Saímos motorizados de Porto Alegre em direção a Mariana Pimentel-RS por volta das 11 hs. Paramos para almoçar no mesmo restaurante da BR 116 onde almoçamos por ocasião do pedal entre Tapes e Porto Alegre, há dois anos. Por volta das 13 hs estávamos no local, prontos para o pedal que consistiria em subir o cerro negro, visitar a pedra equilibrada e as cascatas do chicão e português.
Subir o cerro negro aparentemente seria a parte mais difícil, e como era inicio da tarde partimos rumo ao topo, enfrentando cedo o desafio.
Mas o pedal foi centrípeto numa espiral que nunca chegava ao centro, e terminou numa lavoura de batatas.
Descobrimos na prática e na teoria que o topo era praticamente inacessível para ciclistas.
Com 13 km rodados na espiral, partimos em direção à pedra equilibrada por uma estrada de terra em bom estado, lisa como asfalto, mas estilo montanha russa. No caminho, a 3 km da cidade, aproveitamos para visitar a cascata do chicão.
A pedra equilibrada sem dúvida era alguma coisa no mínimo um pouco diferente do que estamos acostumados a ver. Era algo semelhante a um enorme capacete de ciclista maciço e pontudo, equilibrado sobre um selim de pedra.
Na volta a cachorrada das proximidades da pedra equilibrada desistiu de perseguir as bicicletas, e até fugiram da gente, porque para abrir a porteira tivemos de descer das bikes e caminhar.
Mas na volta para a cidade, a procurar a cascata do português, uns quatro cachorros muciços, que aparentemente não faziam distinção entre bike, ciclista ou o conjunto todo, vieram correndo ao nosso encontro para morder se possível até nossos capacetes brilhantes.
Depois do cerro negro, a cascata do chicão, e a pedra equilibrada, faltava a cascata do português. E já estávamos exaustos com apenas 30 km de pedal sobe-desce.
Apesar de levarmos um GPS que apontava sempre para a cascata, não achávamos caminho pedalável até ela. Enquanto meu companheiro foi pedir informações sobre como chegar na cascata, me escorei na bike na beira da estrada poeirenta.
Seja pelo cansaço, seja pela preguiça, perdi o equilíbrio e percebi que estava caindo abraçado com a bike. De repente e por instinto dei uma cambalhota por cima da bicicleta e duma valeta, um movimento complicado que aprendi nos cursos de aikidô, mas caí ileso, ficando coberto de pó. Meu companheiro gritou “-Como tu fez isso?"
Para completar o pedal fomos até a cascata do português. Se a ida foi no crepúsculo, a volta foi sob a penumbra duma lua cheia. Pedal noturno e sem farolete, numa noite fria e por uma estrada larga, que parecia nunca chegar ao destino...
Videos:
Total pedalado: 40 km
Mariana Pimentel city
We left Porto Alegre city in a car, toward Mariana Pimentel-RS around 11 pm. We stopped for a lunch in the restaurant in BR 116 road in the same restaurant where we had lunched six years ago when we made a trip betweenTapes and Porto Alegre. Around 13 pm we were on site, ready to pedal that would be a climb to the black hill, visit the stone balanced and cascades of Chicão and Portuguese. Go up the hill apparently would be the hardest part, as it was early afternoon we started towards the top, facing the challenge early. But the pedal was a centripetal spiral that never came to the center, and ended in a crop of potatoes. We concluded in practice and in theory that the top was virtually inaccessible to cyclists. With 13 km running in the spiral, we started toward the stone balanced by a dusty road in good condition, smooth as asphalt, but style roller coaster. On the road, 3 km from the city, we took the time to visit the waterfall Chicão. More about seven kilometers we arrived near the balanced rock, with many dogs after us. We went through a gate and a pig sty, a foot on the grass, up the stone. Without doubt it was at least something a little different than we are accustomed to see. It was like a huge cyclists helmet and pointed, balanced on a saddle of rock. Back to dogs in the vicinity of the stone balanced they withdrew to pursue the bicycle and fled before us, because we had to open the gate to drop the bike and walk. Some dogs feel more attracted by the whole bike/rider than only by cyclists, they scare them, maybe the tights, shiny helmets, sunglasses and walking robotic because of slippers. But back to the city about four big dogs, which apparently did not distinguish between bike, cyclist or the whole thing, came running to us to bite if possible our shiny helmets. Luckily one crashed in other in the other, and falling out among themselves. I saw a row of teeth shinning and a horrible sound like a thunder. Without delay in contemplation of the fight we took the opportunity to run away in a strong cycling in a hill. After the Black Hill, the cascade of Chicão and balanced stone, missing the cascade of Portuguese. And we were yet exhausted with only 30 km of up-down pedal. Despite taking a GPS that always pointed to the waterfall we didn´t find cycled roads to there.
While my partner was asking about the location of the waterfall, I scored in the the bike in the dusty roadside. Whether the fatigue is the sloth, lost the balance and I realized I was falling with bike and everything. Suddenly and instinctively I took a tumble over the bike and the ditch, a move I learned in complicated courses of Aikido, I took a tumble over the bike and fell unharmed but covered with dust. My companion shouted "-How did you do that?”
I replied that this stunt was just a simple body memory of the lessons of Aikido, which I took not to defend me but to learn how to fall down from bicycles. To complete the pedal we went to the cascade of Portuguese. If the trip was in the dusk, the tour was under the shadow of a full moon. Pedal at night and without spotlight, on a cold night and a large road, which seemed never to reach the destination ...
