http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Life Is Beautiful/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Life Is Beautiful en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:21:55 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:21:55 BST Back in Brazil and at the end of our yearlong round trip around South America the dreaded moment was now upon us it was time for Beruscaronka and us to go our separate ways. As emotionally attached as we had become to that Toyota Banderainte the time had come to let go.Or not.Letting go was in fact not the hardest part. This instead became the difficult task of convincing someone to take http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-Grande-do-Sul/Porto-Alegre/blog-239619.html As we left backward Bolivia and arrived in advanced Argentina we felt how the Yanomami Indians must have felt after leaving the jungle and finding the city. It was almost too much for us to believe the bright lights Europeanlooking people paved roads hot showers and flushing toilets. No longer were we appalled and feeling sorry for our fellow human beings. Now instead it was them that wer http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-239399.html On all that wersquove gone through the past 2 weeks we could probably easily write a 100page novel not quite fitting for this little blog. However writing just a short paragraph or two would not do justice in describing this final journey the climax of our yearlong escapade perhaps. So wersquove deviated from the usual format for this blog entry and instead are going to put down some http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Villazon/blog-218977.html Bolivia is by a long shot the least developed country we have visited so far. The conditions are rougher lodging is a lot more basic clean flushing toilets are rare hot water even more so food is way more risky and only 10 of the countryrsquos roads are paved.The temporary discomfort is however rewarded with the most unique and authentic culture this continent has to offer. The vast http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Uyuni/blog-214767.html We arrived in Peru only 1 week after the level 8.7 earthquake and saw firsthand the might of mothernature or Pachamama as they call her here. It wasnrsquot a pretty sight. Driving through the most effected areas on the recentlybuilt highway which was now cracked in half through the middle was like driving into Berlin at the end of the WW2. Ancient towns like Ica and Pisco an ex tourism me http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/blog-209773.html On the moment the plane touched down on the strange new terrain with funkylooking cactuses everywhere one British voice blurted out ldquoBy golly Wersquove landed on the moonrdquo and we knew this was not going to be no ordinary place.According to Darwin who also developed his theory of evolution on the islands because the islands were never connected with the mainland any plants http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-203816.html This country full of snowcapped volcanoes is the beginning of the South America we know from TV. Descendents of Indians everywhere put on their traditional costumes not just for the church days but also for everyday life. Due to the mountainous character of their country they are bit colder and introverted but still keep to the South American standards.After the inflation reached shocking numbers http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Guayaquil/blog-199084.html Colombia was one big surprise.After hearing all the terrible horrifying stories about Colombia from the Venezuelans and Brazilians we prepared ourselves to drive through Colombia in as little time as possible. We were pretty excited to leave Venezuela and Chavez behind but were also worried about what would happen to us in this country that has such a bad name and which is so full of criminals http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Pasto/blog-194447.html A trip to ancient Tayrona Indiansrsquo Ciudad Perdida Lost City is more like a journey to another world. Itrsquos an intense 6day uphill trek that can only be described as unique. On the way up through seemingly boundless dense rainforest one can easily why this country is such an easy place for guerillas to hide. Fortunately this is now one of the areas that are back in the control of the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-192811.html After 4 memorable months it was finally time to say goodbye to Brazil and hello to Venezuela the land of free petrol and no eggs. Venezuela is an interesting but not too welcoming of a place to visit. Political tension is always in the air and the communist mood is inescapable. We had to quickly get used to societal climate change coming from the warm caring Brazilian people to the cold u http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Venezuela/Zulian/Maracaibo/blog-181698.html Despite having met numerous cabocos the more modern civilised Indians of the Amazon we were still curious to see if we could visit a true Amazon Indian tribe but were extremely disappointed to find out that this was impossible as they are ardently protected by the 2 Brazilian government agencies FUNAI and IBAMA. Everyone told us it was strictly prohibited and that to visit a tribe we would http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Roraima/Boa-Vista/blog-170602.html Things happened quick in Manaus. All in the space of our first day there we disembarked the boat made our way to the other end of the city to collect the car which we had sent from Belem on a different boat dropped it off at a mechanic found ourselves a local guide and were on our way into the jungle with him. Finally we had found something more like the jungle we had in mind For the next http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Amazonas/Manaus/blog-165748.html It was probably when we were sitting at the contemporary riverside restaurant in the modern Amazon city of Santarem and the waiter had to keep increasing the volume of the restaurant music to compete with the guys that had parked their car on the sidewalk and were showing off its massive soundsystem that we fully realised that the Amazon or at least parts of it was not going to be quite what http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Amazonas/Manaus/blog-165190.html Sitting here now in the city of Belem all the way up at the mouth of the Amazon and thinking back on all thatrsquos happened in the last month and everything wersquove done it seems all too much to fit on one entry. Cruising the beautiful coastline of northeast Brazil we have experienced several new things seen countless picturesque beaches and met many wonderful people all the while ta http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Bel-m/blog-158851.html For the last month week after week our hopes of finally starting our trip were dashed as we found more and more problems with the car. The latest snag happened on Wednesday night when the rusted screws holding the engine in place came loose and onebyone fell out as we drove. The car eventually gave up after all but two screws had popped out. With cruel irony this happened right outside the hou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Pernambuco/Olinda/blog-145098.html Meet Beruscaronka the latest addition to our little team.After scouring the classifieds the internet and finally the streets of Salvador for a Toyota Land Cruiser we became convinced that these cars just don't exist in Salvador and prepared to move on to the next city by bus. Just then guess who shows up none other than the beautiful Beruscaronka herself and parked in the parkingl http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Bahia/Salvador/blog-138565.html The last few days have been nonstop partying as we joined the people of Salvador in celebrating the biggest party in the world CARNAVALContrary to popular belief Salvador and not Rio de Janeiro is the place to be for Brazil's carnaval. Rio's carnaval is very much a spectator sport only tourists and rich Brazilians who can afford the expensive tickets partake in the party by watching the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Bahia/Salvador/blog-132722.html One stark difference of this place compared to some of the other places we've been to around the world which is almost immediately apparent is the overwhelming friendliness and kindness of the local people here. From the friends we have made on the city busses and busstops to the generous couple at the beachside restaurant who saw us struggling with the Portuguese menu and kindly offered us a s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Bahia/Salvador/blog-129074.html Our adventure starts here in Sao Paulo. We finally met eachother on Tuesday night at Guarulhos airport after being apart for 2 and a half months. After the most wreckless taxiride of our lives we arrived at our hotel in dodgy downtown Sao Paulo. At exactly 4am we were both jolted awake by the sound of a gunshot from the street below. About 5 minutes later a second gunshot followed by police http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-126697.html