We had a small "cell" booked for the night with very simple accommodation. The only reason we were going there was to get back to our spiritual roots, we needed to find our inner selves and perhaps rejoin the church. If you dont believe that then would knowing that Maned Wolves are seen each night be a better option? We arrived late morning as it was only a few hours drive from Ouro Preto and would have been a lot quicker if the road had been better and the GPS system had not taken us over a mountain track (More on driving in Brazil later). The Sanctuary is really beautiful and surrounded by mountains and "Cerrado", a sort of undulating scrubby thinly forested area at the foot of the mountains. We took a walk along to one of the large waterfalls and if it had been a lot warmer it would have made a great place to pop into one of the mountain pools for a dip but as it was the water was freezing. We were some 1300metres up and it is mid winter here. The falls were stunning.
A walk back then a look round the monastery before dinner. The sunset was gorgeous and the mountains behind the area were turned vivid red. We sat and talked to others on the steps to the church before dinner about the wolves and they told us the night before they had to wait until gone 10 before then turned up and then only for a short while so we were not that hopefull of a good sighting. Dinner was served in the Refectory and we managed to get in before a large school party that was also staying got in. Dinner over quickly for us, grab a wine and beer (OH you thought the monastery would not do that did you, we so did we but a bit of commercialism never harmed anyone) and outside just in case the wolves came early. It was a good job we did as 2 wolves were already pacing about at the bottom of a flight of steps leading to the church and we were at the top. One of the Brother Monks then put out a tray of cut up meat and bits for the wolves and started calling them.
1st one came up then another, very nervous but didnt mind the few of us that were on the top waiting and didnt mind cameras and flash going of as it was dark. I started by putting the camera on the ground and firing remotely when I thought a wolf was in the frame. I did get chance to move it a few times but not any really fantastic shots but some good ones.
After a short while they seemed to leave then some 30 or so kids and staff came out, sat down really quietly and listened to a talk by the Monk before he called them again and one came up this time. We were asked not to photograph this time as there were too many people and he thought they may not come up so no more pics but it was great seeing this long legged red "dog" come into the middle of all the people and take food quite calmly. A great experience and not too cold.
On leaving Caracas our aim was towards the Atlantic coast around Vitoria and find some "seaside" accommodation but it took a little longer, partly due to some torrential rain, the state of the roads and the very heavy traffic, mainly large lorries driving through the mountains. We stopped for a night at a place called Pedra Azul (Meaning Blue Rock). We could see between the trees and mountains this large, blue/grey rock formation and stopped to take a better look. It was wierd, a smooth rock with a round top and as it was getting on we found a Poussada to stay in. We managed between the rain to get to a position overlooking the rock and watched it change colour dramatically in the evening light. In the two pictures below the rock, behind the church in daylight has a blueish hue and later as the sun was setting it turned very red. The rock is 500metres high
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