Paranaguá and Mata Atlântica

This week's adventure took us to Paranaguá.

Paranguá is the sea link for Curitiba and is one of the largest ports of Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is also Paraná's oldest city. 

We, however, did not go to see the port. 

Our purpose was to present another Couple's Fireside with President and Sister Oliveira.

You can see how anxious Dianne is - she's carrying her talk in her hand! I kept mine folded up in my purse. The big picture is of the stake leaders. The missionaries are Elders Garlick and Arscott (both from Utah). I actually know Elder Arscott's mom and it was fun to reconnect with her again this week. Such a small world in Mormonland!

These Brazilians are regular night owls, so after the fireside and socializing, we were invited over to the home of the family of Antonio Vicente Viana. There we had a wonderful fish dinner (even though by this time it was 11:00 pm).

The stake president is in the red tie - Cristiano Bukarewicz. 

Twenty kilometers inland finds you in the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica). Arriving at 1:00 am, we spent the night at the Mata Atlântica Park Hotel.

We spent Monday exploring the area. 

We hiked to a waterfall.

 Wayne found a pool of flies which kept him entertained for a long time.

The fauna is lush in the rain forest, to say the least. 

The flora is beautiful.

We took advantage of the hotel's horses.

...and checked out their farm.

We hiked all the way up to the old church on the hill.

...and visited the old micro brewery where the sugar cane from the farm was once made into beer.

We were fed very well!! And a lot of the food was grown right in the hotel's backyard.

After we did about all we could do there, we drove home by way of the beach in Matinhos.

There will be other days to visit the port of Paranaguá. 

And certainly other days to visit some more beaches.

Brazil has over 7,000 miles of coastline, ya know!