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Published: January 10th 2006
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After a 2.5 weeks stunt in Buenos Aires, I was -in a sadistic way- pleased to get back to the motorcycle. Flying back to Guaruja (Brazilian South coast) to met Ted (back from Hawaii). I even managed a quick swim before leaving for the world-reknowned 275 falls of Iguazu.
My Saddle
Before telling more about this watery Unesco site, I should first say a bit about my ´home´on the road for the last 3 months... for the ones wondering.
On the first photo, you´ll see me with my full gear on (waterproofed that day with extra internal liners), and my absolutely essential A$2 foam seat (from Crazy Clark). There´s also a little back rest home made with a folded foam bag.
Distance wise, I´ve classified the 500 km long trip as "Are we there yet?" and the thank-God-rare 700kms as "Had enough!". Stopping for more than 1 night is a good day where we don´t have to repack, but you can´t let the bum rest for too long as it gets "soft" again and thus sore quicker the next ride.
I can really only stretch on flat roads, and it only consists of letting my legs down, shifting my weight
off my coccyx and bum.
With regards to packing, on top of my allocated side panier, I have slowly encroached in the top bag we tie on everyday now: Ted has his extensive photographic equipment and I have sneaked in the odd pair of shoes (hm hm...). And it´s getting even tighter with the added warm gear for our leg to Ushuaia!.
Brazilian contrasts
So flying back to Brazil actually made a few aspects of this country more ´potent´to me:
Firstly the safety. I had totally laxed on that factor in my 2 weeks in Buenos aires and now, taking a photo of the beach on the footpath opposite my hotel is already attracting some looks from passing youngsters until a man comes out of my hotel to inform me that on the same spot he was hassled by a man on a pushbike not long ago who, (I think -it´s all in freaking portuguese), left with his camera! Off I go back to the hotel room and fall back in the routine of taking off my watch, put my (new XMas) nano at the bottom of my bag, and lock, lock, lock everything.
Sounds like paranoia? Not really,
we have had NO problem in Brazil whatsoever but the disparity in income is real here, and even our friends working here as middle managers and as directors are not ostentious about any wealth (it´s all in-house or in overseas holidays or shared with their family). One of them mentioned some charity organisation he financially helps (for the improvement of schooling, etc), but the scale of the financial and social divide is so great that I argued with him that as long as the top players were not committed to a serious long-term social planning, the battle seems lost. How to bring this mass of descendants of the abruptely-freed-sugarcane-slaves above the poverty line? Alas, the corruption matches the poverty and even their from-the-people-finally-elected Lula has dissapointed many with money going to construction projects instead of needed teachers.
Other aspects made more obvious by my return were the weather (warm, sunny, beaches with cool sea temperatures) and the food. No ´gravel´(roasted manioc) here at Guaruja on the tables but the delight of sushis due to some japanese migration to this region, and its powdery salt too. I could nearly recognise a country by its salt! No salt used in Cuba,
stuck-to-the-lid salt in Venezuela and powdery fine salt in Northen Brazil (hope this is the right order!).
The Falls
After having seen the tallest in the world in Venezuela, one gets picky as to how great water falling looks. and yet, mother nature has surprises me again and not for its shear power (measured in this case by debit) but by its arrangement any side you look. Those falls can not be photographed or explained, I reckoned they have to be experienced (by swimming there, walking, sitting, etc). Anyway, I´ll try.
At the Brazilian side, it didn´t struck as impressive until I got towards the end where a short walkway takes you nearly to the edge and closer to one of the falls. The pics are on a rainy day and you had to be there anyway.
The Argentina side (after a quick border crossing, even with the bike) was topped by a lunch at the Sheraton with great views (there is a photo of me eating again). But the fun is walking around (bring an umbrella for the mist and sunscreen if you do go), talking the train, jumping on the little ferry to an opposite
island or on a speed boat for a fun and wet scare (obviously too scary for the guy brought back to the top on stretches). I could have stayed a few days exploring and getting the feel for it but as usual we had to move on (Ted´s schedule for a job in January somewhere I can´t tell this time).
So off we go, rushing down to Buenos Aires in 3-4 days. Oh, we did stop a bit and one of them was opposite the Concordia hot spring station and boy! I have never seen so many kids at once; actually looking back, Argentina seems a very productive nation! So I choose a pool out of the 9 with hardly anyone in it and sure enough it´s because it´s at least 45 C in there! Takes me a while to get in of course and after 15 min I come out feeling relaxed and high as a kite! waow, such a cheap way to chill out.
That´s all you´ll hear about this long ride because Argentina, apart from the Andes, looks sooooooooooooooooooooo flat! (heard of the the Pampa and its Gauchos?). Bored to tears I was until we finally
got to our appartment in Buenos Aires, luckily easily found from the very-fast highway (140kms to stay alive!) straight to the Centro. So good to be back to my little ´home´.
(PS: other photos are available from Ted´s site www.tedgrambeau.com)
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Darling and Andre
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what a trip! en propre et figure
Thanks for letting us live this experience with you, hurry home take care darling