Porto Allegre, Canela all you can eat and the freezing southern winds

From now on I will always pay the extra 5 dollars to not sit on the slow bus anywhere! Instead of six hours the bus to PA took 9 hours! With stops every few minutes it was pretty difficult after a while, but I made it to saturday night in Porto Allegre. Well it wasnt quite what I thought it would be. The center is not realy where you want to be on Sat, its full of shady characters and homeless guys, not quite the lively party scene I was expecting. The hotel I stayed at was nice enough, but the guy at the front desk put me next to the elevator; and by next to the elevator I mean my head was about 6 inches from it. Needless to say sleep was controlled by how much people went up and down. Good thing they stopped at around 3 and didnt start until 7, when I promptly woke up. I decided that walking around the town would be fun on a sun morn, maybe a little shopping, sightseeing... well the shady characters were still around and I literally had to run at one point when 4 guys tried to surround me, needless to say I decided to flee while I still had the majority of my posessions. Thinking quickly I read about a little mountain town called Canela, and took the first bus there!


The two towns had about as much in common as New York and Ojai. When I got here I spent the day walking around sipping mate and eating chocolate; (apparently this area absorbed a lot of Italians and Germans) What a great town! I met a couple of nice brothers in the hostel who spoke spanish, one of whom was a midget as well, of course we got along famously! The only problem with this town is the complete and utter absence of any form of heating, be it a fireplace or central heating. The showers also are not heated by water heaters but instead by these little electric things attached to the water flow above your head. They dont work that well. Despite what I thought was adequete planning, I was not prepared for the cold. I dont know why not, maybe my body is used to summer right now and my internal thermostat is turned way down, but Im wearing 6 layers, every long sleeve shirt I own and my jacket at all times and still Im pretty cold! Despite the cold, the people here are warm as can be. I already made a few friends and went to a great open mike night last night. Today I just got back from a long (10K) hike to this waterfall which falls 130 m and has a lot of falcons and other rapiers which live near them! I just had a great lunch of all you can eat Buffet with my friend Vagner, and we made plans to go out tonight to some club in the next town over.

I forgot to mention the all you can eat spots in Brazil, well there are a lot of them! It is pretty amzing, every Churrascuria, or meat grill place is all you can eat, and most cost 5 dollars! There are numerous buffet livres for lunch with some only costing 3.50. Lets just say if I were a certain Andre two chicken I would be in hog heaven!

More later, hopefully tomorrow when I transfer pics onto the site!

Brazil, land of sun, surf and spandex!

Well, last time I left you guys I was on my way on an overnight bus to the Isla Santa Caterina, also known as Floripa and as Florinopopoulis. As I got on the bus I made the acquaintance of a nice Kiwi (from New Zealand) Virginia who now lives in London. We talked for a while and decided to try to get a place together on the Island as it is cheaper to get doubles than singles. Wow did we luck out, we got a place with two bedrooms, a porch, a a great view of the nicest beach, playa ingles! It was so great to be there! It was sunny and warm, and the ocean was so nice to swim in. The beach we were at didnt have too many waves, but there was one only a few minutes away that had some pretty big ones, so I set out to do some surfing! But apparently no. During the months of May and June surfing is prohibited on the island so that fisherman can catch a particular type of fish. Now Im really not so sure about this as I never saw the fisherman actually fishing, more just drinking beer on the beach, and I could really not figure out how in any way surfing would affect their ability to sit on the beach and drink, but there it was.
The best part of Brazil is the people. They are without doubt the nicest and warmest people I have ever met. They helped me with everything, from figuring out the right bus to take to where to get a haircut. The man at the front desk of out hotel was so happy all the time it was amazing, he always had a smile on his face, and was always there to help. I think after working in a hotel for a whgile I would not be the happiest of people but he was! Anyway, I did have a great time for three days, relaxing on the beach reading, sunbathing, and drinking the best beer; Antarctica Pilsen. I began formulating a plan at this point and decided to head south and eventually back to BA to fly to Chile to save money on transportation and lodging. Therefore after a few days I headed to Porto Allegre, the Soccer capital of South America!

Iguazu Falls and Swiss guy

When I finally arrived in Iguazu I looked for a posada with my own room which I needed after sharing with 6 anonymous people in BA. I found one where I was the only person, and proceded to wash clothes without realizing that the extreme humidity would induce mildew and not drying of my clothes. After a wholly unsatisfying lunch I went for a satifying hike among the forest which surround Pto. Iguazu. After a great night sleep, I took off on the earliest bus to Iguazu, ok the 5th of the day, but whos counting? The falls were everything I thought and much more! They were the most powerfull falls I have ever seen, especially now bc it is the rainy season and they are swollen with brown water from the jungle. I guess I cant even really put into words how cool they were, but eating lunch with this swiss guy I met at the edge of the biggest one, we agreed that lonely planet had it right, this is what europeans must have thought the edge of the world looked like. After a 8 km hike to another fall, we went back and had a lunch-dinner of all you can eat Parilla for 5 dollars. At this point I decided I would go to Brazil using my German passport which would help me avoid the visa necessary for US citizens (along with the hefty 150$ price). I tried to book a flight to Rio, failed and decided to bus it (20hrs). First the swiss guy and I went to the Itaipu dam which according to the dam people produces the most hydroelectric energy in the world. A little about the swiss guy: He was at the tail end of an 8 month journey and was a little disillusiuoned with travelling. Also he was quite the addict, with cigarettes and mate chief among them. He did manage to connect me with this great site, hospitality club, with which you can stay with locals all over the world for free! I signed up already. However, later that day at the Bus station, I decided against Rio, and instead went to Isla Santa Caterina!

Buenos Aires

Hello all! Sorry for the long delay between posts! After leaving Quito, and being stuck in the Lima airport for 5 hours, until 4 am for a 4 hour flight, I made it to BA! I caught a ride from some nice Venezuelen women, one of which had an art opening in the Palermo district, read rich, area of BA. I just walked around the city, fighting off a cold, the whole first day. I saw the balcony where Evita said, Dont cry for me Argentina, or at least I think she did. I also got to see the birthplace of Tango, which was cool, but the best part was lunch! I walked to what I was told was a cheap and good place for lunch and boy was it! Only 3 dollars for a huge plate of Ribs cooked up fresh! After the big lunch and a nice nap I met the first of many Israelis in the hostel. Wow, it seems only Israelis are travelling these days. Anyway, after a nice dinner with them we ended up walking around the city the next day together and switching hostels to the Palermo district. The new hostel was a questionable improvement, but the area was much better. We found an all you can eat Sushi place for dinner, it was so good! The next day we went to the Zoo! I finally got some pictures of monkeys, the same kind I saw in the jungle, but this time they were moving a lot less. After another filling and cheap lunch at a parillada (grill) and another nap, we went out to experience the famous BA nightlife. Wow, it was poretty amazing! We went to Opera Bay where there were 3 different dance floors, one with Rap, one with rock and one with electronica. I talked with some Argintinian girls who didnt believe that I was from the US bc my accent was so good, I know it was weird, I guess they thought I was messing up on puropose. Anyway, at about 6, after dancing all night, I decided I had had enough and went homne and slept until 2 pm, when there was a BBQ on the roof of the hostel! After another night of the BA nightlife, I decided I had had enough, and at 7 am I made an online reservation to go to the Igauzu falls on an 18 hr overnight bus, good thing I was kicked out of the hostel at 11 am, bc I slept the whole 18 hrs! I have to mention that this day was pretty hard. I really felt the absence of anything familiar, and felt pretty alone. I mean BA was nice and all, but it was so big and such a city that I just wanted to get out. Goog thing Puerto Iguazu was different.

The Oriente, Cuyabeno Rainforest

After awakening numerous times throughout the ride, I finally awoke at 6 in the small border town of Lago Agrio, where I promptly lost the incredibly ineffective clock which I had brought. Lacking any timepiece, we travelled (I say we meaning the Guide, Jiro, and a Texan couple) for another three hours to the entrance of the Cuyabeno reserve, and then three more hours by boat to the camp. On the way in we saw three species of monkey, and many more of birds. The Camp was a little rustic, but what can you expect in the middle of the rainforest? We had a great dinner followed by a night walk in which we saw a Tapir and many, many insects including tarantulas, giant locusts, several other types of spiders, and more mosquitos and moths than stars in the sky. As a sidenote, this was where the relationship which the Texan couple had was elucidated. Apparently you can describe the husband as a ¨mandarino¨ which I was informed of by my guide. This means he is someone who is dominated by his wife. It may be that he was shorter than her, or that she had an MBA, JD and was an accountant, and he was the son of Immigrants from Puerto Rico, but he sure got told by his wife. Nonetheless, she was also the type of person who needed something to complain about, and was completely illogical- traits shared by many americans. Back to the story: The next day we went on a 4 hour hike in which I learned about many different plants, but didnt see too many animals. After lunch we went to see a 3 meter long Anaconda which some of the guides friends spotted, and our guide almost grabbed. And then we went to a village in which we helped to make Cassava bread from the roots of Yuca plants, and I was attacked by sand flies. Over a hundred bites later, we went to sleep, but not before the woman had complained enough that she decided to leave early the next day with her mandarino in tow. The next day was the best! We went out early, and as the woman refused, Jiro and I jumped in a little canoe at 6 am to paddle around. We spotted two more types of monkeys, one even had a baby on its back. Also some really rare birds which I didnt think were quite as cool, but was assured that they were ¨oro¨or gold to bird lovers. We then managed to lose the texans on our way to lago grande where we fished for Piranha with hunks of bloody steak. I caught two, and made them eat stuff, which was cool. We then had lunch and then a long swim in the lake, with the Piranhas. As long as you are not bleeding apparently they are quite safe. After another long hike we watched the sunset and bagan looking for caiman, which are like crocodiles. Again, Jiro almost caught one. I on the other hand realized that the thing on my leg was a huge wolf spider! Jiro calmly caught it and put it on my hand, that was pretty scary, its fangs were about an inch long. On the boat ride home I swallowed about 300 gnats and mosquitos, but we managed to catch a small boa. The next morning we awoke at 3 am, and did the whole trip back to the airport, there was no way I was going to take a 9 hour bus. After arriving in Quito Mark, Aline, and some of their friends went out dancing. Sunday we went shopping, and yesterday I went to a place called Papallacta where I went for a hike at 10,000 feet and sat in more hot springs.

Today I go to Buenos Aires at 9 pm, for yet another overnight trip. I am so excited about BA! Cheap steak, great wine, and parties till 6 in the morn!

Ill write more soon, same channel...

Ecuador-Tonsupa, Banos

Hello all, sorry I havent written in a while, but I was busy making sure I had something to write about.
I went to the Middle of the World, or so I was assured by the museum there. Apparently the Spaniards couldnt figure out the real equator, so about 300 meters from this big monument there is a little museum which shows you cool stuff. They claim the correalis effect is visualized when moving a trough of water form the equator to about 6 feet on either side of it. I managed to disprove this. The equator, or near it, is the only place you can get water to go straight down as it drains through a hole. In the northern hemisphere it will always go clockwise, while in the southern it will go counterclockwise. So first they show water draining straight, which is cool, then they move the trough to the northern side, but as they pour the water in, they pour it in such a way as to induce a clockwise motion, and then repeat the feat on the southern side, inducing a counterclockwise motion. So of course I, as a graduate of several Physics classes, had to object, and was able to create a counterclockwise motion in the northern hemisphere. Needless to say, they had excuses, mainly that near the equator the pull is different and that I just induced it, which is what I said to them. But it was pretty cool that the water would drain stright down, bc that you cannot see anywhere else but the equator.

After that Mark got the day off work and we went to the top of Pichincha, the volcanoe overlooking Quito. We were at 4,100 meters, which is about 13,000 feet above sea level, the highest I have ever been in my life! We tried to go for a walk, which was quite difficult, and after it started hailing, we decided to investigate the effects of alcohol at that altitude. Later that night we got on an overnight bus to Esmereldas, specifically the beach at Tonsupa. First overnight bus went well, except that the seats are made for 5 foot tall ecuadorians, and the bus drivers are a little manic. I took two sleeping pills and some whisky, and still only slept for about 2 hours. The beach was great though. Even though when we got there I was informed that nobody brought a camera because their friend was robbed at gunpoint a few weeks before on the same beach. Nothing more dramatic than a little sunburn, and some great bodysurfing happened to us. We stayed in a condo overlooking the beach, there were seven of us, including Mark´s friend Jem, who as it turned out was a male ¨dancer,¨ and his other friend Megan, from Alabama. After I informed Jem that I couldn´t move my hips independently from the rest of my body, and Megan that when I was a kid my dad threatened to send me to Alabama if I was bad, I think they both took a liking to me. Anyway, we had a great time, got back to Quito after eating great seafood, and drinking more than a few Pilsener beers.

Banos-Un pedazo del cielo
First thing Monday I took off for Banos, a small town with great thermal baths and all kinds of cool outdoor activities to do. On the way there I learned that Buses in Ecuador will stop anywhere at any time, and that you are not very bright if you catch the bus at the bus station. Apparently it is even favorable to stand outside the bus station because no matter what time they tell you the bus is leaving, it is guarenteed to leave an hour more later. After driving through all of Quito, offering rides to everybody we passed, we got on our way to Banos. It ended up being an great drive, even though some guys tried to steal my bag: I saw the first erupting volcano of my life! After finding a room at a great little hostel, I got some food, a burrito, and then headed to the Thermal baths. I was informed by a nice scottish fellow that he had eaten at the same place the day earlier and along with the rest of his family, was still suffering gastrointestinal strife as a result. I managed to survive the ravages of the burrito and ate some fairly decent italian food, followed by an early night to prepare for the following day in which I bike rode 20 km past 8 waterfalls, jumped off a 30 meter bridge attached to a few ropes, and went canyoning in which I repelled down a 45 foot waterfall! I then got on another overnight bus to Lago Agrio and the mysteries of the Rainforest.

Quito, land of lost baggage

Yea, first thing that can go wrong. Continental lost my bag somewhere in Houstan, guess I shouldn´t have tried to bring all those nudie mags with me, all the customs guys got stuck reading them. I have still had a great trip. I met the nicest people on the way down: A nice couple in LAX on their way to Sonoma, and a guy, Matt and his kid jackson from Memphis on the plane to Houstan. Wow, Memphis is a much different place than LA, apparently if you don´t have a concealed weapon you are just asking to get robbed! And on January first everybody in town waterskis in 25 degree weather on the Mississippi! Sounds like I need to visit.

Quito is great though, Mark picked me up from the airport last night, sans backpack, and I spent the day walking around the old town. Old town Quito is all colonial buildings and is pretty much identical to Spain. Everybody wears suits and it feels really safe which is nice. There are even old men napping in the main plaza, just like Spain! There are two large volcanos on the east and west sides of the city so the city only runs north south. Tomorrow, I am going to go to the Mitad del Mundo, and see the correalis effect, and other such fun stuff. This weekend Mark, his girlfriend Aline and I will go to the beach. Apparently it is the best time to go as it is winter. Next week I am goiong on a 3-4 day jungle tour in the oriente, just to make sure all those vaccines I got really work.