Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
hola chicas!
I have to start off first that I am unable to post pictures with this post since I´m sharing a computer and I don´t want to take too long. I will post asap since I know it helps show what exactly I´m talking about.
Rest of Uruguay: At our hostel in Punta del Este, the night of my last post, we had the most amazing BBQ ever. Seriously, no fat, pink meat, sweet potatoes, fried cheese, baby onions, zuccinni, an amazing salad, chicken, sausages and Amanda had some corn on the cob since she doesn´t eat steak. I honestly thought I was going to burst from all the food. I was sad to leave Punta del Este and the family, but alas such is life.
Took the bus to Montevideo. Really that´s all I could say about the city and it would be enough. Definitely my least favorite place that we´ve been just because there really isn´t much there. We walked around the parks and got attacked my mosquitoes, went to the old city, had an expensive steak that was overcooked. I wasn´t feeling well either, but I don´t think I would have liked it that much better anyways.
It wasn´t easy even leaving the city. We woke up early to catch the bus to Colonia del Sacramento, an old Portuguese colony, to spend a few hours there before we took the ferry to Buenos Aires. Before we were even out of Montevideo the bus broke down. We waited there for another bus to come and fix it, then we drove off for about 10 minutes when it broke down again. UGH! We got off the bus to wait outside for another bus to come get up and lucky me, I stepped on an anthill and the ants attacked my ankles. Swollen and itchy, I did make it to Buenos Aires.
Argentina: I love Buenos Aires. This is definitely a city that I will be coming back to. For sure. Its so beautiful and cosmopolitian. Love it. We took a taxi to our hostel and found out that they messed up the reservation and had separated Amanda and I, but we are big girls and could spend one night apart. I did get the better room though so maybe that´s why I´m positive about it. We walked a little bit that evening to get feel of the city and even ate some pizza standing up with the locals.
We woke up early the next morning to go on a free city walking tour of BA. Sometimes those tours, especially the bus ones, can be cheesy, but this one was actually really helpful. Instead of just looking at a building and thinking that its pretty, we actually understood what the different statues meant etc. The architecture is very European and lives up the name of the Paris of South America. Cafes on every corner and just a relaxed vibe to the city. After the tour we went out to the Recoletta neighbourhood and saw where Evita is buried. The tombs are enormous and you can see the coffins when you look into the tombs. It creeped Amanda out and she went running away. We also walked through a local weekend market and to this giant metal flower. Only the picture will really explain that. Saturday was a long day, but BA is a party city and we were ready to party. We joined what is called the BA Pub Crawl and if anyone has seen my facebook, there is a link to the pictures from the night. Great night. That should be enough to sum it up without feeling too guilty.
The next day was a perfect day to recover from the pub crawl. It rained all day. Literally, all day it poured. Even if we had wanted to go out, we couldn´t. There was even this huge soccer match in the city that day which was like the equivanlent to the Super Bowl that was cancelled due to the rain. Eventually, the rain did stop and I also felt well enough to finally get showered, so we went down to see a movie. We had wanted to see Alice in Wonderland but it wasn´t playing until late so we asked what else was playing. The woman behind the counter pointed to the posters and we ended up buying our tickets just by saying ´Leonardo DiCaprio.´ Shutter Island was good, great twist, don´t want to ruin it for those who haven´t seen it though.
Another big walking day for us in BA on Monday. The weather had cleared up and we went up the Palmero neighbourhood which is kind of like the trendy bit. We ate lunch at this place that was trying to be a 1950s diner. We walked up and down the Avenue Florida which is the touristy bit and are really glad we didn´t stay over there. That night we went with the hostel to see a local drum show called La Bomba del Tiempo. Amazing, they play for like 2 hours and sing and its just a really good energy they put off. A lot of hippie shuffle going on, but when in Rome. Instead of going to the club with the rest of the group, Amanda and I decided we were hungry and went back to the hostel to get food. Only in Argentina can you order steak for delivery. I made a big deal about my steak being rare, steak rojo is what I said and that´s what I got. There has been so much beef on this trip I can feel my arteries closing. I also made friend with a lovely guy in the hostel and he played the guitar and sang for me for like two hours. Very nice evening.
We got up yesterday early and walked up the La Boca neighbourhood. All the buildings are painted bright colors and its near the tango area of the city. Its very tourity, but cute. Took a ton of pictures that will help explain it better when I can post. We had to get back and get on our 20 hour bus journey to Bariloche in the lake district and the top of the Patagonia region in the south.
Its funny since I just had a conversation with my mom about this, but there were two kids in front of us on the bus overnight that I would have punched in the face. There were so misbehaved I could not believe their mother allowed to act that way. And they kept staring at us. Amanda has a good stare back when that happens, but I could have killed them. We did get some sleep and food. They brought around food trays with bread, meat and cheese and so I ate that. Little did I know that there was also a hot meal to come with that so I was stuffed on the bus. Its funny how the buses in other countries are better than domestic flights at home.
We arrived in Bariloche early this afternoon after being stopped by the police again. They took some people off the bus and searched them and we all had to show our passports and had the dogs on the bus and by all the luggage. It was only about a half hour but its still a strange feeling. Either way, we are here.
Today was a beautiful day. We went out to a lookout that overlooks all the mountains and lakes. So beautiful! Its one of the ten best views in the world and I believe it. Had a little snack up there and then went and walked around the grounds of this fancy hotel that looks like it is right out of the Swiss Alps. Actually this whole area does. Put on the hiking boots today too hoping to break them in before the Inca Trail.
I can´t believe that its already been 3 weeks since I left. Time is really flying. We have to sit down and plan the rest of Argentina. I´m falling in love with this country and definitely know that I´ll be back. I also have to add just because I kept telling her that I would, but Amanda wore the same leggings for 7 days in a row. This is always laundry to be done. I have clothes that are just as bad that I keep wearing. I´m trying not to become the dirty traveler, but I´m already wearing 2 bracelets and that´s a sure sign that I am.
Rest of Uruguay: At our hostel in Punta del Este, the night of my last post, we had the most amazing BBQ ever. Seriously, no fat, pink meat, sweet potatoes, fried cheese, baby onions, zuccinni, an amazing salad, chicken, sausages and Amanda had some corn on the cob since she doesn´t eat steak. I honestly thought I was going to burst from all the food. I was sad to leave Punta del Este and the family, but alas such is life.
Took the bus to Montevideo. Really that´s all I could say about the city and it would be enough. Definitely my least favorite place that we´ve been just because there really isn´t much there. We walked around the parks and got attacked my mosquitoes, went to the old city, had an expensive steak that was overcooked. I wasn´t feeling well either, but I don´t think I would have liked it that much better anyways.
It wasn´t easy even leaving the city. We woke up early to catch the bus to Colonia del Sacramento, an old Portuguese colony, to spend a few hours there before we took the ferry to Buenos Aires. Before we were even out of Montevideo the bus broke down. We waited there for another bus to come and fix it, then we drove off for about 10 minutes when it broke down again. UGH! We got off the bus to wait outside for another bus to come get up and lucky me, I stepped on an anthill and the ants attacked my ankles. Swollen and itchy, I did make it to Buenos Aires.
Argentina: I love Buenos Aires. This is definitely a city that I will be coming back to. For sure. Its so beautiful and cosmopolitian. Love it. We took a taxi to our hostel and found out that they messed up the reservation and had separated Amanda and I, but we are big girls and could spend one night apart. I did get the better room though so maybe that´s why I´m positive about it. We walked a little bit that evening to get feel of the city and even ate some pizza standing up with the locals.
We woke up early the next morning to go on a free city walking tour of BA. Sometimes those tours, especially the bus ones, can be cheesy, but this one was actually really helpful. Instead of just looking at a building and thinking that its pretty, we actually understood what the different statues meant etc. The architecture is very European and lives up the name of the Paris of South America. Cafes on every corner and just a relaxed vibe to the city. After the tour we went out to the Recoletta neighbourhood and saw where Evita is buried. The tombs are enormous and you can see the coffins when you look into the tombs. It creeped Amanda out and she went running away. We also walked through a local weekend market and to this giant metal flower. Only the picture will really explain that. Saturday was a long day, but BA is a party city and we were ready to party. We joined what is called the BA Pub Crawl and if anyone has seen my facebook, there is a link to the pictures from the night. Great night. That should be enough to sum it up without feeling too guilty.
The next day was a perfect day to recover from the pub crawl. It rained all day. Literally, all day it poured. Even if we had wanted to go out, we couldn´t. There was even this huge soccer match in the city that day which was like the equivanlent to the Super Bowl that was cancelled due to the rain. Eventually, the rain did stop and I also felt well enough to finally get showered, so we went down to see a movie. We had wanted to see Alice in Wonderland but it wasn´t playing until late so we asked what else was playing. The woman behind the counter pointed to the posters and we ended up buying our tickets just by saying ´Leonardo DiCaprio.´ Shutter Island was good, great twist, don´t want to ruin it for those who haven´t seen it though.
Another big walking day for us in BA on Monday. The weather had cleared up and we went up the Palmero neighbourhood which is kind of like the trendy bit. We ate lunch at this place that was trying to be a 1950s diner. We walked up and down the Avenue Florida which is the touristy bit and are really glad we didn´t stay over there. That night we went with the hostel to see a local drum show called La Bomba del Tiempo. Amazing, they play for like 2 hours and sing and its just a really good energy they put off. A lot of hippie shuffle going on, but when in Rome. Instead of going to the club with the rest of the group, Amanda and I decided we were hungry and went back to the hostel to get food. Only in Argentina can you order steak for delivery. I made a big deal about my steak being rare, steak rojo is what I said and that´s what I got. There has been so much beef on this trip I can feel my arteries closing. I also made friend with a lovely guy in the hostel and he played the guitar and sang for me for like two hours. Very nice evening.
We got up yesterday early and walked up the La Boca neighbourhood. All the buildings are painted bright colors and its near the tango area of the city. Its very tourity, but cute. Took a ton of pictures that will help explain it better when I can post. We had to get back and get on our 20 hour bus journey to Bariloche in the lake district and the top of the Patagonia region in the south.
Its funny since I just had a conversation with my mom about this, but there were two kids in front of us on the bus overnight that I would have punched in the face. There were so misbehaved I could not believe their mother allowed to act that way. And they kept staring at us. Amanda has a good stare back when that happens, but I could have killed them. We did get some sleep and food. They brought around food trays with bread, meat and cheese and so I ate that. Little did I know that there was also a hot meal to come with that so I was stuffed on the bus. Its funny how the buses in other countries are better than domestic flights at home.
We arrived in Bariloche early this afternoon after being stopped by the police again. They took some people off the bus and searched them and we all had to show our passports and had the dogs on the bus and by all the luggage. It was only about a half hour but its still a strange feeling. Either way, we are here.
Today was a beautiful day. We went out to a lookout that overlooks all the mountains and lakes. So beautiful! Its one of the ten best views in the world and I believe it. Had a little snack up there and then went and walked around the grounds of this fancy hotel that looks like it is right out of the Swiss Alps. Actually this whole area does. Put on the hiking boots today too hoping to break them in before the Inca Trail.
I can´t believe that its already been 3 weeks since I left. Time is really flying. We have to sit down and plan the rest of Argentina. I´m falling in love with this country and definitely know that I´ll be back. I also have to add just because I kept telling her that I would, but Amanda wore the same leggings for 7 days in a row. This is always laundry to be done. I have clothes that are just as bad that I keep wearing. I´m trying not to become the dirty traveler, but I´m already wearing 2 bracelets and that´s a sure sign that I am.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Beaches and More...
So the bus ride to Florianopolis was uneventful. Except that I was awoken in the middle of the night by the Brazilian Federal Police and had my bag searched. But besides that, uneventful. Not sure what they were looking for, but we were stopped on the side of the road for a hour and a half and arrived to Florianopolis a little later than expected.
We took the local bus to our hostel and Amanda got yelled at by a man on the bus because she couldn´t fit through the turnstile to get to the back of the bus. The whole turnstile situation on the bus boggles us everytime we get on. You get on, pay and then squeeze through this turnstile that is absolutely impossible with our huge backpacks on.
Once at the hostel, we had to go to the beach. We took the bus to Mole Beach, like the sauce not the animal, and relaxed there most of the afternoon. Probably the most beautiful beach I have been to. Waves were huge, water was a bright blue, the white sand was spotless. Strange thing about beaches here, are there are not seashells. Also, this was the day that I didn´t take my camera with me to the beach, so you´ll have to believe me that is was the best beach ever.
The hostel had this amazing cook and did a theme dinner every night. We had arrived for Indonesian night. Fish, chicken, mango chutney. I was in heaven. Between the food and the sun and the overnight bus, we were exhausted and decided not to go on the hostel outing to a reggae concert that did not end until the sunrise. We met two girls from England that we had seen at our hostel in Sao Paulo, Alice and Rachel and we teamed up with them to form Team Zorb for the next day´s activities.
Zorbing. It´s like rolling down the sand dune in a giant hamster ball. So fun! My hands and my feet both fell out and I was just hanging there by my waist. The ride was short, but the zorbing pro explained to us that was because if something went wrong the zorb could not be stopped.
Team Zorb had big plans for the day that included a two hour hike to a waterfall. We set out on our adventure hiking through the forest, climbing over rocks, crossing streams, walking through little fishing villages and just kept hiking. Four hours later, we still had not found the waterfall. Eventually the trail just ended. Defeated, we stopped to get a drink before nightfall and to make sure that we caught a boat back to the center of the town. The server at the restaurant we stopped did not speak english and our Portuguese is still lacking, so lost in translation was the cost of the beer. We almost ended up paying him 44 real for the drink which is about $30. After that hike, we would have paid that much. In the end, we found out that we missed the little turn off to the waterfall and we were about 10 minutes away from it.
We skipped the hostel dinner that night and ended up getting some pizza in town, since everyone knows that I love pizza and could eat it all the time if I could. However, even better than the pizza was the ice cream sundae buffet that we had for dessert. It would put River Forest Country Club to shame and have my grandma rolling in her grave to eat this ice cream. So many toppings, so many flavors. Ice cream like this should not be made a habit if I plan on hiking the Inca Trail very soon.
The last day in Florianopolis was a beach day. Different beach, but still beautiful. We tasted the food of the beach too. Cheese rolled in oregano and grilled before our very eyes and the first churros of the trip. Relaxed on the beach and went back to the hostel for Brazilian BBQ. Delicious. The food at the hostel was amazing. We decided to out to a local club that night even though we had to be up really early to catch the bus in the morning. We thought everyone from the hostel was coming, but on the walk there a thunderstorm broke open and everyone behind us get drenched and we didn´t see them again. The club was pretty cool, but pretty expensive. We stayed for a while, but left to make sure we got some sleep before the bus.
We had planned to take a bus directly to Uruguay from Florianopolis, but found out that could only be done on Tuesdays. Since we wanted to leave on a Sunday we had to change our plans. Decided on Porto Alegre since we had talked about going there anyway. Up early, we had a seven hour trip there. Thinking we could sleep on that bus was incorrect since some guy right behind us snored so loud I don´t think anyone in Brazil could sleep if they wanted to. Luckily when we got to Porto Alegre, we could take a bus that night to Punta del Este in Uruguay. So we waited in the bus terminal for four hours until we could take the night bus.
Our bus was the best bus I have ever been on. Luxury at its finest. We got two meals, the seats were huge and reclined almost all the way back, it was like flying first class. We didn´t even have to wake up at customs and get off the bus to get our passport stamped on the way into Uruguay, it was all done for us. I slept the whole time until the attendant on the bus woke me to let us know we were near our stop. We had to wait in the bus terminal in Punta del Este until we could get a taxi since we were there so early.
Arrived at our hostel early, but they were expecting us so it was alright. The hostel is very cute. Its run by a man and his wife and their two and a half year old son. Its in there house and they are the nicest, most helpful people ever. We went with the wife to the shopping center to get some Uruguayan currency. Its kind of confusing because the denominations are really big, so when I took out 700, it was really $35. We hooked up with some people in the hostel and rented bikes for the day. First up a beach and layed around there for a bit. We were just there relaxing when a seal swam right up to the shore. Super cool! After the beach, we rode into town and walked around and got some more churros. Best churros ever, warm and gooey.
We got a little lost last night trying to ride the bikes back to the hostel since the roads are a little confusing. We also got distracted because this woman approached us on the street and asked us to ride past some barking dogs with her since she was scared. I also think she was a witch because then we asked her directions to where we needed to go and she gave us incorrect information. So also looked like a witch and must have used a confounding spell on us. We did make it back eventually so we must have broken her spell.
Punta del Este is a huge tourist spot in Uruguay in the summer. Kevin Bacon and Shakria have houses here. However, this is the end of the summer so its been a little cool and windy. Amanda and I kept our bikes for today and rode around to a lighthouse and to the port. We also finally did some laundry which made us both really excited. Tomorrow we are leaving for Montevideo for two nights and then a day trip to Colonia de Sacramento before taking the ferry over to Buenos Aires. Getting excited for all the adventures still to come. Hopefully, we can find some green beer in Montevideo!
We took the local bus to our hostel and Amanda got yelled at by a man on the bus because she couldn´t fit through the turnstile to get to the back of the bus. The whole turnstile situation on the bus boggles us everytime we get on. You get on, pay and then squeeze through this turnstile that is absolutely impossible with our huge backpacks on.
Once at the hostel, we had to go to the beach. We took the bus to Mole Beach, like the sauce not the animal, and relaxed there most of the afternoon. Probably the most beautiful beach I have been to. Waves were huge, water was a bright blue, the white sand was spotless. Strange thing about beaches here, are there are not seashells. Also, this was the day that I didn´t take my camera with me to the beach, so you´ll have to believe me that is was the best beach ever.
The hostel had this amazing cook and did a theme dinner every night. We had arrived for Indonesian night. Fish, chicken, mango chutney. I was in heaven. Between the food and the sun and the overnight bus, we were exhausted and decided not to go on the hostel outing to a reggae concert that did not end until the sunrise. We met two girls from England that we had seen at our hostel in Sao Paulo, Alice and Rachel and we teamed up with them to form Team Zorb for the next day´s activities.
Zorbing. It´s like rolling down the sand dune in a giant hamster ball. So fun! My hands and my feet both fell out and I was just hanging there by my waist. The ride was short, but the zorbing pro explained to us that was because if something went wrong the zorb could not be stopped.
Team Zorb had big plans for the day that included a two hour hike to a waterfall. We set out on our adventure hiking through the forest, climbing over rocks, crossing streams, walking through little fishing villages and just kept hiking. Four hours later, we still had not found the waterfall. Eventually the trail just ended. Defeated, we stopped to get a drink before nightfall and to make sure that we caught a boat back to the center of the town. The server at the restaurant we stopped did not speak english and our Portuguese is still lacking, so lost in translation was the cost of the beer. We almost ended up paying him 44 real for the drink which is about $30. After that hike, we would have paid that much. In the end, we found out that we missed the little turn off to the waterfall and we were about 10 minutes away from it.
We skipped the hostel dinner that night and ended up getting some pizza in town, since everyone knows that I love pizza and could eat it all the time if I could. However, even better than the pizza was the ice cream sundae buffet that we had for dessert. It would put River Forest Country Club to shame and have my grandma rolling in her grave to eat this ice cream. So many toppings, so many flavors. Ice cream like this should not be made a habit if I plan on hiking the Inca Trail very soon.
The last day in Florianopolis was a beach day. Different beach, but still beautiful. We tasted the food of the beach too. Cheese rolled in oregano and grilled before our very eyes and the first churros of the trip. Relaxed on the beach and went back to the hostel for Brazilian BBQ. Delicious. The food at the hostel was amazing. We decided to out to a local club that night even though we had to be up really early to catch the bus in the morning. We thought everyone from the hostel was coming, but on the walk there a thunderstorm broke open and everyone behind us get drenched and we didn´t see them again. The club was pretty cool, but pretty expensive. We stayed for a while, but left to make sure we got some sleep before the bus.We had planned to take a bus directly to Uruguay from Florianopolis, but found out that could only be done on Tuesdays. Since we wanted to leave on a Sunday we had to change our plans. Decided on Porto Alegre since we had talked about going there anyway. Up early, we had a seven hour trip there. Thinking we could sleep on that bus was incorrect since some guy right behind us snored so loud I don´t think anyone in Brazil could sleep if they wanted to. Luckily when we got to Porto Alegre, we could take a bus that night to Punta del Este in Uruguay. So we waited in the bus terminal for four hours until we could take the night bus.
Our bus was the best bus I have ever been on. Luxury at its finest. We got two meals, the seats were huge and reclined almost all the way back, it was like flying first class. We didn´t even have to wake up at customs and get off the bus to get our passport stamped on the way into Uruguay, it was all done for us. I slept the whole time until the attendant on the bus woke me to let us know we were near our stop. We had to wait in the bus terminal in Punta del Este until we could get a taxi since we were there so early.
Arrived at our hostel early, but they were expecting us so it was alright. The hostel is very cute. Its run by a man and his wife and their two and a half year old son. Its in there house and they are the nicest, most helpful people ever. We went with the wife to the shopping center to get some Uruguayan currency. Its kind of confusing because the denominations are really big, so when I took out 700, it was really $35. We hooked up with some people in the hostel and rented bikes for the day. First up a beach and layed around there for a bit. We were just there relaxing when a seal swam right up to the shore. Super cool! After the beach, we rode into town and walked around and got some more churros. Best churros ever, warm and gooey. We got a little lost last night trying to ride the bikes back to the hostel since the roads are a little confusing. We also got distracted because this woman approached us on the street and asked us to ride past some barking dogs with her since she was scared. I also think she was a witch because then we asked her directions to where we needed to go and she gave us incorrect information. So also looked like a witch and must have used a confounding spell on us. We did make it back eventually so we must have broken her spell.
Punta del Este is a huge tourist spot in Uruguay in the summer. Kevin Bacon and Shakria have houses here. However, this is the end of the summer so its been a little cool and windy. Amanda and I kept our bikes for today and rode around to a lighthouse and to the port. We also finally did some laundry which made us both really excited. Tomorrow we are leaving for Montevideo for two nights and then a day trip to Colonia de Sacramento before taking the ferry over to Buenos Aires. Getting excited for all the adventures still to come. Hopefully, we can find some green beer in Montevideo!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Foz do Iguacu
The last two days in Sao Paulo were pretty fun. Saturday morning we woke up to pouring rain, but we didn´t let that stop us. We put on our rain coats and stomped off to the antique market nearby. Then took the metro to the bus station to purchase our tickets for the next night to the Iguassu Falls. Next we went to the Museum of Art of Sao Paulo, where they had a great exhibit of romanticism art. The most exciting part of the day was trying to find the Bela Vista neighborhood which is like a little Italy. On the map it looked like it wasn´t a far walk but maps can be deceiving. After miles of uphill walking we finally arrived in Bela Vista to find out they do not serve pizza until after 6pm!!! I was distraught. And after 6pm Bela Vista is not a place I´d want to be. Disappointed by the lack of pizza we trucked it back to the metro station and ended up making dinner back at the hostel.
Sunday morning was absolutly beautiful! Gorgeous day so we walked to a nearby park called Ibirapuera Park that was equally as gorgeous. However, since this was the first nice day of the trip, we absentmindly forget to put on sunscreen. Still feeling the effects of that burn 4 days later. Should be alright for the beach tomorrow though. We walked around the park and got some food and just enjoyed the day since we had a 16 hour bus trip that night.
The bus journey was surprisingly smooth. We did´t know what to except after some cruel ones in southeast Asia. We had plenty of leg room and the seats reclined so that pretty much all you can ask for. AND we did arrive early. Burnt and sleepy, we met a nice German boy, Dennis, at the bus station and shared a taxi with him to the hostel. We were unable to check in until the afternoon so after a quick shower we decided to take the bus to the Iguassu Falls on the Brazilan side.
Absolutly stunning. At first you can only see some waterfalls and those are so large and beauiful, but then more and more are revealed to you has you keep walking. It felt like it went on forever. The trip was pretty easy to do as well, but when we were taking the bus back all of the sudden like 56 people got on the bus at once which made me feel very lucky to have a seat.
Exhausted when we got back to the hostel, I took my first nap of the trip. I honestly could have slept until the next morning easily, but I got up cuz a girl has got to eat. We went to an area supermarket where they have a really nice buffet that was per kilo and sooooo cheap.
Argentina side of the falls was yesterday and if I thought that the Brazil side was amazing, then this side was spectacular. We took the bus to Argentina without the tour the hostel was offering because we could save a lot of money doing it. We had to take a bus to the Brazilan border and thought we had to get off to get stamped out but the bus driver told us not to. Then cross into Argentina, get stamped in, exchange money, get back on the bus, go into town, change buses to one that would take us out the the falls, and then finally arrive. It took about 2 hours, but totally worth it.
The Argentina side has much more to offer. There are 3 walks you can do out to the falls and get right up close to them and go under the water, which was nice since it was brutally hot again. Also, we walked through the forest to get the falls so we saw birds, monkeys, butterflies, and these raccoon type creatures. The Argentina side is much busier, but within reason. We spent most of the day there and then had to take the bus back, but this time it only took an hour and when the bus driver asked if we had to stop at the Brazilan border we just waved him on.
Today is a relaxing day as we get ready for another bus journey to the beach. The sunburn should be better by the time we get to the beach tomorrow morning. A few nights there, a quick stop in Porto Allgre and then on to Uruguay!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Chicken Hearts
Arrived in Sao Paulo yesterday without a hitch. Flight was easy, slept most of the time and Amanda was waiting for me at the arrivals gate. The taxi to the hostel was another story. Everytime I thought we were close, it was another 20 minutes of traffic and slamming on the brakes to avoid a bus. Alas, we are alive and well in Vila Malendena, Sao Paulo.
The hostel is cute. The staff here is amazing. One of the guys even whipped out a giant map of Brazil and South America and told us in detail everywhere we should go and how we can get there. A little overwhelming that we only have a little over 4 months to see such a large chunk of land. Very overwhelming to Amanda since England is roughly the size of Maine :)
We walked around yesterday in an artsy neighborhood nearby after getting some food where you have to weight your plate and pay per kilo. The food was really good and I was just grabbing everything to try it. We found a street called Grafitti Alley and took a lot of pictures of these obsecure art pieces. We also stopped to get some coffee and ended up with hot chocolate with the mug rimmed with chocolate frosting. Its a good thing I like chocolate as much as the Brazilans.
The hostel had announced that there was some jazz playing nearby and that we should check it out. We went there first to see if we could eat but decided against it and tried this kabob place instead. Portuguese is not like Spanish. I don´t care what anyone says. Not the same. At the restaurant we had to order kabobs of food individually. We ordered 2 chicken ones (I had found out what the word was for chicken), one brocoli and one mushroom. Then we saw one table had a bread with cheese one so we ordered 2 of those also. So the chicken came out really dark. I tried it and I thought it was chicken and it was, just not the part of the chicken that I was hoping to eat. Hearts that is. Amanda did not eat hers. We went to the jazz club later and stayed for some of the music, but we were really tired and left. Wish we would have stayed longer since we didn`t know we were paying a cover to get in.
Today we took the metro into downtown Sao Paulo. Very different from the area we are staying in. So far we´ve felt totally safe in our neighborhood, but the area we went to today is probably what the guidebooks are talking about when they discuss safety. We were fine and went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in Sao Paulo. I´ve never seen a skyline like that. Builings just for miles and miles and it was even cloudy today so I don´t know where they stopped. We went to a few churches and just walked around the area. Lunch was exciting because we pointed to some pastry type items in a window of the restaurant and said we wanted those. Turned out nice and very cheap. Then we took the metro to the Japan town. Surprisingly, Sao Paulo has the highest population of Japanese outside of Japan. Interesting area and we can´t wait to eat some suishi.
Metro back to the hostel. I had a situation with the lock on my backpack that I used as a carry on not wanting to open and we had that taken care of with a hammer from one of the lovely staff at the hostel.
Tonight maybe some Samba or more food. Definitely more food. Saturday is the big market day and then Sunday who knows. Sunday night we´ll be taking the bus to Iguassu Falls and then after that, the beach.
The hostel is cute. The staff here is amazing. One of the guys even whipped out a giant map of Brazil and South America and told us in detail everywhere we should go and how we can get there. A little overwhelming that we only have a little over 4 months to see such a large chunk of land. Very overwhelming to Amanda since England is roughly the size of Maine :)
We walked around yesterday in an artsy neighborhood nearby after getting some food where you have to weight your plate and pay per kilo. The food was really good and I was just grabbing everything to try it. We found a street called Grafitti Alley and took a lot of pictures of these obsecure art pieces. We also stopped to get some coffee and ended up with hot chocolate with the mug rimmed with chocolate frosting. Its a good thing I like chocolate as much as the Brazilans.
The hostel had announced that there was some jazz playing nearby and that we should check it out. We went there first to see if we could eat but decided against it and tried this kabob place instead. Portuguese is not like Spanish. I don´t care what anyone says. Not the same. At the restaurant we had to order kabobs of food individually. We ordered 2 chicken ones (I had found out what the word was for chicken), one brocoli and one mushroom. Then we saw one table had a bread with cheese one so we ordered 2 of those also. So the chicken came out really dark. I tried it and I thought it was chicken and it was, just not the part of the chicken that I was hoping to eat. Hearts that is. Amanda did not eat hers. We went to the jazz club later and stayed for some of the music, but we were really tired and left. Wish we would have stayed longer since we didn`t know we were paying a cover to get in.
Today we took the metro into downtown Sao Paulo. Very different from the area we are staying in. So far we´ve felt totally safe in our neighborhood, but the area we went to today is probably what the guidebooks are talking about when they discuss safety. We were fine and went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in Sao Paulo. I´ve never seen a skyline like that. Builings just for miles and miles and it was even cloudy today so I don´t know where they stopped. We went to a few churches and just walked around the area. Lunch was exciting because we pointed to some pastry type items in a window of the restaurant and said we wanted those. Turned out nice and very cheap. Then we took the metro to the Japan town. Surprisingly, Sao Paulo has the highest population of Japanese outside of Japan. Interesting area and we can´t wait to eat some suishi.
Metro back to the hostel. I had a situation with the lock on my backpack that I used as a carry on not wanting to open and we had that taken care of with a hammer from one of the lovely staff at the hostel.
Tonight maybe some Samba or more food. Definitely more food. Saturday is the big market day and then Sunday who knows. Sunday night we´ll be taking the bus to Iguassu Falls and then after that, the beach.
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