Coming full circle....(the end)

Planning is cool! I am all about grasping the paradox between serendipity and free-will fo' sho'. Since returning to the States in June, I have made good on a long held "domestic" dream of relocating to the Bay Area. I was even able to find a decent living situation!! It turns out that my trip down here last October was very influential on my direction. I am not sure how long I will live in this area but I do plan on enjoying it to the fullest while I am here! As for my plans well....things are kind of general for now and I hope to formulate some details as I go. I would like to pursue my interests academically (Music, Portuguese, International studies, finance etc...) and shore up some areas which I feel I need more knowledge. All the while this is going on in probably the most international city in the US besides NY (unfortunately it only loses to NY in terms of costly living as well....) Everywhere I go I run into native Portuguese speakers and they always give me compliments...all the while the sun is shining....the girls are cuter....the hipsters are fuglier......so....it was tough leaving Seattle but.....this was definitely the right move for me at this time....and if it hits the fan...the 206 wouldn't be the worst place to come back to.....(Californicated of course)

I am already getting ideas of a possible return to Brasil. I would need some more objective parameters to go off of though. Perhaps I could teach english for a month or so in Floripa....and spend another month traveling in areas that I haven't been to (Porto Alegre, the Pantanal, the area between the northern cities of São Luis and Fortaleza) There are other priorities to deal with first...so we'll see.

I hope everyone has liked keeping tabs on the greatest period of my life!! (Of course I couldn't divulge all of the details...) I am sure to come back and check this baby out every once in awhile if I need a pick me up....or just to remind myself how lucky I am. I wish you all well and hope to have inspired those with the will to travel abroad to get the itch just a wee bit more....

ADEUS
Mike

Oh yeah the blog....

[As written on June 1st 2009] So this is the end of the road. How appropriate that it occurs where it all began here in Rio de Janeiro. It was a pleasant memory; that of the laid back vibe which permeates from the pores of this place. I feel that the traveling routine has run it's course yet contrarily, I really wish that I could have those 3 "missing" weeks back from the feds....just so that I could delay the inevitables of the real world for that much longer (and learn how to truly samba as well). Often times, Brasil is a country of extremes. Whether it be passions (music, loved ones....uh SOCCER) and of course in terms of gaps between social classes. It also possesses the potential to become one of the greatest countries on Earth, as I and many Brasilians already know is true. It's just a matter of realizing this potential and continuing to move forward (as it says on the national flag :ORDEM E PROGRESSO = ORDER AND PROGRESS) and I identify with these values very much personally. This is partly the reason why I have become so passionate for this country.

This will surely not be my last time here (RT airline tix have dropped by over 40%!!!...although the $ is a bit weaker). There are many other places to visit here which I've yet to see, especially more natural areas.

As for the Português, I am content with where I am at but I know that I can become even stronger. One hinderance has been my tendency to be on the quiet side, which doesn't bode well for my speech training. Becoming even stronger in the language will be an on-going challenge (especially since I've left!)

To anyone with an interest in visiting Brasil I would say DO IT! It is a marvelous place, but do it right. Anyone can be accused of being a gringo (which isn't necessarily derogatory in Brasil like it is in say...Mexico or any other former SPANISH colony) but as long you make an effort...like anywhere else...it's quite easy to gain acceptance and a whole new world will open up to you. Without a doubt this was the best time of my life and totally worth all of the preparations and obstacles in the 16-month buildup to this adventure. My B-day/New Year's is only 4 1/2 months away.....see you again in RIO. FELIZ 2010 BOAS FESTAS...;)

Até mais

Paradise Found

Hi everyone! As you can see I have arrived in the dreamlike setting along the Costa Verde (green coast) which stretches between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. This also means that I have less than one week left :(!! Luckily the weather has been super cooperative...Since my last entry I passed through the state of Minas Gerais (a huge interior state, kind of like the Texas of Brasil). There I stayed in the capital of Belo Horizonte, which I admired for it's presence of good city planning (very unique for Brasil). I was actually able to make it from the downtown area to the hilly area north of town to witness a very "Belo Horizonte (beautiful horizon)" during sunset. This sort of thing would not be possible in São Paulo...

I also made time to stop by again in Florianópolis for one last shot at hiking to a deserted beach in the south of the island....and to of course buy a tee shirt to commerorate my 3 month stay in this wonderful city!! Of course returning there called for a bit of reflection..and I am very grateful to have passed an awesome summer there, and to have made some really great friends. All things come to and end however...and my departure from there only beckons at what is to come on June the 2nd....shoot!

Since then, I have moseyed my way up the Costa Verde. I have passed through the awesome settings of Ubatuba (located in SP state and host to over 70 beaches). While at my hostel, there arrived a group of about 30 biology students from Belo Horizonte. It made for some fun times at night after they finished their studies and I of course passed the daytime (getting shorter and shorter) on the beach. From Ubatuba I made my way to the small "beach hamlet" of Trindade. This place is within the municipality of the better known Paraty but I decided to opt for something a bit more off the beaten path as I am already familiar with the cobble-stoned anitquity for which Paraty is famous. Unfortunately, along this "less beaten path" I ran into an obstacle in the form of a State Police officer of Rio de Janeiro (apparently I had crossed the state border).

This occured as I was waiting for a bus connection on the side of a highway. I was already worried that I had missed the bus when what appeared to be bad news came sauntering down the hill. He asked me if I was foriegn and proceeded to escort me back up the hill to verify my documentation. I was fully cooperative in submitting my passport but apparently that wasn't enough. They continued questioning me about if I was working in Brasil, do I use drugs blah blah blah...and made comments about my nervous demeanor. Well considering that 2 minutes before I was waiting patiently for a bus and suddenly am in Police Custody yeah I guess I was a bit nervous!! Apparently this was enough for them to go through all of my belongings to look for contraband..and of course NOTHING...so I guess there is no such thing as probable cause in Brasil...If you are foreign that is enough to warrent search (luckily no seizure in my case). I realize these guys have a job to do but well they can just f**k off as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway everything is cool besides that. I have arrived safe and sound on the Island of Ilha Grande (big Island..yet another great name!!). There are a lot of other foriengers here...I hope they don't have any contraband!!!

Até mais!!

Heading for higher ground

So as winter approaches in the southern hemisphere, obviously the days are shorter and the temps dip to a cool 60 degrees at night. One positive that I read about in many of the guidebooks I used was that wintertime in Brasil tends to be dry season. Like with many other things, I have found that these references have generalized a bit too much with regards something as intangible as weather patterns in a country the size of Brasil ie.... IT'S FREAKING RAINING A TON IN THE NORTHEAST!!!

I spent a good week between my arrival in Recife and escape to higher ground here in the interior of Bahia state dodging the deluge. An absolutely huge and unexpected positive which alleviated this inconvenience was the fact that my cousin Patrick's new in-laws have properties scattered about this region. I was a bit weary of hitting the road alone again so it was spectacular to have his mother and sister in-law meet me at the airport in Recife and put me up for a week in more than comfortable settings in Recife and Maceió (further down the coast to the south).

From Maceió I caught an overnight bus to Salvador, Bahia. My time here consisted of frequent trips to the neighboorhood of Pelhourinho (the historic center). This is where the Portuguese established their first colonial capital (before moving it to the more swanky digs in Rio as they escaped Napolean's onslaught). This influence is apparent in the archetechture, cobblestone streets....an element which is a little more "new world/Brasilian" are all of the favela kids high on glue scurrying about and hustling for change. Another presence in the town squares are the Tourist Police with semi-automatic weapons. During my frequent trips to this neighboorhood I would just make sure to sight them up and make a bee line in their direction before scoping out the next viewpoint for photos etc.. Maybe I was being paranoid...the hostel owner certainly was in his frequent warnings about the area...but in the end I had no hassles at all...I caught an awesome capoeira/folklore show one evening (Capoeira being a "non-contact" fight/dance which is the national sport of Brasil NOT SOCCER WHAT???) and saw some interesting museum exhibits while still trying to keep dry from the lingering rain showers.

Things are starting to improve in terms of the weather as I have finally made it to the interior for the first time here in Chapada Diamantina National Park. This is a place of mystical landscapes including : Mesas, caves, waterfalls, rivers and their subsequent caverns. I am currently staying in the former diamond mining boomtown of Lençois. Obviously the mines have all but dried up and it's a bit touristy here but I hear roumers of French Bohemian expats keeping a cave colony and they say that Jimmy Page still has a place here when he wants to dissapear for a bit. So there is definitely something unique about this place. Today I was able to medidate in a cave, swim behind a waterfall, and catch an incredible sunset from the top of a tabletop mountain (and a full moon to boot). All in all, life on the road is pretty sweet and I am going to have to make the most of this experience in my final 3 weeks!!

Before my scheduled arrival in Seattle on the 3rd of June I plan to stick to the interior for a bit more as I head to the state of Minas Gerais for about 4 days. Afterwhich I am heading back to Florianópolis (believe it or not) for about a week before making my way to the coast between São Paulo and Rio, where I catch my return flight.....I think ;)

Tchau 4 now

Just put another slab on it Jefferson

So who the hell planned São Paulo? The reality is...NO ONE. A bunch of Coffee Barons got mega rich back in the 19th century and the bankers, lawyers, accountants, and later schemers, cheats, and crack addicts showed up (probably some overlap there)...everyone with big ideas (or delusions) of grandeur fleeting through their caffeine addled craniums and thusly.... I present to you São Paulo. It's like LA after New York through up on it and took beauty advice from Pittsburgh or Detroit. Who'd a thought that a small jesuit village would of turned out like this?? Lord have Mercy on São Paulo.

I arrived here a week ago with Deborah and our friend Josiane. I decided to skip Curitiba in favor of being in this gargantuan city with friends and local contacts. I think it's been a fair trade as we all had a good time together last weekend. The weather was also very sunny which apparently is rare for Sampa. Things have gotton back to normal (ie Schitzo) in the last few days as it rains off and on. I am looking forward to getting some sun in the Northeast region, where I'll be going on the 27th.

Luckily enough, my Rio friend Rodrigo lives here now. We've hung out a lot and shared some good stories over beer and we checked out an Art exhibit by a Brazilian artist who uses garbage as his medium (he's probably from SP). Today I rode around in his car while he went around town for job interviews as an english instructor. The traffic was horrendus but it was worth it as I got to see different parts of the city and he was hired by his preferred prospectful employer. He told me that there were some illegal gringos working there. If São Paulo wasn't so damned overcrowded and unlivable..who knows...maybe I'd consider teaching?!

Before I leave there are some places I want to check out and some people I hope to meet. I'll make sure to plan ahead for traffic.

and the countdown begins...

So after just under 3 months.....my departure date from the Ilha da Magia has been set for the monday following easter. I will catch an early morning bus for Curitiba, the capital of Parana state (which is the next one up to the north before São Paulo). I was in this state briefly when I visited Iguaçu. There I will stay for 4 nights before continuing to Sampa. My plan is to stay in this clusterf@!# of concrete for 9 more nights (you know to really soak in the vibe). Every night should offer some sort of option. I intend to have a fruffy drink at the top of a skyscraper, eat a mortadella sandwhich at the central market (made famous by Anthony Bordain) and not get mugged. On April 27th I will fly to the Northeast region and begin my journey in the city of Recife before heading south eventually to the colonial Salvador da Bahia, which was the original capitol during the Portuguese rule. In between I hope to make some more progress with my portuguese and some more friends too. Although this is going to be tough as I'll be on the road alone again..something that I am not exactly looking forward to but also something that is necessary as I have been in one place for the right amount of time (especially considering that my visa time limit was cut short unexpectedly) .

My time in Florianópolis has been amazing. I met a lot of great people, saw a lot of wonderful sights, and had many amazing experiences. I was able to improve my portuguese quite a bit but the reality of how deep the language goes (or any language for that matter) is setting in. I am at a point in my development where my progress doesn't exactly occur in leaps and bounds (like it did in the beginning). I also have some days where it is extremely difficult to communicate, but somehow I manage. I really love Brasil and something tells me this will not be my last time here, so the progress shall continue. I am glad that I decided to add 5 weeks to my itinerary here as the high season has ended and the weather has been consistantly sunny for the past 3 weeks! Autumn is fast approaching however, and its time to get a little closer to the equator. I'll keep you posted as things progress..

A gente se fala!

Fast times and Dog sitting in Floripa

You may have noticed a downward trend in my blog frequency over the past....well really since I began this thing!! Apologies, but honestly I was actually hoping not to spend too much time in front of the computer screen. Anyhoo...I'm still in Florianopolis. Obviously I'm finding it hard to leave the city with one of the highest quality of life ratings in Latin America...and I've met some really great people (& Pugs) here!

The #1 highlight since my last entry was my day trip to the Island of Campeche (see my Facebook). The entire island is a national reserve and is considered unique as it was the sole offshore isle that supported a prehistoric population. I would have been interested in seeing some of the ancient inscriptions but my friends Minda & Deborah were a bit distracted by the white, sandy, and squeeky clean beach on which we arrived. We had missed the earlier boat due to some bad information from the ticket sellers (typical) so it was probably for the best that we stay there and take a dip in the crystalline, natural bath water (located opposite the open sea of course). I swear I had dreamt about this type of experience in my drawn out anticipation of this trip!

I'll really have to make some more memories here quick as the time continues to fly by..and it turns out I have less of it than I thought! Originally, my intent was to spend 130 days abroad. The maximum amount that a foriegner may spend within the Federal Republic of Brasil (in a 365 day period) is 180 days. Early on in my trip I realized that my budget was substantial enough to support an itinerary of the maximum time limit. What I didn't anticipate was some jerkoff border agent arbitrarily shortening my length of stay!!

Apparently, when I submitted my entry documentation upon re-entry into Brasil @ Iguaçu (2 months ago) someone with bad handwriting made a 9 look too much like a 4. If this seems confusing...well....thats Brasil for you! Anyway doing the math...180 days after my original entry on 12/27/08 would give me until around 06/25/09 to stay (+/-). Due to the 'whatever the hell went down" during my re-entry, I have recently been informed by the Brasilian Federales that I must leave on or before the 2nd of June. 3 weeks difference may not seem like a lot of time at first...but when you're moving at a snails pace...sipping caipirinhas and subsequently drunk dancing samba along the way (rsrsrs)...that end date is going to sneak up before you know it. I am pretty sure I am going to the next point on the map (Curitiba) at the end of next week....but I have been saying that for the past month so we'll see.

One element that made time fly was a wonderful 10 day stretch with my 'querida' Deborah, while she dog sat for her friend. It sucks that (apparently) we're just friends. At least I can practice the P-geese?

Before I get out of here I would like to hit up one good trail to a secluded beach in the south of the Island. I am giving up on the surfing thing btw...I am not committed enough to be able to catch a wave and ride for more than 5 seconds...and I broke a board too! So yeah...big dreams die hard...

Boas Ondas Duuuuuude