Pigging Out at a Hippie Beach Town

Waru is not a hippy. Absolutely NOT.

So what am I doing in Jericoacoara, a place often quoted as the "hippie mecca" of Brazil?!?!?!

Well….everyone was talking about the place, and telling me to "definitely go there!". Not that I'm easily influenced and gullible (OK, maybe I am), but since it was on the way (sort of), might as well spend a few days there.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by…a laid back, peaceful beach town surrounded by dunes. A walk thru every single street/path here would take you no more than 20 minutes! And all you'd see are guesthouses, souvenir shops, tour agencies (mostly for sporting activities), and food.

After the lengthy journey from Barreirinhas, it felt good to be in a place where I could do nothing but eat, sleep, and wander. (But I knew I'd get bored in a couple of days!)

By the way, most people don't wear shoes here since all roads are made of sand. Barefoot is king. However, given my concern for stepping on unpleasant things and fear of having my feet come in contact with unfriendly germs, I kept my Havaianas on.

Anyways, I looked around a few guesthouses and hotels in town, all providing pretty decent off-season rates. Alejandro's been here before and led me to his favorite hotel - Vila Kalango (www.vilakalango.com.br).

Somewhat luxurious, yet rustic. Everything is made out to be in natural surroundings (especially the more expensive stilt houses) with natural material. Environmentally friendly, as they say. Hence, the plumbing wasn't the best, and little critters came through the spaces between the wooden walls and floor. And the weather made everything inside slightly damp. But, I fell in LUUUUUUVE with the outdoor lounge area, all decked out with hammocks, the cushiest cushions, free coffee, WiFi, and a selection of books. I could've stayed at a nearby guesthouse for 1/4 the price, but I was sold.

(As you can see, I've become a bit insensitive to my spendings as my travels near its end. Sigh.)

Once we negotiated the price and settled in, we were starving. And here starts my addiction to food in Jericoacoara… I must've had like 4 meals a day!

And my introduction to 4 of the most heavenly Brazilian yummies:

Carne de Sol: A specialty of northern Brazil, YUM, YUM, YUM! A direct translation would be "Sun Meat". Get the idea??? Something like burying the beef in salt and drying it in the sun for a bit. So it's similar to beef jerky, but steakier. I'm not much of a beef fanatic, but I couldn't resist a Carne de Sol when it was on the menu.

Tapioca: I guess I should've expected some of this stuff since I was in a tropical climate. Here, though, every comes in tapioca. Like pancakes (every morning!) and ice cream (every afternoon). YUM, YUM, YUM!

Acai: I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with this one. Very Brazilian. For some reason, I didn't get to have a real sampling of it until I got here, and once I did…trouble. Considering Acai is high in calories. But I couldn't go a day without Acai with granola. Sometimes mango. YUM, YUM, YUM!

Caju: Cashew nut fruit juice. Doesn't sound the most appealing, I know, but it is absolutely delectable with the slightest hint of cashew. Wouldn't know it unless someone pointed it out. Oh oh oh, and this is the first time I've actually seen how a cashew grows.

There's the nut portion in the middle and the red fruit is for the juice. Fascinating.

Except for my last meal here, which was a delicious stewed fish, I must've had carne de sol, tapioca, acai, and caju juice at least once a day. Actually, tapioca, and acai might even be twice a day as different shapes and sizes : )

I can't be fat in Brazil, but I keep gaining weight. ARGH.

As I mentioned before, there wasn't much to do in Jericoacoara. Having just come from Lencois and seeing so many sand dunes there and along the way, I wasn't much in the mood for buggy riding. Expensive too.

I did, however, climb the nearby dunes for the sunset one evening - beautifully serene. And ran into the Brazilian family that was on the same river tour the other day from Barreirinhas. We ended up chatting until nightfall and I left with a list of shopping tips for Sao Paolo!

Kitesurfing was also out of the question due to the off season being characterized by calm winds. Would've been exciting to do…

One day, Alejandro and I decided to rent a kayak to Pedra Furada. It's only a large rock with a hole in it, but somehow has become a symbol of Jericoacoara.Depending on the time and season, I think it would an awesome photography location as the sun sets or rises thru the hole. Unfortunately, there was no sun on the day we went : (

Now, let me just say that kayaking on rough waters is tough. I was done with paddling in about 10 minutes and I was starting to feel seasick. Thank goodness I wasn't in a solo kayak and Alejandro was fit enough to paddle both of our weights (darn all that carne and ace I ate!) to the rock.

Let me also point out that beaching a kayak in strong waves is difficult. It seemed like we were never getting close to the shore. And we ended up flipping. At which point we decided that we might as well drag the kayak in rather than paddle. Needless to say, we were completely drenched head to toe. When the rain started to pour, it didn't bother us at all.

But what was bothering me was the fact that I was only one-way through…I REALLY didn't want to have to get back on the kayak. After some deliberation, I ditched Alejandro and the kayak and chose to hike my way back. I knew it was possible and that there should be a trail. I'm pretty good with my directions so didn't think I'd get lost. I admit that I did have slight hopes of being picked up by a buggy or jeep somewhere, but that never materialized. Haha. Instead, I had to walk through a cow farm. Just imagine - moos staring at me, moo dung everywhere, pouring rain, muddy path, and me in my flip-flops. I don't even want to think about what I stepped on…Gross. I was too focused on my walk and misery that I forgot to take a single picture of the moos. Sorry.

Boat, Jeep x 2, Taxi, Bus, Van

All to get to Jericoacoara. Took almost 2 days! I'm glad I had Alejandro to keep me company and split the costs.

(1) Boat from Barreirinhas downriver to wherever (lunch spot) the 4X4 was supposed to pick us up. Joined a tour for this part, so it included some sightseeing.More dunes:Unlike the ones at Lencois, the sand here is darker and water less clear. Sooooooo hot to climb these dunes.
This time, I definitely enjoyed the sand itself more than the water. Isn't it like the desert?!And a stopover at some tiny, local village with the lighthouse being the major attraction. Because of the heat, however, I refused to climb for the supposedly great views of the jungle-like environment. A bit regretful….but at that time, I was very happy and content just standing at the bottom of the lighthouse where there was shade and a nice breeze.They had a lot of dried fish here. I guess that's their major source of income. Aside from the minor tourism. The one shack serving cold drinks and some snacks was packed with tourists. I recall a little boy peeing all over the floor…

The highlight of this tour, in my books, is this:

The delta - where the fresh water from the river meets the ocean seawater. I never imagined it to be like this. You can actually see the darkness of the river in contrast with the ocean. Total awesomeness!!! (Or I could've just been ignorant and dumb for the past 30 years and never realized that this is what happens when river meets ocean.)
I think there's a special term for this place…not delta or estuary…something else. Someone, please educate me.

Then, we finally reached our lunch spot. Where I devoured a freshly grilled fish (haven't had seafood in ages!) with some typical Brazilian sides, and sought refreshment in a coconut. Mmmmmmm : )

Of course, the jeep driver wasn't there to pick us up on time. Probably on Brazil time - in other words, should be here in about an hour.

~~~ Warning: Lots of transport detail below. May not be too interesting ~~~
(2) Jeep to Parnaiba. Had to be a jeep since there are no roads for the first hour or so. Going through sand dunes, along the deserted (and sadly polluted) beaches, and into more grass and puddles.Then normal asphalt. Smooth for the rest of the ride, except for the slight car trouble that eventually halted our progress for about 30 minutes at the mechanics.
By the time we arrived in Parnaiba, it was already dark. We were taken to a rather dingy, moldy guesthouse which we both didn't like. It would only be for the night, but the place was too depressing!!! So, we went a bit more upscale and chose a large, business-like hotel in the city. I think it was only like $5 more than the first one, but came with AC and a full bath.
Had a quick bite at the hotel restaurant (not much selection due to the time), did some internet (even free wifi!) and went to bed.

(3) Taxi to Parnaiba bus station. Very early in the morning. Because only the earliest bus would allow as to catch our connections along the way.

(4) Bus to Camocin. Normal bus. Nothing special. Once at Camocin, we didn't really know where we could catch the next ride. There were little buggies parked at the bus terminal, waiting to take tourists to Jericoacoara directly. For a fortune, though!
Luckily, we met some Brazilian girls on the bus also headed towards there and knew what they were doing. Following their directions, we took a walk to the central market in Camocin, from where we'd be able to pick up a van to Jerico.
Since the van wasn't leaving for another hour, we decided to try out some breakfast snacks at the market. Notably some sort of meat soup (light and yummy!) and something that resembled a fried dough. Don't remember what was in it though. Both were only 1BRL each. Cheap!

(5) Van to Jerico. No, Jerico is not Jericoacoara. Need to keep going.

(6) Jeep to Jericoacoara. A quick ride through sand dunes along the beach.

Finally arrived.

Waru is hungry.

Lençois Maranhenses

This is what I've been waiting for - why I knew I had to include Brazil in my trip.

I first learned about this place from other blogs (it seems to be a hit with Japanese backpackers who often keep meticulous, detailed travelogues). I saw the pictures and was completely mesmerized. Knew I had to see it with my own set of eyes!

I'm sure it's not the first destination that comes to mind when planning a trip to Brazil. That status must belong to Rio or the Amazon. Plus, it's sort of out of the way, requiring a bit of "roughing it" from either the east (my chosen route) or the west.

BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!!!

First step involves taking a bus or shuttle van from Sao Luis to the tiny town of Barreirinhas. I opted for the van which picked me up right from the hostel for 35BRL. I don't think its much more expensive than the public bus, considering that you'd have to cab it to the bus terminal anyways. Took about 3-4 hours to reach the town. Left early in the morning, so was there before noon.

Barreirinhas is a hot, steamy, lazy, lazy little town with dirt roads. They still use donkeys (or mules?!) as workers:

Once I got there, I looked around for a place to stay with another backpacker I met on the van. But since he couldn't decide on the place or price, and it was too hot to keep wandering around with my heavy backpack, I decided to ditch the guy and find a place on my own.

Success - Found a wonderful, clean, friendly hostel (Pousada Tia Cota) for 20BRL. Shared bath, but includes breakfast and fan. Not a bad deal at all.

Second step involves booking a tour to the Lencois dunes, which is easily done through the hostel. I booked the one for the afternoon that day (2 or 3pm, me thinks) for 40BRL.

With that planned, I headed over to the market for lunch - bread and instant noodles.

Then, you just get on the jeep that picks you up at the hostel, and enjoy the beauty of Lencois Maranhenses!!!

Easy : )

Oh, be forewarned that the jeep ride isn't that smooth. It is amusing though.

Aside from having to cross a river on a barge:

Pushed by a boat:

There are TONS of major puddle crossings on bumpy sand/dirt/mud roads:

But sit tight, and you reach…PARADISE!!!

Just look at the crystal clear water and the contrast with the white sand dunes and the clouds and blue sky…(I can't do it any justice with words, so I'll let the photos do the talking)

Walk over one dune, and another small lake appears. Forever and ever and ever, I think. You'd have to take an aerial tour to see that amazing sight, but unfortunately, my meager budget didn't allow for such an extravagance.

I spent a couple of hours at the park, wandering, swimming, laying around, taking photos, etc. Happy times!!!

As you can see, the weather started to turn nasty after a bit…getting darker and darker.

Eventually, we had a serious downpour. Not too much of an issue since I was in my bikini, but I admit to being a bit flustered about my camera. Decided to seek cover underneath some shrubbery with little success. And I started to get cold, too.

It turned out that the water was much warmer than the poring rain, so I jumped right in until the sun came back out.

Surprisingly, while I was in the water, not-so-little fishes started nibbling me!!! Freaky, yet ticklish. Hehe. These creatures have unbelievably adapted to their habitat - they come out during the rainy season (when there is a lake) and do their fish things, but when it's dry and there's no water, they "hibernate" in the sand. Coolness.

Anyways, got back to Barreirinhas late in the evening, upon which I immediately proceeded to finalize plans for tomorrow.

Basically, I need to keep heading east, but it's an absolute pain-in-the-behind. No public transport. No roads connecting everywhere. Etc.

Luckily, I met a Spanish guy on my Lencois tour who wanted to go the same way (towards the hippy town of Jericoacoara). Coincidentally, he's an ex-banker who quit his job to go on a RTW trip with biz class tickets. Sounds familiar, huh.

We decided to hire a tour/car to get us to Paranaiba, from where we can pick up a regular bus. The rest of the night, therefore, was spent bargaining and organizing the trip. Tired. But at least I can keep moving along tomorrow.

More on that next time.

Had a rather nasty burger for dinner and off to bed.

Up in Northern Brazil

In Sao Luis now. Has a colonial city center, which is actually on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.

Getting here was a pain though - an early, early morning flight out of GRU, which is over an hour from Sao Paolo center. A taxi would've been the easiest option, but very costly. So, I cabbed it to the closer, domestic airport (why my flight didn't take off from there, I have no clue…) and transferred to a shuttle bus from there. Not exactly cheap & efficient, but saved me a bit of money.
And once I got to the airport, the check-in process was confusing as hell. The MAIN departure counter of GOL Airlines wouldn't let me check in there, telling me to go downstairs. Which was the arrivals floor…could there be a check-in counter there??? I went as told, without being able to find it. And then up again. Down again. Until I got frustrated enough to have someone take to me check-in. Finally.

Uneventful flight, changing planes at Brasilia.

The very good looking couple sitting next to me had the new, ultra-cool Mac Air. I might want one...
I like GOL - very orange : )

Landed at Sao Luis. Now, how to get to city center?!
Since it was early in the afternoon, I thought taking the public bus would be OK. Until I spoke to the woman at the tourist information desk, who advised me against it - Today was a Sunday and very little people out and about. She said I had a high chance of being mugged if I decided on the bus and walked to the hostel from there with my backpack. Well, that's comforting!!!

Ended up forking over a whopping 35 reals for a taxi. Boooooooooo.

Traveling through Brazil is going to be expensive…

I didn't rally have much planned for this city. I only came because it's the major entry point for my next destination (secret, secret, secret!!!).

So, what did I do…
Walked around the historic center. Very small, so didn't take much time. Had a very Caribbean feel to it, I think. Although I confess to not ever having been to the Caribbean. Oh, but Cuba counts, right? Anyways, I just meant that the city had an old, tropical atmosphere to it.

I discovered that I like the public phone booths in Brazil:

And checked out some random, useless museum. As there were no other visitors, the lone staff was extremely friendly (bored may be more appropriate?!) and showed me around and chatted away. A couple of guillotine apparatuses were interesting.

Other than that, went out to the commercial area outside of the colonial center to stock up on toiletries and stuff that I'd be needing for the rest of the month.
Really, nothing too exciting happened here.

Oh, but my first experience with real, local food was a huge positive! Loved everything.
I have to say, though, Sao Lois seemed dodgy in many places. Didn't dare venture out at night.

Can't wait for tomorrow!!!

(Apologies for the rather uninformative, lame post! My next entry will be funner - I promise.)

Sugar-Coated Road to Brazil

...definitely belongs up there in my "WORST travel experience" category. I'm sure I've made several entries in that category by now.

Well, to be honest, the bus ride itself wasn't that bad. Argentinean buses are relatively comfy and sleepable in cama class. Which is what I always book for overnight trips if available. And they were available last night so I had a nice seat.

Unfortunately, I had to wait a loooooooong, looooooooong, loooooooong time to get into my seat. Basically, this bus wasn't a "night bus", but became an "early morning" bus.
In a tiny, deserted (except for the 2 Peruvian passengers also booked on my bus - thank god they were there!!!) bus terminal, I had to wait 6-7 hours for the bus to arrive. The drive from Buenos Aires is long, but come on!!! 6-7 hours late?!?!?! Unbelievable. Anger anger anger.It's really sad when you have to witness sunrise from the hard (and not the cleanest) bus terminal seats, hungry, dirty, and tired. On top of that, the hostel bed you slept on last night is literally right across the street. If only the bus company told me of the delay earlier, I would've happily paid for an extra night at the hostel. Wishful thinking, I realize.

Smoothly thru immigration. Sleep. Rest stop for food. Yum. Sleep.
So, here's where the "sugar-coated" comes in.
A one-truck accident on the highway. Have no idea what happened, but a long truck was blocking the entire width of the road, with its cargo hold flipped over. Consequently, no cars could get through and bags and bags and piles and piles of the load littered the road. Load = sugar.
My initial reaction was "____ (fill in 4-letter word), we're going to be stuck here for who knows how long!!!" I was slightly concerned about arriving in Sao Paolo in the middle of the night. Heck, we were already running VERY behind schedule.
But....it's travel. What's the point of stressing when I'm doing something I loved.
Plus, how can you not find the Brazilians amusing - all of them got out of their cars, walked over to the truck, and walked back to their cars carrying a bag or two of sugar! Even the bus driver and some passengers each got a bag of their own. And by bag, I mean larger than Costco-sized bags!Only in Brazil!!!
(FYI - I didn't have a need for 20kg of sugar and had absolutely no desire to add the weight to my luggage either.)Minutes and minutes passed watching this scene unfold from both inside and outside the bus. More like hours and hours… but the Brazilian highway patrol (?) ended up actually being more efficient than I had imagined. I think they got the roads cleared in at most 3 hours. Not too bad, right?!

It was indeed dark by the time we reached Sao Paolo terminal. I could've taken the subway from there, but exhaustion and a sense of "wanting to play it safe" for now pushed me to the taxi counter. Great how the taxis here are all fixed-price. No need to worry about getting ripped off : )

After a quick bite to eat at the nearby cafe (juice + Brazil's famous cheese bread), I went to bed. I have to get up really early tomorrow morning to catch a flight.
Heading up to the northern coast, from where I plan to take the coastal route back south to Sao Paolo. Will definitely be back here.

WOW. I am officially in the last country for my RTW trip. Feels a bit weird.
But then again, I don't expect to be lucky enough to find work as soon as I get back to Japan...so maybe I'll travel some more from there.
I'm just calling Brazil my "last country" because my RTW ticket ends with a flight out of here. Doesn't mean it's the "last country" for Waru's travel.

A Day Trip to Cataratas do Iguaçu

Cataratas do Iguaçu - the Brasilian side of Iguazu Falls.

First thing in the morning, I went over to the embassy to pick up my passport. For 200ARP, a Brasilian visa sticker had been successfully added on a new page. Multiple entry. Perfect.

But then I realized that it came with a validity of only 30 days. Hmm...that could cause a problem. I'd indicated "1 month" on my visa application thinking I'd be leaving in exactly 1 month (April 20th). When you actually count the dates on a calendar, though, it ends up being 31 days. Oops. My bad.

When I relayed my conundrum to the embassy guy, he told me that I wouldn't be able to reapply for a longer visa right now. Instead, I should go to the police station in any large city for an easy extension. It looks like I'll have to figure out a way to do that later on. Somehow...

Anywho, yesterday was Argentina. Today will be Brasil.

I think there is a Paraguayan side to Iguazu as well, but I'm gonna have to skip that this time around. I've come to accept the fact that I can't see everything, with only a month left on my RTW trip. Sigh.

Logistically, it might make sense to pack up all my gear, cross the border, get to the falls, store my stuff there, and move onwards up Brasil once the sightseeing was done.

Waru, however, felt like being a tad lazy. Plus, Iuggage storage at the falls wasn't guaranteed.

So instead, I packed up my gear, checked out of the hostel, left my stuff there, and took the hostel-provided shuttle bus to the Cataratas do Iguaçu. At 40ARP for the roundtrip, I don't think it's much more costly than public transport. Then, I'll chill in the town, hopefully take a shower, retrieve my stuff, and board a loooooong overnight bus to Sao Paolo.

The entrance fee for the Brazilian side was much cheaper, at only 35ARP (vs. 60ARP yesterday). Yes, paid in ARP as I didn't have any Brazilian currency on hand. Why such the big price difference?!?!?!

From the visitor's center, there's a park shuttle bus that takes you to the walkways along the falls.

But before I started my walk, I decided to head over to the swanky Hotel Das Cataratas. Only because I needed to use the toilet and get some Brazilian reais from its ATM. Very convenient.

I could now try to be a writer and describe all that I saw and felt as I wandered the path, experiencing the infinite beauty of these falls through my five senses. However, as I have neither the time, nor the vocabulary, nor the artistic talent to compose such elegant prose, I'll pass. Better not embarrass myself. Better not torture my readers.

Instead, I'll abide by the simple is best mentality, and leave behind my overall, general impression.

Personally, I enjoyed the Brazilian side more than the Argentinean.

The walks were quiet and pleasant in a jungly settling. Colorful butterfly sighting (Although I really hate butterflies, he/she was photogenic enough to warrant my attention!):

And I liked the fact that you get to see more of the Argentinean action from afar. I admit, it looks similar to my photos from yesterday… Nonetheless, pretty ne! Rainbows everywhere.

And you get a chance to experience the falls' water power from the bottom. Wet, yet cool.

To top it all off, a cold can of Guanara greeted me at the cafeteria strategically located at the end of the path : ) Of course I had to pay a slight premium, but it was exactly what my body needed after a hot, sweaty couple of hours! Refreshing.

(FYI - For any of you who want to be more frugal with their time, there was a huge locker at the visitor's center. No need to backtrack as I did!)

First Look at Iguazu Falls

What a long bus ride. 15+ hours. It's been a while since I've taken one of these overnighters. I'd forgotten how comfy they can be :) Think I slept thru most of the trip in my fully reclining cama seat.

It was still too early to check in to my hostel when I arrived in Puerto Iguazu. I dropped my bags off to grab lunch at a hearty cafe, and to take a look around town.

Puerto Iguazu is nothing but functional. Its sole purpose, I think, is to cater to those travelers wanting to visit the Iguazu Falls. Yup, that definitely includes me! Everything is conveniently located within a 20 minutes walking distance from the bus terminal. Supermarket, restaurants (not cheap though...I was told to eat at the terminal if I wanted cheap food!), internet cafes (finally managed to back up my photos onto DVD), hotels (mine's right across from the terminal), and the all important Brazilian consulate office. Unfortunately, they only accepted visa applications during the morning, so I actually had to make 2 trips there. Very easy process, no questions asked. I should have a visa to Brazil in 24 hours.

Anyways, having been in metropolitan Buenos Aires for the past week, it felt kind of good to be in such a small, laid-back town.

So today, I spent most of the day at Iguazu Falls. The Argentinean side.

There's a frequent shuttle bus that takes you to the falls entrance from the bus terminal. 10ARP roundtrip.
Entrance fee for the falls is 60ARP. Reasonable, I suppose. But it totally bugs me when admission costs more than a night at the hostel (which is 40 ARP).

Once inside, there are paths that you follow to get around the falls. A highly organized system.
The scenery completely mesmerized me!!! Beautiful streams of water falling through lush greenery. I wasn't expecting this at all!

The last major falls I went to was Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Owing to the high water levels, I couldn't see all that clearly. But, the overall impression I got was just a gigantic waterfall with lots of BANG! Similar to Niagara Falls maybe.

But Iguazu… so so so so so so so so beautiful!!! The tropical-ness made it all the better. Here's my favorite shot:You can see that the falls is made up of many many smaller falls, not a wide expanse of gushing water:

Like Niagara, there's a boat that takes you to the base of the falls for a thrilling, wet ride. I passed - didn't feel like forking over the money or getting wet. Looked fun though.

After walking along all the open trails, I took the park train (free) to another section of the falls. From there, a path took me to an observation deck atop the edge of the falls called the Garganta del Diablo.Very wet and loud once there. Yet eerily quiet on the way.
They must've spent a ton of money on building this path as it's mostly above water and runs close to 1km!

I didn't see much eye-catching aquatic life in the calm waters before the falls. Except for this one, since it reminded me of a pet fish we used to have at home. Funny face, big lips, sticks onto the glass…I'm sure none of you have a clue as to what I'm talking about. And probably can't make out the fish in the photo. Sorry.

Since we're on the subject of animals, here are some of the more unique (at least to me) residents in the park.
Unidentified bird. I know. Freaky. But the fluffy head is sort of pretty, no???Coati. Cute. I think it's related to the raccoon. Wants food from people.
I've only seen half of the falls today (I'll be headed to the Brazilian side tomorrow if I get the visa), but I think I can confidently say that Iguazu Falls is awesome.
If you can see only one waterfall in the world, I'd say pick this one!!!

In La Boca

Before leaving Buenos Aires, there was one more place I wanted to visit - the La Boca district.

I've been warned by other travelers about how disappointing the area can be, but I needed to see it with my own eyes. Not to mention the fact that I had the whole day unplanned...so why not?!

The receptionist told me that a single local bus from the next block would take me there. (Sorry, don't remember the route #.) I was on the bus for over an hour, and got a bit antsy by the end, but it was a great way to see some of the neighborhoods I'd missed during my previous long walks. A bargain for 1.25ARP!

La Boca is famous for its Caminito Street. You can probably find a picture on any guidebook. But I'll be nice enough to provide some of my own below:Basically, it's a single, extremely touristy, short street lined with brightly colored buildings and some street stalls.
Most are tiny art shops, souvenir shops, or restaurants. I took a look into some of them, but only came out with a few postcards.
The food was definitely overpriced. Many of the more affluent tourists were dining outside, enjoying a glass of wine and watching a tango show. Being a cheapie, I stood around to take it all in for free.

Caminito kept me occupied for no more than an hour. Really, it's that short.

I considered taking a stroll around the area, but the area looked rather dodgy. Better be safe than sorry, so I hopped back on the bus.

The rest of the day, I took care of some admin.
Like calling JAL to make sure that I had a flight back to Tokyo. I am now officially off the waitlist and will be returning home (well, not exactly home) on either the 20th or the 23rd of April. Just over a month away. Scary.
And stocking up on toiletries and food for the long bus ride.

Tonight, I'm taking a 15+ hours overnight bus up to Puerto Iguazu. My last stop in Argentina.

A Memorable Birthday

Waru doesn't normally like birthdays. Not only does she HATE getting older, she doesn't usually do anything special. She can't remember the last time she had cake on her birthday or went out to celebrate for that matter.

Quite frankly, I didn't expect this year to be any different. I've been on the road for almost a year now, meeting different people every day but not developing a close friendship or anything like that.

But I was extremely lucky to have met Natalie and Nicole in South America, who both happened to be in Buenos Aires and volunteered to celebrate with me : )

Since Nicole was actually heading back to Amsterdam on the night of the 16th, we decided to get together for a delicious steak & cake dinner on the 15th and Italian lunch on the 16th.

When not eating, we checked out the funky MALBA Museum (South American modern art) and more importantly, went on a shopping spree at the malls and boutique shops of Palermo.

I fell in love with the "comma quires que te quire" brand (www.comoquieres.com.ar).
They have the CUTEST clothes that actually fit me!!! Yes, definitely on the cutesy, rather than funky/cool, side…but I can be an お嬢様 sometimes, me thinks. Hehe.
I knew that if I made the purchases now, I'd have to carry them around on my back for another month. Still, I couldn't resist - Ended up with a skirt and 4 new shirts.
I seriously think Japanese consumers would like these styles and be willing to pay much, much more for the stuff they have here. Someone (me?!) should consider an import business!

For the 16th, after I saw Nicole off to the airport (tears), I met up with Natalie at a coffee shop downtown. She brought me a present and birthday balloons!!! OK, so it was slightly embarrassing to have to carry it around with me for the rest of the evening, but it was soooooo sweeeeet!!!

That night, we did what 99% of the tourists in Buenos Aires probably do…went to see a tango show! A lot of fun!I came to the conclusion that I would never be a tango dancer - I don't have the long, skinny legs : (
More than the dance, though, I was captivated by the sound and movement of the accordion.
And now I am one year closer to the mid-30s. Depressing thought. Sigh.
…But I did have one of the BESTEST birthdays ever this year!!! Thank you sooooooooo much!!!

On a side note, I gave myself a b-day present - a single room : )
Mainly because I didn't want to stay in the 16-bed mixed dorm or in the 6-bed mixed room monopolized by the elephant-like snorer. Geez. He should be kicked out!
Plus….I deserved it. At least for a couple of nights. Right?!

Colonial Colonia

Woke up early in the morning to catch the local bus to the bus station (15URP) and another bus to Colonia (178URP, about 3 hrs). Felt so good to be on the move away from Montevideo!

By noon, I had arrived. I stopped by the ferry terminal before heading into town to buy my ticket back to Buenos Aires that evening.

Colonia (officially Colonia del Sacramento) is supposedly the oldest town in Uruguay and is listed as one of UNESCO's world heritage sites. As the name suggests, the place has its share of old, colonial buildings and cute, cobblestoned streets.

That share turned out to be quite small though...I was done walking around the town in an hour or so.
Photogenic streets with some great color contrasts:Lighthouse & city wall:

This must be the most photographed car in Uruguay, probably a Colonia landmark by now! Loved the cool retro-ness:
Since the day was very pleasant (so far), I ended up strolling through the same streets again and again and again. And, for the lack of better things to do, bought a museum pass (50URP) that allowed me access to some small museums in town. History, culture, furnishings, etc. Not very impressive. I did, however, enjoy the ceramics museum...just because I like those bright tiles often seen in Spain, Portugal, or Italy.

And then it started to pour. I took shelter in a nearby cafe that was dark, but had good enough flan and coffee to keep me content. Remained there until my ferry time, reading, chatting with a couple of American tourists, and getting attacked by mosquitos.

This time around, my Buquebus ferry was a large boat with all the amenities of a small cruise-liner. Unfortunately, it was slow-moving and took 3 hours to reach Buenos Aires (vs. 1 hour for the fast ferry).
More unfortunate was the fact that the captain wasn't skillful. He had a very hard time bringing the boat into its parking spot…we went back and forth, back and forth for well over an hour at the pier! Announcements blamed it on "strong winds" but there wasn't much wind when we finally disembarked. I think he was just incompetent or wanted to annoy the passengers.
Because of this delay, and the general slowness of the boat, I didn't get back to my hostel until pretty late. With the usual consequence being that there was no bed available in the preferred room. Nightmare. But more on that later.

All in all, I admit that my Uruguay trip was pretty lame. Probably due to the lack of time I had there.
I think I would've had a different opinion, had I been able to stay at an estancia to experience the gaucho lifestyle (cattle-herding via horse!) or embrace the hippie one at Cabo Polonio. Both had been recommended to me by Nicole, but I just didn't have the time…Darn it.

Not Liking Montevideo...

Happy Friday the 13th!

I was half expecting some trouble today (yes, I can be superstitious!), but nothing happened. Business as usual.

I'm in Montevideo, the capital of little-known Uruguay, right now. This is its Plaza de Independecia on the right. Some processional guard thing going on, hence the crowd. Not particularly attractive, huh?!
I took the expensive, but fast, Buquebus ferry from Buenos Aires yesterday morning to get here.

I'm bored. There's not really much to do in this city.

First thing first, I headed over to the Brasilian consulate in some residential area straight from the ferry terminal as soon as I arrived. I was hoping to get a tourist visa during the day, for lack of better plans. But it turns out that I was directed to a Brasilian embassy building, but not the consular, visa section. That was back downtown where I came from. Sigh. Didn't feel like backtracking.
Luckily, one of the employees was on his way to the downtown office, and offered to give me a ride. I like Brasil already : ) Even though my plans didn't quite pan out. They couldn't issue a visa to me without proof of a ticket into Brasil. Since I hadn't yet figured out the exact how, when, and where of my entry to Brasil (probably by bus within the next week from Iguasu), I remained visa-less.

From there, I found my way to the Pocitos district to check into the hostel. Close to the beach (which I care nada about) but far from the center. Maybe that explains why the hostel was packed with the young, loud crowd. I would've liked to have escaped after 1 night there, but I had already paid upfront for 2 nights and was therefore stuck. Annoying.

Might as well make the best of my time here then, right?!
So, I headed back to the city center to see what Montevideo was all about. Nada, as expected.
The Ciudad Vieja (old town) was small and uninteresting. I don't even have a single picture. The post office was probably the highlight as I got to sit down to write/send off some uncool postcards.

OK. Enough negativeness.
Let me think hard.....oh yeah, the Mercado del Puerto was all out touristy, but the grilled fish I had there reached the top of my yumminess scale! Just pick a fish and they grill. With some sides. I guess 280 Uruguay pesos isn't cheap, but it was personally worth every penny.
In the one random museum I walked into, this mate cup was interesting.

In Uruguay and Argentina, the mate tea is everywhere. It's often drunk hot thru a metal straw from funky shaped cups, with the standard ones being round/gourd-like. Doesn't taste too bad, but might be a bit too bitter for my tongue and too high in caffeine. From my brief experience in this country, I can confidently say that Uruguayans drink more mate than the Argentineans.
The one thing I don't like about this is that you see piles of spent leaves on the streets and elsewhere. And it closely resembles cow manure...

I think that's the extent of my sightseeing in Montevideo.
As I mentioned, my hostel was far from pleasant to be in. But one upside was its proximity to a large shopping center. For 2 nights in a row, I went to its movie theater there and watched "Slumdog Millionaire" (about time!) and "Bride Wars". It's cheap too, @ 125 pesos (~$6) on the Friday/Saturdays and 80 pesos (~$4) otherwise. An old couple yelled at me in Spanish for putting my feet up. I actually didn't understand what they were saying (my espanol still sucks), but I'm guessing that's it. I just responded with a blank stare. At which point a guy showed up with his daughter and told the couple to shut up. And then turned to me and said "crazy, old people. Don't worry!" in English.
I also stopped by a spa to get a full-on pedicure. I didn't realize how "full-on" this was going to be. When the esthetician took out a blade object, I was shocked; never seen that at the nail salons! But she masterfully started scraping all the dirty, dead skin off my feet. By the time she was done, there was a huge pile. Amazing. Me feet are soft and pretty now : )
Me like.

…But me still no like Montevideo. Doubt I'll ever come back here.

Hanging out in Buenos Aires

Staying in the Palermo district, a rather residential, yet hip, neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Lots of trees, a mix of modern and old architectures, cool boutiques & cafes, and a myriad of food options. It's awesome!!!

The hostel is pretty nice, being relatively new. Luckily, I got a bed in the one 6-bed all-girls room; otherwise, I would've been stuck in the massive, 16-bed mixed room. Horrible thought...shivers.

[Random note - I've used this website called holahostels quite often during my travels thru South America. I highly recommend it - they don't have as extensive a list as some of the other, more famous sites, but they do make up for it in terms of quality. The listings offered tend to be quainter, smaller hostels vs. the drunkard party hostels which I try to stay away from!]

For the past few days, I've pretty much just been hanging out.

Buenos Aires is a great city to do that, especially when I actually had friends around in the city!!! Nicole (my Dutch travel buddy in Bolivia) and Natalie (my German Spanish school-mate in Chile) were both chillin' in BA for several days.

Having gone to Spanish school here, Nicole was pretty much a BA veteran. So, we stuck to the Palermo area, doing a lot of window-shopping and food consumption. I absolutely LOOOOOOVE some of the clothing brands that they have here!!! So cute, stylish, and small...Argentines are surprisingly petite. Browsing for now, but I'm definitely doing some shopping before I leave the city.
On the other hand, since Natalie was still a newbie to the city like myself, we did a lot of exploring on foot with no particular destination in mind. Wander, wander, wander, stopping at whatever cafe or restaurant was nearby when we needed some food and rest.

I think we covered downtown (centro), San Telmo (historical district), Congreso (business & government district with the famous pink building from the Peron days), and Puerto Madero (newly developed harbor area). Maybe more.

One day, we stepped into a plaza where there was a special bear exhibition going on. The whole plaza (San Martin) was lined with large bear statues, colorfully decorated in designs that represented various countries. I think it had something to do with the UN and world peace. Very cute:The Japan representative:(BTW, a brief search on wikipedia reveals that it's the "Worldtour of the United Buddy Bears"!)

When I didn't have anything planned with friends, I took the opportunity to visit two of BA's major tourist spots:
1. Evita Museum - Life description and memorabilia of Eva Peron's life for 12ARP
2. Recoleta Cemetery - Can't come to BA without seeing this, I suppose. One step into the main gates, and you can tell that the burial spaces are reserved for those with immense wealth. Each "grave" is marked by huge, solid, and some beautifully carved pieces:And its claim to fame comes from the famous inhabitant - Eva Peron herself. Here she lies:Even though it's a cemetery, this is a pretty nice place to take a stroll. At least when the sun is shining!
I now realize that both of my touristy forays dealt with Evita, but it's not like I'm a big fan of hers. I'm quite ignorant of Argentina's political history (well, of the whole world's for that matter). Nonetheless, I did enjoy the musical and movie versions : )

Anyways, since I got here, I feel like I've been eating a lot more than I usually do. Mostly because I haven't been on my own too much - Good for the tummy and psyche; Bad for the budget...
My meals ranged from the local lomo sandwich to the international cuisines (Chinese, Italian, and Japanese).
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that my first Argentinean steak experience was at the mall food court...but it was still delicious!!! I got to choose the cut, grill, and sides all for 20ARP. Plus, I have plans for a TRUE steak on my birthday coming up soon : )
One final note on food before I end this entry - yummy coffee can be had at the Havana cafe (great for people watching too) and the gelato in Buenos Aires is amaaaaaaazing!!!