Greetings from Jalapão, Brazil
GREETINGS FROM ... are short field notes. Friends of OLLI send us their impressions from the road.
Jalapão State Park. This is an impressive nature reserve in the heart of the country. It is the largest protected area of the Cerrado in Brazil and has rivers, rock formations and various animal species such as jaguars, maned wolves and macaws.
Bom Dia from the other side of the world.
For a few months now, we - Andrea and Mike from 4-xtremes - have been traveling through Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world. In other words, it's 206 times the size of Switzerland! So planning a sensible route is not that easy.
At the moment, we are practically in the heart of the country. Only a few overlanders pass by here, but the "detour" is worth it!
Although the savannah looks rather dry at first glance, we bathe in paradisiacal waterfalls here, and the highlight is the Fervedouros. These true oases offer a unique experience. And the springs of crystal-clear water, fed by underground aquifers, are incredibly special.
💡 Did you know that the pressure of the water gushing out of the ground is so intense that it prevents you from sinking, creating the magical feeling of floating on the surface?
It is 400 km to drive around the entire park. But we only do about 200 km because we continue eastwards afterwards. The "road" is mainly a sandy track, which is easy to drive on thanks to the daily rain. However, locals tell us that it is very difficult to negotiate the route in the dry season because the sand is then extremely loose and deep. Good thing we're here during the rainy season!
We are also happy about the "cool" temperatures at this time of year. We reach around 35 °C every day, but in the dry season it is around 10 °C hotter. If you want to visit this wonderful park, we would recommend coming here between October and April. A 4x4 and air conditioning in the vehicle won't hurt - and don't forget your swimming trunks, as you can use them several times a day here.
Let's move on now, because our next highlight is only a mere 600 kilometers away. Até a próxima, amigos!
Andrea & Mike
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