It seems that I've been trying to write this blog for ever, I did get quite far previously but the computer I was using crashed before I could save it. I should have realised that a pc, so old it was running windows millennium edition was likely to be unstable. Probably the first thing to say is my Rough Guide was right: a downpour can happen in Salvador at any time. There seems to be two types of weather here: hot and sunny or warm but really wet. It hasn't been too bad, most of the days have been dry most of the time. Today is the first day where its been wet virtually all day. So what have I been doing for the last week, the short answer is partying. Ok, I didn't party as ... read more

Technically I'm not writing this from Fernando de Noronha, as I'm now in Maceio. However, I never had time to write my blog while on the island because the internet is so expensive. For those who don't know, Fernando de Noronha is an island approximately 500km off the coast of Brazil. After spending five days there, I have to say its pretty fantastic and I don't even dive or surf, which are two of the main reasons for visiting. I went on a tour arranged for me by Dolphin Travel in Recife. This meant that two of my full three days were occupied. The first morning was spent on a boat tour round the island. The only problem was the tour was in Portuguese, luckily I found some a couple of Americans to act my ... read more

After spending over 14 hours travelling, I finally made it to Brazil. I can't really complain about my journey, except for the extra hour spent in the sky between Lisbon and Recife. My pousada (guest house in brazil) decided to welcome me with a caipirinha (a cocktail), which definitely helped after all that travelling. I'm currently in a town called, Olinda, which is down the coast from Recife. Olinda is pretty beautiful, full of palm trees, churches and art shops / galleries. I'll put up some photos later. Its quite hilly, which makes it difficult to explore when your body is adjusting to the heat and a new time zone. Its also surprisingly easy to get lost! My first travel buddy is an American called Will, who arrived at exactly the same time as the me. ... read more