It was October 12, feast day of Nossa Senhora de Aparecida, patron saint of Brazil. And so, in the biggest Catholic country in the world, it was a public holiday. And what was more, the weather was fabulously clear and sunny, even by the standards of the Marvelous City.
A day simply perfect for an excursion, for discovering new places, for adventuring. Gringo Boyfriend and I, always looking for new alternatives, looking to take full advantage of these absurdly beautiful days, got ready early, stuffed a change of clothes and our toothbrushes in a bag, and headed out for the bus station, in order to answer the question of the day: where to spend our holiday?
When you get to the Novo Rio bus station you are met with a vast number of windows offering travel to almost everywhere from Rio, within Brazil, and even outside, with destinations such as Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Asuncion, Santiago. As our time was limited (and our money too), we paired down our wish list to nearby spots, not more than 3 hours by highway, and that would not cost a fortune, either for the ticket, or for our expenses while away. That meant within the state of Rio, and in the mountains, since beach resorts were likely to be full given the weather. Anyway, as our friends know, we are usually likely to head for the hills no matter what.
Examining the various possibilities, we realized that an important factor was how long we would have to wait for the departure. I looked, looked, looked...and then bingo! I pointed to the list of destinations – let’s go to Penedo!
Gringo Boyfriend immediately agreed. Of course, as a Carioca, I had already heard people talk about Penedo, but that was all. I knew it was down there close to the São Paulo border and that it was cool in the winter. I had also heard something about chocolate factories (when I hear about chocolate, it sticks), but that was about it.
We made our way towards Penedo in a comfortable and spacious bus (those along this route are run by a company called Cidade do Aço, named for the steel mills of Volta Redonda, where it is based). Before arrival the bus stops in Resende, at the Shopping Graal, which is a glorified and well-traveled bus station. From there to Penedo is only another 15 minutes. It was in our final approach that I had my first surprise. A traveler (who did not look Brazilian at all), who was seated in front of us, having heard our English lesson (these take place in the most unusual places – in the subway, on the train, at Sugarloaf, in the shopping mall) turned to us and asked in a heavily-accented English, if the bus were really heading to Penedo. We said, yes, indeed it was, and learned that he was Finnish, had been to Rio several times, but had not yet been to visit the Finnish colony in Penedo. Finnish colony!? That was news to me.
And a European colony, belonging to a cold climate, is what you find when you get to Penedo. All the buildings look like chalets, made of wood, with an air of welcome, little shops with typical handicrafts, restaurants offering fresh-caught trout, and everywhere chocolate, lots of chocolate. All of this, along with a temperature....well, let’s admit that we enjoyed the not-so Nordic temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius. But, except for this little detail, we felt like we had been teleported somewhere far from Brazil.
The Finnish colony got its start in the area close to the beginning of the 20th century, founded by Finns who wanted a more natural and healthy way of life as vegetarians. Being a vegetarian in a country where winter reigns for a substantial part of the year, with low temperatures, was difficult, to say the least. And so they sought land in a country where they could establish themselves and make their dreams a reality. They came to the spot where Penedo is today, and their leader, divinely inspired, declared that this was the land destined for them. They had to struggle, for coffee cultivation had exhausted the land even before the cattle were set to graze. The soil was poor, the land almost completely devoid of trees, and the spot was isolated. They reforested and little by little began to welcome friends and visitors, and built up tourism in the region, now the main economic impetus for the region. Visitors can learn about the history of the town, the genealogy of the Finnish colonists, see typical Finnish clothing and handicrafts in the Finnish Museum, on the main street.
We began our reconnoitering by visiting a charming antique shop, Country Inn Antiguidades. There you will find works of art, antique furniture (I fell in love with a nineteenth-century wardrobe, with a large oval mirror on the door, with a very reasonable price of R$800), porcelain, silver, handicrafts from the region. Worth a visit. Just be prepared for prices that are not bargain-basement. Nor do they accept credit cards.
Walking on a little farther we arrived at the Casa do Chocolate. This is a place that could lead you straight to perdition if you (like most of us) fight a continuing battle with your scale. There you will find ice cream, fruits in compote, doce de leite, hard candy, cachaças, cheeses, and plenty of chocolate. But, if truth be told, even though we’re inveterate lovers of this sweet which provokes uncontrollable passions and compulsions, our stop there had another goal. We saw a sign for a nearby peak, the Pico do Penedinho, for which you need authorization to climb, as it is on private property. And the authorization was to be had in the Casa do Chocolate (diabolical plan to get you in close proximity to the chocolate…). In spite of the tropical heat, in spite of the fact that it was past 2 p.m., in spite of the warning from the Casa de Chocolate (that it might be a little hot for a climb…) we took our authorization and headed out.
If you are on foot (as we were), get ready for an uphill walk of almost two kilometers, which takes you to the entrance to the property, and the beginning of the trail. The climb is quick and not difficult – about 20-30 minutes, not very steep. Halfway up there is a spring with cool and drinkable water. Nice and refreshing, since the trail has very little shade.
Up on top there is an almost 360-degree view of Penedo. You can get a good sense of the size of the city, take in the hills, the little houses with their European style, the tree-lined streets. It seems like a toy city, the sort that we imagine we when are still children. And we feel like children when come upon Santa Claus’s house, back in the city once more. That’s right, Santa Claus lives in Penedo. Or at least it is his vacation hideaway in the tropics.
Another stop not to be missed is Cachaça com Arte, a new little shop that offers every sort of cachaça, and gives you the chance to do comparative taste-testing. A treat for eyes and palate, since the Art refers to the paintings, all on local motifs, painted by the owner of the establishment, Isaque.
Isaque and his wife Sandra (daughter of a former Broadway chorus girl who relocated to Rio, as we found out), recommended the Pousada Boa Vista, up a steep Hill from the main street. The pousada is decent, has a nice breakfast, the view really is fine, it has a pool (if you want a refreshing dip), and a corner room cost R$89 per day per couple, a good price in comparison with the going rates. If you are looking for something fancier, with 3 meals per day, and activities, there are plenty of options, running at around R$150 per day. It’s worth doing some research, and seeing if you can negotiate a better deal.
After a busy and active day, I was worn out, and dehydrated, so that I took to my bed at the pousada, rehydrating. Gringo Boyfriend, with his Herculean stamina, was still in fine shape, and needed a meal. Leaving me at the pousada (with my total approval), he went to a nearby restaurant. I was dying of envy when he told me that he had enjoyed “the best trout in his life” with maracujá sauce and potatoes. For dessert, petit gateau de chocolat. Prices? Very reasonable, around R$16 for the trout, and R$7 for the gateau. He returned from his meal with a beatific smile.
The next day brought something brand-new for Gringo Boyfriend. Having never been horseback riding in his life, he was enthused by the possibility of turning into a cowboy overnight. Penedo has a number of ranches which offer riding with guides. You can take a 90-minute ride through the countryside, in the fields, or through the forest, on a well-treated and gentle horse, with stops for photos and chat with the guide. We chose to ride in the open - easier for beginners. The views of the Serra da Mantiqueira (with peaks around 9,000 feet) are spectacular. The price is R$35 per person, and the ride was one of the high points of our trip. We quickly rode out beyond the last bits of civilization. In front of us were fields, hills, an incredibly blue sky, and endless mountains as a backdrop.
We made our way back, excited with our ride, and promising ourselves that we would go back for the two-day trip up into the mountains.
It was time to head home. But there would be quite a wait if we went direct from Penedo, so we caught a van back to the Shopping Graal, for R$1.60 each, and bought our tickets back to Rio, saving a few reais in comparison with the ticket from Penedo. As we still had to wait a half-hour, we tried the kilo restaurant at the station. The prices were reasonable, the food decent, and you can eat relatively quickly. My advice is to stay away from the sausages and salads made with mayonnaise. Simply a preventative measure, since you are about to take a three-hour ride in a bus with no air-conditioning, and with Senegalese heat outside. And you can never be too careful with cooked food which has been sitting out for awhile.
Deborah Freire’s blog (in Portuguese)
Brazil Bus Company Cidade de Aço
Penedo Links from Finland and beyond
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