Curitibanos owe much of the recent developments to Jaime Lerner, the enthusiastic, former mayor of the city who now works full time as governor of the state of Paraná.
Located in the south of Brazil, Paraná is sandwiched between the states of Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina. It is a landmark destination in the country: not only is it home to the mighty Iguacu falls, but is also offers colonial towns, beaches, islands and natural reserves.
I left Sao Paulo on Wednesday, April 11. I took a 9 hr bus ride to Curitiba. Upon arriving in this city, the first thing you notice is the Eastern European descent of most of the population. Paraná has a sizeable Polish, Ukranian and Russian community (A taxi driver of Polish descent even joked about the sembradores de batatas, or potato farmers). In Curitiba, there is more than an Eastern motive in the names of streets, plazas, bus stations and parks, and this is common across the state. In the town of Ponta Grossa I heard of a place called 'Nova Rossia', and many blonde-haired, blue-eyed women were clearly of Polish-Russian origin. Curiously enough, the map of the state of Paraná has a striking ressemblance to that of Poland!
I didn't get to see much of Curitiba. Late at night I frequented the Rua 24 Horas, a downtown pavilion which features cafés, a hair saloon and Internet access services uninterruptedly. I enjoyed the pedestrian-commercial area and the Largo de Ordem, the university district which keeps students busy at night with bars, some of which play live music. But mostly I used Curitiba as a hub for day trips around Paraná. Colonial towns and beaches are within hours of the city, and they are worth enough to see.
On Thursday, April 12, I embarked on the Curitiba-Paranaguá train. This is mostly a scenic, touristy ride that crosses an araucaria forest, and offers marvelous sights of mountains, waterfalls and rivers. It is a three hour ride, although they are doing some works at the Paranaguá station and for the time being the train reaches only the town of Morretes.
Morretes itself is fascinating. It is a small town dominated by the river Nhundiaquara and the araucaria forest. If you take an early train, you'll arrive in Morretes just in time for lunch, so go and try the traditional barreado dish.
Morretes is very close to Antonina, another colonial town, although more charming since it has a bayside and a very relaxed attitude which is seen in the many cafés and public venues where the locals sit to have a beer. Here in Antonina you'll be delighted with old but colorful Portuguese houses and churches.
I spent most Friday travelling to Ilha do Mel, a tiny island in the Bay of Paranaguá. I made it there at about 5.00 in the evening, after making the 3 hour bus ride from Curitiba, and thence the hour and a half boat ride to the island.
I spent a couple of hours in Paranaguá, waiting for my 4.00 p.m. boat to depart. Paranaguá is a small town and fishing town, and there's actually nothing much to do, except for a museum and an interesting walk around the Ilha dos Valadares. In the museum you can learn about the centuries old process by which farofel is produced. Farofel (mandioc fluor) is widely eaten for lunch, along with rice and beans. There's some other interesting things you can see in the museum, like Brazilian fishing techniques, Pre-Columbian burying ceremonies, and also a representation on the making of cachaca, a sugar cane rum which has gained worldwide popularity because of the caipirihna, Brazil's national drink.
Year after year, Paraná's Ilha do Mel is becoming a popular holiday destination. I made it to the island right in the middle of Holy Week, when almost all available accommodation was already booked. Fortunately, you can rent a room from the locals. If you're going to Ilha do Mel, planning is essential. Departing boat services are regular, but not plentiful, and you could easily get stock in the island, which has very poor communication systems (Besides, there is no public lighting, so bring your own battery lamp or you will get lost at night). However, if relaxing is your business, you'll find surfing, nice beaches and some interesting sights like an old Portuguese fortress and a lighthouse from which you can see the romantic Ilha do Mel sunsets.
