Santa Cruz and Samaipata

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! 

I hope you have an absolutely fantastic day filled with lots of good food and tennis. Love you!

Santa Cruz was nice enough but we only stayed there for 2 days. Our first day was a really great day filled with nothing. We arrived at 7 am, found a hotel, and then sat for 5 hours in a restaurant (a famous Irish pub) that overlooked the main plaza with the people we crossed the border with. We people watched, I drank nice coffee, and planned out our time in Bolivia. Compared to planning our time in Brazil, it was much easier to plan an itinerary (much smaller country and lots of advice/recommendations that we picked up over the last 2 months). 

View from the restaurant 

The next day in Santa Cruz was short but sweet. We woke up early and went back to the main square. We were determined to get coffee from the men walking around (it was delicious but incredibly sweet). We sat and people watched for a while and then made our way to Samaipata via shared taxi. 

Men who sold coffee around the park. 

We caught a performance on the steps of the cathedral when we grabbed coffee. 

Costumes 

And more costumes

There are a few ways to get around Bolivia as a backpacker. In order of comfort (in my opinion): flying, shared taxi, bus, and hitch hiking. Although we met a lot of people flying, and it seemed like a great option, we decided that we wanted to save our money. We've found shared taxis to be a great option in terms of price and comfort. Our taxi to Samaipate fit 8 people (plus all our bags), lasted 4 hours, and cost 30B (around $4.25). While we've taken one overnight bus in Bolivia and it wasn't too bad (we both got over 6 hrs of sleep), the buses here are never recommended. You tend to hear a lot of horror stories from fellow travelers about things being stolen, buses breaking down, no bathrooms with no stops, and 12 hr rides turning into 24 hr rides. 

We've tried hitch hiking only once and it was with Israelis (surprise surprise). We didn't end up taking it. 

Samaipata was amazing. We stayed in a really great bed and breakfast with an amazing restaurant, swam in a waterfall, went hiking in the Ambroso National Park, and went to a "zoo."  

On the first day we went to some waterfalls and enjoyed the sun. Afterwards we went to the a zoo- which wasn't really a zoo. There were 2 cages with monkeys and some birds but for the most part the animals were just running free. There were monkeys, dogs, cats, birds, pigs, horses, and a llama wandering around. I played with some monkeys and got to hold a Macaw. 

Holding the tranquilized (it had been injured by a monkey) Macaw. 

Hannah has all the pictures of me with monkeys on my shoulder and in my lap. Two monkeys climbed into my lap and kept grabbing my hands and making me pet them. It was hilarious and adorable. 

In Samaipata it's hard to do any hiking or activities without hiring a guide. The following day we took a 5 hr hiking tour through Ambroso National park to see the gigantic ferns and get back into nature (too many cities). It was really beautiful. 

Giant ferns in Ambroso National park

View from the top 

That night we caught the semi-cama night bus to Sucre. There are two types of buses you can take in Bolivia (and in other South American countries): semi-cama and Cama. The Semi-cama's are the cheaper option; seats don't recline as much, not as comfortable seats, etc. The overnight bus I mentioned earlier is the bus we took to Sucre. We were lucky that it wasn't that bad (only really bumpy). 

Everything you need to know to cross from Brazil to Bolivia (only if you're American)

After reading multiple blogs, travel sites, and talked to people, we still didn't know what to expect when we went to cross the border between Corumba, Brazil into Purto Quijarro, Bolivia. 

Crossing into Bolivia. 

We began our trek to the border from Bonito. Hannah and I had befriended 3 others (British) who also wanted to go to Bolivia. We decided that the easiest option to get to Corumba was to get a car. While there is a bus that's a bit cheaper, the car took less time, had plenty of room, and only cost a few dollars more. The driver also took us straight to the border crossing (after an easy 4 hour drive). We were really confused at first at the border crossing office because there was a really long line (with only Bolivians). There happened to be a fluent English speaker in the office who directed us to another door. We were the only people in this line and immediately got our stamps to leave Brazil. Took a total of 10 minutes. We had heard horror stories about long lines so we were in shock. 

We walked across the border and we were greeted by a worn down building with one guard who handed us papers to fill out with passport information. We had to enter the building (one small room with 3 desks) one at a time. The others had their visas after a minute or 2. I was last to enter. Immediately I knew things weren't going to go well. 

I'm going to share now that this ordeal lasted almost 4 hours. 

The officials took one look at my American passport and started asking for documents. I had seen on blogs and sites conflicting information but I knew that I needed copies of my passport, copies of my credit cards, my yellow fever vaccination proof card, and $135 US. It seems that they have added and extended what they require from U.S. Citizens. 

I was incredibly lucky that I noticed another American in the room-who just so happened to speak fluent Spanish and had spent the last 2 days getting all of her border documents done. She was an angel and spent almost 3 hours helping me get things ready. Firstly, we needed to get 2 copies of everything (passport, credit cards, yellow fever), passport photos (the one time I travel without extras!), and the icing on the cake: I needed confirmation from all hostels of where I was staying for the entire time I was in Bolivia. I almost started crying when I heard that but I ended up booking 30 days in the same hostel. As far as the Bolivian government is concerned I'm spending my month in Santa Cruz. 

The reason why all of this took so many hours was the lack of good internet and a printer. There were maybe 20 internet shops in the small town (I think I went to every single one) and half of them didn't have working internet. Not only did they not have internet in the internet shops but only two had a printer. Out of the two stores only one had a working printer. Funny thing was that when ever the internet worked (slow slow connection. It took me 30 minutes to get on gmail), the printer would stop working. It was a frustrating and semi-hilarious time. 

When I finally got all the proper documents in order and had the visa placed in my passport...there was one more thing. Whoops! I had to print out my return flight from Peru. At this point I knew that the internet and printers weren't going to work-but I tried. I ended up printing something out but because the printer had no ink the only information I needed was missing from the page. The other American girl saved me from breaking down when they were telling me to go print it again by convincing them to let me borrow a USB and download my information. It was a bolivian miracle. After almost 4 hours of running around, feeling guilty because everyone had to wait for me, and anxiety about never entering Bolivia, I received my visa. 

I had heard that they made the border crossing hard for only Americans and now I believe it. My friends who waited patiently for me told me that they saw the officials laughing and mocking us as we ran around. Sad, but I had already read that Bolivians weren't going to be the friendliest. 

Everything after that is kinda blurry due to exhaustion and dehydration. We took a taxi to the train station and caught an evening train to Santa Cruz. It took 12 hrs and I slept the entire time. 

We splurged on the nicer train. We were the only ones in our carriage. 

Last day in Paraty and São Paulo: paradise vs. buildings, buildings, buildings.

I started writing this on the overnight bus to Campo Grande. We intend to spend a few days exploring the Pantanal, one of the worlds largest tropical wetlands (that's directly from wiki). I'm really excited because it's supposed to be absolutely beautiful. The area is known for its amazing nature and wildlife. 

Edit: After a day relaxing in Campo Grande we have signed up to stay at a ranch for 3 days. We will sleep in tents/hammocks and tour the pantanal. Pricey but I'm already claiming that it's worth it. I'll write about the experience later but I know that I'll be hiking, boating, horse back riding, and fishing for  piranhas. They also claim I'll be seeing animals everywhere. So so so excited. 

Before spending 2 nights/3 days in São Paulo we had one fantastic last day in Paraty. We had heard about Trindade beach (I guess it's supposed to be nice?) but others had told us that it was overrun with vacationers. We asked around and found out about an alternative- Sono beach. Best decision we made. We took a 40 minute bus and hiked for an hour to get to a practically deserted beach. The only others at the beach were those camping for the weekend. The water was  amazing and I never wanted to leave. 

The beginning of the hike to paradise. 

So empty and perfect. 

Just one more picture because I'm in love. 

Fact: Shopping at the grocery store in Paraty is interesting because they lose power often. Makes shopping more interesting. 

Unfortunately we did have to leave. We left first thing the next morning. When we first got to São Paulo it was raining (why?!) so we didn't do very much that afternoon. That evening we decided to be human (shower, dress up, put on makeup, brush our hair) and go out. Sao Paulo's known for its night life so we found a bar and a club. It was a lot of fun and we ended up staying out until 5:30. Whoops. 

The next day we walked around the more historic center. We saw the São Paulo cathedral (they started building it in 1914 and finally finished in 67. Crazy) and then walked around a few markets. We passed the Patio de Colégio, the site that marks where the city was founded and finally found our goal for the day- the Banespa building. This skyscraper is supposedly important and a great way to get a view of the city. We had to show identification, stay in line, take 2 elevators, a flight of stairs, and finally we were allowed 5 minutes in the observatory. Weird experience overall. The view was alright and might have been better if it wasn't raining. 

Cathedral. It was not as nice inside as I thought it would be but the ceiling was completely brick (I found that fascinating?)

The lights reflected the important things around them throughout the city. Can you tell this was near the cathedral?

A view from the top. It looks like the city will never end. 

We ended up finding a really great cultural center before heading back to the hostel. The center had exhibits on different artists that were all amazing. That night we went out for pizza. Surprisingly, São Paulo is known for its pizza. We treated ourselves pizza at one of the oldest and well known pizzerias in the city-Speranza. It was the best pizza I've ever had. 

Art in the center. This is from an exhibit on graffiti. 

The following day was dedicated to figuring out tickets for a night bus but we did have time to explore more of the city. We took the metro to Vila Madalena, an area known for cute coffee shops and stores. We never found any cute anything so we left for Liberdade, the Japanese area. Imagine Chinatown in NY but with Japanese people in São Paulo. We has sushi for lunch and people watched. 

Later that day I split from Hannah and Alice to go to the MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art). It was amazing. I didn't expect all of the Picasso's, Monet's, and other more famous artists. While they had a variety of well known classical artists, the bottom floor was dedicated to Brazilian artists. Everything was absolutely breathtaking. Judge me as you will but I love a good museum. 

MASP- no pictures where allowed inside :(

Fact: Japanese food is HUGE here. It's everywhere. Even in campo grande, a smaller and less diverse city. There was a market tonight and all the food stands were dedicated to Japanese cuisine. 

That night we got on the bus for our 14 hour trip. It was really easy (although cold) and we made it to our hostel really easily. 

ALSO, We might not have internet for the next 3 days. 

The people you find in hostels

I wrote this during a bus ride and I have no pictures to go with this so this might be more boring then usual.

I wanted to talk about some of the kinds of people you meet in every hostel. By my count, we have stayed in 7 hostels and 1 apartment. We have a lot more to go but there already seems to be a trend amongst those who stay in hostels. 

So without further adu, here is my list of hostel dwellers:

1. The Sessioned Backpacker:

This traveler has been on the road for over 6 months to many years. They like to casually drop names of places they've been (of course, to recommend) and always have a piece of advice to give. Many are older (late 20s-early 30s). Tend to wear clothing that they bought along the way (lots of 'I Survived...' shirts). Dreads are also a popular hairstyle. 

Approach with caution; you may get caught listening to a story or 2 of that time on a camel in that desert with that amazing sunset. 

2. The Casual Backpacker:

I include myself in this. Backpacking for 6 months or less. Has a general idea of their itinerary. Tends to befriend other travelers like themselves for day trips and meals. Doesn't feel comfortable giving travel advice but knows enough that they could. Tend to be younger 20s, more likely to be traveling in pairs and looks cleaner than their sessioned counterparts. 

Proceed with caution: they might think they know what they're doing but they're just making it up as they go. 

3.  The Holiday Trippers

The drinkers of the hostel. You can find them by the bar at all times of day. Have a quick but nice itinerary that includes more partying than most. Tend to dress better and don't repeat outfits. Not as worried about money. Want to go out for dinner every night. 

4. The Naive 

Don't speak the language, don't have a plan, didn't do any research, and go out every night even though they're on a budget trip. I could go on and on. These travelers tend to switch to holiday trippers or casual backpackers as they go. Usually takes 2-3 weeks to work themselves out. 

5. The After-Army Israelis

They're everywhere. They're loud. They're Israelis. In Argentina you could hear more Hebrew at times than Spanish. Usually in their early 20s, really fun to hang out with, and wear Tevas (the shoe brand). Some carry the game jungle speed (best game ever). 

6. Brazilians

There are many reasons to find Brazilians in the hostel. Although there are a lot of young Brazilians that are traveling the country, many find hostels to be a great inexpensive housing alternative while they're in college or working. We even met someone who had been living in the hostel for a month looking for a job. Also, prostitutes (I guess that counts as working?). 

That's all I can think of right now. Of course, there are always those that don't fit neatly into these groups (but usually they do). Meeting people in hostels is always fun and interesting. You always learn about a new culture and sometimes learn a different language (a few words here and there). The accents also don't hurt. To give you an idea, here is a glimpse of nationalities of people that I've met:

Australian, British, German, Israeli, Indian, Chilean, Dutch, French, Canadian, etc. 

The end. 

Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro and Beyond

There's so much to say about Carnaval in Rio. 

It was nothing like I expected. I was under the impression that there were going to be parades everyday with glittery, feathered, barely dressed women and that we were going to be spectators. 

Yet, that was not so. Carnaval is a drunken mess. People would start drinking at 8 am and finish around 6 in the morning. The streets were filled to the brim with drunk people of all ages in strange and  hilarious costumes. While some people went all out dressed as babies, nuns, and cops (for example), it seemed to be the point to dress as crazy as possible. Hats, tutus and glitter were the norm and cross dressing was almost expected. Hannah and I decided to partake and try to fit in by buying mini-mouse ears and feathered headbands. 

In the crowd at a Bloco. 

Now where were people drinking at 8 am you ask? Blocos.

Blocos are insane and fun block parties. Some of them have vans with bands on top playing samba music that slowly drive along the streets as party-goers follow along dancing (see picture above). They can attract as many as 3 million people on the streets (such as the one in Copacobana). There are also smaller ones that neighborhoods hold. We went to a few of these and it was much more relaxed. There was music playing but it was more family oriented. Finally, there are also blocos that are based around stages with artists playing different kinds of music. We went to a Bloco with bands that played really fun samba music, while on another day we went to a Bloco that was only The Beatles music. As much fun as it was to go to blocos everyday, we got over them rather quickly. As much as my parents might not believe, we did get tired of drinking. 

A man surfing on an actual surfboard in the crowd at a Bloco. This Bloco had a band that played samba music (and some Bob Marley) 

A smaller Bloco. This is only a small area of the street. We were following a van. 

The band on top of the van. They play the same samba songs over and over for the 4-5 hrs of the Bloco. Everyone sings along (except for the gringos in the crowd) 

While everything was fun to watch and the music was fantastic, there was a slight problem in Rio during Carnaval. And by slight, I mean a huge problem. The sanitation workers were on strike. With so many drunk people, there was litter everywhere and people were peeing all over. The smell was unbearable at times. The amount of garbage piling up all over the city was almost as interesting as e blocos themselves. 

So nice. So wonderful. Smelled so good. 

Although we went to many blocos all over the city, I think my favorite one was at the Selaron stairs in Lapa. It was on the last night of Carnaval and it was not an official Bloco- people just ended up at he famous stairs. People were dancing and just having a great time. We meet a lot of really cool Brazilians who taught us not only how to samba but other traditional Brazilian dances. 

Looking hot and sweaty at the stairs. 

The stairs the following day when we went back for pictures. Looked a little different in the light. 

The Lapa arches. Famous and near the stairs. We went to our first Bloco near the arches and ended at them (I'm really enjoying the lady's face in the left corner). 

Since there were a lot of tourists in the city for Carnaval, we were nervous about going to Christ the Redeemer or Sugerloaf until after it everything had calmed down. Yet, we were still able to have more relaxing and touristy moments during Carnaval. We spent time on both Impanema and Copacabana beaches. Although crowded, it was fun to people watch and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Copacobana. Yes mom, I'm wearing sunscreen. No, I didn't burn. 

The famous sidewalk of Copacabana. 

A pretty late afternoon shot at Impanema beach. 

Another interesting thing to mention about Carnaval is the pick pocketing. It's rampant and expected. So expected that they have special tourist police to handle it. We had the pleasure of meeting these policeman because, unfortunately, Hannah had her wallet and cell phone stolen. It took a few hours at the station but everything is fine (other than the loss of most of her pictures and canceling/replacing a few cards. Such a bummer). The only semi positive thing to come out of that event was that I met 2 nice German ladies who had both their wallets stolen. Did my good deed of the week and gave them money. I now have a place to stay in Berlin if I ever want to go (Next trip?). 

Now on to the touristy stuff. On our last full day in Rio we planned to go to Christ the Redeemer. It had been sunny everyday we had been in th city and we expected nothing less. Nope. Did not happen. We began our journey up to the stature with a really nice train ride. It had some pretty views and went straight to the top. The second that we got to the top it began to downpour. So here is my one picture with Jesus because I was soaking wet and it was really cold. 

Happy to be there. 

The stature wasn't as big as I thought but it was still really amazing to see. Unfortunately, the top is known for its stunning views of the city but what can you do. 

Looks kind of magical? Still really pretty. 

Before we caught the train up to Christ, we had time to see a nice museum nearby with Brazilian Näive art. I still don't really understand what it means but I think it's artists who are self-taught and have a distinct Brazilian style. The artwork was really colorful and it was a really pleasant experience. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much I really liked the art. 

Just a snapshot of a giant mural of Rio. Gorgeous. 

We had a very easy remainder of the day staying warm and dry inside. Although we were leaving in the  afternoon, the next day we decided to get up early and go to Sugarloaf mountain and take the famous cable car ride. It was absolutely fantastic. We had beautiful weather, the cable cars were fun, and the view from the mountains were incredible. It may have been my favorite thing we did in Rio. We were also able to see the most adorable monkey things at the top. I've yet to look up what they are but I would love to have one. 

The cable car ride to the top. They started in 1912. How scary is that?!

A view of the city. 

I was actually that close. They have no fear of humans and they are so darn adorable. 

I feel like I just skimmed through my time and I'm forgetting a lot but those are the main bits from my time in Rio. Here are some smaller facts about our time:

- We stayed in an apartment in an area called Flamengo. We shared it with 2 British boys who had been living in Rio for over 6 months. The area was really nice and the apartment had a doorman. I felt clean for the first time all trip. Plus we got to sit around and watch movies. So nice. 

- we met a nice Scottish girl named Hannah and hung out with her a bunch. She went to Christ the Redeemer with us. Thankfully, she has a few more months in Rio and can redo that experience. 

- It's common practice during Carnaval for boys to call out or grab your arm and ask for a kiss. It is also very common to see people kissing in the streets. I guess they're getting it all out of their systems before repenting for Lent?

- There's a lot of homelessness in Rio. It's really sad to see people sleeping all over the streets. Brazilians I've talked to have expressed their distaste for the World Cup and Olympics as they think that money should be spent on all the problems that currently exist in Brazil. 

- Unlike everywhere else we've been in Brazil, people in Rio spoke a lot of English. If they didn't speak English, there was sure to be an English speaking tourist close by to help. 

We left Rio on March 7th and we're currently in Paraty, a small coastal city southwest of Rio. I love it here. It rained on he first day but we were able to see the historic center of town. No cars are able to drive on the treacherous cobblestone streets and the streets are lined with cute restaurants, stores, and coffee shops. While the town is known for its beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and general outdoor activities, there is also a famous puppet show that takes place every Wednesday and Saturday. The puppets portrayed scenes from everyday life and there was no talking- only music. The puppets were weirdly but beautifully realistic. They really felt alive at certain points during the show. 

Historic center of paraty.

Today was absolutely amazing. We took a jeep tour to different waterfalls, rockpools, and 2 cachaça distilleries around the area. Paraty is famous for producing cachaça, the rum like liquor that they use to make capirinhas. The different rockpools and waterfalls were fantastic. I may have swung into the first one on a rope tied to a tree, slid down the natural waterslide at the second waterfall, and jumped 50 ft from a rock into the third rockpool. The last one was scary but completely worth it. 

Cachaça tasting with Alice. 

I'm that dot jumping from 50 ft. My legs were shaking. 

While the jeep tour ended at noon, we continued our day with a schooner trip to different islands and beaches. The 5 hr boat trip was breathtaking and the water was the coolest shade of emerald. I truly doubt my camera was able to capture it. 

I'm on a boattttt

Pretty emerald water and beaches.

Looking nice on the boat after the swim. 

After such an exciting day, we've spent the evening relaxing and planning the next part of our trip. We've spent all of our time in Paraty with Alice (British), who I sat next to on the bus ride from Rio, and who is staying in the same hostel. She'll be continuing to São Paulo with us.