Boxing day til New Years

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Oy!!! It´s gone from "Jassus" in Greece, to "oy" in South America!!! (Saying Hello that is!!!)

Just popping in with a bit of a belated happy new years mail to say hi and i hope 2007 is so far treating everyone in the right way.. the only way, the GOOD way! Cause it sure is treating me in a good way!! So far South America is everything i thought it would be and a hundred times more. We´ve had a great time so far, needless to say its been a (rather big) bit of an adventure. Rio was amazing, could have stayed there a day or two longer to soak it all in a little more, time there was rather rushed but we came, we saw, we conquered, then after a long journey through (very) limited pork an cheese (portuguese) we found our way to the right bus station and hopped on an overnight bus heading south to Curitiba...

I've come to the conclusion i'm easy to please... the busses here are AMAZING!!! We were like kids and christmas had just arrived, we got blankets, goodie bags, the chairs were practically lazy boys, we got to watch a movie - ok so it was the Powerangers dubbed in portuguese but it was pretty cool. Then we got going and found out just how crazy these bus drivers are.. We were right at the back of the bus, (half the bus was full of nuns) and next to the coffee machine and the loo. Had no choice in our seats as they were the last left.. anyhow above the wheel and pretty much asleep in the night we found ourselves air-born as the driver was either hitting ditches or dodging them!! All pretty surreal but we made it safe to Curitiba, a couple hours late.. From there we had to hop on another bus for another two hours to head to the port of Paranagua. We arrived there, with half an hour to spare before our ferry left for Ilha do Mel - the island where we were going to spend New Years. As we arrived a down pour started and by the time we'd got over to the boat we were completely soaked.. Thank goodness for beer and cheep beer that is. We got a couple, hopped on the boat and began the two hour boat ride to a wicked island. Half of it is an ecological site, the rest is where people live an carry on as normal sans cars an busses an all the things that make like a little too 'busy'..

It was amazing, the houses and pousadas and camping areas were all under the dense bush so you couldn't really see from above that anything was there. It seemed that none of the trees or natural surroundings had been touched in order for the houses and buildings to be made. It was all little sandy walkways and paths criss crossing everywhere - truly wicked.. New Years was great, totally weird an awesome to see how another country and culture experience New Years cause there were maybe 10 other english speeking people on the island. It was a real live weekend of pictionary and 'actionary' in some cases trying to explain what we meant and in turn what they meant... We camped in this ladies garden with others that camp there around this time of year and were basically in her back yard... First new years i've truly enjoyed (and remembered) in a long while..

We left there on the second, a couple more bus rides south and we're now in the best place ever, its great and i'm like a pig in sh*t at the moment!! We're in Barra da Lagoa in Florianopolis and we're staying at this backpackers sharehouse and we're in an awesome little loft room that has a balcony (mirrors on the ceiling - pretty bizarre and random feature) and all facing the sea and all for about 7 squids a night!!! We spent most of the afternoon on the beach and i'm now slightly pink.. gotta jump start the tan somehow!! The weathers been a bit touch an go up until now, lots of rain.. too much rain, but hey, its part and parcel of it all..

I have to say one thing about Brazil, if i had to sum it up in two words it would definitely be 't*ts an a*se'.. I have never seen so many bottoms in bikin's they should't be in.. Boobs everywhere and bums to go with. Think Steve's in his element, he seems to have his sunnies on alot. We've taken some pics of the bums that just shouldn't be allowed.. all ages and definitely all sizes!! A real eye opener!!

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