Blogs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 239

We were having a good old chat, albeit somewhat one sided. While waiting at the bus terminal in Foz do Iguazu a local approached and started speaking in an animated fashion. Man could he talk, and clearly it was an important message he had to share except for one small problem, I didn't understand a word he was saying! Not to worry, he just kept talking away while my facial expression changed from a look of non comprehension to positively idiotic. Finally a woman chimed in to remind him I didn't speak Portugese, and at least I understood those words. That's right bro, no fala portugese! Yet I was in great spirits as I prepared to board the bus to Rio de Janeiro. In fact I nearly burst into song "Woh ooh woh oh when my ... read more

We have finally arrived at our first stop on our round-the-world trip: sunny Rio de Janeiro! After a 14 hour plane journey, we arrived in 40 degrees temperatures. We dumped our stuff in the nice air-conditioned hotel and went straight to Ipanema Beach. At night it stays really hot and humid too at about 30 degrees C. Rio is an absolutely HUGE city, with a marked difference between rich and poor. We are staying in a “nice” area, but in the outer barrios there is a lot of poverty. We have spent most of our time sunbathing on Ipanema or Copacabana Beach, and doing the main tourist things - Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado (Christ Statue). We went out with some Aussie guys one night who introduced us to the local drink speciality - the “capprioca”. ... read more

Geo: -22.969, -43.1856Leaving the previously found shelter with my mother in Asuncion. On my unplanned way back to Germany...Luckily I was able to stopover in Rio de Janeiro and my onward flight to Frankfurt with Lufthansa was delayed by 48 hours. Lufthansa paid for each of the 180 passengers nothing less than the Copacabana Palace hotel...Still remembering...Just left Asuncion on a controversy issue with my mother...My mother intended me to stay and go to school there...The one and only time in life I remember my father actually made a decision to help me rather than himself...Bad enough...it was the only good decision he ever made...Nothing good followed...Ok, don't get me wrong...I loved Paraguay but way back than it was a hiding place of German criminals running away from the judging system of Germany...I am talking about ... read more