Round The World - The End

We´ll begin our final post in exactly the same way that we began our very first one those 6 months ago whilst counting down the days to take-off... `doesn´t time fly´. Over the last half year we finally lived our dreams to travel the world and whilst we continued to learn more about each other (yep, even after 14 years), we learnt a lot about ourselves. As we write this last entry we are really looking forward to seeing our family and friends once again, and we´d like to thank all of you that have followed our adventures and posted comments. But the best thing about having done this once is that now we have the confidence to do it again... and so we´re already thinking about our next tour... to be continued...

Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

18th - 24th October ´08

Our final bus journey... our final destination... home to the favela known as the `City of God´. Arriving into one of the most talked about cities on the planet filled us with a buzzing sense of excitement.. hosting a backdrop of curving white sanded beaches, tumbling mountains, and the seductive sounds of samba pumping through the veins of every resident. We stayed along one of the tree-lined avenues of affluent Ipanema surrounded by beautiful people, designer shops, and a short hop to its stunning beach. Unfortunately, rain suspended outdoor play on our initial day forcing us to focus our attentions on the night scene instead. Wandering through the pleasant neighbourhood we stumbled across a music shop on an avenue named after a legend of Bossanova, Vinicius de Moraes. The owner, taking a liking to our indian background, gifted us with one of his very own compiled CD´s before pointing us in the direction of a Bossanova bar. There, the very popular Maria Crueza (and a quartet of musicians) performed many crowd pleasers including `The Girl from Ipanema´ in an intimate environment which we ended with overpowering caipirinhas.

Rio de Janeiro used to be the capital of Brazil before it was usurped by Brasilia, and like any metropolis it has its share of poverty stricken areas... more commonly known as favelas. Entering one of these neighbourhoods without a knowledgeable guide is deemed suicidal in part... and the following afternoon we learnt how the film the `City of God´was indeed an accurate reflection of life within them. The favela that we visited was called Rocinha... nestled within the mountain it provided its drug dealing dwellers with strategic look out points to warn of uninvited police and rival gangs. Our 3 hour tour began with a short hair raising motorbike ride that took us into the heart of this completely different world. With the words `anything can happen at anytime´, our guide Luis sent us a clear message and strongly advised about the use of cameras in certain parts. Amongst a tangled mess of illegally connected electricity lines and an air filled with sewage smells, Luis led us through the winding graffiti´d alleyways where the poverty was apparent. Gun strapped drug dealers confidently roamed the streets, and kids passed their time drumming beats and smoking pot... like many favelas it centred around the theme of drugs. After briefly visiting the residence of an artist (friend of our guide) and a small community school (of which proceeds from our tour supported), we completed our eye-opening experience... and returned to the vastly contrasting Ipanema.

The next day we made our way to Cosme Velho where set atop of the mountain known as Corcovado, a statue had been erected to watch over the entire city... Christo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). A 30 minute train climb through the lush rainforest of Tijuca National Park brought us to within touching distance of this majestic statue... at 30 metres high, he stood open-armed towering above Rio de Janeiro. With clear blue skies above us, we were able to appreciate 360 degree views of the city - its curving beaches and its punctuating mountains that included the famous Sugar Loaf. That evening we strolled along Ipanema beach admiring the sunset over Pedra Bonita before ending the day on the terrace of a bar where street musicians filled the night with Samba beats.

There was time for one final flight before our long-haul back home... so the following morning we clutched the handle-bars of a hang-glider and took off from Pedra Bonita at 500 metres. Our charismatic instructors were Paulo and Quen who ensured we had a safe and memorable 10 minutes being as free as a bird. Unlike our parapenting experience we picked up some good velocities in the warm air, but similarly it was the take-off and landing sequences that proved to be the trickiest. As had been suggested, gliding over Tijuca National Park and landing on the sands of Sao Concorde was definitely one of the highlights of our stay in Rio. Later that afternoon we amused ourselves in Ipanema beach playing hacky-sack, where we saw many finely conditioned bodies that created the so-called `Beauty Crowd´, and where Brazil´s largest religion, football, took over parts of the beach.

Over the next couple of days we continued to laze on the sands as well as exploring the famous strip of Copacabana, and the arches of Santa Theresa. And over the next couple of nights we hit some of the recommended samba spots around Leblon and Lapa... littered with cafes and clubs hosting live music (and not exotic dancers like the name suggests), crowds spilled onto the streets of Lapa making it one of the most atmospheric areas in Rio. It was a deservedly fitting way to end our 6 months of travelling. Next and final stop... Home.

Brazil - Florianopolis (Santa Catarina)

12th - 17th October ´08

Having thought that we had left all our eventful bus journeys back in Bolivia, we were sadly mistaken... a few hours into our overnight road trip the bus was boarded by customs offiicals... and a few minutes later we were asked to disembark. Amongst a flurry of confusion and panic-stricken local women trying to force bags into our hands (as well as the 5 Swedish girls behind us), we edged our way out of the vehicle. For a further hour we stood on the sidelines of a beetle-infested tunnel emptying our backpacks whilst the guilty continued to scuffle around intent on hiding something. Holding firm with our continuous refusals to assist, they sought help from other locals who did in fact oblige, and who were duly rewarded thereafter... 11 hours later we arrived at our destination.

Just as the names suggested, Florianopolis and the Island of Santa Catarina provided an ideal setting to unwind for a few days... filled with forest-backed beaches, misty mountains and immaculate lakes. On arrival we decided to hire a car in order to explore the island in more depth, using the west-coast fishing village of Barra de Lagoa as our initial base. Soon after checking into a friendly guesthouse a short distance from a kite-surfing beach, this small town erupted with the proud sounds of car horns... Brazil had beaten Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier... and the parading ensemble of cars just showed how passionate they were about it. Over the next few days we covered 200km around the island using a very confused sat-nav... on certain days we simply lazed on the slow-paced beaches, whilst on others we lost ourselves in the varying landscapes. We liked to think of our stay in Florianopolis as representing the calm before our stormy next stop... Rio de Janeiro.

Argentina/Brazil - Iguazu Falls

9th - 11th October ´08

We gladly decided to trade another 20 hours on a bus in favour of a short flight to Puerto Iguazu from Buenos Aires. This small bordering town to Brazil was a popular and convenient place to cross the border, but was also the gateway to an attraction shared by both countries... Iguazu Falls. Having checked into a hostel with a real backpacker feel late that evening, we rested up in preparation for our excursion to the National Park the following morning.

The entrance to the park opened up to reveal a subtropical rainforest with signposted trails for exploring the waterfalls. Walking through the dense greenery under the scorching sun almost reminded us of our Amazonian experience, unfortunately the expected crowds of guided tour groups coupled with some modern restaurants and giftshops eliminated the eco-atmosphere at various times. After completing a 2 hour circuit where we enjoyed some great views of the falls we headed in the direction of the visitors centre where there were various activities on offer. The one that caught our attention involved a thrilling speedboat trip under the waterfalls... and we were in desperate need of a shower. Supplied with life-jackets and a waterproof carrier, we knew we were in for a rough ride... which was certainly the case as everyone on board was drenched from head to toe. It was a refreshing way to end the morning, and the scenery we had seen thus far had really been a build up to the main highlight... ´La Garganta del Diablo´- The Devil´s Throat. Boarding a slow-moving train to another part of the park followed by a 1km trail along a catwalk system brought to the spectacular and deafening sounds of this fall. As we approached the roaring mouth via a single walkway, our renewed spell of dryness was shortlived due to the misty spray that surrounded us. From where we stood, the Brazilian flag was barely visible in the blurred distance indicating how only the rushing waters separated the countries at this point. Two showers and we were ready to make a clean escape from this natural wonderland.

The next morning we seamlessly transitioned into Brazil in what proved to be our quickest overground border crossing to date. Arriving into Brazil´s equivalent of Puerto Iguazu (Foz do Iguazu), that same afternoon we headed to its side of the falls under a recommendation. Noticeably more developed than its Argentinian counterpart, the National Park here seemed to have a calmer atmosphere (possibly because of the time of day we came) but our preference was still definitely the Argentinian side. And on our final afternoon before catching our next bus, we had just enough time to experience a typical Brazilian luncheonette where a huge variety of food was weighed and paid by the kilo. Next stop... Florianopolis.

Argentina - Buenos Aires

1st - 8th October ´08

The sexy and electrifying city of Buenos Aires was everything we imagined it to be... graced with diverse districts, lively locals, and a buzzing nightlife, it really deserved its reputation as the city that never sleeps. Staying in the heart of the microcentro... Avenida Corrientes (Argentina´s answer to New York´s Broadway), we were within easy reach of the atmospheric neighbourhoods that surrounded some of the widest avenues in the Americas. The evening we arrived we strolled through the lively pedestrianised Avenida Florida where street dancers and musicians entertained the masses amidst haggling vendors.

Our first barrio exploration mission was Recoleta the following day. This affluent area was home to one of the largest highlights in Buenos Aires... Recoleta Cemetery... where many pertinent players of Argentine history including politicians, explorers, leaders and writers lay in silent testimony, praised by the presence of thousands of visitors. It was unlike anything we had seen before... elaborately designed sarcophagi towered above us forming a maze of walkways throughout the tranquil cemetery, and with real ease we located the gravestone of its most famous resident, Eva Peron (Evita) - the only one with a large crowd of bystanders. As night fell, the city erupted to life... there was never a dull moment within the bustling centre, laying host to anything from fiery demonstrations to street tango. We put on our dance shoes and hit the ever present salsa scene. Club Azucar was filled with some of the smoothest operators we had witnessed in a very long time... the salsera began with an introductory class after which the latin beats attracted many seductive dancers onto the floor... and there were no strings attached as many guys politely and successfully requested a dance from a girl before moving onto the next one. Two sambucas and our urging desire to wiggle our hips was satisfied... stumbling back into our hostel at 4am.

Naturally we wrote off the following morning in bed before making our way to the fashionable district of San Telmo. Filled with cobblestoned streets, antique markets, and aging architecture, it was the ideal setting to rest our tired eyes and soak in some sun. We lazily sat at a cafe within Plaza Dorrego watching the street tango show before some customary window shopping around the neighbourhood. With our appetite for latin grooves growing we immersed ourselves into the addictive Argentinian culture once more by rocking to the downtown club of Maluco Beleza later that night. Taking to the sidelines at times it was inspiring to see how controlled and passionately the South Americans moved to the varying tempo of the music.

Another late lie-in... another late start... and we ascended from the well connected metro system to arrive at the attractive greenery surrounding Barrio Palermo. Lounging on the numerous park benches and thereafter wandering aimlessly through the treelined district streets brought us to Museo Evita... a small but insightfull museum chronicling the life of Argentina´s most famous lady. As a leading figure, she had died at the age of 33, and had struck a chord in the hearts of millions of Argentinians through her charitable campaigns and feminine rights movements. Returning back to the city centre, we completed our short history lesson about this iconic individual by visiting Casa Rosada - the famous balcony where Evita inspired the roaring crowds during the 1940´s.

Accordingly, no visit to Argentina´s capital would be complete without experiencing a football match. The popular home side of Boca Juniors was playing their 9th game of the season against Estudiantes, a tie many felt that they had to win, and one we had bought tickets for. Joined by a minibus of travellers from neighbouring hostels we took to the crowded stands amongst the more emotional fans that continuously chanted support for their team. We encountered an unrivalled passion for the players of Boca Juniors from the so-called `hooligans´that echoed drumming sounds and singing around the stadium, regardless of their team´s performance. Banners with `Jugador 12 Presente´(Player 12 present here) punctuated the blue and yellow flags of the home colours, supported further by the presence of Argentina´s most famous footballer Maradonna. The only drawback was that our stands were directly below the opposition supporters who at times sprayed beer and threw plastic bottles containing liquids of a urine colour at the home fans. Although Boca Juniors led at one point, they failed to play with any real conviction and ultimately lost the game 2-1... nevertheless it was an unforgettable 3 hours from start to end.

And we completed our final 2 days and 2 nights in this dynamic city continuing along a similar theme of exploration, good restaurants and late night partying. Next stop... Puerto Iguazu.

Argentina - Rosario

29th - 30th September ´08

Rosario... the birth place of Ernesto Che Guevara... was a natural stopover to get to Buenos Aires from Cordoba. After our previous 2 excessively long bus journeys, we wisely decided to split our 16 hour road trip to the capital. Having spent only 1 full day in Rosario (mainly because of our eagerness to get to Buenos Aires) it was difficult to acquire a complete picture of what the city could offer... albeit that our initial impressions were that it didn´t quite share the same charisma as our other Argentinian visits. In that single day, we created our very own walking tour around the perfectly grid-shaped avenues. Heading several blocks eastwards from our hostel we arrived at a promenade where the river-view benches were filled with canoodling couples... the Argentinians were affectionate people and they obviously not shy to show this... we (unintentionally ;-) witnessed a huge array of erotic postions during our brief coffee break there. Following our criss-crossed street map southwards brought us to the apartment at 480 Entre Rios, where in 1929 Che Guevara was born... unfortunately the building had been closed to all but people of importance, meaning that our memory of this site was closed shutters and a board bearing the face of Che. We completed our circuit at night passing the colossal ´Monument to the Flag´lit up in patriotic colours and home to the first risen flag of Rosario... before being spoilt for dining choices at the endless Ave Pelligrin. Next stop... Buenos Aires.

Argentina - Cordoba

26th - 28th September ´08

Our early morning arrival in Cordoba brought us to a surprisingly busy bus terminal within walking distance of the nucleus of the city... Plaza San Martin. After 3 unsuccessful attempts at checking into a hostel and with our tortoise-shelled backpacks feeling heavier with each step, we stumbled into an Apart hotel... having the standard services of a hotel and the amenities of an apartment with its very own kitchenette, this was our opportunity to briefly break from the addictive carnivorous culture. Tired from yet another overnight journey of broken sleep we gathered some energy and performed our exploration ritual. That evening we greased our pots and pans, and stirred up a vegetarian curry before catching a glimpse of the outdoor performance at Patio del Tango.

The following afternoon the time had finally come to spread our wings and parapent through the skies. A 30 minute jeep ride through a remote trail and we found ourselves on top of a hill a few hundred feet above the city heights. Under the experienced guidance of an instructor we leapt from the cliff edges to begin our tandem flight... and for 20 minutes we were at the mercy of the wind. Circling through the chilling air there were nerving moments where any lack of windforce created a vulnerable floating sensation. However for those few minutes at peaceful heights it was a liberating and contemplative experience. A few years back the city of Cordoba was given the title ´Cultural Capital of the Americas´... each evening the city would spring to life with people taking to the streets for films, festivals and fiestas. So accordingly, that night we wandered through the fashionable area of Nuevo Cordoba where it appeared that everyone´s sole purpose was to have a good time.

Our last day in Cordoba was a sunday and after a fittingly lazy morning at a plaza cafe, we took to the clay courts... if you can imagine Rafa Nadal vs Maria Sharipova, then you´ll know exactly how this story ended... 6-4, 6-2 Pattni Y. And we completed our short stay in the midst of a well renowned handicrafts fair where the setting sun brought the city night to life once more. Next stop... Rosario.

Argentina - Mendoza

22nd - 25th September ´08

The 18 hour bus ride from Salta to Mendoza was our longest journey to date and the one that broke our cumulative 150 hour barrier of road travels. We immediately took a strong liking to the seductive city of Mendoza, also considered the tango and wine capital of the world... wide tree-lined avenues, spacious eye-catching plazas, and an unrivalled casual pace that placed it within our top 5 favourite cities. After a devastating earthquake in the mid-19th century, the city had been strategically rebuilt with wider roads and larger plazas in anticipation of another rumble... fortunately they are still waiting. After our long drawn out arrival, we located some decent accommodation in the heart of the city before wandering through the charming handicraft stalls that decoratively lit up Plaza Independencia.

The following morning we caught a local bus to the wine region of Maipu where we hired a couple of mountain bikes, found ourselves a map, and began a 16km circuit through the captivating vineyards. Our first stop was El Museo del Vino where we learnt about the wine making process and how extraction methods had evolved over the centuries (from crushing grapes with feet to modern machinery)... we even picked up some tips on determining the quality of wine. The Italians had founded many of the bodegas (wineries) around Mendoza having discovered that the region shared a similar climate to their homelands... with 70% of Argentina´s wine now being produced by this city´s immediate surroundings. After indulging in some wine tasting activities, we continued to cycle for a further 7km through the tree-arching roads and field plantations to Familia di Tomasso... a romantically quaint bodega. Against a picturesque backdrop of vineyards and mountains, we lunched on its terrace before naturally sampling the overpowering grapes of this winery. Two glasses of wine and we were beginning to feel the effects as we mounted our bikes once more... a markedly slower 3km in the scorching sun brought us to the 2 adjacent vineyards of El Vino del Cuero and Tempus Alba - apparently the oldest and newest within the region, and noticeably so. After some further exploration and wine tasting our tastebuds for fermented grapes were failing to respond... we gladly turned our attention towards Dulceria La Marta - a chocolate and liqueur factory where we ended our combined cycling and sampling tour with some potent alcohol.

The following evening we completed the 2-piece jigsaw of this city by experiencing a passionate tango show. It featured 2 traditional singers, a live quartet of musicians, and 4 sexy and inviting dancers... apart from the smooth intertwining steps from the 2 dance couples, the performance was too cornily geared towards the tourist but it had enticed us enough to consider a tango class in the future. And on our final day, we created our very own hamper from a vegetarian buffet restaurant before heading out for a picnic at the immaculate Parque San Martin. Consumed by a serene lake, several museums, a zoo, and hundreds of hectares of forestry; this park was filled with fitness enthusiasts and provided the ideal setting to lose all concept of time. Laying on the shady green banks of the surrounding lake we could easily have drifted into another day had we not had to catch our overnight bus. Next stop... Cordoba.