Imbituba – Tijuca – 129 km
Luckily, we packed up before the rain came and a tailwind drove us north. It
became a delightful ride past small communities still using the horse and cart and
past lush green hillsides until the turn-off to Florianopolis.
Florianopolis and Sao Jose were high-rise cities with Florianopolis on Isla de
Catarina and Sao Jose on the mainland. They were sprawling cities and
skyscrapers spread as far as the eye could see. Giving them a wide berth, we
followed the coastal route with beautiful ocean views and nearby islands.
It drizzled all day, but we were tailwind-assisted and continued biking until Tijucas,
a small settlement with both a supermarket and a hotel. Afterwards, Ernest cycled
to the market and returned with the ingredients to make one of his favourite pasta
dishes.
Tijucas – Barra Velha – 85 km
From Tijucas the route ran north, over hills, down valleys, through tunnels, past
large resort cities revealing upmarket condos, and past humble timber homes next
to rubbish dumps. A Brazilian couple, out in a camper van for the weekend,
stopped us at a sugarcane juice shop and literally “topped us up”. Sadly, the
conversation was limited due to no one speaking the other one’s language. But,
amazingly enough, we understood each other well enough to have a simple
conversation.
In Barra Velha, and with the villagers’ help, an unofficial camping site was located
alongside the river. The tents were barely up and food prepared when it started
raining. Soon, a full-blown storm hit the area, and I discovered my tent not as
waterproof as it used to be. It soon turned into a small swimming pool. Mercifully,
the weather passed quickly and I could clear most of the water.