Officially the Biggest and Baddest Post Ever

Warning: This blogpost is very long because it is long overdue. A lot of fun and bad computers in Paraguay have limited my ability to post recently. As I try to rush this out from a Cuzco, Peru bus station, I make no promises about the quality of spelling or the factual content of this post. Also, if anyone saw video footage from Carnival on television that vaguely resembled me, I assure you that it was someone else.

From Buenos Aires we headed north. Our first stop was at a place called Carlos Pelligrini. There we had the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of wetland wildlife. We saw alligators, capybaras (the world's largest rodent, which a hitchhiker told me were quite tasty), giant toads, and lots of birdlife. As good as Buenos Aires had been, it was nice to be back exploring the countryside.







The morning we were due to leave Carlos Pellegrini brought a rain storm. As we headed along the dirt road toward Paraguay, the road became increasingly slick. Eventually we got stuck and had to try to get the truck out of the mud. After a few unsuccessful hours, the sky really opened up and we retreated onto the truck to wait it out. When it became apparent that we would not be going anywhere for quite a while, I decided to have a little fun in the mud.





We ended up spending the night in the truck, where it was roughy 100 degrees (F) - 40ish C). Unfortunately, we were stuck next to a mosquito filled swamp. Eventually, we cut up a mosquito net and taped it over a couple windows. However, it was difficult to get the tape to stick because all of the condensation from our breath. The next morning saw another brief shower and after a few hours, we decided to try and get out. Just as nearly all hope was lost for the day, there was a miracle in the form of a man on a tractor. This was a very welcome sight and soon we were back on the road.

Behind schedule, we put in a big driving day and got to Trinidad, Paraguay. Trinidad is home to some old Jesuit ruins which were interesting.



Also, we were able to visit a mate factory in Trinidad. Mate is basically a tea that most of Argentina and Paraguay are completely addicted to.



More exciting than the ruins or the mate factory, however, may have been the campsite's massive swimming pool (complete with diving board and slide). After being stuck in the mud for over 24 hours and little poolside R&R was a nice bonus and helped improve everyone´s mood.



(Note this picture was taken in the campsite owner's minivan. I am not sure if this feature has hit the States, but I hope so.)

From Trinidad we headed to Asunction, Paraguay´s Capital, which is a nice enough city, but not overwhelmingly interesting. I spent a fair amout of time sampling empanadas around the city. What Asunction does offer is a glimpse into a less affluent South American city. Parts of Asunction reminded me of African cities and it certainly did not feel as European as Buenos Aires or Santiago. After a couple days in Asunction, it was time to head for Brazil. Actually, we were headed to Iguazu Falls, which is basically the border intersection of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

The border was extremely busy and a little crazy. A mild dispute about a visa forced me to subsidize a borderguard's pay in order to leave Paraguay. I must say that this left a bad taste in my mouth about an otherwise pleasant country.

Over the border bridge there were tons of people trying to sell stuff. Hats, sunglasses, tv antennas, and even butt pants. I am not sure how this guy ended up with his selection, but he seemed to like it.



At our campsite in Foz de Iguazu (Brazil) there were several other overland trucks which made for quite the festive atmosphere at night. By day, however, there was some world class waterfalls to check out. On our first full day, several of us> checked out the Brazilian side of the falls on foot and by helicopter.







Near the Brazilian side of the falls is a birdpark that was filled with exotic birds.


(For those of you who don't recognize it, that toucan is attacking my camera box)



The following day, we headed to Argentina and got to see the falls from a few different perspectives on foot and by boat.





Some lingering problems with the truck came to a head at Iguazu, but we had the option of jumping on another truck for the ride to Paraty. I decided to go for it. It was a nice chance to experience a different truck for a couple days, hear some different stories, and read some new books.

Paraty is a nice beachside town in Southern Brazil. While there, I went diving with some friends on the first full day and then did a big boat cruise on the next day. The diving was ok. I saw a few interesting things that I had not seen before, but it wasn´t that colorful or breathtaking. More impressive was the scenery of the islands and coastline of Brazil. Both days were filled with amazing views.



The boattrip also gave us several chances to swim and work on a few tricks. I mainly focused on my backflip with mixed success.



(This faceplant didn't feel great.)



From Paraty it was off to Rio de Janiero for Carnival. I have wanted to see Carnival for years, especially after seeing several Mardi Gras celebrations in NewOrleans. My days in Rio were jam packed between experiencing Carnival by night and trying to squeeze in a few major tourist attractions during the day.

Coming from a town with a giant Jesus statue, I felt a certain need to see the Rio's.



(Above: Christ of the Ozarks for those of you unfamiliar with Eureka Springs)



Also, I was able to get to a soccer game, which was a lot of fun as two local teams battled to a 4-4 tie.



Other highlights included a couple trips to Copacabana beach, which is an impressive stretch, but was absolutely heaving with people.



And finally one evening, some friends and I headed up the Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) to get a great view of the city.



As for Carnival, it was great! It was different than I expected and different from New Orleans Mardi Gras. The highlights of Carnival had to be the parade at the Sambadrome and the ball I attended. Generally, the street party scene paled in comparison to New Orleans. A Brazilian who I sat next to on the bus to Sao Paolo suggested part of that is likely because of the "crime problem" in Brazil.

New Orleans has some great parades and I have always really enjoyed catching beads and doubloons. That said, I can´t think of a New Orleans parade that could keep me in concrete bleachers from 9pm to 530am. This was exactly what my friends and I did on our night at the Sambadrome.



The floats and dancers are very impressive, but most impressive was the way the crowd got into it and thousands of people sang along while cheering the Samba dance companies.

(A video of this will be posted as soon as I can find a computer that is fast enough.)

Beyond the Sambadrome, Rio Carnival has several smaller parades. Some of these are very oraganized, while others are seem to be impromptu parades called blocos. Below you can see some people in a bloco parade near my hotel and the traffic jam the parade caused.





My last night in Rio was spent at the Gay Costume Ball. Which has been described as "probably the most famous night in the series. A truly exotic collection of characters take to the two floors and a grand entrance is de rigueur - the ball is broadcast to the whole of Brazil. A flamboyant crowd with lots of drag queens and their admirers." My friends and I tried to piece costumes together out of the limited backpacker wardrobes from the truck.


Not surprisingly from the description above, we were well out done in the costume department by locals. Sadly I was nervous about losing my digital camera, so the only pictures I have at the actual ball are on a disposable camera. I will try to post some after I get back, but the event was certainly not one to miss.

With about 2 hours of sleep after the Ball, I headed to the bus station for a ride to Sao Paulo where I caught a flight to Peru. Hopefully I can write in the next week or so about Peru and Bolivia.

Cheers,

Ben