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Published: April 4th 2007
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Big Momma
Photo in the Pelherino (whipping post) in Salvador Well it’s now the 4th of April and I’m sure you’re all wondering why I haven’t emailed yet. And the only excuse I’ve got is that I’m having a good time. Feel free to read on if you’re interested and if it becomes to draining or depressing for you please feel free to have a look at the STA Travel site, they may have the deal for you.
So after arriving in Rio de Janeiro (river of January) on the 9th of March (36 hours later after leaving Brisbane) we were pretty shagged, (the Qantas club lounge showers in the USA were the only saviors) decided that the first thing we had to do was to check out the Copa, Copacabana, where music and passion … blah you get it, and it was huge. That beach is about 5 km long but don’t let the pictures fool you, it had it’s prime about 1950 and needs a revamp bad but the cultures still there.
It was beach day on Sunday obviously, and fuck me if there wasn’t half of the 7 Million people on the beach with ass everywhere. It was disturbing I must say. People everywhere with
Spot at the Doctor´s
Lisa out at the hostpital at Maceio umbrellas to rent trying to sell you random dodgy food and all the usual paraphernalia, you really got to see it to believe it. Cool.
The next couple of days were a random blur of overdosing on Tosta Mista´s (ham & cheese) they can’t get enough of it over here and everything’s loaded with sugar. Many Kinder Surprise’s if you know what I mean on every corner. Got to give it a go don’t you?
My Thirty-ith or 30th was a great day when we went up Sugar Loaf Mountain in the city centre, (photo´s attached) The view from up top is breathtaking and really gives you perspective of how massive Rio is. There was a chopper giving rides over the city and around the Christ the redeemer statue and along Ipanema and Copacabana beach and since Lisa had never been on a chopper before, we lived a little, you see photo’s but I’m not waiting for 55Mb of video to upload - sorry.
After nine days in Rio, we had enough energy to head off to Sao Joao Del Re in the Minas Gerias State (where all the mines were) to check out a bit of
A Radom in Rio
This is for you Mark and you Rhett that sort of stuff. Ouro Preto was a standout, where in the 19th century 1200 tonnes of gold were produced (most of the world’s production apparently) lots of churches with gold in them and a mining school with a mineral collection that would wet the wick of any rock licker out there.
From there we saw Tiradentes another mining town and then it was back to the coast and the start of the overnight bus trips. I’ll tell you now, not even a month in and I’m getting sick and tired of buses. From there to Bele Horizonte (if you zoom in on my route map you’ll see the path) overnight to Vitorria and caught a bus straight out to Porto Segro - a Brazilian attempt and making a place to go in winter when it’s cold down south - not enough love here and it hasn’t really taken off. Cheap though - we stayed a few days because we were both sick with the flu from Ouro Preto still, just got over it yesterday.
From there it was to Brazil’s first capital, Salvador, the one the Portuguese pumped 4 million black slaves through and for a few of them; they didn’t get far from the wharf. ''Jeff’s tip #1 - Don’t arrive off a bus in Salvador at six in the morning on a Sunday! Between the Pro´s, beggers and down right shady characters, it’s not the nicest place to be out after dark. We found our hotel after careful persuasion right in the thick of it. Just the way we like it.
The town does have character…. In the form of music, drums and Capoeira. We stayed four days here soaking up the culture, going to an Afro-indian / Candalombe worship thing… interesting.
Don´t ever be tempted by a big negro momma´s cooking........ soooooooooo bad!
Salvador to Maceio, still with the flu, in a chemist here you just rock up and tell them what you want. Lisa and I are allergic to Penicillin so we get the normal Amoxicillin that you’d get in Oz, and all was going well until we must have brought some home brand cheap shit and Lisa broke out one morning in the biggest rash. In the first hour it wasn’t too bad but then, bugger me if all the dots didn’t just start connecting up, all over her body. I’ll try to attach a photo if she’ll let me. Anyway off to the hospital on a Sunday when no one could understand a word we were saying. Luckily some random spoke english and overheard that we were going to communicate over the internet with the doctor.
From Maceio to Priar de Pippa a tourist spot for the night, good place to relax a while and then a day stopover to Netal and then a night bus to Fortaleza, where I am right now writing to you all. I like it up the top here nice and civilized and you don´t have to watch your back to much.
Where too from here you ask? Well we leave here tomorrow for a town called Jerricocia on the way to Sao Lous on the way to the Amazon for a 6 day trip from Belem to Manaus and then probably out of Brazil, don’t know where yet but it’s burning a hole in my pocket.
Hope you’re all doing well and take care till next time. Pass the link on to anyone I’ve missed.
Jeff
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Dave
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Oi Crock - where's my random
Random in the Amazon, thats what the next photo needs to be - and dedicated to me no less! and of course of similar or better quality! :) Glad to hear you're having a ball champ!! Extremely jealous! Though had a bit of fun myself in China, Taiwan, HK, Macau and Malaysia! Back at work - it's a struggle! Say hey to Lis for me! Stay well! Dave