Xavier (alt 770 m): 18ºC rainy

After landing -everything went very smooth and quick, we took our rental car at Localiza (this took longer) and drove to São José dos Campos to buy a SIM card and had lunch at a simple restaurant Arco-Iris. Continuing our way we stopped at "Quiosque do Negão" where we had bottomless orange juice for R$ 5 pax. We arrived in São Francisco Xavier at about 15:30 and where received by the very nice owner, Sr. Carlos, at the Pousada Morena (www.pousadamorenasfx.com.br, R$ 280/day for a double room, very nice, quiet, on the rim of the village, only 4 rooms). After a nap and sorting our our things we walked into town (although it was raining) and had some delicious empadas with caipirinha. N22º54'27" W45º57'42"

Saturday 19.11.2016: São Francisco Xavier: 20km - 20ºC sunny

In the morning we drove into town, waiting for Simone, Fábio and Cristóbal to arrive at 11am. We all went to the Cachoeira de Pedro David, then to the trout fish farm Serra das Águas Trutário where we had a delicious lunch then walked to 2 beautiful waterfalls. Siesta in the afternoon. Dinner at the "O Quinta Gastronónica".

Sunday 20.11.2016: São Francisco Xavier - Excursion to Pouso do Rochedo: 22 km - 23ºC sunny

Drive 11 km on dirt road to the Pousada Pouso do Rochedo where we walked to 8 waterfalls and to various view points (R$ 20 pax, 4 hours, 500 m ascent), a beautiful walk ending it with bathing in the cold water of the Rio Santa Bárbara. Lunch at the Pousada (R$ 262 for 5 people, not very good, but nice setting). Back home, after a good shower/bath, we took a drive into town (we were too tired to walk the 300 m down and up again). All the tourists gone, most restaurants closed, the only places which were open were busy with the locals. So we had a Pizza Rodizio at the Bar Restaurante Pangea (R$ 88) with authentic cowboys cruising around town flirting with the country girls made up for the evening event.

 10 R$ = 2,90 EUR