Sao Paulo

Enjoying the Corinthians Arena

The largest city not just in the Americas but in the southern hemisphere Sao Paolo is a huge collection of contradictions. Home to half of Brazil’s economic activity nowhere highlights Brazil’s inequality like Sao Paulo with it's sprawling favelas that surround the business districts and rich neighbourhoods of the city centre. Unsurprisingly in a city of 20 million there is a huge mix of people and cultures.  Sao Paolo is home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan as well as 6 million residents with Italian ancestry and distinctive Arabic, Chinese and European communities.  Unfortunately it is not the most attractive city to walk around and speaking no Portuguese it was hard to get a feel for such a huge place in a short space of time.   We still enjoyed a few days in the city however, especially as I finally got to see a football match in South America!

Parque do Ibriapuera

Our first few days were spent staying in the heart of the city near the famous Avienda Paulista in a small hostel. Despite having a reputation as being just a concrete jungle Atlantic Rainforest still covers some areas and the government has protected this by turning them into public parks.  We spent our first day in the most famous of these, Parque do Ibriapuera which is full of lakes, monuments and crazed swans that seemed to stalk most of the parks occupants with menacing intent.  The park did offer fantastic views of the city and we managed to successfully tail a group of businessmen at lunch time as they headed towards one of the city’s fantastic ‘weigh restaurants’.   These are found all over Brazil and you simply pick your food from the buffet and weigh it at the end like a ‘pick n mix’.  My years of experience as an international fudge salesman (I sold overpriced fudge from a van around Europe) came to the fore when deciding on the foods density and therefore its weight and price – unsurprisingly we ate a lot of salad!

Man versus Food

Sao Paulo Cathedral

After thirteen months of traveling as a couple we had if possible developed some even stranger social habits than we had when leaving Mexico and with a new job fast approaching some close friends had volunteered to travel with us and help prepare us for sustained human contact.  We therefore moved accommodation and rented an Airbnb for the weekend with Sarah and Brendon to help us with our transition from unemployed travellers into respectable members of society again.  We were able to explore the historic centre with them and although lacking for charm and conforming to what might be considered as ‘beauty’ we enjoyed walking about the deserted city centre (everything seems to stop on Sunday).  We headed to the Mercado Municipal for lunch which is housed in a building from 1933 and showcases the famous Mortadella sandwich (basically half a pound of sausage in a bun) and bought the world’s most expensive orange which turned out to cost £5 – I am still recovering.

Corinthians Arena

Sao Paolo is famous for sport and in a country where sporting stars are revered as deities I had bought tickets to watch Corinthians v Figueirense with Brendon, a must for anybody visiting the city.  The previous morning I had gone to the city’s Football Museum which contained amazing interactive exhibits showing some of Brazil’s greatest domestic and international goals.  The highlight though was the display about every World Cup and the chance to score a penalty against a computerised version of Brazil’s goalkeeper – typically as an Englishman I missed.  The match itself took place in the Corinthians Arena, home to the opening match of the 2014 World Cup and one of the most modern and impressive stadiums I have visited.  Enjoying a beer and the atmosphere outside the ground I was warned by a local that my green jacket should be kept hidden and that I would not be allowed in the stadium due to Corinthians arch rivals playing in the same colour.  Fearing slightly for our safety I bought a Corinthians shirt, hid the jacket and we entered with thankfully only the world’s longest queue to contend with!  Despite a slightly disappointing 60 minutes the game sprang alive in the final half hour and with it the atmosphere which was electric and left us with a great taste of Brazilian football and Sao Paulo.  

'Tour de Brazil'

The journey north from Foz do Iguacu to the city of Curitiba was a watershed moment in our trip.  As we wearily stepped off of the bus we had completed our final overnight bus of the year- thank god! With check- in not for another five hours we managed to muster enough energy to head off for breakfast and try and organise the train towards the coast for the next leg of our journey to Rio. 

Curitiba 

Curitiba is the capital of Parana state and along with Sao Paulo it arguably has Brazil’s highest living standards. A former mayor in the 1970’s defied the government and took a series of progressive initiatives bypassing the usual South American paper chase and pay offs to develop a modern city unlike any other in Brazil. We ate breakfast, bought train tickets for the following morning and caught the metrobus to the botanical gardens to enjoy the sun and pass the time until we could wash and sleep.  The gardens were nice enough and people were milling about enjoying the unusual 30ᵒC temperatures around a giant glass greenhouse, the centre piece of the gardens.  We were eventually allowed to check in and after recovering from the bus we were contemplating heading out when we realised black clouds had rolled in and a huge thunderstorm suddenly broke out, bringing with it monsoon rains.  With few options we took refuge for the evening but the lightening was still crashing down the next morning and the local news showed severe flooding across the region.  With our train tickets already booked however we had little choice but to start our tour of Parana state and hope for the best!

The  Serra Verde Express travels through the remains of Brazil's Atlantic Forest to the colonial village of Morretes at the bottom of the Serra do Mar mountain range.  Despite being told by European experts that the proposed line was impossible in the 1860s 9000 men built the tracks in the 1880s to connect the coast with Brazil’s grain producing region in the south.  The remaining 100km of track includes 13 tunnels and 30 bridges (one at 55m high!) and is an incredible feet of engineering as it clings to the side of the mountains.  Unfortunately due to the weather and possibly because we have been so spoilt with mountain journeys this year we were a little underwhelmed after the 5* reviews the journey received.  It may also have been due to the three hour journey taking over six as the storm seemed to have affected the tracks and we spent a lot of time waiting.  When we did eventually make some progress however there were some spectacular views across the forest canopy and through the occasional gap in the clouds we could see the plains below that stretched to the Atlantic Ocean.

The views from the Serra Verde Express

Morretes

We spent the first day and a half in Morretes trying to explore whenever there was a break in the rain which unfortunately was not very often.  Fortunately we had a nice room with a balcony looking on to the Rio Nhundi and when we did get out the town was one of the most picturesque we had seen all year. Set alongside the river were cobbled streets and beautiful buildings and the town is surrounded by lush green jungle with a back drop of the mountains we had travelled through.   We kept warm by eating the local dish barreado, a thick meat stew cooked in a clay pot with a sauce made from bananas – it was better than it sounds!  When the weather finally held for the day I left Hannah at home and inspired by the Tour de France I set off on a bike ride around the local area with a Brazilian couple that spoke some English and were able to translate the info from our friendly guide.   The scenery was beautiful as we passed through the forest but the path was sodden and heavy going.  At one point we had to wade through a waist high river and cross another via a 30m bridge made from chicken wire and rotten wooden planks.  We were rewarded with a stop at the Ouro de Morretes brewery where we recovered whilst sampling Cachaças (a strong liquor) made from sugar cane that had been crowned Brazil’s best drink. On the outskirts of the town there was a more sinister story behind the sugar cane however as we passed a colonial building with chains still on the walls and information about the former slaves that worked in the area.  

The 'Tour de Brazil'

The beach at Encantadas - our small village on Ilha do Mel

From Morretes we finished our journey towards the coast catching a short boat ride to Ilha do Mel, an hour glass shaped island set at the mouth of the Baia de Paranagua.  Again we arrived in the rain but hoping the weather forecast was accurate in its prediction of better things to come we waited out the afternoon with a beer overlooking the wild beach and ecological preserve that covers the interior of the island.  We stayed in what was effectively a homestay with a lovely family although sadly they kept some pet birds in cages for the children.  One of the parakeets was aptly named Elvis and he insisted on waking me up every morning singing.  Our food options were limited on the island and after consulting our rucksack we discovered a somewhat pitiful supply of alternatives which consisted of some teabags pinched from the buffet breakfast; one small potato, 3 sweets; 3 pieces of bread; old crushed biscuits; an orange; half a bag of rice and cloves of garlic.  We ate quite basic meals for the next three days! Unfortunately another thunderstorm arrived and the following day was largely a washout but thankfully it turned out the forecast had only been out by a day and our patience was rewarded the following morning with cloudless blue skies.

Looking out across The Atlantic Ocean

Fortaleza de Barra

I set off for a day of exploring whilst Hannah rested her ankle and headed off to the far side of the island on a 20km hike to find an abandoned Portuguese fort.  With no cars and only sandy trails the walk followed the long empty beaches to a small hamlet in the jungle. On a slight detour I climbed up to a lighthouse to get a panoramic of the island before finishing the walk, only just making it as the beach disappeared behind me with the high tide.  The fortress was built by the Portuguese between 1767 and 1769 to protect the Baia de Paranagua but was only used once when a British ship took three Brazilian slave boats.  As the British stayed for a few months to rest it would appear that it was not particularly effective!  Built against a hill covered in jungle and looking out into the Atlantic it was a very cool place to stop for lunch and shelter from the midday sun.  I just abut made it back along the beach which had disappeared under a few foot of water and after some bouldering finally made it back to our village for a well deserved beer.

Sunset over the Serra do Mar

We left the island the following evening on the two hour boat back to Parangua with a beautiful sunset over the Serra do Mar mountains and dolphins swimming around the boat as we crossed the bay.  The connecting bus brought us back to Curitiba to complete our tour around the beautiful Parana state giving us a second chance to see the city minus the rain before travelling on to Sao Paulo.

'The Devils Throat' - Iguazu Falls

'The Devils Throat' from the Brazilian side

Although tired after our overnight bus to the town of Puerto Iguazu which lies 20km north of the merger of the Brazilian, Argentinian and Paraguayan borders we arrived excited to see one of the great natural wonders of the world.  The Iguazu Falls are the largest system of waterfalls in the world, even the name originates from two local tribal names meaning ‘big’ and ‘water’ although this turned out to be an understatement of epic proportions.  The falls are formed where the Iguazu River cascades over the 2.7 kilometre lip of the Parana Plateau which divides the river into between 150 - 300 waterfalls depending on the season.  Although the river starts in Brazil the majority of the falls are in Argentina but the national park which protects the surrounding forest lies across both countries.  It was declared as one of the 7 modern natural wonders of the world in 2011 and a designated UNESCO site and we spent a day on each side of the border taking in the breath taking views.

Starting on the Argentinian side we were slightly apprehensive before we set off fearing that we were about to enter a Chinese style theme park rather than a protected nature reserve.  Although hardly a place to ‘be at one’ with nature the crowds were quickly forgotten when we set off from the small train that takes you from the entrance to the section of the falls known as ‘The Devils Throat’.  Set in a u-bend where the water plunges 350 feet the platform at the top of the drop gave us a chance to experience the full force of nature where the mist can rise nearly 500 feet from the unbridled power of the water.  Standing at the top of the chasm and peering into the abyss we were soaked to the skin and in total awe of the sight as the noise of the falls was totally overwhelming. 

View along the upper trail from Argentina

The rest of the Argentinian section of the park consisted of a few trails, many of which were on metal platforms in the water that ran along the top and bottom of the widest section of the falls.  Every view seemed to improve on the last meaning slow progress was made as I got a bit carried away with our camera.  Fortunately for me it was seemingly impossible to take a bad photograph as rainbows kept appearing in the spray and birds of prey circled through the rivers valley below.  It was only when we crossed the river to the Brazilian side the following day however that we could fully appreciate the incredible beauty of the area.  We were treated to panoramic views of the entire series of waterfalls giving us a far better perspective on the scale and ferocity of the falls.

   

Dwarfed by one of the smaller waterfalls

A coati

As well as Iguazu Fall the national park surrounding the area protects more than 200 species of plants and numerous endangered species including the jaguar and ocelot although unsurprisingly we didn’t manage to catch a glimpse of one with the throngs of other tourists.  We did however see numerous coati who terrorised anybody (including Hannah) who happened to be eating near them as well as a few cappuccino monkeys and hundreds of bright butterflies. We had to go to an animal shelter just outside of Puerto Iguazu to see some of the forests more elusive inhabitants that had been rescued from trafficking and accidents.  There was an amazing menagerie full of toucans, macaws and parrots as well as various species of monkeys and an ocelot waiting to be released.  We left the area overwhelmed by what we had seen as we headed north to the source of the Iguazu River near the city of Curitiba deeper inside Brazil.

Uruguay - Restoring my Faith in The World

The beach front in Montevideo

Setting off across the Rio de Plato through a blanket of thick fog (on a very expensive one hour ferry) we should have heeded the bad omen and perhaps have held off on a visit to Uruguay for another trip.  Five days later having experienced solid wind and rain caused by a huge storm out to sea we were a little tired of the weather which unfortunately spoilt our attempts to visit the South American Riviera.  Despite the washout, our overriding memories of Uruguay will be of some of the friendliest and most welcoming people we have met this year.  We were instantly recognisable as tourists as we were not carrying around all the paraphernalia for te de mate.  A flask of water, herbs and your cup are an essential for any Uruguayan whether it be to simply walk along the waterfront in Montevideo or drive a bus to the public hot springs in Salto.   Regardless of our poor Spanish everybody we met was kind and helpful and made an effort to talk to us with genuine friendliness rather than a false necessity that sometimes comes from locals feeling obliged to welcome foreigners.  It is somewhere we will definitely come back to so that we can explore more of the country but in the warmth of the summer.

The cobbles of Colonia

We knew we had reached Uruguay as soon as we stepped off the ferry at Colonia Del Sacramento and into the customs area as we were greeted with the smell of marijuana (legalised but tightly controlled) wafting through the terminal.  Having arrived late due to the fog we settled down in front of the fire in our hostel to watch Wimbledon and the Euro’s sheltering from the rain.  Colonia was originally a seventeenth century Portuguese smuggling port and when we did eventually get out the following morning to explore we found a picturesque old quarter (a UNESCO site) with cobbled streets full of boutique shops and restaurants nestling up to the Rio de Plato.  The old town had lots of quaint coves with small sandy beaches and it was easy to imagine it as the perfect place for smugglers.  We meandered around the streets looking at the restored colonial buildings and small plazas throughout the town enjoying the fresh air.  As the morning drew to a close the black clouds finally delivered on their promise and as the rain started to fall we quickly headed towards the bus station to travel a few hours east to Montevideo.

Colonia

Plaza Independencia

Unfortunately our hunt for the sun ended in abject failure as we stepped off of the bus into more driving rain and we headed through a deserted city despite nearly half the population of the country living there (1.6 million).  Thankfully the weather was a little brighter in the morning and we walked through town past the grand Plaza Independencia which commemorates Uruguay becoming a sovereign nation with a huge statue of Jose Artigas who started the campaign against Spanish and Portuguese occupation.  The old town had a lot of crumbling colonial buildings unsurprisingly as the city was founded to fend off the Portuguese by the Spanish.  Due to its excellent position for trading it began to grow and has seen many immigrants arriving from Italy and Spain giving it a European feel much like Buenos Aries.  The old town south of the plaza was again strangely deserted and we roamed the narrow streets down to the port.  With the rain still holding off we set out on a long walk by the waterfront gazing into the mist . There were an eclectic mix of people from a pair of 60 year old men fishing whilst smoking a joint to teenagers skateboarding along the malecon through the gloom.  Unfortunately this was as much as we saw of Montevideo as the following day was a total wash out – thankfully Wimbledon again saved the day.

Former President Jose Mujica (Google images)

One of the reasons we were keen to visit the country was due to the international plaudits it has received for its progressive society built under former President Jose Mujica.  He became a global icon when he began by donating 90% of his wages to charity and refusing to live in the Presidential palace during his term in office.   ‘I have a way of life that I don’t need to change just because I am President.  I earn more than I need… for me it is no sacrifice, it is a duty’.  The former guerrilla fighter spent 13 years in jail for his part in fighting against dictatorships having been inspired by the Cuban Revolution.  During his presidency the socialist leader saw that renewable energy provide 95% of the country’selectricity, introduce liberal marijuana policies, pioneer stringent tobacco control and legalise abortion and gay marriage.  Despite its more illustrious neighbours Uruguay is ranked first in Latin America for democracy, peace, lack of corruption and press freedom – not bad for a country that was under a military dictatorship only 30 years ago.  It was named country of the year by ‘TheEconomist’ in 2013 for its innovative policies and due to its growing economy and unemployment.   With investment in education, infrastructure and socially conscious citizens it seems things will continue to improve under the recently re-elected Tabare Vazquez, the first left wing leader of Uruguay who originally served as President from 2004 – 2009.  It may not be perfect and their is certainly controversy around the contamination of the rivers but Uruguay certainly seems to be moving in a positive direction.  After such a turbulent time for the UK and European politics with more radical political parties and record levels of financial inequality it was refreshing to see a government and a people trying to do things differently.

You cannot go anywhere without your Mate!

The baths at Salto

With a bleak forecast for the rest of the week we changed plans and headed north to the city of Salto (the home of Luis Suarez) on the Argentinian border where we hoped to find Uruguay’s famous thermal baths and a little warmth.  The six hour drive through the countries interior revealed green rolling hills as we peered out through the rain that was streaming down the bus windows. It reminded us of home but unfortunately it meant we saw very little of the countryside and Uruguay’s famous gauchos (cowboys).  Arriving 6km away to the thermal baths at Dayman, a series of large pools ranged in temperature up to 40ᵒc.  As we were there early we shared the pools with Uruguayan pensioners who of course sat about drinking mate and quizzing us about the recent referendum.  We were even treated to some sun but as my face grew steadily redder I finally had to be led out of the pools before I collapsed from the heat.  Waiting for the bus back the town was full of people walking around in dressing gowns with their mate cups and water flasks, much to my amusement!  As we crossed the border later that afternoon the sun finally broke through the clouds and we left Uruguay feeling that we had unfinished business with it and with nothing but respect and admiration for the country.

BA - The Paris of South America

Obelisco de Buenos Aries

Part Europe part Latino Buenos Aries is a beautiful city with tree lined streets, open plazas and renaissance style architecture providing a back drop to a city like no other in South America.  Looking past the cultured and sophisticated European cover Latino culture still thrives, albeit with an Argentinian twist of football, tango and te de mate.  It is impossible not to notice the wealth in the city compared to its neighbours despite the spiralling inflation in Argentina and current corruption allegations against the former President.   Manicured parks, boutique shops and modern apartment blocks dominate the central districts (there are 48 barrios in total) and there is a calm and serenity not present in other South American capital cities.  There are even pavements without giant holes in them or obstacles on them that might have allowed us to walk around admiring the city were it not for the vast quantities of dog shit that cover the paths – you can’t have everything!  We stayed in an Airbnb apartment in Belgrano, a nice central residential district that gave us time to relax and enjoy some comforts alien to us in the past year.  These first world luxuries were namely a bath and an oven so I could make pies and apple crumble… simple things. 

The National Congress

If we had flown from Europe straight to Buenos Aries we may have only stayed a short time as despite being a beautiful city to stroll around we felt we could have been in any of the famous European capitals (not meant in any way to be a slight.)  For us it was exactly what we wanted to experience; a little normality to rest and recover after some hectic travel.  What Buenos Aries does lack is an iconic landmark such as the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum but the central districts have some attractive architecture & plazas.  These are filled with locals drinking te de mate that is drunk traditionally in an ornate mug through a straw made of silver.  As we explored the down town we passed two of the most impressive renaissance style buildings in the city, The Teatro Colon and National Congress.  When visiting the latter we stumbled into a protest complete with opportunistic street sellers with BBQ’s.   Argentinian’s do not seem to be able to live a few hours without eating some form of meat!  Walking down the narrow streets east of the protest we found the famous Obelisco de Buenos Aries, a 68m tall phallic shaped monument erected to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city in 1936.  Just around the corner we found an excellent restaurant serving Bife de Chorizo (steak), the must have food in Argentina which rounded off a great day exploring the centre of the city.

Teatro Colon

Recoleta Cemetery

Despite the European architecture in the city centre there was still enough noise and chaos on the streets to remind us which continent we were in.  Street venders selling everything from plug adapters to leather belts roamed the streets and there was enough noise and chaos to give the central shopping street a distinctly Latino vibe.  Unfortunately for me it was the 30^th anniversary of the infamous Hand of God goal by Diego Maradona and as we strolled down Calle Florida I was accosted by the Argentinian ESPN team to give an interview about my feelings towards the cheating bastard Argentinian legend.  With all the diplomacy I could muster I expressed my most sincere respect for his talent whilst pointing out that Pele was far superior; just as Ronaldo is better than Messi and Owen’s goal against them in 2002 was far better than Maradona’s against us in 1986.   My diplomacy was at least some conciliation for me as I had to endure nearly every billboard in the city advertising Maradona’s new book showing an image of the goal on the front cover.  An essential stop to explore the political history of Argentina is to visit the famous Recoleta Cemetery in the most bourgeois district of the city of the same name.  The amazing tombs house some of the wealthiest and most influential people in Argentina’s history including Eva Peron, the second wife of Argentina’s most famous President in the 20^th Century Juan Peron.  Although a champion for women and the working class she is almost ironically buried with her class enemy’s but hers is the only grave to be covered in flowers 365 days a year.

A squadron of parakeets

The docklands

The anti-Buenos Aries is the barrio of Puerto Madero, an area which unlike the rest of the city that famously faces away from the water embraces the Rio de la Plata, the world’s widest river which in places reaches 220km in width.  The restored port looks to have been modelled on London Docks with converted brick warehouses and modern offices running along the water front.  The highlight for us was the ecological area that has been preserved along the river which houses hundreds of species of birds.  The squadrons of squawking parakeets that terrorise the city are abundant in the reserve and we spent a few hours walking on the trails enjoying an unexpected break from the hustle of Buenos Aries.   To the north of the city another escape from the bustling city is the barrio of Tigre (named after the Jaguars that used to live their) which runs alongside a river delta with the same name.  A stroll along the water front took us past the naval museum which houses some remains of a vessel destroyed by the British during the Falklands conflict – we quickly moved on.   The barrio housed a lot of rowing clubs in buildings that would not have looked out of place along the Thames River and we enjoyed freshly made empanadas watching the river traffic heading to Uruguay.

El Tigre

Ultimately our time in Buenos Aries was us trying to have a holiday from traveling, a ridiculous sounding statement unless you have travelled for long stints.  Enjoying having simple conveniences like a wardrobe, a T.V and no immediate pressure to have to run around and see as much as possible was a change in lifestyle that we needed.  We may have watched far too many box sets and a lot of football during this time (Argentina went into mourning when they lost the Copa America Final) but it gave us a chance to rest Hannah’s ankle and recover a little before our final six weeks.  We eventually managed to get our Vietnamese working VISA’s from the friendliest immigration official we have ever encountered and we left excited to cross the water for a short visit to Uruguay, the penultimate country of our trip.