Today I go to Petrópolis, for a week. I thought, I stayed already two weeks with my friends Drew and Lisa, time to give them a little time by themselves ;-)

Thanks to the internet, everything is so easy! I mean, google maps showed me which bus to take where and even the frequency, and finally it became, bus 178 to the Rodoviária "novo Rio", call it the main bus terminal . There find the Unica-Fácil counter, that is the company that connects Rio and Petrópolis by bus. The Novo Rio bus terminal is huge, two stories full of companies bringing you all around Brazil, so it took me some time to find what I was looking for, but then, hop, got a ticket for within half an hour, just time to buy a sandwich.
 
The bus was all comfort, I was glad I had thought of taking a sweater with me, their air conditioning is killing me! The trip was nice, the last twenty minutes we went up up up. Petrópolis is in the mountains, about 1000m altitude, that is where the emperors had their summer residence, when in Rio it was too hot.
 
But my comfy bus did not bring me to the center, no, it was to the Bingen Rodoviária. Now that is funny. I also spent a week in Bingen, state of Washington, close to the Columbia river, USA. I read there that the city was founded by Germans, who came from Bingen am Rhein!
 
Seems they also came to Brazil, which makes sense. I see quite many true Brazilian people with blond hair and light skin! Here also, in the 19th century, lost of European immigrants!
 
So, in the bus terminal in Bingen, Brazil, I take the bus nr 100 to Centro, and arrive sound and well in my hostel in Petrópolis, 100 meter from the bus stop! "
 
My friends would consider me completely out of my mind: three hours from door to door, for a 70 km stretch! But like I said, I am not in a hurry, so the trip is part of the fun!

The hostel is very nice, the back is very close to a steep mountain wall full of vegetation, in the morning I hear many lovely bird songs! The old city center is very close, walking distance, so I can go on a discovery tour! My room has 8 bunk beds, but I am the only one... the season starts only later. There are some customers but they are families that chose the family room: one two persons bed and two bunk beds, bath room "en suite".

So, today just relax, and tomorrow start to visit!

I still have to get the pictures from my camera to my computer...