Winter Festival - Nova Friburgo, Brasil (Festival de Inverno 2008)

Every winter sometime in June / July / or August there is a winter festival in the State of Rio de Janeiro. There are normally concerts, street fairs, street dancing and eco-tourism activities scheduled in Petrópolis, Teresópolis, Nova Friburgo (including Lumiar). (Google Festival de Inverno 2008 for more information) On Sunday morning (August 3), I planned for one of the hikes scheduled by SESC Rio de Janeiro. Sunday dawn bright and clear. I wasn't sure about doing this walk, getting up at 6:00 on a Sunday, taking a hike with strangers (Portuguese speaking strangers at that) and I had no clue of where we were going but I went and I enjoyed.

15 or so of us met at the SESC office in Nova Friburgo, boarded the bus at 8 am and were taken for one hour towards Teresópolis.

This is one of the best choices I have made since living in this country. The hike, taking us through land of small farms, up dirt roads, across horse trails and up some pretty steep grades, took about 4 1/2 hours up to the base of the Three Peeks and 2 1/2 hours down back to the bus, made me once again appreciate the beauty of Brazil.