On route to Goias, Brasil

Sunset shot of a typical building lining the streets near the historical center of Goias. This building had a 1755 plaque on the corner of the structure.

I couldn't resist but to pull a u-turn for this one...I don't know how I saw it.....but I did, Obviously this guy hates windows and doors.

Apparently the wet season here has alot of rain fall. Perhaps they can fashon the old bridge into a boat launch...which is what I thought it was from a distance.

I have been super lucky so far at splitting through the middle of cloud bursts....this time however the rain was imminent, so I suited up in rain gear at 36 degrees. As soon as I got dressed I was wishing that the rain would come sooner so I could cool off. Sweating perfusely defeats the purpose of the rain suit.

For the heck of it I asked the owner of the gas station just how many motorcyclists has fallen into the oil changing pits by accident when rolling into the station for a gas fill-up. He replied that he had seen more than 20 motorbikes ride right into the pits. Another great reason to slow down and not ride at night. I love South America, nobody blames anyone else for stupidity. If you mess yourself up, its your own fault...slow down dummy, You're accountable for your own actions.-

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The past few days have been both scenic and tough as I have been riding straight roads on near perfect pavement with the occasional bombed out section that lasts for a km or two. The kitchen sink sized pothe hole's are important for keeping me sharp when I'm off thinking about weird stuff both past and present.

As I was coming into Campo Grande I was passed by a couple of dudes on bigger motorcycles who pulled over at the next stop and waived me to pull in. I figured what the heck and flipped my visor up. They were pretty excited to chat to me and help me trip plan for the next day while looking at my maps.

From Campo Grande I made it east to a town called Cassilandia, I pulled into a simple but nice hotel for the equivalent of 15 dollars which included a great breakfast. (Brasillians don't cheap out on breakfast!) For supper that night I walked over to a forno oven pizza joint on the side of the road and ordered the largest "small" pizza I've ever laid eyes on. I was able to eat only two pieces of the eight, so, off I walked in the street until I saw 3 young men hanging out in a yard. I yelled for one of them to come over. They were very reluctant and said they did'nt want the pizza or anything I was offering. (They were scared of me actually.) I began talking jibberish..... "Me Canada, too big of pizza, very full now, no refridgerator in hotel, Pizza will go garbage!" ........ "Pizza will go garbage" was the golden word and the locked gate now opened.

Once inside I was ordered to eat yet another piece of pizza from a plate that the host supplied. I knew that I'd pay for it with a stomach ache from gorging myself but, I understood that they needed to know that it was safe to eat. We began chatting and I ended up staying there in the simple home made out of brick for the better part of an hour. The 3 fellows were all cousins and with a limited vocabulary and schades we made ourselves understood. I crashed into bed to rest upfor the next day.

I was up at the crack of dawn and on the road at 830am. I'm now on Atlantic standard time and still about 1500 km west of the coast. The riding days are getting shorter as I climb back to the equator. Currently I'm at 16 degrees south in the Tropic of Cancer. The sun is very intense and I get the idea of how this latitude got its name.

I pulled into the colonial town of Goias (founded in the 18th century) just before dark and took a short stroll around the cobble streets and met a German fellow (Eric) who has lived here in Brasil for 25 years and owns a hotel and a farm here. Eric, and I poured over my maps and circled several important places for me to stop and ponder over on my way to the north.

I am taking a day off the bike tomorrow and getting some much needed laundry done so I'll surely have more pics tomorrow.