Hello! I write again, well. This is my last chapter in this blog, I have wonderful memories from my time in South America.
Now I have a new blog in Swedish, Ill fix the translator program so u guys whp doesnt speak Swedish also can read if its by your interrest.
Well, this was all I had to say now, thank you for reading this blog and I hope you continue.
Friday, 5 September 2008
Monday, 21 July 2008
Happy birthday...
Happy birthday! ... to me.
Well, I had my 20:th birthday last friday. Have been at home one week, the beginning was painful, and I still miss Diêgo extremly much. I got an infection in my thorught, alot of pain, so cause of this illness or what I should call it, I put the birthday-celebrations some days later, at monday cause I didnt wanna make my grandmother ill.
The weekend passed and monday came. We went up to my dad's place were the guests came. My grandmother didnt come, she had pain in her back, but my grandmother from Laholm came, and my grandfather and great grandmother.
I shown some pictures (around 500) from my time in South America, everybody was very interrested in seeing it, and my great grandmother asked alot of things how it was in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Later we ate birthday cake and I shown the flags I bought and the coins I took with me home. Later we left the appartment and went out to my dad's new house car, first time I see it, he bought it while I was in Chile, I think. It was very nice, with two beds, seats, a toilet with shower and a little kitchen courner.
Later everybody went home and today I finally visited my grandmother here in Gislaved to give her the brazilian coffée and the chicken I bought in Porto de Galinhas.
This was all for today, see you again, bye!
Well, I had my 20:th birthday last friday. Have been at home one week, the beginning was painful, and I still miss Diêgo extremly much. I got an infection in my thorught, alot of pain, so cause of this illness or what I should call it, I put the birthday-celebrations some days later, at monday cause I didnt wanna make my grandmother ill.
The weekend passed and monday came. We went up to my dad's place were the guests came. My grandmother didnt come, she had pain in her back, but my grandmother from Laholm came, and my grandfather and great grandmother.
I shown some pictures (around 500) from my time in South America, everybody was very interrested in seeing it, and my great grandmother asked alot of things how it was in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Later we ate birthday cake and I shown the flags I bought and the coins I took with me home. Later we left the appartment and went out to my dad's new house car, first time I see it, he bought it while I was in Chile, I think. It was very nice, with two beds, seats, a toilet with shower and a little kitchen courner.
Later everybody went home and today I finally visited my grandmother here in Gislaved to give her the brazilian coffée and the chicken I bought in Porto de Galinhas.
This was all for today, see you again, bye!
Monday, 14 July 2008
Saudade
Hello again!
Me and Diêgo went to Jardim Botanico the same day as the interview, it was very beutiful there. It is a really beautiful and exotic garden in the middle of the city. Later we went home to our room, we took the bus to there. I fixed my "personbevis" online and would get it in some days.
Next day we woke up early, and took ourselves to the Galeao Aeroporto were we took our flight to Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil.
It was Diêgo´s first trip by airplane, he thought it was fashinating at the same time as frightening.
The trip was fast and good, later we had four hours in Brasília till the next flight. We asked the woman in Webjet´s information disk if we could leave the airport, and she said yes.
In the horizon we could see the congress, we wanted to take a bus there. We missed the first bus but took the next, it would take us to the bus terminal and there we take another to the congress. Well, easier said than done, the trip to there took one hour and we never arrived. I got panic and feared to miss the flight, so we had to head back.
We ate at Giraffas, but it was less good here, the best Giraffas is after all in Shopping Boa Vista in Recife that is the best.
Later we went to our gate, it was difficult to avoid thinking about the coming day... the 12:th of july... we were sad...
Next flight took a longer time, and we saw Recife by night from the sky, then we landed n the very same place as my airplane landed six months ago when I first arrived in this city.
We took a taxi to Hotel Tivoli, the first place we slept in, we got a differenct room this time, but we felt at home. Once again I felt the sweaty and hot air that is special for Recife.
Next day, the 12:th of july, probably the most painful and sad day of my life was the last day of my time in Brazil for now. We both tried to avoid thinking about what would happen just in some hours, but it was almost impossible. We went to the beach and took the walk to Shopping Recife that still was closed. Hiper Bompreco opened soon, so we went inside and bought coffee to my grandmother, guaraná antarctica, four small bottles to me, my mom, Rebecca and my father. I also bought a box of Garoto chocolate and Nestlé chocolate. After this we walked back to Hotel Tivoli were we fixed our bags. Later we took a bus to Guararapes Aeroporto were we spent some hours. We ate at Bob's and looked at the airplanes flying away, the time passed even if we wanted it to stop, or better, go backwards, but it was impossible, and later the painful moment when I had to pass the gate came.
I went to the bag control, but got stopped, cause of a little seixer and a bottle of acai gel, I couldnt pass but had to go back and check in my luggage... I didnt wanna cause I have fragile things in it, and I didnt want to trash the acai. I walked out and could hold Diêgo, my beloved Diêgo in my arms again. We got some minutes of happiness, later I had to go again. I couldnt see Diêgo from a window or anything, I had to wait till my flight opened... and later it went off. It didnt take many seconds after the start till I could see the lights of Recife several hundreds of meters under me, and they came more and more far away, cause the airplane took me far out in the Atlantic Ocean. Soon see lights of my boyfriend´s hometown just was a little thin line far out in the horizon, behind me. The place that have been my home for a long time now was so far away, and more far away it would come. I didnt sleep anything almost that night, just looked at the screen showing were on the world I was at the moment.
At the brazilian midnight I arrived in Lisbon in Portugal again, were the morning already had come. I saw the very same gate I passed through to come to Recife six months ago.
I didnt stay long in Lisbon, two hours, then my next flight to London went off. As usual on arriving at Heathrow Airport my plane had to wait ten minutes before landing, at the airport I had to go and take a bus to Terminal 3 were the flight with SAS Scandinavian Airlines would take of in not less (but more) than eight hours.
After waiting some hours the terminal had problems and no plane would leave the building until the problem was fixed. My flight was delayed four hours, I waited and waited and got a cheque to by food from SAS. In the airplane we got informed that SAS had problems, the airplane was broken in Gothenburg so they had to send a new one from Stockholm, wich took some hours.
the trip to Gothenburg was short, and after the passport control we went to the hall to get the bags, the hall I only saw from a window last time being here.
I went out and meet my family who was awaiting me.
we went out in the relative cool climate and went home... to Gislaved...
Now 23 hours have passed since I came home, it is good to show the souvenirs and presents I boughts and tell what I have seen, but its painful to be back and so far from Diêgo again. i miss him so much already, and I will, till the day of the 3:rd of mars when he arrives here in Sweden.
Me and Diêgo went to Jardim Botanico the same day as the interview, it was very beutiful there. It is a really beautiful and exotic garden in the middle of the city. Later we went home to our room, we took the bus to there. I fixed my "personbevis" online and would get it in some days.
Next day we woke up early, and took ourselves to the Galeao Aeroporto were we took our flight to Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil.
It was Diêgo´s first trip by airplane, he thought it was fashinating at the same time as frightening.
The trip was fast and good, later we had four hours in Brasília till the next flight. We asked the woman in Webjet´s information disk if we could leave the airport, and she said yes.
In the horizon we could see the congress, we wanted to take a bus there. We missed the first bus but took the next, it would take us to the bus terminal and there we take another to the congress. Well, easier said than done, the trip to there took one hour and we never arrived. I got panic and feared to miss the flight, so we had to head back.
We ate at Giraffas, but it was less good here, the best Giraffas is after all in Shopping Boa Vista in Recife that is the best.
Later we went to our gate, it was difficult to avoid thinking about the coming day... the 12:th of july... we were sad...
Next flight took a longer time, and we saw Recife by night from the sky, then we landed n the very same place as my airplane landed six months ago when I first arrived in this city.
We took a taxi to Hotel Tivoli, the first place we slept in, we got a differenct room this time, but we felt at home. Once again I felt the sweaty and hot air that is special for Recife.
Next day, the 12:th of july, probably the most painful and sad day of my life was the last day of my time in Brazil for now. We both tried to avoid thinking about what would happen just in some hours, but it was almost impossible. We went to the beach and took the walk to Shopping Recife that still was closed. Hiper Bompreco opened soon, so we went inside and bought coffee to my grandmother, guaraná antarctica, four small bottles to me, my mom, Rebecca and my father. I also bought a box of Garoto chocolate and Nestlé chocolate. After this we walked back to Hotel Tivoli were we fixed our bags. Later we took a bus to Guararapes Aeroporto were we spent some hours. We ate at Bob's and looked at the airplanes flying away, the time passed even if we wanted it to stop, or better, go backwards, but it was impossible, and later the painful moment when I had to pass the gate came.
I went to the bag control, but got stopped, cause of a little seixer and a bottle of acai gel, I couldnt pass but had to go back and check in my luggage... I didnt wanna cause I have fragile things in it, and I didnt want to trash the acai. I walked out and could hold Diêgo, my beloved Diêgo in my arms again. We got some minutes of happiness, later I had to go again. I couldnt see Diêgo from a window or anything, I had to wait till my flight opened... and later it went off. It didnt take many seconds after the start till I could see the lights of Recife several hundreds of meters under me, and they came more and more far away, cause the airplane took me far out in the Atlantic Ocean. Soon see lights of my boyfriend´s hometown just was a little thin line far out in the horizon, behind me. The place that have been my home for a long time now was so far away, and more far away it would come. I didnt sleep anything almost that night, just looked at the screen showing were on the world I was at the moment.
At the brazilian midnight I arrived in Lisbon in Portugal again, were the morning already had come. I saw the very same gate I passed through to come to Recife six months ago.
I didnt stay long in Lisbon, two hours, then my next flight to London went off. As usual on arriving at Heathrow Airport my plane had to wait ten minutes before landing, at the airport I had to go and take a bus to Terminal 3 were the flight with SAS Scandinavian Airlines would take of in not less (but more) than eight hours.
After waiting some hours the terminal had problems and no plane would leave the building until the problem was fixed. My flight was delayed four hours, I waited and waited and got a cheque to by food from SAS. In the airplane we got informed that SAS had problems, the airplane was broken in Gothenburg so they had to send a new one from Stockholm, wich took some hours.
the trip to Gothenburg was short, and after the passport control we went to the hall to get the bags, the hall I only saw from a window last time being here.
I went out and meet my family who was awaiting me.
we went out in the relative cool climate and went home... to Gislaved...
Now 23 hours have passed since I came home, it is good to show the souvenirs and presents I boughts and tell what I have seen, but its painful to be back and so far from Diêgo again. i miss him so much already, and I will, till the day of the 3:rd of mars when he arrives here in Sweden.
Thursday, 10 July 2008
The interview
Hello all readers!
Yesterday we left Nevis and Germana´s home, and it was good, cause Nevis can be extremly annoying, I must confess...
We took all bags and took the train to Central do Brasil, were we later took the metro in the Catete-region were we found a hotel. We will stay there two nights. We didnt do much things yesterday, fixed the very last things. Asked the secretary about our things, I always thought that my ID-card was my "personbevis" (proof of personality) but now I found out that personbevis is like Diêgos old document, I use it to fix ID-cards and passports and other stuffs, I didnt know we had those things in Sweden. I fix it on internet, then it may take some days before I get it... annoying, but it was okay, I just send it here when it is done, the interview will be anyway, but the process wont start until everything is collected.
Today we went to the consulate and Diêgo had the interview, the consul were nice, she is from Stockholm. Sometimes Diêgo thought it was a bit embarrising when he didnt know what to answer. Everything was good after all. We took a photo with the secretary before we went off.
We walked around in downtown and later took a bus to Jardim Botanico, and now we are here. I fixed my personbevis and will get it in one week, there were alot of different personbevis to choose between.
See you again, bye!
Yesterday we left Nevis and Germana´s home, and it was good, cause Nevis can be extremly annoying, I must confess...
We took all bags and took the train to Central do Brasil, were we later took the metro in the Catete-region were we found a hotel. We will stay there two nights. We didnt do much things yesterday, fixed the very last things. Asked the secretary about our things, I always thought that my ID-card was my "personbevis" (proof of personality) but now I found out that personbevis is like Diêgos old document, I use it to fix ID-cards and passports and other stuffs, I didnt know we had those things in Sweden. I fix it on internet, then it may take some days before I get it... annoying, but it was okay, I just send it here when it is done, the interview will be anyway, but the process wont start until everything is collected.
Today we went to the consulate and Diêgo had the interview, the consul were nice, she is from Stockholm. Sometimes Diêgo thought it was a bit embarrising when he didnt know what to answer. Everything was good after all. We took a photo with the secretary before we went off.
We walked around in downtown and later took a bus to Jardim Botanico, and now we are here. I fixed my personbevis and will get it in one week, there were alot of different personbevis to choose between.
See you again, bye!
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
The return to Rio
Hello!
Yesterday we managed to fix the document proving that Diêgo is not married. We actually managed to fix all documents, well... almost, the single-document must be translated into english, so we sent it to the translator in Rio de Janeiro.
Later we said good bye to Gracielle and Laurén and took the metro to the buss station were we bought our last buss-ticket, the ticket to Rio de Janeiro.
At 22:20 our buss left, the trip took six hours and I didnt sleep anything at all under the trip. We passed by Aparicida were the world´s second largest catholic church is, after the church in the Vatican. We arrived in Rio at four o clock at morning, as in Mendoza we got about max two hours sleep on a chair, later when the sun was shining we went to the station Central do Brasil were we took the metro to downtown, the Carioca station. There we ate at McDonald´s, went to Saraiva and later ate at Colombo, I have been looking forward for that.
At two o clock we went back to Central do Brasil were we took out 350 reais, took the train to Nevis and Germana´s home were my precious big bag is waiting for me, and have been waiting for about one and a half month now.
We got answer from the translator, it will cost us 130 reais, then we have the interview at 150 reais, totally 280 reais will we spend on this, whats left after this stupid taxes is the sum of 70 reais, wich is needed for the train when we move to a hotel in downtown tomorrow, 5 reais, later we need metro tickets wich is the same price, so about 25 or 30 reais will be spent when we reach the Galeão Airport in some days. Well, 40 reais I should survive with back in Recife, but I must make sure to use as few money in cash as possible, cause I really dont want to take out more money. In worst case I have the special 10-reais banknote in plastic, but Diêgo want me to save it, and I confess I feel I wanna keep it to. Nut what can I do if the cash isnt enough?
I am nervous I confess, I really dont like to walk around with a big bag in a big city, and I really really DONT want to take a stupid taxi, I hate taxis, it is just car driving capitalists that want to suck you out from money. I have bad influence and experience from taxis.
This was all for today, bye!
Yesterday we managed to fix the document proving that Diêgo is not married. We actually managed to fix all documents, well... almost, the single-document must be translated into english, so we sent it to the translator in Rio de Janeiro.
Later we said good bye to Gracielle and Laurén and took the metro to the buss station were we bought our last buss-ticket, the ticket to Rio de Janeiro.
At 22:20 our buss left, the trip took six hours and I didnt sleep anything at all under the trip. We passed by Aparicida were the world´s second largest catholic church is, after the church in the Vatican. We arrived in Rio at four o clock at morning, as in Mendoza we got about max two hours sleep on a chair, later when the sun was shining we went to the station Central do Brasil were we took the metro to downtown, the Carioca station. There we ate at McDonald´s, went to Saraiva and later ate at Colombo, I have been looking forward for that.
At two o clock we went back to Central do Brasil were we took out 350 reais, took the train to Nevis and Germana´s home were my precious big bag is waiting for me, and have been waiting for about one and a half month now.
We got answer from the translator, it will cost us 130 reais, then we have the interview at 150 reais, totally 280 reais will we spend on this, whats left after this stupid taxes is the sum of 70 reais, wich is needed for the train when we move to a hotel in downtown tomorrow, 5 reais, later we need metro tickets wich is the same price, so about 25 or 30 reais will be spent when we reach the Galeão Airport in some days. Well, 40 reais I should survive with back in Recife, but I must make sure to use as few money in cash as possible, cause I really dont want to take out more money. In worst case I have the special 10-reais banknote in plastic, but Diêgo want me to save it, and I confess I feel I wanna keep it to. Nut what can I do if the cash isnt enough?
I am nervous I confess, I really dont like to walk around with a big bag in a big city, and I really really DONT want to take a stupid taxi, I hate taxis, it is just car driving capitalists that want to suck you out from money. I have bad influence and experience from taxis.
This was all for today, bye!
Monday, 7 July 2008
Almost done
Hello! We are still in São Paulo. In friday we finally fixed the document, when both Gracielle and Laurén were able to go with us up to sign their names. It took a long time, not 15 minutes as the man said the other day, Gracielle and Laurén were late back to their jobs.
This weekend we visited the Museum of Portuguese Language at saturday, and yesterday we visisted the Ipiranga Museum were the emperor of Brazil declared the country independent of Portugal.
Today we got the document back and scanned it and sent it to the translater in Rio de Janeiro. Everything is almost fixed now, it is good, cause we are in the very last week now... in just some few days it is time for the interview.
Today we will leave São Paulo, and Im happy this far that everything fits.
Bye!
This weekend we visited the Museum of Portuguese Language at saturday, and yesterday we visisted the Ipiranga Museum were the emperor of Brazil declared the country independent of Portugal.
Today we got the document back and scanned it and sent it to the translater in Rio de Janeiro. Everything is almost fixed now, it is good, cause we are in the very last week now... in just some few days it is time for the interview.
Today we will leave São Paulo, and Im happy this far that everything fits.
Bye!
Thursday, 3 July 2008
São Paulo and the bloody document
After leaving the city of Blumenau and arrived in São Paulo, we took ourselves to Rei do Mate where Gracielle work. The girl that promised to arrive in São Paulo the 29:th never arrived, a lie then. We were both annoyed, but later Laurén told us she would sign the document, she almost know us now cause when she and Gracielle have paus we always hang out. We were filled with hope again. We sleep in the same hotel as we did last time, but to make it cheaper we stay per-noite, wich means we are without breakfast and have to leave the hotel every morning before 12 o clock, the difference to have breakfast is 25 reais!
Well, when the day came to sign the stupid document Laurén told she left her identification documents (u know they got alot of these in Brazil by now) with a girl, so she could not. We then tried to fix someone at street to sign for us, and found a guy who wanted 10 reais to sign, so it was okay. But when it was time to sign the shit he didnt have one single identification document with him, so everything was trashed into nothing and all hope we had was dead. At least we saved 10 reais...
Today Laurén still didnt have her documents, so we skipped it today and took it easy in Livraria Cultura to relax, I was really dissapointed and angry at her, maybe she lied to us and dont want to sign...
Right now Diêgo have contavt via msn with his cousin who say she can sign (maybe, she will talk to her mom to take care of her kids), we also got anorher number to another cousin of Diêgo who maybe can sing. Well, we had so many problems and failures now, so I dont dare to have any hope, Brazil is after all the country of trouble and problems.
I read at Aftonbladet´s homepage that Denmark is the happiest country of the world according to a test they had in an university in Michigan in United States. Diêgo didnt like this resource cause he believe that Brazil is the happiest country, cause people here are happy even in the favela and filled with joy and hope, "yeah there is only rich countries that are able to be happy, right?" he says. Well, this is not about money, its about oppurtunities, democracy and that people are able to control their life, wich is not possible in Brazil. As I can see there is only problems here, and rudeness, brazilians may be the people who smile most and have easy to forget problems and have fun, but its not with happiness to do. For me it is impossible to see how a majority of people ever is able to be happy in a social enviroment as seen in Brazil.
Well, this was all for today, see you all again, bye!
Well, when the day came to sign the stupid document Laurén told she left her identification documents (u know they got alot of these in Brazil by now) with a girl, so she could not. We then tried to fix someone at street to sign for us, and found a guy who wanted 10 reais to sign, so it was okay. But when it was time to sign the shit he didnt have one single identification document with him, so everything was trashed into nothing and all hope we had was dead. At least we saved 10 reais...
Today Laurén still didnt have her documents, so we skipped it today and took it easy in Livraria Cultura to relax, I was really dissapointed and angry at her, maybe she lied to us and dont want to sign...
Right now Diêgo have contavt via msn with his cousin who say she can sign (maybe, she will talk to her mom to take care of her kids), we also got anorher number to another cousin of Diêgo who maybe can sing. Well, we had so many problems and failures now, so I dont dare to have any hope, Brazil is after all the country of trouble and problems.
I read at Aftonbladet´s homepage that Denmark is the happiest country of the world according to a test they had in an university in Michigan in United States. Diêgo didnt like this resource cause he believe that Brazil is the happiest country, cause people here are happy even in the favela and filled with joy and hope, "yeah there is only rich countries that are able to be happy, right?" he says. Well, this is not about money, its about oppurtunities, democracy and that people are able to control their life, wich is not possible in Brazil. As I can see there is only problems here, and rudeness, brazilians may be the people who smile most and have easy to forget problems and have fun, but its not with happiness to do. For me it is impossible to see how a majority of people ever is able to be happy in a social enviroment as seen in Brazil.
Well, this was all for today, see you all again, bye!
Monday, 30 June 2008
Blumenau
Hello!
Me and Diêgo left Florianópolis at the 28:th of june, at Diêgo´s 19:th birthday. Ate a chocolate praline in the bus terminal in Florianópolis before taking off to the city of Blumenau. The bus trip took about two hours.
Blumenau were created by german immigrants in the beginning of the last century. Brazil was a big country of immigration after the first world war and the great depression, specially from Germany, but also from Italy, Japan, Ucraine and Poland.
The city of Blumenau really look german in many places, the houses is really typically in german style. The townhall for exemple is one of many buildings in german style. Even the shopping, Shopping Neumarkt is german to its name, and german flags is not unusual to see. But of course after all it is a brazilian city, so many of the new buildings look like the ordinary brazilian skyscrapers, seen in almost all cities I have been in, in this country. Most of the population in Blumenau today speak portuguese, only the old people still speak german, but at the countryside of the municipality the german language is dominant.
We went to the Shopping Neumarkt were we at the entrance immidetly saw Giraffas, our favourite food place. We really enjoyed the dinner. Later we looked for places, we meet two women at the street, they told about a cheap place. We walked and talked with them for a while, when Diêgo told it was his birthday they congratulated him and gave him 10 reais, they didnt accept him thanking no to it. They wanted to invite us for dinner, they told us about City Hotel, the cheapest place they knew, we should go back to them later, but we stayed to long in our room, so we didnt go there.
Next day we went to Villa Germanica, were we ate a little chocolate and looked at the charming houses. Well, this part was more a toursit place than historical city, its also a meeting place for the city´s own population. I bought my fifth flag of the flag collection I have of the countries in South America, the brazilian flag.
Later we went to Shopping Neumarkt to eat, and later we went to the woman´s home, the one we meet the day before. She really enjoyed our meeting, it was nice to talk, and of course, to make new contacts of places you visit is really a good feeling.
At the evening we went to the bus station and bought tickets to São Paulo, time to fix the last bloody document, and to meet Gracielle again.
So now we are back in São Paulo, the big city.
Bye!
Me and Diêgo left Florianópolis at the 28:th of june, at Diêgo´s 19:th birthday. Ate a chocolate praline in the bus terminal in Florianópolis before taking off to the city of Blumenau. The bus trip took about two hours.
Blumenau were created by german immigrants in the beginning of the last century. Brazil was a big country of immigration after the first world war and the great depression, specially from Germany, but also from Italy, Japan, Ucraine and Poland.
The city of Blumenau really look german in many places, the houses is really typically in german style. The townhall for exemple is one of many buildings in german style. Even the shopping, Shopping Neumarkt is german to its name, and german flags is not unusual to see. But of course after all it is a brazilian city, so many of the new buildings look like the ordinary brazilian skyscrapers, seen in almost all cities I have been in, in this country. Most of the population in Blumenau today speak portuguese, only the old people still speak german, but at the countryside of the municipality the german language is dominant.
We went to the Shopping Neumarkt were we at the entrance immidetly saw Giraffas, our favourite food place. We really enjoyed the dinner. Later we looked for places, we meet two women at the street, they told about a cheap place. We walked and talked with them for a while, when Diêgo told it was his birthday they congratulated him and gave him 10 reais, they didnt accept him thanking no to it. They wanted to invite us for dinner, they told us about City Hotel, the cheapest place they knew, we should go back to them later, but we stayed to long in our room, so we didnt go there.
Next day we went to Villa Germanica, were we ate a little chocolate and looked at the charming houses. Well, this part was more a toursit place than historical city, its also a meeting place for the city´s own population. I bought my fifth flag of the flag collection I have of the countries in South America, the brazilian flag.
Later we went to Shopping Neumarkt to eat, and later we went to the woman´s home, the one we meet the day before. She really enjoyed our meeting, it was nice to talk, and of course, to make new contacts of places you visit is really a good feeling.
At the evening we went to the bus station and bought tickets to São Paulo, time to fix the last bloody document, and to meet Gracielle again.
So now we are back in São Paulo, the big city.
Bye!
Friday, 27 June 2008
Florianópolis
Our last time in Montevideo was fine, yesterday morning we left Hotel Colonia and went to the parlament again to take photos, last time the batteries was over. We got lost in the parlament when the guide left us, Diêgo wanted to take some photos of himself in a chair, and took too long time. We left the parlament building and went away to the bus station were we wanted to buy a ticket to Blumenau. Unfortunately they didnt have tickets to Blumenau, the only brazilian city they had to this day was Florianópolis, so we took that ticket. After nine o clock at evening we left Montevideo and at midnight we left Uruguay at the border when we were sleeping in the bus, so they fixed the stamps meanwhile... I only got 13 days to stay in Brazil, they checked my extended time and didnt show respect to the fact I have been outside the country, I had to leave at the same time anyway, 180 days since I first arrived in Brazil in january... not exactly what I hoped for, they are so annoying, once again I felt the hate to the federal police and the system of this country. I almost didnt sleep anything this night.
The way to Florianópolis was looong, longer than the strait way between Santiago and Buenos Aires, Brazil is an enormeous country, actually its more like a continent when we talk about it´s huge size, it is the 4:th or third largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China, if you exclude Alaska from United States.
Well, Florianópolis look like most other brazilian cities with its white skyscrapers for people to live in, and the streets an the gates to the houses are. We live one night in a hostel now, tomorrow we go to Blumenau. Outside our hostel I really feel like in Boa Viagem, it looks almost the same.
This was all for today, bye!
The way to Florianópolis was looong, longer than the strait way between Santiago and Buenos Aires, Brazil is an enormeous country, actually its more like a continent when we talk about it´s huge size, it is the 4:th or third largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China, if you exclude Alaska from United States.
Well, Florianópolis look like most other brazilian cities with its white skyscrapers for people to live in, and the streets an the gates to the houses are. We live one night in a hostel now, tomorrow we go to Blumenau. Outside our hostel I really feel like in Boa Viagem, it looks almost the same.
This was all for today, bye!
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Montevideo
Let me tell about yesterday, our first hole day in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo.
We woke up, I dont know what time, my cellphone is dead and I cant load it here cause they have different plugs in Uruguay. Anyway, we went to the Column, a big tower that I see as the symbol of the city, its popular to have on photos from this city. We took alot of photos there, at the Independence Square were they also had abig statue of a man on a horse. Under the statue there was a maossoleum, a big urn was in the center of the hall, protected by two guards. We aslo went to a museum of coins and gaúcha-culture, a culture from Uruguay and the brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Later we went to the cyber café spent one hour there, later it was dark. We bought one flag of Uruguay, went to Café Gaúcha and later we ate hamburger at street.
Yesterday was a nice day. Today we have been at McDonald´s, havent done more yet, woke up very late, or left the room very late. Diêgo wanna see the president´s palace hee in Montevideo.
This was all for today,bye!
We woke up, I dont know what time, my cellphone is dead and I cant load it here cause they have different plugs in Uruguay. Anyway, we went to the Column, a big tower that I see as the symbol of the city, its popular to have on photos from this city. We took alot of photos there, at the Independence Square were they also had abig statue of a man on a horse. Under the statue there was a maossoleum, a big urn was in the center of the hall, protected by two guards. We aslo went to a museum of coins and gaúcha-culture, a culture from Uruguay and the brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Later we went to the cyber café spent one hour there, later it was dark. We bought one flag of Uruguay, went to Café Gaúcha and later we ate hamburger at street.
Yesterday was a nice day. Today we have been at McDonald´s, havent done more yet, woke up very late, or left the room very late. Diêgo wanna see the president´s palace hee in Montevideo.
This was all for today,bye!
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Rio de la Plata
Good afternoon! Here I write again, this time in the capital city of Uruguay, namely Montevideo.
Yesterday we woke up quite early, just to fix all things in the bag, take photos of Hostel Pangea and all people we know there. Diêgo felt strong saudade for leaving Pangea, it was like our home. We had everything there, our room, living room, friends around us, breakfast, computer, and we knew the city, at least the districts around us.
We went to eat, as usual at McDonald´s, my god Im gonna hate that place soon! We came to the Plaza de Mayo infront of the Pink House were we could buy food to feed the doves. The doves attacked us, we just opened one bag of food and they flied to us, landed on our hands, arms, heads and shoulders, think I had 10 doves at me at the same time.
After the dove attack we went to he harbour were we bought a ticket by ferry to Montevideo. We went through the passport control and got two new stamps, one for leaving Argentina and the other for entering Uruguay. Then we took the ferry where we spent around five hours inside crossing the Rio de la Plata. It looks like an ocean cause of the size, and if you look at the worldmap it looks like a part of the ocean, like a bay or fiord, but actually it is a river, it is sweet water and the water is flowing out into the ocean, so it is a river, a really wide one. This river is more wide than the strip of ocean slipping between the coasts of Sweden and Denmark in Kattegatt, were a boat trip takes 20 minutes, compared to this one of 5 hours.
The ferries here were alot different from the one I know in Kattegatt, for exemple this one looks more like a big big airplane were you have your own seat. There is no restaurant, you go and buy your food and take it to your seat. Well, in the middle of the big room there is a stair leading down to the tax free shop, that reminds a little of the tax free shops I know, exept the size. I slept a while in the ferry, when it was dark outside we arrived in Montevideo, the capital of my 10:th country, Uruguay.
We found a place for 330 pesos, wich is around 90 crowns. Many places here ask for dollars, even in the ferry they only wrote the price in dollar, wich I think is boring, and it sucks.
Uruguay seem to be a nice country, its just a pity the city close when it is dark, so there is not many things to do then.
This was all for today, see you again, bye!
Yesterday we woke up quite early, just to fix all things in the bag, take photos of Hostel Pangea and all people we know there. Diêgo felt strong saudade for leaving Pangea, it was like our home. We had everything there, our room, living room, friends around us, breakfast, computer, and we knew the city, at least the districts around us.
We went to eat, as usual at McDonald´s, my god Im gonna hate that place soon! We came to the Plaza de Mayo infront of the Pink House were we could buy food to feed the doves. The doves attacked us, we just opened one bag of food and they flied to us, landed on our hands, arms, heads and shoulders, think I had 10 doves at me at the same time.
After the dove attack we went to he harbour were we bought a ticket by ferry to Montevideo. We went through the passport control and got two new stamps, one for leaving Argentina and the other for entering Uruguay. Then we took the ferry where we spent around five hours inside crossing the Rio de la Plata. It looks like an ocean cause of the size, and if you look at the worldmap it looks like a part of the ocean, like a bay or fiord, but actually it is a river, it is sweet water and the water is flowing out into the ocean, so it is a river, a really wide one. This river is more wide than the strip of ocean slipping between the coasts of Sweden and Denmark in Kattegatt, were a boat trip takes 20 minutes, compared to this one of 5 hours.
The ferries here were alot different from the one I know in Kattegatt, for exemple this one looks more like a big big airplane were you have your own seat. There is no restaurant, you go and buy your food and take it to your seat. Well, in the middle of the big room there is a stair leading down to the tax free shop, that reminds a little of the tax free shops I know, exept the size. I slept a while in the ferry, when it was dark outside we arrived in Montevideo, the capital of my 10:th country, Uruguay.
We found a place for 330 pesos, wich is around 90 crowns. Many places here ask for dollars, even in the ferry they only wrote the price in dollar, wich I think is boring, and it sucks.
Uruguay seem to be a nice country, its just a pity the city close when it is dark, so there is not many things to do then.
This was all for today, see you again, bye!
Monday, 23 June 2008
La Boca
I can tell you that the camera now is fixed. The next day we went to a place in the center were they fixed it. It is working like before again, exept the cover is a bit more difficult to open and close. Im really scared to destroy it again, but I have a garantee of three months, so in case the camera will brake again its just to go back to Buenos Aires and fix it.
Today we took the bus to the town district of Boca, it is a place with very colourful houses with alot of poor people. The district is well known and a tourist spot in Buenos Aires. In the district we saw alot of blue and yellow coloured flags of the football team of Boca. There is a story why they have theese colours. The team could not agree about what colour their suit should have, so they desided that they should take the colours of the flag at the first ship that arrives in the harbour. However, the first ship that came was from Sweden, so they took the blue and the yellow colour of the swedish flag and made it to their team´s flag.
We were walking around and looking at the place, there was alot of restaurants there and alot of people making noise and asking us to go to their restaurant. The question came up in my mind, that what place was worst when it come to "attack" possible customers, Ciudad del Este or Boca?
After some hours when the time came closer to six o´clock we took the bus back to center were we ate. Later we were talking about the "imperial family of Brazil", apperently the former royal family of Brazil still exist, and still have some kind of power working in Brazil, for exemple they can just pop in to the champer as they want without votes, and they win money to have their precious royal name Braganca, wich I think is undemocratic and very discusting. I felt that Brazil is a fake republic and also fake democracy, either you are a republic or a monarchy, u cant have both cause then it is fake, and the fact that most people in Brazil doesnt have any idea they have an "imperial family" with power who win money (only in Petrópolis municipality and thank god for that) is really ot acceptable. And the year 1988 there was elections to replace the monarchy, the population was smart enough to vote no, to be a republic is for me a pride, all countries should be republics cause monarchy is something ancient and primitive. My god I wish Sweden was a republic, so many countries have managed to get rid of monarchy rule, and then there is those stupid nations that want to have it back (Portugal now for exemple).
The only thing that is more sad than being a monarchy state is to WANNA be a monarchy state. People dont know what they think about, they only see the cute fairy tale and glamoreous thing about having a king and/or a queen. But what brazil have is discustig, give money to a family like that, its not respect for history or tradition, it is pure corruption.
This was a little taste of my opinions, and I have alot more when it comes to things like this. This was all for todays blog, tomorrow we hopefully take a ferry to Uruguay, bye!
Today we took the bus to the town district of Boca, it is a place with very colourful houses with alot of poor people. The district is well known and a tourist spot in Buenos Aires. In the district we saw alot of blue and yellow coloured flags of the football team of Boca. There is a story why they have theese colours. The team could not agree about what colour their suit should have, so they desided that they should take the colours of the flag at the first ship that arrives in the harbour. However, the first ship that came was from Sweden, so they took the blue and the yellow colour of the swedish flag and made it to their team´s flag.
We were walking around and looking at the place, there was alot of restaurants there and alot of people making noise and asking us to go to their restaurant. The question came up in my mind, that what place was worst when it come to "attack" possible customers, Ciudad del Este or Boca?
After some hours when the time came closer to six o´clock we took the bus back to center were we ate. Later we were talking about the "imperial family of Brazil", apperently the former royal family of Brazil still exist, and still have some kind of power working in Brazil, for exemple they can just pop in to the champer as they want without votes, and they win money to have their precious royal name Braganca, wich I think is undemocratic and very discusting. I felt that Brazil is a fake republic and also fake democracy, either you are a republic or a monarchy, u cant have both cause then it is fake, and the fact that most people in Brazil doesnt have any idea they have an "imperial family" with power who win money (only in Petrópolis municipality and thank god for that) is really ot acceptable. And the year 1988 there was elections to replace the monarchy, the population was smart enough to vote no, to be a republic is for me a pride, all countries should be republics cause monarchy is something ancient and primitive. My god I wish Sweden was a republic, so many countries have managed to get rid of monarchy rule, and then there is those stupid nations that want to have it back (Portugal now for exemple).
The only thing that is more sad than being a monarchy state is to WANNA be a monarchy state. People dont know what they think about, they only see the cute fairy tale and glamoreous thing about having a king and/or a queen. But what brazil have is discustig, give money to a family like that, its not respect for history or tradition, it is pure corruption.
This was a little taste of my opinions, and I have alot more when it comes to things like this. This was all for todays blog, tomorrow we hopefully take a ferry to Uruguay, bye!
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Fucking camera!!!
My fucking camera is all broken, so more pictures non of us will se... unfortunately
Wanted to upload my photos from Paraguay and the Iguazu falls, so I had to change memory card. There was a little "pick" under the cover were I could read "push to eject", well, Diêgo always fix the camera and all other things, so I had no idea even how my own camera is working. When I pushed the pick it suddenly got broken, and when the other memorycard was equipped it stod a text on the screen saying "Card cover open", and there was no way i hell for anyone of us to fix this error. Diêgo said that the pick is meaningless and he always change card without toutchig it. No I destroyed my own camera and if no one fix the piece of shit, it means I cant take photos in either Montevideo or Blumenau or the rest of the things we might see here in Buenos Aires. I hate my camera. In worst case I have to waste money to buy a new camera. I hate everythig, there is always problems that pop out from nothing just to mess with me, I hate it!
Wanted to upload my photos from Paraguay and the Iguazu falls, so I had to change memory card. There was a little "pick" under the cover were I could read "push to eject", well, Diêgo always fix the camera and all other things, so I had no idea even how my own camera is working. When I pushed the pick it suddenly got broken, and when the other memorycard was equipped it stod a text on the screen saying "Card cover open", and there was no way i hell for anyone of us to fix this error. Diêgo said that the pick is meaningless and he always change card without toutchig it. No I destroyed my own camera and if no one fix the piece of shit, it means I cant take photos in either Montevideo or Blumenau or the rest of the things we might see here in Buenos Aires. I hate my camera. In worst case I have to waste money to buy a new camera. I hate everythig, there is always problems that pop out from nothing just to mess with me, I hate it!
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
The Semitary
Yesterday was a long day, even if we woke up late and went out late. We were walkig to the semitary were Evita Perón's tomb is. At the way there we finally found a place were we could buy protection for the passports, we also found shields of Argentina in good quality, but small, but the same size as the one we got from Chile.
We arrived at the semitary, a great graveyard, bt this is not even close to the graveyards I am used to see in my homeland, it was more like a silent city, with small back alleys with small houses filled with statues of angels and saints staring at you. This was a city of the people who passed away, and the houses were their graves, their homes they spend the time after life in. In some places I could feel an odd, bizarre smell of something, the smell of death.
The semitary is a bit scary at the same tie as it is beautiful and peaceful. The way the sun was shining between the roof tops and threes in the twilight was very beautiful.
We soon found the tomb of Evita, the sacred, legendary heroine of Argentina. Her tomb was not special or aything, it looked like most of the other tombs in the semitary.
We found many interresting tombs and storys, in one tomb there was a girl who had a narcoleptic attack and fell in deep sleep. The people thought she was dead, the next day already they had the ceremony, it is traditional even today in both Argentina and Brazil that people have the ceremony the day after a person dies, wich for me is to soon, in Sweden it is at least one week we wait, both in case if the person isnt really dead, or more common reason that the people around need time to accept that the dear friend or family member is dead.
Well, this young woman woke up in her grave the night after the ceremony, and the comig morning the people could see that the coffin had moving, when they opened it they saw that the woman had been tearig the top of the chest, and her neck was all bloody when she teared herself with her nails in pure panic before her true death.
For me, this is the worst thing that can happen, to wake up i your own coffin, locked inside this darkness and know that this is the plase you will starve, this is the place you will lose your breath when the air is over, this is the place you will live in panic till death come as an salvation... and more grotesc is the thought that it is in this coffin you will rot to a skeleton, in the very same place you lie now...
It is pure panic.
Later we found another scary tomb, filled with chains and lockers, with big stones complicated to open, the scary thing about this is that it really look like the grave was created to keep something inside and stop this from coming up to the surface. Many paranoid thoughts came up sometimes.
Later we went to eat after the semitary, and later we went home.
Today there were protest outside Casa Rosada, the people were angry at the governement and the president, Cristina Kirchna. It was alot of fights outside the palace. Later when we looked at the news, the president herself were outside on a stage, singing the national anthem of Argentina together with the people. She was telling alot of "good" things that really didnt have anything with the occation to do, this were things that the people agreed with, like the Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) for exemple. It was abit pathetic to see, cause recently the people were hating her, now they were apploading and screaming after she told something, and everytime they did it a orchestra played a little happy tune. In the end of all alot of confetti were thrown in the air and the president went to her husband, and then the country were happy ever after again, just like a fairly tale of Disney. Well, it takes time to understand this country, as Diêgo said... or if you ever will do it.
Right now there is a football match between Argentina and Brazil, Diêgo and antoher brazilian guy here in the hostel is screaming, the other (including me sometimes) hope Argentina to win... just to mess a little, I think no one else exept the brazilians here, really like football, I was never interrested in it. Well of course it was annoying when Sweden lost, not cause of the lose, but bechause Diêgo was so happy that Brazil won, hehe.
This was all for today, bye!
We arrived at the semitary, a great graveyard, bt this is not even close to the graveyards I am used to see in my homeland, it was more like a silent city, with small back alleys with small houses filled with statues of angels and saints staring at you. This was a city of the people who passed away, and the houses were their graves, their homes they spend the time after life in. In some places I could feel an odd, bizarre smell of something, the smell of death.
The semitary is a bit scary at the same tie as it is beautiful and peaceful. The way the sun was shining between the roof tops and threes in the twilight was very beautiful.
We soon found the tomb of Evita, the sacred, legendary heroine of Argentina. Her tomb was not special or aything, it looked like most of the other tombs in the semitary.
We found many interresting tombs and storys, in one tomb there was a girl who had a narcoleptic attack and fell in deep sleep. The people thought she was dead, the next day already they had the ceremony, it is traditional even today in both Argentina and Brazil that people have the ceremony the day after a person dies, wich for me is to soon, in Sweden it is at least one week we wait, both in case if the person isnt really dead, or more common reason that the people around need time to accept that the dear friend or family member is dead.
Well, this young woman woke up in her grave the night after the ceremony, and the comig morning the people could see that the coffin had moving, when they opened it they saw that the woman had been tearig the top of the chest, and her neck was all bloody when she teared herself with her nails in pure panic before her true death.
For me, this is the worst thing that can happen, to wake up i your own coffin, locked inside this darkness and know that this is the plase you will starve, this is the place you will lose your breath when the air is over, this is the place you will live in panic till death come as an salvation... and more grotesc is the thought that it is in this coffin you will rot to a skeleton, in the very same place you lie now...
It is pure panic.
Later we found another scary tomb, filled with chains and lockers, with big stones complicated to open, the scary thing about this is that it really look like the grave was created to keep something inside and stop this from coming up to the surface. Many paranoid thoughts came up sometimes.
Later we went to eat after the semitary, and later we went home.
Today there were protest outside Casa Rosada, the people were angry at the governement and the president, Cristina Kirchna. It was alot of fights outside the palace. Later when we looked at the news, the president herself were outside on a stage, singing the national anthem of Argentina together with the people. She was telling alot of "good" things that really didnt have anything with the occation to do, this were things that the people agreed with, like the Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) for exemple. It was abit pathetic to see, cause recently the people were hating her, now they were apploading and screaming after she told something, and everytime they did it a orchestra played a little happy tune. In the end of all alot of confetti were thrown in the air and the president went to her husband, and then the country were happy ever after again, just like a fairly tale of Disney. Well, it takes time to understand this country, as Diêgo said... or if you ever will do it.
Right now there is a football match between Argentina and Brazil, Diêgo and antoher brazilian guy here in the hostel is screaming, the other (including me sometimes) hope Argentina to win... just to mess a little, I think no one else exept the brazilians here, really like football, I was never interrested in it. Well of course it was annoying when Sweden lost, not cause of the lose, but bechause Diêgo was so happy that Brazil won, hehe.
This was all for today, bye!
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Buenos Aires
The time in the bus terminal in Mendoza was like a prison. We went to the downtown to eat at McDonalds some time, but otherwise we always stayed in the terminal. When the bus came it truly was our salvation.
In the bus we played bingo in the beginning, and later we got food. I slept almost all way to Buenos Aires. When we arrived in the great capital we got information at once about Hostel Pangea for 60 pesos per night for two people and internet for free. The hostel payed our taxi too, it was really good. In the hostel we took shower and later went out to see the parliament of Argentina and the Obelisk were we ate at McDonald´s, its vissible at many photos of the Obelisk, so Diêgo wanted to eat there. Later when it was dark we went to check Casa Rosada where the president herself lives. At our way home to the hostel alot of cars and peple made sounds, it was protests against the governement, the president is in Italy now while the coutry is in chaos.
This was all for today, bye!
In the bus we played bingo in the beginning, and later we got food. I slept almost all way to Buenos Aires. When we arrived in the great capital we got information at once about Hostel Pangea for 60 pesos per night for two people and internet for free. The hostel payed our taxi too, it was really good. In the hostel we took shower and later went out to see the parliament of Argentina and the Obelisk were we ate at McDonald´s, its vissible at many photos of the Obelisk, so Diêgo wanted to eat there. Later when it was dark we went to check Casa Rosada where the president herself lives. At our way home to the hostel alot of cars and peple made sounds, it was protests against the governement, the president is in Italy now while the coutry is in chaos.
This was all for today, bye!
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Trapped in Mendoza
Yesterday we planned to sleep outside the bus station, but regret it after a while because of the danger. So we took out money to sleep in our old dear hotel.
Next morning we went to the bus station again, bought a ticket to Buenos Aires and went away, across the Andes and through the border to Argentina.
When we arrived in Mendoza were we should change bus, a man came to us and said that there is no buses leaving the city, asking us to stay in his hotel. We didnt believe him first,but later all otherpeople around us went to the bus company to change their ticket. It was demonstrations in the city cause of the president`s corruption, no buses could leave Mendoza. We got a new ticket for free, 24 hours later. So now we are trapped in Mendoza, and tonight we will stay at the bus station, why pay a hotel when we didnt ask to stay here? and probably there is more people here doing the same.
Have recently eaten at McDonald`s, we will head back to the station soon.
Bye!
Next morning we went to the bus station again, bought a ticket to Buenos Aires and went away, across the Andes and through the border to Argentina.
When we arrived in Mendoza were we should change bus, a man came to us and said that there is no buses leaving the city, asking us to stay in his hotel. We didnt believe him first,but later all otherpeople around us went to the bus company to change their ticket. It was demonstrations in the city cause of the president`s corruption, no buses could leave Mendoza. We got a new ticket for free, 24 hours later. So now we are trapped in Mendoza, and tonight we will stay at the bus station, why pay a hotel when we didnt ask to stay here? and probably there is more people here doing the same.
Have recently eaten at McDonald`s, we will head back to the station soon.
Bye!
Friday, 13 June 2008
Alive
Hello!
Yesterday was a hard day. We left our simple little hotel for 8 000 pesos and went to the buss station, asking were we could take a bus to La Parva, a village in the mountains. Some men told us to take the metro to the Escuela Militar (Military School) were there is buses going up and down from the mountains everyday. So we went there, but when we arrived a man told us that something like buses going up and down everyday doesnt exist, so we took a taxi to the entrance of the mountains. There we met a woman staying at the side of the street and lifting, waiting for anyone to pick her up. She told us that the only way up to La Parva is by taxi our by lifting, like she did. So we joined her at the side of the street waiting for someone kind soul to help us. No one stayed for a long while, and the one who stayed only took the woman, cause she should go half way, like they should. So we waited, and waited... and waited... in the end we choosed to take a taxi, for 25 000 pesos. The taxi driver never went up to the mountain, so half way we got stopped cause according to the law, cars that goes up to the snowy Andes must have needles on the wheels, and who should pay for this? Us of course, 7 000 pesos there and I was pissed off. Up in La Parva we still had to pay 25 000 pesos despite the tax half way, I didnt fight much but payed the stupid price and dumped the driver with his car.
We soon forgot about the taxi, Diêgo who was in the snow for the second time of his life exept the earlier time when we passed the border were busy about playing in the lovely white snow. Later it was time to find a place to sleep, so we left La Parva and took a walk to the close neighbouring village of El Colorado. The first place was closed, the second had the mouth dropping price of 170 000 pesos wich is insanly to expencive. We bought some snacks and bisquits to eat, the next hotel was "only" 100 000 pesos, we coosed to skip it and decided to sleep outside. So we sat at the street eating and drinking what we bought while the sun hidden itself behind the mountains and let the icy cold air sweep over the white lands and in under our skin. We would sleep outside in the icy night ùp in the Andes, wich made me remember the airplane who crashed in this mountains who slept in the cold I dont know how long and had to eat each other.
The fingers soon got frozen so as the toes. I looked at the big hotel and imagined the warm cosy air inside there, after eating our snacks I told Diêgo that maybe its best to go inside and pay the bloody price anyway and leave this god`s forsaken village behind the first thing we do next day.
So we went inside and got a big cosy, and to much luxury room with a wonderful view over the white mountains. But I must confess, I didnt sleep good that night thinking about all things we have to pay, and what money we wasted this time. After all, we were alive, and should enjoy the time we spend up here, and next morning, we did enjoy it, specially Diêgo who was totally in love with the snow.
Today we are, after a horrible ride in a bus (after all, they did exist) that took us down to Santiago. Now we are in the bus station, either we take a bus to the neighbouring country`s capital tonight or tomorrow, Diêgo are very tired of buses. The station is open all night, probably and hopefully, so we spend the night here cause the money we had in cash is almost over.
Everything is fine and we are still alive, and happy. Good night!
Yesterday was a hard day. We left our simple little hotel for 8 000 pesos and went to the buss station, asking were we could take a bus to La Parva, a village in the mountains. Some men told us to take the metro to the Escuela Militar (Military School) were there is buses going up and down from the mountains everyday. So we went there, but when we arrived a man told us that something like buses going up and down everyday doesnt exist, so we took a taxi to the entrance of the mountains. There we met a woman staying at the side of the street and lifting, waiting for anyone to pick her up. She told us that the only way up to La Parva is by taxi our by lifting, like she did. So we joined her at the side of the street waiting for someone kind soul to help us. No one stayed for a long while, and the one who stayed only took the woman, cause she should go half way, like they should. So we waited, and waited... and waited... in the end we choosed to take a taxi, for 25 000 pesos. The taxi driver never went up to the mountain, so half way we got stopped cause according to the law, cars that goes up to the snowy Andes must have needles on the wheels, and who should pay for this? Us of course, 7 000 pesos there and I was pissed off. Up in La Parva we still had to pay 25 000 pesos despite the tax half way, I didnt fight much but payed the stupid price and dumped the driver with his car.
We soon forgot about the taxi, Diêgo who was in the snow for the second time of his life exept the earlier time when we passed the border were busy about playing in the lovely white snow. Later it was time to find a place to sleep, so we left La Parva and took a walk to the close neighbouring village of El Colorado. The first place was closed, the second had the mouth dropping price of 170 000 pesos wich is insanly to expencive. We bought some snacks and bisquits to eat, the next hotel was "only" 100 000 pesos, we coosed to skip it and decided to sleep outside. So we sat at the street eating and drinking what we bought while the sun hidden itself behind the mountains and let the icy cold air sweep over the white lands and in under our skin. We would sleep outside in the icy night ùp in the Andes, wich made me remember the airplane who crashed in this mountains who slept in the cold I dont know how long and had to eat each other.
The fingers soon got frozen so as the toes. I looked at the big hotel and imagined the warm cosy air inside there, after eating our snacks I told Diêgo that maybe its best to go inside and pay the bloody price anyway and leave this god`s forsaken village behind the first thing we do next day.
So we went inside and got a big cosy, and to much luxury room with a wonderful view over the white mountains. But I must confess, I didnt sleep good that night thinking about all things we have to pay, and what money we wasted this time. After all, we were alive, and should enjoy the time we spend up here, and next morning, we did enjoy it, specially Diêgo who was totally in love with the snow.
Today we are, after a horrible ride in a bus (after all, they did exist) that took us down to Santiago. Now we are in the bus station, either we take a bus to the neighbouring country`s capital tonight or tomorrow, Diêgo are very tired of buses. The station is open all night, probably and hopefully, so we spend the night here cause the money we had in cash is almost over.
Everything is fine and we are still alive, and happy. Good night!
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Santa Lucia Summit
Yesterday was a nice day here in Santiago. We took the underground metro to downtown were we visited Brazil´s embassy, cause Diêgo wanted to have a protection to his passport, as in all other places he didnt get it. We went to the Moneda Palace were we went inside to the court yards, but thats the only places we could visit. The president herself is not there, she is in a visit in Canada.
After the Moneda Palace we walked on the streets of the city to the Santa Lucia Summit, a mountain in the middle of Santiago with a beautiful water fountain and many old tower
s and a chapel. We walked up for many stairs till we got all tired in the legs. At the top we could see this beautiful capital of Chile surrounded by the icy mountains of the Andes. We were at the top while the sun set in the horizon, later we went down and looked for a place to eat. I wanted to eat chilenian food, but instead we ate at a place in the shopping called Kentucky Fried Chicken, it was tasty, but not chilenian.
At our way back to the underground metro we stopped by at the street were a man borrowed us his star telescope for 3000 pesos for us to look at the craters of the moon and the planet Saturn. It was very cool to se
e the moon so close, and more cool to the planet Saturn in reality. It was small in the telescope but I could see the rings surrounding it, it was such a cool view, to see something so far away so close, and to see it in reality and not only in pictures.
Today is a new day, and we will go to the center again, now to look for souvenirs, told my mom I would buy some handcraft from this country.
This was all for today, bye!
After the Moneda Palace we walked on the streets of the city to the Santa Lucia Summit, a mountain in the middle of Santiago with a beautiful water fountain and many old tower
s and a chapel. We walked up for many stairs till we got all tired in the legs. At the top we could see this beautiful capital of Chile surrounded by the icy mountains of the Andes. We were at the top while the sun set in the horizon, later we went down and looked for a place to eat. I wanted to eat chilenian food, but instead we ate at a place in the shopping called Kentucky Fried Chicken, it was tasty, but not chilenian.At our way back to the underground metro we stopped by at the street were a man borrowed us his star telescope for 3000 pesos for us to look at the craters of the moon and the planet Saturn. It was very cool to se
e the moon so close, and more cool to the planet Saturn in reality. It was small in the telescope but I could see the rings surrounding it, it was such a cool view, to see something so far away so close, and to see it in reality and not only in pictures.Today is a new day, and we will go to the center again, now to look for souvenirs, told my mom I would buy some handcraft from this country.
This was all for today, bye!
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Santiago del Chile
Brrrr, here is cold, really cold, specially at night. I am in Santiago now, the capital of Chile, in an indian langague the word "chile" means "cold", and I understand why, cause hot this time at year at least, is non existing.
We sleep in a hotel for 8000 pesos, wich is really cheap. Yesterday we took out some money, it sounds alot, 180 000 pesos, but its really not even close to that much. Well, the money here is still not that horrible as in Paraguay were we walked around with half a million of guaranies.
We took the underground metro to the center were we looked at some churches and a great cathedral. The batteries at our camera was over so we had to buy new, unfortunately we cant load our batteries in Chile, cause the plugs here are different.
We aslo saw the Moneda Palace, the place were the president of Chile is living.
We didnt see much more than this the last day but today we will explore the old town of Santiago. Lets see what we more will do today, we planned to go up in the mountans in some days, Diego wanted to stay one week in the snow, but now we decided we wont do this, it is all to cold and we dont have enough clothes.
Well, I like Santiago, its a very nice city, but it is said that the underground is a bit dangerous, lets hope its not that horrible as I read in internet.
This was all for now, bye!
We sleep in a hotel for 8000 pesos, wich is really cheap. Yesterday we took out some money, it sounds alot, 180 000 pesos, but its really not even close to that much. Well, the money here is still not that horrible as in Paraguay were we walked around with half a million of guaranies.
We took the underground metro to the center were we looked at some churches and a great cathedral. The batteries at our camera was over so we had to buy new, unfortunately we cant load our batteries in Chile, cause the plugs here are different.
We aslo saw the Moneda Palace, the place were the president of Chile is living.
We didnt see much more than this the last day but today we will explore the old town of Santiago. Lets see what we more will do today, we planned to go up in the mountans in some days, Diego wanted to stay one week in the snow, but now we decided we wont do this, it is all to cold and we dont have enough clothes.
Well, I like Santiago, its a very nice city, but it is said that the underground is a bit dangerous, lets hope its not that horrible as I read in internet.
This was all for now, bye!
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Across the Andes
Yesterday we left the hotel room and spent our last day in Còrdoba. We spent the afternoon in the downtown, later we went to cyber at the evening before heading to the bus-station were we awaited our bus. In a shop there we bought the shield of the Còrdoba province as a memory. We are collecting shields from different places, countries mainly, yet we have of Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
At nine o´clock the bus left, we spent the night aboard the bus and this morning we arrived in Mendoza were we stayed two hours waiting for the next bus. It was cold there, and in the horizon we could see mountains, and behind those white mountains with snow, Diêgo loved the view.
When the bus came and we went aboard we came closer to the mountains and the more far we went, the more white mountains we saw. It was really a smashing sense to see the Andes, the worlds longest mountain-chain, from the south of Patagonia to the north in Colombia.
The bus took us higher up in the mountains and soon the path were surrounded by snow, a beautiful view for me, I have never been so far above the ocean level before, but even more cool for Diêgo who saw snow for the first time in his life.
After an underground tunnel in a mountain we came to the border between Argentina and Chile. We got our stamps and after this we went out from the building to feel the snow. Yes, it was really cold up there, and Diêgo´s hands got frozen when he touthed the snow. He was in love with the new frozen landscape we was in, so was I, but not like Diêgo, snow is really not rare were I come from, the mountain tops were more fashinating than snow.
Later we countiued our trip down in serpentine roads with wonderful views. Soon
the snow dissapeared and we were in a normal level over the ocean niveau.
After one hour or something we finally arrived in the capital city of Chile, Santiago!
We searched for a place to sleep after chaning 50 reais into 12 000 pesos. We found one place for 8000 chilenian pesos.
We rested in our room before going out after the sunset to eat, and now we are here. Tomorrow we go to downtown, time to explore the new city we are in, in my 9:th country, Chile.
At nine o´clock the bus left, we spent the night aboard the bus and this morning we arrived in Mendoza were we stayed two hours waiting for the next bus. It was cold there, and in the horizon we could see mountains, and behind those white mountains with snow, Diêgo loved the view.
When the bus came and we went aboard we came closer to the mountains and the more far we went, the more white mountains we saw. It was really a smashing sense to see the Andes, the worlds longest mountain-chain, from the south of Patagonia to the north in Colombia.
The bus took us higher up in the mountains and soon the path were surrounded by snow, a beautiful view for me, I have never been so far above the ocean level before, but even more cool for Diêgo who saw snow for the first time in his life.
After an underground tunnel in a mountain we came to the border between Argentina and Chile. We got our stamps and after this we went out from the building to feel the snow. Yes, it was really cold up there, and Diêgo´s hands got frozen when he touthed the snow. He was in love with the new frozen landscape we was in, so was I, but not like Diêgo, snow is really not rare were I come from, the mountain tops were more fashinating than snow.
Later we countiued our trip down in serpentine roads with wonderful views. Soon
the snow dissapeared and we were in a normal level over the ocean niveau.After one hour or something we finally arrived in the capital city of Chile, Santiago!
We searched for a place to sleep after chaning 50 reais into 12 000 pesos. We found one place for 8000 chilenian pesos.
We rested in our room before going out after the sunset to eat, and now we are here. Tomorrow we go to downtown, time to explore the new city we are in, in my 9:th country, Chile.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Last day in Argentina
Today is the last day of our visit in Córdoba and Argentina, tonight we will take the bus first to Mendoza were we change to the next bus that will take us to Santiago, the capital of Chile!
Yesterday Diego didnt wanna wake up, so I had to go out by myself. Went to this cyber to write to my mom, later in the end Diego arrived here too.
We didnt do many things yesterday, ate hotdog to dinner, mcFlurry at McDonalds, but they didnt have what I wanted, told us after the paying, so I took the opportunity to complain a little.
At the evening we went to the bus station were we wanted to buy the ticket to Santiago. The first place for 125 pesos didnt accept card, so we took the other one for 140, I thought the price would be the same cause of the tax to take out money, but it was apperently wrong of me to think this, by the way the seller here was rude... I regret to buy it there...
Today we recently left our hotel room, and now we are here. Ill send a post card to Linnéa today, needed to come her to catch the number of the addres, later we will eat, Im hungry!
Well, wish me good luck on my trip tonight, see you again, bye!
Yesterday Diego didnt wanna wake up, so I had to go out by myself. Went to this cyber to write to my mom, later in the end Diego arrived here too.
We didnt do many things yesterday, ate hotdog to dinner, mcFlurry at McDonalds, but they didnt have what I wanted, told us after the paying, so I took the opportunity to complain a little.
At the evening we went to the bus station were we wanted to buy the ticket to Santiago. The first place for 125 pesos didnt accept card, so we took the other one for 140, I thought the price would be the same cause of the tax to take out money, but it was apperently wrong of me to think this, by the way the seller here was rude... I regret to buy it there...
Today we recently left our hotel room, and now we are here. Ill send a post card to Linnéa today, needed to come her to catch the number of the addres, later we will eat, Im hungry!
Well, wish me good luck on my trip tonight, see you again, bye!
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Córdoba
Yesterday we arrived here in the city of Córdoba in the province with the same name. Its autumn here and the trees lost almost all leaves. We walked around in the city, its very beautiful and looks very developed, very "european" as Diego said. A shopping we went to looked very "european" in the entrance. We ate at McDonald´s to start with, went to cyber when I wrote my latest upload of the blog and later went to a bookshop.
My shoulders got hurted cause of the heavy bag I walked around with on my back, and my left foot got a bit hurted too on the small toe, its the shoes...
We found one place for 80 pesos. Before sleep yesterday we went to the shopping to eat pasta and later fruit sallad... a bit bitter I must confess.
Today the owner of the hotel woke us up 10 o clock cause the time was over, so we had to leave. We found a new place for only 55 pesos, but we only had 46 at the moment, so we went out to change new money, so now we have around 300 pesos in cash. Ate at McDonald´s as usual and now we are here at the cyber. Found the coat of arms for Chile, a small one, bought it just for safety if they dont have it in Chile. Also saw a place on the market were they protested against United Kingdoms claim over the Falkland Islands, Argentina say it belongs to them, and I agree, it was argentinian, but I didnt fil the paper cause they claimed a part of Antartica, a place that should not beling to any country at all.
This was all for today, bye!
My shoulders got hurted cause of the heavy bag I walked around with on my back, and my left foot got a bit hurted too on the small toe, its the shoes...
We found one place for 80 pesos. Before sleep yesterday we went to the shopping to eat pasta and later fruit sallad... a bit bitter I must confess.
Today the owner of the hotel woke us up 10 o clock cause the time was over, so we had to leave. We found a new place for only 55 pesos, but we only had 46 at the moment, so we went out to change new money, so now we have around 300 pesos in cash. Ate at McDonald´s as usual and now we are here at the cyber. Found the coat of arms for Chile, a small one, bought it just for safety if they dont have it in Chile. Also saw a place on the market were they protested against United Kingdoms claim over the Falkland Islands, Argentina say it belongs to them, and I agree, it was argentinian, but I didnt fil the paper cause they claimed a part of Antartica, a place that should not beling to any country at all.
This was all for today, bye!
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
Stuck in Asunción
Hi again. We wanted to leave Asunción this saturday, but we couldnt cause there was no tickets until tuesday. We bought the tickets and had to wait a while for it to be fixed, talked to a woman from Argentina, talking good things about her country.
Next day we spent in downtown searching for the coat of arms of Paraguay to save as a memory, as we did from Brazil, but in Paraguay you must have permission from the police to have right to buy it. At evening we were so tired, we ate at Bolsi before heading back to the buss station and search for a new hotel, this time we found one for only 60 000 guarani.
Yesterday it was time for us to continue our trip to the south, to Córdoba, Argentina´s second largest city. In the buss station I bought new shoes, cant use sandals in Argentina now, its winter here on the southern hemisphere. I also bought a present to my sister, Rebecca, an indian bag and Paraguayan flags to me and Diego as a memory from this country. In the bus we met the Argentinian woman again, Iracela her name is, she sat on the seat beside us. She only spoke spanish, so it was mostly her and Diego who talked to each other.
The trip took all night, but the bus had a very good standard with dinner and breakfast, at the late evening they gave who wanted a glass of champagne to drink, very luxury, but I wont drink champagne ever again... bad memories from the student day...
This morning we arrived in Córdoba, and here we are. Argentina is my 8:th country I am in. This was all for today, bye!
Next day we spent in downtown searching for the coat of arms of Paraguay to save as a memory, as we did from Brazil, but in Paraguay you must have permission from the police to have right to buy it. At evening we were so tired, we ate at Bolsi before heading back to the buss station and search for a new hotel, this time we found one for only 60 000 guarani.
Yesterday it was time for us to continue our trip to the south, to Córdoba, Argentina´s second largest city. In the buss station I bought new shoes, cant use sandals in Argentina now, its winter here on the southern hemisphere. I also bought a present to my sister, Rebecca, an indian bag and Paraguayan flags to me and Diego as a memory from this country. In the bus we met the Argentinian woman again, Iracela her name is, she sat on the seat beside us. She only spoke spanish, so it was mostly her and Diego who talked to each other.
The trip took all night, but the bus had a very good standard with dinner and breakfast, at the late evening they gave who wanted a glass of champagne to drink, very luxury, but I wont drink champagne ever again... bad memories from the student day...
This morning we arrived in Córdoba, and here we are. Argentina is my 8:th country I am in. This was all for today, bye!
Sunday, 1 June 2008
Republica del Paraguay
This is the fourth day I am in Paraguay. We stayed one night in Ciudad del Este, after the first night we wanted to go to the cyber, but the man was busy, so we got tired of waiting. Diego wanted to call his grandmother, but its much cheaper to call from Brazil, so we decided to pass the Friendship Bridge again. We would only stay in the brazilian side just some minutes, so we skipped the passport controls, passed the border and went to a telephone and called. Later we ate at a lanchonete close before heading back to Paraguay. After passing the bridge not less than five people wanted to sell things to us, the last one told us we must go to the passport control, to be on the safe side we did so. Well, its a fact, as the man in the toll said, we broke the law, we should have gone there to take a stamp that we leave Paraguay, and I should get two new stamps in Brazil, one for entering and one for leaving, later we both get new stamps for entering Paraguay again. But the man didnt make big thing of this and let us go, whatever, some mintes and we can pretend it didnt happen, hunderds of people is passing the bridge without even look at the controls.
We decided to leave Ciudad del Este and went to the Rodoviario station. As fast as we left the city buss several men asked us were we wanted to go, a woman from Brazil said its okay to buy trips like this, she have done it and it is safe, so we bought one ticket for 50 000 guarani to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. 50 000 guarani is about 20 reais, and this is about 70 crowns, extremly cheap, and it takes 5 hours to Asunción, a trip like this in my homeland is about 2000 crowns and many many millions of guarani.
We arrived in Asunción at evening, got a hotel for 90 000 guarani for two people. Later we ate at a restaurant close by, asked if they accept card, Visa card, and they said yes, and was in a hurry to make us sit. After the dinner they suddenly didnt have a card mashine anymore, really false people, but we had money. Well, the cellphone doensnt work anywhere in Paraguay, so I wanted to use my card so my mom can see that Im alive at least when she check the internet bank. Next day I wanted to be online on msn, but the cyber we went to didnt work. Yesterday we saw the President´s palace, it was white and beautiful, but it only had some few guards and no wall surronding it. The guard was nice and talked to us. It was interresting to think about the contrast between this palace and the Buckingham Palace in London wich is totally surronded with both guards and walls, arrogant guards that not even look at you, and here its so open and the guards say hello to people passing by, I liked it. We also met a man at the street when we asked for the way to take to the downtown, we talked a while and he was interrested that I was from Sweden, he had a very good friend from Malmo in Sweden, he lost contact with him long ago and wanted to hear from him again. We changed mail, and he invited me and Diego to his home for a while, it was a fine home. His name is Emilio, got a pencil from him as a memory.
Of course, it feels abit odd to just go to someones home like that first, but after it feels nice to make contacts with people from the palce you visit.
Before heading back to our hotel, we ate at a confeitaria, Bolsi. Today we will continue our trip to the south, to Córdoba in Argentina.
We decided to leave Ciudad del Este and went to the Rodoviario station. As fast as we left the city buss several men asked us were we wanted to go, a woman from Brazil said its okay to buy trips like this, she have done it and it is safe, so we bought one ticket for 50 000 guarani to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. 50 000 guarani is about 20 reais, and this is about 70 crowns, extremly cheap, and it takes 5 hours to Asunción, a trip like this in my homeland is about 2000 crowns and many many millions of guarani.
We arrived in Asunción at evening, got a hotel for 90 000 guarani for two people. Later we ate at a restaurant close by, asked if they accept card, Visa card, and they said yes, and was in a hurry to make us sit. After the dinner they suddenly didnt have a card mashine anymore, really false people, but we had money. Well, the cellphone doensnt work anywhere in Paraguay, so I wanted to use my card so my mom can see that Im alive at least when she check the internet bank. Next day I wanted to be online on msn, but the cyber we went to didnt work. Yesterday we saw the President´s palace, it was white and beautiful, but it only had some few guards and no wall surronding it. The guard was nice and talked to us. It was interresting to think about the contrast between this palace and the Buckingham Palace in London wich is totally surronded with both guards and walls, arrogant guards that not even look at you, and here its so open and the guards say hello to people passing by, I liked it. We also met a man at the street when we asked for the way to take to the downtown, we talked a while and he was interrested that I was from Sweden, he had a very good friend from Malmo in Sweden, he lost contact with him long ago and wanted to hear from him again. We changed mail, and he invited me and Diego to his home for a while, it was a fine home. His name is Emilio, got a pencil from him as a memory.
Of course, it feels abit odd to just go to someones home like that first, but after it feels nice to make contacts with people from the palce you visit.
Before heading back to our hotel, we ate at a confeitaria, Bolsi. Today we will continue our trip to the south, to Córdoba in Argentina.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Sao Paulo and Foz do Iguacu
Hello again!
Me and Diego wanted to fix the document in Sao Paulo, but Laurens boss and stepfather heard what we talked about and said if she sign she may go to prison cause she dont know us. Gracielle tried to make contact with another frend living in Sao Paulo, named Will, but we didnt make contact with him. We saw the Sao Paulo´s pride parad wich is the largest in the world, but we didnt see much more than the Paulista Avenue. We stayed in Sao Paulo one day more than planned, and was together with Gracielle on her paus this monay before we left to the metro and went back to the Rodoviario station and bought our ticket to Foz do Iguacu. The bus was less comfortable than the last one, but they did show a film on the television, Rambo, not interresting... We slept good in the bus and the next day we were in Foz do Iguacu in the state of Paraná. Diego was fashinated about the brown dead leaves on the ground looking like the leave on Canada´s flag, but I have seen them everyday in Sweden, so for me it was not a new. We found a place for 50 reais without breakfast, we took it. Later we took a two busses to the Iguacufalls, there we payd a ticket and went on a bus that took us to the falls. The falls were wonderful, and very cool to bad it started to rain and the rain suit was 7 reais, to expencive so we skipped it. We ate cup noodles in a kiosk and when the rain stopped we continued. We went out on a bridge to see the Devil´s Throught, it was so powerful view to stand there. We went on an elevator up were we could see the river from above, and also the flag of Argentina on the other side, it was cool for both me and Diego. Later we took the bus home to our room.
Today we left Foz do Iguacu to take a buss to Ciudad del Este. We left the bus at the Friendship Bridge, so I could have the stamp that I leave Brazil, then we walked across the bridge, and walked over the yellow line showing the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Diego felt sad for leaving his country, first time he go to another country, he felt saudade when he looked across the Parana river and saw his homeland there on the other side. Ciudad del Este is not specially beautiful, alot of commercial and people selling things, almost hunting us to make us buy. We found one place to sleep in for 80 000 guarani, its around 35 reais I think. Cause of inflation, the guarani is worht almost nothing. Richt now we are here on a cyber for 4000 guarani per hour. This was all for today, see you again, bye!
Me and Diego wanted to fix the document in Sao Paulo, but Laurens boss and stepfather heard what we talked about and said if she sign she may go to prison cause she dont know us. Gracielle tried to make contact with another frend living in Sao Paulo, named Will, but we didnt make contact with him. We saw the Sao Paulo´s pride parad wich is the largest in the world, but we didnt see much more than the Paulista Avenue. We stayed in Sao Paulo one day more than planned, and was together with Gracielle on her paus this monay before we left to the metro and went back to the Rodoviario station and bought our ticket to Foz do Iguacu. The bus was less comfortable than the last one, but they did show a film on the television, Rambo, not interresting... We slept good in the bus and the next day we were in Foz do Iguacu in the state of Paraná. Diego was fashinated about the brown dead leaves on the ground looking like the leave on Canada´s flag, but I have seen them everyday in Sweden, so for me it was not a new. We found a place for 50 reais without breakfast, we took it. Later we took a two busses to the Iguacufalls, there we payd a ticket and went on a bus that took us to the falls. The falls were wonderful, and very cool to bad it started to rain and the rain suit was 7 reais, to expencive so we skipped it. We ate cup noodles in a kiosk and when the rain stopped we continued. We went out on a bridge to see the Devil´s Throught, it was so powerful view to stand there. We went on an elevator up were we could see the river from above, and also the flag of Argentina on the other side, it was cool for both me and Diego. Later we took the bus home to our room.
Today we left Foz do Iguacu to take a buss to Ciudad del Este. We left the bus at the Friendship Bridge, so I could have the stamp that I leave Brazil, then we walked across the bridge, and walked over the yellow line showing the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Diego felt sad for leaving his country, first time he go to another country, he felt saudade when he looked across the Parana river and saw his homeland there on the other side. Ciudad del Este is not specially beautiful, alot of commercial and people selling things, almost hunting us to make us buy. We found one place to sleep in for 80 000 guarani, its around 35 reais I think. Cause of inflation, the guarani is worht almost nothing. Richt now we are here on a cyber for 4000 guarani per hour. This was all for today, see you again, bye!
Saturday, 24 May 2008
In the largest city of the Southern Hemisphere
Boa tarde!
Here Im writing again, this time in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and with the 15 million people living here its the largest city of the southern hemisphere. At the station in Rio de Janeiro we could hire a bathroom to take a shower, it was wonderful to feel fresh again. At midnight we took the bus, it was better standard with filts and pillows, one guaraná and some cookies to eat. I slept all the six hours the trip was and woke up before six o clock of morning when we arrived in the station of São Paulo. We didnt realize we were there until the driver told us the trip was over, the time went so fast. We waited in the station till the sunrise, then we took the metro to the downtown. If you only visit São Paulo here, you could think that Brazil is a developed country, or how to say, according to what I have seen this far it seems to ahve a very high standard, big avenues and big walking streets beside. The metro is bigger and have more lines. The São Paulo is much different from the other brazilian cities I have been in, its a bit colder in the air, and so are the people, they prefere to avoid each other, in the metro for exemple I could see all people looked out into nothing avoiding each other, as in London, compared to Rio de Janeiro and Recife were they can talk and look at each other. We visited a beautiful park with alot of trees giving alot of shadow, but also many big spiders in the trees. We visited the MASP, a museum, we were outside it were they had commercial about the new film of "Narnia", we could play chess there. Much later we called Gracielle, she should meet us two o´clock, so we walked around and waited for her.
We met her two o´clock told about the document we must fix, then we went to were her friend Laurén worked and asked if she wanted to sign too, we needed two people. Laurén accepted it. We ate açai were Gracielle worked and headed to this expencive cyber for 4 reais each hour. This was all this far, and Im ready to explore São Paulo!
Here Im writing again, this time in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and with the 15 million people living here its the largest city of the southern hemisphere. At the station in Rio de Janeiro we could hire a bathroom to take a shower, it was wonderful to feel fresh again. At midnight we took the bus, it was better standard with filts and pillows, one guaraná and some cookies to eat. I slept all the six hours the trip was and woke up before six o clock of morning when we arrived in the station of São Paulo. We didnt realize we were there until the driver told us the trip was over, the time went so fast. We waited in the station till the sunrise, then we took the metro to the downtown. If you only visit São Paulo here, you could think that Brazil is a developed country, or how to say, according to what I have seen this far it seems to ahve a very high standard, big avenues and big walking streets beside. The metro is bigger and have more lines. The São Paulo is much different from the other brazilian cities I have been in, its a bit colder in the air, and so are the people, they prefere to avoid each other, in the metro for exemple I could see all people looked out into nothing avoiding each other, as in London, compared to Rio de Janeiro and Recife were they can talk and look at each other. We visited a beautiful park with alot of trees giving alot of shadow, but also many big spiders in the trees. We visited the MASP, a museum, we were outside it were they had commercial about the new film of "Narnia", we could play chess there. Much later we called Gracielle, she should meet us two o´clock, so we walked around and waited for her.
We met her two o´clock told about the document we must fix, then we went to were her friend Laurén worked and asked if she wanted to sign too, we needed two people. Laurén accepted it. We ate açai were Gracielle worked and headed to this expencive cyber for 4 reais each hour. This was all this far, and Im ready to explore São Paulo!
Friday, 23 May 2008
On our way to São Paulo
Yesterday we almost didnt do anything, we stayed here in Baixada Fluminense, ate some ice cream in the store strait across the street and used the internet café. We tried to get contact with Gracielle so we could inform her we will come, but without any progress almost.
Nevis act odd and seem like she wanna get rid of us, asking odd and respectless questions to Diêgo and telling the room we are in is not organizated, just cause our things is in chaos INSIDE my bag. I can tell the room is very organized exept this, but my bag is still my bag.
Today we will leave Rio de Janeiro at midnight and will later arrive in São Paulo at six of morning tomorrow. Its the greatest city of the southern hemisphere.
Now when we arrived here in the internet café, Diêgo saw he got a mail from one of Gracielle´s friends telling us her number, so we will call her when we leave here.
We will also get the english translated version of the contract today, I wanna eat at Colombo again before we leave, but the food should be street food to keep good economy, McDonald´s and Bob´s everyday is not good for the wallet. And I really wish I could take a shower and wash my hair, we didnt have time for this at morning cause Nevis for some reason had to leave the apartment, so we had to hurry, can tell I am a bit annoyed cause of this. Well well, Im exited now cause today we continue the trip southwards, see you again, bye!
Nevis act odd and seem like she wanna get rid of us, asking odd and respectless questions to Diêgo and telling the room we are in is not organizated, just cause our things is in chaos INSIDE my bag. I can tell the room is very organized exept this, but my bag is still my bag.
Today we will leave Rio de Janeiro at midnight and will later arrive in São Paulo at six of morning tomorrow. Its the greatest city of the southern hemisphere.
Now when we arrived here in the internet café, Diêgo saw he got a mail from one of Gracielle´s friends telling us her number, so we will call her when we leave here.
We will also get the english translated version of the contract today, I wanna eat at Colombo again before we leave, but the food should be street food to keep good economy, McDonald´s and Bob´s everyday is not good for the wallet. And I really wish I could take a shower and wash my hair, we didnt have time for this at morning cause Nevis for some reason had to leave the apartment, so we had to hurry, can tell I am a bit annoyed cause of this. Well well, Im exited now cause today we continue the trip southwards, see you again, bye!
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Crazy Copacabana
Hello again!
Rio de Janeiro is a good city, I love the size and the skyscrapers, even if the metro is very small for being in such a big city, I think its around the same size as the one in Stockholm, according to the maps I have seen of it. In a city like Stockholm, with 1 million people it is okay, but Rio de Janeiro have around 11 million people, then its very small and sometimes you are forced to take a bus to reach your destination. Nevis´s home were we live is in a place called Baixada Fluminense, that is far from the center, here is no metro only a train that closes early specially at sundays. Exept for these things Rio is a really good city. We have been in the center and eating at Colombo, its wonderfully cosy, for being here in Brazil its a bit expencive, but two persons here is just a bit more expensive than for two people in the cafeteria in Gislaved. We have also visited Saraiva, the bookshop that also exist in Shopping Recife. We have visited the catedral and the Lapa, a bridge for trains. Yesterday we went to Copacabana beach and walked around there, ate at Bob´s. At the way to the metro I suddenly felt something wet come on my shoe, I thought someone dropped something at me cause someone was almost behind me, but I didnt think about it. I looked at my foot and saw a yellow slimy, cold thing, around me was alot of birds, was it dove poop? No, its white and hot, not yellow and cold, but maybe the poop of the brazilian doves is different, what do I know? I wanted to go to the kiosk and take paper to get rid of it, but suddenly someone wanted to help me to take it off. Well, he had paper to take it off, so I wanted to take the paper, but suddenly he started to clean my shoe and my feet. "No, no it is okay I can do it", I told him, "Dont worry, I fix this... ah, bird poopie you know..." I was confused and asked Diêgo if I should go away, but he didnt say anything, well, at least I didnt recognize it, another man came and wanted to help, took off my shoes and let me sit on a chair. I wanted to go away, waiting for Diêgo to do something, but when the man wanted to clean my other foot I left. Then he said it cost 50 reais, we got a chock, 50 reais for this??? Later he said 5 reais, but we didnt wanna pay for this, so we ran away. The man followed us, we stayed with some old ladies asking the way to the metro, the man came and told in the open to Diêgo that he wanna kill him and tear is face apart and alot of horrible things. The man went away and came back asking 2 reais, later we would get rid off him, so he got his 2 reais and left us alone. Later we left Copacabana, alot of crazy people there. We went to downtown and ate at Colombo before heading home, the cookies at Colombo is so beautiful and delicious! Well, today we will go to Petrópolis to see the crown jewels of the Brazilian Empire, from the monarchy. Bye!
Rio de Janeiro is a good city, I love the size and the skyscrapers, even if the metro is very small for being in such a big city, I think its around the same size as the one in Stockholm, according to the maps I have seen of it. In a city like Stockholm, with 1 million people it is okay, but Rio de Janeiro have around 11 million people, then its very small and sometimes you are forced to take a bus to reach your destination. Nevis´s home were we live is in a place called Baixada Fluminense, that is far from the center, here is no metro only a train that closes early specially at sundays. Exept for these things Rio is a really good city. We have been in the center and eating at Colombo, its wonderfully cosy, for being here in Brazil its a bit expencive, but two persons here is just a bit more expensive than for two people in the cafeteria in Gislaved. We have also visited Saraiva, the bookshop that also exist in Shopping Recife. We have visited the catedral and the Lapa, a bridge for trains. Yesterday we went to Copacabana beach and walked around there, ate at Bob´s. At the way to the metro I suddenly felt something wet come on my shoe, I thought someone dropped something at me cause someone was almost behind me, but I didnt think about it. I looked at my foot and saw a yellow slimy, cold thing, around me was alot of birds, was it dove poop? No, its white and hot, not yellow and cold, but maybe the poop of the brazilian doves is different, what do I know? I wanted to go to the kiosk and take paper to get rid of it, but suddenly someone wanted to help me to take it off. Well, he had paper to take it off, so I wanted to take the paper, but suddenly he started to clean my shoe and my feet. "No, no it is okay I can do it", I told him, "Dont worry, I fix this... ah, bird poopie you know..." I was confused and asked Diêgo if I should go away, but he didnt say anything, well, at least I didnt recognize it, another man came and wanted to help, took off my shoes and let me sit on a chair. I wanted to go away, waiting for Diêgo to do something, but when the man wanted to clean my other foot I left. Then he said it cost 50 reais, we got a chock, 50 reais for this??? Later he said 5 reais, but we didnt wanna pay for this, so we ran away. The man followed us, we stayed with some old ladies asking the way to the metro, the man came and told in the open to Diêgo that he wanna kill him and tear is face apart and alot of horrible things. The man went away and came back asking 2 reais, later we would get rid off him, so he got his 2 reais and left us alone. Later we left Copacabana, alot of crazy people there. We went to downtown and ate at Colombo before heading home, the cookies at Colombo is so beautiful and delicious! Well, today we will go to Petrópolis to see the crown jewels of the Brazilian Empire, from the monarchy. Bye!
Monday, 19 May 2008
Cidade Maravilhosa
Hello again! Im writing from a cyber in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. We left Recife at 3´ o clock at wednesday at the 13:th of may. The trip was a real hell I can tell, two and a half day in a bus. We passed by the states of Alagoas, were we ate the first time, Sergipe (when I was sleeping, was to tired to go out from the bus when I woke up for a few minutes), Bahia were we spent the all thursday day, and Minas Gerais at the night. At the stops in Minas Gerais we were freezing, and smoke came out froum our mouths when we were breaving, I couldnt imagine it could be cold in Brazil, but now I see that I was wrong, I didnt see anyone exept myself in shorts and t-shirt. At the friday morning we entered the state of Rio de Janeiro, almost immidetly the state show us the beauty it had to offer, wonderful mountains, cliffs reaching to the sky, clouds around us, we were up in the heaven it looked like. The tallest mountain of them all was the Dedo de Deus, a skinny spike cliff, far taller than the other cliffs. Soon the wild mountaineous landscape planned out and we came closer to the city of Rio de Janeiro, passing by the favela. It was alot of traffic so it took a long time for us just to come to the bus terminal. When we arrived we had to wait a long time for Nevis´s sister to come and pick us up.
The first day we spent at Nevis and her sister´s home.
At saturday we went to the downtown were we took the train up to Corcovado to see the Cristo Redentor. It was very cloudy wich made it almost impossible to see the city down below, but sometimes we could see it, but the Sugar Loaf were impossible to see. It was a very special feeling to see such a fameous landmark in reality, and the Cristo Redentor is one of the world´s new seven wonders, wick make it the first wonder I see, only six left.
When we came down again I bought a souvenir, an own statue in miniature of course, later we wanted to go to Colombo, the fameous cafeteria in Rio. When we arrived it was already closed cause it was late, we ate at McDonald´s and returned home.
Yesterday we visited the Copacabana Beach and the Sugar Loaf. Diêgo was very scared for taking the "line-car" up to the top, but well inside he was busy by taking wonderful photos of the view. At the top we really had a WONDERFUL view over the city, we could see Corcovado of course, Copacabana and Ipanema and the great Niteroi Bridge and the modern museum in Niteroi. At the top of the Sugar Loaf (or Pão de Açucar in portuguese) there also was a small beautiful forest with small, cute monkeys! They jumped and climbed like squirrels in the trees. We stayed at the Sugar Loaf till sunset and didnt go back down until it was dark.
Today we visited the Swedish General Consulate to ask for some information. Our contract have to be translated to english, wich will be expencive, and we also have to fix an expencive document showing we are single and also translate that shit and stamp it, as we have to do with the contract. I really hate all this shit now, only stupid fucking papers we always have to fix and waste money for, it never comes to an end, Ill be SO HAPPY the day the last shit-document is fixed, gaaah I hate this! We went to Colombo today and ate some delicious cakes, we walked around in the city till sunset and now we are here. Lets see what happens tomorrow. I can tell you all that I really love Rio de Janeiro, it really is the Cidade Maravilhosa!
The first day we spent at Nevis and her sister´s home.
At saturday we went to the downtown were we took the train up to Corcovado to see the Cristo Redentor. It was very cloudy wich made it almost impossible to see the city down below, but sometimes we could see it, but the Sugar Loaf were impossible to see. It was a very special feeling to see such a fameous landmark in reality, and the Cristo Redentor is one of the world´s new seven wonders, wick make it the first wonder I see, only six left.
When we came down again I bought a souvenir, an own statue in miniature of course, later we wanted to go to Colombo, the fameous cafeteria in Rio. When we arrived it was already closed cause it was late, we ate at McDonald´s and returned home.
Yesterday we visited the Copacabana Beach and the Sugar Loaf. Diêgo was very scared for taking the "line-car" up to the top, but well inside he was busy by taking wonderful photos of the view. At the top we really had a WONDERFUL view over the city, we could see Corcovado of course, Copacabana and Ipanema and the great Niteroi Bridge and the modern museum in Niteroi. At the top of the Sugar Loaf (or Pão de Açucar in portuguese) there also was a small beautiful forest with small, cute monkeys! They jumped and climbed like squirrels in the trees. We stayed at the Sugar Loaf till sunset and didnt go back down until it was dark.
Today we visited the Swedish General Consulate to ask for some information. Our contract have to be translated to english, wich will be expencive, and we also have to fix an expencive document showing we are single and also translate that shit and stamp it, as we have to do with the contract. I really hate all this shit now, only stupid fucking papers we always have to fix and waste money for, it never comes to an end, Ill be SO HAPPY the day the last shit-document is fixed, gaaah I hate this! We went to Colombo today and ate some delicious cakes, we walked around in the city till sunset and now we are here. Lets see what happens tomorrow. I can tell you all that I really love Rio de Janeiro, it really is the Cidade Maravilhosa!
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Soon leaving Recife...
I am right now in the ending time of my life in Recife, and me and Diêgo have fixed the last things we need before heading to Rio de Janeiro.
At friday we went to Boa Viagem in hope to talk to the swedish consul, but as usual we wasnt there, so we took a walk at the beach, and saw Hotel Tivoli again, the very first place in Recife I slept in. The hotel looked so small, more small than I remembered it. It was cosy to the the street again were we trook our first walk, the time when the heat almost killed me, then I was yet not used to the pernambucan climate.
Taht evening we hired some films to look at in the evening, one anime film from Japan I dont remember the name from, "Beowulf" and a brazilian film "Olga" taking place in the Second World War.
At the weekend we didnt do anything special, nothing at all but visiting the cyber café and resting. Yesterday we went to the airport to get Diêgo´s new passport, the old one had a production error. Later we went to the federal police to get a document there, it was raining alot. I had shorts but we thought I could enter the federal police just to not get wet, I already knew they wouldnt let me in, what could I ever expect in a country like this where not even human rights are respected anywhere. But Diêgo wanted me to go in, I cant stand outside in weather like this. Well, I was right, after all I know this place, and the police here is known for being corrputed, fascists and criminals, as if they would let me stand under a roof? For sure not, the guard stoped me and I had to wait outside, Diêgo fighted a bit but I went outside, its meaningless to fight the police. At my way out I said so the police could hear me "I hate Brazil!" in portuguese, well, I do hate this country. In the guard hut I could see the guard looking out from his window looking at me under a palm, and laughed at me, I ignored it and looked away, I didnt feel for being angry at that moment.
Diêgo talked to the woman working with the documents inside, and she agree, the polices here are monsters. The rule that you cant walk in shorts doesnt make sense, women can walk naked if they feel for it, without getting stopped, the polices do as they want and they just enjoy seeing almost naked women. It is so fake, my god I am tired of this fucked up country, Brazil is really discusting, everyhing is just to use your power as much as you can just to feel personal pleasure, and show as little respect to other people why using them and stealing from them till max. Brazil is really a hell, thank god I am not a citizen in this stinking mess!
About the document Diêgo went to get had an error and should be fixed till the next day, so today we went back there, I waited outside (cause of my "naked" outfit) while Diêgo get it. We copied everything we needed to have copys on and went to the House of Documents to stamp the shit before heading to McDonald´s in Shopping Boa Vista to drink milk-shake and later go home. Finally everything about documents is fixed, and tomorrow we leave Recife and go to what they say is the world´s most beautiful city, Rio de Janeiro, I am exited and I hope it really is that beautiful as everyone say. This was all for today, good evening to you!
At friday we went to Boa Viagem in hope to talk to the swedish consul, but as usual we wasnt there, so we took a walk at the beach, and saw Hotel Tivoli again, the very first place in Recife I slept in. The hotel looked so small, more small than I remembered it. It was cosy to the the street again were we trook our first walk, the time when the heat almost killed me, then I was yet not used to the pernambucan climate.
Taht evening we hired some films to look at in the evening, one anime film from Japan I dont remember the name from, "Beowulf" and a brazilian film "Olga" taking place in the Second World War.
At the weekend we didnt do anything special, nothing at all but visiting the cyber café and resting. Yesterday we went to the airport to get Diêgo´s new passport, the old one had a production error. Later we went to the federal police to get a document there, it was raining alot. I had shorts but we thought I could enter the federal police just to not get wet, I already knew they wouldnt let me in, what could I ever expect in a country like this where not even human rights are respected anywhere. But Diêgo wanted me to go in, I cant stand outside in weather like this. Well, I was right, after all I know this place, and the police here is known for being corrputed, fascists and criminals, as if they would let me stand under a roof? For sure not, the guard stoped me and I had to wait outside, Diêgo fighted a bit but I went outside, its meaningless to fight the police. At my way out I said so the police could hear me "I hate Brazil!" in portuguese, well, I do hate this country. In the guard hut I could see the guard looking out from his window looking at me under a palm, and laughed at me, I ignored it and looked away, I didnt feel for being angry at that moment.
Diêgo talked to the woman working with the documents inside, and she agree, the polices here are monsters. The rule that you cant walk in shorts doesnt make sense, women can walk naked if they feel for it, without getting stopped, the polices do as they want and they just enjoy seeing almost naked women. It is so fake, my god I am tired of this fucked up country, Brazil is really discusting, everyhing is just to use your power as much as you can just to feel personal pleasure, and show as little respect to other people why using them and stealing from them till max. Brazil is really a hell, thank god I am not a citizen in this stinking mess!
About the document Diêgo went to get had an error and should be fixed till the next day, so today we went back there, I waited outside (cause of my "naked" outfit) while Diêgo get it. We copied everything we needed to have copys on and went to the House of Documents to stamp the shit before heading to McDonald´s in Shopping Boa Vista to drink milk-shake and later go home. Finally everything about documents is fixed, and tomorrow we leave Recife and go to what they say is the world´s most beautiful city, Rio de Janeiro, I am exited and I hope it really is that beautiful as everyone say. This was all for today, good evening to you!
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Crystal Tower
Me and Diêgo have been living at his grandmother and aunts home this time we been in Recife. The contract is ready, just have to be translated to english and signed by the lawyer, Êlyza´s husbands father who at the moment is in Curitiba. He will sign it when he is in Recife and later they will send copys to Rio de Janeiro.
Yesterday me and Diêgo went to Marco Zero and took the boat over to the Crystal Tower that for me is the symbol of Recife. We took alot of photos there and planned to go to the lighthouse far away, but went back half way cause of the wild waves at the other side that easily could throw us over in the water.
Later we went back to the boat and the man took us back to Marco Zero. We ate at Giraffas in Shopping Boa Vista before taking the bus back home.
Yesterday me and Diêgo went to Marco Zero and took the boat over to the Crystal Tower that for me is the symbol of Recife. We took alot of photos there and planned to go to the lighthouse far away, but went back half way cause of the wild waves at the other side that easily could throw us over in the water.
Later we went back to the boat and the man took us back to Marco Zero. We ate at Giraffas in Shopping Boa Vista before taking the bus back home.
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Home Sweet Recife
At thursday me and Diêgo left São Luís and made a 24 hours long buss trip back to Recife. We wont go to Guyana cause its to expencive to come back, so we will head for Foz de Iguaçu after Rio de Janeiro. We were back in the bus terminal aat three o clock at afternoon on friday, took the metro to downtown and went to the federal police to fix a document for Diêgo. As always we had to wait outside. It felt good to be back in Recife, it is like returning to your hometown, but in the other hand I didnt feel so happy about it, cause I knew we once again have to fight the brazilian bureucracy again. Later we went to the airport to fix his passport, its all destroyed outside and the gold text is almost gone. They didnt wanna fix it first, they were really rude (as all opther polices in this country) but after they called the center in Brasília and after this they had to change it, so we will be back at monday. We ate at Bob´s before leavning the airport, we slept at Diêgo´s grandmother´s home.
Yesterday we went to Livraria Cultura and bought a amap of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile and also a book about Sweden for Diêgo. At yesterday evening we ate at Giraffas in Shopping Boa Vista again.
Today we have been visiting Alessandra before coming here and later today we will go to Oficina Brennand, the castle of Fransisco Brannand. This was all for today, bye!
Yesterday we went to Livraria Cultura and bought a amap of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile and also a book about Sweden for Diêgo. At yesterday evening we ate at Giraffas in Shopping Boa Vista again.
Today we have been visiting Alessandra before coming here and later today we will go to Oficina Brennand, the castle of Fransisco Brannand. This was all for today, bye!
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Lençois Maranhenses
Hello! Me and Diêgo went to the national Park of Lençóis Maranhenses at thursday. We woke up four at morning and waited for the tourist bus. The trip to the park took 3 hours, and when we finally arrived in the small city outside we went on the safari cars that took us through a swamp - like places with alot of palm trees. The path was filled with water sometimes and when the car passed through the water was flying around us and we had to hold on tight on the seats to not fall out, but it was funny. Later we came to see the white sand dunes in the horizon, and the car arrived. We left the car, me and Diêgo run up at the closest sand dune and at the top we had a wonderful enchanted view over the big, white desert landscape. It was a surrealistic view, cause in a desert like this you dont expect to see crystal clear blue - green water, then it was the silence, not a sound not even from the wind we could hear. It was almost like being in one of Dalí´s paintings. We run down to one of the clear lagoons and took a bath, the water was perfect, and to dive in the water with the swim glasses was good, it was so clear! Almost anywhere in the lagoons we visited we could see slimy, yellow transparant plants foating in the water, but they were beautiful, but not fun to approach.
After some hours we left Lençois Maranhenses and head back to the village to eat dinner before we took the long trip back to São Luís. I can tell that this place is the most beautiful place I ever have seen, I recomend people to go here if they head by São Luís or anywhere in Maranhão.
This was all for today, bye!
After some hours we left Lençois Maranhenses and head back to the village to eat dinner before we took the long trip back to São Luís. I can tell that this place is the most beautiful place I ever have seen, I recomend people to go here if they head by São Luís or anywhere in Maranhão.
This was all for today, bye!
Monday, 28 April 2008
São Luis
Here I write again. At saturday we left Fortaleza at 21:00 for a 19 hours long trip to São Luis. As always we were exited in the beginning cause we left one city to se another. We had some cookies, yoghurt, juice and chips with us aboard to eat. The night came and we should sleep, it was a bit difficult and it was cold cause of the AC. I sleept many short times, then the morning came and the bus stopped in Parnaíba in the state of Piauí, it stoped cause it should be cleaned. Later we continued the trip and next stop was in Chapadinho were we could eat, I only ate ice cream, wasnt hungry. At 4 o clock the bus arrived in Maranhão´s capital, São Luis.
São Luis is a really cosy and beautiful city, old colonial houses and beautiful old buildings. We found a pousada for 40 reais and later we ate at a restaurant, Papagoja Amarela, we ate outside wich was a bad idea cause soon an annoying man from street came and wanted to sell a "masterpiece" he made with metal thread. He was annoying to the other people around to and soon alot of people walked around the tables trying to sale things, but no one was interrested on bying anything, we were here to eat. The dinner was good and later we went back to Pousada Maranhense were we live now for the night.
Today we have been walking around in the city and looked at things, its a really beautiful city, the most beautiful this far, I really recomend travellers in Brazil to visit São Luis if it is possible cause its really worth it. Right now we sit in a cyber café, later we will go to the hospital cause I think I need vaccination against yellow fever, there is a risk I get it in the Amazon forest.
This is all for today, bye!
São Luis is a really cosy and beautiful city, old colonial houses and beautiful old buildings. We found a pousada for 40 reais and later we ate at a restaurant, Papagoja Amarela, we ate outside wich was a bad idea cause soon an annoying man from street came and wanted to sell a "masterpiece" he made with metal thread. He was annoying to the other people around to and soon alot of people walked around the tables trying to sale things, but no one was interrested on bying anything, we were here to eat. The dinner was good and later we went back to Pousada Maranhense were we live now for the night.
Today we have been walking around in the city and looked at things, its a really beautiful city, the most beautiful this far, I really recomend travellers in Brazil to visit São Luis if it is possible cause its really worth it. Right now we sit in a cyber café, later we will go to the hospital cause I think I need vaccination against yellow fever, there is a risk I get it in the Amazon forest.
This is all for today, bye!
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Natal and Fortaleza
Hello! At monday me and Diêgo planned to go to the sand dunes a bit outside of Natal, we wanted to walk across the long bridge, but it seem to be dangerous cause who would help us out there if "mister bad guy on bike" would come and meet us? We took one bus over, and later we had to take another bus to the sand dunes.
At the sand dunes you could be in a buggy and drive around in the dunes, or ride at a dromedar. Me and Diêgo choosed to walk. It was like being in a desert, exept the sand dunes were wet after a rain. Later we took a long walk at the beach before we headed back to the bus-stop. The buses of Natal is horrible, it didnt stop anywhere we thought it would. At the way an old woman from the state of Paraná was talking to us. Well, we left the bus close to a shopping were we ate dinner, after being in the shopping we took a bus back to the beach were we walked the last way back to our hotel. Next morning was rainy, alot of water had come inside our room. We decided to leave Natal, but it was easier said than done, cause the rain had made it difficult for busses to go in the city. Finally we came to the Rodoviária station and bought our tickets to Fortaleza.
The trip from Natal to Fortaleza took 8 hours so we arrived at eleven at night. We took a taxi to a cheap pousada, 45 reais for one night. The room was not a sweet place exactly and the door was impossible to lock from inside, so we put the bed infront of it so no one could open it. Next morning we left the room and went to a cathedral not far from the pousada. Later we took a bus to the beach. The skyscrapers of Fortaleza is really bautiful, and the standard of the city is really high and developed, but this prosperity is built on horny sex tourists and pedophilies to come to Fortaleza to buy sex from childrens. Thats what Diêgo told me and according to all propaganda against this you see here is a proof it is true. Diêgo dont like Fortaleza nor the state of Ceará, they sacfrifice their on children to make money. When you think about this, then the beauty of Fortaleza is more discusting.
After a long search for a place to sleep we found a cosy pousada for 60 reais, Pousada Igara. At the evenging we ate rodizio with pasta and pizza in a restaurant not far from were we live.
Yesterday we went to the fameous Beach Park. The way there was a living hell, totally 3 busses is needed to go there if you dont want to pay a travel agency with 2 reais per person to go there, we took the busses.
Well, Beach Park was really expencive, but it was worth it cause we had a really fun time there. Alot of crazy water attractions were there and a river to swim around in through the park. We left Beach Park at the evening, no busses went to Fortaleza now so we had to take a car with alot of people inside to go into the city. The seat I was on was almost destroyed. We took a bus later to a shopping center were we ate. We looked for a map over Brazil, we plan to continue our trip to Suriname. We wanted to go to French Guyane, but Diêgo need visa to go there. Maybe I need visa to Suriname, in that case we maybe have to go to Guiana were no one of us need visa.
Today is our last day in Fortaleza to night we take a bus to São Luis in the state of Maranhão. See you again, bye!
At the sand dunes you could be in a buggy and drive around in the dunes, or ride at a dromedar. Me and Diêgo choosed to walk. It was like being in a desert, exept the sand dunes were wet after a rain. Later we took a long walk at the beach before we headed back to the bus-stop. The buses of Natal is horrible, it didnt stop anywhere we thought it would. At the way an old woman from the state of Paraná was talking to us. Well, we left the bus close to a shopping were we ate dinner, after being in the shopping we took a bus back to the beach were we walked the last way back to our hotel. Next morning was rainy, alot of water had come inside our room. We decided to leave Natal, but it was easier said than done, cause the rain had made it difficult for busses to go in the city. Finally we came to the Rodoviária station and bought our tickets to Fortaleza.
The trip from Natal to Fortaleza took 8 hours so we arrived at eleven at night. We took a taxi to a cheap pousada, 45 reais for one night. The room was not a sweet place exactly and the door was impossible to lock from inside, so we put the bed infront of it so no one could open it. Next morning we left the room and went to a cathedral not far from the pousada. Later we took a bus to the beach. The skyscrapers of Fortaleza is really bautiful, and the standard of the city is really high and developed, but this prosperity is built on horny sex tourists and pedophilies to come to Fortaleza to buy sex from childrens. Thats what Diêgo told me and according to all propaganda against this you see here is a proof it is true. Diêgo dont like Fortaleza nor the state of Ceará, they sacfrifice their on children to make money. When you think about this, then the beauty of Fortaleza is more discusting.
After a long search for a place to sleep we found a cosy pousada for 60 reais, Pousada Igara. At the evenging we ate rodizio with pasta and pizza in a restaurant not far from were we live.
Yesterday we went to the fameous Beach Park. The way there was a living hell, totally 3 busses is needed to go there if you dont want to pay a travel agency with 2 reais per person to go there, we took the busses.
Well, Beach Park was really expencive, but it was worth it cause we had a really fun time there. Alot of crazy water attractions were there and a river to swim around in through the park. We left Beach Park at the evening, no busses went to Fortaleza now so we had to take a car with alot of people inside to go into the city. The seat I was on was almost destroyed. We took a bus later to a shopping center were we ate. We looked for a map over Brazil, we plan to continue our trip to Suriname. We wanted to go to French Guyane, but Diêgo need visa to go there. Maybe I need visa to Suriname, in that case we maybe have to go to Guiana were no one of us need visa.
Today is our last day in Fortaleza to night we take a bus to São Luis in the state of Maranhão. See you again, bye!
Monday, 21 April 2008
At the east end of the Americas
Hello! The last days have been fine. After leaving the cyber we went to look for a new place to sleep at, we did find one place, Pousada Pescara for 50 reais for one night. My back was hurting cause I burned myself again in the pool, so we stay in the room for some hours just resting. When we went out again it was to late to go to Ponta da Seixas so we went strait to Shopping Manaira (not Mangabeira as I wrote in the last update). Shopping Manaira was much better than Shopping Recife, it was more like a labyrinth with cosy small corridors and palms and other plants to make the place more green. We ate at Bob´s and went to a travel agency just to check plane tickets. Later we left the shopping and took the bus back to the beach to our pousada.
Next day started with breakfast in the pousada, later we had to look for a new place for the next night, the new place was Mar Azul, here the price was 40 reais for one night, and we had a hole apartment, even with kitchen, but without aircondition, instead we had a ventilator at a table. We left our bags in our apartment and went out for a loooong walk to Ponta da Seixas. At the map of João Pessoa it looked like Ponta da Seixas was just some few kilometres from Hotel Tropical Tambaú, but in reality it took at least two hours to walk there. We arrived at the fameous lighthouse Farol de Cabo Branco that is the symbol of João Pessoa. Alot of tourists were there taking photos, like we did, and some souvinir boutiques we there to, in one of them I bought a miniature of the 3-edged star shaped lighthouse, and some traditional candy made of cocos. The Ponta da Seixas is the most eastern part of all the Americas, more east than this you cant come in the two american continents.
Later we left the Ponta da Seixas and took the long walk back. At the lonely highway in the woods we could see two guys with bikes coming this way, we waited for the man and the woman in their car behind us to come so we wouldnt be alone, we went to the other side of the street just to be far from the guys when they passed by, they were looking at us. When they were gone we felt very relaxed, but after just half a minute later one of the guys came back and talked to us. Diêgo went nervous and changed direction, I didnt understand what they said, but Diêgo told me later what the guy said, the guy asked us if we thought they were thieves and asked us to calm down and not run. The man and the woman in the car passed by and stayed some hundred meters away, the guy told us that he were in military and showed his military identification card and asked us to give him 2 reais only, we gave him. The other guy called him to go away, cause maybe we would call police, but the guy close to us didnt wanna go away. After taking the 2 reais he wanted to shake hand with us and smiled. When we left the area the man and the woman in the car asked what happened, the man said that we should beware and not walk alone in a place like this, just cause he was in military it doesnt mean he isnt a criminal, this could have ended very very bad. Once again we had good luck, I think this is the fifth time we are in contact with bad people, and it just get more scary, but at least we learn. I really dont want to know what would happen if the man and woman in the car wasnt close, if we would be all alone there nothing could stop the guys to do alot worse things than to steal 2 reais, thats for sure. If all thieves just would do this then me and alot of other people would be really happy.
We used our brain and took the bus back to the safe beach, ate açai (the worst this far with frost in it) and later went to our apartment. Later we bought food for the night.
Today alot things happened, at morning we left our apartment in Mar Azul and took a bus to downtown to look at the governement´s official palaces. João Pessoa´s center was beautiful with alot of trees and nice squares. At one square there was a big statue of the legendary hero of Paraíba, namely senhõr João Pessoa himself (or John Person in english and swedish translation). João Pessoa was born in Umbuzeiro and lived in the house next to Diêgo´s aunt´s house, it is quite fashinating.
We ate ice cream and walked around for a while in the city before we went to the bus station and bought the ticket to our next city, Natal in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the third state both me and Diêgo visit. When we arrived in the bus staion in Natal we took a city bus to the beach were we found our hotel. The price for one night was 60 reais, but when the man told this I wanted to leave and look for other places, the man took down the price to 50 reais then, and so, we decided to stay. We have our room at the third floor with a balcony so we can see the ocean. We are neigbours to this cyber café and also to a restaurant we ate at. This was all for today, bye!
Next day started with breakfast in the pousada, later we had to look for a new place for the next night, the new place was Mar Azul, here the price was 40 reais for one night, and we had a hole apartment, even with kitchen, but without aircondition, instead we had a ventilator at a table. We left our bags in our apartment and went out for a loooong walk to Ponta da Seixas. At the map of João Pessoa it looked like Ponta da Seixas was just some few kilometres from Hotel Tropical Tambaú, but in reality it took at least two hours to walk there. We arrived at the fameous lighthouse Farol de Cabo Branco that is the symbol of João Pessoa. Alot of tourists were there taking photos, like we did, and some souvinir boutiques we there to, in one of them I bought a miniature of the 3-edged star shaped lighthouse, and some traditional candy made of cocos. The Ponta da Seixas is the most eastern part of all the Americas, more east than this you cant come in the two american continents.
Later we left the Ponta da Seixas and took the long walk back. At the lonely highway in the woods we could see two guys with bikes coming this way, we waited for the man and the woman in their car behind us to come so we wouldnt be alone, we went to the other side of the street just to be far from the guys when they passed by, they were looking at us. When they were gone we felt very relaxed, but after just half a minute later one of the guys came back and talked to us. Diêgo went nervous and changed direction, I didnt understand what they said, but Diêgo told me later what the guy said, the guy asked us if we thought they were thieves and asked us to calm down and not run. The man and the woman in the car passed by and stayed some hundred meters away, the guy told us that he were in military and showed his military identification card and asked us to give him 2 reais only, we gave him. The other guy called him to go away, cause maybe we would call police, but the guy close to us didnt wanna go away. After taking the 2 reais he wanted to shake hand with us and smiled. When we left the area the man and the woman in the car asked what happened, the man said that we should beware and not walk alone in a place like this, just cause he was in military it doesnt mean he isnt a criminal, this could have ended very very bad. Once again we had good luck, I think this is the fifth time we are in contact with bad people, and it just get more scary, but at least we learn. I really dont want to know what would happen if the man and woman in the car wasnt close, if we would be all alone there nothing could stop the guys to do alot worse things than to steal 2 reais, thats for sure. If all thieves just would do this then me and alot of other people would be really happy.
We used our brain and took the bus back to the safe beach, ate açai (the worst this far with frost in it) and later went to our apartment. Later we bought food for the night.
Today alot things happened, at morning we left our apartment in Mar Azul and took a bus to downtown to look at the governement´s official palaces. João Pessoa´s center was beautiful with alot of trees and nice squares. At one square there was a big statue of the legendary hero of Paraíba, namely senhõr João Pessoa himself (or John Person in english and swedish translation). João Pessoa was born in Umbuzeiro and lived in the house next to Diêgo´s aunt´s house, it is quite fashinating.
We ate ice cream and walked around for a while in the city before we went to the bus station and bought the ticket to our next city, Natal in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the third state both me and Diêgo visit. When we arrived in the bus staion in Natal we took a city bus to the beach were we found our hotel. The price for one night was 60 reais, but when the man told this I wanted to leave and look for other places, the man took down the price to 50 reais then, and so, we decided to stay. We have our room at the third floor with a balcony so we can see the ocean. We are neigbours to this cyber café and also to a restaurant we ate at. This was all for today, bye!
Saturday, 19 April 2008
João Pessoa
Good afternoon, right now I sit in a cyber close to the beach in the city of João Pessoa.
Yesterday we slept over at Diêgo´s aunts home and finished everything at the yesterday morning. When Auda was at work we had to wait till Vina, Diêgo´s grandmother, came home, later we took the buss to downtown were we went to the metro to finally arrive in the buss station. In the station we ate at Bob´s later a horny man was following us werever we went for a while, but we managed to get rid of him.
We went aboard the buss and were travelling in it for around 3 hours. The sun went down half way to the border of Paraíba.
Seven o´clock we arrived in Paraíba´s capital, João Pessoa. The people we met were more nice, even the police were ver nice and relaxed, and all people smiled when we asked something. We tried to find a pousada, but without progress, we tooko a buss to the beach were we find the great, luxury hotel that is the symbol of the city, Tropical Hotel Tambaú were we stayed.
The room was big and so was the bathroom, the beds were cosy. In the hotel we also had a pool we went to bath in before going to buy some snacks to eat in our room.
We both slept good this night and eat a big and wonderful fresh breakfast before spending the morning in the pools.
Later today we will go the the easternmost part of all Americas, Pointa de Seixta and tonight we will go to Shpping Mangabeira, I hope they have Giraffas there.
This was all for todays blog, bye!
Yesterday we slept over at Diêgo´s aunts home and finished everything at the yesterday morning. When Auda was at work we had to wait till Vina, Diêgo´s grandmother, came home, later we took the buss to downtown were we went to the metro to finally arrive in the buss station. In the station we ate at Bob´s later a horny man was following us werever we went for a while, but we managed to get rid of him.
We went aboard the buss and were travelling in it for around 3 hours. The sun went down half way to the border of Paraíba.
Seven o´clock we arrived in Paraíba´s capital, João Pessoa. The people we met were more nice, even the police were ver nice and relaxed, and all people smiled when we asked something. We tried to find a pousada, but without progress, we tooko a buss to the beach were we find the great, luxury hotel that is the symbol of the city, Tropical Hotel Tambaú were we stayed.
The room was big and so was the bathroom, the beds were cosy. In the hotel we also had a pool we went to bath in before going to buy some snacks to eat in our room.
We both slept good this night and eat a big and wonderful fresh breakfast before spending the morning in the pools.
Later today we will go the the easternmost part of all Americas, Pointa de Seixta and tonight we will go to Shpping Mangabeira, I hope they have Giraffas there.
This was all for todays blog, bye!
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
The Great Ocean
Hello everybody!
I have some amazing things to tell. In saturday me and Diêgo went to the beach to bath, we bought underwater glasses that we used in the water. We were swimming to the reefs wich was a very bad idea cause the waves were bigger at the morning, we both got hurted in the reefs. Later we found a place were we could hire kajaks, we went home to fix some money and went back to hire them. For 20 reais both of us could be in our kajaks for one hour and 20 minutes. We saw many reefs under the water and in some places there was big holes in the reefs, maybe it was as deep as 20 meters down there. Alot of empty boats were out in the water, we were paddling around them, many tourist boats were out there as well.
I really loved to be in a kajak, its not so scary as I always thought it was. The saturday ended with a dinner in a fine restaurant.
The sunday was even more fashinating when it comes to the ocean. After being at the beach we talked to a man from Argentina, who offered one hour of diving in the sea, for just 140 reais. We went to our room in the pousada and asked if its okay if we are back a bit later, we have to leave the room at least 2 o clock, but it was okay for us to be a bit later. So we returned to the beach and went with a diver, Almeida who took us out in the ocean with a boat. There we took the equipment and start the diving. It was a bit difficult to keep
the control under water, but Almeida always helped us. We were swimming over the reefs, it looked like another planet. The reefs under water looked like tall mountains under us. We saw some fishes, and one big fish in a hole that we toutched, it was slimy. We also went close to an underwater cave that threw its dark shadow over us. We were down there for one hour and this hour is really a memory for a life time. We went back to the beach and waited for the photos that Almeida took of us, later we went to the cyber to check the photos.
Before leaving Porto de Galinhas we ate açai and I bought some souvenirs to take with me, chickens made of sand of course. Later we took the bus to Recife, and I could feel a pain in my back, I have been burned by the sun, salt and sun on no protected skin is really a bad combination. Today I have pain and small bubbles on the skin, unable to wear a shirt, but cause of the false and stupid rules that exist in some places in Brazil I must wear shirt, so I have it lied on my back. It is so fake to have rules you must wear shirt in a tropical contry were many people almost dance naked at carnival, and this is fully accepted, so stupid and false.
Well, this was all for todays blog, bye!
I have some amazing things to tell. In saturday me and Diêgo went to the beach to bath, we bought underwater glasses that we used in the water. We were swimming to the reefs wich was a very bad idea cause the waves were bigger at the morning, we both got hurted in the reefs. Later we found a place were we could hire kajaks, we went home to fix some money and went back to hire them. For 20 reais both of us could be in our kajaks for one hour and 20 minutes. We saw many reefs under the water and in some places there was big holes in the reefs, maybe it was as deep as 20 meters down there. Alot of empty boats were out in the water, we were paddling around them, many tourist boats were out there as well.
I really loved to be in a kajak, its not so scary as I always thought it was. The saturday ended with a dinner in a fine restaurant.
The sunday was even more fashinating when it comes to the ocean. After being at the beach we talked to a man from Argentina, who offered one hour of diving in the sea, for just 140 reais. We went to our room in the pousada and asked if its okay if we are back a bit later, we have to leave the room at least 2 o clock, but it was okay for us to be a bit later. So we returned to the beach and went with a diver, Almeida who took us out in the ocean with a boat. There we took the equipment and start the diving. It was a bit difficult to keep
the control under water, but Almeida always helped us. We were swimming over the reefs, it looked like another planet. The reefs under water looked like tall mountains under us. We saw some fishes, and one big fish in a hole that we toutched, it was slimy. We also went close to an underwater cave that threw its dark shadow over us. We were down there for one hour and this hour is really a memory for a life time. We went back to the beach and waited for the photos that Almeida took of us, later we went to the cyber to check the photos.Before leaving Porto de Galinhas we ate açai and I bought some souvenirs to take with me, chickens made of sand of course. Later we took the bus to Recife, and I could feel a pain in my back, I have been burned by the sun, salt and sun on no protected skin is really a bad combination. Today I have pain and small bubbles on the skin, unable to wear a shirt, but cause of the false and stupid rules that exist in some places in Brazil I must wear shirt, so I have it lied on my back. It is so fake to have rules you must wear shirt in a tropical contry were many people almost dance naked at carnival, and this is fully accepted, so stupid and false.
Well, this was all for todays blog, bye!
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Porto de Galinhas
Good morning!
Yesterday was good, after we left the cyber we went around in some shops, bought swim suit for Diêgo and some food, two energy drinks with açai taste, chocolate kex, four cookies, everything for just 5 reais, Cabo is a cheap city. Later we waited for the bus that should take us to Porto de Galinhas. The bus trip was interresting, it was a good way to the the brazilian country side landscape. We entered to the touristspot of Porto de Galinhas, it is a village with alot of souvenir shops, restaurants and pousadas. We walked around at the beach and looked for pousadas, one we found was very expence, the cheaper ones is not placed on the beach. Most pusadas we found later were already full, but one place had a room free for us, 50 reais with tv and air condition.
Later we changed for swim suits and went to the beach to take a bath, it was wonderful and the water here is much more salt than in the swedish sea, it was easy to float.
We went home, took a shower, went around in the streets looking in small shops before we eat pizza. Later we went home for sleep.
Today we have been eating breakfast in the pousada we stay in, took a little walk at the beach and found a place with comercial for diving, 160 reais for me and Diêgo, of course I wanna do it, it is an experience for life. Right now we sit ini a cyber café, it is alot more expencive here, it is 3 reais for one hour, at morning in Recife we pay 50 centavos for one hour, talk about a big difference. This was all for todays blog, bye!
Yesterday was good, after we left the cyber we went around in some shops, bought swim suit for Diêgo and some food, two energy drinks with açai taste, chocolate kex, four cookies, everything for just 5 reais, Cabo is a cheap city. Later we waited for the bus that should take us to Porto de Galinhas. The bus trip was interresting, it was a good way to the the brazilian country side landscape. We entered to the touristspot of Porto de Galinhas, it is a village with alot of souvenir shops, restaurants and pousadas. We walked around at the beach and looked for pousadas, one we found was very expence, the cheaper ones is not placed on the beach. Most pusadas we found later were already full, but one place had a room free for us, 50 reais with tv and air condition.
Later we changed for swim suits and went to the beach to take a bath, it was wonderful and the water here is much more salt than in the swedish sea, it was easy to float.
We went home, took a shower, went around in the streets looking in small shops before we eat pizza. Later we went home for sleep.
Today we have been eating breakfast in the pousada we stay in, took a little walk at the beach and found a place with comercial for diving, 160 reais for me and Diêgo, of course I wanna do it, it is an experience for life. Right now we sit ini a cyber café, it is alot more expencive here, it is 3 reais for one hour, at morning in Recife we pay 50 centavos for one hour, talk about a big difference. This was all for todays blog, bye!
Saturday, 12 April 2008
Metro adventure
Hello all readers! esterday me and Diêgo decided to make a little tour in the metro of Recife, we went to the central station and pointed a place we should go to, I choosed the most distant place I could find on the map - Cabo, so we bought our tickets and entered the metro. First we had to take the line to Curado, a dangerous favela district in Recife, but we only stayed in the station, later we went on a ver primitive train if you ask me, that shaked when it started. It was a funny interresting exerience. It took a very long time for it to start, but when it did we passed through the tropical Atlantic Forest and open beautiful fields in the sunset that came very soon after our trip started. We passed through dirty districts, al looking like favelas, we were worried about how this cabo might look like. After a long trip in the train we finally arrived. We left the station, next train to Recife center will go in more than one hour. After drinking coke in a restaurant we went to a pousada and hired a room there for one night, it was already late and the trip back to Recife would take the all night. Diego told me this place is very countryside. It is hard to believe that a so distant place with forest around and all still belong to the metropolitan area.
The room we hired is very good, with own shower and bathroom, and a tv too, for onle 45 reais, the hostel we stayed in january was 60 reais and still we didnt even have the bedroom by ourselves.
Today we went to the market place and bought new swin shorts for me, we will continue this non-planned trip to Porto de Galinhas today. Before coming to this cyber we checked one church here. I think Cabo remind me a little about what I have seen of La Paz on pictures. It is cosy, this place is okay.
This was all for todays blog, see you again, bye!
The room we hired is very good, with own shower and bathroom, and a tv too, for onle 45 reais, the hostel we stayed in january was 60 reais and still we didnt even have the bedroom by ourselves.
Today we went to the market place and bought new swin shorts for me, we will continue this non-planned trip to Porto de Galinhas today. Before coming to this cyber we checked one church here. I think Cabo remind me a little about what I have seen of La Paz on pictures. It is cosy, this place is okay.
This was all for todays blog, see you again, bye!
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Day of judgement
Well, then the time had come, this monday me and Diêgo should go to the Federal police again to get my visa for staying longer in Brazil, but first we had to show them I have enough money to surive this time, this will say 3000 reais. We went to a bank to get a paper to show how much money I have in the bank, but it was impossible, the automats didnt wanna work, and there is no idea to get help from the people working, you only go the the cashier to make payments here, not to take out money or check your account like in Sweden. We went to MANY banks and automats and none of them worked. I went angry, it is so typical for things in Brazil to not be working, everything has problems of some kind, it really piss me off!
In the end we had to do what I really did not want to do, simply to take out 3000 reais in cash and walk around with it in my wallet. I was like a living, walking bank at the streets of Recife, open for anyone to rob me. We took the taxi to the federal police, it was 9 reais and worth it, much cheaper than in european countries.
When we arrived in the room at the police building a woman came out telling the bank for payment was closed, so we could return next day. We left the building and went home, the money was saved in the secret passport bag under my jeans, no one knew I had it now, it was much more dangerous before when we left the bank, in case if someone was looking at us...
Next day we went to the federal police again, in the waiting room outside we talked to a woman from Colombia, also waiting for to get a visa for a longer stay. The Colombian passports are really beautiful I must say, she showed us.
I was nervous, thinking about hos the polices treated the swedish woman we met last month here, but I was lucky, the people working here now was nice and helpful. I got the stamp in my passport, allowing me to stay in Brazil till the 10:th of july, but with my ticket I wont leave until the 12:th of july...
We left the federal police and went to Livraria Cultura to waste some time there.
These last week we also visited Shopping Recife agan, two times, really nice to see that place again, have not been there for over two months, I enjoyed to eat at Subway again, but this pain in my trought made it more difficult to eat.
Yesterday we went to Boa Viagem to talk to the consul in the Swedish consulate, but he didnt arrive, instead we went to the market place, and I bought a souvenir, a glass bottle with sand art. Today we will go back to the consulate, we will aslo walk at the beach again!
This was all for todays blog, bye!
In the end we had to do what I really did not want to do, simply to take out 3000 reais in cash and walk around with it in my wallet. I was like a living, walking bank at the streets of Recife, open for anyone to rob me. We took the taxi to the federal police, it was 9 reais and worth it, much cheaper than in european countries.
When we arrived in the room at the police building a woman came out telling the bank for payment was closed, so we could return next day. We left the building and went home, the money was saved in the secret passport bag under my jeans, no one knew I had it now, it was much more dangerous before when we left the bank, in case if someone was looking at us...
Next day we went to the federal police again, in the waiting room outside we talked to a woman from Colombia, also waiting for to get a visa for a longer stay. The Colombian passports are really beautiful I must say, she showed us.
I was nervous, thinking about hos the polices treated the swedish woman we met last month here, but I was lucky, the people working here now was nice and helpful. I got the stamp in my passport, allowing me to stay in Brazil till the 10:th of july, but with my ticket I wont leave until the 12:th of july...
We left the federal police and went to Livraria Cultura to waste some time there.
These last week we also visited Shopping Recife agan, two times, really nice to see that place again, have not been there for over two months, I enjoyed to eat at Subway again, but this pain in my trought made it more difficult to eat.
Yesterday we went to Boa Viagem to talk to the consul in the Swedish consulate, but he didnt arrive, instead we went to the market place, and I bought a souvenir, a glass bottle with sand art. Today we will go back to the consulate, we will aslo walk at the beach again!
This was all for todays blog, bye!
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