roro's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries

roro's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member roro on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/roro en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:32:16 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Zacatecas, Mexico..on our owneos ** — Zacatecas, Mexico http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1162765320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1162765320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1162765320/tpod.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:32:16 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Zacatecas, Mexico

Mexico..the beginning Guide-less (with the exception of my AA´s guide to Mexico..and trust me, they know their cars not countries!) and clueless, Collins and I had plotted out a map for our trip through Mexico in San Antonio. Originally, we had planned on going to Saltillo but we decided against it after going to Monterrey as it is only two hours from there. One other major change is that we cannot now go to Oaxaca. This is an absolute balls as it was one of the spots in Mexico that I was most looking forward to.We cannot go as a result of the violent demonstrations that are taking place at the moment to oust governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz...It started, as many violent demonstrations do, quite simply in the form of teacher strikes and has just escalated out of control. At this stage, Oaxaca citizens are practically being held hostage in their own city and no buses are going in or out of the region after three people were killed at the end of October. With so much rife and strife going on down there, it defo isn't a place for Westerners...some other time, hopefully.Zacatecas Sunday, November 5th-7th **...No Maccy Ds..pretty unglobalised.Arrived late Sunday night without even the name of a hostel under our sleeves. The taxi driver brought us to Hotel Colonial in the Historic Centre where we were accommodated by Ernesto, a chancer of a Mexican with the Jamaican/South African accent.Next morning, we went climbing a small mountain called el Cerro de la Bufa in order to see a little chapel and a monument of the famous revolutionary, Pancho Villa, the man who defeated the Americanos. Mapless and sense of direction-less, we totally missed the walking park and took the adventurous path instead. Eventually, huffing and puffing under the midday sun, we reached the summit...it was worth it though cos the view was lovely.Well if I didn´t see much poverty in Reynosa and Monterrey, I certainly saw it in Zacatecas. It´s a pretty ran- down city although it does have some nice cathedrals in the early Mexican Baroque style (whatever the devil that is!), Zacatecas also gave us our first experience with the Mexican indigenous people. We originally went to Zacatecas on the recommendation of Luisa and Ricardo who praised the food there. They mentioned, in particular, a restaurant located beside the Cathedral San Fernando. It was also extolled in the Lonely Planets I borrowed off Ernesto which said that the "experience would linger on your taste buds long after you´ve left Zacatecas" We were told by many about the importance of making a reservation.Obviously being a bit of a food monster, I was especially excited. We were actually up at Cathedral San Fernando at four bells that day when the restaurant opened but Collins insisted that we´d be fine and that there was noooo need to make a reservation on a Monday night. I stupidly listened and upon returning at 8, they were booked out. I was utterly devastated and that night, I could only dream of what could have been....Next day, still nursing my broken heart and a hollow tummy, we hopped on a bus for Guanajuato
]]> Lencois — Lencois, ***, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1187401260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1187401260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1187401260/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:13:54 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Lencois, ***, Brazil

Lencois, ***, Friday August 17th-19th, 2007. Nope a little town of 10,000. No globalization. After a quick night's rest in Feira de Santana, (which was a typical Northern Brazilian town, famous for its leather markets and where prices were unsurprisingly much cheaper), Yankee Stan and I hopped on a bus to head to Lencois. Lencois is located in the province of Bahia of which Salvador is the capital. All the "wonderful" guide books tell you that if you go to only one other area in Brazil that is not on the coast, then this must be your destination of choice. This part of the interior of the country is also supposed to be the safest part of Brazil and we actually saw no beggars or homeless at all in Lencois. Lencois is a little town of 10,000 inhabitants which is used as a base for treks into the national park of Chapada Diamantina. I had originally intended to do a three day trek into the park but decided that it wouldn't be worth it if I didn't go for at least five days which was impossible considering my lack of time. I decided that I would do a few day trips from the town instead. This proved more difficult than I had envisaged. I did a few treks round town but had to take a guide the second day...just to see a poxy waterfall. Because Lencois is only a little town, it has a very effective system of everybody looking out for each other which is nice but bad for the economical tourist. The peeps who seem to be looked out for the most are the guides. Everybody from Tourist offices to men on the street advise you to do all your treks with a guide irregardless of how long your trek is, be it 32km or 6. Which is fine but the cost of these guides is astronomical. In fairness to my guide, he was probably the best guide I have ever had on this trip..with the possible exception of Luis in La Fortuna in Costa Rica. He chattered away in Portuguese to me and always waited to see if we were all ok and warned us bout rocks that might hit our heads etc (you'd swear I was 6foot tall the way he was talking!) This would all be expected of a guide you would hire in Europe but unfortunately, Collins and my experience of guides in Latin America were not so positive. But in any case, the guide was essential....None of the tourist offices have maps (and advise you to take a guide) and the only shop that stocks maps for sale was all out of them...conveniently enough. And the treks themselves have no signs or maps. All you see along these treks are signs that detail the importance of taking a guide...Grrh! Had intended to do a lot more in Lencois but the prices of tours or guides were just too much at the end of this long trip. I am sure that there are maps available somewhere in the province or even the town but I didn't have enough time to do a proper investigation. I'll be more prepared next time. And all going well, there will be a next time. I am definitely coming back to Brazil (TOUCH wood, that all will be ok and allow me this) cos I haven't seen half of the country...and I love it! It has such beauty and the people are so spirited, spontaneous and lively..Defo a future destination. Next time, I will also come back with more Portuguese. I can now understand the gist of most conversations but I still can't utter a word myself. I don't even know the personal pronouns and the pronunciation is very difficult for me. Lotsa nasal intonations. Stan gave me a little phrase book yesterday which I might look at during my 28hour bus journey to Rio (from Salvador) tomorrow (Monday). I'll learn a few key words so I can talk to the peeps on the bus cos no doubt they'll be babbling away to me.. Brazilians love to chatter away to me even when it's clear I can't understand a thang! I had to go straight to Rio in the end cos I have ran out of time. Had to skip the whole state of Belo Horizonte where I had planned on seeing the architecture of Brazil's most famous architect Aleijandinho. Next time I guess....the list of where I have to return to has grown so long that it takes up half a fuls cap when the destinations are written right beside each other. And now I won't even get to go to anywhere round Rio either. Last time I was in Rio, I knew I would be back so I didn't mind missing out on a bit to make time to go to the beautiful island of Ilha Grande but this time I intend to do it properly..just in case I won´t be back. Plus have to do a little shopping for pressies! Next time I write will be my last account...on Rio. And then my top 3,4s and 5s shall follow. OMISSIONS AND ERRORS Not much ere. Just if you're heading to Lencois after Morros de Sao Paulo, you do not need to go back to Salvador. Just hop on an hourly boat to bring you to Valencao. From there, get a bus to Feira de Santana and you can catch a nightly bus to Lencois. Check out the times and all when you get to the island cos it's subject to change. Also make sure to get a map of Lencois and the national park before coming here.
]]> Dubai, *** — Dubai, United Arab Emirates http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1209049800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1209049800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1209049800/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:10:48 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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]]> Guanajauto **** — Guanajuato, Mexico http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1163111880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1163111880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1163111880/tpod.html Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:26:16 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Guanajuato, Mexico

Guanajuato, Tues November 7th-9th, ****.....Just had a Dominos, although there was also a Milano clothes shop.Originally, Collins and I were undecided whether we would venture to Queretaro or Guanajuato and holy God but was I glad we chose the latter.Declared a world heritage site by Unesco in 1988, there isn't enough that I could say about this city in terms of its beauty. It is a cross between Galway, San Sebastian in the Basque country and what I imagine Edinburgh to be like. There are also many pedestrianized or semi-pedestrianised streets due to an underground tunnel which keeps traffic out of the main plazas, making the atmosphere far more relaxed. It has a student population of 21,000 which ensures that the centre, where the University is conveniently located, is always buzzing. (On a downside, I read that 75 of these students were diagnosed with HIV in 2005, and that up to 89 have been diagnosed this year) The Mexicanos here are notably wealthier than those in Zacatecas. The majority of the students look like Italians with their big sunglasses, matching belts, shoes, jewellery and of course, they walked with that confident swagger. While Guanajuato is noticeably geared towards tourists with a huge presence of police and expensive shops, there weren´t actually that many Gringos around. As to whether this had to do with the time of year or because it wealthier Mexicanos who go there, I don´t know. We spent the first evening just wandering around and, for the want of another less cliched phrase, soaking up the atmosphere. I could have spent hours just gazing at the beautiful buildings. They are mainly built in the old European colonial style and for once, the beauty is not limited to just Cathedrals. We sat in the Jardin de la Union (Union garden) for a while and listened to a Mariachi style band crooning out the love tunes..(Although with our dodgy Spanglish, he could have been singing bout Barney love and we wouldn´t have known it)Tues, we hit the Mummies´museum first because we needed change to get some brekkie! We parted with a hefty 5dollars each and spent the next 30minutes checking out 100 mummified bodies that had been retrieved from the local cemetery. I hadn´t much hope for this museum (I really just wanted breakfast!) but it was actually amazing to see how well preserved some of the bodies were. Most had been eaten away by maggots and whatever but many still had their teeth, eye brows and not to be disgusting, but pubic hair.After a foul and so not worth the waiting for brekkie, we hit the Diego Rivera (Mexico´s world-famous artist) museum where he had been born. It never fails to amaze me how so many of these artists are hits with the laydees..Like Picasso, I could kind of understand, like he was a bit of a stud muffin..:But Diego was certainly not pretty as a painting, or indeed his self-portrait! He was nicknamed the Ogre yet he had affairs with a French artist, a Russian and had three Mexican wives..one of which was Mexican artist Frida Kahlo..(played by Salma Hayek in "Frida") It seemed that Frida was his true love despite the fact that he married another woman in 1955, following her death in 1954. He asked to be buried with her before his death in 1957 but his wish was not granted. An interesting museum...oh and his art was good too!Collins and I then took another ramble round the city and took a funicular up to El Pipola, another revolutionary hero. It was very good to do this as we got a great view of the city and it was obvious that poverty exists also in Guanajuajo as you saw all the houses crushed together in the surrounding hillside.Collins then took a kitkat break in the hostel and I checked out the interior of the magnificent building Teatro Juarez, the best part of the day I believe and well worth the 1.50 USdollars I paid. I cut Collins´hair that eve (photos coming up!!) and as much as he loves to complain, he had to admit that I did an excellent job!!!-defo something I could consider doing when I get home if no one comes up with a post grad for me!We had a nice dinner in El Truco on Truco street that night. We decided against going to San Miguel de Allende, a city near Guanajuato as it is sposed to be full of gringos and the bus was bout twice the price to everywhere else.Early night, Morelia next....
]]> North East Brazil — Natal, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1186527600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1186527600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1186527600/tpod.html Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:28:31 -0500 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Natal, Brazil

North East Brazil, ***, August 2nd-8th, August 4th-9th, 2007.  Brazil has the reputation of being a country full of Sizzling hot Sun, Sizzling hot Sand and most of all, sizzling hot, sex on legs people. This reputation is derived by the hoardes of tourists who experience the sun, sand and, perhaps, the people (!!) of Rio de Janeiro every year. If Rio isn´t your choice of destination but you´re looking for similar enticing elements, then the North East of Brazil is the only other place where you can get this at all times of the year...well kind of...it rained every day and many times for a prolonged period of time!  The North East is very similar to Northern Honduras in many ways such as its vegetation and its people. The vegetation is quite tropical as in Honduras with much greenery around but there is less of it because anywhere that there is a bit of sand you could call a beach, there are massive skyscaper buildings to facilitate the tourists. The people in the North-East are mostly African Brazilian or very dark skinned. Generally speaking, the men wear peaked caps, flip flops, long basketball style shorts and singlets while the women wear denim skirts, sandals with a wedge and a sleeveless top. Many of the women are overweight. This is something that I have observed on my travels in Latin America. Because there is such a strong body culture and image, one can often tell the economic position of a woman by how fat she is..with the white woman at least. Generally the poorer she is, the fatter she is. She does not have time to worry bout weight, the money to join to the gym or the resources to buy clothes that would be more flattering to her figure. The exception to this was Costa Rica where a great deal of the women were very overweight. In fact, Costa Rica is said to have a greater problem with obesity per head of population than the US. Brazil also seems to be somewhat of an exception where big asses and boobs are celebrated..Yippee!..well the big ass part at least!This used to be the way in Ireland when you would see a fat kid from a poorer family and you would get a whiff of deep fat fried chips off his school uniform. Now the vast majority are carrying extra weight...a fact that the Latina women constantly point out to me...My initial reaction is always to retort "well at least we eat and enjoy ourselves" but really there`s not a whole lot I can say. The poverty of the people here is also reflected in the prices-Northern Brazil is a lot cheaper than other parts of Brazil. Hostels, international restaurants etc are obviously still the same price as lowering them would mean consciously NOT ripping off the tourist but some of the prices in the supermarket, for example, are unbelievably cheap; The other day, I got a bottle of soya sauce for 30 cent, a 250g tub of margerine for a further 30cent and an onion and tomato for 10cent. Not bad. Anyway I arrived in Natal in the North east of Brazil after a very quick flight from Brasilia. Unfortunately, there were no delays so I arrived in the airport at 2.50 AM!... There were two reasons for me going to Natal. Firstly, I thought it would be a good starting point by which to make my way down to Rio de Janeiro from where I fly home on the 26th of August. Secondly, it is said to have some wonderful beaches and thirdly, NASA has declared it the place with the 2nd purest air in the world...second only to Antartica. We didn´t quite make it to Antartica in June so I was keen to experience the 2nd best...can´t say I noticed much of a difference to be honest, there was still more air inside my head than anywhere else! Natal is a fairly bland city with very little attractions for the culture vulture. They do have a very beautifully-restored theatre and their Cathedral isn´t bad but that´s bout it. They also have a star shaped fort at the end of the beach Praia do Forte where you can get fairly good views from the top. I stayed in the nearby beach town of Ponta Negra which was nice. It is being developed at a rapid rate with many skyscraper apartments and hotels being built to accommodate the many Brazilian tourists that go there every year. Natal also has many areas of interest nearby. One such area is Genipabu which is famous throughout Brazil for its massive sand dunes. They do a great deal of buggy riding there but I gave it a miss this time as mulah is running low and had already done the buggy thang in Peru.  I did take a trip to a little village called Pirangi do Norte though. It is a scenic little village and has some tranquil natural swimming holes. It was just a flying visit, however, as the chief reason I went there was to see the biggEST cashew tree in the world.  The tree is said to have a circumference of 500 metres and occupies an area of 7,300m², which makes it 70 times the size of average cashew trees. It looked like a series of trees together to my inexperienced eye but if they say it´s one tree, then Goddamnit it´s one tree!I´ve been disappointed by the price of Cashew nuts ere in Brazil actually. I was expecting them to be cheaper in Brazil as the <i>Cajueiro tree is a native of North East Brazil but nope, they´re as expensive as everywhere else. On Saturday, I headed to Praia de Pipa which is, as the LP bible so aptly puts it, a living tourism brochure. It is a fairly built up village with many shops along the main drag but the beaches down below are, for the most part, untouched. My favourite beach there was Praia dos Golfinhos which had greyish sand but very warm water. It was surrounded by tall sandy coloured cliffs and gregarious dolphins swam around us in the afternoon. It also has a pumping nightlife which was certainly interesting to see. These perfectly formed Brazilian men go round strutting their stuff topless showing off very toned abdomenons. I thought this interesting as the Brazilian local ladies were fairly conservatively dressed which is a change from Ireland where a short skirt and slutty top is more common on a Saturday night than a pair of jeans.Headed to Joao Pessoa on the Monday to stand at the most easterly point in the Americas and then bussed it to colonial city Olinda. Olinda is located 7km from Recife which is the third most dangerous city in Brazil behind Sao Paulo and Rio. There is a very interesting website address ere in Brazil that numbers the amount of murders that have taken place in the state of Pernambuco since May 1st. Recife is the capital of this state and sees a lot of murders itself. The figure currently stands at an astounding 1251 (August 19th, 2007) That's an average of over 400 people a month....To check it out, sign into www.pebodycount.com.br Olinda is sposed to be its peaceful counterpart but it was far from tranquil really.I didn`t feel particularly safe there at any time. There is a historic part that they are restoring, partly with money from the Dutch government (they were the ones who burnt it down originally so spose it`s only right) but there`s still a lot to get done. Olinda is similar to Colonia in Uruguay..even when it`s all restored, the colonial section will take about 3 hours to get through.The rest of the city is a mess. Electricity wires hang perilously in the air, rubbish is strewn on the streets and there's a general feeling of danger. Perhaps it was because I was on my own that I felt this insecurity but I don't think so. There is something sinister about passing three coffin shops in a row at 7pm at night and a guy going flying by you on a motor bike shooting a bullet into the air.Everyone has a horror story to tell about Brazil but in Olinda, even the locals have them. I met a guy who was robbed at gunpoint for his motorbike and another gal who was stabbed for her handbag. I took a trip into Recife one of the days to go to a Fantasy Castle near there (not worth it unless you're mad into sculptures..castle not fantasical at all..if that's a word)For me, Recife is a very beautiful city in parts with lovely colonial buildings. It's such a shame cos that you are obliged to leave your camera in the hostel unless you want it stolen. Some people brave it but I didn't think it was worth it as out of the five people in my hostel, three had been robbed in Recife. One gal had gotten robbed three times three days in a row! This part of the trip was the first time I had been on my own since Peru. It was fine for the most part. People have been very helpful and I have been taken under the wing of many bus fare collectors. Brazilian people take a while to get used to. They are very very loud and it's not uncommon to hear them roaring at each other across a crowded bus terminal or roaring the words of a song in the supermarket. This can be a little intimidating at first when you don't understand what they are saying but it was all good. I had a difficult time finding people that spoke a language I understood in the North East even though I had been staying at international hostels. English or Spanish speakers get more common the further south one goes. There wasn't a sign of an Irish person but from Pipa onwards, the places were crawling with Dutchies, who if not the best fun in the world, do have a better English vocabularly count that your average British man...in general of course! And so I hung sporadically with Dutch gals for a few days. I was constantly the object of attention where ever  I went, attention that was, for the most part, unwanted. I cursed more in that week than I had in the whole nine months before. I was of particular interest to taxi drivers who insisted on stopping constantly beside on the path I was walking on. They always came up with the same lines, suggesting astronomical prices but claiming it is worth it for comfort and for my safety. There was always, without fail, a long, deliberate pause with a long, penetrating look into my sunglasses when they mentioned safety. I´m gonna learn to say `go to hell` in Portuguese and say it to a taxi driver..only on my last day when I´m in the airport in Rio ready to fly home of course! I learnt the phrase to "Go take a shower" from Jimmy K which is along the same lines but I want something more insulting for the bloody taxi drivers!My worst day was in Joao Pessoa. That day I was screwed over by a mini bus driver and a taxi guy and then later by a woman that I had been talking to for 20 minutes who tried to snatch my bag. I kicked her so hard in the shins with my red hiking boots that I`d say she hasn`t been able to walk right since...although she could run off quite well. I was just really really annoyed at that stage so she got a kicking for the other two scoundrels as well. The taxi driver I took to the airport in Recife also tried to rip me off and I shouted so damn loud at him that I think he was a bit shocked. He ended up deducting 2euros off the original fare!Then there are other little things that you never think about if you haven't travelled on your own before...and I mean quite literally on my own for the whole of Natal and Joao Pessoa. You don't have anyone to put suncream on your back so I ended up wearing my turquoise shirt everywhere. You don't have anyone to watch your stuff on the beach so I only swam once and that was in Pipa. I'm not a big sunbathing baby so the beach is no fun if you have no one to talk to. You have too much time to think and  you end up talking outloud to yourself on a regular basis...I really pity Tom Hanks in "Cast Away" now. I didn´t have a Wilson football for company! You look at everyone you pass wondering if they speak a language you understand. I spotted a group of boys with milky white legs and big yellow sunglasses and felt myself hoping that they were a group of English lager louts!You go out at night with semi-strangers which can be fun sometimes but they aren't gonna wonder where you are the next day if you don't come home that night....hence I conducted proper stalking of my Dutchie crowd in Pipa and Olinda and didn't ever let them out of my sight...even when they were snogging boys!You have no one to take photos of you...My Maccie D´s photos have taken on a new artistic approach where I'm just standing in front of camera with a sign behind! I also had no one to take a photo of the most Easterly point of the Americas cos I was the only fecking one there!In short, it's horrible! Travelling on your own is fine provided there are other people to talk to. I used to hate touristy places on the trip with Collins but felt myself wishing for more tourists that week.  But I'm still really glad I went to the Northeast. It's defo worth going to and if I was there again on my own, I would go to a few more beachey resorts where it's more likely you will meet people...and get a fecking tan! I'm Buaili the snowman personified at the moment and will remain so until I get home to the scorching sunshine in Ireland! Thurs August 9th, I got a flight to Salvador where things began to look up. OMISSIONS AND ERRORS Well it´s a well known fact to any of you regular readers that I don´t have a whole lot of respect for guide books. Lonely Planet, internationally known as the "Lonely liar" among travellers, lost my respect in Guatemala. Footprints wasn´t the worst for a lot of South America, despite its brutal maps that may have been drawn by a abstract thinking 5year old, but they have now regressed to the position of Toe Prints. They are real explore only on the surface guide...hence the name...They only ever dipped their toe into the waters of Brazil rather than exploring the water to ensure that we could swim there....Yes that's right, I am a sad loser.I picked up a 2003 edition of Rough Guide which is dedicated to Brazil only in Foz but it hasn't proven much better....After looking at the other two guides that are dedicated to Brazil, it wins on detail but loses bigtime on accommodation and eating options as its target audience are the rich kids. They all have their priorities all mixed up. For example, both Toeprints and Enough Guide suggested that the reader should stay in Ponta Negra while in Natal but none of them gave directions how to get there. They all include the poxy churches and museums that you can see but any fool can figure once you're orientated.  What you need are numbers of buses etc that you need to get to your humble abode for the night. Chances are you´re after coming off a bus without sleep and you´re always at your most vulnerable because you are carrying every valuable that you have in that part of the world at the time. "Take a Taxi" I hear the mass cry....but taxis are expensive in Brazil and nearly all of the bus stations (and naturally airports) are located in the middle of nowhere a long long way from the centre of town. For me to get to Ponta Negra by taxi, it would have cost me bout 30yoyos. The Guide books should make even more of an effort with Brazil as the tourist offices are one of the worst I have come across. They rarely have maps and can never speak English...or Spanish in the North East either.The guy in the tourist office in Joao Pessoa was lovely and he told me to stay in the Manaira beach cos the hotels in the centre were sh*t (the only word he knew in English!)but he had no map of the city, no listings of accommodation there and just told me a number of a bus that I could take to get to the general area.  And of course, the guide books didn't think it worth their while including a map of Manaira even though it was where they all recommended you stayed. And so I looked for two hours for accommodation..details follow.As well as the bad tourist offices, most travellers doing the continent learn a little Spanish along the way cos it is worth it considering that there are so many countries that speak it. Not many of them learn Portuguese, however, so the guide books should make even more of an effort to help you get around.There is a myth around that these people can speak Spanish but I have found that this is rarely the case. Sure the languages are similar and they can sometimes understand what you are saying but very often not.AND SO I Decided that I would fill in the gaps for any one who might come this direction in the future...namely Collins, or former Law and Euro heads Fiona and Patel.NATAL.... The Rodoviario (bus station..pronounced "Hoe-do-vee-ar-io") is 6km outside town so Shopping Natal (pronounced "schoppin Natau") is ur where you should get all your connecting buses. It´s the massive building with "C and A" and "Maccie Ds" plastered on the side of the wall.  A "pasarela" is a bridge above the traffic that you walk across to get to the other side. It's a handy word to know when getting directions cos there's a lot of them in Brazil. You'll prob need to use it for Shopping Natal.  Coming from airport, take A into city or if you want to get to Ponta Negra, get off at Shopping Natal and get bus 73, 46 or 56. 73 is best cos you can get off at last stop and it´s right where all the cheap(er) hostels are. Coming from bus station, get buses 21, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41 into centre or if staying in Ponta Negra, get bus that has Shopping Natal written on it. And follow as above. Unless you´re absolutely ancient, crippled with arthritus or have a broken leg, there is not need to take a taxi to Fortaleza de dos Reis as all the guide books suggest..All you need is to take a bus to Praia do Meio and from there, it´s about a 20 minute walk on a flat promenade.  To get to Pirangi do norte (30km), take a bus from the old bus terminal which is actually just a few bus stops rather than a terminal. They go every half hour. This is subj to change as most buses are moving out to new Rodoviario 6km out so try that if not in the old one. To get to old terminal, take bus 46 from Ponta Negra. If staying in town, you´re grand. Very central. Beside theatre. PIPA....Pipa (80km). Get bus from Shopping Natal. JOAO PESSOA... Joao Pessoa, From Pipa, you can get bus to Goi....., from there get into the bus station. Cross road and get bus 507 or 510. There are many that say Tambaru on them but these are the two most direct. You'll prob get lost otherwise. If you wanna stay at my hostel which is defo the cheapest there and is quite nice, get off at Manaira beach.  Keep going up that street which will become Major Ciraulo. And there you have it...Building number 380.OLINDA  Olinda, most of the guide books say that you have to go into Recife and get a bus out to Olinda but I had the luck of meeting a guy who used to live in Recife for four months. He told me about a town called Abreu e Lima where you can get off and catch a connecting bus. You save yourself bout an hour, a lot of money and you also don´t have to enter the 3rd most dangerous city in Brazil with your backpack and stuff.
]]> home sweet home..xxx — Roscommon, Ireland http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188344400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188344400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188344400/tpod.html Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:40:38 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Roscommon, Ireland

Hopefully! xxxx
]]> Buenos Aires — Buenos Aires, Argentina http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188171480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188171480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188171480/tpod.html Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:38:48 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Buenos Aires, Argentina

Any text added çlçlçlis.
]]> Madrid — Madrid, Spain http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188257760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188257760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1188257760/tpod.html Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:38:03 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Madrid, Spain

Touch wood!
]]> Morro de Sao Paulo — Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1187055540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1187055540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1187055540/tpod.html Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:06:49 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil

Morro de Sao Paulo, ****, Monday August 13th-16th, 2007. No Maccie Ds or a sign of globalization. Lotsa foreign businesses though. Mainly Italians that have resettled on the island.  The beach resort of Morros de Sao Paulo is situated on the little island of Tinhare which is a very laid back island where cars are (mostly) prohibited and the main mode of transport is the wheelbarrow. Yep seriously. Skinny little black guys with bulging calf muscles run up and down the hills with their wheelbarrows carrying the cases of fat, sweating tourists! Although only a two hour boat ride from Salvador, this little place couldn't be more different: People try to offer you their products but only ask once, I felt completely safe and the most incredible thing of all was that the sun even managed to shine for one day while there which was a relief after the buckets of rain we endured in Salvador! What was not so different, however, was the supreme efforts made in the bars and restaurants to rip us off. To be fair to the inhabitants of Salvador, this only happened a few times but it happened EVERY time we ate and drank in Morro de Sao Paulo,  These supreme efforts included adding extra stuff to the bill that we didn't eat or drink, adding in hidden extra costs of live bands, djs or astronomical service charges or just the plain, traditional attempts to overcharge us ..this statement comes with the exception of the 24 hour sandwich joint on the 2nd beach where the man was nice enough to charge us the price that was on the menu..check it out! And so I spent a fortune. I spent in three days what I would have spent in three weeks in Central America. It also didn´t help that I went to the island with the two cooler than cool Dublin gals who just happen to be very big spenders. And so it was three days of posh restaurants and lotsa caiparoskas (vodka, fruit and lotsa sugar) But not to worry cos I had a ball. Plus it was good preparation for the Rip off Republic for when I get back!It would be actually quite easy to get away with living on the island cheaply as accommodation is reasonble. There is a supermarket where you can get water and snacks during the day and at nighttime, a number of food stalls fill the town and the rocking 2nd beach... Had a ball on the island. Very tranquil place with of course a bopping nightlife...where in Brazil doesn´t?? Waved goodbye to the Irish chicks on Thursday and headed to Lencois with an American called Stan that I had met on the island
]]> Salvador — Salvador, ****, Brazil http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1186696920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1186696920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roro/rnd_trip_06-07/1186696920/tpod.html Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:42:17 -0400 To Mexico and beyond..one woman´s struggle to keep her travelling partner on the straight and narrow and her own head out of the clouds

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Salvador, ****, Brazil

Salvador, ****, Thurs August 9th-13th, 2007. Yep got a Maccie Ds and even had to get a taxi out of there cos was late for a rendez vous..the commitment of taking the photos!  If Rio de Janeiro is considered the party capital of Brazil, then Salvador, Brazil's third largest city, comes a very close second.  It is also the second-most touristy city in Brazil..after Rio yet again. This was a big change after coming from the North where there were so few English speakers...but a very good change all the same. Salvador's full name is São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos, which means "Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay" This is slightly hilarious considering that the seven deadly sins are probably committed in the city on a daily basis...a city that holds a position very close to the top of the hedonistic hierarchy. Salvador has a very interesting history. It was founded in 1549 as Brazil's first capital when Portuguese man Tome de Souza brought 400 soldiers and 400 peeps to populate the city. These peeps were made up mainly of priests and prostitutes which is an interesting combination considering the plan was to populate the city! It remained influential for two centuries profiting on sugar cane, tobacco, gold, diamonds and the slave trade. During the 17th century, African slaves were shipped to Brazil to replace Indian prisoners on plantations as they were considered to be better workers. Between 1550-'888, 3.5 million slaves were shipped to Brazil which makes up almost forty percent of the total that came to the New World. A huge number of these slaves were sent to Salvador and this is very obvious now when you wander round and see the amount of black bodies swarming around you. Salvador is now the city with the largest black population in the whole of the world, outside Africa  These descendants of African slaves have preserved their cultural roots more than anywhere else in the world and this is one of the aspects of Salvador that makes it a highly interesting destination to visit. One of the most impressive results of this preservation is the unbelievable martial arts technique of Capoeira where black muscular youths and lotsa tourists pretend to kick the crap out of someone according to the beat of the drum. It sounds very simplistic but it really is an incredible art of synchronization to behold...well when the clumsy tourists stop attempting to be what they're not, take a step back and let the professionals show the audience how it is done. Religion also plays a role in this process of preservation. A lot of them follow a popular Afro-Brazilian religious cult called Condomble. This involves a lot of rituals that take place in the Yoruba language and are accompanied by singing and dancing.  The rituals take place in a little building comparable to a chapel called a Casa de Santo or Terreiro.They are directed by the Pai de Santo or Mae de Santo (literally means Saint´s Father or Mother) and its followers dress in white. It is not unusual for an odd chicken to be sacrificed and rituals can go on for hours. Although illegal up until recently, these Candomble rituals have become something of a tourist attraction now. And so I went along with the crowds and headed to a ritual on the Friday night.  This ritual was very far from being anywhere near touristic, however, as the first Friday before the 15th of August is a very important date in the Candomble calendar. They celebrate the feast of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte..."Our lady of good death" or something like that.  Although Catholic in name, this ritual was very much a Candomble interpretation of how to worship.  It was both fortunate and unfortunate that it wasn't touristy, fortunate for obvious reasons, unfortunate because it meant we were largely ignored for the most part of the night. We arrived at 8pm and were still waiting round at 12.30am for something to happen.  Eventually, many flamboyantly dressed peeps appeared in the terreiro and proceeded to wail and dance around like good things chanting, hoping to will the spirits to enter them. We left at 1am...next time I'll defo buy the dvd! Music can be heard everywhere you go in Brazil but Salvador drums a beat more eloquently than anywhere else and this is primarily due to its huge black population. And although Rio is famous throughout the world for its grandiose and even carnal Carnavel celebrations every February, it is actually Salvador that is considered the better of the two by the experts. I was very lucky to have made it to Salvador in August as all the bands were starting up their practice sessions for the February session. I was also lucky as as a black cat (black on the brain!!!) that I happened to meet Argentinean/Italian Ricardo on the bus from airport. He turned out to be a really sound guy and an absolute FANATIC bout Brazilian music. He became my mentor and together, he, myself and two cool as cool chicks from Dublin (Roisin G and Claire) that I met in the hostel toured all the hot spots to hear the best percussion and Samba Reggae in town. We saw Olodum who are a drumming troupe and famous for having had connections with Michael Jackson, Paul Simon and Branford Marsalis (an American Jazz artist). We also saw the famous group Ile Aiye who are famous throughout the world for campaigning for peace and co operation between the white and black peeps. The rest of our concert attendances were filtered out into the small time groups but very enjoyable all the same. The only problem is that it tends to rain a lot in Salvador all year round and the fact that it was rainy season this time of year meant that it was much worse and it rained for hours every day. This resulted in many of the outdoor concerts and practices being called off but we still saw quite a bit.Olodum's concert was very touristy and there were a load of gringoes there. But the Ile Aiye concert was quite the opposite. The concert was located in Salvador's largest suburb Libertade which looked a little more like a <i>favela than a suburb.  We got a taxi there and upon entering the hall, we realized there were about 7 other white people there. We were not welcomed at the start and were subject of many withering stares but we figured nothing could happen at a Ile Aiye concert considering their stance on the black/white issue.  And so the hottie Dublin gals worked the hall with the boys and I worked on the gals in the loos (not George Michael style!!) and it was all grand in the end! The concert went on for night and fecking Ile Aiye didn't come on until 4.30am and only Ricardo and I were left out of our group. I wanted my bed but it had been a dream of his for so long, I said I'd be sound and stay.   Salvador's other draw is the Unesco world heritage site where beautifully restored colonial buildings dominate the area. The Pelourinho was not always such a tourist mecca, however, and it wasn't until 1991, that a makeover of the area ensued.  This restoration was a controversial move as it meant people had to move out of the area but it defo rates much better now. But the problem is that a lot of the peeps didn't move very far and there are certain side streets that you cannot wander down as it leads to a number of <i>favelas. The locals are quite good for telling you it's "mui-to peli-goe-so" (very dangerous) but you have to be careful cos you're screwed if you go up wrong one.  The Western world and Brazilians alike speak and consider Salvador to be a very dangerous and troubled city and there is no doubting but that this is a true assertion.But I have to say that I felt more threatened in Recife or Joao Pessoa.  It wasn't just because I had company because there were many times that I was on my own.  And it wasn't cos nothing happened to us...The Friday night at bout 3am after the Candomble, I got stuck beside a massive fight where a group of youths were hammering the crap out of a sole individual. I was a bit stunned but decided that a quick exit was necessary when I caught sight of a silver glint of either a gun or knife that the guy was brandishing.  Added to this, the Irish gals and I got robbed on the beach (my bag was underneath me so they didnt get it. The gals had nothing valuable in bag except our hostel key with map so they had to change locks) but I just never really felt threatened. There are police around at all times in the Pelourinho and there is also a method of civilian policing that is a little less violent than the means employed in Guatemala. For example, I saw a tourist getting robbed on the Thursday night I was there and two Brazilians ran after the thief and got it back for them.  Even down in the lower part of the city which is very untouristy, I never felt threatened...Of course, I was still on my guard, don't worry Wonder Mum...and screaming at anyone I thought was even attempting to do me over. The Irish gals thought that I had major anger management issues...Oopsy! All of these problems stem from the poverty in Salvador which is abject. There is massive social problems including an absence of basic services such as sanitation in some areas. Every day and night, you could see loads of youths roaming the streets in rags. They generally wear no shoes and can be seeing hanging outside restaurants in a bid to get whatever scraps of food the tourist leaves behind. I used to look at their black, little faces, their thin 11 year old bodies that looked more like that of an eight year old and think that they would have been better off if they had been left in Nigeria or Benin, where most of their descendants came from.I left Salvador to head to the idyllic island of Tinhare on the Monday leaving all the poverty and inequality behind.  
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