travel all over Brazil

I’ve now hit an even dozen states in this immense country. I’m working this holiday weekend in Goiania, and I realized after I dropped my coworker at the airport yesterday afternoon that Brazilians eat dinner late, Minas was only 200km away, and I don’t have to be at work until 10 today…ROAD TRIP! It was my first experience driving in Brazil and my first experience with a standard transmission in several years and was night and I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but that is kind of what adventure is all about. I had a nice buffet at a highway outpost just across the border and was safely back in my hotel shortly after midnight.

The mountains are beautiful. I really don’t have time to leave the airport, but the huge wrap around windows give a nice view of the mountains and I saw the bay and some birds as we were landing. If there was more time, birding would definitely be on the agenda. So this makes 11 states—16 more to go. I catch a flight to Recife in an hour. Maybe there will be time for Joao Pessoa or Natal over the next few days.

Brasil just granted me a 5 year visa, which should make progress toward this goal more likely. I’ve already been to 10 states, leaving 17 to go. I’ve got a ticket this month for Rio, which will make it 11 states with 16 to go and the trip also includes Recife, where I’ve been before, but this time it seems to be with enough spare time that I might make it up to Joao Pessao or maybe even Natal while I am in the North East. Next time I go that way, I think I should try to connect through Fortaleza on Delta’s flight #90 to Atlanta on the way back.