Buenos Aires to Rio

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Buenos Aires - Rio

We transferred from our hotel suite in Parana to the GAP hotel
accommodation in Riverdavia across town. There we met our guide for
the next 17 days namely Javier, a Peruvian whose linguistic skills
seemed second to none. After some brief introductions it was arranged
that all of the tour party would congregate later in the evening for a
meet and greet. Our group was the epitome of the united nations, and
as expected, we were the eldest. The composite age range appeared to
be early 20's with 9 girls and 5 guys and an English girl who failed
to turn up for the tour! Nationalities were a Norwegian/Swedish
couple, an Australian couple, 2 Irish girls, 3 English girls a Dutch
girl a Belgian guy and last but not least a kiwi guy fom Mosgiel.
After cursory introductions, the plan was defined for our onward
journey. Subsequently we all went out to dinner at a steak/bbq
restaurant down at the waterfront to get to know each other better.

The following day was spent further exploring the city before we
reconvened to yet again go out to dinner. This time it was a combined
tango show and meal. Prior to the dancers demonstration we were given
a one hour free lesson. Mastering the basics were an effort in itself,
that amounted to shuffling around the floor, when the teachers asked
us to perform some rudimentary steps you could hear the knees and
ankles cracking in Panama! Once the chiropractor had left, those who
could sat down to a fine meal and an excellent revue. One thing became
evident, if you haven't got passion you haven't got tango! We were
given a certificate for our efforts - I think it was mainly for
turning up!.

We started our journey the next day with a ferry trip (3hrs) from BA
across the River Plate to Colonia in Uruguay. This quaint little town
still retained all of the ambience of its early European heritage with
cobbled streets and old stone buildings. Whilst there was a commercial
area further away, the waterfront had maintained its historical
heritage. All of the small shops had been housed in the original stone
buildings and whilst had modern appointments within they had retained
their original exterior appearance. One area of note was the amount of
classic cars around town, early 1930's saloons, which had been left to
adorn the streets. We found an old Citroen that had a tree growing
through it and a Ford that had been converted for 'dining for 2' as an
extension to a local restaurant. Our hotel was in keeping with the
area, as with most we were to encounter, it was a small affair akin to
a B&B with a boutique hotel feel. With two levels surrounding an open
courtyard, it fitted with the general architecture of the place.

The next day we moved on to the Uruguay capital, Montevideo, a 4-5
hour journey by local bus. We arrived on May Day, a national holiday,
most places were closed with a few shops and restaurants opening later
in the day. After checking into our hotel, we hit the streets to have
stroll around town. We found the place pretty dirty with paper and
litter everywhere down the main thoroughfare and adjourning roads.
There seemed to be an abundance of vagrants looking for handouts or
resigned to sleeping in shop doorways and benches. Initial impressions
weren't favourable and the meal that night befitted that, with poor
service and even poorer cooking. We had two days to spend here and
whilst the following day saw a lot more activity it was not much
improved.

We then moved on to Salto, still in Uruguay, a spa area with thermal
pools, about 6 hours north by bus. We spent the day relaxing in the
various temperature pools in the one major aquatic complex there.
Whilst Salto itself is fairly non-descript, with one main street, it
had nice central square with some interesting edifices. There was a
slight drawback with the water park, there were no eateries or shops
within its boundaries, so you had to exit out of the complex, across
the adjacent car park and walk through the market in your togs (or for
some, their bathrobes) in order to find lunch! After purchasing some
empanadas (meat pastries) and a coke, you had to stroll back. This was
amongst the locals doing their grocery shopping!

I should mention that weather wise on the trip so far, whilst in some
areas has been a little cool, has been fine and sunny, only one day in
BA did we have a day that was very cold.

The following morning we left on one of the more anticipated aspects
of the trip, Iguassu Falls.

Having seen Niagara it paled in comparison. We were to spend the next
two days seeing this magnificent natural phenomenon from both the
Argentinean and the Brazilian sides, by inflatable, jet boat and
helicopter. The falls are made up of hundreds of tributaries that
culminate in several giant cascades, the centrepiece being the Devil's
Throat. According to our local guide, the falls are a result of a
major earthquake many millennia ago when part of the landscape fell
causing the merging rivers to tumble over the now produced cliff edge.
Whatever angle you saw it from, the air, the water or many of the
walkways that are built out to offer a better view, it has a splendour
that is beyond belief. The surrounding rainforest seems impenetrable
for as far as the eye can see and a fair proportion of it is national
park. We managed to jet boat under one of the multiple falls and took
a leisurely trip on an inflatable above the falls, to take in some of
the local fauna. We came across a Cayman (alligator) idling in the
shallows, Kutamundi everywhere and a host of the most striking
coloured butterflies ever. Whilst I could wax lyrical about our time
here you have to be present to appreciate it.

The following day we took a quick trip over the border into Paraguay.
The crossing was chaos personified, this tax & duty free haven
attracts crowds from Brazil and Argentina as well as everyone else
from around South America it seems. Crime is rife here, as related by
our local guide Eduardo, we were told to put all cameras and valuables
away and lock the van windows. When on foot we were conscious of the
potential for theft so were very guarded in our actions. Anyway it was
an interesting experience.

Travelling further north on our quest to reach Rio, we took a public
bus to Sao Paulo 14 hours away. This city of 22 million was a
sprawling mass of concrete, high rise apartments and industry.
Strangely enough when stopped at traffic lights, a truck pulled along
side us laden with drums of Flint Ink. If you went looking for it you
would have had no chance in this metropolis. We eventually found our
way to the bus station and after a wait for a couple of hours, boarded
another coach for Paraty 6 hours further on. Upon our arrival in
Paraty , we discovered that it had retained the same
indigenous feel as Colonia although we were now in Brazil (Portuguese
heritage rather than Spanish). Its cobbles were a little rougher and
shops/restaurants a bit more commercialised but generally had
character. After spending a pleasant day wandering around its fishing
boats and water front, we all met up at a local restaurant to sample
its fare. As the night grew longer and the drinks flowed (it was one
of the Aussie couple's birthday) the manager brought out the
'Caipirinha' (a rough white rum based lime drink) After several of
these it was time to introduce the snake juice, a 'Cachaca' (rum) with
a local snake steeped in it. The above contents were served in a bowl
from where a shot of the cocktail was offered, plus a kiss of the
snake if you were willing. At this stage of the evening, most were
game and the night rolled on. Needless to say there were a few sore
heads and bleary eyes the next day, the snake had a bite even after
death!

Morning saw us on the bus again, this time for a short 2 hour hop to
Angra further up the coast to catch a ferry to a group of islands
known as Ille de Grande. I say ferry, but in actual fact it was more
like an old converted fishing boat. As there was no gangway we had to
pass all of our baggage by hand down onto the boat, which was lower
by at least a metre than the wharf, from the concrete wall above. At
this stage it had started to rain quite heavily making this
undertaking quite tricky, to say nothing of climbing down the rope and
tyre tenders to get on board. That done, we set off on an open deck
for the main island one and a half hours away, where we were to be
deposited for the next 3 days.

Our arrival was a bit more graceful than our departure, with a proper
wooden purpose-built structure to alight onto. This was surrounded by
an expanse of white sand beach and all of the little shops and
restaurants spilled right down to a small walkway on the edge of the
sand. The island again was a haven for wildlife with humming birds,
geckos, monkeys (like marmosets) and the ever present vultures
circling above, which seem to be prevalent throughout Brazil from
Iguassu to Rio. The accommodation was small single bed roomed chalets,
tucked into the bush giving the real island feel. I slept one night in
the hammock supplied with the unit really into the island style!

Yet again, our time here was too short and we had to return to the
mainland to continue our push north. This was not before we had
chartered a boat to take us around the islands for swimming,
snorkelling, bbq and unlimited ciprianas. We all made the most of the
free cocktails and during the days outing managed to consume 10
bottles of the white rum amongst 13 of us - it's a wonder we got back!

Once back on terra firma we piled into our pre-organised van and
headed off to our final destination … Rio. On arrival, we checked into
our small boutique 'Posada' the Portuguese equivalent of the
'pension'. Once we had thrown our bags into the room, we set off for a
tour of the city. First stop (as you would imagine) was a trip to
'Çhrist the Redeemer' (Cristo Retenter). This huge, beautiful monument
gazes out over the city and dominates the skyline. The view of the
city from here is incredible,as such was a mecca for tourists. It was
quite a trip up Cocavado the hill on which the statue is mounted, and
we had to change transport near the top as the last section is
operated by a private licencee.From here you can reallyappreciate the
beauty that is Rio, from the beaches to the mountains, from the
skyscrapers to the forested interior. As part of our introduction to
Rio we took the two cable cars up Sugarloaf mountain as the sun set
and the lights came on all over the city. We also visited "Carnaval'
the carnival area where every year in February all of the Samba
schools throughout Rio display the massive floats and costumes they
have spent all year preparing. Following a tour around the soccer
stadium and cathedral we retired to the hotel to freshen up for our
group farewell dinner.

The next day we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. In our
case it was just a few blocks to our new abode the Hotel Atlantico
Copacabana. Positioned just a couple of roads back from the beach, we
were upgraded to a suite, complete with what you would expect, huge
rooms, separate lounge, three phones, two TVs, spa bath, bidet and
sauna, just like we are accustomed to … yeah, right! We spent a
further four days here just cruising around town including Copacabana
and Ipanema beaches, admiring the dental floss that passes for
bikinis. You can see where the area gets its decadent reputation from,
the beaches are vast with powdery white sand. The local 'Cariocas'
certainly seem laid back and very much at ease with their environment
and lifestyle.

When you look to the surrounding hillsides they are covered with
ramshackle dwellings called The Favelas, where Rio's poor reside.
These corrugated iron and packing case dwellings highlight the
disparity between wealth and poverty in this diverse city. The local
administration has allowed these paupers palaces to continue and be
recognised in an effort to ensure that everyone is housed in whatever
form. I suppose there is an irony, in that these elevated dwellings
have views worth millions!

Next our journey continues with a big push northwards.

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