Brazil's Vila Velha park

Our destination, after Foz do Iguacu, was Curitiba. At our slow pace it was a few days drive and we wanted to break it up with something else to see. But, there wasn't much on offer. 

Online, I found one reference in English (on Insight Guides webpages) to Vila Velha state park. It was listed as Parana state's second biggest natural attraction, after Iguacu. It sounded good, although I couldn't find much else on it (not even on Wiki), and we couldn't find anything else to do, so we decided to do it. 

When we got there there was some kind of strike going on. No entrance fees were being collected at the gate and banners explained that staff wanted more pay. A young man who spoke English explained that we could still go in, but there'd be no guides. 

So we drove in. We watched a film about the area then got confused about the whole thing of where the walk started, but struck out anyway. We found the walk the long way around, by following the road of the parks buses. 

The parks main attraction is a lot of rock formations, sculpted by wind and water, kind of like a lost city. The forest growing around the rocks was intact and it was a very nice walk. Very much worth visiting. 

The other attraction of the park is to see a few 'Furnas'. These are a kind of big circular sink hole unique to Brazil. 

But, we couldn't figure out how to get to the Furnas (turns out you needed to walk a long way or take a bus, to which you could buy a ticket, which was still operating), so we drove out of the park. 

We had asked about overnight parking (we've learnt not to ask for camping, but overnight parking, as, to outward appearances, that's what it seems we do), and were told that if we ask the Environment Police we could probably park at their station on the edge of town. 

So we did, and they were very friendly. I tested out my Portuguese (very basic, but coming along), and we learnt a lot from them. 

Even better, their office is right beside the side entrance to the Park, at the point where the Furnas are. Just after the park has closed, but before night, they allow locals to enter, to walk. And they let us in too. This was a special bonus because at dusk thousands of swallows (the birds) come home to their nesting places in the Furnas. 

Seeing them come in and swoop down in mass is quite a treat. Not just for the sight, but also for the sounds of the swooping. We were utterly amazed, and very fortunate. 

The information I got online wasn't quite correct, it was long outdated. It said to bring your swimming costume as there is a lift installed to take people down into one of the Furnas for swimming. The lift is still there, but it hasn't operated for a long time (I think they said over 10 years). Anyway, who'd want to swim with all that bird shit?