Onsen Time in Yuzawa

During my last few days in Brazil, I had asked my friend to plan a last minute onsen (thermal hot springs) weekend - I needed to rejuvenate my skin.

Destination - Yuzawa Onsen.
Only ~1.5hrs by bullet train from Tokyo, so very close and convenient. I've been here many times before, but during the winter for skiing. And never for the hot springs.

We arrived at the familiar station early in the afternoon, and walked directly to the hotel (more accurately, the ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn) while breathing in the fresh, crisp air.15 minutes later, we were greeted by the proprietor of the Otowaya Inn.I love these inns. Upon check-in, they provide you with green tea & snacks. And, we were even able to choose the yukata and obi color combination we wanted for the night before heading to the room! Cute.

The room was OK, nothing fancy. The usual tatami mat, table in the middle with tea set, 20-year old television, wooden chairs and towel hangers by the window.

After a short walk around the inn and town (didn't find anything particularly worthy to note), it was onsen time!!!
My usual routine: strip down - wash & shampoo - indoor onsen - outdoor onsen - indoor onsen - rinse - dry - put on yukata
I understand that the concept of bathing naked with a bunch of people (usually same-sex only) may be weird to those not used to it. I, on the contrary, find it uncomfortable and "not right" to wear a swimsuit into the springs, like in many countries I've visited on my travels.

(Oddly, "hygiene" doesn't enter my mind at all. Probably unless the place is horrendously filthy. Luckily, I haven't encountered such a place in my onset experience so far)It's really, really, really amazing what an hour in those waters can do!!!!! I may stink a little with sulfur, but my skin is sooooooo smooth : ) Totally rejuvenated from the horrible treatment it got during my RTW trip.

The other main highlight of staying at a ryokan is the food - a huge course of local specialties.

Everything comes in small pieces, so it's great to be able to experience a bunch of different tastes. YUM. But extremely full by the time I'm through with the meal (with obvious leftovers).

Then, watch TV, chat, and read to aid in digestion.
Then, back to the onsen. Same patten as above, except the "wash & shampoo" would be replaced by a "quick rinse".

I swear, the staff must keep an eye on their guests like the CIA. Because by the time you're out of the onsen and back in the room, the futon is beautifully made. Just screaming to be slept in, which I gladly do.
Definitely more comfortable than hotel beds. It must be the sleeping on the floor thing and the warm, soft comforters.

The next morning, we wake up early to be fed another huge meal - fish, tofu, miso soup, rice. Lovely.
Then….you guessed it! Return to the onsen for a final soak : )
During which time the staff remove the futons and return the room to its original condition.

Before heading back to Tokyo, we took the cable car up to the top of the mountains. In the winter, it's used to transport skiers and boarders up to the slopes. Now, it's for the tourists who want to get a panoramic view of the snow capped mountains:I didn't expect to see any snow, considering it's already late April, but I guess these mountains are either really tall, or Japan was having a cool season. Then again, this could be normal. Who knows. As I said, I've never been around these regions except to ski.

Back in Tokyo

VERY VERY VERY long flight.

9 hours from Sao Paolo to NY.

2 hours layover in NY. Walked right into the Newsstand to buy some gossip magazines...Haven't touched them in ages!

Got a cup of SBUX tall soy latte.

14 hours from NY to Tokyo.

I'm glad that my hostel let me have a really late check out for a small fee, and that I was able to take a shower before getting to the airport.

By the time I was halfway thru the 2nd flight, I was so so so so so so so so so bored.

Done with all the interesting new release films.

Tired of reading.

Sick of lying down in my seat.

I'm never going to do this flight again.

I used to have a Brazilian friend who often did this, even for a week's vacation back home. How did she ever do it?!

Anyways, I'm done with the travel thing. For now.

Meaning I don't have any more flight tickets in hand to go anywhere.

But, here's the thing….I know I'm supposed to get back into reality, live a normal course of life (ie. FIND A JOB), but…. I have to be in Italy in a few weeks for my friend's wedding (I'm the bridesmaid so there's absolutely no way I can ditch that one), and then the summer vacation season starts.

The dilemma being, should I start looking for a job now, or be a bum until the end of the summer???

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Either way, I'm headed north this weekend. Time for some hot springs/onsen and traditional Japanese food.

Sao Paolo - Where My RTW Adventure Comes to a Close

OMG, is it really the end???

Has it finally come down to this???

I call this THE END, because my GRU - NRT leg (that's Sao Paolo - Tokyo for the non-airport savvy readers) is the last flight on my around the world ticket.
But, just because it's my last ticket, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the end of my trip. Right?! We'll see about that…

So, Sao Paolo.
It certainly isn't one of the prettiest cities. The architecture is blaaaah, as well as the sights. I spent one day doing the touristy thing, like walking around Avendida Paulista (the city's main thoroughfare):I checked out the small markets nearby, but never ended up in the museum you see on the left. Odd that I now think about it. I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but maybe the ugly outer appearance of the building had something to do with my decision...
And then to the Liberdade, the Japanese district:

Having been away from Japanese food for so long (I can't say that my Rio encounter was Japanese), I was drawn to the nattos and tofus and snacks lining the aisles of the numerous stores. Surprisingly expensive, with a natto pack costing around $4. No doubt I would've happily spent that money, if I wasn't heading back to Japan so soon.

I was hoping to meet up here with the JICA girls that I met in Recife, so I picked up the pay phone. Dialed. No answer. It was the weekend, and I only had her work number. Bad planning.

By the way, it's really to get around in the city with the metro and buses. Perfectly safe, no worries. Both around 2.50BRL for the ride.

With that done (really, that's sadly the extent of my sightseeing), the rest of my time in the city was devoted to shopping and eating.
The area around Rua Oscar Freire was great!!! A bit upscale, I once again fell in love with Brazilian designers.
Most notable would be Havaianas. Yup, the flip flop store, where I discovered that they have more than flip flops. I thought looooong and hard about buying a beach bag there, but didn't give in considering I wasn't likely to be at a beach anytime soon after this trip. I did, however, end up buying several pairs for my friends back home since they weren't that common there yet. Plus, I bought a ruler earlier in the day just for this purpose. Not kidding.
Unfortunately, no luck at Rosa Cha for the bikinis. Kicking myself for not buying the one I saw back in Rio.
But there were some nice clothes elsewhere that I thought might be useful back in Japan. I've been living off of the same15 shirts and underwear, 5 pants, 5 socks, a fleece, a rain jacket, and a sweater for the past year. It's probably time to change my wardrobe.
No need to point this out, but by the end of my shopping-mania, my backpack was extremely full. To the point I was concerned about my new shoes being disfigured when I unpacked in Tokyo.

And, to ease myself back into the reality that awaited me, I had a Starbucks latte.

THE END

(maybe)

Stopover in Paraty

Before heading back to Sao Paolo, I decided to make a 2-day stopover in the small, colonial seaside town of Paraty. Located right smack in the middle of the route between Rio and Sao Paolo, it makes for an excellent detour.

Paraty is a great place and is gaining popularity among travelers, but it doesn't have that many buses. Best advice - buy an onward ticket as soon as you arrive, which I intelligently (?) did for the day after tomorrow.

I didn't have a room booked, so I went along with the first guy that offered a room - a dorm bed in a slightly shabby, dark room. Hmmm…. It was going to be my last few nights, and I felt like some comfort. Although I'd have to pay double his original quote, he took me to another small guesthouse (more like a bed & breakfast), which sold me immediately. It wasn't located within the colonial old town limits, but the town is small enough that I could walk anywhere.

After unpacking and settling into the room, I realized I was starving. Headed out to wander and check out some food places nearby. My great find was this cozy, vegetarian cafe, with yummy juice (think passion fruit!) and sandwiches. Chowed down. Followed by a little relaxation with a cup of coffee.

My tummy satisfied, I headed towards the colonial area.

With a slight detour at a shoe store (yup, you read correctly) to buy a pair of these cheapie looking Brasilian sneakers (in silver!!!) that I've been dying for. Not sneakers, more like those Puma shoes, but with absolutely no sole. There's no logical explanation for my purchase, except that i was REALLY attracted to the Brasilian flag on the sides.

Anyways, like any colonial town, Paraty has its cobblestoned alleyways, churches, and colorful buildings with gift shops, hotels, and restaurants. But what made this town one of my favorites was its quaintness and serenity. It was just so comfortable walking around and snapping photos that it was easy to lose track of time.

The next day, I took a boat tour thru the bay. I didn't realize how many small islands were in the area, some of them owned privately by very wealthy people I assume, because there were many an island with a single house/mansion.

For the most part, you enjoy the passing beautiful scenery on the boat - turquoise water dotted with lush green islands. And there's also time for some snorkeling:And some chillin' at the beach:

Not anything astonishing or mind-blowing, but I highly recommend this tour to anyone going to Paraty. An enjoyable, tranquil way to spend a few hours in the bay : )

FYI - I booked a the tour from my guest house (35BRL), but you can actually go down to the harbor in the morning and get on whichever boat satisfies your desires. There were a bunch of them docked, offering more or less the same trip, I think. Maybe there's a difference in food…I had the usual chicken vs. fish option and a coconut for purchase on board, which I gladly did. One annoyance was the on-board entertainers, requesting tips after their musical performance. Can't have everything perfect…

Next, Sao Paolo. Only 2 more days left. Major tears.

I'm Still Here...

…in Rio. Since my bed was still available, I extended my stay at the hostel for a couple of nights. Not that I really had anything to do in particular.

But, I did get some administrative things done.

Like confirmed my flight to Japan on the 20th. And cleared up my visa issue.

As you may recall, when I applied for my Brazil tourist visa in Argentina, I made the mistake of only applying for a 30-day entry, even though I'd be in the country for 31 days. It's only 1 day, but I didn't want to risk being banned from traveling to Brazil forever. On my city tour the other day, I met a UK guy who was also having visa issues and needed an extension. So, we decided to take the bus and head to the Federal Police office at the Rio airport one morning to figure things out.

Strange how I had to go to the police for this.

Anyways, no one spoke much English there, but somehow I got my point across. The woman checked my visa/stamps and her PC data and quickly smiled to tell me "no problem". I didn't even need an extension.

Huh??? But my visa says 30 days.

"No problem, no problem, no problem. It's OK!!!"

Really???

Apparently, my visa says 30 days, but the immigration official who stamped me in gave me 40 days.

How can he do that???

To calm me down (and to get rid of me), she showed me the entry stamp in which the guy wrote down 40 diaz.

Still, how can he do that???

Whatever. I'll just have to trust this woman… Issue resolved.

My buddy, on the other hand, definitely needed an extension. While his application was being processed, we headed over to the terminals and had some airport food. Steak w/ fries - wasn't all that bad!

Other than that, I did a loooooooooot of shopping : ) Both in Ipanema and some malls in the suburbs that I went to via bus. I love riding these local-route buses, watching the scenery and the people, the prettiness and the dirtiness.

Shopping here was great!!! Although I'd have to carry around my purchases for the next few days, I ended up buying some clothes (even a jacket!) and a pair of shoes. Only because I found out that some brands wouldn't be available in Sao Paolo. Strange, but true. One of the brands I fell in love with, Redley, doesn't have a store there. Boooooo. Hence the massive jacket purchase.

I also did some gift shopping at Gilson Martins, which has a bunch of accessories with Brazilian motifs. Very cool. Thanks, Sawako, for recommending this store to me back in Recife!

One thing I didn't bother with in Rio (perhaps shocking to some of you?!) was the beach.

In all honestly, it didn't really look like pleasant waters, dirty with massive waves. Totally overrated, me thinks.

But, it was enjoyable to walk around and people-watch. Especially the Brazilian men in their tiny, tight speedos, playing volleyball, soccer, or jogging.

(Darn - I didn't get any photos!)

Rio de Janeiro for Tourists

Yup, that's me. The tourist.

Here's the rundown of the sights I was taken around to on the hostel's tour. By small van. Some good, some blaaaaah:

1. Pedra Bonita viewpoint. The drive up and the scenery made me realize how tropical, lush, and full of green vegetation Rio is! It's a ginormous city, but a few miles can take you to wonderful nature! Mountains and beaches. Would looooove to live here sometime!!!

Anyways, Pedra Bonita is not only a viewpoint, it's also the stepping-off point for hang gliders.How awesome is that!!!!!

I am definitely banging my head on the table right now for not having joined in the jump. Arghhhhh.

2. Tijuca National Park. OK, so this wasn't all that interesting for me. Walked around a bit in the semi rainforest, towards the somewhat mediocre waterfall and butterflies.But to reiterate my earlier point, having a national park within the city makes Rio one of the most beautiful major cities in the world.

3. Corcovado. Also known as the Christ the Redeemer statue. Probably THE symbolic landmark of Rio. I think there's a funicular train up to the statue, but we just got dropped off at the parking lot and walked up.

Man, was is crowded up there! Everyone taking a picture with the big Christ from every angle possible. With many odd-posing tourists, it proved to be a challenge to get a nice, clean shot.I don't exactly know why, but it was such a joy to see the statue. Felt that Christ was actually watching over me… hopefully : )

Because it's located waaaay up on top of a hill, you can get a great view of the city, especially towards Sugar Loaf (keep reading).Had a quick bite of cheese bread and chicken pastries at one of the vendors. Yum.

4. Favela. Basically, these are the "slums" around Rio and throughout Brazil. Notorious for poverty and crimes, I think they can offer some interesting insight into how the not-so-priveleged locals live. Many companies offer tours into some of the favelas (as going on your own can be quite dangerous), but I didn't join. I just drove by and made a photo stop.

5. Escadaria Selaron. Very colorful steps donated from throughout the world. Initially, the steps were decorated using rubbish tiles picked up locally or designed by the project founder (Jorge Selaron). However, as the steps gained popularity, visitors started to ship over and donate tiles from their own country. There's an explanation tile on site.

On a side note, the stairs are located in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio - where all the bars and nightlife are. Great for some samba, I hear.

6. Pao de Acucar. More commonly known as Sugar Loaf Mountain, in English.

For some reason, my tour didn't include this, even though it's probably the 2nd most visited site in Rio behind Christ. But, we did have an option of either getting dropped off here, or back at the hostel. With the exception of 2 travelers, we all chose Sugar.

After searching for an ATM (some girl didn't have enough cash for the entrance), we all boarded the cable car up the mountain.The sunset is the thing to see up here. Since it was still a bit early, we decided to chill at the top with a cup of beer (coffee in my case) in hand. And I took to avidly observing the planes take off and land from the domestic airport. Hehe.

Well, the view was absolutely stunning! With Christ far off in the distance, and a vast expanse of green hills, blue ocean, and tall buildings. Prettyyyyyyy!!!

Gooooooooo Flamengo!!!

In Rio now. Huuuuuuuuge city, obviously.

From the airport, I contemplated taxi vs. bus. I just forked over 60BRL to get to the airport in Salvador, so I didn't want to spend another 60+ here. Since I had directions to get to the hostel with public transport and minimal walking, and since I arrived mid-day, I decided to give that a try.
No problemo~~~. I got off the bus in Ipanema, where I'd be staying, and a 2-block walk took me to the Mango Tree Hostel. Only 7BRL.
Phew.
(On a side note, a couple who took the same route during my stay, albeit at night, got robbed at knifepoint right in front of the hostel. Scary.)

I usually don't like metro-hostels. Big rooms filled with young, young people, where I sort of feel out of place. The Mango Tree wasn't much different, but I really liked it because….it was unexpectedly spotlessly clean, had good breakfast, and there weren't many of the "party-types" in my room. Another phew.
Plus, the location couldn't be beat!!! Walking distance to shops, restaurants, and the beach. Not that the beach thing mattered to me much.
And Ipanema is one of the very few safe neighborhoods in Rio (well, as safe as Rio can get I suppose), so I had no real qualms about walking around (without my important stuff and baggage, of course).
Location, location, location!!!

Today, I went to see a soccer game.
Yes, I know…an interesting outing choice for Waru.
But the hostel was offering a package (transport + stadium ticket), and I wanted to experience the soccer/football craziness of Brazilians.
Didn't disappoint:Very, very loud. Lots of singing. Lots of banners/flags. Everyone was soooooo into it! Fun, fun, fun!!!
As you can see, I was on the Flamengo team side. I think (?!) the best team in Rio. Due to my lack of significant interest in soccer, I sadly admit to not knowing which team they played against. Ooops. Sigh. (I could take a look at the ticket, but I don't know where it went…)

Although I'd be back in Japan soon, I opted for sushi tonight. And it was a SHOCKING experience.
- My salmon sushi came on plain white rice (WHAT?!)
- My "agedashi-tofu" was fried tofu soup, more than anything else. Small, diced, fried tofu floating in a big bowl of soup (HUH?!)
I honestly thought that Japanese food in Brazil would be good, considering that the country has the second highest population of Japs outside of Japan. Maybe they're all in the Sao Paolo area, where they have a Japan Town. Or maybe I just chose a horrible restaurant. I don't know what went wrong… Waru is confused.
On the other hand, my frozen yoghurt topped with a bunch of fruits (probably my 1st frozen yoghurt in over a year!) @ Yogurberry was delicious. So American!

Anyways, I'm signed up for a full day tour of the city tomorrow with some of the people I met at the soccer game today.
Can't wait to see Jesus.

Quiet Salvador

And now, for my touristic experience of Salvador…

As you know, Salvador de Bahia is renowned for its massively festive carnival earlier in the year. Due to my reluctance to be in a crowded environs (mostly having to do with ridiculous accommodation fees), I'm now here during the quiet, off season.

I arrived a couple of nights ago, on a relatively uncomfortable bus ride. The quality of buses in this country is definitely not up to par with Chile and Argentina. Considering the high fares, I was expecting much better treatment! Slightly disappointing…

Anyways, took the taxi (15BRL) from there to my hostel. Well, actually, because cars aren't allowed in some parts of the old town Pelourinho district, the driver dropped me off in front of the main church square. I had no clue which direction to head from there, but the guy handed me over to another guy who happened to be in the square who also happened to be the owner of the hostel to take me to the hostel. Huh… suspicious. But I followed. And turns out that he was telling the truth.

~ Please read my earlier entry for my "interesting" experience at the hostel. But don't be deterred from staying there - it's an awesome, friendly guesthouse : ) ~

Because Pelourinho = old town, you can imagine what it's like - cobblestoned streets lined with old, colorful buildings, and many churches. Very touristy area, I admit. Still beautiful and enjoyable : ) Reminded me a bit of Cuba.Here's my favorite shot:This one in the main area can be some European city, huh?!I didn't go into the museum on the left, but there's a nice, modern cafe on the ground floor for some refreshments.

So, I spent the majority of my time here just wandering around the historical district. There's supposed to be a wonderful beach nearby, but I didn't bother, having been beached out in this country.

And I was a bit too lazy to even take the "elevador" down to the port area, where the main market is located, although I did walk over to check out the "elevador" itself. Then it hit me… "huh, this is like Portugal! same function, same concept." And then it dawned on me… "duuuuuhhhhhhh, they speak Portugese here!"

(Traveling on my own, I often have these one man conversations by myself. Not out loud, though…well, rarely…)

The food here is fantastic! Categorized as "African-Brazilian" cuisine, it's spicy and to my liking! Probably not very healthy, considering that the local women selling these snacks were often on the heavier/bigger side of the scale…

Yet, I tried some street food as well as some buffet style joints for variety. Yummy everything.

The acaraje (I think): Easiest description would be fried dough with spice paste and veggies. TAAAAASTYYYYY : )

The artwork here was intriguing as well. Lots of small stalls selling funky stuff. Wish I had backpack space and money to buy some…

It makes me sad to realize that I haven't bought any artsy souvenirs throughout my whole trip. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a house decorated with local crafts and memorabelias?! (I need to work on the "house" part soon…)

Tomorrow morning, I'm heading down to Rio. Yaaaaaaay!

Flying, as a bus ride would've been too time consuming.

A Freaky Night

I don't really believe in ghosts. But I am scared of them. Does that mean I believe in them?!?! Hmmm….

Last night was FREAKY.

I went through 金縛り for the first time (I think) in my life.

Not sure if there is an English terminology for it. It's when you can't move at all in the middle of the night - you're awake but can't move a finger or make any sound because a ghost has its hold on you. Lasted for a minute or two.

FREAKY.

I've read about it in books and heard of experiences on TV (perhaps only in Japanese?!) but I never thought I'd go thru it.

Arghhhhhhhh! I am TOTALLY freaked out!!!!

It's nice to have a whole dorm room to myself, but I sincerely hope that I get a roommate ASAP.

A rational, calm side of me, however, also says that it could just have been a nervous system shutdown due to some unexplainable communication disruption between my nerve synapses.

I'm sort of inclined to believe in my "supernatural element" theory though. Because I spent a lot of time in an empty African church:

And saw some sort of religious procession from my window at night:Apologies for the horribly blurry pics. My camera (or ME) can't take good night photos.

Either way, I hope it doesn't happen again. I'm very stressed right now….

So more on my time in Salvador another time.

Recife & Olinda with the JICA Girls

A quick, 4-hour bus ride took me away from Natal and into Recife.

I'll be using Recife as a base to explore the surrounding area, including Olinda.

Since I was at the bus terminal already (quite aways from the city center), I pre-booked my overnight bus to Salvador in 2 days time. Hope it's a decent bus.

Then, an expensive taxi ride (as expected?!). My hostel is in Recife's commercial district, and is conveniently located above a Citibank (possibly a strategic decision on my part). Once I got checked in, a Japanese girl showed me around. I thought that she was a backpacker like myself, but had decided to settle down in Recife for a while by helping out at the hostel. As usual, Waru's intuition was wrong. Sawako was on a JICA assignment to teach Japanese at the local college and often came to hang out at the hostel with her "boyfriend". He was the one working at the hostel.

(FYI - JICA is the Japanese version of the American Peace Corps)

Sawako was quite surprised to see me; I guess not a lot of Japanese tourists come here. Which seems strange given that Olinda is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you know how Japs luuuuuuuuv covering that list. Yes, myself included. But I suppose if they come, they'd rather stay there than in Recife.

Anyways, Sawako mentioned that her friends and fellow JICA-mates from Sao Paolo were arriving in Recife that night and suggested I hang out with them tomorrow to visit Olinda. Safer that way. (She was robbed at knifepoint the first week of her arrival when walking alone. That was the one and only time though.)

For the rest of the evening I was lazy and stayed in the hostel, catching up on my readings. I was so busy for the past week in Natal, that I needed some down time. I did, though, end up going to a nearby Subway (yes, the sandwich shop) with a couple of my dorm-mates. One guy, Leandro, was from the Japan town in Sao Paolo. He invited me to stay at his place when I got there. Will consider.

The next morning (April 7th), I met Sawako and her friends at the hostel and took the bus to Olinda. Affordable at 2.85BRL. Took about 30 minutes.

Such a beautiful day to explore the colonial city! Which mainly involved a couple of churches and taking in the local architecture and street art.

One monastery had some beautiful tiles which reminded me of Portugal:From the viewpoint:Cool street art:At the tourist mercado, there was an exhibition of props used during carnival. Like this guy here:Since I avoided coming to Brazil during that season (February) and never saw the carnival, I'm glad I at least got to see some of the parade ensemble here. Even though it was in a dark, dingy building and had absolutely NO carnival atmosphere.

We decided to splurge a bit on lunch at the famous Oficina do Sabor restaurant. It's in all the guidebooks - Great view and great food. The coconut shrimp stew was yummeroooooo!!!

With Olinda done by mid afternoon, we headed back to Recife and to the Casa de Cultura. I assumed that it was some sort of museum due to the naming. But it's actually a prison, now turned into shopping stalls for tourists. Basically, each prison cell has been converted into a small store selling trinkets and other local crafts.And no, I didn't buy anything. Except a glass of fresh sugar cane juice. Refreshing : )

From there, we needed to head back towards the hostel. But we got sooooo lost getting to the bus stop - going around in circles in the commercial/market district. Hmm… One of the woman we stopped to ask for directions was worried about us, I think, so she took it upon herself to walk us to the stop. So nice.

Really, I'm so awed by how nice people are in general. Strangers that just help out, even in the smallest ways. I need to be like that myself. I hope to be like that when I settle down.

We had some time to kill before meeting Sawako at her apartment, so we headed to the mall. Recife mall was much, much better than Natal. Huuuuuge shopping center with various Brazilian brands. OMG. I love their clothes. Cute. Cool. Weird cuts that Waru likes. I can't wait to go shopping!!! Scary thought, considering my bank account hasn't been fed in over a year now. Another OMG.

Later, we grabbed a quick dinner of beef skewers on the sidewalk and headed back into Recife old town for a night out. Yes. You read it right - A NIGHT OUT. Surprising, huh?! Well, not clubbing or drinking. Just listening to some concerts and dancing in the plaza. With some beer. Loads of fun. Good rhythm! I don't think I've been out this late in a long, long time.

So, time to sleep in!!!

And head to the beach to meet the girls again. Hopefully, I can see them again in Sao Paolo.

The beach in Recife wasn't nearly as nice as those I've been to in the past week, but it's good enough for people watching, coconut sipping, and chatting and reading underneath the parasol. Not for swimming, as I don't think the water here is that clean. And there were shark warnings too...

Natal Days

Even in Natal, Karol and Roberto acted like host parents and took me around everywhere they went, from shopping and restaurants, to sightseeing and beaches.

Yes, Natal too has beaches. Slightly crowded and developed - meaning that you can rent parasols and chairs along the beach. Very cheap at 5BRL.

We did that a couple of days at Ponte Negra, here with its famous Morro do Cacera in the background:

I think they use to have something like sand skiing or boarding over there, but didn't see it happening during my stay. Maybe it's been discontinued.

Such beach days would pass like: a dip in the water, dry out under the parasol, read some pages, drink a coconut (can't be caught without one!), gaze at other beach goers (especially the ultra hot Brazilian men in tightly tight Speedos and the women in their "dental floss" bikinis), have some snacks (my favorite being the chewy baked cheese), nap, and repeat the process over in any way desired. There were activities offered, like surfing lesson that Roberto tried out, but I was content with my beach chair. Just as long as the parasol provided a good, shady covering. Not that it seemed to help much…

As for non beach related sightseeing, the Forte dos Reis Magos was it. Entrance 3BRL. I'm not really keen on forts, but it was something different to do and see.

We took the bus there, which dropped us off at a strip of beach packed with locals and some souvenir stalls. From there, we had to walk at least an hour to get to the damn fort. It was extremely hot, with the sun blaring down, and I was getting very very grumpy : ( The passing taxis seemed so nice…

By the time we got there, I was exhausted, thirsty, and in no mood to check out the fort. Sat around in the shade for a while and had an ice cold drink. Satisfied, I got off my butt and checked that place out. Which took no more than 15 minutes…as I said, I'm not into forts that much.

You can't tell from being there, but one noteworthy point is that the fort is star-shaped. Trust the aerial photographs.

A tip - if you're ever going there, take the taxi and/or a swimsuit. The fort area is surrounded by beaches and in the low tide (or maybe even the whole day), you can actually take the "water route" to shore rather than walk the long way around to the entrance. And there are some pretty tropical fish swimming by too.

Other than that, we went to a couple of shopping centers as Karol felt that the selection and prices here were better than in their home city of Manaus. While they went in search of watches and sneakers, I went bikini hunting! I'm in Brazil; I need to buy one!!!!!! (Not the "dental floss" types of course). But because of my indecisiveness in purchasing things and felt pressed for time, I usually left empty handed.

Until I went alone. Rather than spend another day at the beach with them, I headed to one of the nearest shopping center to dig for bikinis. Success. They didn't have any of the brands I wanted (probably need to be in Rio or Sao Paolo for that), but I did manage to find a cute, wearable one : ) Which made me want to go to the beach even more. But my plan was to leave for Recife the following day. Arrrrghhhh!!! Bad timing. I hope I have a chance to wear it before I leave Brazil…

I also got a pedicure that day, too. A French pedicure for only 18BRL. Efficient and hygienic - an individual, packaged kit for each customer. I think this must have been the best pedicure I've had during the entire trip. Although that doesn't say much since I've only had at most 5.

My great, fun-and-sun-filled week in Natal is finally coming to a close. I still can't believe that I spent a whole week at the beach! Never would've imagined that happening. I guess you could say that my feelings and animosity towards the beach has changed significantly.

But I think most of it had to do with Karol and Roberto. It was such a random meeting at the bus terminal, but they made my experience here so rewarding and exciting. Honestly, I wouldn't have lasted more than 2 days in this place had I been on my own. I'm going to miss being in their company. SAD.

I need to keep heading south.

A Beachy Week Turns Waru to Pork Roast

I'm serious. I spent EIGHT days on the beach. And I actually enjoyed it quite a bit (and the food too)!!!

This is what happened: From Jericoacoara, I took a night jeep/bus to Fortaleza, and then a bus to Natal, which was my next destination. The whole journey took 12+ hours.

Believe me, I never intended to stay in Natal for more than a couple of days. But when I got out of the bus terminal to get into town, a taxi seemed to be the only option. The driver quoted 35BRL. As usual, I was suspicious…was I being ripped off?! A young Brazilian couple was getting into a taxi behind me, so I asked them how much they were quoted - 35BRL. Fine. I need to be more trusting of taxi drivers. The couple then asked me if I knew where I was going in Natal. Of course not, except to the Ponta Negra area near the beach where all the low budged accommodations were. It turns out that they were also going there. So, we crammed into one taxi and went to whatever cheap hotel the driver took us. I wouldn't say that the hotel was exactly within my budget, but it was clean and AC-ed. A big plus in the sunny muggy northeastern Brazil. So, we all decided to stay there.

While being checked in, the couple asked about my plans in Natal. Of course I didn't have one. I think they took pity on me for being clueless and alone. They decided to take me along for the week - using Natal as a base, they were driving a rental car west and east with a bunch of beach stops along the way. Wow! Cool! I'd have to cut out some of the other cities I'd planned for the remainder of Brazil, but this would definitely take me off the beaten path. Great!!!

OK, name time. The wonderful couple are Karol and Roberto, two lawyers from Manaus. Both in their late 20s, I think. Super sweet. Hope to keep in touch with them and perhaps even visit them when I get a chance to travel the Amazon. Who knows when that would be though...

So, here starts my week in Natal. I'll go into the Natal details in another entry. Let me just focus on the road trip and beaches for now.

Unfortunately, I don't remember all the areas we went to. It's not entirely because my brain is dead; I doubt some of the beaches even had specific names. All I know is that one day, we headed all the way east to Baia Formosa and then west to San Miguel on another. Stayed one night in each town.

A beach is a beach, no matter how pretty. Ocean meets sand. Hence, all the beaches are kind of jumbled up in my mind now, so please just enjoy the random pics and commentary!

View from the drive:

Our car got stuck in the sand:Pretty, pretty beach. Such remoteness can be good and bad. Good, of course, for the quiet and space. Bad for the lack of coconut and snack stalls:What a tough life, right? If only I had a coconut in my hands. FYI - this is at a freshwater pond.Another pretty, pretty beach. Actually, I think this one is Pipa, another hippy-ish beach town:I do, however, know most of what I've consumed during those days thanks to my little black book (helps to track expenses). A quick rundown: carne de sol, shrimps, coconuts, more shrimp, tapioca crepes, bad ice cream, more shrimps, more coconuts, acai, more coconuts, more shrimps, guarana juice (the real thing, not the can!), random Chinese food, tapioca ice cream, random Italian pasta, more acai, more carne de sol. Huh, interesting… Not much variety.

And now for the proof that I've been roasted (@ an amazing tapioca restaurant in Natal):I've officially converted to being Brazilian. I don't think anyone will believe that I'm 100% Japanese when I go back in 3 weeks. Might need to go see a skin whitening specialist...