Blogs from Paraná, Brazil, South America - page 6

While in Curitiba I went on a tour of the Vila Velha state park. There are several rock columns there made of layers of different types of sediments. As the top layers are harder than the lower layers erosion causes them to taper towards their bases (see photo 1). Best to get there soon if you want to see them; the top fell off one of them three years ago. There are also man-made marvels in Curitiba. They constructed two spaceships, including attached booster rockets, from wood (see photo 2). Unfortunately the first one failed when they attempted to launch it but the second one remains there as a testament to a brave early space programme that was later abandoned. I was also able to get a rare photograph of one of the local trolls. They ... read more

Spending a week in Puerto Iguazu, which is so close to the Brazilian border town of Foz do Iguacu, we decided it would be a shame not to take a wee trip across to see what Brazil has to offer. Any people we spoke to told us that it was worth the visit, that it was a nice little town and that it was pretty enough. Given that people told us not to go next nigh or near Paraguay, we trusted that it must be worth the visit, if even only to say that we had been in Brazil given that we didn't have the time of the budget to travel further in Brazil to any of the more noteworthy cities like Rio or Porto Alegre. It is well connected to Puerto Iguazu, and you can ... read more

I am traveling around Brazil for two weeks with my parents David and Lupe who are semi-retired and have always wanted to visit Brazil. I am their daughter/travel guide and I have also always wanted to experience Brazil. We left LAX not believing we were actually going to Brazil. It’s weird how your mind stops you from believing it until you see it. The flight wasn’t bad. Korean air has great food and movies. In the airport we were given the royal treatment because of mom’s hurt foot and her new walking cane. People over 70 are considered “prioridade” in Brazil. Everywhere we went people gave up their seat for my mom and papi. The condo I booked ended up being a fail. The apartment made papi wish he had his tools which was not how ... read more

Tuesday 24th December (Odyssey Day 46) Getting dropped into town this morning, our first stop was a bank. We found an HSBC and managed to get some money from the ATM. Unfortunately some cards trigger a maximum withdrawal from the local bank and you can only get out 300 real per day. I believe it is a security thing and while that’s good, it’s also really frustrating. A few of us then caught a local bus to Iguazu falls. The bus was interesting, when we boarded we didn’t pay the bus driver – instead there was a turnstile just behind him with an operator who took the money and let you through. I’ve never seen a setup like this before, but it did make each stop much quicker as the driver didn’t have to worry about ... read more

muess scho säge, öperem för 4 mönet tschüss säge esch ned eifach. bsonders schwerig eschs wahrschiinli för die wo dehei bliibed, obwohl au die wo gönd vell gmeschti gfühl hend! vorfreudig, gspannt uf das wo uf mech zue chond, nervös abr natürli au extrem glöcklech beni de also am ziistig morge früeh dörd uswiiskontrolle am floghafe. met einere stond verspötig beni am 9 ortsziit in rio glandet. en schäbige floghafe, wo abr sin zweck erföllt. met em tom woni im flogzüüg aquatscht han, well er näbe mer gsässe esch hani mer denn es taxi teilt, is hotel, meh oder weniger direkt ah de copacabana!! am nöchste tag hani mi ufe rechtigi touristetour buecht ond han en chliini stadtfüerig gnosse. esch super gsi, schad nor, dassd jesusstatue komplett im näbel gsi esch, dstatue zwar scho gseh hesch ... read more