Life is either a daring adventure or nothing…
South America in 24 days.
My client, with her husband and their 13 year old son, from New Zealand Auckland, spent 24 days travelling in South America. This is their journey.
DAY 1 - Santiago/Chile
The glistening snow covered peaks of the majestic Andes stretched as far as the eye could see to the one side of the plane just below me. What a sight! We landed at Santiago’s airport a little after noon. It was hot, dry and dusty. I’ve just woken up after having collapsed almost immediately (but not before knocking back that long awaited South American cocktail, the “Caiprinha”) upon our arrival at our superb hotel, the Galerias, in the old part of the City. It didn’t help having the longest legs on the plane. Neither did sitting next to a rather good looking Australian who slept with his mouth wide open almost all of the way. His breath stank. And he was a dentist!
We weren’t feeling brave enough to venture too far out in a strange city on our first night. Not knowing any Spanish didn’t help either (I really should have, during the 11 hour long flight, parrot fashioned learnt the ‘Learn to speak Latin American Spanish’ book we especially brought along), so we ate in the hotel restaurant where we feasted on Empanadas, delicious stuffed meat and herb filled pastries, accompanied by a bottle of exceptional Chilean Carmenère (red wine). Wine in Chile is widely known for its young drinkability and remarkable value (most under $20 bottle). We’re so excited to be here.
I’d better get myself off to bed. We’ve got a half day city tour of the Santiago first thing tomorrow morning.
DAY 2 – Half Day Santiago City tour
The half day tour covered most of the old and only a bit of the new part of Santiago city. What a contrast. I didn’t even know there was a new part until today. Visiting the new part, you could have been in cities the likes of Sydney, Auckland or Cape Town. Chileans are great, their food albeit simple, is truly delicious, and their wines superb. Tomorrow we’re off on a full day tour of Valparaiso, and Vina del Mar on the Pacific Coast with a full day’s horse riding high up in the Andes the day after that. We’re thoroughly enjoying Santiago and thrilled we chose at least 4 days to enjoy it. Tonight, feeling a little more confident having earlier become better acquainted with this exciting new city, and armed with our ‘Learn to speak Latin American Spanish’ book and currency calculator (don’t ever go travelling without one) we caught a taxi to the bohemian suburb of Bella Vista (in the old part). The food was really good. Here we sampled another bottle of Chilean Carmenere. I’m well on my way to becoming an alcoholic. I hardly ever drink wine. I so wish you were all here.
DAY 3 – Full Day Vina del Mar & Valparaiso tour
It was 26 degrees today. Yet again, not a cloud in a clear blue sky. We visited the coastal city of Valparaiso, whose origins go back to 1536. Valparaiso’s been declared a Cultural World Heritage site and is the seat of the Legislative Power. The picturesque neighbourhoods are exquisite. It’s magical, colourful, unique & unforgettable. I wish we’d had more time here to explore it further. What I really wanted to do was climb on to a funicular and descend the steep hills most of the tiny houses precariously cling to. It’s a photographers dream.
After spending a wonderful morning here, we drove further along the Pacific Coast to Vina del Mar, their "Garden City", which didn’t charm us with its supposed special architecture. I found it to be particularly ugly except for the Palaces, and the streets. It’s newer and so different from the older Valparaiso.
Horse riding in the Andes tomorrow...think of us, me in particular!
DAY 4 – Full Day Horseback riding in the Andes
I’m back! And all in one piece! Just! Where to begin? It certainly doesn’t help typing on a Spanish keyboard either. Anyway, I had better write this fast before I forget the whole entire feeling of complete exhilaration. I should dash upstairs and grab the Caiprihina Neill´s making me first then proceed but I might get waylaid (is this a word-who cares?)
We were met by Fran, our delightful tour guide who could speak English (Yay), who in a rather nice jeep, expertly negotiated her way through Santiago’s early morning traffic (population of 11 million, remember?). Thank goodness we’d set off really early. It was another extraordinarily beautiful day. I’m so glad we chose to visit South America in the spring. My favourite time of the year too. The sky was blue, the sun shining and at 9.30am it was hot already. We drove out of Santiago onwards the Andes, crossed the Maipo River Valley, through the countryside to the entrance at the Valley of Colorado River. The Andean peaks that rose majestically before us are still covered in snow. The Canyons we wound our way up through were steep; the river below full and wide. The mountains on either side of us were covered in a myriad of waterfalls, some the longest I have ever seen. Fran does this trip 3 x a week as part of her job! At 2,000m we arrived at the beginning of the Canyon of Colorado River and turned off the road into a clearing where our horses stood. Whew! Our agent was right. The horses were short legged. When I first saw them I thought they were donkeys. Fran introduced us to our guide Antonio, a Chilean with a grin as wide as my foot who couldn’t speak a word of English. It didn’t matter. After helping me onto my horse, Rosello (which means Pink) and the others on theirs we were given some basic riding instructions. Fran told us horses were super intelligent and could feel fear. The meditation I’ve been practicing for the past 2 months should come in handy! It did help. I felt more afraid for my son than I was for myself. He’s never ridden a horse. I wish you could see the path we were about to set off on! We crossed the road where we’d gotten on the horses and immediately began ascending. I did very well at not being scared but let me tell you, I clung on for dear life. I didn’t have to worry about him. Fran asked him how many years he’d been riding. He was exceptional. The higher up the trail we climbed, one behind the other with Fran in the lead and Antonio at the rear, the narrower the path became. Hey,I was wider than the path! I marvelled at the diverse flora and fauna to my left whilst the scenery on my right left me with my jaw agape. One wrong move and you’d have been a goner. I tried hard not to look but the beauty of the vista completely overwhelmed me. For a brief moment I wandered how the hell I was going to get down…at the end of the day…
About two hours later we crossed the smooth hills of the Precordilllera until we reached the plateau of ‘Las Ramadas’ where we came upon a quaint old farmhouse surrounded by beautiful landscape. Fran told us we’d be having a wonderful BBQ lunch here later. We couldn’t wait. She also told us that the farm and the horses we were on belonged to the grandson of General Augusto Pinochet, one of the most controversial figures in recent Chilean history. I’m sure you all know who he was! And he’d be joining us for lunch.
An hour later we arrived at the top and our look out point. I’d survived the climb. We all had. I forgot to ask Fran how high we were. The sky was free from Santiago’s smog. The horses breathing were the only sound that permeated the air. We just stood there and stared. And stared. And stared. It felt like ages before I grabbed my camera and shot continuously for what seemed forever. We all lay down on ledge close to the mountain’s edge and drank in the view. Fran began making this funny whistling noise. The next thing, not one, but five Giant Condors (Chile’s National bird) swooping up on updrafts, rose high above us. Not even she could believe it. I’ll never forget this moment for the rest of my life.
We returned to the farmhouse two hours later to the welcoming sound of meat sizzling over a wood fire. It smelt incredible. After a quick pit stop (you would have laughed had you seen the loo-it was modern and it worked). We tucked heartily into hunks of exquisitely bbq’d pork, chicken (best we unanimously agreed we’d ever eaten) and homemade chorizo sausages accompanied with bowls of warm mixed beans, peas and corn drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled liberally with coarse salt, fresh guacamole, sliced tomato and fresh white rolls. We wolfed this down with a bottle of good Chilean red. They drink wine over here like we do mineral water in Auckland. I don’t care. I love it. Dessert was freshly sliced banana with a fresh pureed strawberry sauce (bet you’ve never tried that before-delicious).
After an hour-long siesta it was time to descend the same trail we came up on. Darn! I was secretly hoping the owner would miraculously lead me to a helicopter he’d had camouflaged in the trees! I had to do it. We were still a long, long way up.
I nervously climbed back on. We hadn’t got far. It was steep. I was almost parallel to Rosello’s back with my feet spread wide! I tried hard not to look at the splendid vista with its never-ending drop to my left. Every so often Rosello`s hooves felt (and sounded)l like they were losing their grip on the smaller rocks beneath us. I could feel myself slipping to the opposite (safe) side to compensate. He must have felt my fear. I was no longer able to control it-there was no way I was going over the side. He began snorting and turned around in what felt like mid air to head back UP the mountain. I begged Fran, who was jogging ahead of us, to let me accompany her on the way down. Her horse had a loose shoe. At first, she wouldn’t let me. She said it was a long way down. She asked me if I wanted to ride the donkey. What? No thanks. I sort of half ran down the Andes with her at my side. By the time I’d reached the bottom two hours later, my legs had turned to jelly. I could hardly walk. My fault. I didn’t care. I’d made it down alive and that’s what counted. What an unforgettable day.
We’re off to Buenos Aires tomorrow. I need to go and pack. I hope Reception remembers our 03.35am wake up call.
We’re going to miss Santiago but I’ve a wonderful feeling I’ll be returning soon.
Wish you were here. Buenos Tardes, Senors & Senora Clarke xxx
Day 5 - Captivating Buenos Aires/Argentina
Hi. It's about 2am on Thursday morning. We all crashed at around 4pm after arriving at our trendy hotel, the Dazzler Libertad, in downtown Buenos Aires earlier today. We woke up at 11.30pm. We couldn’t wait to explore Avenida 9 de Julio, the infamous avenue (at an impressive 144 metres wide) with its giant obelisk at one end and the surrounding neighbourhood. We were surprised to see a number of homeless people sleeping in the parks and on pavements with their mattresses. Buenos is slightly chillier than Chile (think cos it's flat). After picking up a few bottles of mineral water on our way back to the hotel, we happened upon a romantic Italian cafe, (BA’s so European) where we enjoyed this pastry (a chocolate and phyllo layered cake) with a "Cafe Conleche". Yes, I HAD A COFFEE! I stopped drinking coffee more than a year ago but this was an experience I didn’t want to miss out on. And it was the best cup of coffee I have ever drunk! Neill agreed.
Let me get back to this morning... Yes, we did get our wake up call at 03.35am. We were picked up from our hotel at 04.35amand taken to Santiago's International Airport where we bought books and t-shirts (I know) and waited for our flight at 0735 to Buenos Aires/Argentina. I couldn't help noticing how cheap the booze at duty free was but then its cheap everywhere over here. Bottles of Absolut at 18 USD! We boarded on time but due to fog only took off an hour later. It didn't matter as I found myself seated next to an Argentinean jazz musician, Pablo who, before we took off gave me a thorough introduction to his hometown, Buenos Aires. He wrote me a list of his favourite things to eat, see and do: He recommended Siga La Vaca (Follow the Cow) for the best Argentinean BBQ. Fran (our horse riding tour guide) did too. Parolaccia for the freshest Pastas, El Cuartito for Pizza (we ate lunch here today-the best pizza we all agreed we had ever eaten in our whole lives) washed down with the Quilmes, Argentinean’s most popular beer (Neill had) and me an entire bottle of one of Argentina’s finest wines called Lopez (Malbec wine), all of which were recommended by Pablo. I had a white onion and mozzarella cheese pizza. It literally melted the elastic in my underwear! Hubbie had a tomato, anchovy and olive one and son ham, pineapple and mozzarella cheese. The venue has to be seen to be believed. It was like sitting in someone's kitchen albeit a very large and extremely busy one. I noticed a lot of old men on their own eating a single slice of pizza with a 750ml bottle of red! This establishment's been going since 1834, must check to see if I've got this date right! Well, if the framed photographs covering the walls of icons from yesteryear were anything to go buy I'd say it were very old. The wine was to die for. Must look to see how readily available it is to buy in NZ.
Pablo also told us of the infamous Argentinean BBQ. He wrote down the many different delicious cuts of delectable meats to ask for, eg. Bife de Chorizo (homemade sausage), Mollega, Chinchulin (tripe), Pechito de Cerolo, Bondida and Vacio but insisted we ask for Lomo-Fillet of Beef. He also wrote which coffee to order first thing in the morning, a Cafe Conleche-with milk (we’d had one at the Italian Café earlier) and Cortado-an espresso cut with a little hot milk-a small one that you’d usually enjoy after a meal.
He told us where to buy leather goods (which Argentina is also famous for) in Buenos. There’s a neighbourhood where all the leather factories in Buenos can be found and where we'd be able to get them at half price. He told us we’d be ripped off if we’d bought them downtown. When I mentioned this to our guide Monica, she advised us not to go there (dangerous area). She didn’t elaborate. Did I need a third leather jacket? Frankly, I didn’t think we’d have time. Pablo advised us which taxis in the city to catch, Radio Taxis who have meters unlike their illegal counterparts who take tourists for a ride (literally). We’d also have to try their famous ice cream, Freddo and Volta which Josh is really looking forward to. Tomorrow night, we're being picked up at 8pm and taken to a night of Tango dancing that'll include a 3-course meal.
Buenos has the most stunning architecture. There’s a lot of French and Italian design. Hubbie getting frustrated with my stopping and photographing every building, door, shuttered window, balustrade, lamp posts with their intricate metalwork. Pablo said that when he first visited Paris he thought he was in Buenos Aires. I also noticed a lot of Professional Dog Walkers. Again, you have to see them to believe them. They have around 8-10 or more dogs on leashes. One woman who walked past me had around 6 or 7 smaller dogs, each dressed in their own little outfit. Hilarious.
A really important thing I may have forgotten to mention about Santiago/Chile was the amount of stray dogs walking the streets. And not poorly looking dogs. Beautiful dogs of all sizes and breeds. We even saw a gorgeous Husky with their see through aquamarine eyes. I couldn't believe it. Our tour guide Juan said most these dogs originally had owners, but when they went off on there holidays or no longer wanted them; they put them out on the streets. Can you believe that? I asked him why they looked in such great condition, where they got their food. He said their version of an SPCA didn't have enough space at their facilities so they get fed every day, have been sterilized and are looked after. They don't look vicious or bark. You find them everywhere, lying in the sun as happy as pie.
Oh, and did I mention all the kissing couples in Santiago? Everywhere you look, especially in the parks. Young and old alike, making out. Seriously making out. Not the least bit embarrassed. Forget taking pics of scenery and suchlike. Neill and I got so good at photographing them. We thought it'd make a great coffee table book.
I must get myself to bed, it's 04.26am and breakfasts from 7 to 10.30am plus we're being picked up at 9am. That doesn't give me much time to sleep but who wants to? There's so much to see and do. I don’t ever want this end. I have got to come back and stay for longer. It's insane.
So wish you were here.
Adios Amigos xxx
DAY 6 – Awe inspiring Buenos Aires with a Half Day Classic City tour in the afternoon and a Dinner & Tango Show at Esquina Carlos Gardel this evening.
Our 2nd day in Argentina and I can’t quite remember the day of the week it is! It’s been a whirlwind so far.
After a super brekkie, (more Continental - selections of rolls, salamis, cheeses & pastries - than the American one we’d gotten so used to in Santiago), we were picked up by yet another lovely tour guide Claudia and driver Adrian at 9am and taken on a half-day city tour of Buenos. I’m so in love with this City. God, I could move here and make it my home tomorrow. It’s so sophisticated compared to Santiago. We visited downtown BA where we saw the principal political, administrative, cultural and economic activities of the country are carried out. Next we headed off to the Southern area of the City to La Boca, BA’s oldest and most picturesque and colourful neighbourhood. The houses are made of corrugated iron and wood and painted in brightest of colours.
What a head rush it was. Before I forget, almost everywhere you go in this City, you run into women and men dancing the Tango. We had 20 minutes to take it all in. I wished we’d had longer to acquaint ourselves. I’d certainly recommend a city tour to anyone visiting a new city in a foreign country.
Claudia told us 2.8 million people live in BA’s city and another 12 million in the suburbs! Hey, before I forget... (Tip), next time you go travelling, pop a few of the cleansing wipes you find in the aircraft’s toilets into your. They’re great for removing stains on your clothing. Especially if you’ve been wearing the same outfit for the last how many days.
Next we headed along the waterfront, Puerto Madero, the old, now restored parts of BA’s most modern neighbourhood. We didn’t care too much for this-again; we could have been sitting at a restaurant at the Viaduct. We did have lunch here later that day at ‘Follow the Cow’, the Argentinean BBQ spot both Pablo and Fran had recommended. We visited Recoleta, the elegant suburb that resembles Paris (but they all do!). Here we saw the beautiful and unforgettable Recoleta graveyard and were shown Eva Peron’s tomb. I could have stayed here the entire day and photographed each and every grave. All I can say is thank goodness we didn’t do this tour the day before. I wouldn’t have lasted an hour. After the tour, we caught a taxi to Puerto Madero for lunch. It was modern and a complete eye opener. For NZD23.50 you could eat as much BBQ’d meat (from every single bit of the cow including its internal organs and the brains) as you wanted. There was a massive salad bar with lots of eggplant (my favourite) – grilled, pickled, etc. To drink, you could choose a 1-litre bottle of wine, a litre of sparkling or non sparkling water. For my son, either juice or a soft drink and you could each choose a dessert. When we got to order from the BBQ, I approached the kitchen with Pablo’s handwritten list of the best cuts of meats to ask for. The chefs stood behind a large serving hatch in the wall, one you could look over to see the huge selection of all the different types of meats that were on the grill. What a sight. I’d never seen so much meat on a grill. Beef sausages (Chorizo), ribs, huge chunks of fillet, chops, T-bone, rump, sirloin, sweetbreads, blood sausage, pork fillet, chicken, etc. I showed one of the chefs my list. He gave me a huge grin and shortly thereafter handed me a silver platter laden with what looked like a quarter of a cow!!! I was embarrassed. I still had to get back to our table. Neill thought I was pig. I wasn’t! This is how they did it in this restaurant. I loved the ribs.
After our gargantuan lunch, we tried walking back into the city but hailed a taxi instead. My son could hardly walk he’d eaten so much. We asked our driver to drop us off at Florida Street, one of BA’s famous streets with modern shops galore. Well known top International brand names were recognisable, there were a multitude of fresh flower and magazine stalls, tango dancers dancing everywhere you looked and leather shops galore (so expensive). We walked the rest of the way back to our hotel where we all passed out not long after. We still have a tango dinner and show to go to at 8pm this evening...
DAY 7 - Buenos Aires with a Full Day Gaucho Party at Santa Susanna Ranch…
DAY 8 – B Buenos Aires
This afternoon our bus to Iguaçu leaves at 17h00. I’m feeling really sad.
DAY 9 - Iguassu (on the Argentinean side)
I’m back…where’ve we have been, you may be wondering? Busy! Travelling! Exploring! Sampling! Devouring with all five senses! Seriously sleep depraved! Like you cannot relieve. But we wouldn’t change a thing…
I finally feel like I’m on holiday. We’re in Iguaçu (The Falls-Iguaçu means big water in Argentina). We arrived in Iguaçu yesterday by bus from Buenos and what a trip that was. If I had been travelling alone, I certainly would’ve flown but the boys wanted an adventure so I decided to go along with it. But I’ll get back to that later. It’s stunning here... Sub-tropical, with the humidity between 70 and 90%. Today, I got really burnt on our full day Argentinean side of the Falls tour. I feel great though. We hung by the pool after we arrived yesterday (around 1’ish) and from 4’ish again this afternoon. Our hotel, the Orchardeaus is gorgeous. Our room’s huge. It’s got 4 beds in it and air con (need it here) with a gigantic bath, and a bidet! We had one in Argentina too. Josh wanted to know if you washed your hair in it! The pool area’s fabulous. We were pleasantly surprised upon check-in when the Receptionist informed us breakfast and dinner were included.
I’m sunburnt. My hair’s going blonde. I drink between 3 and 4 Caiprihina’s a day, and today I added a Mojita to the list. May be overdoing it here but heck, I’m on holiday remember! Neill’s been indulging in Argi’s most popular beer (can’t quite remember the name of it now-the Caiprinha Neill just made me must have a triple shot in it) and Josh is overdoing it on Coke!!! But then he’s on holiday too. Why is it that every time you travel abroad Coke and Fanta always tastes so much better? I’m getting ahead of myself here…must go back to beautiful Buenos Aires before I continue with today’s events.
The sole reason you haven’t heard from me lately is purely due to the lack of sleep. I mean it. This trip has been so full on I can’t remember how many times I’ve fallen asleep with all my clothes on including my trainers.
I’m tired again and we’ve another big day tomorrow. We’re off to see the Falls from the Argentinean side. Till tomorrow.
Day 10 -Full Day tour of the Argentinean side of the Falls)
We arrived at the Falls at around 9am. We can be thankful we got off to an early start! As we entered the park I looked back and saw busload after busload of tourists arriving. It was sweltering. We clambered on board a small train that took us to the start of the track. Here we walked along a suspended metal bridge that took us to the edge at the top of the Falls. The sound was incredible as was the spray and the hundreds of swallows dive-bombing the water as it hurtled into the depths below. We took a zillion pics before heading back to the start. Monkeys jumped from tree to tree. There were hundreds of butterflies all over the place. We boarded the train and got off somewhere else in the park where we took a long walk. This was jaw-dropping material. Every waterfall you encountered took your breath away. We were later transported down to the base of the Falls on 4x4 trucks where we climbed onto large rubber inflatable boats with seats. We donned life jackets and piled our belongings into a waterproof bag. This was an extra activity that wasn't included in our itinerary but something we had planned on doing right from the start. The boat took off at speed up the river towards the Falls. I eyed the rapids suspiciously. The driver certainly knew his stuff! I saw a fork in the river ahead. He chose the left hand side and before we knew it, he’d turned the boat sharply to the right and steered us under a hurtling mass of water. OMG! The noise was deafening. There was so much water. I looked across to where my loved one had been sitting. I was so grateful they were still there. I thought that was it. It wasn’t. The driver returned to where the fork in the river was and turned left and headed straight for the infamous Devils Throat. This was supposedly the BIG one. The boat stopped so we could take pictures of the ‘Throat’ My jaw dropped. You could have seen my tonsils! And everyone else’s I’m sure. I wondered if we’d make it out alive! We were then asked to put our cameras in the waterproof bags we’d been given earlier. If we had raincoats we were advised to put them on. He waited. He had to time it right. Then he turned up the throttle and headed directly into the Falls with his screaming cargo. The roar was deafening. I could hear Neill shouting at me to look up. I did. The sheer force of the water hit me so hard. I don’t know how I managed to hold my hands above my nose and mouth just so I could breathe. We did this twice! I’d have to say it was an exhilarating experience; one I’d have no problem doing again and worth the USD 50 per person we’d paid for it. We were deposited safely on the Argentinean side of the falls where we made our up to the top and had lunch. We spent what was left of the afternoon languishing in the pool b back at our hotel.
The Falls have been stunning. And to think, prior to coming to South America we’d even contemplated giving it a miss. We have our brilliant travel agent to thank for this. At the moment we're enjoying the Full Moon. Did you know they have tours that take you into the Park and to the edge of the fall to see it bathed in moonlight during the Full Moon? If thoughts of encountering the American Tiger hadn’t put me off I would certainly have done it.
We love our stay here and will miss it when we leave for Rio de Janeiro/Brazil on Wednesday.
Must dash. Seeing Iguaçu Falls from the Brazilian side tomorrow.
Adios Amigos.
DAY 11 - Half-Day tour of the Brazilian side of the Falls.
Hola! It's so hot here; we sleep with the air-conditioning unit on all night. I haven't experienced heat (with humidity) like this since my old Durban days. Even the boys have been bathed in rivulets of sweat all day long. Neill disappeared with my new G9, which I've still been too scared to use (no kidding) before the sun came up (but then he had an early night last night). I woke up shortly after he’d left and switched off the air-conditioning unit. I wanted to hear the birds. I opened the windows wide but kept the bug screen closed. What a delightful way to start your morning. The bird song was unbelievable and well worth having forsaken an extra hour to sleep.
Our tour guides picked us up at 08.00am. We stopped at the Brazilian border control, (I know I'd triple checked before we left NZ to see if Kiwis required Visas to enter Brazil and had been advised by several travel advisory sites including the Brazilian Embassy that we didn't) but have been told by a few agents here that we would. It was a relief we didn’t.
With our passports stamped we entered Brazil and drove on to Iguaçu to see the Falls from this side. Here we'd get to see the guts of the falls and boy were they right.. We got completely drenched. I enjoyed the sub-tropical vegetation more on this side than I did on the Argentinean side. You can already see Portuguese Architecturally designed buildings. The pathway we descended gave us a full view of the breadth of the Argentinean side of the Falls. The sound was deafening on this side. When we finally arrived at the bottom which really was only midway, we made our way across another suspended walkway. This stopped right above a waterfall where it cascaded to the very bottom. I must have taken another hundred photos. You can’t help yourself.
Hubbie and son photographed just about every spider, butterfly and ant they came across on the walk down. I even had a butterfly sit comfortably on the tip of my nose for a bit. They seem to enjoy sampling the sweat on your skin.
On the way back from the Falls, we asked to be dropped off in the town of Iguaçu for lunch. Well, this was what I'd imagined the whole of South America to look like... Slightly dilapidated, cobble stoned streets, red earth (really red), people on motorbikes, some three to four at a time, and the majority of them without helmets. You should have seen them in Buenos where the traffic's a whole lot worse. We saw old trucks and buses (new stuff too, e.g. latest Golf cars, four wheel quad bikes). My poor son was trying hard not to moan. He was so hot. It was 37 degree Celsius and the humidity was almost at 90%! All he wanted to do was catch a taxi back to the hotel so he could get back into the pool. We had lunch, me another Caiprihinia (can't even spell these things anymore) that only cost NZD 6.00. In Auckland you'd pay around NZD 14. One thing we have had to do a lot of is tipping in South America. You tip the porter, your guide, the bellboy, and your waiter 10% of the bill or more. Thank goodness both Chile and Argentina have been cheap to visit-we're worried about Brazil but have budgeted carefully for this. Booze, thankfully, is cheap!
We have found South American s warm, friendly and so incredibly genuine. Everything seems to come from their heart. They're touchy feely kind of people, passionate and I love that.
Need to head off to bed. It's 12.06am. I can sleep in a little tomorrow morning. We're being picked up by our tour guide at 12.15pm and dropped off at the bus station in Iguaçu. Our bus departs for Rio de Janeiro/Brazil at 1.15pm that should see us arriving in Rio the following day (16th) at around 11am. I haven't packed yet. Oh, did I mention we had to buy another suitcase in Buenos Aires?!
You won't hear from me tomorrow night as I'll be on the bus but will catch up with you that evening. Must take out the 'Learn to speak Latin American Portuguese' now.
Adios Gringos xxx
DAY 12 - Morning Free – Leave Foz do Iguaçu for Rio by Bus
DAY 13 - Arrive Rio 12h00
It’s hot and incredibly humid and I’m feeling depressed. I know. I’m not sure whether it’s from lack of sleep (bus ride from hell) or having driven through suburban Rio. Haphazardly built red brick shantytowns take up every available space. They’re all over the hills surrounding Rio too. Those that aren’t tucked into the mayhem must have the most spectacular views. I’d seen them in the Brazilin movie, City of Men. Even the latest Incredible Hulk hid in one of the Favelas (shantytowns). I’d love a tour of one of them. I’m not sure if you can besides it’d be pretty dangerous. I hear they’re overrun with gangs. We wasted no time leaving the downtown bus terminus 24 hours after leaving Iguassu. The drive to our hotel with a Portuguese-speaking taxi driver was comical. I must learn the basics ASAP! Our hotel, the Rio Orla Copacabana sat at the one end of the 4. something kilometre stretch of beach. My favourite hotel so far. The décor was to die for. So was our room. We pulled on our bathers and rushed to the pool on the 14th floor. The view from the top left us gob smacked. I must have photographed continuously for around 15 minutes. I couldn’t get over the Favelas on one side and to the back of all the hotels. We took a walk along Rio’s infamous patterned pavement and lay on the beach the remainder of the afternoon. I can’t believe we’re actually here. And I’m thrilled we left Rio to the end and not done it at the beginning of our trip. I think finishing it off in Santiago would have left us feeling more than a little deflated. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Chile and Argentina but it was hard work. And besides, there was no sea to swim in. I can’t wait to get to Paraty. We’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning.
DAY 14 - Transfer to Paraty (Seaside resort town)
Paraty, a charming 17th century village is located 248km south of Rio. So unique it’s been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was raining hard on the way down. It’s the first bit of rain we’ve had since our arrival in South America. It’s still very humid. The beautiful bays enroute are dotted with myriads of islands. I wanted to stop at each one of them. Our hotel, Pousada Do Corsario Paraty, perfectly located on the banks of little river close to the sea, is just perfect. It ‘s also within walking distance to the village. Here you see some of Brazil’s finest preserved colonial architecture. We ambled along cobbled stoned streets, passing by churches, old houses and monuments preserved from the XVIII century. I’ve got to get back here to photograph more. I’m not going to have nearly enough time on this trip. Shopping at night is an experience in itself, so was dropping into many of the live-performance bars. We also stumbled across a bottle store that stocked over 600 different kinds of Cachaca-it’s what Caiprinha’s are made with. Unbelievable! We were advised by the tourists we’d met along the way to sample not one but at least five of the prettily presented and deliciously tasting desserts the locals were selling from small carts dotted around the place. Hey, we’d had all our injections. And yes, we shared five of them and went back for another two. The sweet temptations surpassed all of our expectations. We ate pizza and drank 4 Caiprinha’s at a tiny Pizzeria around the corner from our hotel. It was good. They also had this chap singing with his guitar. He was good. We’re cruising on a Schooner around the islands tomorrow. Can’t wait. Where’d I put that bikini? Yeah, right.
DAY 15 - HD Schooner Cruise around tropical islands
I got really early this morning (didn’t want to miss out on the fresh fruits served at breakfast) to photograph as much as I could. Gosh it’s gorgeous here. I had the entire little village to myself. It was special. Our guide fetched us on foot. I’m amazed I haven’t broken an ankle. We manoeuvred our way through busy streets enroute to the harbour where a delightful old schooner awaited us. Brightly coloured boats of all types bobbed cheerfully on crystalline water. It was perfect except for blackened clouds on the horizon.
57 cheerful tourists later, we set off in the Bay of Paraty. The several islands we stopped and played at were unforgettable. The water was warm; the fish to look at were plentiful. The lunch they served on board was exceptional. So were the Caiprinhas. When we finally arrived back in Paraty we spent what was left of it photographing (yes, I still hadn’t got enough) and shopping. Later on this evening we returned to the same Pizzeria with the same singer. We’re returning to my favourite hotel, the Rio Orla Copacabana tomorrow for another two fun days.
DAY 18 - Transfer to Buzios (Morning)
If this is heaven, then we’ve arrived at our destination. Buzios. Unbelievable. Google it to see what I’m on about. I wrote an update a few minutes ago to have it all disappear right in front of me. I only get 15 minutes before I have to get another password to continue so this’ll be quick as we are on our way into Buzios Centro (town centre) to dinner. Our son couldn’t believe the hotel when our bus drew up alongside it.,because the Buzios Rio Hotel has far surpassed all of the others we’ve stayed at so far. Buzios is 180 km drive up north from Rio de Janeiro. They call it the St Tropez of South America... I can believe it. On a Peninsula surrounded by a crystal clear green sea, it is dotted with more than twenty idyllic beaches and many secluded coves. The beaches are packed with caramel coloured skinned beautiful people. You don’t have to do anything but laze in (and shop from) your deck chair. The locals tempt you with offers of delicious tasting chicken sandwiches, skewered prawns splashed in fresh lime juice, fresh oysters and Tabasco, hot corn dogs, cashews, ice creams, clothing, bikinis, jewellery, tattoos, etc. As long as the barman keeps replenishing my Caiprihina’s I am happy. I selflessly stick my belly out, lather myself in factor 30 something, put my dark sunnies on and something I seldom do, is people watch. I love the 1930’s looking briefs all the men seem to wear not only here in Buzios, but they seem to everywhere else in Brazil. They’re so sexy. I tried unsuccessfully on two occasions to persuade Neill into buying a pair. He’d look awesome. The women all wear bikinis with their fabulous bums hanging out. I’ve actually got to stop to think of everything I’ve seen today. The pool at the hotel is awesome, but the beach is exquisite. I’m going to run out of time. We’ve got four days here and tomorrow we’ve hired a boat that’ll be taking us on a 4 hour trip around the entire peninsula, with 5 stops at its most beautiful beaches. Free Caiprihina´s and drinks. Yeeha. And yes, put the old bikini on today and felt quite at home. Brazilians must have been born with bikinis on because they’re all so at home in their skin. I haven’t seen any plastic on anyone. Must dash. Ciao.
DAY 21 – Magical Buzios
I should be in bed but I’m not. I’ve got sunburn so bad I’ve had to take two neurofen! Buzios, Buzios, Buzios, Buzios! Where we’ve done nothing but play, play and play some more. What an amazing place. I asked Neill to sum Buzios up in one word tonight. He couldn’t. Neither can I. There isn’t one to describe it. What I do know is that I’d rather come back here than go home (to Southern Africa). I cannot wait to get my ass over here again. I didn’t know what to expect of Brazil. I was so blown away by Chile and then by Argentina. I didn’t think it could get better than that but it has. And what better way to end our trip. Buzios, as I’ve mentioned before is the St. Tropez of South America. And it is. But it’s been more than that. Brazilians are so charming, so laid back...
All we wanted to do on our arrival in Buzios was four days of nothing but to lie in the sun. We got more than we bargained. It was impossible. There was too much to see and do and we wanted to experience it all. We took a 4 hour boat tour that visited 5 stunning beaches on the Buzios Peninsula. The boys spent their time snorkelling on the reefs. I took photos of course. (And drank far too many Caiprinha´s. I stopped drinking them today). We have visited Buzios Central every evening, only a 5-minute ride away from our hotel. We’ve eaten and drunk and shopped till we’ve dropped. Yesterday, we took our tour of all the beaches that we didn’t get to see from the boat. Stunning. That afternoon, staff of the hotel and our guide told us that the best beach was the Beach of Lemons. Hobbie said we had to check it out. I am so glad we did because it was exactly as they said. PARADISE. Our son wanted to spend the night at the hotel in the pool, also playing pool. The hotel staff kept an eye on him for us. The beach was only a 10-minute stroll away. When we arrived, we sat on the rocks drinking in the view. There were two tiny beaches side by side.
A lovely Brazilian walked up to us with a silver platter piled high with freshly caught oysters. A dozen for 20 Real. I have never ever eaten a raw oyster but hobbie made me. OMG! They slipped effortlessly down the back of my soft pink oesophagus! AAARRRGGGHHH. Simply delightful. I only wanted more. After that we made our way down to the little beach nestled in the corner. It seemed like the place where all the locals hung out. Teenagers after school, a few tourists, some I recognized from our hotel and two bars that were two small wooden boats that had been made to resemble bar counters. Fresh fruit overflowed in large wooden bowls. An array of the local sugar cane rum bottles that Caiprihna´s are made from stood all in a line. Neill and I had six each whilst we watched the sun go down on the horizon. We got horribly drunk and cannot quite remember how we got home that evening. I think we walked. When we arrived back at the hotel, we got ready to go into town again to have dinner. Today, we returned to the same beach with Josh. We caught a water taxi from downtown to the beach where we lazed and swam all day long. We enjoyed looking at everyone. They’re an affectionate bunch, Brazilians are. Wherever you look, they’re in an embrace and kissing deeply. Young and old alike and they don’t care whose looking. We’re being picked up at 8am and transferred back to our same hotel, the Orla Copacabana hotel (the very up market and yuppie one I love so much and on Copacabana Beach) for our last night before flying from Rio to Buenos, then Beunos to Santiago and onto Auckland on the 26th and arriving home in the early hours of the morning of the 28th. We don’t want to come home. We wish we could have stay longer in Buzios...but looking forward to seeing old friends and home again. I must get packing xxx
DAY 22 - Transfer to Rio
Our last night at my favourite Orla Copacabana Hotel. We fly back home via Argentina and Chile before arriving back home two days later. What an amazing journey! Now I need a holiday!
contact me if you wish an adventure like this
David Boyce Harvey World Travel Ponsonby 293 Ponsonby Road Auckland NZ
Ph +649 0274776619
Email:
mailto:david.boyce@harveyworld.co.nz/
