Brazil and new years

I spent the new year in Brazil with my friends Rodrigo and Konstanze, who I used to work with at the Philadelphia Inquirer. We spent our time in southern Brazil, in Rio Grande del Sol, then in Santa Catarina, (which is a little bit north) in the town of Garopaba, and then in Florianopolis.

For the first few days of the trip we visited several waterfalls (see photos), and then in Florianopolis we spent most of our time on the beach. (I had to make a quick stop at a health post thanks to an infected cut on my foot). The two photos of the boats are from Florianopolis; we bought oysters from local oyster farmers (shuckers? cultivators?).

Brazil, or at least southeastern Brazil was amazing, a complete contrast to Paraguay. It was much more modern, much more developed. And it had beaches.

I will say that Paraguay's got them beat on the maté front though. Brazilian yuerba (yerva in portuguese) is green and extra fine, it clogged the bombilla, nor was it as tasty as Paraguayan yerba. Sorry Rodrigo!