Next stop; Uruguay! And I must confess that I knew nothing about the country before cycling through it. But I soon learned that this is the most progressive and least corrupt country in Latin America. For example, you see wind turbines everywhere because the country gets its energy for 95% from renewable energy.

My ride here has been fantastic, not only thanks to the fantastic scenery, but especially because of the people here. Everyone is so relaxed and nice. For example, I was in the supermarket when someone suddenly offered me an overnight stay, and that for free! I decide to continue my ride to a hippie village, but it was not easy. A 7km long dirt track caused some delay as I had to push my bike the whole time instead of riding. But the result is definitely worth it!

The next day I drive on to Brazil and I do that by continuing to drive as close to the coast as possible. My way seems to be blocked by a lake that ends in the sea, making crossing impossible, but luck was on my side! With 'only' a 2 km detour I can keep going.

Arrived in Brazil! The nature here is fantastic, but the first city I came to was not what I expected. At first glance it looks like a European village when I look at the architecture of the houses. Really amazing! I get back on, continue on the road and immediately notice an annoying aspect of Brazil. This is where my trucks use to transport themselves and products. And they are ruthless, totally ruthless towards cyclists. I've seen dangerous trucks, but here in Brazil it's of a completely different caliber. Out of every 100 trucks, 20 come way too close and cut you off.

I deviate from the paved road and continue through nature where, as expected, I encounter many wild animals. Tarantulas, turtles, crocodile monkeys and butterflies, I have never seen so many butterflies!

After this fantastic trip, things went the wrong way. I made my first fall on a wet clay road. It is mirror slippery and comparable to ice and you are constantly slipping. Luckily I had a helmet on, because it was hit hard. Nothing to do and on to the next town where I can enjoy (once again) a fantastic view over waterfalls that are more than 2km wide! It was quite a few kilometers again, but luckily my journey is far from over!