Ianvanroosmalen

Hello all! This time an update from Encarnacion, Paraguay (Now in Buenos Aires, Argentina), where the people are friendly, Guarani is the shared first language with Spanish, Terere is commonly drunk, horse-and-wagons roam the streets in tiny villages, things are generally cheap, and bribes can be necessary when you´re in the country illegally. Please, walk with me as I explain... I finished my last entry in Porto Murtinho, where I planned to take the boat. Locals told me the boat was to leave on saturday sometime between 6 and 7 in the morning, but that it would be good to get there sometime before in case it arrived early. Accordingly, I got up at 4, took the boat to the Paraguayan side of the river, and sat waiting. As dawn approached about an hour later, a ... read more

Right now I´m sitting in an internet cafe in Rio watching the rain poor down outside and I´m thinking, perhaps time for a blog update! So let me back-up a little. After Porto Seguro I headed inland to Belo Horizonte. People don´t usually stay there since there isn´t too much to do, except take the bus another 2 hours down to Ouro Preto. I, however, did stay an additional day and a half to stay with family of Gabriella and Lucinea. I arrived and got picked up by Renata and Amanda who took me to family to meet everybody and eat a delicious Moqueca de Peixe! (Almost like a fish curry, but Brazilian style). The day after I explored the city, though there wasn´t a whole lot to see as most guidebooks indicate. Still, it was ... read more

Hello all! It´s time for a first real blog update! A lot has happened since I´ve arrived here so I hope to be able to summarize it neatly. The moment I arrived in Salvador I realized how two-sided things are here. People are extremely relaxed and friendly, but they also realize the dangers of the city since there is a lot of Poverty around. I stayed in a hostel called Nega Maluca, which means ´crazy black woman.' It´s located in Santo Antonio, just outside of the Pelourinho, which is the historical center of Salvador. Incidentally it´s also in the middle of a favela. In other words not the safest of places to be. During the day it´s fine though, there is a lot of Police around to keep it safe for the tourists. But at night ... read more