Think about the delightful days we spent together?! That’s how the last week was for the Gondwana Brazil team. From December 4th to 10th, we managed to gather most of the people who make our business, trips, and especially our purpose happen.
Throughout the weekdays, from Monday to Thursday, we came together to work together, as we have a fixed team in Curitiba, but we work remotely from various parts of the country – and the world! So having this face-to-face contact is always practical and healthy to align strategies and renew the team’s energy.
With us were the directors Camila Barp and Daniela Meres, and our team: Aline Vörös, Barbara Ataide, Carolina Paiva, Camila Silva, Enayra Alves, Gabriel Bressiani, Lukas Flocke, Luzimar Del Rei, Marco Sieber, Renatha Caggiano, Sophie Nowak, and Vanessa Silva.
We also had two interesting external contributions. We had a lecture on Nonviolent Communication (NVC) by Paulo Cruz Filho, founder of We.Flow, and learned more about each person’s personality through the Enneagram, a system of personal and professional development that describes nine key personality types, each with its instinctive, emotional, and mental tendencies. Each of these personalities also reflects a central leadership style and behavioral patterns.
Karen Wasman gave a lecture on “The Power of ‘E’: Career, Motherhood, Diversity,” talking about the various roles we have and balance to live in society.
At other times, we talked a bit about our workflow so that everyone could visualize the sales, product, and financial processes we go through here. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of how the year 2023 was for the company, considering especially the quality of services provided and the satisfaction level of our customers and those who visited Brazil with us. And we can say that the result was: excellence! And that’s how we want to continue.
How about some rest?!
After a night of Happy Hour and exchanging gifts, we headed to Ilha do Mel, on the coast of Paraná, the next morning. On Friday, part of the team took the Serra do Mar train to Morretes. The attraction has been around since 1997 and was considered one of the 10 most spectacular train rides in the world by the British newspaper “The Guardian.” One reason for this is that the journey cuts through the largest preserved stretch of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. From inside, you can see untouched waterfalls and lush vegetation.
Arriving in Morretes, we had a traditional Barreado lunch. The meat in this typical dish of the city is cooked slowly for hours in a clay pot sealed with a flour paste. When serving, it is eaten with banana and dry cassava flour – or in the form of porridge.
Morretes is the starting point for Ilha do Mel. Therefore, shortly after eating and strolling around the city, we set off to catch the boat that would take us out to sea and then reach the other side: our desired final destination.
On the island, we stayed at Pousada e Café das Meninas, where, in addition to accommodation in a cozy space, we had delicious breakfasts and afternoon teas with unique sweets in the world – such as maracolate (a combination of chocolate and passion fruit) pies, pineapple with coconut, hazelnut, and cheesecake. One night, they also served us a special dinner accompanied by wine and a carefully made risotto for each of us.
During the mornings and afternoons, we visited the beautiful beaches of the region: Praia de Fora, Praia Grande, Praia Encantadas, Praia da Fortaleza, and Praia do Farol, which, through a staircase with about 150 steps, provides access to one of the most stunning views in the area. An iconic spot!
But wait, soon we will talk more about this destination in detail.
We feel rejuvenated to celebrate what 2023 was and embrace the new that comes in 2024! We hope this text has brought you a little of the good feeling that it was for us to live these days.
Thank you for accompanying us so far. We’ll see you again on this same blog next year.
