Day 629 10th April 2018
43 miles (Holambra to Piraju) Average speed 10.5 mph Top speed 35 mph
I got up at 8 for brekkie of ham and cheese rolls with sweet coffee and cake. I left at 10 and climbed up the hill out of town with people saying good morning and a guy stopping his car to chat. I went to the bank but there was no money available from the cash machine. Then I hit the main road which was busier than the weekend with lots more trucks, some of which tried to run me off the road and at least two succeeded.
It was a tough day and the sun was hot, but my new cap helped and the peak would protect my eyes from the lorries from both directions as long as I remembered to put my head down. I made it to a bridge across the first river and stopped to watch a fisherman while taking on some water.
River
I pushed on up and down many a hill and rested for a chicken kebab at a petrol station where I got chatting to a couple of guys, one who spoke good English and was planning a trip of his own, but by boat. I then continued on over many more hills and across another bigger bridge and the road became easier with a decent hard shoulder to avoid those big trucks. It also became steeper with longer hills to climb.I eventually made it to the top of a big climb and headed down the other side into the town of Piraju where I was welcomed by another climb up into the town centre.
Arriving at Piraju
I found a bank and then asked a taxi driver for a hotel and he directed me to the international hotel, but I found this one first. I checked in and put the bike in the underground garage before diving into the shower and watching Barcelona lose to Roma in the champions league with a beer and a good rest on the bed. I went for a walk to the river and watched the dam and hydro electric plant with a powerful waterfall.
Watching the water and the hydro electric plant
I had a lovely meal in the restaurant next to the hotel of fish with rice and beans, salad, bread and a carrot and mince spicy dish.
Dinner – very nice
After a walk around town I retired early and decided to stay another night after such a hard day.
Hotel Furlan 55 reais.