A PLACE CALLED IBITIPOCA AND A GREAT CANADIAN COMPANIOR - SHERYL JOHNSON

The Story started with a serious challenge!!!! I had a special guest...a guest that wanted something unique. She wished to visit a place that I have never taken any person...and the first question I made: ARE YOU ADVENTUROUS?????

She promtply said: YES!!!!!!!!! :)

Well I simply took the car and chose one place that I am sure you know very well: IBITIPOCA

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

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L-A-U-G-H-I-N-G O-U-T L-O-U-D !!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH :)

I bet IPITIPOCA is not even popular among brazilians!!!! But I am a traveller and deep researcher about my own country. When Brazil is your office you have to work hard to find all the time unique places for you to show your foreign guests and friends!

The challenge was accepted and we travelled 5 hours north of Rio until reaching the beautiful mountainous lands of Minas Gerais State!!!!

Ibitipoca is one very impressive region of the South of Minas Gerais State, the ecosystem is so unique with several rare speciels that our Government decided to create a STATE PARK, specially because this is the place where we can only find a very interesting kind of WOLF, the so called LOBO GUARÁ - check on google - http://www.google.com.br/search?q=LOBO+GUAR%C3%81&hl=pt-BR&biw=1024&bih=499&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8raRTtHoH6fo0QHx4fEp&ved=0CC8QsAQ

5 hours of beautiful motorways through the mountains of Serra dos Orgãos Range, passing in Petropolis, Juiz de Fora until reaching a charming countryside village of Lima Duarte...a place stopped in past, pace of life so slow that we remember our childhood times when we used to visit our relatives who live faraway!

Believe me, all the effort will be paid when you come across with majestic mountains resembling the mountains of Utah or Nevada....

It is hard to tell what made me happier...Sheryl laughs or the magnificent scenery that we came across every little corner that we found in the trails!!! Here you can see my foot that I love taking pictures everywhere I go. Water springs that suddenly desappear in a cave, sparkling water to satisfy your thirst...fresh water is plenty all the way you go!!!

Well, this not a picture of Taylor Lutner (New Moon) or the mature and nice guy Pierce Brossnan (007) or not even the charming senior Sean Connery...It is just myself having fun like a child in the wildness that simply fascinates me. But this is the kind of place that I am always ready to introduce to you!!!

RAFAEL TORRES LOPES

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A FRIEND OF IBITIPOCA