Rio to BA public transport/digs/things to do.....PLEASE JUST HELP!!!! The list goes on!

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Hey there,
My name is Michael. I'm an Irish man screaming to get over to S.America with my girlfriend! Budget wise the trips/tours from companies this side are seeming like daylight robbery! Really i have a range of questions......sorry!! First is will it be possible to get from BA to Rio via Uruguay and Igacu by ourselves on bus?....with rough estimates of price if possible? And what would you say to expect pricewise for hostels/hotels along the way, nothing grand just clean and good locations for fun? Finally my route will be starting in BA-Colonia-Montevideo-Florianopolis-Foz do Igacu-Sao Paulo-Paraty-Rio anything you could recommend along the way would be excellent. If you can help it'd be absolutely brilliant, even the smallest thing would be huge as i'm starting with nothing.....ANYONE!!!!! Cheers. I dont ask for much!

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