Day 189 - São Paulo

Around mid-day, we said goodbye to Hans and Rio de Janeiro. This city and our experiences there are unforgettable.

We drove south on Highway #116 for five hours straight and spent the night at a rest area just before São Paulo.

Stats: Miles 350, Expenses 16.10

November 8th
Everyone advised us not to drive into São Paulo because of the enormous traffic and smog.

Therefore, we parked in a suburb and took a taxi to the Swiss Consulate, where a bunch of mail was waiting to be picked up. Among them was a bundle forwarded from Guatemala City that we apparently missed. What great service! Many thanks to our good friend Elisabeth at the Consulate in New York, who managed the deliveries according to our travel schedule!

We went to a nearby restaurant, sipped on a Coca Cola and "savored" our mail. What a surprise, Robert & Annelise, whom we met at the Grand Canyons, married and live in Wettingen, Switzerland. Ursula's friend, Arianne, wrote us a letter from Australia with an attached picture of their new LandRover. Our friend Bernhard sent us a replacement American Express card. There was also a birthday card from my sister Hedi and my Mom. My dad wrote a letter updating us on the construction of his Chalet in the Simmental, and my sister Elisabeth sent us pictures of her holidays in the Engadin Mountains.

By mid-afternoon, we were back at the camper and easily navigated our way to the Swiss Sports Club. The manager welcomed us and permitted us to park inside the gates. We used all the facilities (including a nice swimming pool). We began to write and answer the mail that same evening. It was a bit cooler in São Paulo and felt more comfortable than in Rio.

Stats: Miles 9, Expenses $21.50Read more