Salvador de Bahia to Rio de Janeirio

noreply@blogger.com (nicolas) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:25:00 +0000

November 2
Departing from Los Angeles, short stop in Houston and Brazil direction

November 3
After 18 hours of flight I arrive in Salvador, it's dark I take a taxi to go to the Pousada Estrela Mar. The Taxi drive as if he had led the race cars on the roads under construction, everything is allright. I join my brother at the hotel. We go to eat at a restaurant overlooking the sea. I eat my first moqueca is a dish of cook shrimp in a curry coconut milk serve with rice, very good.

www.estreladomarsalvador.com

November 4
Salvador, 25km
We go to visit El Salvador by bike, it doesn't take much time to understand that cars have priority on bicycles. By law it's not the case but in practice it is. It doesn't seem a problem to drive on the highway and rolling against the direction in a one way. But not to ride in the park, we are warn several times .... We visit the old city, very pretty. And we continue to ride to Fort Mont Serrat, beautiful view of Salvador.

Old city of Salvador

November 5
Salvador, 50km
Salvadore second day, we go to explore the East Coast, a bike path is under construction. The path follows the beaches, very interesting. The moments which the bike path is not completed we end up in the direction against the traffic, a little bit crazy. We bike to the beach Itapua. Enjoye a grilled fish with rice, beans, tomatoes and flour on a magnificent beach, a dip in the water and we come back.

Beach Salvador

November 6
Salavador to Valencia, 108 km
Hotel to the port 10 km
Depacho to Valencia 98 km

We leave early to take the ferry. It take us a while to go through the city in a pretty crazy traffic. The ferry is 10R or 15R for 2 and bicycles. Finally on the other side, a small country road with not much traffic, it's magic. After we leave the island of Vera Cruz until Nazare the road is hilly and not very good. Nazare lunch break, very nice small town that we don't take the time to visit, but seame very interesting. The remainder of the road to Valencia was perfect, a new road and few cars. With many littles hills. A beautiful scenery. In Valencia we arrive just after the sunset. We stay at the Hotel Onda Azul recommended by Lonely Planet, 80R and nothing particularly nice, very simple and no breakfast.

Alexis on the road

November 7
Valenca to Itubera, 43 km
Beautiful day. Road beautiful little traffic and not much hills. We start late and stop early. We sleep at the hotel Portal Das Aguas in the central square, 45 R. Nice little village, with a lake near the center.

A bike shop at Itubera

November 8
Itubera to Barra Grande
Itubera to Camamu, 27 km

Beautiful road, we arrive at Camamu lots of action, people at the port convinces us to take the boat to Barra Grande and going to Ilheus by bicycle. After an hour of boat we arrive at Barra Grande Village is like a paradise ready to receive tourists without having a real road, the sand roads are impassable in bike. So we decide to stay for the night. The beaches are beautiful, some small restaurants with view on the sea, we sleep at the pousada Fruta Pao, we are in a mini 2-story chalet with kitchen, very nice. Karina and Marcel owner are really friendly. We taste the cocoa fruit, it taste sour and sweet, like a sour candy, it's delicious. There are no ATM at Barra Grande, but many place take cards, they share few machines on the villages, which can take time to use sometimes.

www.pousadafrutapao.com

Barra Grande Beach

November 9
Barra Grande to Itacare, 50km

We take the first boat in the morning at 10 pm and we leave towards Camamu. It is Sunday and the city seems dead compared to the previous day, all shops are closed and it's hot. We have some really big hills for the first 30 km but with a superb road without traffic. Thereafter, the road ends because it is not finished being built and a bridge is planned. So we must take the old road in very poor condition. We miss the direction to Ilheus because we don't believe this is a real road, no direction is indicate. We continue 5km finally and ask direction to a man who comes to meet us on a bicycle. We follow him, he goes to Ilheus work for the week. We take the road that is not a road, sandy path, we must push our bike every 30 meters, catch up in the sand. Without this man we would never continue on this road. He showed us a tasty and juicy fruit, cashew. At the end of the path we take a boat so we can arrive at Itacare. We sleep in a hostel Alberque O Pharol filled with young people from all over the world.

www.albergueopharol.com.br

New road without traffic

November 10
Itacare to Ilheus, 70 km
Itacare is a beautiful tourist village with beautiful beaches, a good place to surf. The first 30 kilometers was a lot of hills. We meet a Brazilian who was traveling alone by bike from Sao Paolo to Recife. After the hills, there is a spectacular view on a beautiful beach, Itacarezinho beach. Perfect for surfing and deserte. The entrance was difficult without passing by any hotel. Therefore we cross a hotel. All the hotels were closed, I suppose .... low season. The rest of the trip is going well and we do a good speed. Until my brother hit a hole and get flats on both wheels. We arrive Ilheus at night. We sleep at the Hotel Vista del Mar, 60 R, beautiful view of the ocean, but not very clean.

Playa Itacarezinho

November 11
Ilheus to Una, 60 km
We do the tour of the city to find spare tubes. It does not seem to have the tube with presta valve that is more than 22. We found 2 tubes of 27 "x 22 throughout the city. Finally we leave in the middle of the afternoon. The road is very good with the wind in the back, it's flat for the first 40 kilometers, the last 20 with good hills. Fantastic view, we arrive in Una at night. Small village in the mountains, not very pretty but sympathic. We have the practice of the fanfare of the village for our dinner. The pousada for R 40, good and clean, but we must close the windows if we don't want to be bite by mosquitoes all night.

Vessel at Ilheus

November 12
Una to Canavieiras, 52km
Canavieiras to Belmonte by boat

Beginning of the road with hills then flat. In the morning the road was still wet from rain of the night. We arrive at Canaviais around noon. After finding the port we took a small boat with the bikes and we cross the river that separates into many smaller canals, impressive we pass through the forest and small islands. A good trip for 60R for 2 with 2 bikes. The crossing was worth the price. Belmonte a small beautiful town, roads deserte, almost everybody biking. A city that came from a movie, people seem happy and live simply. We find the Pousada Rio facing the dock. Very nice hotel with magnificent view over the river and a sunset extraordinary. Swimming pool and lots of flowers, very clean rooms, 60R per night for 2. We find a restaurant with no client, we ordered pizza without following the recommendation of our guests, they suggest the traditional meal of Brazil, rice, black beans, fish and tomatoes as a salad. We're a little bored after eating that the last dozen days. After half an hour of waiting with beer we got a pizza delivere in a cardboard box. The pizza is very good. They doesn't seemed to be discomfort to serve pizza from another location in their restaurant. Thereafter, we go to see a show of traditional dance in a public place, fire dancers, capoeira and other traditional dances. All the inhabitants of the city seam to be there, many young people. Very interesting.

Bike on the boat

November 13
Pause at Belmonte
We decide to take a rest day in this beautiful city relaxing. We walk around the city with no traffic, one of the few car is a electric police car. Only decent police vehicle that we saw throughout the trip. Deserte beach with a ocean with strong wave. We take a break at the beach and many small white crabs are going out of holes in the sand, we take the time to admire them.

View facing the Belmonte hotel

November 14
Belmonte to Arraial D'Ajuda, 80km
Flat road with wind in the back. Once again, the problem of tire with the bike of my brother. Beautifull road without traffic than a small ferry to get to Santa Cruz Cabrália, 3.20 R for 2 people and bicycles. Thereafter the road is very bad with a lot of traffic. But we are coasting paradise beach with club with dance music. We eat in Porto Seguro and we take another ferry, 5R, to get to Arraial D'Ajuda. It's a tourist village with many restaurants reasonable to expensive. Very nice, smalls streets to walk. View on the ocean at the Pousada Tubarão, very nice for 50 R. We have a house in the a large yard fill with trees and flowers and a swimming pool. The owner is very friendly

www.tubarao.arraialdajuda.com

Church of Arraial D'Ajuda

November 15
Day relax at Arraial D'Ajuda
Forced to take a day off because there is no seat available to take the bus to go to Vitoria before Sunday morning. We take advantage of the beach which is very pretty. And we leave at the end of the day to take a hotel in Porto Seguro to be closer to the terminal the next morning. The bus leaves at 6:30 am. We go at the hotel Praia da Porto Seguro fo 50R very good, very friendly owners once again. We walk the streets of Porto Seguro fill with souvenir sellers.

www.hoteldapraiabahia.com.br

Hotel at Arraial D'Ajuda

November 16
Porto Seguro to Vitoria
10 hours of Bus

We take the bus in the morning in the direction of Porto Seguro 110R per person with the bike for a trip of about 10 hours. The bus is comfortable. The view is interesting despite the rain, happy not to bike in the rain. We stop in every small village along the highway. We leave the state of Bahia and enter the state of Esperito Santo. Finally we arrive in Vitoria. We find a hotel after we had bike around in the city. For 75 R pousada Majestic, a hotel ok nothing extraordinary.

www.portaldehospedagem.com.br

Landscape in bus between Porto Seguro and Vitoria

November 17
Vitoria to Iriri, 97 km
Out of the town we have a problem of tube with the bike my brother, so we stop at a bike shop very simple, they repair the tube for free to sympathize with our adventure. We finally manage to get out of the city of Vitoria in 2 hours, we ask several people. We take some wrong ways because the names of roads are not indicate. We ride on the highway without problem because of the little traffic and a good shoulder. At Anchieta the road become very bad lot of traffic and rain. We stop at Iriri, very pretty village. We can not fully appreciate because it is still raining. Hotel Maringa 60R simple and clean.

www.balneariodeiriri.com.br

Vitoria

November 18
Iriri to Sao Francisco, 95 km
Wonderful way until the cross road to go to President Kenedy. Breathtaking scenery, pineapple field, field with cow, cliff beside the sea, small village. Thereafter we are on a dirt road in very poor condition for some 10 km to change state for the state of Rio. We ride until the night fall on small roads alsphalt to Sao Francisco. We find a pousada for 30R, which isn't very attractive. But we don't have more energy to look further. Very dirty toilet and small bedroom with two small beds not very clean, view on a busy street. The owners are nice at least.

Road wiht no traffic

November 19
Sao Francisco to Campos Dos Goytacazes, 51 km
Rainy and windy day with hills, we Are not going fast and we are not very motivate. When we leave Sao Francisco, we do an error of direction that extend us of 15 kilometers . After we join the Highway 101. There is a good shoulder, but a lot of traffic. In Campos wefind a place to wash our clothes. We sleep in a hotel a little more comfortable and much better breakfast. We are close to a Brazilian University. In the evening we go for a beer in a small bistro where students watch the football, good time.

November 20
Campos Dos Goytacazes to Barra do Furrado, 50km
After we get our clean cloth. We leave the city by a bike path built on an old tram rails in the middle of a boulevard. Thereafter, we ride 5 to 10km on a very bad road with a lot of traffic. Until we take the direction to Barra de Furrado. The road become a beautiful small country road with no traffic. We have the wind in the face, but it is so beautiful that it doesn't really bother us. Furado Barra is a small fishing village very pretty. We sleep at the pousada do Pezao,45R, clean, simple and view on the ocean.

pousadadopezao.com

Landscape near Barra do Furrado

November 21
Barra do Furrado to Rio dos Ostray, 110 km
We start the day with a very nice wind in the back, nice road with little traffic. After Quissama, was a little bit hilly. The weather is cloudy we stop few times because of the rains. We were thinking to stop at Macae, but the city doesn't seem very welcoming as the oil capital of Brazil. We continue our journey in the rain with a very bad road and a lot of traffic. We stop at the center of Rio das Ostras to find a hotel with sea view for 120 R. It's a touristic place, not bad.

Brother and bicycles

November 22
Rio dos Ostray to Rosa, 30 km
There's a very bad road, with a rainy weather. We start late from Rio Das Ostras. We stop several times because of the rain. We take a hotel on the edge of the road to Rosa. Because the rain is too strong and we are tire to bike under the rain. 80R for the hotel not very clean with an owner who speak French from Switzerland. We can talk with him. It allow us to share a little more than basic conversation in Portuguese.

A child likes my helmet

November 23
Rosa to Cabo Frio, 30km
We passe by Arracoa dos Buzios, which is the tourist-rich area of Brazil. Nice little town with hotels and chic restaurants. We don't enjoy the beach once again because it's cloudy. We continue in the direction of Cabo Frio. Nice road without traffic. We are force to stop in a small bar and take a break in Cabo Frio because of a thunderstorm. After a few beers we think the rain would stop and we trie to continue. The rain start more when we passe the beach Foguete, superb beach with white sand. We stop at the pousada Laguna. For 75 R nice clean and comfortable facing the beach.

www.pousadalaguna.com

Buzios beach

November 24

Cabo Frio to Saquarema, 62km
Saquarema direction, we follow the coast, no traffic and flat until Araruama. We have the wind in the back and we are going very fast, we cross rice field and small villages. The rest of the way on the road RJ-106 is less interesting, with the rain and traffic. We arrive in Saquarema under the rain, a small beautiful city, capital of surfing. We sleep at the Pousada Canto da Vila view on the ocean, 100R. Near the historic church of the city. Despite the gloomy temperature. It's a welcoming city.

www.pousadacantodavila.com.br

Beach in Cabo Frio under the rain

November 25
Pause at Saquarema
We take a day off at Saquarema before traveling to Rio de Janeiro. It's time to clean up a little bit. A stop at the barbershop. The barberman is nice old man that we met again when we visit the church where he's working too. We find a good restaurant for dinner with view on the beach, good sea food.

Landscape of Saquarema

November 26
Saquarema to Rio de Janeiro, 100km
Last day before our goal. There's a little rain to start the day. The road follows the sea and then return to the land. We cross a mountain pass without much difficulty the road is nice but with a bit more of traffic and little shoulder. We reach the highway, there is a good shoulder and the more we approach Rio more the traffic is intense. And the urban landscape is not very interesting, rather poor. We reach Nitroi to take the ferry because the bridge that leads to Rio, is prohibit access to the bicycle. For 28R with the bike we cross to Rio. We take the bike path that follows the coast to go to the Leblon area. This is a nice part of the city, with coffee and bar. We sleep with a member of WarmShower, who welcome us kindly. He remains in an apartment at one block from the beautiful beach of Leblon. We go out for a drink with friends of Rodrigo our guest to celebrate the end of our journey.

Landscape near Rio de Janerio

November 27
The temperature still grey, we wash our cloth, and walk in Leblon and Ipanema area. We hang out at the beach and we go to see Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. In the evening we visit Copacabana, this is a area more touristic, a little more diverse. We go to buy some souvenirs.

Leblon and Ipanema beaches

November 28
We find 2 boxes to pack our bikes. By visiting some bike shops we finally find. Then we take the bus towards the Cristo. There we take a car with a guide which bring us up the mountain for 40R per person. By the time we go up the sky is coverin. On the top we are in the clouds with the rain. We can not see the feet of Cristo the clouds are so thick. Disappoint we go visit the city center, there are many people. The architecture is interesting. We are recommende not to show our camera by a woman who tell us where it is a bit safer to visit. We have no problem. In the evening we are going out at few bars with Rodrigo, which we discover the food and drink of the area. We join his friends in a bar late in the evening. It's the birthday of my brother, they offer him a small cake. All the people in the bar are singing Happy Birthday. We have fun and good conversations.

The Cristo in the clouds

November 29
Rio de Janerio, 15 km
Last day in Brazil. We do a bike tour with Rodrigo along the beach until Copacobana. We discover the city a little more. I Appreciate having a guide. We do around 15 kilometers relax. At the end of the day we take a taxi to the airport that cost us 50 R.

We finally bike around 1 200km, we had planed to do more. But for a first trip of its kind. I think we should take the time to appreciate the places where we go. Brazil is a wonderful place to travel by bike. The roads outside the city are wonderful and the people too. But in the cities the roads are and the cars are kings. The parts of Brazil we did was easy to travel. I suggest strongly.

For more photos
http://nicolascv.com/photo/

Path from Salvador de Bahia to Rio de Janeirio

Legende
red = bike
blue = boat
green = bus

Travel by bicycle in Brazil

Salvador de Bahia to Rio de Janeirio