I have just learned that even the long and medium buses between cities have to be booked as far in advance as the agent will let you, less you find that the bus is full and you are unable to board it.
As I had already pushed my trip forward by a few days I cannot now change the dates back again, as the reservations are cancelled, so I have had to instead purchase a flight that will get me into Piura at the same time as the bus would have done, at a cost of about ten times the cost, thus the advice is if you have a long distance journey of any description, book it or visit the terminal and buy it in at least three days advance if at all possible.
October 28, 2008
A different homesickness
It is weird to sit here, in my friends house, surrounded by happy smiling people and say that I am still a little bit lonely and homesick, and what is weird is that having been scared and in a panic to get home in Brazil homesick, this isn't even the same kind of homesick.
Perhaps it is looking at all the photos of other peoples family and being so far away from my own, perhaps it is the time difference that means that most of the time when I am awake all my friends are asleep and so out of contact, or maybe it is just that I was not prepared to be away from home for months at a time, or maybe its a little bit of all of them.
It is not a depressive or regretful blackness like the last time, as I am still happy, cheerful and eager to get on the bus bound for the next destination, but there is definetly something small nagging at my ease and comfort, like a thief that has stole the cherry on top of the icing on my cake.
It is hard to find the right words, as I do not want to give the wrong impression and I do not want to cut my trip short and come home by any means, but I am just thinking that perhaps a solo RTW trip would have been better if I had somehow managed to slip in a week each month back in the UK with my family and friends.
I guess I just want the best of everything, the travel, the adventure, the new friends and the comfort of home and my old friends and family, which of course is impossible, but then humans are just breathing wish making machines and so I guess I have got to get used to it.
I have enjoyed my time in Lima and the friends I have made here I feel I will keep or years to come, and I have made a promise to myself that, asuming I am back in the country myself, if they were to ever visit the UK then they would have the best guide that I can be for them for the duration of their visit.
But for now, I have to plan for a new city and a new journey ... ever onward :o)
Perhaps it is looking at all the photos of other peoples family and being so far away from my own, perhaps it is the time difference that means that most of the time when I am awake all my friends are asleep and so out of contact, or maybe it is just that I was not prepared to be away from home for months at a time, or maybe its a little bit of all of them.
It is not a depressive or regretful blackness like the last time, as I am still happy, cheerful and eager to get on the bus bound for the next destination, but there is definetly something small nagging at my ease and comfort, like a thief that has stole the cherry on top of the icing on my cake.
It is hard to find the right words, as I do not want to give the wrong impression and I do not want to cut my trip short and come home by any means, but I am just thinking that perhaps a solo RTW trip would have been better if I had somehow managed to slip in a week each month back in the UK with my family and friends.
I guess I just want the best of everything, the travel, the adventure, the new friends and the comfort of home and my old friends and family, which of course is impossible, but then humans are just breathing wish making machines and so I guess I have got to get used to it.
I have enjoyed my time in Lima and the friends I have made here I feel I will keep or years to come, and I have made a promise to myself that, asuming I am back in the country myself, if they were to ever visit the UK then they would have the best guide that I can be for them for the duration of their visit.
But for now, I have to plan for a new city and a new journey ... ever onward :o)
October 22, 2008
Review of Loki Hostel
To get to the hostel from the airport just grab a taxi, but remember to haggle as it should be around PES 10 or 15 max but they will try it on and say 20 or more, saying it is a long way, but it isnt that much in the car.
It is up at the top of a hill, so getting to anywhere is easy as you just have to go downhill, but after a long day you might want to get a taxi back up again from the main plaza, that taxi fare should be around PES 5 or less, as it really isnt a long drive at all, just all up hill.
The hostel has lots of europeans, canadian, australians and americans so almost everyone in the hostel speaks English, as do all the receptionists and bar staff, but they speak better Spanish as its their native language.
The rooms are dorms of 8 to 10, with large lockers under your bunk beds enough for anything and also small mini lockers in the reception if you dont want to leave it in your room, but bring your own padlocks to save having to rent or buy them here.
They have free linen and a basic free breakfast, but the more luxurious ones you have to pay for, and you also get to run up a bar tab for everything so you just have to pay at the end for all you have used.
There are plenty of places to have your laundry done just down the hill and the small local shops do very cheap food and drinks.
Apparently some people have said that they have had bad problems with the food, but then milk and cheese are not very good for non-locals and the high altitudes can also muck up the digestion a bit too, so plan for that and be prepared.
The hostel also has hot water showers all day long, a bar, a mini restaurant, a pool table and 6 computers that are free to use, though they limit you to only half an hour.
Cusco centre is filled with tourist places, so if you have time and are a little adventurous, dont bother to book any activities here and just turn up and then take a stroll near the main centre and play them off against each other for a much better deal, also don't forget that a great haggling tool is to seem half interested and then walk away saying its still too much and see if they come after you, if not you can always go back after or if not then there are still tons of other ones to chose from.
In cusco you can arrange flights, train and bus tickets, tours to the various places ( but dont think you can do more than one in a day cos they are all over the place and it takes hours to reach each place by car or bus ) water rafting, climbing and even paragliding.
If you need extra money and can speak good english there are often adverts up for bar staff in the irisih bars in town, as there are in the hostel itself.
Hope this helps and I hope you end up loving Cusco as much as I do.
It is up at the top of a hill, so getting to anywhere is easy as you just have to go downhill, but after a long day you might want to get a taxi back up again from the main plaza, that taxi fare should be around PES 5 or less, as it really isnt a long drive at all, just all up hill.
The hostel has lots of europeans, canadian, australians and americans so almost everyone in the hostel speaks English, as do all the receptionists and bar staff, but they speak better Spanish as its their native language.
The rooms are dorms of 8 to 10, with large lockers under your bunk beds enough for anything and also small mini lockers in the reception if you dont want to leave it in your room, but bring your own padlocks to save having to rent or buy them here.
They have free linen and a basic free breakfast, but the more luxurious ones you have to pay for, and you also get to run up a bar tab for everything so you just have to pay at the end for all you have used.
There are plenty of places to have your laundry done just down the hill and the small local shops do very cheap food and drinks.
Apparently some people have said that they have had bad problems with the food, but then milk and cheese are not very good for non-locals and the high altitudes can also muck up the digestion a bit too, so plan for that and be prepared.
The hostel also has hot water showers all day long, a bar, a mini restaurant, a pool table and 6 computers that are free to use, though they limit you to only half an hour.
Cusco centre is filled with tourist places, so if you have time and are a little adventurous, dont bother to book any activities here and just turn up and then take a stroll near the main centre and play them off against each other for a much better deal, also don't forget that a great haggling tool is to seem half interested and then walk away saying its still too much and see if they come after you, if not you can always go back after or if not then there are still tons of other ones to chose from.
In cusco you can arrange flights, train and bus tickets, tours to the various places ( but dont think you can do more than one in a day cos they are all over the place and it takes hours to reach each place by car or bus ) water rafting, climbing and even paragliding.
If you need extra money and can speak good english there are often adverts up for bar staff in the irisih bars in town, as there are in the hostel itself.
Hope this helps and I hope you end up loving Cusco as much as I do.
October 18, 2008
Kidnapping in Brazil
It would appear that a few days ago in the town of Damanhua a girl and her male friend visited her ex boyfriend at his request, in his apartment high up in an apartment block.
Once there the ex boyfriend became jealous, enraged and taking out a gun threatened them both before holding them hostage, while a forth person a female, was also in the apartment block.
Once the police got involved it all gets a little complicated but the other female was seen at times at the window trying to calm down the police and requesting food, then sent down a rope made of twisted blankets to have the food pulled up.
The ordeal lasted around 100 hours and in the end someone starting firing their weapons, no one yet is confirming who started it, and then finaly the police were able to break in and video footage can be seen through a partly open doorway of a policeman pummeling the gunman before he was fully arrested and removed from the building.
Stretchers were brought up for the girl and the boy who turned up and the other female was also detained for questioning. Sadly the girl was dead upon arrival at the hospital and the boy is in critical condition so it could be a double fatality.
The press is screaming for answers, all the politicians are trying to claim an advantage by suggesting new reforms for handling such situations and the public are questioning why the food given was not drugged to put the man to sleep or why crack marksmen did not take him out when he appeared at the window beside the other woman during talks with the police.
It is a dark day for anyone who knows either of the victims and certainly an image of Brazil that I cannot help but take away with me, even though I only witnessed it through the media and, thankfully, not personally.
Once there the ex boyfriend became jealous, enraged and taking out a gun threatened them both before holding them hostage, while a forth person a female, was also in the apartment block.
Once the police got involved it all gets a little complicated but the other female was seen at times at the window trying to calm down the police and requesting food, then sent down a rope made of twisted blankets to have the food pulled up.
The ordeal lasted around 100 hours and in the end someone starting firing their weapons, no one yet is confirming who started it, and then finaly the police were able to break in and video footage can be seen through a partly open doorway of a policeman pummeling the gunman before he was fully arrested and removed from the building.
Stretchers were brought up for the girl and the boy who turned up and the other female was also detained for questioning. Sadly the girl was dead upon arrival at the hospital and the boy is in critical condition so it could be a double fatality.
The press is screaming for answers, all the politicians are trying to claim an advantage by suggesting new reforms for handling such situations and the public are questioning why the food given was not drugged to put the man to sleep or why crack marksmen did not take him out when he appeared at the window beside the other woman during talks with the police.
It is a dark day for anyone who knows either of the victims and certainly an image of Brazil that I cannot help but take away with me, even though I only witnessed it through the media and, thankfully, not personally.
October 17, 2008
Tailor Your Trips
I had this morning an epiphany and I now know that the whole problem with me not enjoying Brazil is my piss poor planning and high expectations.
When I think of travelling to South America I still dream about mountain trekking, climbing and rediscovering ancient ruins of cities that it takes awhile to get to and come back from while battling against the elements and wildlife.
I also think of the women, the discos and the beaches but I forget that alone a beach can be a boring place, especially when you cant leave anything around and take a dip, and of course I can't dance so going to a disco is pointless especially as it is dangerous for a single white guy to walk the streets at night.
Now this is all well and good and I had a good time in Salvador going around on a tour bus and visiting the turtle farm, but I had not done anywhere near enough research and just expected it all to be laid out on a plate when I arrived in Rio for a tourist like me to pick up at the hostel.
However Rio and Sao Paulo are not ancient and historical ruins, but modern bustling third world metropolises with no wildlife to spot, no flora to wade through and the only element I need to fight off is the constant burning heat.
I suppose if I had taken a proper booked tour to the rain forests of the Amazon then I would have loved it, but being alone in the middle of a city that cannot compete with London for attractions, safety, familiarity and the ability to get in touch with friends and family at the drop of a hat, I was always onto a loser really.
My fault entirely, and I no longer blame Brazil for me not liking it, that is all my fault for not correctly tailoring my trip to what I enjoy doing.
I came about this sudden realisation when I was looking at what I was wanting to do in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, and realised that I could also do all those things in Brazil if only I had chosen to visit the right towns and either booked or at least found out about what kind of tours are available.
It is true that being kicked out of my Rio hostel and missing on a trip to see the dude and watch the football match in the worlds largest stadium put me onto a downer and was only a tiny bit my fault for posting my comments too early, but I should have picked myself up a lot sooner and not wasted any time feeling sorry for myself.
So, although I have a full 48 hours before I arrive in Peru and I doubt that I will have enough time to do everything that I want to do there, at least I have got a proper heading and not just a "third star on the right and straight on til morning" approach to the next few cities I will be visiting.
Today I managed to sort out my laundry, post another package back home and took a nice long stroll to a few places to try and find a nokia charger and my old one has bust, but sadly I could not find any. Oh well, win some lose some.
When I think of travelling to South America I still dream about mountain trekking, climbing and rediscovering ancient ruins of cities that it takes awhile to get to and come back from while battling against the elements and wildlife.
I also think of the women, the discos and the beaches but I forget that alone a beach can be a boring place, especially when you cant leave anything around and take a dip, and of course I can't dance so going to a disco is pointless especially as it is dangerous for a single white guy to walk the streets at night.
Now this is all well and good and I had a good time in Salvador going around on a tour bus and visiting the turtle farm, but I had not done anywhere near enough research and just expected it all to be laid out on a plate when I arrived in Rio for a tourist like me to pick up at the hostel.
However Rio and Sao Paulo are not ancient and historical ruins, but modern bustling third world metropolises with no wildlife to spot, no flora to wade through and the only element I need to fight off is the constant burning heat.
I suppose if I had taken a proper booked tour to the rain forests of the Amazon then I would have loved it, but being alone in the middle of a city that cannot compete with London for attractions, safety, familiarity and the ability to get in touch with friends and family at the drop of a hat, I was always onto a loser really.
My fault entirely, and I no longer blame Brazil for me not liking it, that is all my fault for not correctly tailoring my trip to what I enjoy doing.
I came about this sudden realisation when I was looking at what I was wanting to do in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, and realised that I could also do all those things in Brazil if only I had chosen to visit the right towns and either booked or at least found out about what kind of tours are available.
It is true that being kicked out of my Rio hostel and missing on a trip to see the dude and watch the football match in the worlds largest stadium put me onto a downer and was only a tiny bit my fault for posting my comments too early, but I should have picked myself up a lot sooner and not wasted any time feeling sorry for myself.
So, although I have a full 48 hours before I arrive in Peru and I doubt that I will have enough time to do everything that I want to do there, at least I have got a proper heading and not just a "third star on the right and straight on til morning" approach to the next few cities I will be visiting.
Today I managed to sort out my laundry, post another package back home and took a nice long stroll to a few places to try and find a nokia charger and my old one has bust, but sadly I could not find any. Oh well, win some lose some.
October 16, 2008
Homesick in Brazil
I am not the worlds best traveller and no matter how many countries I visit or how long I stay away from home will not change that fact.
I do not enjoy sleeping alone, breakfasts that I cannot decribe or identify, trying to guide myself about using jedi force and blind luck, hopping on and off buses and metro stops because I am afraid that I will get lost if I chose to walk, music that I cannot sing along with, tv that is so wholy strange I cannot tell where the adverts end and the programs begins, restautants where flies buzzing over the food is just a daily thing to get past, showers that are either constantly hot or cold, sun that is so hot I am diving from shop to shop just to hide from the rays, time zones where everyone is asleep when I am awake and being so far away from my friends that I cannot share a joke or a thought with a familiar face.
It is no wonder that the armed forced enforce a strict busy daily routine, and it is little wonder than on their off hours many soliders just kill time before their next shift by gambling, drinking or searching for a bit of TLC.
I have a new liking for all inclusive package holidays where the reps do all the work for you and all you have to do is go from one amusement to the next and tip a little here and there to oil the wheels.
When I first thought of going travelling I liked the idea, but it was a bit like namedropping with Cities. If I was to mention that I saw Brad Pitt and had a long conversations with him then a lot of people would ask more about it, but other than the fact it was Brad Pitt it is unlikely that any of the conversation itself would be remarkable or worth retelling as a story.
So when I thought about travelling I chose lots of cities that seemed cool, that I had heard lots of good things about and a few that had people I knew of there, but not always good friends. I forgot to include that the people who went there did not do so on a shoestring budget, that they did not go alone, that they could speak a lot more of the local language than me and that they were only going for a couple of weeks as a break from their normal lives.
Whereas I am doing everything the opposite, and it would be nice to find a place that I fitted in and could stay for a week or two to escape from the hassle of travelling without it feeling like I am pulling my nails trying to get through the day without actually spending vast amounts of money or watching movie reruns.
A few people said that this trip was likely to get travelling out of my system and I would say that it has already, at least in countries where I can't converse with any of the locals, where I am alone and where I have nothing that I really want to see.
I can already say that I am looking forward to Peru only because I have an interest in Inca history and culture, but also because I have a few friends that I am sure will not let me down and we can share some good quality time just hanging out and socialising.
Looking at my itiniary I am getting a little nervous about various weeks in the trip when I can already see that I will have no one around to talk with and by the middle of the week I will be feeling a little sorry for myself.
I would not say that going travelling around the world was a mistake, as it was something that I did enjoy, and something that when it is done right I still do enjoy, but after this I think that I will be on the lookout for a new hobby that does not involve spending thousands of pounds and taking me so far out of my comfort zone.
I do not enjoy sleeping alone, breakfasts that I cannot decribe or identify, trying to guide myself about using jedi force and blind luck, hopping on and off buses and metro stops because I am afraid that I will get lost if I chose to walk, music that I cannot sing along with, tv that is so wholy strange I cannot tell where the adverts end and the programs begins, restautants where flies buzzing over the food is just a daily thing to get past, showers that are either constantly hot or cold, sun that is so hot I am diving from shop to shop just to hide from the rays, time zones where everyone is asleep when I am awake and being so far away from my friends that I cannot share a joke or a thought with a familiar face.
It is no wonder that the armed forced enforce a strict busy daily routine, and it is little wonder than on their off hours many soliders just kill time before their next shift by gambling, drinking or searching for a bit of TLC.
I have a new liking for all inclusive package holidays where the reps do all the work for you and all you have to do is go from one amusement to the next and tip a little here and there to oil the wheels.
When I first thought of going travelling I liked the idea, but it was a bit like namedropping with Cities. If I was to mention that I saw Brad Pitt and had a long conversations with him then a lot of people would ask more about it, but other than the fact it was Brad Pitt it is unlikely that any of the conversation itself would be remarkable or worth retelling as a story.
So when I thought about travelling I chose lots of cities that seemed cool, that I had heard lots of good things about and a few that had people I knew of there, but not always good friends. I forgot to include that the people who went there did not do so on a shoestring budget, that they did not go alone, that they could speak a lot more of the local language than me and that they were only going for a couple of weeks as a break from their normal lives.
Whereas I am doing everything the opposite, and it would be nice to find a place that I fitted in and could stay for a week or two to escape from the hassle of travelling without it feeling like I am pulling my nails trying to get through the day without actually spending vast amounts of money or watching movie reruns.
A few people said that this trip was likely to get travelling out of my system and I would say that it has already, at least in countries where I can't converse with any of the locals, where I am alone and where I have nothing that I really want to see.
I can already say that I am looking forward to Peru only because I have an interest in Inca history and culture, but also because I have a few friends that I am sure will not let me down and we can share some good quality time just hanging out and socialising.
Looking at my itiniary I am getting a little nervous about various weeks in the trip when I can already see that I will have no one around to talk with and by the middle of the week I will be feeling a little sorry for myself.
I would not say that going travelling around the world was a mistake, as it was something that I did enjoy, and something that when it is done right I still do enjoy, but after this I think that I will be on the lookout for a new hobby that does not involve spending thousands of pounds and taking me so far out of my comfort zone.
Attempted Theft
Well I had been warned, so it wasn't a real surprise when it happened, although to be honest there is still a slim possibility that it is my paranoi making up stories.
So to tell the story, there I was in the hotel lobby towards the rear of the main entrance with my laptop surfing for something to do and minding my own business and only in the reception cos they are too cheap to install a good enough wifi server to get to the rooms above.
What is more the photos of the outside and the rooms are totally different from the ones that they have on their website, and if it was any more expensive I would try and have them done for trades description act, but that's another fight for anoher day.
Anyway, I would not have said that anything or anyone was out of place and of course then theives don't wear signs telling you who they were, but every now and again you spot some one that to you has shifty eyes or is acting suspicious to your mind which switches your senses on red alert, and right then a guy came round with a baseball cap and did just that, he got me all on edge.
Eventually he wandered off but a few minutes later the telephone goes in the hotels main reception and then the check-in guy comes over telling me that I have a phone call. Now, I hadn't told anyone what my phone number of the hotel was so it was very unlikely to be for me, but then I had been trying to reach the travel agents to change a flight booking and that was top of my mind at that second, so I fell for it and went up to answer the phone, but chose a phone nearer to my laptop than the one in the main reception.
Once I had the checkin guy put it through it was someguy speaking portuguese and all I got was something about a restaurant before I knew it was a scam and withouth hesitation I slammed the phone down and spun round like a whip. Although my laptop was still there, the guy had returned and was still acting shifty to my mind and I would bet anything that had I fallen completely for the trap, used the main reception telephone and stayed on the line to try and understand the call with possibly the help of the receptionist then by the time I would have gone back to my seat both the laptop and the shifty eyes man in the baseball cap would have been gone.
For me, there is only the tiniest doubt that it wasn't a real attack and just my paranoia acting up and the only serious doubts that I have are a) was the hotel in on it, b) could I prove their involvement and c) how long would it have been before I could get an insurance payout if at all, and finaly d) would I have had to remain here for another week or so while it all went through the system.
All in all I am happy to have my paraoid fears and my laptop than be happily at ease all the time right up until the time when I have it stolen.
Waiting to Exit
I had a thought that I could change my flights or cancel and get a different earlier flight to Peru but it would appear that this is not only an unpopular choice but one that I cannot accomplish either over the phone or via the internet.
My only chance now is to try the internet one more time tomorrow morning when the offices will be open again or to actually go to the airport and try to talk to someone there, although that has problems as I cant speak Portuguese and I have had experience trying to book something here before, its not as easy as it looks.
So the alternative is to try and use the time in Sao Paulo the best to ensure that the rest of my time in South American goes more smoothly and better prepared than my time here in Brazil.
A lesson learned the very hard way!
October 14, 2008
A Latin Lifestyle
I woke up early, or what would be early anywhere in Europe, and set out to do a little bit of early morning investigating. The second I stepped out from my hostel and looked left I saw the amazing statue of Christ the Redeemer high up on the hillside. Thats right, I saw the Dude himself the second I got outside, what an auspicious start.
I already knew in advance that it would be a hard time to find a bank that accepted European cards, I just didn't realise how hard or how far I had to walk in order to find my nearest citibank branch.
Although this place is big with tourists, and certainly the hostel though almost empty had only Americans and Europeans guests, but nobody around here speaks much English, which means that unless you speak Protuguese I now fully recommend either doing a whole lotta research before you go, book everything up with the internet before you arrive and / or go fully inclusive with a 3 or 4 star hotel and let the tour guide do all the legwork for you.
The place is a mix of modern and falling down, and there are cheap stalls to get food or a drink just about everywhere you look, so you shouldn't have to feel that they will direct you to all the most expensive places in town, and I know that with a local speaking guide around here to keep things honest a person could have a really nice time.
Thing is, that I am finding just like in southern europe only moreson, that south america really has a twin lifestyle that I am still desperately trying to grasp. The day scene is completely different from the night scene and you will have to chose which you want to focus on or face going without sleep in order to get the best of both worlds.
Most day places are closed on a Monday, seem to be dead or closed between 1 and 4 and then close up at 5 or 6 anyway, regardless of how many hours they were actually open, so you can find youtself trying to cram in a lot unless you give yourself enough days to see them all.
Then the day sort of dwindles and nothing can be done in the hours of dusk except a few restaurants and then once it gets to about 9pm then it all starts up again only the night version. This means that if you are meeting friends you have no rush to get home from work to take a shower as its all good bro, take as long as you like, the place wont open up for hours but once it does it will stay open til 2 or 3am.
I guess I never really spent long enough in London as a purist tourist to appreciate all the differences, but I am thinking that 3 days in each city is both too much AND too little, as being alone with no partner or friends I am already spending too much dead time where I can find nothing to do but also when the places are open I have not got enough time to see all or even most of them !
A familiar saying that it is quality not quantity comes back to my mind, and I have to remind myself that I chose to do things this way so that I can get a taste of each place and not become a local anywhere, so I should not really complain about things when it ends up like this.
What I do feel a tiny bit upset about is that, despite having the longest notice period of any of my world wide contacts, so far my native Brazilian contacts are really showing themselves up to be unreliable, and with only a few days left for them to prove otherwise things look pretty much like a complete no show in all three cities!
I would not have changed my route however, as reaching South America is far cheaper via Brazil than jumping to any other country here, and I have enjoyed my stay here so far, just a little more contact could have made all the sweeter.
I already knew in advance that it would be a hard time to find a bank that accepted European cards, I just didn't realise how hard or how far I had to walk in order to find my nearest citibank branch.
Although this place is big with tourists, and certainly the hostel though almost empty had only Americans and Europeans guests, but nobody around here speaks much English, which means that unless you speak Protuguese I now fully recommend either doing a whole lotta research before you go, book everything up with the internet before you arrive and / or go fully inclusive with a 3 or 4 star hotel and let the tour guide do all the legwork for you.
The place is a mix of modern and falling down, and there are cheap stalls to get food or a drink just about everywhere you look, so you shouldn't have to feel that they will direct you to all the most expensive places in town, and I know that with a local speaking guide around here to keep things honest a person could have a really nice time.
Thing is, that I am finding just like in southern europe only moreson, that south america really has a twin lifestyle that I am still desperately trying to grasp. The day scene is completely different from the night scene and you will have to chose which you want to focus on or face going without sleep in order to get the best of both worlds.
Most day places are closed on a Monday, seem to be dead or closed between 1 and 4 and then close up at 5 or 6 anyway, regardless of how many hours they were actually open, so you can find youtself trying to cram in a lot unless you give yourself enough days to see them all.
Then the day sort of dwindles and nothing can be done in the hours of dusk except a few restaurants and then once it gets to about 9pm then it all starts up again only the night version. This means that if you are meeting friends you have no rush to get home from work to take a shower as its all good bro, take as long as you like, the place wont open up for hours but once it does it will stay open til 2 or 3am.
I guess I never really spent long enough in London as a purist tourist to appreciate all the differences, but I am thinking that 3 days in each city is both too much AND too little, as being alone with no partner or friends I am already spending too much dead time where I can find nothing to do but also when the places are open I have not got enough time to see all or even most of them !
A familiar saying that it is quality not quantity comes back to my mind, and I have to remind myself that I chose to do things this way so that I can get a taste of each place and not become a local anywhere, so I should not really complain about things when it ends up like this.
What I do feel a tiny bit upset about is that, despite having the longest notice period of any of my world wide contacts, so far my native Brazilian contacts are really showing themselves up to be unreliable, and with only a few days left for them to prove otherwise things look pretty much like a complete no show in all three cities!
I would not have changed my route however, as reaching South America is far cheaper via Brazil than jumping to any other country here, and I have enjoyed my stay here so far, just a little more contact could have made all the sweeter.
October 11, 2008
The people I've met
Brazil may be a dangerous country, but then so is London and more teenagers killed each other in London this year than in any city in Brazil over the same period.
In other entries I have mentioned that I was staying with a friend while I was in Spain, but I didn't mention that her mother was a well respected scientist in her field and that her boss is one of the worlds leading experts.
Neither did I mention that she works alongside people stationed in one of the three largest antenna arrays in the whole of the world, being the one in her home country of Peru and of which she is supremely proud.
Well I may have only been in Brazil for two nights, but already I have met up with a guy that owns three of the apartments in the hotel block and he is equally as interesting and educated.
If I understood him correct he was Spanish by birth but married a Brazilian when he was young and spent his life in Spain as a leading Dental technician, until he moved to the UK about four years ago and set up his own practice that he has only just sold due to retiring at an early age of his mid fifties.
I won't bore you with all the details, but he is an extremely clever, sociable and enthusiastic chap that just loves the UK for it's organisation and openness and the second he learned that I was from the UK he could not do enough for me, helping me with the language barrier and also suggesting some great places for me to stay and to visit.
Like my Colombian friends back home feel about their home country, he is a little upset that Brazil has such a bad reputation, but says that that will all change and that Brazil is on the verge of being the next big place for European tourist to visit as a) the current government is pushing a massive drive of money and education for all, education which includes teaching English and b) because a lot of the other ills can be resolved through money, which he intends to pay through trade of the recent discovery of an untapped oil field that is larger than the UK right in the middle of one of their rivers.
He is also very enthusiastic about his dentistry, saying that he was one of only three technicians working in the UK using a new technology and approach to dental implants that made the old technique seem both barbaric and very prone to error.
In a nutshell, using a cat scan to form a model of the jaw they can now also design and create a guide for the dentist to drill that will give the least chance of hitting a nerve and the best possible location to place a implant for maximum strength and stability.
So no more opening flaps of skin and hit or miss hoping that there is enough bone to fit the implant, anyone no matter how little bone they have can have an implant to replace lost teeth, including advanced knowledge of if the other teeth will need reshaping, cutting back or if and how the gum will need padding to fit in with the rest of the face.
Not really about travel this entry I admit, but when the fact that my travels have introduced me to two very sociable, helpful and intelligent people then I would say that travel has at the least broadened my network of friends if nothing else.
So my advice again is, to travel, to be prepared to spend a little time talking to people and you never know who you might meet or what you might learn next.
I am not lost
I am now firmly staking credit for a new catchphrase that I am now directing at myself.
"I am not lost, I am merely in a unfamiliar location after travelling in a random direction from one that is!"
Lost often implies a certain amount of panic or emotional distress and it also normally assumes that the person has no clear idea of how they got there or in what direction to take to get back to familiar surroundings.
Even without a map and compass to guide me, If I chose to walk along the beach for ten minutes and then do a quick circle of the block to see what is around the next corner, I might be unsure what I will find but I am far from lost.
Considering that I have been labelled by the locals here as the only Englishman for 30 miles, and despite a bit of sunburn I am still the palest person you can find for about 60 miles I think that if anyone is lost then it is the car driver who recently pulled over to ask me directions, while speaking in Portuguese!
The beach is glorious, the sunshine brilliant and hot enough to melt my factor 30 right off my face in under an hour and the prices are so cheap as to be incomparable to those in London, but without a friendly face who can understand me and I them it is not my perfect location for heaven.
As for dangerous, well I guess that I must be extremely lucky then, as I have been here two full days and the closest I have come to being harmed was when I got too close to the beach barbeque.
I still leave my valuables in my room locked, I still only take enough money out of the bank to last a couple of days, but with the friendlyness of the people I am having a hard time keeping up my guard as the way of life is so relaxed here.
"I am not lost, I am merely in a unfamiliar location after travelling in a random direction from one that is!"
Lost often implies a certain amount of panic or emotional distress and it also normally assumes that the person has no clear idea of how they got there or in what direction to take to get back to familiar surroundings.
Even without a map and compass to guide me, If I chose to walk along the beach for ten minutes and then do a quick circle of the block to see what is around the next corner, I might be unsure what I will find but I am far from lost.
Considering that I have been labelled by the locals here as the only Englishman for 30 miles, and despite a bit of sunburn I am still the palest person you can find for about 60 miles I think that if anyone is lost then it is the car driver who recently pulled over to ask me directions, while speaking in Portuguese!
The beach is glorious, the sunshine brilliant and hot enough to melt my factor 30 right off my face in under an hour and the prices are so cheap as to be incomparable to those in London, but without a friendly face who can understand me and I them it is not my perfect location for heaven.
As for dangerous, well I guess that I must be extremely lucky then, as I have been here two full days and the closest I have come to being harmed was when I got too close to the beach barbeque.
I still leave my valuables in my room locked, I still only take enough money out of the bank to last a couple of days, but with the friendlyness of the people I am having a hard time keeping up my guard as the way of life is so relaxed here.
October 10, 2008
Outsmarting myself
There is no wifi in the hotel where I am staying at the moment, but they do have a computer in the main reception.
So I spent a long time in my room this morning, avoiding the burning hot sun, typing out a long email and saving it to my memory stick only to forget that not every computer accepts USB2 memory sticks.
I have four special bits of advice for Brazil.
Bring with you some suntan lotion and use is a.s.a.p.
Buy yourself a floppy hat, a pair of flip flops and some sunglasses, dont worry about bringing them with you as you can buy them here very cheap.
Remember that not all banks in Brazil will accept european credit or debit cards, so be sure to bring at least a little currency or exchange some at the airport and if your here for awhile it is wise to spend a little time locating the nearest ATM machine that will accept your card.
Finally, when you too decide to enjoy a nice breakfast on the beach under a cosy sun lounger and over looking the rolling white waves lapping at your toes, stick to things that you know and be prepared to wait, or else you too could find yourself eating two whole roasted baby chicks, salt covered chips, bread biscuit sawdust with accompanying salsa pepper fire sauce all washed down with a kiwi/vodka/rum cocktail that is thick enough to eat.
People might consider me boring by sticking to coke whenever I go out, but rest assured I can be adventurous, I just hate wasting money on drinks I can stomuch, especially if the service is slow and I am already dying of thirst.
Oh, and one more thing, never go walking for more than a few minutes in flipflops unless you are very used to them or like have blisters the size of golf balls all over the soles of your feet.
In factor 30 sunblock I walked for about an hour and a half and now I cannot even stand without being in some amount of discomfort.
So I spent a long time in my room this morning, avoiding the burning hot sun, typing out a long email and saving it to my memory stick only to forget that not every computer accepts USB2 memory sticks.
I have four special bits of advice for Brazil.
Bring with you some suntan lotion and use is a.s.a.p.
Buy yourself a floppy hat, a pair of flip flops and some sunglasses, dont worry about bringing them with you as you can buy them here very cheap.
Remember that not all banks in Brazil will accept european credit or debit cards, so be sure to bring at least a little currency or exchange some at the airport and if your here for awhile it is wise to spend a little time locating the nearest ATM machine that will accept your card.
Finally, when you too decide to enjoy a nice breakfast on the beach under a cosy sun lounger and over looking the rolling white waves lapping at your toes, stick to things that you know and be prepared to wait, or else you too could find yourself eating two whole roasted baby chicks, salt covered chips, bread biscuit sawdust with accompanying salsa pepper fire sauce all washed down with a kiwi/vodka/rum cocktail that is thick enough to eat.
People might consider me boring by sticking to coke whenever I go out, but rest assured I can be adventurous, I just hate wasting money on drinks I can stomuch, especially if the service is slow and I am already dying of thirst.
Oh, and one more thing, never go walking for more than a few minutes in flipflops unless you are very used to them or like have blisters the size of golf balls all over the soles of your feet.
In factor 30 sunblock I walked for about an hour and a half and now I cannot even stand without being in some amount of discomfort.
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