Today, I put my hiking shoes on and decide to go get some good exercise. The weather forecast says, "cloudy", so that fits me perfectly. However I do not see that many clouds, so I got my hat with me, a liter of water, something to eat and there I go!
 
This natural park is accessible through different gates, around the mountain . I go for the Petrópolis gate, I still need to take two buses! One to the Corrêas rodoviária, a bus terminal quite outside the city of... Corrêas, and from there a bus to the Serra (mountain range).

This second bus trip was quite bumpy and turning, I was clearly going up the mountains! Then we rrived, the bus dropped me off and left, and I was surrounded by ... silence.

If I would be in tip top condition, I would do the 30 km hike from the Petrópolis entrance to the Teresópolis one, but I am not in tip top condition, so I just did a 3 hour walk, back and forth.

It was lovely though. Slowly going up, going through a bamboo forest, passing by a natural pool with ice-cold water (I felt with my feet, I did not swim!), and meeting a big fat lizard (the size of a rabbit). Stunning views, clouds started to pile up, good, I could put my hat in my back pack. 

And then it started to rain. Not hard, but a sporty hiker passing me told me that the rain here could suddenly get strong, and that the little streams would grow because of the rain in the mountains further away! So, after some hesitation, I decided to go back. It was a good idea, because by the time I was in the bus the rain was actually pouring!

Still I had this lovely walk, and pictures... well, I had forgotten my camera! But then, a little late, I remembered that I had my cell phone with me ;-) so some pictures finally ;-)