The next day, Adilio and Igor went back back to retrieve the ropes (I was not arguing too hard with that choice – I know, weak sauce) while we and Didi explored the town and scored some (about 12 liters) bootlegged cachaca from a local farmer. I gotta say here how extremely friendly and safe (and clean!) those little towns and villages in Brazil were. Toddlers playing by themselves in the streets and locals going above and beyond to help out visitors. While looking for a place to eat some lunch, we flagged down a local on a motorcycle to ask what might be open on a Sunday. He did not know but started calling around. Finally, he found a place that was closed but was able to convince the proprietor to open up just for us and cook up some amazing local fare. In addition to being fed, we walked away with a bag of some fruits from a tree growing in her yard. Amazing place!
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Safety first!
We bid farewell to Eddie the night before and got up well pre-dawn to start our 13 hour drive northeast towards the final destination of the trip: Itatim in the state of Bahia. The first third of the drive went smoothly but somewhere after crossing into Bahia we hit what I can only call a traffic jam from hell. Drive 200 yards, stop for 20 minutes. Rinse and repeat ad nauseam. Igor did a nice job passing the endless line of tractor trailers in the left lane but even with that the drive too us nearly 20 hours. We arrived at the climbers “camp” in Itatim well after midnight.
Photos
Back in our dormitory at Eddie’s climbers’ refuge the following morning (May 2026).Eddie’s place (May 2026).The pools were too stagnant to be inviting in this dry season (May 2026).Pedra Riscada from Eddie’s (May 2026).Another view of Eddie’s climbers’ refuge. A unique place for sure (May 2026).Shirley at Eddie’s (May 2026).One more of Eddie’s place (May 2026).A small country church somewhere near to Eddie’s place (May 2026).A closer look (May 2026).Pedra Riscada (May 2026).Pedra Riscada (May 2026).An owl somewhere by Pedra Riscada (May 2026).Same gal (May 2026).While Igor and Adilio went back to retrieve the ropes from the lower pitches of the route, Didi and we headed into town. This is Sao Jose do Divino (May 2026).Looking for a place to eat (May 2026).Sao Jose do Divino (May 2026).Finally, with the help of some friendly locals, found a place that was closed but the proprietor was nice enough to open up just for the three of us (May 2026).After that we went looking for a rumored local cachacaria. Ultimately found the Zakarias Farm (May 2026).At Zakarias’ farm (May 2026).Zakarias Farm (May 2026).Three generations of the family (May 2026).Mr. Zakarias then took us to see his cachaca distillery (May 2026).Barrels used for cachaca aging and vats containing the straight stuff (May 2026).Fill ’em up Senhor Zakarias!Tasting the clear stuff (May 2026).And sampling the barrel aged stuff (May 2026).The tasting session did not involve any of the limp-wristed sniffing and spitting (May 2026).In addition to the 4x 2L repurposed bottles of Coca Cola, we also bought a few proper bottles of the oak aged stuff (May 2026).Caracara, a local bird of prey (May 2026).Caracara (May 2026).Back at Eddies (May 2026).Predawn departure for Bahia. A long day lies ahead of us (May 2026).Another morning traffic jam as we depart Pedra Riscada for Bahia (May 2026).Hello ladies (May 2026).Pedra Riscada seen through the morning mist (May 2026).Rural Minas Gerais (May 2026).Another one (May 2026).Our mighty steed (May 2026).Pedra Riscada (May 2026).It did take some beatings but kept on keeping on (May 2026).A German bakery in Teofilo Otoni town (May 2026).They’re fine. Everybody’s fine (May 2026).Random sights along highway 116 as we head north towards the Bahia state line (May 2026).Bahia-bound (May 2026).The truck stop areas continued to deliver in terms of quality food (May 2026).Town of Divisa Alegre on the Minas Gerais side of the state line with Bahia. The traffic jam from hell is about to begin (May 2026).Welcome to Bahia and an absolutely epic traffic jam (May 2026).Almost there….not (May 2026).Bahia randomness during the 6h traffic jam (May 2026).Safety first! Igor making sure that it doesn’t tip over. Killing time during a traffic jam from hell somewhere in the south of Bahia (May 2026).Finally done with the traffic jam with some 3 or 4 hours of driving left till we reach Itatim (May 2026).Random sweet doggos at a truck rest stop in Bahia (May 2026).The party continues (May 2026).
