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

Endless summer

Hey its been a minute. Apologies for the long interval. I´ve become quite accustomed to Florianópolis and at the same time I am somewhat wary of the travel routine which awaits me in about 10 days. Before then, I have to apply for my Visa extension with the Federal Police. Doing this here in Florianópolis is ideal as the city is much smaller than other Brasilian state capitals such as São Paulo or Rio, and thusly shouldn´t be as much of a hassle (plus I´m still whippin´the Fiat for Xtra convenience). I´m also taking the time to really buckle down on the P-guese. Taking private classes for 3 hours every weekday has worked wonders for my conversation skills but it is difficult for me to retain all of the new information which is constantly coming in! I also recently had the school move me to a much better homestay setting. The place I was at originally was owned by a single mom who lived alone. She had me stay in her teenage daughter´s room while the she was doing a student exchange in Santa Barbara (uh..). I had trouble sleeping due to the humidity and the threat of being eaten alive by mosquitos (her house was near a small stream which intensified the pest situation). The tipping point for me was that my Brasilian Mom was also having a casual fling w/ the owner of my language school. So he was always around....this seemed kind of like a conflict of interests to me...and I got sick of seeing him everywhere.

A typical element to any self respecting middle class Brasilian neighboorhood is: GAURD DOGS Almost everyone has one. This made for interestning walks to school as many of them would lye in wait and try to surprise me by scrambling up to the gate and snarling. Also when one starts barking at night...of course the whole lot gets going...to the point where they dont know what they are barking at anymore (15mins in)...except at eachother I guess and possibly with the motive of keeping everyone awake. In the mornings during the work week one is serendaded by the ambient synthesized horn music played by....the GAS MAN TRUCK. Many Brasilian homes still rely on external gas supply for their ovens etc.. so every once in awhile..when you are awoken by the soothing sounds of what seems like a Brian Eno song...and you need some Petroleum...you´d better get your ass out of bed right quick before they drive away!

I dont mean to be too critical..these are just some unique observations about the neighboorhood and as I said where I live now is a lot better. They have a pool even! I guess its a matter of taking the good with the not so good..

After over 2 months away I notice that Im a bit more relaxed and I hope to gain a greater perspective before I return to the US. It seems that its still winter in the 206?!..man am I glad to have gotten the hell out of there! My current plan has me working my way north to the ultra-megapolis of São Paulo (by way of the modern Curitiba) before flying to the Northeast region (most likely beginning in Recife). I eventually have to work my way south again to Rio before I fly home....when that is Im not sure exactly...sometime in June most likely...just enough time to broaden horizons that much more!

Tchauzers
Mike

Going country for Carnaval

Bom Carnaval para todos!!! For Carnaval I decided to take advantage of my assets (primarily my phat Fiat). On friday I went to Lagoa once again and danced around in the Praçinha (little square) with some friends before taking part in the Bloco dos Sujos Carnaval da Rua in the downtown area of Floripa. Many Brasilians hate Carnaval and use their time off to escape the city for natural areas etc.. I followed suit for the remaining days and went with my friends Tatiane and Diego to the smaller interior town of Urubici. I met the Family, did some hiking in Flip-flops (not recommended duh!!) and swam in a nearby River. There were also some nighttime activities (see above). Overall it was pretty tranquil....in the future maybe Ill return to Brasil to get crazy in Rio or Salvador da Bahia for Carnaval as Im wondering if I left to much to be desired this time....(probably..but whatever..Im not much of an enthusiast)

I have recently decided to stay here in Florianópolis to allow more time to enjoy the area and to better research the remainder of my trip, which most likely will end in late June rather than early may as Im kicking ass on my budget (graças à Crise Financeira!!) so why not?
Abraços

+ Momentum

So as Carnaval approaches things are starting to warm up. My classes look to be more enjoyable this week with the appointment of a better instructor and I have recently rented a car (a clue: Fix It Again Thiago!!). The bus system in Florianópolis is extensive but like anywhere else it is a bit inconvenient. During the week I am in class from 9a-Noon and its a bit of a time crunch afterward if Id like to reach some of the outlying areas on the island. I am looking to be more of a tourist in my off time this week and maybe tone down the nightlife. From the pic above you can see Ive had some fun...and theres only more to come during the 4 day bacchanal that is Carnaval!

Yesterday I partied at Jurerê International. Located on the Continental side of the isle, this is the place where the young Brasilian Have`s go to show their stuff. Not too sure what the hell I was doing there but I had fun pretending to dance to all of the loopy trance music blasting out all around. I guess Id consider this a little recompense to missing my chance to get ELITE in Punta a month ago. Its always nice to bug out on a Sunday afternoon

My plans for Carnaval are not set in stone but there are plenty of interesting prospects. Ill keep yall informed as things develop.

Beijão Pessoal!!

FLN Fun

So...its been a quick 2 weeks in Floripa. These times call for a little redirection as I admit Ive been coming up a little short on some fundamental goals and the time sure is flying by! Ive yet to surf and Ive been speaking way too much english. I am somewhat disappointed with my homestay and immersion school set up so that may call for some improv measures as well. At least the nightlife scene this time of year is good. I have frequented the area of Lagoa da Conceição as there are many clubs and bars there. The best night so far was last week on Wednesday when I went to the trendy Conferia das Artes with my roomate Dominique. He is a funny english dude that has been in Floripa for almost 4 months and has helped me meet some other people and showed me around a bit. At Conferia, they run their promotions by handing out VIP invites at all of the local modeling agencies. If you are some bloke off the street (i.e. ME), all you have to do is pay 50 Brasilian Reais (around $20) to enter! Once inside, its a little pertentious but worth doing at least once. (You can even shop for clothes in there if you want!) I indulged in the novelty of spazzdancing to the song American Boy. All of the ladies are very beautiful and stylish and guys have it easy as all you have to wear is a pressed tee shirt and jeans. Simple enough now all I have to do is start asking all these women, Tudo Bem?

My former portuguese instructor is from this city and I was able to get in touch with her nephew. He has a car and thusly, I was able to go to a more local type beach on the far north of the island called Praia Brava. This time of year, many of the beaches are overrun with Argentines coming up on Summer Vacay. You actually hear more of their crazy Spanish accents than Portuguese in many places. Being a foreigner, I am sometimes taken for an Argentine tourist by the locals but apparently the Argentines think Im local as Ive been asked for directions a few times in Spanish (which I could understand!)




Até mais

Hot Link

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/travel/11party.html?scp=1&sq=florianopolis&st=cse


Wish you were here!!!!

(Rest assured that nothing will be left on the table...except the rest of my budget I will need for the remaining months...maybe)

TCHAU!!

Feeling warm and fozzy in Iguaçu

This is hopefully the only whirlwind period in my voyage. After spending a considerable amount of time in Buenos Aires, I have made it safe and sound to the border region of Iguaçu. You can see why Brasil and Argentina each wanted a piece of this paradise! My flight out of BA was at 7am. This allowed me enough of a window to get to my hostel after the 2hr flight, visit the Argentine side of the falls, spend one night, and get to Brasil the following day (today). What wasn´t helpful : My hostel in Buenos Aires had a rooftop bbq gala on my final night so I stayed up until 2am practicing my portuguese drunk talk (yet again) with the sizeable brasilian contingent staying there with me. On two hours of sleep, I was still able to make my connections and got to my next hostel no problem. Since I was a little tired I decided to sign up for a guided tour. Part of the tour included a power raft trip under the falls. It was a nice way to wake up on a hot day. Crossing the border today into Brasil was interesting. I took a bus and we all got off to go through outgoing Argentine custom formalities. When we got to the Brasilian office, I was singled out and had to go to immigrations. I thought this was weird because I know for a fact there were other Americans/Foreigners/Gringos on the same bus...anyway they were really nice to me there (much like at the Consulate in SF). Most of the officials were teenage/early 20´s and they gave me good directions to my next hostel. The Brasilian side of the park offers great perspective of the entire waterfall system whereas the Argentine side allows you to get more up close. This may be evident in my facebook pictures (if you want to see more pics of my trip I recommend you sign up for a free facebook account). I have a 16 hour bus ride tommorow night to Florianópolis. It is definitely going to be worth the ride. I will be able to hang up my clothes and thusly not have to live out of a suitcase for at least6 weeks! My stay there will allow me just enough time to visit all of the 42 beaches around the city (I think). I am going to live just a short walk away from my school with a Brasilian family; consisting of a single mother who has a daughter. Her parents live in the lower level of the house. I am interested to see how living in a family dynamic will work out and I am excited to get there as I have already made contacts in this city outside of my school. There should be plenty to keep me busy. See you from there!!!

Uruguay..¿¿what can I say??

Uruguay was kind of lame. Well maybe that´s not fair to say. Montevideo was kind of lame. Very laid back. The whole freaking town was empty as it is summer vacation and seemingly everyone had made it to the ocean beaches to the east (such as world famous Punta del Este). Punta del Este did not seem like my kind of place upon research. Punta del Diablo sounded good as it is less crowded and overblown but it is way out to the northeast near the Brasilian border. My itin. has me re-entering Brasil at Foz de Iguaçu so going out to Diablo was not an option. This is the part of my itin. where I do not have any flexibility and I must admit that I think I have stayed in Buenos Aires/Montevideo a bit too long. Oh well travellings a tough life sometimes :) Anyhoo I made the most of it. Montevideo is kind of like BA only a little less lustrious and not as well planned. My first full day I rented a bike from my hostel and rode around downtown and then out to a beach closer to the city. The water is protected by a harbor which amounted to little waves and brownish water. People still swim though. Maté is huge in Uruguay. All through the day you see men and women with their little maté bongs in one hand and a thermos of hot water in the other. You can even take them on the bus...¡¡¡amazing!!! The coolest thing about Montevideo was the barwomen at my hostel. She was really nice and fun and easy to talk with. That pretty much sums it up...oh yeah..I had a hellish period of about 40 minutes on my first night in Montevideo when I thought I had lost my wallet...Turned out it was hidden in my bed covers but it made me realize that I have been carrying too many valuables on me. Needless to say I will be planning ahead from here on out. I am back in BA now and thank goodness. Today I splurged and decided to get a much needed massage. I had the hostel receptionist refer me somewhere and made sure that he mentioned that I needed my feet worked on. I get there for my 1 pm appt. and there are 2 therapists waiting for me!! 1 hour of complete bliss where it felt like I was either an aritists canvass or underwater only cost me about$32 usd. Not too bad. Oh yeah and to top off my most hedonistic day ever....I went out with some hostel people from PDX to have some Kobe steak at about 11pm last night. Complete bliss..good thing I´m doing a lot of walking!

I fly to the waterfalls on Thursday before taking a 14 hour bus ride to Floripa on Saturday night. Vejo-te de la!!

Tchau

Beautiful Buenos Aires

There are so many things to like about Buenos Aires. I knew right away that this was my kind of town. Good public transportation, relatively clean in most areas, great weather, nightlife, daytime markets/fairs, a strong dollar and an attractive spanish heritage with a considerable italian influence i.e. the women here are amazingly beautiful! My hostel is quite different than the last one in Rio. The vibe isn´t as cool but it has way more amenities, such as posh rooftop bar! Another thing I love about this place are all of the parks and squares where you can relax and let time stop for a bit. No wonder everyone here eats dinner at 11pm and parties until 4am! Speaking of which a funny thing that happened earlier this week was I woke up from a long nap. I saw the sun shining in and the Italian couple sharing my room told me it was Saturday morning. I went on believing this for the next 45 minutes or so. It was cool gaining 12 hours right before I joined a group from the hostel on the way to a tango club in the trendy neighboorhood of Palermo. We paid a nominal entry fee of 16 pesos (about $4-5 usd) and they gave us a short tango lesson before a professional show was put on. My dance partner was very patient, thankfully, as I had a bad experience back in Rio where the woman thought it was a joke and wanted her money back...anyway

I think its understandable that when you and a lot of your hostel mates are kind of on the same backpacking circuit that its possible to run into eachother in other cities. I ran into a recently engaged Irish couple in La Boca and also a German MC at a club in Palermo. These were all people I met originally in Rio about 2 weeks ago. Something a bit more strange and a larger testement to it being a small world afterall: When I first arrived at my hostel I recognized a guy who had stayed at the same hostel as me in BARCELONA..a year and a half ago!!! He didn´t remember me and he was a little freaked out....I think he might have OCD too which didn´t make it any better for him....too bad.

I still need to eat some good Argentine steak....thankfully I have 6 more nights to go. I leave for Uruguay on thursday morning and will return to BA for 4 nights more before flying to the Brasilian border at Foz de Iguaçu. One annoyance about BA is that due to the fianancial crises there is a...get this...Coin shortage?? Its hard to make change for the bus and Ive already had some arguments with counter people to give me coins instead of bills. Whatever.

If you desire to travel to Latin America and maybe are a bit wary of crime, cleanliness etc... I would recommend BA. Its a great city and people are really nice (but there is no beach).

Going Boho

The most exciting part of my last week in Rio has been my hostel. It is located in Santa Teresa which is a historic neigboorhood filled with ornate houses often times occupyied by artisans, musicians etc.. The hostel definitely retains that vibe in large part by the guests it attracts. My first night was a thursday. I was having some whisky at the roof top bar and practicing my Portuguese with some people from São Paulo. I turn around and there is a line up of muscians by the pool. The percussion instrument was akin to a calypso or steel drum in sound but was not as large. Another hippie guy played a half assed bongo. There was a Vancouverite on acoustic guitar and singing. The guy who called it all together was a trumpet player from Amsterdam but the purveyor of the whole jam was on the motherfreakin digereedoo!! They improvised the whole time and it was a blast.

It was advantageous that I stayed off the beach this week as they weather was not steller. We are about 10 mins walking from Lapa and I made sure to make it to the original samba club on a sunday night to shake my booty. It was cool. Other than that this week has been pretty low key. I met a lot of cool people at this hostel (see photo), and I may return here when I stop through Rio before I return home. Buenos Aires here I come! Hasta Luego!!

Feliz ano novo!

Happy New Year everyone! Has all of the snow melted yet? Anyway my first week in Rio has had some good highlights:
I maladjusted to the time difference by staying out until Madrugada (5am) my first night. My friend Rodrigo was having a hellish day (car trouble) and told me he was only going to have 4 glasses of wine in a relatively tranquil neighboorhood in the zona sul, which was where the hostel was located. Another friend of his joined us and we convinced Rodrigo to go to the historic bohemian neighboorhood closer to downtown called Lapa (which is where my current hostel is near). This automatically translates into staying out until Madrugada. It was a funny night.

My Bday was interesting. I went out by myself (which I do quite often) to the main city on the east side of Guanabara Bay called: Niteroi. The best thing about this city are the views of Rio (see my facebook). During the day, I walked waaay too much and did not eat nearly enough. When I got back to the hostel after sundown, none of my traveler friends were there and I almost started to feel a little down. Two attractive Brasilian women were on there way out at the time so I ran into reception and demanded in Portuguese to be sent out to do something. The guy at reception told me to go with the girls, who were on there way out to a samba school. One of them was actually the host and the other a guest. I payed the nominal activity fee and was ¨picked up¨. On the van ride, it was quickly apparent that I was the only gringo in the group. I introuduced myself and told everyone that it was my Bday and was immediatly serenaded by the Brasilian Bday song. The Samba School :Salgeiro was freakin insane. They played various musical styles and even gave a shoutout to all the Bday people in the house! We were supposed to stay out until 12:30....we returned at 3a. Im not saying that Ill keep this pace up forever put I am having fun this first week.

New Years....well maybe I should not admit this but it was a bit anticlimatic. I went out with the hostel group. I lost them on the beach! To salvage the situation...I just sat next to a single gal on the beach named Barbara. It was good portuguese practice and at least I got a hug at new years! Whoo hoo 2009!

Staying with so many world travelers means that the majority of conversations are in English. This obviously does not bode well for my portuguese/culture immersion. I am looking forward to my class starting in about 2 weeks in the lovely beach town of Florianopolis!

The weather has been a bit iffy...the first sunny day I witnessed a mass exodus to the beach. The scene at Ipanema is nothing to mess with... a lot of eye contact and smiling..its nice.

Im glad that I have so much time. There is less pressure to see everything at once and just FYI Im thinking Ill leave the Cristo Redentor (Christ Statue) out until I return to Rio in May. (less rain and crowds).

Sorry for the delay on this post. Im planning to post maybe once a week so stay tuned!

Tchau e um abraço

Mike