Chapada Diamantina National Park was created in 1985 and spans over 375,000 acres; which is larger than countries such as Singapore. The park has more than 300 waterfalls, impressive canyons, blue water caves, rock meadows, and untouched forests. Billions of years ago the area was covered by an ancient sea, but tectonic shifts and erosion ultimately formed the region’s dramatic cracks, depressions and plateaus. Chapada Diamantina translates to “Diamond Plateau” as the area served as the strongest gold and diamond mine on the planet from the 1700s to the 1900s until mining was officially banned in 1996. In 1895, the world’s largest black diamond (weighing 3,167 carats) was discovered here. 

While doing my Brazil research (which was minimal – I learned the names of some places to visit, but didn’t do any deep diving. It was a figure it out as I go type of affair. Which can be a dangerous game to play in a country as large as Brazil, but I was just trusting the process. It usually all works out.) I put a gold star next to Chapada Diamantina for top places I wanted to visit. The Andes do not go through Brazil, and the country as a whole is not mountainous, but it is home to many amazing landscapes and presents a different type of hiking experience. The hiker in me had to check out this highly regarded national park that boasted some of Brazil’s top treks. Bonus points that it was easily accessible from Salvador. I knew that I wanted to do the three day Vale do Pati trek, but otherwise was coming in blind. I spent 4.5 days here and easily could have stayed longer. I didn’t want to get stuck though. As beautiful as the landscape was, and as much as I love hiking, a big part of coming to Brazil is to enjoy the coast. It just means I will have to come back to Chapada again in the future to keep exploring more of the park.

Getting In

My first Brazilian bus experience! The bus terminal in Salvador was massive and felt like a small airport. Luckily there was good signage for the platforms and it was easy to navigate. We left at 8am and didn’t get to Lençóis until around 3:30 (an hour later than the schedule). It was a shaky bus ride on the second deck. You could feel the wind and the driving style was a bit wobbly. It was my first day time bus ride in a while so I was able to look at the landscape – green, sparse, rural. We ain’t in Salvador no more. 

The Brazilian girl next to me, Natalia (Naty) was super nice. She offered me snacks and we chatted some via Google Translate. It was a testament to the friendly nature of Brazilians. Little did I know we’d end up hanging out the next four days. She was from Espírito Santo, the forgotten state situated between Bahia (where Salvador is) and Rio de Janeiro. It’s not on the typical backpacker trail but is home to hundreds of miles of coastline and she showed me some beautiful photos of where she lived. The more you know! 

Halfway into the bus ride, we made a 30 minute pit stop for lunch at a buffet style restaurant where you pay per kilo based on the weight of your plate. I didn’t know it beforehand, but it turns out this is a very common restaurant experience in Brazil, and would be the first of many times that I would eat at a pay per kilo buffet. I found it funny that we stopped for lunch on a 7 hour bus ride, when in Peru, you’re lucky to get a 10 minute stop on a 18 hour bus ride. 

Lodging 

I stayed at Chapada Backpackers hostel which also doubled as a tour agency. It had a very laid back vibe to it. Naty was staying at the same hostel as me. So was Issay, a Japanese guy who was on the same bus and Naty had met at her hostel in Salvador. And we all happened to be in the same dorm the first night. After showering and settling in, a Brazilian guy named Gabriel arrived and he spoke perfect English. When I asked where he’s from he said Espírito Santo. I go from never having heard of this state to meeting two people from there in a matter of hours. Just like that we had formed our crew. 

Naty was a fun silly energy, and even with the language barrier we interacted using facial expressions, body language, and the new Portuguese phrases her and Gabriel taught me. I could see her bubbly and animated personality when chatting Portuguese with the locals. She literally talked to everyone. Gabriel was a super friendly and positive guy. Since he spoke great English, he acted as our Google Translator between Naty and me and Issay. Naty and I would yell “Google” whenever we wanted to get his attention to translate. Also he was Instagram famous with nearly 200,000 followers. He creates videos with inspirational advice and also teams up with tour agencies to document excursions and shares them as reels on Instagram. Smart man! Issay was a nice guy with a very reserved personality. 

Me, Naty, and Gabriel signed up to do the Vale do Pati trek together the following day. We tried to convince Issay to join us but he had already booked two nights at the hostel, and rather than asking to switch his second night, he decided to do the trek a day later. He was very by the books…plus maybe he thought we were all too crazy. 

Lençóis 

The small town of Lençóis serves as the gateway to Chapada Diamantina with countless tour agencies to choose from. I had no expectations for the town because I came for the hiking Chapada, but it was actually a very charming place with colorful flags, cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways with outdoor patio seating restaurants, and a river running through town. After the hustle and bustle of Salvador, it was very quaint vibes. However this is still Brazil and even this small town had a strong energy to it. People were still always out and about. The night we got back from Vale do Pati, Gabriel and I went out for dinner and beers when it started pouring down rain, but that didn’t stop the town from being lively on a Thursday night. There were these two girls dancing together on the streets in the rain absolutely getting after it; another guy was running under the gutters and showering himself in the rain water. People were getting lit.

On the first night, the four amigos went out for to explore the town. We started out at a cafe where I ordered my first tapioca with a side of mangaba juice. Tapioca is normally more of a breakfast dish but I hadn’t eaten one yet and we were treating this meal as a late afternoon snack so it seemed like a good time. It was decent; reminded me of a “Brazilian quesadilla”. Google calls it a crepe. Okay sure, it is very thin. The tapioca crepe is made from hydrated cassava starch folded over and stuffed with sweet or savory fillings.

Then we went to a local brew pub with live acoustic music and got some craft beers. Issay doesn’t normally drink much but Naty was peer pressuring him into taking some sips of her beer. Then she ordered a few shots of cachaça for the table and a caipirinha for Issay. She was really trying to get everyone loose the night before the trek. It was a fun time. On the way home we stopped at a street vendor and each ordered a few espetinhos (meat on a skewer). The vendor coated it in farofa at the end to add a little extra flavor. Plus he had a pineapple hot sauce that complimented the meat perfectly. It was the perfect way to soak up the alcohol before going to bed. 

Vale do Pati 3 Day, 2 Night Trek (21.34 miles; 6,709 feet elevation gain)

I was coming into the Vale do Pati trek with minimal knowledge. I just saw it was rated as one of the best treks in Brazil, but I didn’t actually do any research into the difficulty of the trail or the type of terrain; nor did I look at any photos. I figured eh what the hell I’ll be fine, I went over 19,000 feet high three times in Bolivia and Peru. It can’t be as hard as those hikes, right? And while it certainly wasn’t as difficult as a high altitude mountain ascent, it was no walk in the park either. The trek had some very steep sections, countless river crossings on slippery rocks, giant tree roots, boulder scrambles, and narrow cliff edges. It was not terrain for the faint of heart. The daily distances were never too long, but the terrain was tricky.

We hit the road around 7:45am. It was a two hour drive with first half on a normal road and the second half on a bumpy dirt road. We were staying in lodges but still had to help carry the food. The guide, Willian, split the food between the five of us and himself: me, Naty, Gabriel, and a French couple on their honeymoon – Guillaume and Dian. My pack was lighter than on the volcano treks in Peru but it still weighed a decent bit with the food. Luckily there were many water sources along the way so I never had to carry more than a liter at a time. Throughout the trek Gabriel was shooting 8-10 second clips that he was going to piece together for his Instagram influencer reel. He was constantly taking videos so I don’t know how he sorted through all that content. 

The stats for day one and two are slightly understated because stupid AllTrails has a tendency to stop the recording automatically, even though I don’t tell it to, and I have to manually restart it. Because of this bug (or maybe it’s working as designed which is a shitty feature in my opinion) that started about 1.5 years ago I am constantly checking my phone to see if it’s recording. It’s very annoying. Maybe I shouldn’t care but I love my stats. All that said I probably only lost recording 1-2 miles in total.  

Vale do Pati Day 1 (6.35 miles; 1,362 feet elevation gain; 1,835 feet elevation loss)

The trail started out with a butt kicking ascent. We gained 850 feet in the first mile with the maximum amount of weight in our backpacks since we had all the food. It also didn’t help that the trail was unshaded and there was no escape from the morning heat. I was feeling the partying from the last two weeks after being at the California wedding and spending four days in Salvador. I was out of my top hiking form that I achieved while in the Andes but it felt good to sweat again. Being on trail surrounded by beautiful scenery immediately reminded why I love hiking and being in nature. It was a narrow trail with a mixture of dirt path and medium size boulders. 

We got to the top of the hill and took a break to enjoy our first good glimpse of the Chapada Diamantina landscape. The park was enormous and went as far as the eye could see. There was a variety of shades of green representing the different types of vegetation. We could also see some of the butte-like plateaus off in the distance. Little did I know that we would be climbing to the top of some of these guys. 

The next section was a few miles through open highlands of flat trail with small ups and downs. We walked past green plants, colorful flowers, and prickly cacti. Willian explained that if you get lost in the area then the cactus can be cut open to obtain water. He also showed us how you can make a musical sound by lightly touching the cactus. He didn’t actually know English so he would speak in Portuguese and Gabriel acted as the translator. It’s a good thing we had him in our group! 

We passed by a small black water pond and Willian said the water is potable, in spite of its questionable looking color. I had my filtered water bottle so I wasn’t worried about drinking the black water. It was cold and refreshing. 

We arrived at our the Pati Viewpoint, which was even more beautiful than the last one, and stopped for a snack and to enjoy the landscapes. The plateau buttes as I’ll call them were now much closer. Throughout the trek, Naty and Gabriel were teaching me good new Portuguese phrases. One that we said regularly was “a vida é uma maravilha” – “Life is a wonder”. A few others they taught me were “Que massa” – “How cool” and “Bora” – “Let’s go”. In Brazil it’s popular to speak Porteño which as I explained in my last post is a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish. We were joking that we spoke a new version called Porteñingles. We would say things like “Let’s bora!” and “Very massa.” These inside jokes continued for the three days and they always seemed to fit the moment. It was a good way for me and Naty to communicate since we didn’t know each other’s native language. 

We continued downhill for the next two miles where the terrain got more challenging. It was steep and narrow with boulders. Our guide Willian was basically running down the hill. He was the exact opposite of my high altitude guides who would go at a snail’s pace. This guy made me look slow on the mountain. Good thing everyone in our group was young and fit, but he set an insanely fast pace. This theme would continue all three days. Normally I am in the front of the group, especially on high altitude hikes where the proud Leo in me needs to go fast, but for this trek I kicked back and usually stayed toward the back. I felt like I was acting as the second guide to stay behind Naty to make sure she was all good (she was a perfectly capable hiker, just had to go at a slower pace sometimes) because Willian was too busy being an Olympic sprinter at the front.

We were back to flat, hardened mud and had entered a new vegetation zone that was more jungle-y as we got closer to the Funis River. The trees and plants were more dense which also provided more shade. 

It was nearly 2:30pm by the time we reached the first waterfall Cachoeira do Lajeado. There were a few other trekking groups stopped here as well, but it still felt very quiet and remote.  Willian prepared our picnic lunch while we swam in the waterfall and surrounding pools. The water was cold but it felt so refreshing after the morning hike. 

Willian made a beautiful spread that allowed us each to make two fully loaded sandwiches. I’m always a big fan of “sandwich with a view” and this one was particularly stunning with the waterfall in the background.

After lunch, we spent another hour relaxing and enjoying the scenery. The constant sound of the waterfall provided a calming white noise that nearly put me to sleep. 

Then it was back to work as we made our way downstream the river toward the next waterfall. The next section was narrow rock cliffs along the river where you occasionally had to grab a tree root to help with stability. It required a high level of concentration and the distance gained was slow moving, but I enjoyed this type of challenge. Very different than the huffing and puffing required at high altitude. 

We arrived at the second waterfall Cachoeria dos Bananeiras around 4:15. This one had a much deeper pool at the base so it was better for swimming. The sun was hidden behind the clouds at this point but I was still game to swim. Guillaume and I were the only ones in our group with the cajones to jump in. Worth it!

The final section was the most challenging part of the day as we had to rock hop along the river zig zagging back and forth at least 10 times. The rocks varied in size and slipperiness which required a high level of concentration and good balance. Slow and steady wins the race. Unless you’re Willian. He had now turned into an Olympic hurdler. 

When I wasn’t fully focused on the river rock hopping, I reminded myself to soak in the beautiful scenery. We passed by waterfall three  and eventually took a break to enjoy golden hour hitting the top of the plateau butte. Que massa!

I was really embracing the moment and how this hike was way different than all the mountain hikes I’ve been doing recently in life. It was a totally different type of terrain, beauty, and trekking experience; very unique. The most similar hiking I’ve done to this was in Colombia or Costa Rica; but this was the cream of the crop. A nice reminder that it’s not always about high above sea level you are.

We made it to the lodge around 5:45 and it was a beautiful property with fruits growing in the trees, colorful flowers in the gardens, a bonfire, lots of bedrooms, big kitchen and dining room, and multiple bathrooms with showers. Woohoo!

The five of us all shared a dorm room. Next was shower time. The water was just as cold as the waterfall so it was a quick in and out. The lodge hosted a number of other groups so we sat around the campfire chatting with new people. It was mostly Brazilians but there was a Greek couple and a Romanian guy that I talked to. There was also a Brazilian guy in his mid 50s from Salvador who spoke good English. I felt the hikers’ high from the day and it was nice to mingle with some new people. 

The dinner was buffet style and had a lot of different options. Even though we had a late lunch, I was starving. I thought my plate was big but Gabriel’s was twice the size. He legitimately had a mountain of food. After dinner I drank a beer and chatted with the Greek couple. It was a new moon and a clear sky so the stars were incredible! You could see a faint haze of the Milky Way. It had been a long day and I was in bed by 9.

Vale do Pati Day 2 (4.73 miles; 1,909 feet elevation gain; 2,102 feet elevation loss)

We woke up at 7 and breakfast was served around 7:45. It was another nice buffet spread with more than enough food for all the groups. After breakfast I watched a few monkeys playing in the trees. Sure beats the morning news. 

We got on trail a little after 8:30. We left our big bags at the lodging and just packed a small day pack for summiting Morro do Castelo. Once again we got off to a steep start as we gained 900 feet in the first mile. It was steep uphill rock steps with lots of roots. Sometimes I had to grab onto the tree branches to help lift me up. You have to be resourceful when jungle (tropical rainforest?) hiking. Luckily we were in the shade this time. We heard the constant chirps of the arapanga fill the air during our climb. Of course Willian was running up the hill. Now I see how other people feel when I go at a quick pace. 

Willian had a good eye for spotting things in the trees. He randomly pulled down a tree branch and picked off a coffee bean. He also found some berries that he let us try. If the guide says it’s okay then I assume it’s not poisonous, right? They were kind of tart but I enjoyed it. Doesn’t get more organic than that. 

We made it to the first mirante (viewpoint) after 1.3 miles and stopped for 10 minutes to soak it all in. 

Then it was another 20 minutes of steep uphill before we reached a cave and took a break. More photos, snacks, water, sunscreen; the usual. Willian gave some explanations of the geological history of the surrounding area and Gabriel acted as translator. 

The final uphill to the top of Morro do Castelo was a rock scramble that required use of hands and a good sense of balance. At 4,550 feet high, we had gained over 1,500 feet in 2 miles. The 360 views were absolutely incredible! It’s hard to capture the true beauty of Chapada Diamantina since the landscape has such grandeur and depth. Photos don’t do justice what the naked eye sees. A vida é uma maravilha!

We had fun pretending like the shape of the rock was an ice cream cone or comparing the flatness of the cake to the terrace butte.

Then we down climbed the rock scramble and went to a viewpoint on the other side of the plateau that looked into the endless Calixto Valley as eagles soared off in the distance. Sheesh! This place rules! I was all smiles appreciating what Vale do Pati trek day two had to offer. You really can’t beat that sense of satisfaction enjoying amazing views with a great group of people. Me, Gabriel, and Naty had become a dynamic trio of fun and laughter; Willian added his own happy go lucky vibe; and even the French couple on their honeymoon had started to open up more to us.  

Going back downhill required intense focus as there were lots of potential ankle twisters – steep path on boulders and tree roots. The three Brazilians were jibber jabbering the whole way down but I was focusing on where I stepped. Not that I could have added any value to their conversation anyways. We had to get on our butts a few times to slide down the rocks.

We made it back our first lodging by 1:45 to get our big backpacks and decided to continue the 30 minutes to the next lodge and eat lunch there. It was pretty much flat the whole way. 

The next accommodation was much smaller and we were the only group to stay there. The French honeymooners got their own private room and me, Naty, and Gabriel got the other. It had enough beds for ten people but it was just us three so that was nice. There was even a double bed that they kindly let me take. We had beautiful views from the house and hammocks setup to kick back and enjoy them from. 

This time we all pitched in to help Willian setup the picnic lunch splitting duties of cutting veggies. It was the same lunch spread as the previous day, but no complaints here. 

Afterwards we walked five minutes down to the river which had a mini waterfall and a swimming hole. Sadly it was a bit cloudy but that didn’t stop Guillaume and I from swimming. Then I blobbed on a rock to air dry. We stayed down there for about an hour but the lack of sun drew us back up to the house by 4:30. 

We took turns taking a cold shower then chilled hard in the hammocks. Naty made a round of homemade caipirinhas while Gabriel DJed Brazilian reggae music. It was a vibe! There wasn’t a worry in the world at that moment in Chapada Diamantina. As the sun started to go down, golden hour hit the terrace butte perfectly. A fine way to take us into the evening. 

Naty made us another rounds of caipirinhas before dinner. Willian had really put on his top chef hat this evening. He had been in the kitchen for over three hours by the time food was ready. And boy did he outdo himself! There were seven different dishes of typical Brazilian food; all in bulk quantity. My man!!! To eat a meal this elaborate literally in the middle of nowhere was the icing on the cake to a fabulous day. Everything was delicious too! Cooked to perfection! We asked where he learned to cook like this and he said his uncles were also guides on the Vale do Pati trek and taught him. Cool to see that it runs in the family. 

After dinner we went back to the hammocks. Sadly there weren’t many stars out because it was very cloudy. But me, Naty, and Gabriel sat around chatting; and I felt like my Portuguese was starting to improve. I had heard them talking so much the past few days that I was starting to get more used to the accent and pick up more words. It helped to have Gabriel translate certain things that Naty would say to me and then he would also translate things I would say back to her. This truly is the best way to learn a language. I got to hear real time translations. Naty had also picked up on a few new English words. Even Gabriel was getting in a lot of good English practice talking to me and acting as the group translator for Willian. Everyone was improving their Porteñingles!

Vale do Pati Day 3 (10.26 miles; 3,438 feet elevation gain; 2,732 feet elevation loss)

We got up at 6:30 to the disappointing sight of cloudy and foggy weather with slight rain residue from the night before. It’s okay the day is still very young. Once again chef Willian outdid himself providing an amazing breakfast spread. 

While we didn’t have many views of the landscapes, there were some birds posing for us while we ate breakfast. 

The hike started in the trees so the foggy air added a level of mystery to the woods. That part was cool. But we still hoped for sunshine and blue skies. The trail started out very steep as we gained 1,500 feet in the first 1.5 miles. Added caution and extra attention was needed as the rocks were more slippery from the rain overnight. I was feeling a bit groggy from the booze and the dreary weather didn’t help. 

We got to the first viewpoint and couldn’t see anything. It was supposed to be a view back at  Morro do Castelo so we could see our accomplishment from the day before from a different vantage point. Sigh. Willian showed us a photo on his phone instead. Good enough. We continued along another 15 minutes to the next viewpoint and still nothing. 

Then it was Inca flat along top of the rock with extra attention needed for slippery spots. Dian took a fall at one point but she was okay. Around 10:30, the sky started to finally clear up a bit and we were able to see the landscapes again. It was still gray and cloudy but at least the visibility has cleared up. Yay! 

The fogginess went away just in time for the cliff edge photo op at the Cachoerião from above. The waterfall was dried up this time of year but it was still an incredibly impressive sight. The sheer 270 meter vertical drop of the cliffs into the valley was enough to make your gut wrench. Perfect place to take scary photos! The first spot was an overhanging slab of rock that looked scarier when other people went onto it. It seemed plenty wide when going on it yourself. But there’s just something about watching others get on. Willian took all the different angled shots of the daredevil photo. Including ones that really revealed to me how big my bald spot has become. Oh no! I knew it was happening but it’s worse than I thought. Ignorance is bliss! 

Then we went to the other side where we took photos looking straight down into the canyon. I found this to be scarier than sitting on the overhanging rock. It gave me slight vertigo when looking over the edge. But hey, worth it for the photo! 

We walked about ten more minutes to our final picnic spot. There was a black water pond that we could swim in. This time Guillaume chickened out on me and I went solo. The sun was fully out now and the cold water was refreshing. Plus how could I pass up the opportunity to swim in black water?

During lunch, Gabriel taught us that Brazilians combine guava with cheese and call it Romeo and Juliet. Sure I’ll give it a shot. It was a good combo with the sweet and salty offsetting each other to create a nice balance of flavors. 

We had another 6.5 miles to go in the afternoon to complete our loop. It was mostly flat with small ups and downs before the final downhill back to the parking lot. We had now entered yet another type of vegetation and landscape as we walked amongst very green tall brush. We have escaped the jungle and re-entered the wetlands. 

The clouds had all vanished and now it was blue skies, sunny, and hot. What a difference from the morning!  I was lost in my thoughts happy about how much my life has changed in the last 10 years. A decade ago I had barely ever hiked or spent time outdoors in my life and now my entire identity is based on outdoors activities. And five years ago I didn’t know a lick of Spanish, and now I love speaking the language and have had many good conversations. It’s crazy how much can change in a decade. Who said you can’t learn new things as an adult? It may be more difficult and require a bigger time commitment, but it’s never too late. 

I also had a deep conversation with Gabriel about how spending time in nature helps deal with day to day life anxieties. He’s only 23 years old but wise beyond his age. He also told me about some beautiful treks in the state of Minas Gerais and how the tourist infrastructure hasn’t built up yet, but he foresees it becoming more popular in the coming years. We talked about opening a hostel called “Let’s Bora” that would offer treks and also Porteñingles classes.  

After miles of flat terrain in the highlands, we approached the first viewpoint from day one with a greater appreciation for the landscapes that we had just traversed. One last semi-steep downhill and we were back at the parking lot drinking coconut waters. Man what a trek! I felt happy and rejuvenated from the experience. 

We were all tired when we got back to the hostel, but Gabriel and I went out for dinner and a celebratory beer (Naty was too exhausted to join). We ate his favorite meal, Prato Feito, which is an all in one plate served with protein (I chose beef), farofa, rice, beans, salad, onions, pasta. It’s a hearty dish and very fitting after three days of hiking. 

It started pouring down rain so we waited it to slow down a bit before going back to the brew pub from day one. This is when we saw the girls dancing together in the rain. A guy came up to us and started chatting Gabriel’s ear off. Everyone in Brazil is so friendly and social. I was glad to have Gabriel as my translator. Earlier I had taught Gabriel the term wingman and he called himself my wing translator. He gets it! After one beer, we were both heavy eyed and called it a night.

Four P’s Day Tour

Following the three day trek, Naty and I signed up for a more chill and relaxing tour. It’s known as the four P’s tour because each destination has the letter P in it – Poço Azul, Vale das Piscinas, Poço do Diabo, and Morro do Pai Inácio. It turned out to be a private tour – it was just me, Naty, and the driver. The first stop was an hour and a half drive so she was talking with driver while I sometimes listened and sometimes zoned out looking at the scenery. It was still good listening practice to soak in the language. I was starting to get used to the accent and the rhythm of the language. We are at Poço Azul and had the entire place to ourselves. Another private experience. It was a cloudy morning so that probably contributed to the lack of crowds. 

You descend into a V shaped cave that has crystal clear blue water. They provide a life jacket and snorkel to admire the extraordinary transparency of the water and the geological formations of the cave. We got 20 minutes to swim around and gaze into the depths of the light blue water. The water gets up to 27 meters deep but appears shallow because of how clear the water is. The temperature of the water was actually quite nice. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t too cold either. The color of the water would have been even more vibrant on a sunny day, but it was still beautiful. 

It was another hour drive to the next stop and this time Naty and I were interacting more. We were playing music we liked for each other and using Google Translate to have a conversation (plus my occasional choppy Portuguese). All the sudden the driver stopped and pointed out a cobra in the middle of the road. Crazy Naty got out of the car to get closer, but I was okay to see it from inside. 

We arrived at Vale das Piscinas which was a restaurant next to a waterfall and river. The kids whose parents’ owned the restaurant were running around with the cat getting it to chase a piece of string. It was very cute and entertaining to watch. 

We ordered a beer and sat next to the river listening to the natural sounds of the fast flowing water and chatting in porteñingles. In spite of it all we were able to communicate quite well and enjoying each other’s company. Again we had the place to ourselves. 

It was another buffet lunch with many options of traditional Brazilian food where you weigh your plate at the end. This buffet was much higher quality than the one we stopped at on the bus ride into Lençóis. The food was delicious and paired nicely with our riverfront view. 

The next stop was a 30 minute drive to Morro do Pai Inácio, which is a short 15 minute hike to the top for panoramic views of the extensive mountain range of Chapada Diamantina. The guide told us about the geology of the area and told us an urban legend about Chapada. Of course I only understood bit and pieces but I pretended to follow along. In typical South American fashion he had us do a number of different poses at various viewpoints atop the terrace. He also showed us the same cactus musical sound trick that Willian did. 

The final stop of the day was Poço do Diabo, which was another short hike along the river to see two waterfalls with natural pools at their base. More of that classic Chapada Diamantina beauty. Overall it was a relaxing day and a good opportunity to see a variety of different attractions. 

Brazil Futbol Match

After the four P’s tour, we chilled at the hostel for a bit before heading into the center. It was a game day! Naty and I ate coxhina (chicken and cream cheese pastry) for dinner then went to a bar for caipirinhas. These were particularly strong and I already felt it after one. Then we went to the Mercado Central where they had a giant projector setup to display the game and a bunch of plastic chairs stacked for people to grab. Luckily we got there early enough to snag a seat. Gabriel and his friend were coming to meet us in a bit so we grabbed two extras for them. There was also a makeshift bar setup in the corner that was selling beers. Perfect! It was packed by the time the game started. Brazil dominated Haiti scoring all three of their goals in the first half. The place exploded every time Brazil scored. We didn’t go out afterwards because Naty and Gabriel had early tours the next morning and I had an early bus. It was sad to say our goodbyes that night as they had really become good friends these past four days. It was nice to have been adopted by the Brazilians and spent quality time with locals. Now I have to visit Espírito Santo next time I come to Brazil.