Blogs from South America - page 5662

Wednesday afternoon we caught a bus though to Nazca. By the way, "we" now consisted of Paul and Rebecca as well as Ross. Paul and Bec are from England, while Ross is from Scotland. We were all heading in the same direction so it made sense to stick together. We got in about 4pm, and again there were people everywhere trying to take us to their hostel or sell us plane flights over the Nasca Lines. We managed to get away from them with all our money and bags and walked down to the hostel that we had chosen from our (usually) trusty Lonely Planet guides. Once we had dumped our stuff in the rooms, a guy known as Rastaman (I guess it's the Peruvian dreadlocks) took us around in a car to get our bus ... read more

Rapa Nui, Rapa Nui! That's how the song goes that is playing constantly on this cool little island in the middle of the Pacific. The song is playing in the airport when you land and get off the plane onto the tarmac and people are waiting to put flowers around your neck, it's playing in your taxi, it's playing in the restaurant, in the hotel...it's a good song, really, and catchy...yeah, really catchy. Anyways, we had an awesome time here, starting with appropriating a room, it was easy enough, as there are booths of all the hotels and hostels right next to the baggage claim, and whichever place you pick out gives you a ride, also. First of all, the place we stayed, Cabanas Vaianny was great, we had our own bathroom and breakfast, and we ... read more

It's felt like ages since I last wrote but I guess that's just because so much has been happening. Right now we are in Nasca waiting for our overnight bus tonight to Arequipa, so I have a bit of a chance to write. I´m sorry if this is the first journal that you´ve got or you don´t get this one. I´m just adding addresses as I am able. We spent 2 whole days in Lima, mainly in a seaside suburb called Miraflores. It's pretty flash by local standards, but most tourists stay there because it's much safer than the rest of the city. There were some really nice parks, with beautiful flower beds and lush green grass, but I don't think you're allowed on it. By the end of the 2 days we had a pretty ... read more

And so, to Brazil.. the fifth biggest country on Earth. Due to the constaints of time, we were only briefly heading across the South East of the country... but it at least gave us a flavour for it.. Our first stop, from Argentina, was the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. Equally spectacular to the Argy side, but still worth a visit to get a different perspective on this incredible place.. We then had a quick, ie 2 minute detour into Paraguay.. this was because we hadnt stopped to get a Brazilian entry stamp on our way in from Argentina. The Paraguayan border is a real zoo... hoards of people heading in and out with bootlegged booze, cigarettes, and probably a lot of cocaine that has come in from Bolivia.. As we got our stamps for ... read more

"Sao Salvador, Bahia de Sao Salvador A terra do branco mulato A terra do preto doutor..." Magica terra do Senhor do Bonfim! Salvador tem uma energia vibrante no ar, é fisica, quase se pode pegar com as maos. Nao pare na superficie, continue nos bastidores profundos desta cidade misteriosa e enriqueça sua alma! O que dizer de Salvador? Reserve sua passagem! A cultura desenvolvida em Salvador, primeira capital do Brasil, e no Recôncavo baiano, exerceu influência decisiva em outras regiões do país, e na própria imagem que se tem do Brasil no exterior. Já no século passado firmou-se o gosto do baiano - tanto o do rico quanto o do pobre - pelo epigrama (tipo de poesia satírica); pelas modinhas (poesia lírica musicada); e, também, pelos sermões religiosos, praticados desde Frei Vicente. A chegada dos africanos ... read more