Buzios

It was very upmarket and full of Argentineans! The pretty houses, Mallorca style, in red bricks. We spent a few days walking to few places here and there but we had such strong winds that it was difficult to enjoy it at full steam. Still, we managed to do some walkings and runs and truly enjoy the pretty shops (we are so not used to shops anymore! jajajaj); it all looked very European...

Cabo frio

Back on the road we discovered Cabo Frio. Buildings surrounded by pretty dunes on the long promenade. Really beautiful beaches, the sand colour now closer to white. Perfect place for a nice bike ride but not for us. We really love the little villages!

Arrial de cabo
This is it! The dream beach. I could run here forever without feeling any pain. The sand, the whitest ever!, the ocean, so blue! and the peace and quiet of this little gem stole a piece of my heart! We slept on the beach one day and another day overlooking the magnificent sunset up there, on a cliff.

Driving south, to Rio, we thought of contact the "beer brothers" as we assumed they were somewhere near. And they were! We joined them at Manguinhos, a sleepy fisherman village with a big city just around the corner. They surprised us as they were practically staying at this couple's house... on the beach. Soon after we were part of the house too! Fish and chips one day, lamb BBQ (a la estaca) another day, musaka in our home later on and finishing off with an aussie brunch - vegemite included! that we cooked for them. It was so difficult to leave! A genuine, friendly, Oh so happy and open home. Three days later we are on the road again... but a promise to get together for Carnival in Rio. Let's see, I may be able to tick off a huge dream, to be part of a scola do samba!

October 2016

Morro San Pablo

We left our motorhome in the carpark and took a small boat to cross to the island; thinking of spending just a day. We found a village with shops and hotels and posadas and of course the beautiful beaches. It was off season, so it was perfect for enjoyment but I could sense how crowded this place gets in summer! with the nice promenade, the restaurants and the bands and the easiness of all. We stayed in a hotel for a night so we could be here for 2 full days :)

Itacare

Today is the 3r day in Itaparica Island. We stayed here as I needed to recover of a bad flu. A beauty.... we couldn't really have asked for  a better place to recover. Waking up every day at 7:00 am with "Amada Amante" by Roberto Carlos full on volume is something just unforgettable:)  We parked in front of the beach, in an empty lot, in between the bar and a house. And one day... unexpected story... weird, candour but weird at the same time. Hector was fixing something when suddenly I see him surrounded by a group of walkers. They asked for permission and after a second they decided to "bless" our home. Prayers and chants and songs. And  they left... beautiful. Another example of the generosity and warm of the Brazilian people 

You could easily said that we were adopted by him. He saw us first of when we trying to find a spot to stop. He invited us to park just in front of his house, an empty lot in front of the beach, among all his "cousins" houses and  bar. For the next 3 days he made sure that we had all we needed and more.  Visiting us every morning and afternoon, it was his familiar smiling face greeting us every day.  Lazy days of coconut water by the beach.

As usual, they stopped for a chat and a viewing. Our Sal Solcito does impress people! The funny thing in this case is that they have also a motorhome parked in their home...which we were invited to.  A beautiful house, in a condominium, a luxury motorhome...red!.  She is absolutely stunning and he is so soft and sweet. They are perfect together and with the new "babies" (puppies) they have a beautiful family. She cooked the best "cheese bread" and a moqueca style dish with lobster. We laughed a lot,  drank good wine (Argentina's Malbec!) and learnt about their lives. The day after, after a yummy breakfast! they drove us all the way to a mechanic (so many km!)....how incredible supportive! We really liked them! They invited us to stay more days, which was very tempted but we need to start our way back to Chile!  We hope that they dare to take their motorhome from Brasil to meet us somewhere....fingers crossed! :)

Our entrance to  Salvador brought some uncomfortable situations. So accustomed to the silence and peacefulness of the mountains we were not prepared for Salvador; which is a huge city! Driving through the old city, with the narrowest stress ever and the amount of people and cars, and up and down is not the way to enter the city! Soon we had hordes of "tourist agents" walking and basically throwing themselves at us offering anything and everything. We were only looking for parking. How naive! Even the policemen laugh at our enquire! A mistake then, inviting someone inside our car to guide us. A very nasty scenario, he asking for money, refusing to leave,  desperate attempt to take our mobile. Still shaking we managed to leave and found ourselves in La Barra, a promenade with lots of bars but quiet because it is weekday. And so, like magic, he appeared to restore our faith in people (people and their stories).
Day 2 was even scarier; when a street closed due to football and our friendly GPS took us all the way through the hills of the "community" (this is the preferred terms for "favelas"). Fair to say, we were never afraid of the people but more about the situation. Absolutely trapped on those streets, no room to go, can't go down (soooo steep!) By the time we managed to get out of the situation Hecti and I were so sweaty that we had a cold shower!

Two days in the city is just enough for us. Very nice bike ride and a walk to the lighthouse where all locals gather together on Sunday to watch and applaud the sunset ceremony. The old city is so pretty, with the colorful little buildings and the cobblestone floor. And the music, the dancing in every corner. My heart hurts of seeing so many buildings just in the outskirt of the old square that needs urgent repair, I think of Europe and how all the old cities are preserved. This little one is so special because of the culture and yet is mostly abandoned. We promised to come back to see our friends again but we need to breath! Off to the road and 100 km later (north) we found paradise.....(I know I always said that, but really  Guarajuba is paradise)

Condominium in Guarajuba

 If I always knew that my place is on the ocean, this trip have definitely confirmed that....walking on another paradise beach- palms, white thin sand, 27 degrees water temperature, no hurry, no hustle, no stress....I feel a different person, I am a very different person when I am in contact with the ocean. More attuned with myself, quieter, calmer... as Hecti said to me when I am in the beach I don't need anything else; don't feel I need to do something, be entertained... I only need the ocean and the sand. I said to Hecti that this place is one that I could see myself living for 4/5 months. The condominium are superb, the greenery, the bike lane and the culture. There are very few people now, which I love, but I am certain that it will take us only a few weeks to meet people, be friendly and enjoy a walk together...and because is in South America, our friends can come and stay with us :)

Praia do Farol da Barra, Salvador,  Bahia

From Guarajuba...we visit Praia do Forte as everybody told us that it was a great place. Well, it is a great place but not for us. Lots of upmarket shops, a real tourists place. Very nice for a day...we looked at each other and we both knew. We drove back all the way to Guarajuba to our safe heaven :)

A super chat sitting on the curb of the street, it was so hot inside our home. Life choices, a young entrepreneur with 2 small kids;  asked "what is the story behind your trip"? "Freedom, that is the story!". He promised to take us to the best gelato and to eat the best mokeka in the city. He delivered! with much more :) It was a tourist drive throught the city, the Bonfim church (and the ribbons), tapioca ice cream and a round table in a busy restaurant where some other friends just join. It really felt like any Sunday at home.  We come back to visit him and he promptly blessed our motorhome with the ribbons sitting now in the gear stick.

Chapada Diamantina
2nd to 14th of September

As soon as we left the coast the environment changed dramatically. Even people's skin color change. All the luxuries we saw in the south just gone. Instead we were driving through towns without pavement and with huge amount of people. And yet, the order and cleanliness, the calmness and helpfulness of locals remain the same. We are getting into the heart of Bahia. The surprises just started. Even though we left the beaches very reluctantly, here we are now, in this huge (The size of Switzerland!) national park that only local people know of . We are discovering waterfalls after waterfalls, river of transparent caramel colour, prettiest and peaceful kind of little towns- restaurant tables on the street and musicians playing along. It is a very Bob Marley atmosphere. Suddenly all the tiredness of the drive and the ugliest slept in are gone.

"we are incredible lucky, deservingly so (ha!), but extremely lucky nonetheless. .." i said to Hecti just at the edge of the Morro Pai Inacio. It was an awesome and unexpected day, even for our standards :)

It started with a full on breakfast in the fancy hotel we stayed while I was working and sending emails. Next I know, after a short drive and a very nice walk through the rocks, a huge natural swimming pool at the end of a wonderful waterfall- caramel color. The poso del diablo. The water just divine, the perfect place for the sweetest pineapple I have ever eaten..(I am not sure how I will be able to find any taste in any fruit anymore after eating fruit in Brazil!)...and when we thought the day couldn't get any better....here we are climbing so high being rewarding with an spectacular view. Oh what a day!

Next day off to Gruta Lapa Doce, with their impressive stalactites, it is the biggest cave in Brasil and then to Gruta azul. It does take the name from the sunshine hitting the water making a blue ray...do I need to say more? We spent the afternoon in the river; the water so clean and fresh

Fumaça waterfall was a challenge. Up 350 m and 5 km walk each way it tested our fitness level. Not bad, actually :) In the town, an interesting story was awaiting us. A guy just cleaning his brother's art gallery after he just passed away and a canvass present. We also had "mate" in our home with an Argentinean/North-American young couple...just sharing stories and enjoying the moment. I can't stress enough how precious these kind of moments are for us. They feed our soul so much, they make our trip so rich!

We had a quick drive through the town Vale do Capao. It was Sunday and the market was full. Lots of hippies, stalls of fresh food, music and capoeira. It was not our scene. The smell of marijuana too strong for us!

Preparing for our intense trekking, just wondering can we do it? without a guide? Yes, we can! Following the donkeys shit. the same donkeys that the locals use once a month to bring food to their houses. And our GPS, in our mobile. Extraordinary. Exhausted. Limitless. Sleeping surrounded by the morros, resting in a hammock, in a house- pension- eating bahiana food and telling our stories to a very young crow....what a moment. For a second (only!) all our muscle aches just disappear and we feel so alive. I said to Hecti that I am still surprise what our bodies can handle; the last day 23 km trekking in such difficult terrain; up the morros, down the valley; the only relief the fresh stream of water that we found then and there and that we jumped with so much gusto!

Some blisters late, the first night back to our home, we took some paracetamol and a bit of codeine just to help us sleep. The truth is that it took us only 2 days of full food and lying low to recover. Idols!

In Andarai the greatness of the people again just swept us away. In searching for gas (yes, again), a butcher just walked with us all over town; taking also some of our heavy shopping bags, going from shop to shop asking people around for gas. This kind of behaviour, which we have faced on and on in Brasil is just incredible.

After 10 days on an incredible adventure and spectacular scenery I am so ready to go back to the beach!

28 to 31st of August

Trancoso and Arraial D'ajuda really come from a fairy-tale! The cutest towns ever, with the colourful houses, white and simple churches overlooking the ocean; children playing football and magnificent beaches (like allllll Brazil!) I am so glad we are here on the off season! There are so many posadas and little fancy restaurants and bars. All is in wooden and fairy lights hanging from the copious trees that frame these places. It is very upmarket, just walking through the shops like a "vogue" experience.

1st Of September

"This is the life I always wanted!" I said to Hecti while floating on the ocean. Going from beach to beach, white and thin sand, perfect weather, palms, warm ocean....the coast from Porto Seguro is fantastic; it does have a feel similar to Bali or at least what I feel every time I go there: peace.

Young and yet very wise. Delicious as their home made mango jam... which they gave us some. Arrived very late at night, looking for a place to sleep across the ferry that it will take us to Caraivas. And once again, as many many times before our prejudice tricks us. Opening up and the world is different to what we initially thought. Like this young couple, very much in love, so generous and warm, who are building a sustainable vegies/fruit heaven. The taught us about capoeira principles,  aromatherapy oils, the 1000 ways to cook mandioca - absolutely loved their cocoanut pudding, and the secret of avocado growing. We talked until very late at night, sharing dinner. One night their turn, then ours.  They have so many plans and ideas. So exciting to see.  And yet, they also have times of isolation and difficulties...."I never realised that I needed money while I had a good job and money!" The balance of choices, the gain and looses

August 26

It took us 6 hours. But with the stops and lunch we ended up driving the whole day. The hardest part was the end, 40 km of dirt road with so many potholes that we thought our SalSolcito was going to finish inside one of them! She is a real trooper!

Pocket of paradise. This is Caraiva. On the same line than Pi Pi island or Bali without the testosterone. Plenty of posadas but still raw. A point, the place where the river and the sea cross; the numerous wooden chairs with colourful toldos. A very unassuming place even more so now that is off season. Lazy day on the beach, letting ourselves go downstream on the river, a siesta and a boat to cross back to "reality". Unique, beautiful, sand town.

A pharmacist, everybody favourite person, a person you can trust. He must known about wifi! Desperate again, in need of wifi to do my coaching session.... his generosity just blew us up. He gave us the password, lighted up the outside of the shop, came several times to cheek if we were OK... even offering us water! That night, in our home, we celebrated meeting him with a shared cheese omelette, a beer and chocolate biscuits. A young, gentle and friendly heart he invited us to stay in his parents "events-camping-agroturism" place...free of charge :)

He also called his friend, a well travelled guy, to join us and to give us tips of where to go.

"You are just about on the line to start knowing Brazil! You can't just turn around, must go to Bahia! It was just the impetus that we needed. Oh what a man! A true one man show, a story teller, an actor, a character. So many stories! It was then really funny. 11:30 am, on the pharmacy door, chatting away, sharing experiences, drinking mate. This is our real trip. Suerte amigo!

"Mate" on the beach (it has to be!), a great bike ride to her favourite beach, Praia do Carais and beautiful 3 course dinner meal we did... that was meeting her. Another Argentinean living the world, She has this adventure life to tell, living and working in so many countries; following freedom... or following the ocean... which for her and I is basically the same! Settled down now in Guarapari she carries a sense of contentment and calmness. Oh, so appealing!

August 24, Itaunas

Arrived here as always, following locals recommendations. We were buying fresh fish in Conceicao da Barra, where we spent the night, and the fisherman was disturbed as to why we haven't been to Itaunas or that we haven't even heard of this place!!

One hour later, we were driving on a dirt road to the beach to Dunas de Itaunas. A bit like Jericoacoara but very small and low market. The dunes? Well, there were dunes but we were more interested in bike riding along the "infinite beaches"...can't see the end, just the ocean and us.

Back to the town, we found very colourful locals (on People and their stories); who convinced us that even thought the weather forecast shown shower and shower we cannot not go to Bahia. So, after a few second we changed again and decided to keep going north!

Guarapari, August 21

And so after 2 weeks of overindulgence in TV Olympics we are back on the road, heading toward Bahia

It was a trade off. Missing staying in Rio for the games vs renting an apartment with a huge TV and cable to watch it. Not the same but comforting enough. We stayed at Guarapari. Small town, looking at the beach. Oh how easy we get comfy on the "luxuries"! An oven, gas that comes straight from the kitchen, a sink for washing our clothes and beautiful and pleasant showers! This town was not particularly great. It was quiet and easy but not exciting. It made me miss Fortaleza with all the night buzz. Back to our "normal life" we talked about getting in and out of this situations. The beauty of stopping for just a while to rest but the disruption it makes to our so called routine. We believe it is much easier to continue the journey than to stop and start. We are aware of what this means to our future; for me this knowledge brings more anxiety...

Chasing/hunting propane gas. That is our monthly task. Infuriating, frustrating, disheartening. How on earth can we achieve global peace if every single country has its own type of gas bottle valve connector!

On a Saturday morning, driving and looking... in the middle of a suburb only 30 km of Rio, madness, small streets, plenty of people and cars... chaos. He appeared as an angel! A quick chat, asking for directions. It finished with him driving around in his van, looking and asking for 1 hour, asking 10 different shops. He was so committed to help! At one point, I stopped and he took Hecti in his car to continue driving as SalSolcito was having difficulties fitting on some narrow places. At the end, he had no choice by letting us go, but not before driving another 15 km in his car in front of us to take us to the highway and pointed us to the right direction to the gas plant. We are getting so impressed by Brazilians!!!!

17 to 29 of July

I can't describe how it feels to be back on the beach, alive? My body aching after 15 days of just driving. It took us 3,200 km and 4 countries to go from the pacific Ocean to the Atlantic and now it feels like it was all worthy! We are thinking of staying in Brazil for 3 months... let's see how we go!

The coastal road, from Pruibe to Rio

As always we stay on the beach. This time Peruibe. A very quiet small town with a long and flat promenade, perfect for bicycle!

We took a small ferry to get to Guaruja, I can't really say that I love this place. All I can see is buildings in the very nice promenade. But apart from the "morros" that framed the landscape, you could think you are anywhere in the world. I know it used to be a nice and quiet beach-holidays place but it has now being transformed in a big city... shame. The thing we really liked around all this area is the fresh fish! Lots and lots of market stalls with the freshest of all prawns!

All along the road, on the coast, we see plenty of "condominios". Some of them exquisite, so rich...but most of them just nice houses enclosed in a big compound. We did a detour and entered a huge one. Well, the houses on the beach to die for... but we were on a walk across the stones in the shore and after the tide... well, we just couldn't find our way back.!

What really separates this coastal road in this country from all others in the greenery. The bushes are so lush. There are these exotic fruit plants everywhere and tall beautiful palms.  

We stayed 3 days in Paraty. A very different place. So cute! With the white old buildings, the colourful house doors and the big cobblestone. It was a Portuguese colony that has only been "open" to general people about 60 years ago when they built the road from Rio

We took the heavy hearten decision to skip Rio during the Olympics to continue north. Such a pity! We had plan and dream about participating for such a long time! But the increase instability in the world, the recommendations of not being around huge crowds can't be ignored. Security has always being a priority and we don't want to be in difficult or ugly situations. So, Rio...will see you in a few months!

8 July

We drove through Formosa, from one side to the other. As the landscape changed- from a very dry land to "esteros" -water everywhere with lots of vegetation; so did the social landscape. We saw small towns with very basic houses, no pavement, and a general sense of abandonment. As always the most interesting thing is to be with locals and we spent a magnificent BBQ day in a national park chatting away with 2 families






11 July

Going through Paraguay was real madness. We reached Asuncion via a "ferry" and we were hit by a huge and busy city. Still going from mechanic to mechanic; we got almost lost in traffic and after days of just travelling and sleeping on petrol stations, we got to our destiny: Brazil

1 July, Mamiña      

Hidden away in the cordillera and totally away from the freeway we went to Mamiña. Two very lazy days (just what we needed!) with very basic hot springs and even more basic mud baths... our bodies and spirits clean :)


4 July

At San Pedro de Atacama, for my birthday we so indulged in pleasure! A night in a hotel- hot and beautiful shower, nice and warm bed, all day coffee, pizza in bed, all you can use internet, watching Wimbledon and finishing the beautiful day with champagne and tiramisu cake!!!

We will be coming back here as the cold was so intense we couldn't visit much. In October will be different...

6 July

We spent the whole day in silence, only doing ahhhh!!! and ohhhhh! such was the incredible spectacle of crossing los Andes from San Pedro de Atacama en Chile to Purmamarca in Jujuy-Argentina. A serpent road, with salty lakes, volcanos and beautiful mountains! Arriving to Purmamarca was very emotional as we remember a similar trip 30 years ago. I swear I could see more than 7 colours on our trek to the "mountain with 7 colours"! A very small and cute town, finished the day eating empanadas and locro in a "peña" with a great folklore band!

Chile -Santiago

18 June

Well, the excitement only last a few meters and then back to Ford! SalSolcito is not well and we are getting worried. Something to do with the gases and the bad quality of the diesel but... as advised by the mechanics we keep driving. Today, at 400 km north of Santiago, on Las Serena, a holiday town on the coast, we took the time to put the "house" in order and wait for Monday to go back to a new mechanic :(




6 days in La Serena, sleeping outside the mechanics gate and still no resolution for SalSolcito. We are so cold here, my bones are aching and I am seriously considering that someone did a "number" on us. Such is the trend of bad luck that we are having.

A "job" to trick the motorhome sensors will help us to travel far north were the duty free area can deliver some hope; imported cars and parts could be just what we need.



25 June

Even in this circumstances we are able to appreciate beauty. And a true beauty is the road from Antofagasta to Iquique. An absolute ocean road, carved in the middle of the rocks, the mountains and the desert. A mystic and surprising road. The clouds above the mountains. Rocks of all shapes and colours descend unevenly and loosely on the sand. Today finally we see the sun and it is a bit warm just enough to lift our spirits.

It is such a pity that people's ignorance so quickly becomes fear. At every step there are someone who says "don't go there" and star telling war stories. It was funny because we picked up 2 young men on the road who were coming from working in a desolated seaweed beach. They took us to their village, a "caleta", a fisherman village best described as a slum. A place where I have to admit we would have never gone inside. As we were talking to the locals and enjoying the festivities (it was San Pedro day...the fisherman's saint) a few people were saying "if you go to Iquique, just go to the "high suburban" area, don't go where the poor people are"!

So, even as we tried to dismiss all calls, we still were a bit hesitant when approached Iquique; so much so that the first night we drove all the way back to the highway so we could sleep in the service area! Second night, much better, we bike ride the promenade (very nice!) and ended up sleeping on the promenade at the main beach.

Still couldn't find the part for SalSolcito, even after spending the whole day in the duty free market. But we did buy for her new tyres! And after another "cheating job" in another mechanic place we decided to continue our way to Brazil