#269 Nomad Diary. 13-19 December 2025. In Brasilia, Brazil with Jeremy's Family for a Month.

 

Brasilia Neighborhood with a Lunch Place

Lunch Buffet Restaurant in Brasilia

My Lunch Buffet Plate. Weighed-in to Cost About $6.

After Lunch Complimentary Coffee. Andrea and Quinn.

Taking a Walk After Lunch.

Glassed Patio at Jeremy and Andrea's 3rd Floor Apartment in Brasilia. Darrell and Quinn.

Walking Around the Apartment Quadrangles in Brasilia. Tree-covered and Mostly Shady.

Andrea Working to Finish Her Glass-pieced Tile Parrot.

Jeremy Cooking Naan Bread to go with Andrea's Indian Dinner

Walking in Brasilia Through Blooming Trees and Next to Tiled Apartment Buildings.

Loma Cafe in Brasilia

Our Bags Ready to Load Up for Our Road Trip to Pirenopolis.

Riding with Quinn and Andrea, in the Back Seat of Jeremy's Rental Car to Pirenopolis.

Traffic Jam on the Highway Leaving Brasilia to Pirenopolis, Gave Way for Driving Off the Highway and Following Others Along the Side of the Road to Get Around the Snarl.

Beautiful Mountain Views on Our Drive to Pirenopolis.

Views on the Way to Pirenopolis

Screenshot of Our Road Trip Directions from Brasilia to Pirenopolis.

In the Entry to Salto Corumba Falls.

Looking at the Park Map and Our Directions to the Waterfall. The Waterslide is in the Left Background.

Walking to the Falls Over a Rustic Bridge.

Darrell Getting a Picture of the Falls.

Darrell's Picture of the Falls and the River.

Rugged Path to the Falls.

More Rugged and Steep Downhill Path to the Falls.

Viewing the Falls! Jeremy, Andrea and Quinn.

Picture of the Falls. Andrea, Quinn, Jeremy and Darrell

On the Beach Next to the Falls.

Playing on the Beach at the Falls.

Smoother Path Back to the Pools. Darrell and Quinn.

A Shady Seating Area with a Nice Carved Lion.

Looking at the Park Snack Buildings and a Pool to the Right.

Waterslide Opened at 2pm.

After a Couple of Waterslide Rides by Jeremy, Quinn and Darrell. Walking Back Down the Hill to the Car Park.

Our Airbnb Bedroom Ceiling.

Resting in Our Airbnb Room.

Pirenopolis Square with Christmas Lights and Wet with Rain.

My Large Fish Dinner was Delicious.

Darrell's Large Steak and Pasta Dinner was also Delicious.

Saturday. 13. Jeremy acquired a rental car yesterday and we went out for a Brazilian lunch. It’s set up buffet style. You put what you want on your plate and get your plate weighed. You order a drink at your table that the waiter gives you a ticket for. You can go back to get more plates and tickets. When you are ready to leave, you take your tickets to the cashier and pay on your way out.

Sunday. 14. Jeremy drove us to church with Quinn today. This is our third month-long visit to Brasilia and several members at church recognize us and vise-versa. Darrell and I use google translate to understand more during the worship service. Hobson, a mature man, memorable from each time we have attended with this group, greeted us upon our arrival. He remembered us from a year ago, our last visit. One woman spoke English to us and told us that since their adult son has had a brain injury, they moved into the red hotel near the Presidential palace. She invited us over to have coffee sometime. I told her thank-you, but I wasn’t sure about us coming because we don’t have a car. Spent some time today packing my backpack for our trip tomorrow.

Monday. 15. This morning we got up, had breakfast, packed our car and took off. Jeremy driving skillfully on the Brazil highway heading two hours to our destination. We came into a traffic jam, bumper to bumper and moving slowly. Within about 10-15 minutes of sitting in this back up, other cars were leaving the highway to the right and driving along on the grassy area just right to the highway. Jeremy decided to follow them. It was a fairly flat exit from the highway onto the grass and then into the dirt colored ruts where this had happened time and time before. He followed the trail of cars cross country for about a half-mile until we came to a road and took the google-maps detour along with following other cars and local, rural people were also pointing which direction to go. It looked like they had done this before, and they were quite nice about giving directions and making this a part of their day. We drove a couple of hours to a park with a ticketed entrance and a huge waterfall as the main feature. We drove into the gate and parked, then we walked through the woods, on a rustic path, to see the waterfall. It was very beautiful! We were in the mist of the falls in an upper viewing point. Then we walked down several stairs to the small beach at the pool below the great falls. We all took our shoes off. Quinn played at the edge of the pool Jeremy swam and walked waist deep to the base of the falls. A few other people came and went to the small beach. We stayed about 30 minutes, enjoying the falls! We climbed back up the stairs. Darrell and I bought bottled water at the snack stand there. Then we walked the paved and forested path back to the water park. At one bridge, Jeremy, Andrea and Quinn went up a mountain toward the park water slide. Darrell and I crossed the bridge to where there were 2-3 pools, a couple of snack bars, toilets, showers and seating areas. There were very few people at this park today. One snack bar was open and it was close to noon or 1pm. Darrell and I sat in the shade for a while, then we went to the snack bar housed under a huge round grass roof. We managed to order a chicken dinner for 2. By the time our food arrived, Jeremy and company had arrived. There was plenty of food to share and they had a small order of drinks and grilled cheese. We ate and rested. It was then close to 2pm, the time the water slide opened. Darrell changed into swim shorts and we all climbed up to the water slide. He, Jeremy and Quinn went up to the top of the slide. Andrea and I sat at the bottom to watch. They did their first slides. Quinn came down with his dad, Jeremy. It was through a tube and Quinn was glad to be at the bottom and he didn’t want another ride! Darrell and Jeremy went for second rides. Then we walked back down the hill to go back to the toddler pool for a while. There was a frog with a short water slide that was where Quinn was really wanting to go, and we did that. By about 3pm we were ready to leave the park. I sat in the car while everyone else went to change into dry clothes. Meanwhile a big downpour began! We all got back into the car and drove on for about another 30 minutes to Pirenopolis where we found our airbnb. This town of Pirenopolis is known as a tourist town with a couple of church buildings dating back to the early 1700’s. The first thing we noticed were the cobbled roads, and old stone houses. There’s a lot of green tree cover with sights of mountains beyond the borders of the town. We drove through narrow streets that had limited access by putting up poles in the street to restrict the width of the vehicle. Our car fit through closely. We found our address was in a gated and rock-fenced neighborhood. Jeremy talked to the gate security man, in Portuguese of course. We got our access and moved into our little house. Our plan was to eat dinner and breakfast out, walk around the town and shop at the crafty and touristy shops, then drive back to Brasilia the next day around lunch-time. The rain was torrential and the sun would set with the rain still coming down. We each had our room and ensuite to rest before dinner. Andrea came up with about 5 restaurants to choose from for dinner. We all decided where to go and piled into the car in the continuous rain. Some umbrellas and some rain jackets. Our first restaurant choice was not open, and Jeremy drove down one block and around back toward the shopping street. Christmas lights were decorating the shopping, business street. He pulled into a curb parking place across from an Italian restaurant on our list. It was Monday evening about 6pm. We were the only group in the small and fancy restaurant. Most Brazilians eat past 8pm. Also, Monday night with rain in the off season, we were pretty glad something was opened and serving! Lol. We looked at the menu and Darrell and I each ordered a full meal. Jeremy’s family ordered one meal to share between them. We enjoyed our exclusive dinner feast. After Darrell paid the tab, we went back out to the rain and walked down the sloping hill toward the square and more holiday lights and an ice cream shop. Everyone except Darrell got an ice cream. Before we got to that place, the waiter from our dinner place had run to catch up with us in the dark rain and handed Darrell some cash. He apologized for over-charging by about $4, in US money. 

Outside Our Airbnb in Pirenopolis.

Andrea and Quinn Walking Uphill From Our Airbnb to Visit the Shopping Streets in Pirenopolis.

Nice Mountain View Behind One of Old Churches in Pirenopolis.

Old Church, circa 1750s. Pirenopolis. Andrea.

Pirenopolis Street next to a River.

Pirenopolis Door with Decoration Above.

Woodsy View of the Old Cathedral in Pirenopolis.

Crossing Pirenopolis Bridge. Jeremy, Andrea and Quinn.

Following Jeremy's Family in Pirenopolis.

My Favorite Picture and View in Pirenopolis

Darrell's Breakfast. Cappucino and Quiche.

Quinn After Breakfast in Pirenopolis

Jeremy Outside Breakfast Cafe in Pirenopolis

Cafe Window Decoration in Pirenopolis

Quinn Looking at Cars at Shop.

Shops in Pirenopolis. Darrell and Quinn.

Potter in Her Shop in Pirenopolis.

Andrea and Jeremy Considering Pottery.

Nice Views on Our Drive Back to Brasilia.

Tuesday. 16. We got up and packed to leave. Jeremy made a pot of coffee while we lingered at the airbnb. Breakfast here begins about 8:30am. The rain ceased in the night. We walked from our house about ¼-½ mile to the main tourist shopping street of town. It’s before 8am and nothing is open yet. We walk around looking at the shops and the two old church buildings. A stray dog follows us for a while. We walk back to the breakfast place and enjoy our morning meal. Andrea and Jeremy speak Portuguese and help us order and pay more easily. After breakfast we wander through several shops. I bought a couple of wooden spoons with a blue parrot carved and painted on the handle. There’s some potters who work in this town and sell their beautiful goods in shops. Around 10:30 we are finished and we walk back to our house and get into the car for our 2 hours back to Brasilia. We have lunch at Jeremy and Andrea’s apartment, unpack, do laundry and rest. At 4pm local time we have our online Bible study with our friends in Kent, England and some others around the US, and various other locations.

Game with Grandpa, "Papa"

Jeremy and Quinn Playing Ping Pong at Their 'Big' Playground.

Papa and Quinn Playing Ping Pong at the Park

Screenshot with Cousins. Esther Making Her Funny Face. Owen's Big Smile, and Quinn and Us in Brazil.

Ground Owl Seen During Dusk in Brasilia

Wednesday. 17.

Thursday. 18. On this afternoon we have a Whatsapp interview for two dates at the same house and cat in Texas. The sit is about 30 minutes from Shady Shores where Darrell’s sister, Cyndy, her youngest daughter and their mom, Shirley live. We enjoyed getting to know each other a bit and discussing some of our questions going both ways. We appreciated getting considered and the home owners approved us for both dates to stay at their house and care for their cat. We have dates for April and October in 2026. 

Friday. 19. Friday night is Quinn’s movie night with his parents. They make popcorn and have peanut m&m’s while watching a movie together. Darrell and I went out for a long walk, and Jeremy went with us. He took us in a direction and for a longer walk than we would have done on our own. 

Nomad Notes.

This week on our arrival to the Cachoeira do Salto Falls near Pirenopolis, the beautiful walk and time with Jeremy’s family enjoying this small park, got me so happy for traveling abroad all over again. I have felt well-rested here and less tired as I was feeling in Alabama for the past month. My only regret was that I didn’t hop into the waterfall pool and go to the falls. Somehow, I just didn’t do it. I held back, and later in the day, I was left with a pang of not enjoying this available plunge! In other travels, I have gone for the swim and the adventure, but not on this day. I chose to stay dry and enjoy the wooded walk. No turning back now. We got some great pictures and seeing Jeremy swim to the base of the falls was quite enjoyable for me.