Porto Alegre, Brasil

We left the Ilha da Santa Catarina yesterday, poor weather keeps us moving, no surf lessons, but a nice long walk on the beach, and we didn´t make it to the end, at least five miles long. The bus ride was just like all bus rides, long, smelly and arriving in a daze trying to figure out where we are and where we need to go. The land we traveled over seems very fertile in places with vineyards and cattle farms, and there must be lots of clay because there were a number of tile factories along the way.

Porto Alegre itself is a dirty port town, apparetly a fresh water port as five rivers meet at it´s confluence before draining into the ocean. But there isn´t much tourism, which is nice because the locals don´t have much of a preconceived stigma of tourists (or Americans). Though the I see just as many American flags on clothing as I do see signs of anti-War propaganda (which is essentially just Anti-Bush, and, unfortunaely, Anti-American. Though I can´t say I´m pro Bush, but I´m definitely pro-home). And I understand Portuguese well enough to know when people´s comments are sarcastic, or just ignorantly serious, and enough to give them my two cents if the mood strikes me, but I mostly stay quiet since they´ll never understand the irony in their ignorance. Now, I´m looking forward to Uraguay, though they say it´s more expensive there and Brasil has been very inexpensive. We eat very well, and sleep for cheap. For lunch today I had a whole (2-3lbs) fish, rice, salad, beans, potato salad, soda for two dollars. Though the region is more known for its steaks, but I think I´ll wait ´till Argentina. The places we stay in usually give us "café da manha" (morning coffee), which is breakfast consisting of bread, cheese, ham, fruit, juice and coffee.

And it was just a couple days ago when I figured out why I´ve been disoriented so frequently recently, the noon shadow points SOUTH! the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west, but, I don´t know exactly when it switched, but my compass is the opposite too (the white end of the needle, which usually points south, now points north, and the red end south).

We´ll probably be taking a night bus to Montevideo, a nice 10 hour ride over a windy, flat country, I´m told. We´ll be there for a couple days, taking excursions to "experience" a bit of Uraguay before crossing the river by ferry to Buenos Aires, to which I´m very much looking forward.

Barra do Lagoa, Brasil

I´m still on the Ilha de Santa Catarina, but on the other side at a beach where the waves are world class and the beaches are sillica soft, clean and never ending. We´re staying in a cheap place in a tiny town called Barra do Lagoa, which roughly translates as the lagoon penninsula since the town is between an lagoon and the sea. I´m glad to be out of the overrated Floranopolis and in a small town where I might take some surf lessons and just relax, some more. It´s really nice here. I`m getting tired of saying it now, and feel bad since I´m always in some nice place and seeing new and amazing things.

Internet is expensive here, so I´ll have to be brief (almost $2 an hour). We've been eating well in Brazil, not only at John and Helen´s, but the restaurants make good food and serve large portions. The buffet is very popular, and there many burger/sandwich places to fill in the empty spaces. I should write more about the food when I have more time, because it´s not very different, but still interesting how much food one can get for five dollars.

Curitiba e Joinville, Brasil

Well we´re back on the move again, southbound. We spent last night in Curitiba, again. I can´t get over how clean and well managed the traffic is in that city, especially when compared to the unmanageable traffic and filth of São Paulo. But I enjoy São Paulo, I learned how to use the buses well, and the metro. There isn't much to do for the tourist, but there are always cultural events, shows and exhibits taking place. It was also very nice to be at the Coachman Compound, really a lovely place, where we were safe and well fed. Now, we´re a bit further than Curitiba, in the city of Joinville; also a clean, well managed city, and quiet, especially on Saturday. We've wandered some of the streets and up a hill to catch a panoramic view of the city and the bay that opens to the Atlantic, a really picturesque layout for a city, with little hills and canals and the ocean. This city is an example of Brazil´s diverse immigrant population, as the Germans, Pols and Italians settled to the south, most street signs and businesses are German names, the people look nordic, so we don´t stick out nearly as much, except for my clothing and a big bag on my back. Apparently, this state, Santa Catarina, produces the most top models from Brazil, due to the mix of blood I suppose. There are also a number of American colonies, not religious, just Americans who emigrated during or after the Civil war, they can be found in towns like Clevelandia and Americana. But Portuguese is still the main language, mine´s improving, slowly, and I know all I need is a month or so of immersion, where I can´t speak to anyone in English. Perhaps on the way back. I´d really like that.

As for specific travel plans, all I can say is a week or so more in Brazil, a week or so in Uraguay, a couple weeks, maybe even a month in Argentina and just as much in Chile, then back to Brazil and maybe even traveling up to Venezuela and the Carribean Islands. So at least another four months on the road. I can afford it, the question is, will I be able to endure, and not just get exhausted. I have a feeling Scott and I might go separate ways after Chile. He´s mentioned he might want to do that, but is not for sure, but it´s just a feeling, it might be better anyway. We've gotten along very well this far, it would be a shame to separate on a bad note

Sao Paulo 3

After a few weeks in Sao Paulo, Scott and I are getting ready for another bout of transcontinental traveling. We plan to leave Friday, heading south, no destination in particular, just south, and, south and west and around. Hopefully this War won´t affect our plans, hopefully the dollar stays strong. I´m really tired of the whole mess; just being American gets exhausting and stressful in times like these. I really wish the political climate were different, on the international level (I´m more worried about North Korea than Iraq). Staying at Helen and John´s has been such a privilege because we´re not only stuffed with food, but we´re stuffed with media, TV, newspaper, internet, which is nice in keeping informed. We spend a lot of time discussing the situation; Helen and John are very well informed, especially on US news. I just want to travel, see the pretty places, people and listen to the music and eat the food and drink the wine and go to bed wondering what kind of pleasant surprises the next day will bring. I still feel strange about leaving the guitar behind, though I probably should. I´ll see how it goes during this next trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. I´ll decide what to do with it when I get back to São Paulo.

Sao Paulo 2

We went to a very important soccer game yesterday, two local rivals São Paulo and Corinthians, a rivalry with much animosity and enthusiasm. We only stayed two-thirds of the game to avoid crazy crowds. Then John and Helen took us out for pizza, along with their son-in-law Marco and two adorable granddaughters Silvia (13) and Alice (9) (just Scott and I went to the game), their daughter Christina didn't come. The live a couple hours out of town, Marco owns a hat-making company and I don't know what Christina does. Not to be confused with Jobi's (Helen's brother) daughter, Christina, in Hawaii. Anyway, we've been keeping busy doing little tourist things. Today, if the rain lets up, we'll head into the center to visit with Fabio (the Brazilian we met in Peru). Heluisa let me borrow her bike, so I've been able to ride around the neighborhood in the mornings, though this morning I was soaked. I miss riding my bike, a lot.

Sao Paulo 2

We went to a very important soccer game yesterday, two local rivals São Paulo and Corinthians, a rivalry with much animosity and enthusiasm. We only stayed two-thirds of the game to avoid crazy crowds. Then John and Helen took us out for pizza, along with their son-in-law Marco and two adorable granddaughters Silvia (13) and Alice (9) (just Scott and I went to the game), their daughter Christina didn't come. The live a couple hours out of town, Marco owns a hat-making company and I don't know what Christina does. Not to be confused with Jobi's (Helen's brother) daughter, Christina, in Hawaii. Anyway, we've been keeping busy doing little tourist things. Today, if the rain lets up, we'll head into the center to visit with Fabio (the Brazilian we met in Peru). Heluisa let me borrow her bike, so I've been able to ride around the neighborhood in the mornings, though this morning I was soaked. I miss riding my bike, a lot.

Sao Paulo 1

…speaking of breaks, well mine's enough for plenty of people, perhaps a lifetime? and sometimes I feel guilty that I'm able to enjoy so much with while having suffered so little. Should I have to suffer in order to enjoy? It's difficult to "keep perspective" whin the perspective is so obscured by the mess our world always seems to be when trying to be "realistic." What can I do other than enjoy myself, somebody has to have a good time, right? This weekend was a perfect example.

Immediately upon our return to Sao Paulo, we were invited by a yet to be known friend to go to the beach for the weekend. After rearranging my busy agenda and making sure all appointments were cancelled, we set off with a very motley group of four Italians (from Italy) four Brazilians and us two Americans. Naturally it was a relief to see that seven of the eight people that came in two cars to pick us up were girls, all our age (early twenties). Despite the fact there was no sun the three days we were at Toque Toque Grande (toque toque means "island" in the native tongue), the weekend was very bright with a continued hedonistic theme carried over from the previous weeks festivities (carnaval). The place we stayed was a tiny village somewhere between Santos and Sao Sebastiao and tucked away so that one could not hear or see any traffic, people or noise beyond the paraquites that wake all too early, especially when one sleeps on a hammock on the porch next to their roosting tree. And aside from a little language barrier (the common language was English since the Italians don't speak Portuguese) and many persistent mosquitoes, the weekend was a perfect success and I now have several new friends with whom to keep in touch on the internet. I hope the Italian contacts come through some day, i.e. I wouldn't mind travelling Italy similarly as I've done 'round the Americas (So much to see so little time!).

And back in Sao Paulo, all seems well. It's been rainy, soft rain. More of a drizzle, and the sun doesn't come out. But when one sleep in 'till 1PM it's not so much of a loss. Yup, we went out again last night and I think I'm going to call it quits soon because I don't like always returning home at 4AM, the dogs make too much noise. Perhaps, I'm not being fair to myself. I am staying healthy and am making many new friends and am pondering schemes to either extend my stay here (later) or return (even later), like grants, jobs or whatever (matrimony is out of the question, for now). Brazilians are a very lively people, it also is nice to see many attractive ladies, but there is so much more to see in this giant country (just as big as the continental US).

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (CARNAVAL 2003!!!)

I don't think Rio will ever be the same... No, we behaved rather well given the possibilities. We managed to get a decent place to stay, in the middle of Rio de Jaineiro, in the district of Catête (pronounced: Ketetchie) for a decent price. Other than the foul smell of the water, the shower breaking, the key breaking in the lock while trying to enter at 4AM, the AC stopping the hotel was a good value, in fact I'd stay there again only for its central location that gave us easy access to the metro. Now, the city of Rio is a marvel, perhaps that's why it's nickname is "ciudade maravilhosa" (marvelous city). Geographically Rio is a spectacle, with it's many solid granite monoliths along its jagged coastline and endless beaches (Including Copacabana) decorated with plenty of colorful and beautiful people. Rio is a big city, difficult to see all of it, especially during carnaval, especially when one consumes lots of cerveza. But a friend of a friend of a friend offered to help us find and experience the true Carioca (Person from Rio) Carnaval. And that we did! From the beginning we found ourselves immersed in an atmosphere of festivity, almost everything was closed and everyone who didn't flee the city was on the streets, drinking, dancing and singing. This mutual friend, who is now our friend, and her husband, showed us the "bloco" party, which difficult to explain, but easy to describe: thousands of people meet up in a designated place at a designated time, samba music is played on large trucks and people dance and parade for several hours following/leading the music truck through the streets. Some of the blocos have been the same for almost 90 years, others just a couple, but they usually have a theme, like friendship, or fantasy, or whatever, but they're all pretty much the same. It's really just a bunch of people all making fools of themselves together (when in Rome...)

Anyway, the more commercial aspect of Carnaval is in the giant stadium called the Sambódromo (giant samba stadium) where samba "schools" go to compete, professionally. A samba "school" is a group of several thousand people organized to create several dozen themes with floats and costumes and march through the Sambodromo before judges and spectators. It's really nothing more than a giant parade for five days, we were there at two in the morning one night and they were still going strong. The costumes are spectacular and the music is loud. Some women wear little or no costume as they dance samba, whatever it takes to gain points to win. Aside from the dancers, the most impressive thing is the structure of the Sambodromo, which is a stadium some 1/3 of a mile long with tall tall stands on both sides, resembling a wide city street, with many many lights shining onto the competitors and into the sky. Honestly, sitting there is quite boring, the school has one hour to get everyone and all the floats through and then there's a big break between schools. We were more into the street party, which cost next to nothing.

Then there are the beaches, which were very full last week. Since it is summer here, Rio gets warm, tropical warm with humidity and 33 degrees Celsius (85-90 Fahrenheit, I think). Everyone goes to the beach and there is much to see! I felt overdressed with my swimming trunks on! (Not to be misleading, nudity was rare, suits were just cut to be as small as possible). Anyway, we got a lot of exercise walking on the beaches, trying to find a place to sit or a place to swim. Had it been any other time I would have been quite frustrated by the number of people, but that is what carnaval is about: lots of people.

Now we're back in São Paulo, to rest for a day. It seems we've been invited to the beach again, by a distant relative of Helen's (did I tell you how wonderful they've been to us? introducing us to so many people, I'll never have time to see everyone again!).