06.57 It's fog here this morning and here I am, sitting on my bed. We are still in Joinville and in Brazil, a country where I start to feel more and more at home.

08.53 After we had breakfast in the kitchen, we were photographed together with Kely in front of the hostel´s world map. The woman who cleans here took the photo. We are apparently the first Swedes who are staying here. This is a good hostel well worth stopping at. What about the city of Joinville, then? It is a mixture of low old houses in stone and wood and high new houses made of concrete, steel and glass. Now we are at the bus station awaiting the next bus, a taxi took us here. We purchased the bus tickets on arrival here yesterday.

Morning fog in Joinville.

The first Swedish guests coming to Joinville Hostel.

09.23 Buses are coming and leaving here at the bus station but none of them is ours and here we are. We are not the only ones waiting here in the waiting room. Is the bus delayed due to the fog? It was the case for the plane last week.

09.39 The bus finally arrived. We are once again travelling with the bus company Catarinense, this time from Joinville and towards Blumenau. Here, as in the previous coaches, it is comfortable seats and good legroom.

10.34 The landscape is hilly. Trees are growing in the hills and mountains. In the flat areas, one can see rice paddies, orchards and white birds moving around. Recently we saw a small factory. I thought I saw the name Bergini on it. Nearby there was also a small football stadium. We´re traveling through towns and villages inhabited by Germans in the 1800´s and today’s final destination is the most German city of them all.

11.21 We just arrived in Blumenau. We got off at the bus station in the outskirts of the city. Everything went just fine on this trip like the ones before. Like before we have shown the sticker when our luggage was placed in the compartment. If you dont have any sticker there will be no luggage back. I think it is a convenient way. Something for Swedish companies to copy? Now we will find a taxi to take us to our hotel.

Hotel Hermann, Blumenau.

11.55 That was for sure some kind of ride. Stop sign and traffic lights didn’t stop our driver. He also tried to drive past a traffic jam but calmed down and came to his senses. He asked us in perfect German "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?", before we left the bus station. He seemed a little disappointed that we were not Germans but he took us to the Hotel Hermann (http://www.hotelhermann.com.br) where we now are sitting in the room number 7. The hotel is simple but centrally located and has a good price.

12.21 Here, we can’t just sit and watch. We are hungry and want to go out and see more of the city. The older gentleman at the front desk told us that Germany's World Cup match today would appear in Vila Germanica, a German cultural centre in the outskirts of town. We'll probably see the semi-final Germany-Spain in our room instead. We have TV! Vila Germanica also organizes an annual "Oktoberfest" German-style that attracts around one million visitors. (http://www.oktoberfestblumenau.com.br).

12.56 We wanted to take us a lunch at the food court in the shopping mall Neumarkt. Unfortunately, most of the city's young people thought the same thought before us, all tables were occupied and there was a murmur which has reached very high decibels. We left the mall with the eating undone and are having a rest bench along the main street Rua XV Novembre.

You can often see these bikes in Brazil. Radio advertisements are spread all over town from the loudspeakers.

Prefeitura Municipal de Blumenau, the city council has a house with a very German architecture.

13.06 We’ve taken a break in a beautiful place. We´re looking out towards the river Itajaí-Acu. Across the river is a mighty bridge. Recently we saw a guy on a bike. He had attached a radio and two large loudspeakers to his bike. Behind us is a large timber-framed building that serves as the city's municipal offices/town hall and at the river a young man is standing with a spinning rod. It's almost time to walk on.

13.19 We continued along the river and now we've stopped again. In the slope down towards the river there are three capybaras. These animals are the world's largest rodents and looks like a cross between pigs and hamsters. They look also to some extent like the beavers. They are so peaceful, just the opposite of the cars behind us. We are quite surprised to see wild animals in the central parts of the city.

Itajaí-Açu is the name of the river going through Blumenau.

Peter is writing a few words in this chapter.

Three capybaras grazing in Blumenau.

Capybara, the world´s largest rodent.

14.05 Seeing capybaras, or maybe something else made us hungry. We’ve just eaten from the lunch buffet at Tunga Choperia. There was a lot of food plus drink for 10 real (US$5). The language confusion was almost total, but the food was good. It is very German influenced in the city. Many Germans emigrated here in the 1800´s. It can be seen everywhere, on street names, house styles, etc.

15.01 We kept on walking and bought drinks and chocolate bars at the petrol station Herbie. Now it's half an hour to go until kickoff. It is time for the second semifinal, Germany vs Spain. At one of the places we stayed at on our trek was a bronze statue of the city founder, Dr. Hermann Otto Bruno Blumenau. It was erected in 1974. According to the factual text in German it was for the 150-year anniversary of the Germans' arrival. The English text claims it was for the 600-year anniversary. Who is right? Did it really arrive Germans to South America in 1374? One can also imagine that Dr Hermann Blumenau gave the name to the hotel we are at right now. We also went past the city´s beer museum but we never went inside.

Rua XV de Novembro, the main shopping street in Blumenau.

15.40 Not much happens in the game we are watching. However, it appeared that someone/some from the audience ran onto the pitch. The last time we saw these two countries play each other Spain won 1-0. Then it was the European final and we were in Malaysia. Is it time for a replay?

16.17 No goal before the half-time rest. The match is in Durban, a city which we visited last year. It is played in an arena we saw in the distance, including from the revolving restaurant there.

16.54 Spanish pressure, but all attempts, shots go off the goalkeeper's left post.

16.59 Spain scores the game´s first and I hope final goal. Carles Puyol heads in a corner.

17.21 It was a rerun. Spain won 1-0 and is in the final against Holland. When was the last time we had a World Cup final with two teams where none had won the World Cup before? Now we´re leaving the room to go out on the streets. I wonder if the German descendants are disappointed. Out there, we'll update us at an internet cafe too.

Christer in front of a Blumenau tourist map.

Dr Hermann Otto Bruno Blumenau, the founder of Blumenau city.

18.28 The mission is completed at the Go Cyber [email protected] Before we went out we met a German man at the hotel. He had visited the Amazon basin and thought we would go there too. He promised us that it was no mosquitoes there at all. Time to head out into the real world again! It's time to find a place that offers food. It's dinner time.

18.56 Now, we ordered the beer Eisenbahn that we were recommended yesterday. We’ve also ordered the "Carne de Sol". Today we’re having dinner at the restaurant Em Brasa Costelão. We sit at a table outdoors in semi-darkness.

19.57 After a lot of waiting a large portion of meat appeared. Didn’t we order two? The meat is really salt.

20.51 We’ve arrived back home again. The food was good, the portion size huge. Unfortunately, it consisted almost entirely of meat and it was salty, very salty! We were fortunate that we didn’t get one each like we first had expected. Before we returned, we’ve looked for a taxi stand. It is good to know for tomorrow. Blumenau is a nice city. Many of the streets and even shops are named after people from the family Hering. Who are they? What have they done? Soon another day has gone. I wonder how Mel and her 11 puppies are in Joinville?

22.10 It is almost time to cover the body with a blanket again. It feels good. It feels as if we have pest, bugs, vermin and misery in the room. No, now I most buzz. I might as well quit, Tomorrow is a new day with new...

Thursday 8th of July

06.35 We just heard a cough outside of the window. What drives us to be awake at that time? Well we are about to catch a bus.

07.41 Yet another "café da manha" (breakfast) is completed. We hear an infernal honking and whistling from outside. It seems to come from one same place. Could it be a school?

08.31 What did it help to find a taxi stand last evening if there are no taxis there now? We went further and found another taxi stand near last night´s dinner place. The birds are singing and we are now back at the bus station. Today's taxi driver took a different route there and the trip was also cheaper.

09.33 At the top left there is a large gray church with twin towers. It stands high on a green hill overlooking the town of Gaspar, a place that we will soon leave behind.

10.35 There are trees on either side of the winding road. It has just been a ticket control and the controller is to the left of me on the other side of the aisle. He has a trainee with him so everything goes clearly and slowly. Today's bus company is Reunidas (http://www.reunidas.com.br).

11.59 TIJUCAS was written with big white letters just as we rolled up on a highway. It is the name of the place we´re coming to now. So far on this trip we´ve made lots of stops in several small towns and villages. We’ve stopped in Brusque, Nova Trento and São João Batista. Nova Trento is a city founded by Italians. Now I hope there will be no more such stops before we come to Florianópolis.

Inside the large rodoviária (bus station) in Florianópolis.

12.47 So, now I sit in an orange chair again. We’ve arrived in Florianópolis, also known as "Floripa". We were greeted by an enthusiastic man who wanted to help us with accommodation, buses, information, and then some more. We got a map from him and he pointed to where we could buy bus tickets. Christer just left me for some ticket purchases. The tickets are for the trip the day after tomorrow. We are in the area of the city which is situated on the island of Santa Catarina.

13.48 We´ve been checked in at yet another accommodation, a hostel. This time we´re staying at Floripa Hostel Centro (http://www.floripahostel.com.br). We´re sleeping in room number two, a six-bed room. At the reception we got linen. It was very impressive that our names were on the room keys.

14.43 We are sitting out on a terrace outside the kitchen/dining room. Unfortunately, it has become cloudy. When we’ve written our postcards and finished what was left of our travel beverages, it´s time to see more of the city.

Our room at Floripa Hostel.

Christer is relaxing on the terrace at Floripa Hostel.

15.40 Our hostel is located in a part of the city with expensive apartments and high-rise buildings. The cars we see are of the newer finer type. There are no traces of poverty here. We‘ve walked, with the ocean to our left, past a few blocks. We’ve now made it to the mall Beiramar Shopping that we are about to take a look at.

17.00 The mall was like most malls, large, fresh, filled with people and filled with expensive boutiques. We walked along the beach towards the centre. During the walk I made a brief visit to Pizza Hut to find a toilet. Christer took pictures of a dead penguin on the beach while I was doing that. A little later we took pictures of the mighty suspension bridge Hercilio Luz and now we’ve temporarily returned home to the hostel. There was an unnecessarily long walk back and there was a small adventure to cross a busy highway which was between us and the rest of the city. Now it's time for some rest.

Beiramar Shopping Mall, Florianópolis.

A dead penguin found on the shore.

It´s getting cloudy and windy in Florianópolis.

Christer is walking towards the Hercílio Luz bridge.

19.30 A guy entered the room just before we went out again. He had no bedding and went quickly out of the room. We soon did the same and went to look for a place to eat. Many places were found but they were expensive. Florianópolis is a popular tourist destination and a place in Brazil where the rich beautiful people like to be. You can tell it from the prices. We finally agreed to return to the mall we saw earlier today. We posted the postcards in the mall. We couldn’t eat for a reasonable price. We started to head back and along the way we landed at Pizza Hut, the same where I was earlier today. It was expensive pizzas here so we chose a chicken dish and beer.

20.48 We're back home again. It is time for Christer to make his bed. He has no pillow to put in his pillowcase. He borrows one from another bed. The guy we saw earlier here in the room seems to have moved in. He has his things here.

22.15 We've been sitting in the living room reading in our books. Now we are back in room number two. It is a weird smell in here. Is it because of us, our packing or was it here before we came here?

Friday 9th of July

08.44 It is quiet in the dormitory, but not in the rest of the house. You can hear the creaking of objects being drawn and whistles from people. Presumably, the sounds come from the construction workers we saw yesterday.

9.42 The breakfast is finished. Today we were offered among others mandarins or was it clementines. They were good anyway, but full of pips. To get rid of the stale air in the room, we have opened a window and started the ceiling fan. Will it help? Well, we'll see.

10.25 So we are out on city streets. But right now we are in a park, Praça XV de Novembro (15 November-park). It is actually a small botanical garden with many different kinds of trees. It includes one which is over 100 years. Its branches spread out considerably and some of them are supported.

Christer walking along the pedestrian street Rua Felipe Schmidt.

A 100 year old fig tree at Praça XV de Novembro, Florianópolis.

Catedral de Florianópolis.

10.50 It's time for a new bench break. Why are we so tired on days when there is no direct pressure to do something or to do something at a certain time? Is it the body's way to relax when given the chance? We are thinking of when we shall have our lunch. Should it be eaten here in the centre or somewhere else later on?

11.47 We’ve unsuccessfully searched a bus to take us deeper into the Santa Catarina Island. Are we totally confused or is there something else that is wrong? The buses must of course exist, but where? The information in our guidebook does not seem to be right.

12.27 We had lunch in the city centre. We walked past a restaurant where a man came out and said that they had good food inside. After eating from the lunch buffet here at Tempero Manero, we are ready to once again try to find a bus. When we took the food we received a postcard-sized piece of plastic. It was thicker than a postcard. The plastic piece had a bar code and data showing what kind of food we took. For payment, we showed the card and paid at the exit.

Peter is leaving the lunch restaurant Tempero Manero.

12.59 We went back to the bus station Terminal Urbana. The bus will not go from here according to our guidebook. At the bus station we asked a security guard about the right bus. He knew it and it´s leaving here from Terminal Urbana. Now we are sitting on the bus to Lagoa da Conceição, the main town in the middle of Santa Catarina Island. After paying for the bus, we passed a turnstile.

13.49 We are now in Lagoa da Conceição, and the island's large lake. Here we are resting on a bench near the water. Down at a wooden jetty a lot of waterfowl are chattering. The only one who is quiet is a heron-like bird who just stands on the bridge. Imagine being able to relax and enjoy life as he/she does. Although we have been in the country for a week or so it still doesn´t feel like we are in Brazil, but how does it feel to be in Brazil?

A bird thinking about life at the jetty in Lagoa da Conceição.

Lagoa da Conceição, the large lake on the island of Santa Catarina.

Lagoa da Conceição, a town with the same name as the lake it´s located at.

14.46 It's a lazy day today. We consume some soft drinks from a well-known American company. Now and then we look out over the lake and see seagulls flying just above the surface. This is harmonious, balm for the soul.

14.56 We're back at the bus station here in Lagoa da Conceição and are ready to go on. Still, we will not head home. Public transport here is functioning smoothly. You pay in a booth when you walk into the bus station and then you can use the buses as much as you want until you are discharged from the last bus station. If you step on the bus along the road, you pay on board and pass a turnstile inside the bus.

15.17 We had to wait a while but now we have a new coach, a new journey to a new location. Barra da Lagoa is the next destination. I wonder when the bus will leave. A little further down the bus there is a guy with a surfboard.

The blue bus does not travel further than this.

Quiet and idyllic at the canal going through Barra da Lagoa.

The beach in Barra da Lagoa.

15.55 The sea roars and smells of fish. We hear a dog barking and are sitting on a stone bench on the pier in Barra da Lagoa. On the way here we passed various beaches where the surfers hung out even though it is low season. Here in Barra da Lagoa are various birds, a white which just stands on a stone, a black that plunges dives into the sea and one that looks like a penguin. We have made it to Santa Catarina Island's east coast and the Atlantic is in front of us.

16.12 Barra da Lagoa is a nice tourist attraction, but unfortunately the weather is not ideal, dark clouds approaching. It would not be a good idea to stay here. I guess we should probably look for a suitable bus back to Florianópolis soon.

The sky looks dangerous.

Today we saw living penguins, much nicer!

16.22 It's time to say goodbye to the birds. By the way it was a penguin we saw, more than one actually, easy to see difficult to photograph. They are really quick and travel long distances in the water in no time. Before we got on the yellow bus that goes directly to Florianópolis a dog came and greeted us happily. We were both investigated and licked on. The other passengers were of little interest to the dog. The dogs of the world continue to like us.

17.58 We jumped off the bus down in the city centre. We slowly walked back home, looking for a place for the dinner meal. I do not know if we are that much wiser. However, I know that it is a bicycle with the Chile flag in the room. It probably belongs to our roommate. Has he biked here all the way from Chile or?

18.25 How wrong things can go. We had intended to surf the internet in the lobby before dinner. We had even bought computer time at the reception. It only went fine for Christer. The screen I had sat down at had a keyboard and a mouse pad next to it. No mouse and also no computer though. Christer is checking the internet and I´m sitting in the living room.

Chris sits on the Juca Pato Pizzaria waiting for the pizza to arrive.

18.51 Today we are having Pizza Gigante. Not just the pizza, but prices too were gigantic. More than 30 real (15 US dollars) for the pizza which was covered with ruccola salad and consisted of 10 slices. We are at the Juca Pato Pizzaria (http://www.jucapato.com.br). Our beer is in a plastic shell, a kind of comprehensive ice bucket. The service is good, too good. You feel watched and we can barely touch the pizza or the beer itself. The staff give us new pizza slices and pour the beer in the glasses.

20.56 There was a huge pizza and a good big beer. It costs yes, but of course you need food. In retrospect, the pizza was not so expensive given the size and quality. Now it will be easy street the rest of the evening.

22.00 After we had read in our books for a while, we left the living room. When we went out of there some Brazilian guys arrived with a bottle of vodka and soft drinks. I can not say that I felt tempted to ask for a drink. Am I getting old or is it just wisdom?

Our chilean roommate´s vehicle.

Saturday 10th of July

06.53 It's weekend, but no sleeping in today. It's time to be up early. Today's mission is to travel by bus. The bus tour will last for seven hours and will go almost straight to the south.

07.36 Things have happened tonight, things I didn’t know about. Three men, those with the vodka bottle, wanted to get into our room. They knocked sharply and firmly on the door. Then they came in and turned on the light. They wanted to talk to the Chile guy, the guy with the bike. The bike was wheeled out of the room and photographed. Then they returned it. This was watched by Christer. Me on the other hand was asleep and missed/didn’t have to see it.

07.59 We’ve walked to the bus station, walked and didn´t use a taxi. Now I sit near where I sat last time we were here. Christer has left to find a place to have breakfast at and to check what it costs. The accommodation´s breakfast starts right now. We wanted to be here in time and had to leave without it.

08.25 There was not much breakfast here. They offered small fried bread, juice, yogurt and a small coffee. No hearty sandwiches, but like I said coffee! I have taken a cup. All around here a small boy is running. He is a couple of years old. The boy plays with his dad and sometimes wonders where his mother is. He has tried with one lady but she doesn’t seem to his mother.

08.44 The little boy finally found his mother. We decided to move ourselves to our bus company's waiting room. Tickets and passports were shown. Our backpacks were received and placed on a cart. Now we sit here and wait.

Waiting

Santo Anjo are responsible for today's transport.

09.20 Our bus from Santo Anjo (http://www.santoanjo.com.br) travels through the outskirts of the continental part of Florianópolis. A movie has started on the TV. Well, it has been mostly trailers. A button needs to be pressed to get it going. Now something happens. There seems to be a movie with Eddie Murphy, The Haunted Mansion.

11.17 I did not see the movie. It's hard to keep up with the dubbed version. Some are sleeping in the bus, others talking quietly. A man coughs and the bus with us all on board rolls further south.

12.41 The bus stopped and we stepped out. It's lunch break time, a chance to stretch your legs, buy something or why not enjoy a meal. We won’t eat any food but bought a few things to chew on. The place we stayed at is called Japonês and the town in question is Sombrio. When buying things here, we were once again handled a plastic card of the same model and function as the one yesterday.

A long but comfortable bus journey this Saturday.

Somewhere south of Sombrio.

14.05 The bus drives on and I move between being awake and sleeping.

15.52 The bronze medal game from the World Cup between Germany and Uruguay has been going on for the last fifteen minutes. I do not know the score. We still have around 15 minutes left to go. I just drank some coffee. The landscape is flat and a kid behind me is talking.

16.51 We have reached the city Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil. The bus did not arrive on schedule and only towards the end we got our belongings back. We walked a bit wrong to start with but then found that the hotel is within walking distance from the bus station. Just during check-in at Hotel Erechim (http://www.hotelerechim.com.br) Germany equalized. The score is 2-2. Otherwise everything is good here in Room 208 but the view through the window could have been better.

17.09 Germany just scored again and took the lead with 3-2. This time we saw it on our TV.

17.22 On a free kick in the final stages of the game Diego Forlan hit the crossbar and the bronze medals will go to Germany.

18.26 We went out on a little walk and checked into two mini-malls before we slipped into a restaurant for dinner. It is located next door to our hotel and is called Churrascaria Continental.

Christer is enjoying a brazilian dinner at Churrascaria Continental.

19.23 We had a cool waiter with a big moustache who offered us his service and plenty of good food. Here as well as in São Paulo the waiter brought us skewer after skewer with grilled meat and sausages. If a restaurant calls itself churrascaria, they have always "churrasco", grilled meat.

20.48 We are taking it easy in our room. We are now looking around on different TV channels. Right now, we´re watching clips from the World Cup. Tomorrow it's time for the final of the tournament. Then we will get a new country as world champions!