The line for the border stretched into the distance, with baggage and wide panniers there was no way we could filter through the lanes. With over-head Sun we weren’t even catching any shade from the trees that lined the main avenue down to the border. An hour in and we were both beginning to suffer. We were edging slowly forward but the heat and humidity were becoming over-whelming. Lisa was finding it tougher. With her heart medication slowing her heart rate to control her arythmia she wasn’t able to disperse the heat and cool down as effectively. Several times she simply had to sit on the curb, finding shade sat close to one of the huge coashes whilst I moved both bikes.

2 ½ hours later we’d lost litres of fluid but had finaly got to within spitting distance of the border. And so with our sweat soaked helmets perched on the wing-mirrors we made ready for the paperwork formalities. Ahhh, not just yet!!! The local TV news station had somehow caught wind of the two strange over-dressed bikers heading for the boder and just before customs office, had pounced. Delighted as we were we could barely mumble a few words yet alone give a interview in Spanish and come away with sounding even remotely elequant. We did our best but god knows what we looked or sounded like.

With our passports sporting their shiny new 3 months Visa, this time we easily got our vehicle imort papers stamped and headed esily out of Foz Do Iguacu to pick up the tarred 277 that would take us East.

Without the soaking of our last 277 ride we arrived back in Guarapuava far more refreshed than our first visit had seen us.

What a bunch of great guys. With the problem easily explained, two strong good coffees were thrust into our hands and Lisa’s bike wheeld away to the service department. Having bulked at the cost of rear brake pads at £80 a set we’d opted for the cheaper non-gen pads at £15. By the time we’d drank our first coffe and walked through to the F650 The old pads were off, the problem being inspected and the shiny new fishcer pads were going on. We ended up spending another hour talking with Roberto the service manager. With the new pads fitted it was time to pay u and look big. Our offer of ‘cold hard cash’ was dismissed. “no this is our contribution” Roberto stated happily. “It’s nothing”. We thank him and Star News, surprised at this unexpeceted generosity.

We ended up leaving with Roberto to find a hotel, ditched our kit had a quick wash and enjoyed a great evening with him and his brother at a local bar. His brother works for ‘Top Mag’ a glossy upmarket, what’s happening publication. We’ve arranged an interview for tomorrow.

What a strange twist to what we thought was going to be an unaventfull day.

With patchy cloud and occasional Sun we’ve ridden 540 miles today and arrived back in Port Alegre at Richards and tania’s around 7:00pm
The warm hugs and greetings were exactly wha the doctor ordered. It’s wonderful to be back but a little scary to realise that over 6 months has flown by since we were here last.