Blogs from Brazil, South America - page 16

So ilhabela was beautiful! An island paradise. We pitched up at our hostal and headed straight to the beach. That evening we had some amazing seafood and a couple of good beers for good measure. The next day was pretty much suncream-sunbathe-swim-repeat!! Just what the doctor ordered! Over the next few days this is pretty much how it went. We did hire some bikes and found ourselves on a private beach after nearly killing Jo going up hill on a bike. However the best day was when we tried to watch the rugby in a pub and failed! So we took our bikes for a short ride (according to the map) to one of ilhabela's many beautiful waterfalls. When we set off it was fine, nice and flat but really hot and sticky. This only got ... read more

Life as I know it... The last post on this blog has been a while back. After Tatiana and I finished our one year travels I did not consider posting anymore here, as this was for our common journey. Soon it will be 4 years ago that we returned from this amazing trip, and enough time has passed to tell you (or my future self for that matter) about the difficulties of returning. As amazing as everything about travelling is, the last months of a one year long journey get difficult. You fancy leaving the backpack in a corner and not pick it up again for months, you fancy conditioner, putting on lotion all over your mosquito bite-covered body without getting all sticky within minutes because of the heat, you fancy a comfortable bed, good coffee, ... read more

28th Chinese New Year This is the year of the Rooster, the zodiac animal that is trustworthy, has a strong sense of timekeeping and is responsible at work (side note: I am an earth dragon... Just Like Jesus :) The Chinese New Year is based on a lunar cycle that goes through twelve animals. It is celebrated throughout China and the Chinese diaspora. CNY is celebrated with firecrackers, red packets, and lion dances, among other things. The legend goes that a village was being attacked by a Nian, a mythical creature that would take children and destroy property. An old man swore he would rid the village of the Nian. The Nian was afraid of loud noises and the colour red, so he hung up red sheets and set of firecrackers all night. To celebrate, my ... read more

13. Dezember Uruguay Heute fuhren wir mit der Fähre von buenos aires nach colonia in Uruguay. Es ist eine ganz kleine Stadt und man fühlt sich wie in Italien. Kleine Gassen, überall Blumen und eine Menge Wein. Es war ein wunderschöner Tag. Am Abend trafen wir die neuen Leute die mit uns nach Rio reisen. 14.Dezember Lydias Geburtstag Die Free walking tour (in den meisten Großstädte in Südamerika werden gratis "Spaziergänge" durch die Stadt angeboten. Man trifft sich auf einem bestimmten Punkt und von dort aus wird die Stadt zufuß erkundigt und man bekommt natürlich auch alles erklärt) durch das Zentrum von BA. Am Nachmittag erkundeten wir noch andere Stadtteile alleine und wir mussten feststellen das die Stadt viel zu groß ist für nur 2 tage sightseeing. Am Abend machten wir uns fertig zum Geburtstag feiern. ... read more

8 Sept. thru 27 Oct. 2016 Brazil, a country of 200 million people where the divide between the Rich and Poor is very evident. Favelas dot the hills around the city of Rio and we are warned by many people not to enter , otherwise we will not come out alive. I personally, have no problems with these warnings, I wouldn't go to Compton or Watts in Los Angeles either! Our Brazil experience will be different from the month in Argentina. I have arranged 3 house swaps (Homeexchange.com) that will take us from Rio to Buzios and back to Rio. However, just to be a little different we also spent 4 nights in a Paraty hotel. Our first stop in Rio is Barra da Tijuca, its in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro and is ... read more