Chapada dos Guimarães:Heaven near Cuiabá

On Sunday, August 27, my friend Jota took me to the town of Chapada dos Guimarães, which is very close to the national park of the same name. On the way, we had a wonderful view of the “cerrado,” which is the main biome of midwest Brazil—its rich vegetation only surpassed in variety by the Amazonian regions. Chapada (similar to a “mesa,” or tableland) dos Guimarães National Park is set in the middle of this vegetation: the wind-carved sandstone “table” partially resembles the lands of Utah and Arizona in the United States, only it’s covered in green. Dramatic views are seen from “Morro de Vento,” “Hill of the Wind,” on a private property. On the geodesic center of South America, I show the view via a video of a paraglider, seen in the photo section.

I stayed in the sweet Posada São José, run by an equally sweet family from São Paulo. Five hundred feet higher than Cuiabá, Chapada is cooler, the air is clean, and there is little reflected heat from asphalt and buildings because there is little of each! Although the population is officially 17,000 inhabitants, it is definitely small, friendly, and hospitable. For two days, I explored the town on foot. I met a journalist who is taking time off to run a Snow White-themed shop called “Chocolate Vila,” while she also ghost-writes a memoir for a town citizen. At the local English school for adults, “Wizard,” I took a lesson to improve my Portuguese pronunciation. I befriended a lovely criollo horse, and a couple of the town policemen. And on August 29, my friend James from London arrived to tour the park with me. For that, please wait for the next entry.

To see the photos, please click on the first one, and the rest will appear in order.Read more