Rio de Janeiro (BRASIL) - Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea

Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)
11 JUNE - 19 JUNE 2015
26 JUNE - 01 JULY 2015

The Portuguese first cruised into Guanabara Bay on the 1st of January, 1502. What a New Year's Day that must have been. Rolling over the waves of the Atlantic, the beams of sunlight hitting the seamen through their portholes, swimming in their own seas of semi-consciousness, green wine mixing with copious amounts of port, it was no wonder that when they made the turn into the bay even the best and brightest called it a river. In fact, Rio de Janeiro should have been known as Baia de Janeiro - but hell, what's in a name, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, 'apparently'.

Dramatic mountains of emerald green rising directly from the sea and the molding of the urban landscape around those immovable features makes Rio a visually stunning city. Of course, like many places around the world, be they cultural, historic or geographical, the part of the city that encompasses the Tijuaca mountains, to Guanabara Bay, down to the coastline that includes Copacabana, Ipanema, and all the other great beaches heading south, are UNESCO Heritage listed. I get the feeling these days that UNESCO Heritage listing is a bit of laugh, apparently 'Vienesse coffee culture' is also on a 'list'....BUT...with that said, the outstanding universal value contributed by the Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea are undeniable.

Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

View from Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo Redentor - Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo Redentor - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Some cities have a power, an allure, a vibrancy. If they were people you would call them charismatic. Places of charm and energy (New York), romance and beauty (Paris), seductive vivacity (Buenos Aires), and then within that group, but also standing aside, you have Rio. This place is special in its own right.  Rio takes hold of you immediately and as you move eastwards from the airport to the coastline and as you do the small 'dot' of Christo on top of Corcovado draws you into its arms. You see the powerful conical shapes of Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf), Urca, Caro de Cao and of course the famous mountain top of Corcovado. All those iconic images come into focus and you can't help but be drawn into its powerful allure.

Nestled between the mountains and the sea the urban landscape bends and is warped by the immovable objects in its way. The beauty of the city is undeniable and this, along with the more than acceptable weather, formulates the lifestyle and temperament of the people.

To be part of this environment even for a week changes your whole mindset, even for the shortest period of time. Inga and I occupied a small apartment on a street named Rua Djalma Ulrich. Located a block back from Avenida Atlantico and therefore one block back from Copacabana beach, it was the perfect location for us, beach, sand, sun, surf. It's a hell of a lifestyle to throw yourself into.

 Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Pao de Acucar - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Copacabana beach from the Porto Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

For me personally, there's no argument to be made between Copacabana and Ipanema -  its the former that wins hands down. Of course, Ipanema is beautiful in its own right, the sunsets there are fantastic, but its just not Copacabana. What the beaches do have, and what you get pulled into, is the beach life culture. All activity revolves around what occurs on the sand, or just off it. From early morning, pre-dawn, the early morning fitness freaks are already making their way up and down the running paths of Copacabana and Ipanema. As the morning lengthens and the rays start to peak over the mountains of Pao de Acucar, the mix of runners, cyclists, walkers and alike morph into a continuum of  mobile fitness obsessed ornaments. Of course there are shapes, sizes and oddities but the fact that you live most of your life half naked here means that you need to also do as much as you can to take care of yourself - that part is obvious.

The beach itself is a hive of activity during the day.  Those that occupy the sand attract those that are trying to make a quick dollar by selling absolutely everything and anything, from hammocks to fried cheese, to sunglasses, to passionfruit caipirinhas. Those that sell are relentless in their pursuit of acquiring your Reals, and gradually, one by one, you get broken down into parting with them. For us it was the mobile caipirinha vendor that had us reaching for our wallets. And the product - WHOA - literally rocket full. At the best of times a caipirinha is cachaca mixed with lime juice, ice and brown sugar. The way that the guys on the beach made it was something altogether different. Within two drinks you were transported to an alternate universe where Barry Manilows 'Copacabana' was on endless play and where Borat's mankini all of a sudden seemed to be kind of 'legit'.

Rio de Janeiro from the air - Ipanema

Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The entrance to Guanabara Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Of course, Rio isn't just about the beaches, there's a lot of other mind blowingly stunning places that need to be experienced in this part of the world. It's a virtual cornucopia of stunning vistas. First there's the most famous 'hill' within the most famous status of the big J-man in all of the world.  Cristo Redentor is a 30mtr high cultural icon. Not just of Rio de Janeiro but of Brazil. As recognisable as the Eiffel Tower or the Opera House,  its pride of place on Corcovado overlooking the city, arms outstretched, is a treasure for humanity. That is not an overstatement. Unsurprisingly included within the list of the New7Wonders of the World, this overwhelming symbol of Christianity occupies a position that is dramatic, wonderful and special on its own right. Standing at the base of Christo the city of Rio unfurls itself before you. From the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, to Lagoa de Freitas, to Humaita, Botofoga, out to Sugarloaf and then Guanabara Bay, on a sunny day the views here are priceless .

Cristo Redentor

Cristo Redentor - Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 The view from Sugarloaf mountain - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The view down the beaches to Copacabana and Ipanema from Sugaloaf

Cristo Redentor

View of Rio from the air

In much the same manner, the oddities of Pao de Acucar are an incredible drawcard. Rising nearly 400mtrs directly out of the Atlantic ocean, these granite and quartz mountains provide the perfect support cast to a vista to a scene that already has a plethora of riches. The peak is accessible by a glass window cable car, which once again, as you'll come to expect in Rio, provide such gorgeous scenery that its hard to absorb everything at once. Its easy to spend a few hours at the top of Sugarloaf, looking down the beaches, across to the mountains and out to the bay.  You also grasp an idea of the views that domestic travelers have when arriving in Rio. Most flights swooping low over the mountains, dropping in over the bay in front of Botofogo, turning sharply by Sugarloaf and then landing on the runway that juts out into Guanbara Bay - its a hell of an introduction.

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Rio literally has an embarrassment of riches. We spent many days on the beach or at the rooftop bar/pool the Porto Bay Hotel, which to me, has one of the greatest views over Copacabana. At night it was places like Lapa, or visiting the Esacadaria Selaron, or heading to one of the many churrascarias (like Rio's or Mario's), or in fact heading to an outstanding restaurant like Aprazivel in Santa Theresa.

 Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 View to Ipanema from Pedro de Aproador - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sunrise on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sunrise on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

It's easy to fall for Rio, it is a beauty, but also, it's the way of life that captures you also. If you don't watch out then you may find yourself spending a lot of time here, which isn't going to be a bad thing.

Jericoacoara (BRASIL) - Jijoca de Jericoacoara

Jijoca de Jericoacoara (Brazil) via Fortaleza (Brazil)
06 JUNE - 11 JUNE 2015

Paris, New York, London, Sydney - they're omnipotent in the consciousness of the mind of the traveler. They're the beacons that somehow draw you into their gravitational frame of reference. Somehow you feel compelled to visit and inevitably there's something that captures the imagination. They're locks. That's a given.

Other experiences of mine have been happy discoveries when 'sailing the seas of consequence', places like Buenos Aires (Argentina), Hallstat (Austria), Antigua (Guatemala), Caye Caulker (Belize), Cape Town (South Africa), Amalfi (Italy), El Tunco (El Salvador), El Chalten (Argentina) - there's probably a few more to add AND they're not so hidden. These places are well known but it was the unspecified consequence of chance and choice that delivered me to these locations without preconceived notions of what would exist, usually, but not always, being the route to take for the happiest of surprises....and then, you have a third category,  he 'randomly referred locations'.

I've found that the randomly referred location has also brought me a lot of joy over the years. Whilst those have been few and far between, mostly as travel discussions centre on the well traveled and traversed locales, some do happen to appear out of the blue. In this category I add Vang Vieng (Laos), Chefchaouen (Morocco), Huacachina (Peru) and Jericoacoara (Brazil).

Usually the randomly referred locations come in the form of legendary or fabled stories. I recall Vang Vieng being described to me as an Apocalypse Now type of setting, random bars located in the Lao jungle where drugged out hippies floated down the river on rubber inner tubes looking for their next giant water slide....(and guess what)...that was more or less the case (back then, FYI). In the same manner "Jeri" was sold to me as a hippie hangout, 'kumbaya' sing alongs on mountainous sand dunes overlooking the sea. Streets paved of golden sand and not a closed toe shoe within 50kms...(and guess what)....well, I'll get to that in the moment.

Our flight out of Foz du Iguaza was via Brasilia, landing in the city of Fortaleza early in the evening, a city of around 2.5 million people and the fifth largest in Brazil. Whilst this acted purely as a transit destination the city, or rather the beaches, were more than pleasant, and we spent a nice day working out the logistics of how to get to Jeri whilst downing beach side caipirinhas. This my friends was also the trigger for my downfall - once again....

 Fortaleza - Brazil

Fortaleza - Brasil

Whilst in Fortaleza we stayed in a nice beach side hotel called the Seara Praia. The top floor had a rooftop spa, nice views down the coastline and bar service. This as they say in the classics was the 'Return of the Mack', or something akin to that, you know insert whatever moniker you want for making a comeback. I do believe that it was another errant Tom Collins, or at the very least, a drink with a bit of squeezed lemon that commenced proceedings, but 2-3 weeks after shaking off awful stomach troubles whilst in Puno (Peru), whatever it was that was somehow still lurking in the nasty crevices of my intestines decided to come back for a second bite. I knew it immediately too. I knew what trouble existed just over the horizon. In that moment I tried to rationalise it as just some acid reflux that I'd easily step out of but come the next day, the very moment when we started our 5.5hr journey by minibus to Jeri, I was layed out on the back seat and painfully riding out every bump on that God forsaken highway to nowhere. Now, I've done that same road a few times since then and can say that its not nearly the pot holed riddled bomb pit that I make it out to be, but bouncing in the back of the van with that ultra sensitivity to vertical movement in the hope of delaying the upcheck reflex - man oh man, that was a nightmare.

 Jericoacoara - Brazil

Jericoacoara - Brazil

Jericoacoara - Brazil

From Jijoca to Jericoacoara the only method of transport is via 4*4. All the roads are sand and there's just no other way. Quite the pleasure ride into wild if at peak fitness at will but somewhere on that road, I believe it was when we stopped to view some pissant lake (which was probably quite nice), the ghosts of Tom Collins' past came back to me. On that day I left a piece of me out on the dunes of Parque Nacional de Jericoacoara - there's just some thing in life that you can never get back.

It took me a few days to get into the idea of Jeri, that was purely for the fact that a lot of that time I was occupying a position on the 'bed of recuperation'. Inga however was like a duck to water, what more does a Latvian girl want than sun, getting a sun tan, beach life and sand wherever you go?

When I finally recovered myself I found Jeri to be quite the location. Probably not exactly the trippy hippie commune set in the sticks of Northern Brazil but how can you go past streets of sand, sand floors in restaurants and bars, and a saloon where the locals do actually tie their horses up out front. The place was and is quite beautiful with God's additional gift of magical sunsets being granted almost upon request.

Jericoacoara - Brazil

Jericoacoara - Brazil

Jericoacoara - Brasil

Jericoacoara - Brasil

If the beach wasn't on the agenda for the day then there were other opportunities aplenty. One of those day we did a quad bike tour around the area that took us to dreamlike places like Paradise lagoon (both Lagoa Azul & Lagoa Paridiso), place where the water is disarmingly clear and you can pick your own hammock in the water, swaying in or just above the azure water. If this place isn't an advertisement for 'tranquilo' then I don't know what it.

Lagoa Paridiso - Jericoacoara - Brasil

Jeri has a lot going for it, a relatively small community of 16000+ people, sand, beaches, bars, relative isolation. If anyone is interested, here's my vote to you for a randomly referred location.

Fortaleza airport - on the way to Rio - Brazil

Getting there

We got to Jeri utilising www.fretcar.com.br 

Book from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara - there will be a transfer required in Jijoca. The site covers that, so don't be surprised by the request for two tickets, it's essentially Fortaleza - Jijoca, then Jijoca - Jericoacoara

The site is in Portuguese, so if you're unsure then go to a Fretcar agent in Fortaleza, either the airport or on the beach in Meireles.

Time wise you're looking at 6-7hrs one way.

Foz do Iguacu (BRASIL) - Puerto Iguazu (ARGENTINA) - Big Water

Foz do Iguacu (Brasil) - Puerto Iguazu (Argentina)
04 JUNE - 06 JUNE 2015

We spent a couple of days getting to Foz do Iguacu from Havana. The first night was via a stop in Cartagena and the second was a stop back in Lima. After a couple of jumps we touched down at Foz do Iguacu/Cataratas international airport on the afternoon of 04 JUNE.

Havana had somehow felt like the apex of our journey. Even though our scheduled traveling time was for three months and 04 JUNE essentially marked the '1 month to go point', somehow the slip across the continent to 'the other side' felt like the halfway mark.

This attempt was actually my third try to get here. Back in 2010 I had turned back from travelling South America due to a pilfered wallet, and in 2012 I actually had flights booked from Buenos Aires. On that occasion I left a credit card in a hungry ATM on the back streets of Montevideo (Uruguay), thus denying me access to funds. So whilst I had the flight available I had not much else to support me had I arrived on terra firma in Puerto Iguazu

So lets call this third time lucky. 

Iguazu Falls - Argentina / Brazil

Entrance to the Argentina side  - 260 pesos - Parque Nacional Iguazu

 Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

 Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

For our time in Foz do Iguacu we actually stayed in a pretty cool hostel. Hostels are generally a role of the dice, some are good, some aren't, some draw randoms from the oddest, weirdest part of the cosmos, and others are just cool. Che Lagarto Hostel in Foz do Iguacu was the latter. Clean, spacious, great staff and a bit of a sanctuary. I don't know if they still do this now but when I was there they were providing free caipirinhas to guests between 6pm & 7pm each evening That was all the invitation we needed. Once the clock hit 6:01pm we were already a caipirnha down and our hand was reaching out for delivery of the second. Thank you Che Largaro! Thank you.

Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

Parque Nacional  Iguazu - Argentina

Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

Parque Nacional Iguazu

We commenced our discovery of the falls with a visit to the Argentinian side on day one - it felt kind of nice to be back in my 'self adopted country'. From memory we jumped on a small tour provided through the hostel, so I don't remember the cost exactly. I did note however that there was no formal border crossing as such, so no real stress for travelers if wanting to move between the two parks.

Note to travelers also, whilst the Argentine side has access to 'more of the falls', the more impressive views are from the Brazilian side. If you had to chose one side and had limited time then I'd say do the Brazilian side, although from the Argentine side you'll be able to get up close and personal with the falls.

The walkways here are essentially above the falls, or rather, set on top of the waterfalls edge. So after covering a few trails and with a short train ride within the park you actually get to traverse the Superior Iguazu River, above the falls, then walk across to San Martin island on your way to the Devil's throat. There's specifics that I may have missed there but what I can tell you, as clear now as it was then, is that there's a ferocity and power to the vantage point you get on this side. The sheer magnitude and volume of water kind of takes you by surprise. I mean, you can hear the roar of the falls a long time before getting to the falls proper but that intensity is surprising. On average 1500 cubic mtrs of water flow over the falls every second and depending on the time of season that can actually increase to 13.000 per second when the rains have swung into gear - apparently the size of five Olympic pools every second, that's simply a staggering number.

The area span/width of the falls in 2.7kms and when you stand at the edge of the Devil's throat then you're looking at that water fall away some 80mtrs into a milky abyss that also throws up a permanent mist cloud, the associated bonus of which can throw up some inspiring rainbows when the sunlight hits it.

 Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

What you get on the Argentine side is something ferocious & brutal, a little like the famed Latin temperament. On the Brazilian side its more samba & show, there are sweeping views of the cataracts where you can get a chance to dance and play with the falls. From here you can also take boat rides that will literally roll you in and out of the base of some of the falls. Fair warning too, the crappy little raincoats that they provide before getting on the boat will serve as just an irritation. They offer absolutely no protection other than making you look like a bit of a dumbass in photos. My suggestion, either where a Hazmat suit or strip to the bare essentials - it's like taking a bath in a washing machine, hell of a lot of fun but no place for the aquaphobic.

Parque Nacional Iguazu - Argentina

 Parque Nacional do Iguacu - Brazil

Parque Nacional do Iguacu - Brazil

Parque Nacional do Iguacu - Brazil

Parque Nacional do Iguacu - Brasil

Somewhat of a different treat in this area, especially for a person like me, is access to the triple contingent border. After our visit to the falls on our first day we were able to go to view the triple border between Argentina, Brazil & Paraguay. For political and factual accuracy, the border representation actually resides well inside Argentina whilst the actual border is at the intersection of the Rio Parana & Rio Iguazu, or even more accurately, in the middle of the Rio Parana. No matter, from where you're standing you can probably take a good guess as to where it is, and the photo you can take is kind of cool.

Iguazu falls rightly takes its places amongst the new 7 natural wonders of the world. Visually intoxicating and insta-freakin'-gramable, don't miss it!

Havana (CUBA) - Ciudad de las Columnas

Havana (Cuba)
27 MAY - 02 JUNE 2015

Anthony Bourdain on Havana's charms: "Havana still looks like you want it to look. Or maybe, how I want it to look."

That's exactly it. I'm sure that most of the population within this city, one of the top 20 largest in the Americas, would probably want it somewhat differently. Again, there's the dichotomy. Almost selfishly, outsiders, such as myself, would love this place to remain untouched, to remain true to itself in the manner which it has come to find its place in the world. The reality and the desire from within Cuba, I'm more than sure, is a lot different.

Change will come to Cuba and Havana. What it does and how it affects live here is anyone's guess. What we don't want to see is another 'Vegas on the Caribbean', that would be a tragedy. In 2014 a global competition named Havana as one of the new 7UbanWonders of the world - the sentiment externally expressing what we openly desire but secretly know won't happen, 'keep what you have, and stick it too them' ...easily said by an outsider.

The only real choice you have therefore is to try and catch Havana as it is now, and even now, in this time, change is evident. From the plethora of American accents we heard on the street we know that the gig is up. Still, for now, that didn't stop Inga & I enjoying what was on offer, and that my friends was a day that commenced at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba with a nice Montecristo and a cocktail to boot. No complaints with that.

Hotel Nacional de Cuba - Havana - Cuba

Havana - Cuba

Outside of the Hotel Nacional is an ever present line of Buicks & Chryslers just waiting for tourists to hire them out. Which we did on the back of our initial request/attempt to hire and self-drive a vehicle for a day, which was flatly refused at every turn. Still, when you're cruising down the Malecon on a beautiful sunny day, the wind throwing your hair about, lounging deep in the leather upholstered seats, then you can't help but think that you got a few things rights.

With our tour we caught a lot of the sites that are on people's agendas, the Paseo del Prado, Malecon, Capitol, Revolucion Square, Bosque de la Habana, Havana Beverly Hills, Nuevo Vedado and of course parts of Havana Viejo.

Plaza de Revolucion - Havana - Cuba

Driving in style

Hasta la victoria siempre - 'Until you get to Victoria always?' - Che loved Australia

Plaza de Revolucion - Havana - Cuba

Admittedly we did our fair amount of walking too, but that walking entailed stops at some of Hemingway's favourite haunts, El Floridita for a daiquiri and a La Bodeguita for a Mojito. My favourite stop out of these two was definitely El Floridita - full of 'turistas', sure, but hell, isn't every place these days. Inga and I occupied a table in the back corner, lighting up Montecristos, drinking daiquiris and listening to the music on offer. Let me say, on every occasion it was just a fantastic experience. Even when the place was full on the back of tourist flotillas, or outside of those times, the place, just like the rest of Havana, just has a vibe and sense of fun that you can't help but enjoy. In much the same way, when you move out of there and get into the backstreets, there's always music that occupies some little corner, enticing you to see out more...or there's someone running an angle for a hustle, wanting to take you up a flight of stairs to a 'secret' hidden room where the 'cousin of a cousin' has managed to get their hands on a box of Cohiba's that they're willing to sell you at a discount. In fact, that's the way Inga and I managed to secure a few 'cheap' cigars one night. With out readily accessible stash of cash running out it was a quick conversation with the doorman at the Hotel Inglaterra, who then took us to an acquaintance on the street, who the took us down a few dark blocks, up some flights of stairs and into a room where the covert deal was done. Pure Havana!

El Floridita - Havana - Cuba

El Floridita - Havana - Cuba

La Bodeguita del Medio - Havana - Cuba

Whilst most of our time was spent wandering around Havana we did get out to the beach one day at the Hotel Gran Caribe Club Atlantico, Santa Maria del Mar, Playas Este. I'd heard somewhere on the grapevine that for a reasonable fee you could pay for unlimited snacks and drinks for the afternoon whilst accessing the strip of sand behind the hotel and swimming in the Caribbean at one's leisure, which is what we did. We had a fantastic afternoon, although I fear we may have looked quite riddled with disease as the sunburn that we adopted from our stay in Colombia had caught up with us quite nicely. We had layers of skin peeling off everywhere. No matter, the alcohol eventually blunted any self consciousness we had about the situation.

Club Atlantico - Cuba

Club Atlantico - Cuba

Hotel Nactional de Cuba

Both for Havana's beauty and decay, its' very hard to restrain yourself from staring everywhere you look - Brin-Jonathan Butler

We found that quote to be right on the mark there was something magical in everything that surrounded us, whether it was the obvious hardship, mode of live, energy and vibrancy. There was just a potent mix of 'something' that made it undeniably magnetic.

The Malecon

The Malecon - Havana - Cuba

Our last meal in Havana, on our last night, kind of typified what we found here. I'd bought in a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue label to celebrate our time in Havana. By the end of our days we were down to our last drinks and had run out of readily accessible funds. We were literally counting dollars for taxi to the airport, possible exit taxes etc and had about $3-4 USD left over. With that $ we walked across the street from our hotel, bought two small take away pizzas from the closest shop and went back up to our room. There on the 16th floor we sat overlooking the lights of the city, glass of JW Blue in hand and a poor, sloppy Havana pizza. Somehow it felt right, it all made sense. Simple pleasures.

Johnny Walker Blue - microwaved pizza and toilet paper - this is Havana