Spanish in Sucre, Bolivia

The last week has been a rush of countryside and sleepless nights on buses and trains.  In seven days I have done the following:

• Rio de Janeiro -> Foz do Iguacu = 1,500km, 25 hours on a bus.
• Two nights in a hostel.
• Foz do Iguacu -> Campo Grande = 730 km, 16 hours on a bus.
• Campo Grande -> Corumba = 530 km, 8 hours on a bus.
• One night in a hostel.
• Corumba (Brazil) -> Santa Cruz (Bolivia) = 650km, 13 hours on a train.
• Santa Cruz -> Sucre = 580km, 14 hours on a bus.

I arrived, bleary eyed and sore-necked after a horrible bus ride, in sunny but cold Sucre, a small town in Bolivia at 2750m above sea level. The change in countryside has been impressive, bringing to mind the scenery I was expecting when I pictured South America before leaving home. Arid, mountainous vistas, and stark white houses with terracotta roofs. Nights will be getting cold now due to the elevation, a tough pill to swallow after the pleasant barmy evenings in south-west Brazil.

Tired and embarrassed of saying "No hablo castelleno" I have enrolled in a 60 hour Spanish language course, before continuing my travels. I like what I have seen of Bolivia so far, Sucre should be the perfect place to relax, learn and plan the next stage of my trip.

Photos of Sucre to come in the following weeks.

Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

I awoke before dawn (been a while since that has occurred) and crossed the border into Argentina. While the Brazilian side gives you an overview of the falls, the Argentinian side allows you to get much closer.

I arrived to the park and made my way straight out to ´The Devils Throat´. It involved catching a small train to a steel walkway that ran a couple of hundred metres out over the swollen river, until it finished at a small platform looking straight down into the abyss.

If I was blown away yesterday then I don´t know the words to describe the feeling of being out there, so close to the thunder of the falls. It is staggering....

After returning to the main park I walked the upper and lower trails, winding my way along the falls, in awe of the amount of water that flows through the Iguazu river.

I missed the last train out to ´The Devils Throat´ so I missed the sunset on the Argentinian side. Not a problem, I was well and truly satisfied spending the day at such an amazing place.

Definitely a world wonder, not to be missed....

More photos here

Foz do Iguacu, Brazil

I survived the 25 hour bus journey from Rio de Janeiro and made it to Foz do Iguacu at midday. I checked into my hostel and lost no time heading to the world famous Iguacu Falls. I stepped off the bus and came out onto the first lookout point.

The first thought in my head was..... Is that it? It was big, but I was expecting more.

I continued around to the next vantage point and.... I was stunned!

The forest at the first viewpoint obscured the majority of the falls, now, seeing the rest stretch out around me I was taken aback! Just incredible! The further around the track I walked the more impressive it became, succeeding my expectations every step of the way. It truly is an absolutely incredible sight.

Taking the steel walkway out towards ´The Devils Throat´, feeling the spray and hearing the thunderous roar of the falls is a feeling I won´t forget. In the few hours I was there I walked the tracks several times and watched the sun set over what is definitely a trip highlight. It was a tiring day but worth every minute.

Spectacular.

Tomorrow I venture to the Argentinian side.

More photos here

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

It was a beautiful sunny day when I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, but it didn´t stay that way for long. The first morning I spent on the beach at Copacabana, but after lunch the skies clouded and the heavens opened up. I stayed for a total of 9 days and probably had 12 hours of sunshine the whole time. When the sun was out it was gorgeous, but the weather didn´t want to co-operate. Between watching the Euro 2012 matches, brief stops at the beaches, visiting museums-art galleries, cathedrals and the occasional beer / street party I was kept occupied for most of my time, but I extended my stay on the chance of visiting Sugarloaf and the Redeemer during a sunny day. It wasn´t to be.

After taking a gamble that the sun would stay out (I had high hopes when I woke up on my last full day in Rio as it was bright and sunny outside) I took the bus and train to the imposing Redeemer, but when I arrived to the top the statue was shrouded in fog. Occasionally a gust of wind would reveal a slight glimpse of the amazing panorama, but even that abated as the fog fully set in. By the time I left you could not see the arms of the statue, and I walked down the stairs back to the train in a mist.

Disappointing, but I really enjoyed my time in Rio, I met some great people and definitely want to return in the future...

More photos here

Paraty, Brazil

Along the coast of Brazil, between Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro, the town of Paraty can be found. The old historic aspect of the town has been well preserved, the uneven cobblestones and low-set white buildings mark the ancient centre. It was on a rainy overcast afternoon that I walked along the streets and noticed something I hadn´t seen since Brisbane, January 2011. The incoming tide breaching the bay walls, and salt water starting to creep into the city centre. Soon the nearby roads were under a foot of water, I had to make my way along the raised sections and across makeshift ramps to navigate the area closest to the bay.

In the days before sanitation the town planners had thought that a great way to clean the city twice a day. Later, the tide receded taking it all the oil and grime from the streets. I´m glad I put off swimming in the nearby beach until after I saw that, pretty disgusting!

Only a small town, the rest of my days were spent exploring the nearby beaches and waterfalls. After a poor start the weather came good, bright sunny days to finish my time there. After a very sweaty bike ride it was amazing to swim in the frigid waterfalls and streams. The nearby beaches were nice, although they had nothing on Florianopolis it was great after the heat of Sao Paulo.

More photos here