Adelaide's Travel Notes - Brazil

Brazil
Serra do Cipó

	Serra do Cipó, located 120 km from Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais, is part of Serra do Espinhaço. The pointing rocks, oblique to the soil, are quartzites, formed by the sandstone at the bottom of the sea.
I was there in September 1999, during a strong draught. We even saw fires destroying part of a farm. Despite the draught, there were many flowers, even on a cactus.
	The sempre-vivas (everlasting), until the National Park was created on 1984, were collected in the region in tons. There are more than 100 species of them.
	The canelas-de-ema (left) and the estrelinhas-brancas (below) are also common in this place, called "Brasil's garden" by the landscape architect Burle Marx. This region has almost 1600 catalogued plant species.

Plants developed means of retaining the little water at their disposal in this arid climate, obtaining it from the rain and from the mist that forms at such altitudes, ranging from 700 to 1300m.
	Travessão Canyon is inside the National Park and divides the basins of the rivers Doce and São Francisco. The view is gorgeous, with steep rock walls. The hike is not difficult, being more demanding only at the end, when we passed over rocks near a cliff. The effort was rewarded with a dive in a natural pool, for those who ventured in the cold water.
Juquinha, an old dweller of this region, used to collect and sell sempre-vivas. He is said to have been a flatterer. Homaged with a statue, he can admire the landscape where he lived.
The hike to the Tabuleiro is long, but is not difficult. At the end of the trail that passes by fields of flowers, we find lovely water cascades and natural pools. And to crown all that, the top view of the Ribeirão do Campo Waterfall, with around a 270m drop, the tallest in Minas Gerais and Brasil's third. This hike is outside the National Park, in an Environmental Preserve.

	The biggest obstacle to reach Congonhas Waterfall was my eternal lack of confidence of walking on rocks. Besides that, it was an easy hike. I was impressed by the rocks of the river, fancifully cut by nature in rhomboedrical shapes.

Our group, escorted by the friendly and helpful staff of Igarapé Ecoturismo.

Links (in Portuguese)
Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, by IBAMA
Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, by Estado de Minas
Serra do Cipó - a natureza em seu esplendor
Igarapé Ecoturismo