Rio de Janeiro

I´ve just had a fantastic week in Rio. Many thanks to Maria and her family for giving me a bed, feeding me and showing me all the sights all week.
I arrived on Friday 18 May, and crashed at Maria´s place at Recreio, which is about an hour bus trip down the coast. That night we headed in to Ipanema to experience the famous Rio nightlife. Unfortunately the club was mostly filled with young gays, but we still had a good night out.
Saturday was rainy so was spent mainly at home. Met up with Maria´s brother Pedro, so we jumped on the scooter with the surfboards and found some good waves for the afternoon. In the evening we headed with some of Maria´s friends to a local bar/restaurant where there was an entertaining MPB band playing.
Sunday we took the ferry across the harbour to Niterói. Maria´s friend´s sister put on a good BBQ for us and all the family. We checked out the beach before it got too dark, stayed the night in Niterói. In the morning we visited Oscar Neimeyer´s flying saucer building and spent the day on a little beach enjoying the sun. In the evening we headed to the good old Shenanigan´s Irish Pub in Ipanema to meet up with Ewa and friends (mates from Ilha Grande) before they headed back to Europe.
On Tuesday we drove further south along to coast to some nice isolated beaches, and then enjoyed the rest of the day at the local beach of Recreio. In the evening we headed for a little bar on the beach for some karaoke.
Wednesday we were treated to the Brazilian meal of Feshuada (?) which was a stew of meat with rice, beans and salad. I could certainly get used to eating meals like this every day! Afterwards I took a drive with Maria´s dad through the Tijuca forest and past Maracaná stadium. I then explored some sights in Centro as it was getting dark, including the Cathedral, Lapa arches and central markets.
Thursday I got up early and caught a combi van into town to go for a tour through Rocinha, the biggest favella (slum) in South America. We caught a mototaxi up to the top, and then wondered down through the little alleyways (or were they open sewers?). First we met the local drug dealers who were busy waving their machine guns around but were happy enough to let us through when we claimed to be Flamengo supporters (the local soccer team that had just won the game the previous night). Visited some art galleries, bakeries and childcare centres in the favella, and went onto the roof of some houses to get a good view of the city.
After the favella I headed up to Christ the Redeemer, which looks over the city from Corcovado. I caught the train to the top and despite the miserable weather or rain and strong winds, I still got an amazing view of the city. In the evening we headed out with Maria and Patricia to a local nightclub which had a good samba band performing and played brazilian funk music.
On Friday I was decided it was time to visit the last few must-see sights in Rio otherwise I would never leave. First thing was to catch the tram from Central up the hill to Santa Theresa. The tram was ancient and felt like it was about to fall apart each time it jerked around a corner. All the locals would run along beside the tram and hang on to the outside as it went up the hill. Up the top were some nice old café´s. I walked down and caught the metro to Botafogo which had a good view of Corcovado and Sugarloaf. Then walked up the first hill of Sugarloaf, then caught the cablecar to the highest peak of Sugarloaf. With the clouds cleared and the sun shining, the view of Rio and Niterói was truly spectacular. I hang around until night fall to see the lights come on then headed back to Recreio. Being a Friday night, and my last night in Rio, it was time to party, so we headed in to the centre. First stop was a club that wasn´t really happening, so we cruised over to Club 6 which was rockin. We picked a floor where the dancing was really happening and partied the night away.
On Saturday the weather was perfect and it was very tempting to head back to the beach for the day, but I jumped on the bus, and after a short stop in São Paulo again, arrived to Campo Grande early this morning. This is the gateway to the Pantanal, so I have organised to go on a 4 day trip to camp in the middle of the wetlands. We plan to find some anacondas, swim with the aligators and catch piranahs for dinner.

Ilha Grande

On Tuesday I took the bus north to Angra dos Reis with 2 girls from the OC (actually the town where Laguna beach is set). With not much to do in Angra we caught a schooner for an hour cruise around the islands to Ilha Grande. The town was full of little cafés and pousadas, so first effort was to track down some Chopp. After scouring the island we resorted to a good steak and beer, then got settled in a hostel up on the hill overlooking the bay.
Wednesday morning we got up early to get stuck into the breakfast before the big group of 19 year old english church builders ate all the breakfast. The guys at the hostel cooked up the breakfast fresh each morning, with bread, cakes biscuits and fresh fruit, so we couldn´t miss out!
Together with a swedish judo champion and canadian couple, we did the 2.5 hour trek over the mountains to Lopez Mendes, supposedly the most beutiful beach in Brazil. It was certainly nice, but with incredibly strong currents wasn´t the greatest place for a swim. Spent the day on the beach then caught a boat back to town with the OC girls.
Yesterday I did the hike up to Pigeon Peak. This was a trek and a half through thick jungle and little remnants of a trail. Saw several little monkeys, squirrels, huge birds and almost stepped on a long snake. Eventually made it to the top with amazing views over the entire island, the bays, mountains on the mainland, and a sandbar reaching almost all the way to Rio. The trip down was a bit faster going, but with my water supplies finished on the summit, I was glad to find a small creek to releive the thrist.
After recovering in the hammock I headed out to see the local island night life with Ewa, the swedish party planner. She needed little encouragement for some corner treatment with the barman, which I understand did evolve to be proper beach treatment.
This morning got the ferry back to Angra, then the bus to Rio de Janeiro where I met Maria and crashed at her place.

Paraty

The bus trip from São Paulo was amazing. we drove through the forest and down through the mountains to the coast where there were beautiful white beaches, with people sunbaking beneath the palm trees. Paraty was very nice with a historic centre full of restaurants and bars with live music. Monday I checked out the centre again. Fortunately it wasn´t high tide as all the streets in town flood then. The fort on the hill just outside town was unimpressive. I then took the local bus a little south to Tindade which had fantastic beaches. I waded through the river, climbed through the forest and along a few beaches and eventually found a natural swimming pool, which was surrounded with huge rocks. Perfect for a swim. Walked back to the main beach and had a beer at the little beach bar, then back to Paraty. Headed out to the local bar with everyone for the hostel, but that died off pretty quickly being a Monday night, so we borrowed someones boat and hung out there for a while.
Today I´m off to Ilha Grande which everyone is raving about.

More São Paulo

So on Wednesday evening I headed down to the monastery where the Pope turned up and made a speach to everyone. Seemed to be thousands of people travelling here to see him from all over Sth America.
Thursday I checked out town again.
Friday I headed out to the Butanto Institute where they make all the snake anti-venom and vaccines for Brazil. They had huge snake pits with all the snakes they breed, and a museum with scorpians, spiders and plenty of snakes. The enormous boa constrictors where cool, as well as the rattle snakes. USP (University of São Paulo) was right next door, so checked that out, including MAC, the Museum of Contemporary Arts.
Caught the bus back into Centro and got off at Sé just as the Pope cruised in to cannonise Brazil´s first saint, so got stuck in the crowd, and a packed train trip home.
On Saturday I went with Virgilio to Liberdade which is the Japanese district in town, and then to the flea markets where they were serving up some nice brazillian food and the best sweets, while listening to some old guys play some awesome traditional music. We headed to a a little bar that had its walls plastered with futbal memorilia and met up with one of his mates. She was crazy about Australia and wanted to know everything about the place. Final stop for the day was Gini nightclub where there was a live band playing sambahawk which was going off.
Sunday morning I got up early to catch the bus down to Paraty, but only just got around the corner from Virgilio´s apartment, when the local priest had a big breakfast setup and insisted I get stuck into it. Not one to refuse a free feed, I got to work. They were surprised to find an Aussie out in the suburbs of São Paulo, and so decided they would prey for my safe travels, and for mum, since it´s mothers day. So they preyed for 15 minutes, and then I had to race off to Tiête to catch my ride.

São Paulo

Arrived to São Paulo at 5:30am on Monday. I waited till the sun started to come out and took the metro into town. Went to explore Centro. Saw the huge Cathedral at Sé with its big green towers. Then I went up to the top of the Torre Banespa, which is the local replica of the Empire State Building. The view of the city was amazing, with skyscapers out to the horizon in all directions. Then I headed over to Edificio Italia where I also went to the top, but this one was a bit more difficult to find the top. I had to take a few different elevators, climbed up some stairs and down little corridors. I´m sure there must be an easier way for people to get to the top, but I finally got there. Next door was another of Oscar Neimeyer´s buildings, but certainly not his most interesting.
I met up with Virgilio (HC virgiliogalvao) down at Ave Paulista where we had dinner and a few drinks, then I had to get the last metro back to the hostel.
Tuesday morning I headed back down to Ave Paulista and saw all the sights. This is the main street in town and is lined with skyscapers. I went into the MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art) where there was an exhibition on Charles Darwin and evolution. Of most interest were the Galapagos turtles and dragons they had there wandering around.
Walked back to the hostel, grabbed my bags and headed out to Lapa on the train to stay at Virgilio´s place.
Today it´s come over drizzly so I just had a look around town. The Pope just landed in town literally 5 minutes ago and is due to drive through town in his pope-mobile in half an hour. He´s staying at the local monestary for a few days, so people from all over the place have crowded around there with all the TV crews and more police and military than I´ve ever seen. Might have to go down and say hi later on.

Curitiba

Arrived to Curitiba on Friday night. I dumped my bags at the youth hostel and had a walk around the pedestrian malls in town which were nice enough, and dinner in the new shopping mall that was just created from the old train station.
On Saturady I jumped on the tourist bus and visited Jardim Bôtanico which had a waterfall inside a huge greenhouse, the Museo Oscar Niemeyer which was inside ´the big eye´. He is the most famous Brazillian architect and came up with some weird designs, this one included. Parque Tanguá was next where they converted an old quarrie into a big pond with waterfall, and then the Ópera de Arama which was built in another old quarry. They seem to be very imaginative with what to do with old quarries around here. Just on sunset I went to Torre Panorâmica where from the top I had a great view over the entire city.
Sunday I had to get up at the crack of dawn and took the Serra Verde Express to Morrentes. This is the most scenic train trip in Brazil. It had great views at it went through down the mountains with everyone hanging out the windows and hooting whenever we went through a tunnel (which was very often). Morrentes was in full swing celebrating the last day of their fortnight long festival where there were some streets set up with markets, some more streets set up with musicians and performances, and other streets set up with Oktoberfest style tents serving beer and steak. Interestingly the steak tents where run by the local hospital, so I thought it better not to enquire where they sourced their steaks.
Got the overnight bus to São Paulo which was a rough ride as the driver swerved down the mountains.

Ilha Santa Catarina

Wednesday it turned overcast again, so had a walk up the beach and we spent the afternoon with a big championship of beach volleyball. Fortunately we didnt adopt Brazillian rules where only the feet, chest and head can touch the ball!
Thursday it was still raining so I went into the town of Lagoa and had a look around, then walked down to the main surf beach where the Brazillian leg of the world surfing championships is held.
Today I got a bus out of Florianopolis around lunchtime to Curitiba.

Florianopolis

On Sunday I crossed back over to Brazil and checked out that side of the waterfalls with the american girls from the neighbouring hostel. This was just as amazing as the Argentine side, but you got a better view of the entire waterfalls. At one point you could walk out on a platform underneath the spay of the main falls. It was mandatory to get a photo underneath the falls, so we were all soaked in seconds, only to have to go back into the downpour because someone had stepped into the photo. I think it was all a plan to get us properly soaked for the day. Walked up to the top of the falls, and met up with Alex of Adelaide from the day before and a few english girls from the hostel and are currently living in Asuncion. Much to their dismay they had no luck in convincing me how great Asuncion is.
Got the overnight bus from Foz to Florianopolis (just 15 hours), checked out the city and then caught the local bus out to Barra da Lagoa where there is an aussie hostel, but the only thing Aussie about the place seems to be the (half) flag flying next to the Brazilian flag. Is a good atmosphere in the hostel with games played early into the morning.
Tuesday I walked up to the lighthouse, then over the hills which gave a great view over the entire island. Then walked down to the next beach which turned out to be a nudist beach and was particularly scary so it was straight past there to Praia Mole. Spent the day on the beach before walking along the lake back home.
Is overcast today so just hanging around town. Will be a soccer match on the beach starting soon so the Aussies will be represented there.
Another 2 nights here before probably staying a few nights in Curitibata, then on to Sao Paulo en route to Rio!