Brasil - Part 4

Wow, long time no post! I think this may just be my longest post ever since it's been nearly 2 1/2 weeks since the last one. Oh well - we have been busy! Enjoy:)



Day 32 – November 30

We reluctantly left Jericocoara and headed off to Natal

Ahhhh Jeri – we will miss you! (and your oh so relaxing hammocks!)

Our bus actually drove ON the beach!!! The 'road' was marked with poles shoved into the sand – completely bizarre!

Day 33 – December 1 (cont)

In Natal we stayed at a not so nice posada, but in the nice part of town. Took a walk down to the beach (ok, but dirty from rubbish and too many people) but we did get a lovely view of the Ponta Negra, which is the highlight of the area. It’s a tallm steep dune cut into the side of a mountain, just down at the end of the beach. The whole beach front is a bit dodgy though… especially at night, so we didn’t venture too far. We did manage to spend the afternoon at the mall though which was SO nice!! (first fancy mall we have seen here!)

Day 34 – December 2

Today we got a private transfer to Praia da Pipa. However the bus didn’t leave until early afternoon, so we spent the morning wisely ….

In the pool! (Steve, Anne, Murray and Lance)

Pipa rivals Jeri as Northeast Brasil’s hippest town. However, it is more developed with upscale boutiques, nicer restaurants, decent surfing, dolphin filled waters and pristine beaches backed by tall cliffs.
Me on the beach in Pipa with my ice cream cone

We LOVED the town (Mom & Helen – you’d love it – the shopping is FAB)!
A picture for Helen (you would NOT believe how many versions of havianas they have here!!! We are SO tempted)!

Way out of our travelers price range to shop much, but it was fun to look. And the range of restaurants was massive!
Really nice shops!!

We ended up having dinner at a cute little crepe place and shared two super yummy crepes (beef stroganoff and curry), after walking around the town and exploring the beach for a few hours.

On the beach – lovely view!!!

And we ended the night on a high note – our first try of the Brasillian favorite – Acai (pronounced ah – sah – eeeeee). It is a sorbet tasting treat made from a local berry – usually topped with granola and bananas. Oh WOW is it good! And good for you – apparently it has a lot of iron in it and is a good energy source (the surfers are addicted to it)!
So far, Pipa is one of our favorite Brasillian places. I would definitely recommend it to someone if they were looking for a nice beach break from Rio - really lovely place.

Day 35 – December 3

Today we went on a lovely boat that reminded us of a pirate ship – the goal was dolphin watching!

On our little boat heading out to our ‘ship’

The boats we rode out on had these funny little bench seats – so odd looking!

We ended up seeing 3 dolphins! Two adults and a baby. They played around the boat, and we all had a decent view of them. It was a lovely boat as well – nice afternoon out!
One of the dolphins

Later that afternoon we hopped in the back of Leticia’s friend Nat’s boogie (dune buggy) and went to the next beach down to surf and swim.
n Me on the back of the boogie with Nat at the wheel

When we got there we realized that it was the SAME beach that the boat had taken us to earlier that day!!! I proceeded to sit on the beach for a few hours (I was nursing a bit of sunburn) and watch the dolphins play the entire time! Shame, if we had known that we could just go to the beach we wouldn’t have gone on the dolphin watching boat trip – oh well.
Lovely beach – Praia dos Golfinos

I did see one amazing site. I watched a fish jump along a wave that was just beginning to break, and then a dolphin jumped out of the wave, grabbed the fish, and surfed a bit inside the wave. IT was SO beautiful – I think I actually shrieked a bit when I saw that (even though I was standing there by myself). Murray swam out trying to take pictures of them, and Leticia attempted some surfing – but the waves just weren’t big enough.

Shelly, Lance and Me enjoying coconut milk on the beach

This little guy was buzzing around as well – cute! (little challenge... anyone know what kind of bird this guy is??)

When we were tired of the beach Shelly, Lance, Murray and I decided to walk back (because the tide was still low)
Looking back on the beach

The first part was quite rocky though!!

But the rest was lovely sand! Deserted and gorgeous!

It really was a stunning view – this is one of the best places we have been so far.

That evening we got crepes – again. We love them though – cheap and oh so yummy. The we shared another Acai, and went out for a drink. Quite a lovely day I must say!

Day 36 – December 4

Today we got a morning bus that took 4 hours to the colonial city of Olinda.
The houses we saw on the drive had something in common………
(check out all those satellite dishes)!!

It was a hot and miserable ride – even though we had our own little mini bus – but no air con!!! So, an ice cream stop was a necessity!!!

From left: Steve, Steve, Shelly, Leticia, Anne, Me, Murray, Mary and Mair
Our guide – hard at work on the bus

We finally arrived in Olinda and we were THRILLED to see there was a pool (since the rooms were terrible – we had some sort of bug infestation going on). Only problem was the pool water was warm from the hot sun, we still jumped in for a quick dip though!

The big city in this area of Brasil is Recife, it’s cultural counterpart is Olinda. Olinda sits on a hill overlooking Recife and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of Brasil’s largest and best preserved colonial cities. Many of the buildings were originally constructed in the 16th century, but the Dutch burnt almost everything to the ground in 1631 (so they could take over). The majority of what you see today is what was constructed at a later date (Olinda is a UNESCO site – and is slowly being rebuilt to it’s previous glory).
Lovely streets

View from the top of the hill

Olinda is also famous for it’s gorgeous churches
We had dinner at a lovely restaurant over looking Olinda with a view of the ocean and Recife. We had a lovely piece of dorado fish in coconut sauce with veggies and manuca chips (a local potatoe like veg) – very nice!

Lance and Shelly showing off their bug spray they remembered to bring with:)
Lovely view

Pictures of pictures – Lance and Steve couldn’t resist snapping away either!

Recife – stunning sunset
Me with our meal (a moqueca)
On the way back to the posada we found and amazing ice cream shop!!

The flavor we chose was ‘pineapple and wine.’ It was SO lovely and SO unusual!

Day 37 – December 5

Today we did a walking tour of Olinda with a local – English speaking – guide. The tour took 3 hours and was great – we really got to see a lot of the city.

Lovely multi colored buildings

We thought it was hilarious that this tree was growing OUT of the house!

Lance, Steve and Murray liked the birds

We also spotted a monkey on the power line

He didn’t answer any of our monkey calls though!

We spent the afternoon relaxing and trying to avoid the extreme heat.

Gotta love the beer can with a covered foil top! Nice and clean and fresh!

Then that evening we headed off to the bus station for yet another night bus – this time to Salvador.

We were quite excited to see we got a snack box and a bag with a pillow and a blanket! Unheard of!! Still super uncomfortable to try and sleep though.

They did show one movie though – an American movie (I can’t remember the name – I do remember it was rubbish though and starred Paul Walker). The funny thing was it was voiced over in Portuguese, with English subtitles – how bizarre since it’s an English speaking movie!

Day 38 – December 6

We arrived after a VERY long bus ride in Salvador.
Leticia sorting out paying the taxis as the rest of the group wandered with their bags

They were kind enough to allow us to have the ‘small breakfast.’ Um but WOW – actually it was one of the beat spreads we have had so far. Tons and tons of fresh fruits (mango galore),
lovely pastries and cakes (they like cake here for breakfast – I don’t question it).

We also thought it was pretty cool as well that we were staying at a Rasta hotel
The Rasta last supper - a painting which was hanging in the breakfast room

Salvador is the African soul of Brasil and the capital of the state of Bahia. Descendants of African slaves, who were brought here by the Portuguese to work on the sugar plantations, have preserved their cultural roots here more than anywhere else in the new world. Today it is Brasil’s third largest city, which is split into two parts divided by a steep bluff: Cidade Alto (upper city) and Cidade Baixa (lower city). Brasillians refer to the country’s first capital as the ‘land of happiness and song.’
We had a lovely walk around town – there is a lot of artwork around
Lovely cobbles streets which are all foot traffic only

This is the elevator that you take from the upper to the lower city (and it only costs 5 cents!)

One of the main squares

Me in Salvador

Chilling out of the street – how lazy does THIS guy look! We like to call this 'Brasillian lurking' We found a place that sold delicious iced coffees – oh – my – gosh – they were beyond amazing! (even Murray liked them - and he doesn't like coffee!)

That evening we tagged along with Leticia to the Capoeira fort – this is the place where the modern sport of capoeira began (it was developed by the slaves of Bahia).
No pictures were allowed during the session though – shame, because it was amazing. Leticia had a go – and we were quite impressed with how good she is – especially since she was paired against a guy twice her size! We were impressed by the way the participants could bend and move with such ease. We loved how everyone took a turn playing the musical instruments, the lined up for their chance to fight. It really was amazing to watch the whole ritual from start to finish, and not as a tourist show, but just as onlookers to a real life display of Capoeira in a training school. On the way back we stopped and had a really yummy pizza while we listened to Leti’s friend playing the guitar in the restaurant.
Steve was quite excited about the hot sauce and the beer (oh – and how cool are these beer coolers! They are for large beers – 600mls – and keep it nice and chilly)!

Day 39 – December 7

Today we decided to go on a boat tour.
The ‘band’ on the boat was interesting…. We certainly were not expecting live music! It was kinda fun though - set the mood!

After about an hour drive we got to our first beach stop. We had a nice swim, and then relaxed in the shade because it was SO hot! The sand was so hot you really just had to run to the shade!

We spotted this guy fishing – up to his neck in the water – how bizarre is that!

Our tour boat at the dock

Relaxing at the beach – Me, Murray, Shelly, Steve, Anne & Steve
Our bill at the bar
(they put your empty bottles near your table so that when you are ready to go you know exactly how many you have had)
Cute kids on the dock as we were leaving

Steve and Murray – desperately missing their office in the UK

All in all the boat trip was – ok. The beach was nice – but nothing fabulous really. The second stop was a total tourist trap (they dropped us off AT a restaurant). We all walked straight out and down the beach since we all had brought along sandwiches. Not a bad day though – the weather was fab and it was a nice excursion.

On the way back we stopped for more of those yummy iced coffees and cigars
Lance with his cigar and his Magnum mustache

This old guy wouldn’t leave Lance alone – kept trying to show him a trick with his handkerchief which went nowhere…. You can tell he’s thrilled
Murray with his chocolate cigar moustache and me with a little vanilla cigar (it still just tasted like plain cigar though – bleh)
Lance & Murray with their South American facial hair

AND THEN - that evening – TRADGEDY STRUCK

Murray’s camera died!!!

It was quite freaky actually. The night before he had a big long dream in which he missed out on an animal tour because his camera wouldn’t focus and it was very upsetting.
Then the NEXT DAY his camera will not focus! It will still take pictures, and the little focus box comes up, but every single photo is blurry. So after a bit of web research which told him it is a very expensive thing to fix – he got out his swiss army knife and took it apart to see what he could do. Unfortunately, it was a goner. He did have fun opening it up though!

Thankfully we have one other small digital camera with (our old one that we brought with because it fits in the underwater diving case). However, we are in the market for a new one – with a good size screen and a few more megapixals (we are spoiled now)!

Day 40 – December 8

Today we had one more FULL day in Salvador. Why why why – that is the question. We spent the day wandering around town a bit, enjoying some lovely Acai, planning our 1 yes ONE day in Rio (darn you GAP!!!) and then had a group dinner out which was ok.
All in all – we could not WAIT to leave Salvador. The old town does have a lot of charm – but it is SO dodgy at night! We didn’t dare go out on our own as there were people all over the place really to hassle you – quite scary. We did go out for a drink on our last night with our guide– down where the locals hang out – but WOW did we stick out like sore thumbs. So much so that we only stayed a few minutes and then headed back to the safety of our posada.

Day 41 – December 9

Today we flew to Rio de Janeiro!!!! Unfortunately we had an afternoon flight which was majorly delayed, and then our bus wasn’t there to pick us when we arrived and we waited an hour. So we didn’t get to our hotel until it was nearly time for the sunset. Oh and one of the cabs nearly ran over a little girl on the way to the airport. Good riddance Salvador!

So as soon as we checked in we headed down to Copacabana beach (which was only 2 blocks away)!
Lance and Murray got a piece of corn from a vendor on the beach. A bit overcooked – but a lovely little treat!

Rio de Janeiro is a densely packed city of over 9 million people, whose economic foundations lie in the cultivation of sugar cane and gold mining. Referred to as the ‘cidade maravilhosa (Marvellous City), few cities enjoy such a dramatic setting as Rio. Brilliant white beaches at Copacabana and Ipanema, deep blue waters of the Atlantic, the luminescent green of Guanabara Bay, and the bare blue slopes of Sugar Loaf mountain combine to make Rio unique. The Portuguese sailed here in 1501 and entered the huge bay – mistaking it for a river – thus the name ‘Rio.’ The city has an unusually urban diversity – beaches, mountains, skyscrapers, and favellas (shanty towns) dot this densely packed city.

Copacabana beach at night

Copacabana is so fabulous! It is one of the world’s best known beaches – stretching 4.5 km. The area of Copacabana (where we stayed) is one of the planet’s most densely populated areas with over 25,00 people per square kilometer crammed into a narrow strip of land. We especially enjoyed the beach. The beach had tall wooden postos (posts) along the beach which subdivide the beach into areas – the young area, the older area, the gay area, etc. We actually found one area of the beach where they were holding juggling volleyball competitions! So amazing! Each player (2 on each side) juggled 2 pins, then one yellow pin was pitched back and forth – and had to be continually juggled as well – quite difficult!

The things I noticed that are different here to pretty much every other place we have seen in Brasil so far– lots of nicely dressed people, cute little pampered dogs, muscle men all over the place showing off, and SUCH fab people watching. The beach is VERY deep – goes back really far until you hit the street. We not only enjoyed that cob of corn, but also couldn’t resist getting a Spanish style churro – which is like a long deep fried donut rolled in sugar. The added bonus with this one was that they also pumped chocolate into the middle of it – um YUMMY!

That evening we went for our last group dinner (the next part of our tour starts tomorrow – which means we will lose and gain a few group members – and we get a new guide).
We went to an AMAZING rodizio restaurant called Monicheque. There was a massive buffet (with fab salads, pastas, hot food, sushi, etc etc) and it is all you can eat. Then they also have guys walking around with different types of meat on swords (Marcus you’d LOVE this place). They stop by your table and slice you off a few pieces of whatever you want. Amazing steak, chicken, sausage, cream cheese filled rolls with garlic, etc etc. We all ate a ton – that’s for darn sure! (I also loved that FINALLY there was some real salad dressing. I made myself up a massive Caesar salad and oh oh oh was it good)!
Steve and Steve enjoying the meal

After dinner Lance, Shelly, Steve, Us and Leti went out to Lapa (an area know for it’s amazing Samba) to listen to some Samba and have a few drinks

This was the Samba bar – turns out the admission price was quite high – and all you could really see was a guy playing a guitar and singing.
So we just drank on the street like everyone else until 3:30 in the morning instead – it was a fun night! And thankfully we didn’t stick out like huge sore thumbs since there was a few other tourists around, and the locals were super friendly.

Day 42 – December 10

We walked in the morning to Ipanema beach (just after Copacabana is a rock peninsula – then you have Ipanema). Ipanema is the Indian word for bad, dangerous waters. We could definitely feel why when we went for a swim. There is strong undertow for sure! The swimming was brilliant though. The water was cool and refreshing, and there was only one major break (good for people who are frightened of big waves – like me). Once you got past that break you could just bob over the waves, which hit the shore so hard that they would bounce back. So at times waves were crisscrossing – strange!
Steve and Lance catching a photo op

Ipanema beach
Ipanema - so pretty!
A good view of coconut water – which tastes like milk. Really lovely when it’s cold – they just slice off the top and stick in a straw and you’re ready to go!

Then we hurried back to the hotel for our city tour which was starting at 2pm.

Our first stop was Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). It was a long windy ride up the mountain – but wow was it worth it. Quite overwhelming and stunning in person.

Cristo Redentor sits atop Corcovada (hunchback) mountain and gazes over Rio with a placid expression on his face (did you know his face and hands were carved in France)! The mountain rises straight up from the city to 710 meters. The 38 meter high statue is visible from nearly every part of the city. He weights 1145 tons as well!

Me & Murray
Group photo
Steve and Murray working on the 'blue steel' (from the movie zoolander)

Next we went to the street where the Carnival parade is held each year. They had a little museum where you could try on Carnival costumes. I quite liked the fruit topped outfit!
Then we stopped by the Cathedral Metropolitana. It is quite bleak an odd looking from the outside….

But the inside is amazing



Next we went to Pao de Acucar – Sugarloaf Mountain.
The first cable car ascends 220 meters to the Morro da Urca – from which you can see the bay and the coastline., The next cable car goes up to the Pao de Acucar.
Me & Murray with Sugarloaf in the background
The view from the top of sugarloaf was amazing- Rio really is a gorgeous city

Group photo! on the watch!
The sunset was absolutely stunning.
Another amazing sunset photo
The view going back down

Our guide though – was awful. She was loud, her English wasn’t great – and she was annoying. When she saw Murray’s big camera she started calling him ‘professional boy.’ She would shout this name – at the top of her lungs – across crowded places. Of course Murray ignored that completely – how annoying! She also tried to rush us off the mountain – telling us ‘sunset over – we go now’ – while we were standing there watching the sun still setting. Oh well, it was still a good way to see Rio in just one day. I am frustrated thought that the tour company we are traveling with at the moment only gave us one day in such an amazing city. Must come back some day for sure!

That evening we had a nice dinner with our new guide Paul, and new group members Robin – a guy from San Francisco and Antonella – a lady from Italy. We had a nice meal at a kilo restaurant (lovely salads again – hooray)! However, we all envied Steve’s choice in the end – he had ordered the all you can eat pizza meal. For a set price you get tons and tons of pizza – they bring out fresh kinds constantly and you can have a slice of whatever you want until you say you are done. The best part??? Dessert pizza. OH wow oh wow oh wow. Our table was ohhhing and awwwwing as Steve tried about 6 different verities – banana with sugar and cinnamon, m&ms, white chocolate flakes with strawberries, chocolate sprinkles, and colored sprinkles. Let’s just say that every time no waiting staff was looking someone at our table ‘stole’ a tiny taste of what was on Steve’s plate. We are definitely getting that next time it’s an option!

Then it was time to pack up because we were leaving Rio the next day to head to Ilhe Grande. A pic of Eskibon’s – awesome little ice cream bites covered in chocolate - lovely for dessrt! And the ketchup and mayo packets we took from the restaurant to go on our lunch ham and cheese sandwiches. Quite necessary when that is what we have EVERY day for lunch! Gotta mix it up a bit!

Day 43 – December 11

Murray and I got up early to pop down one last time for a swim at Copacabana beach.

Then after a 3 hour bus ride, we got onto the boat that would take us to Ilhe Grande!

Ilhe Grande is just outside of Rio and is part of the 270km coastline called the Costa Verde (green coast) – which is a unique mix of mountains. Rainforest, lagoons and untouched tropical islands. Ilhe Grande is a fabulous island resort who owes it’s stunningly pristine beaches to what the Brasillians call the ‘forces of Evil.’ The island was first a pirate’s lair, then a leper colony, and finally a prison. The island’s history kept the developers at bay for along time, so there are still only 3 settlements on the island.
Back to the boat – seems like some people brought everything and the kitchen sink!

We loved our posada – we each had our own ‘chalets’
Me at our chalet
Lance eyeing a stray dog while we had a drink down at the beach

Only bad part about the island – dogs. Dogs everywhere. Some are a bit mangy, but most look all right – there are just TOO many homeless dogs around. It’s quite sad really. A lot of strange breeds too – we saw one dog with a rotweiler looking face, who had super short legs and a long wide body – odd.
But the island is gorgeous!
We were confused about this shower though? Why put a plug above the shower head??

That evening, after a walk around town with the group, Murray and I went and got chicken burgers. We know enough basic Portuguese now to sort of get the message across, but it was funny when I was trying to ask them to put a slice of pineapple (abacaxi) on the burger and he kept saying – no, solo suco (only juice). Oh ok then.

Day 44 – December 12

Today we got up early to do a jungle trek to Praia Lopes Mendes – apparently the most beautiful beach in Brasil.

After walking by the harbor
We got into the jungle
We were all a bit hot and exhausted by the end 2 ½ hour hike (a lot of it up hill as well)!
But the view from the top was amazing! (that darn cruise ship kept pumping people onto the island though) - nice pic of Steve, Anne, Lance & Shelly
The jungle was super thick and lush
And nicely shaded us from the sun for most of the hike
There was one beach stop on the way which was beautiful
And we saw this bizarre little fish – they pop out of the water like they are flying

The beach just before Lopes Mendes even had a beach bar which floated out on the water!! (you can just see it here)
This guy ran the ‘bar taxi’ – he had a little rope and pulley that he used to pull the boat back and forth to the bar. It worked quite well I must say!
Finally, finally, finally we arrived at Lopes Mendes
Me at the beach – getting our lunch sandwiches ready.

It REALLY is a gorgeous beach. Stunning clean bright sand, lovely cool bright blue water, amazing.
We saw these little guys on the way back
Too cute!
Just as we were getting back (we all took the boat taxi – only Lance and Steve walked back) it started to rain.
Then the snails came out in force – they were huge!!

That evening, after we booked a dive for the next day (along with Lance), we had an amazing BBQ which was thrown together by the posada. It really was fabulous – great meat, awesome salad, and many Caipirinha (sugarcane rum called cachaça mixed with limes and
LOTS of sugar)! To top it off we had a fabulous chocolate cake with awesome icing to celebrate Antonella’s birthday!

Day 45 – 13 December

Rain, Rain, Rain

It started yesterday afternoon, and was still going when we woke up – really strong heavy rain. So, the diving was cancelled – which was really disappointing. They said it wasn’t so much that we couldn’t dive in the rain, but more that it would be a freezing cold ride to and from the diving island in the open boat since it was a two hour ride each way. Bummer.

So we spent the day relaxing….
Me: handwashing clothing, reading, writing in my journal (oh and I finished reading ‘Latitudes of Melt’ by Joan Clark – highly recommend – especially since my maiden name is mentioned!!!! Really great book as well).
Murray: swapping movies on laptops with our new guide Paul and relaxing

Also, Shelly got a tattoo – it’s really lovely – a vine with two butterflies – one light blue and one lavender on her lower back.

After checking out her tattoo Murray and I had dinner with our new group member Robin and enjoyed some lovely baked potatoes (which they filled with beef stroganoff – odd, but nice)!

Day 46 – 14 December

We got up today – and guess what – it was STILL raining! Wow I have never seen so much rain. So we packed up our stuff, got on our waterproofs, and headed down to catch the ferry back to the mainland to the city of Angra dos Reis.
We then took our first public bus, for about 2 hours, to Paraty. (still happy in the rain!)
When we arrived Paul tried to convince us that the horse and cart was the best way to get into town (just kidding – we walked).

Paraty is a really lovely Colonial town which was once part of the gold trail. It was the major port from which Brasil would send gold to Europe. The old town is quite large and is closed to traffic. It feels safe, is super cute, and has SUPER cobbled streets which rocks so large you really have to watch where you are walking. The locals call the irregular cobblestone streets Pes de moleque (street urchin’s feet).




We had a lovely day exploring the town, and then a FABULOUS Thai dinner (first spicy food we have had in AGES)!

Day 47 - December 15

We got up and decided not to go diving because it was quite overcast in the morning. So, Murray and I decided instead that we would hike to see a local waterfall.

The views on the walk were absolutely stunning
How funny is THIS?? The guy is transporting a satellite dish on the back of a motorbike!!
Cool walkway to a restaurant we saw on the way
Beautiful
I love this - a church built up on a giant rock - so unsual!
Finally (after 12km of walking in the HOT sun) we arrived at Cachoeira do Toboga. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there - but it was SO worth it.
Me getting ready for a refreshing swim
People were sliding down this waterfall - notice the guy at the top standing & getting ready to 'surf' down. Murray went down the slope as well, but sitting (at my insistance). Quite fun! We do have a video of it - I should see if I can get it onto youtube at some point.
Me swimming - the water was ICE cold!! Nice though for a quick dip
That evening after a nice group dinner (to celebrate Lance and Shelly's 6th wedding anniversary) we went out for a drink and Murray and Paul had an intense coaster flipping and catching competition (Murray won)!!

All in all - we LOVED Pataty. Definitely the best colonial town we have been to. So clean, lovely people, great shopping and tons and tons of amazing restaurants.

Day 48 - December 16

Today we got a private bus which would take us to Sao Paulo

We stopped for lunch on the way and Steve hit up the kilo restaurant (wher eyou pay by the weight of the food you choose)
We were thrilled to find Fanta Uva light (hard to find the light ones!! oh and uva is grape)
Our lunch - yummm yummm (not). We are becoming good backpackers though! Ham and cheese and bread from the breakfast buffet for lunch means we can afford a nice dinner out:)
It took us 5 1/2 hours to get to Sao Paulo - WOW what a crowded bus station! Granted, the city is HUGE - 16 million people! We all checked out bags (after drooling over Bob's milkshakes - gosh they are nice) and then popped over to a nearby mall to check for cameras while waiting for our night bus to leave. They seem to only like sony here though (we want a canon) so no luck.
It was a long and uncomfortable bus ride (as usual). Lance and Shelly were NICE enough to take this oh so lovely photo of us sleeping onthe bus. OH and yes - we do have our rain jackets on. It was SO cold that we put every piece of clothing we had on!

Day 49 - December 17

We finally arrived in Foz do Iguacu (Iguazu Falls) in the morning. After quickly checking into the hotel and grabbing some breakfast, we headed off to see the falls from the Brasillian side.

Murray and I and the stunning Iguazu Falls
So beautiful
Murray and I






MNurray and I & Iguazu Falls
Steve and Murray and blue steel at Iguazu

Wow, wow, wow

I just don't even know what to say. The falls are SUCH an amazing site. So huge - 275 different waterfalls which crash 80m into the Rio Iguacu. So stunning - we were really really impressed.

After we finished checking out the falls we stopped by a bird park on the way back to the hotel.

And FINALLY we saw some toucans! Apparently there are a lot of differnt kinds of toucans.

We also got to see some scarlet ibus birds up close! Stunning
And a toucan as we all know them - amazing! The park had these fantastic walk through bird enclosures where you could get right up close.

This guy flew right for Murray - but he managed to get a good shot!
Stuning birds
Cute little humming bird
Cool photo of a hummingbird getting a bite to eat
Lovely
This guy hopped onto Murray's leg for a lick - must have been salty!


I loved the park!

That evening we all went out for a group dinner

and saw this odd site on the way.... local rubbish (garbage) collectors
Antonella at dinner - trying a turkey testicle (ewwwwww)
Map of dinner - it was another of those rodizio - all you can eat restaurants. Really nice!
The best BBQ dessert EVER - they roasted an entire pineapple, with the skin cut off, coated in sugar and cinnamon - yummmmmm!

Day 50 - December 18

Today we got up early and crossed the border to Argentina to get another view of the falls.

The border - Brasil on the left, Argentina on the right (this was on a bridge over the Iguacu River - pretty cool!
A funny sign we saw on the way
Murray and I and a slightly let camera at Iguazu Falls on the Argentinian side (much closer up view from this side - thus why it was WET)!

It was really stunning to see the falls up close - this part is called the Devil's throat.
The walkways out are great - they give you such an amazing view.
We took a boat tour that took us down to the base of the falls - wow that was amazing! Loud roaring and so powerful. We went in a giant raft that had two 250's, and just bashed it's way up to the base. They actually drove us UNDER the spray - which was amazing. We went in and out a few times - nice up close. At one point we all looked up in awe at a massive spray that was bouncing back up after hitting the river - then it fell RIGHT on us!! Luckily the water was nice and warm (since it was raining, we were all soaked, and freezing)! Going under the edge of the falls was a bizarre experience. We all got SO soaked - but we were laughing the entire time.
This was before I got soaked. It didn't really matter though since by the time we finished the boat ride it was pouring with rain!! So we all booked it back to the entrance and waited for our van to take us back (burrrrr). Shelly and I spent much of this time in the bathroom trying to warm our feet and hands under the hair dryer (quite a funny site - but man we were cold)!

We went out for an evening meal with Lance and Shelly (yummy pasta) and then we all ventured down to the local supermercado (grocery store) and WOW it was great! Best grocery store in South America so far. American size (whoo hoo) and finally finally - lots of selection. We even found peanut butter - which is SO hard to come by here!

So now we're stocked up and ready for another night bus tonight (bleh) which will take us to Uraguay. However, first - this afternoon - we are taking a day trip to Paraguay ( how bizarre)! Apparently they have a lot of reasonably priced cameras (fingers crossed)!!

SO - Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!!! Love from us both:)