http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh-o/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Brazil , Maranhão en-us Sun, 06 Dec 09 12:03:54 +0000 Sun, 06 Dec 09 12:03:54 +0000 Suite a Olinda nous avons repris le bus pour Sao Luis ville sur le Nord du Bresil. Pour la petite histoire les Francais ont cree la ville en 1612 et se sont fait virer pas les Portugais qui voulaient le Bresil pour eux seulsBref ancienne ville coloniale aux portes de l Amazone larchitecture de certains batiements du centre rappelle la periode coloniale mais le melange avec les batiments e http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-440504.html We arrived yesterday at the bus station not really knowing where we were going to go all we knew is that we need to get eventually to Belem at the Amazon so got the bus to Sao Luis. I am starting to get used to the bus times here when they say it will take 24 hours it will actually take an extra three as this has happened on nearly all our buses For the first time we got great seats on the bus http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-439885.html I know it's an odd title but it's the best I could come up with.The Parque Nacional Lencois de Maranhenses is literally at the end of the road to keep going east from here which is what we wanted to do needs off road 4x4's plenty of time a lot flexibility and tons of patience. We don't have some of these so went on a long day trip from Sao Luis it was a good decision and well worth the tr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/Barreirinhas/blog-436288.html Yesterday we took a trip from Sao Luis to Alcantara which is a bit over 20km away by boat the only way to get there. There were a handful of passengers for the crossing which was a bit choppy a swell of 2m and whitecapped waves but only a bit over an hour so not too bad. Alcantara is an interesting place and great for a day trip. It was built in the 18th century fell into decay is now bei http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-436159.html Jean Marc and I got picked up by the taxi at the hostel and 4 hours later we arrived in Sao Luis we got dropped off at a nice Hostel called Pousada Lagoon in the new part of town recommended by Jean Marc's friend a little misunderstanding there JM thought he will stay with him in his house but he booked us a hostel instead nevertheless quite good for the 30 reais per person price and has wif http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-423067.html Arriving in Barrerinhas around just past 2pm right away I was not impressed with the town lots of people out on the street and it is very hot here not so clean either. We asked the truck driver to drop us off at the Pousada Porto near the water's edge but it was full and all of the hostels and Pousadas around it we were told Brazilians were on vacation and came here in droves especially weeken http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/Barreirinhas/blog-422435.html So without the constant barrage of the senses of the historic district the culture shock has subsided substantially. Today I was really able to just sit back and appreciate the beauty of this place and really kind of fall in love with it. A friend we made had a car and drove us around town a little and to the train station to check on ticket prices to Belem. yeah we changed plans and will probab http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-414642.html I have found that the hardest part of studying a culture first hand is the language barrier. You can witness something first hand and make judgements and analysis but his is useless in large part without an understanding of the background. And aquiring backgrounds is difficult if you do not speak the language.This trip is extremely overwhelming absolutely incredible and very frustrating. I have http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-413948.html So the title is in reference to the fact that alot of people here say this to us. I am told it is because we are from the United States and they are very proud of their children for learning english well enough to show us around and invite us over. So life in the country has proven much nicer than in the historical center. Mostly because we are not in a hotel and we get fresh air. It is nice to ha http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-413929.html ... gonna eat me alot of passion fruit.Study abroad is finished I still have a paper to turn in by July 12th but the classes are done and we are out of that noisy ass hotel We are going to be staying with a friend for about a week in his orchard. It is soooo much nicer than the hotel AND I dont have classes 8 hours a day AND I am not sick anymore We are recovering and chillin with our friend j http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-412953.html I have been trying to upload videos to my blog for the last couple of days but it is not working. I did not go to school again today because I still do not feel very good. No more fever or body aches but I still have a bad cough and last night I lost my voice because my throat was so raw. overall nothing really new going on because I have been sick and resting. the internet here is not very goo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-409186.html translation of the title I feel badSo I have been sick for the last couple of days. I have had a fever and a very bad cough as well as a headache and body aches. We went to see a capoeria show put on by all of the local capoeira schools. It was a benefit for the local areas here suffering from severe flooding. The entry fee was 2lbs of non perishable food per person. It was freakin awesome. I go http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-408577.html translation of the title is The book is on the table. apparently this is what people here say when they want to pretend like they speak English. They will just say this phrase over and over again to try to impress their friends that don't speak English. We have been having a good time harassing our Portuguese teacher by saying it in Portugueseit seems that during those rare occasions when I have http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-408571.html Translation of the title is The life here is fast. I am learning alot of portuguese and sometimes forget I can speak english instead of very poor portuguese. I have not been keeping up with this blog very well because things happen so fast here and there is so much going on. At times it is so overwhelming and it doesn't even feel real. I understand what culture shock is... I do not experience http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-406218.html It is a little strange how comfortable I am in my surroundings here. If I were in a city like this in the states I would be alot more nervous than I am here. Everyone is so friendly though. I was thinking about it last night and the hostel we are in has only one thin mattress no air conditioning a fan and a light bulb. This is pretty luxury around here perhaps like a middle class lifestyle. Wher http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-403279.html I'm back from a week in the Lenis Maranhenses national pak. It was simply stunning. My first access to it was from the town of Barreirinhas where I paid for a tour. I was pretty disappointed though as they didn't let you stay in the dunes for long you were in too big a group and some of the tourists were just annoying. Most of them were from southern Brazil and two middleaged guys said aft http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-401966.html As previously mentioned I am now in So Luis State of Maranho.The city founded by the French in the early 17th Century in honour of medieval king Saint Louis was taken over a few years later by the Portuguese. It now has a rundown colonial look which is quite pleasant when combined with the laidback atmosphere of the historical center which can be admired with a reggae background So Luis http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-399961.html Up North up North up North That is what I have been up to lately.I left Lenis for Salvador and from there took a bus to Natal higher up on the coast. Upon arrival I took a bus to Praia da Pipa which had the reputation for being a chilled out discrete little resort almost 3 hours out of town. I was a little disappointed unfortunately. It had been overbuilt during the last decade and now s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-398990.html Boucs and I said our goodbyes in Pipa as he was going to do a bit more of North Brazil before catching his flight back to Miami. I had a bit more time on my hands so decided to head further up through to Venezuela and back to Colombia to catch my flight back to Miami.So jumped on a 30 hour bus ride to Sao Luis. Apparently this place is the reggae capital of Brazil Saw a few little bars pumping http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-383388.html Yesterday was Sunday and Allyson took me with his friends Alexandra and Martin to the main Praa in the Old Historical District of So Lus. There were people strolling around and watching the sun go down over the Atlantic as light became scarce. Soon the church lit up. We had a picnic with olives and beer and other snackfoods. Allyson and Martin took their guitars and it turns out that all of the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-372129.html