Argentina (briefly) and Brazil

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We arrived into Buenos Aires and once again we split up. The other boys having had booked their room parted at the Airport with the intention of getting to Rio as quick as possible where we wanted to get their just at a slower pace maybe seeing more on the way. We got into a taxi at the airport and asked to be taking to a cheap hotel. The taxi driver brought to a place that was a lot more upper class than we had been used to in recent times and we settled in to two shared rooms. Mully and myself shared a room with an African guy who was apparently from Canada and the US and seemed a bit weird but nothing more was thought about it.

We stayed in the hotel for the next two days exploring the city and seeing round the place. We all met a Scottish guy who asked us to dinner and spent the time pointing out prostitutes and saying he was getting put off his dinner as a young girl on drugs was lying on an island in the middle of the road. He also warned Mully and myself about the guy in our room about how he couldn’t be trusted and to watch our things. He was a good guy. We spent two nights out in Buenos Aires and then decided to move on to the Iguazu Falls. This involved another long bus journey which were becoming common place for us, although this time it would be without the help of diazapan for lenny or myself.

We arrived in Igauzu (Mully enjoying ‘The Ugly Truth’ on the way) and instantly made our way to the waterfalls. It was pissing down out of the heavens and water was flushing down the streets as we headed to the waterfalls in our brightly coloured ponchos. Having made our way round to the far side of the falls and heading back on the train it brightened up and we got some pictures that you could actually make out. Along with feeding some rat/racoon type sort of weasels and seeing the falls we didn’t think their was much point staying in Igauzu so we arranged a bus to Brazil to Florianopolis to catch the tail end of the Carnival celebrations.

We once again travelled on a bus journey which Lenny was “unable” to sleep and arrived into a sunny Florianopolis and headed across the lakes to try to get some accommodation for the night. This became a lot more difficult than we imagined, along with the fact it was extortionately expensive due to the on going celebrations. We finally found somewhere to stay and made a move to explore about a bit. The town was cool and in full carnival mode. Massive street parades and people dancing in the street. We made our way out that night to see more of the parades and headed to a bar that was packed full of people, making it hard to get from one side to the other. Was a cool spectacle but the travelling had begun to catch up on me and was looking forward to getting out of another bus trip. After a couple of days we decided to make our way to Rio, and following the problems we’d had in getting a room in Florianopolis I booked us into a hostal that seemed too good to be true for the prices paid. Turned out it was too good to be true…

We arrived into Rio and made it to the hostal and were shown to the room. What can I say about the room. We had to spend 5 nights in a room that had no air conditioning, no doors, no windows in the window frames (only bars across the window), it faced into a back alley where cats fought every morning and it had 22 beds in it completed filled and stained from god knows what. This was beyond belief, in heat of 38 degrees during the day and a cool 32 at night. Horrendous. It became quickly known as the cesspit by everyone, as we would wake up every morning dripping in sweat and unable to sleep (unless you were mccarry). The best part of the following days was getting up out of the cesspit and making our way to the likes of the internet cafes or shopping mall to get into an air conditioned place where we could escape the stifling heat.

We met up with the other boys once again, although they were down the road a bit in a better hostal, but not by much. I joined Holly and the rest of the boys to go to the Christ of the redeemer statue but both Niall and myself got turned for not having shirts with us out of disrespect, even though there were men walking around in hot pants with skimpy vests on. We had to hang around for a while, so as the other boys could go up and look round and then go up after borrowing their shirts. I had met a guy whilst waiting who had advised me to go out on the Friday night to see a massive street party. This was more of an invite than we needed and we all headed out, getting split up whilst there. The following morning McCarry arrived back to the hostal a passport and two pair of flip flops lighter. The story goes that he got mugged and punched, taking his flip flops off his feet, then he returned to the hostal and went for a swim with a girl he met, then leaving his second pair of flip flops on the beach, they got stolen too. Not the best day for him, which meant he had to head to Sao Paulo the following day to get an emergency passport for the following day so we could fly home.

Over the next while in Rio we spent our time at the beach and hanging around the hostals and malls to get out of the heat. The depression had hit home that we were heading home and I was finding it difficult to enjoy the final days of Rio. It had finally come and a little earlier than planned but it was time to head off. On the 23rd we headed for the airport and prepared ourselves for the last flights we’d have together. The end of the tour

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Comments

[Heather]

Wow, I've never heard of anyone having such bad luck with their flip flops getting stolen! Hopefully you enjoyed Rio otherwise! My blog is looking for travel photos, reviews, etc, to share. If you have the time, check it out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com, or email us at [e-mail]. We're actually giving away a free night in Peru or Bolivia right now, if you know anyone traveling there. Safe travels back home! Heather :)