And so, we left Brazil. With regret, as 2 months are realy too short, but we must be in Uruguay in time to try to escape the bad weather. We would want to stay a year in this country , so wide and varied. and I could master portugues before going back to spanish. With the foreign policy of our dear country this will not occur soon….We escaped from Rio and his carnival and prefered the calm of Ilha Grande. Here, in spite of herds of tourists we are quietly at anchor, take the water and the shower on the beach, directly from the montain water. The decibels come from the birds at sunrise, when it’s not from monkeys who express their anger when disturbed. A few miles away it’s Paraty, top site of tourism, artists and millionnaires who replaced the slaves, them too arriving by full ships…The town is really nice, invaded by sea at each big tide, we loved it and thrive of the last coconuts. Rio Grande do Sul, our last brazilian call, hiden at the end of a long channel. Another Brazil, you could think you are in Europe, we reenconter green grass, the air is cooler. Real gauchos wander in town, proud of their suits, horses are the kings. the fishermen stay at dock, they fished all, there is not much less, here as everywhere….The Oceanografic Museum take care of some lost Magellan penguins and the old sea lion do lengths in his pool. At sea our first black browed albatross, then arctic terns who came back for the South pole to nest in the Arctic, our first pampero entering Uruguay, no doubt, autumn is here, it’s time to stop. Here in Piriapolis we will be well, after one year of sailing, 8862 miles since Paimpol. I reinstall the stove chimney, we set out polar suit, we renew with “movie” evenings and the cat goes back under the kilt.
