TravelStream™ news feed for member joepace on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/joepace en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:15:58 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1199553120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1199553120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1199553120/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:15:58 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Salvador, Brazil

Back in Salvador to start my homeward journey. Tomorrow i fly to Sao Paolo to get my flight to Milan on the 8th and back to Malta on the 9th. Staying at Pousada Bouqueirao again.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1230394980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1230394980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1230394980/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:10:41 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Morro de Sao Paulo on Tinhare island, Brazil

Off to the beach !!!! My bit of R & R towards the end of my trip. Got a catamaran to Morro de Sao Paolo on Tinhare island from Salvador, a 2 hour trip. Tinhare is an island just off the coast of Brasil about the size of Gozo. It is made up of sand and palm trees. Yep, just like the ones you see on pictures. Miles and miles of beach with nearly nobody there. Morro de Sao Paolo is the main town on Tinhare. The streets are made of sand and there are no cars; it really is a cool place.

Stayed in Pousada Colibri. Beautiful, high up on a hill with fantastic views and very private. The hassle was walking up to it ( 120 steps). Lots of birds and little monkeys joining you for breakfast.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1199292000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1199292000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1199292000/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:52:33 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Boipeba, Brazil

A quick 40 minute boat ride from Morro and you are in Boipeba. A true paradise. The only modern luxury is electricity. Tinhare was basic, Boipeba is not only exotic but also so relaxed. Miles of beach and palm trees, simple beach bars serving drinks and grilling lobster, crab and shrimp. No more to say really. Horse and mule and of course boats is how you get around.

Stayed in a marvellous Pousada called Casinha Amarila. Only two chalets in the pousada which is run by 2 italian women, Daria and Christina who also live on the premises. 30 metres from the beach and so nicely decorated. Fully recommended and the price is good - 125 reais ( about 50 euros ) per night including an excellent breakfast.

Nothing much more to say about this place - eat fish, drink gallons of Caipirinha and swim in the lovely warm sea. Aaaaaaaaaaah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would come back here gladly and stay a month or two.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1198435620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1198435620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1198435620/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:22:46 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

Salvador de Bahia. This is so different. Salvador was the main slave trade town in South America and the african feeling is still strong here. The music is mainly african and reggae. Reggae is big time here and the number of rastas is unbelievable. ¨te gusta o reggae ? ¨ I keep being asked. ¨Sim, mi gusta moito¨. Then they ask ¨te gusta reggae normal o liberal ?? ¨ . OK -Normal is the music. Liberal is the music ¨ com fumo¨. What do you say to that ?

Bahia gives a nice feeling and the weather here is warm. The music in the streets makes it even better. With this comes also the begging and the problems on the streets - drugs, mainly cocaine and crack. Having said all this i have not once felt threatened in the streets despite the warnings in the books etc. Maybe by now i do not look like i am worth being robbed !!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197929040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197929040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197929040/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:57:15 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio !!! (Its actually pronounced heo in portuguese) After 3 flights and12 hours travel. What a relief to be here. It´s great to see smiling faces everywhere.

I have been here 3 days now and guess what ......... its been drizzling for 2 of those days. Day 1 was excellent and sunny so i hit Ipanema beach which is where i am staying. Loads of people on the beach. Alot of football, beach volley , foot volley all over the beach. Huge 15 foot waves rolling in with people body surfing ( no board) which looked great fun. I tried it and had possibly drastic consequences. The trick is to wait for the wave and then paddle to keep on the crest. Fine. But nobody told me if you paddle too hard you fall off the wave, in front of the wave. You actually fall off the wave into about 1 foot of water onto the sand. What happens next ?? The frigging wave crashes down onto you. Think about it. You fall 15 feet onto sand and then 15 feet of water craches down on you !!!!! yep. Funny !?!?!?! Even funnier my swimming trunks were in shreds after being dragged along the sand. Really in shreds. I beat a hasty retreat to my hotel.

Yesterday was good. I went hang gliding over rio. Wow !! what an experience. After that went on a city tour which included going to the Maracana. Pitch, dressing rooms etc. Got the shivers.

So up to now good food, smiling people, great new experiences and a language you cannot understand. All good.

Ipanema is the place to be. Great beach. The ball rules here. All kinds of sports on the beach - football, footvolley, volley ball - and you can see why the brazilians are so talented when it comes to balls !!! Women join in too !!!!

Got to know this taxi driver - Lucio. great guy, took me to areas which are no go areas to tourists. Had some nice food with him next to a favela.

Xmas is not the big shopping panic you get at home but it is strange seeing father christmas dressed up in his red coat in such a warm place. Weird.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197850440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197850440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197850440/tpod.html Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:30:23 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Left Inti Wara Yassi today. Bit sad about it. This place becomes part of your life for a while and it is sad to leave. The animals you are with day in day out become part of your life. You do get to like them and you would like to think that they get to like you too. Well i am quite sure some do and probably some dont. Its the same as humans. Sad to leave Reno, Dominita and Boudi and some of the other monkeys too. Capuchins are really great. So intelligent (they have the intelligence of a 4 year old child). So much fun when you understand a bit of what they are trying to communicate to you. Spider monkeys ?? Cool but stupid. Give me Capuchins anyday.

So now i am back in Santa Cruz on my way to Rio in Brazil. It was quite a hassle to get here. The political situation is not stable to say the least and i had to go through 2 road blocks to get here, One in Yacapani and one in Santa Fe. Had to walk through people who really dont like you because you do not look like them. Same old story everywhere.

Off to Rio tomorrow. !!!!!!!!!!!! Beach, samba and hopefully smiling faces. Adelante.!!!!!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196554560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196554560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196554560/tpod.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:56:47 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Cochabamba, Bolivia

After a 6 and a half hour bus ride, a couple of army stops and a lot of bad loud music the bus dropped me off at Villa Tunari. Last night i found this good place in Sta Cruz - good food, nice people and also a good Cuban combo playing some really nice music. As uasual too many Singanis ( local grappa ) and i spent the bus ride with a beautiful hang over. Anyway here now ad looking forward to a good 2 weeks with monkeys wild big cats and ... a bear !!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197161700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197161700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1197161700/tpod.html Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:14:33 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Cochabamba, Bolivia

Wow i have been here a week now. Feels like 2 days. Working with these monkeys is a fantastic experience which i am glad i decided to repeat. Inti Wara Yassi is an organisation set up by this bolivian guy called Juan Carlos Antezuna. This guy confrontred the government and authorities to try and get something going to help city kids and animals in Bolivia. Both are treated very badly in this country. This place depends solely on volunteers to give shelter to about 200 capuchin monkeys, 36 or so spider monkeys, 6 pumas, 3 ocelots, many birds and a bear (aptly called Baloo of course ). The aim is to release as many as possible into the wild. There have been many success stories.

The park ( big chunk of jungle) is about a 3 hour bus ride East of Cochabamba and is run by this Bolivian woman called Nena. She has dedicated the past 10 years of her life to all this and will probably and hopefully be here for the next 10.

The working day here starts at 7.30am and ends at about 6pm. Exhausting work but so satisfying. I am working with Capuchins mainly although i have about 6 spider monkeys ( called Negros here) in my group. Having worked with monkeys before has eally helped me this time around as i am very much on my own with my group. As one can imagine volunteers are at a minimum xmas time and we are very very short of manpower.

This is an experience i fully recommend to anyone !!!!!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196431980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196431980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196431980/tpod.html Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:20:30 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Hiya again. Stuck in Santa Cruz for the simple reason that the Consulado do Brasil hold my passport. I applied for a visa for Brasil and it is taking ages. Would really like to get out of this shit hole of a city also because the situation in this region is not getting any better i think. On Monday the leaders of Sta Cruz are going on a hunger strike i have been told and they are going to park themselves in the main square here.

If my visa is not ready today, then i have to stay here for the weekend - boring and bad news. It is 10.30 am here and i am off to park myself in front of senor Briko at the consulado to give me my passport including visa. If not possible just my passport and then i can catch my bus to go to IWY in the jungle. Monkeys and jaguars do not go on hunger strikes - ha !!!! Maybe i will wish they did soon !!!!!!!!!!!

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA !!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is 4.30pm . I have my visa for Brazil !!!!!!! It took 6 visits to the consulado. One time to go and buy a biro,( they dont lend biros). Another time to pay 20 dollars for the visa. You dont pay at the cosulado. You have to deposit 20 dollars in their account in the Banco do Brasil which is a 15 minute taxi ride away !!!!! Do we have it easy or do we have it easy on our rock !!!!!! So tomorrow early morning -adios Sta Cruz !!!!!!!! and an 8 hour bus ride to Villa (pronounced `bilya´) Tunari nearer Cochabamba.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196178180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196178180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joepace/s_america_07/1196178180/tpod.html Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:57:44 -0500 To America Latina. One man's crazy adventure across the pond and south of the equator. Living to live.

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Santa Cruz, Bolivia

So the goodbyes were said, the hugging was done and then they were off. Mi companeros were off to Buenos Aires for their last leg before heading home.

My plan was to get the bus to Bolivia and head for Sucre which is meant to be a pretty place. Just my luck. Demonstrations and a few people killed helped me change my plans. So I flew to Santa Cruz. Got to the airport and hey presto - not allowed entry....... NO visa.
It doesnt matter that citizens of the EU do NOT need a visa. Citizens of Malta need a visa.
As far as Bolivia is concerned Malta is NOT not in the EU. Maybe Evo Morales believed Alfed Sant when he said that Labour won the referendum !!!!!!

Anyway. It took a couple of hours and $40 to procure a quick visa. Now in Santa Cruz, where it is very hot and humid. More later folks as need to discover what this town is all about.

Hey a comment or 2 from someone would be nice.
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