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Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure
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Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure

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    Engenocah

    24. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    This morning we will go to a place called Engenocah, its a place thats been recommended to us by people in the hostel. We start the day by collecting my board and walking up to the rodoviaria. We are supposed to meet Kuen and Rene at the bus station but the bus left 5 mins ago and i gather they have got on that one when our bus departs at midday. The bus drops us off at the side of the road and luckily i asked the drive as you have to walk a couple of hundred yards up the road before you come to the trail down to the beach .The forest is literally alive with the chorus of wildlife singing. We double check with a couple who are leaving that we are on the right path and they confirm. As we get nearer to the beach we reach the complex that has been half built but 5 years ago the local community halted work and the shell is now overrun with green vines and trees shadowing the very thing that would change this place forever. Im just glad the local people still have a voice that can be heard over the influential back pocket of a government official. The walk takes 20 minutes and we reach the most beautiful beach. We pick a spot in the shade and Mark goes in the water while i read my book. He comes back all exciteable at how good the waved are so i take to the water . It really is good but the under current is so strong that one minute its at your ankles the next its at your neck. I get in and hit the first wave i take which flys me right to the shore. This really is good. I spend nearly an hour in before i walk back and we head to join Rene and Keun. We spend a small amount of time here before hiking back through the forest to catch the bus . There is no obvious bus stop so we ask someone and they tell us we need to go to the top of the hill and when we arrive there are a couple of people here. One of the gentleman is someone who served in the navy for over 20 years. Total respect. We arrive back at the bus station and buy some extras for tea and then i suggest we catch a cab back.Les mer

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    Itaçàre

    23. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We plan on catching a local bus to a beach not far from here but to be honest im pretty happy just having a walk into town, booking my board for the next few days and grabbing a bite to eat. We stop at the first beach on route and sit down taking it all in the sheer beauty while also being able to take the time to read and enjoy a coco water. There is a guy on the beach doing full on yoga and although very tempted to join him i save myself the embarrasment. A little later we walk to centro and buy a few essentials grab a bite to eat and make our way to Praca beach. When we arrive there, there are lots of umbrellas and people and we decide the beach we were on this morning was nicer, and i suggest it might be a good idea to walk along the shoreline. We climb rocks and make our way down the jungly path to rhe seas edge . We walk along the rock trying to make our decent down, but when we get down the tide is coming in fast and we have to walk all the way back. I follow the road and a sign posts to another track, but half way along the track disappears and we are left im grass to our thighs and in the middle of plots obviously earmarked for further builing. Mountains of trees chopped down to clear the way for the future clientel this beauty spot will attract. Mark is so not happy with me , we are both being bitten and scratched to bits but with a little more peservation (well over an hour actually) we eventually find our way back to the main road. Mark is going on like Victor Meldrew and im glad when he leaves me on the beach to go and drop the bag off. I spend an hour or so here just relaxing before Mark joins me and we head to the hostel. We take a shower and were then informed that the start of the featival begins tonight so i make us some salad and we shower before getting ready for tonights fiesta. The street party is right the other end of town, and were quite close when we find the zig zaggy street. A short while later we hear the music and follow our ears and noses to the smell of the bonfire. The stage is set and flags adorn the rest of the road with music pumping from huge speakers. I get asked by one of the locals to dance. The dance here is called the f....and is very provacative where you grind your bodies against each other this was all a little bit close for my liking. I thank him for the dance and sit on the steps with people grinding there hips from the age of 2 to 82 its a great sight to behold. We make the long walk back and as we walk along the road we once again see the planktum lighting up the sea. A perfect end to a perfect day (. Apart from i look like ive been dragged through a bush backwards)Les mer

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    Feira De Santana

    22. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We arrive at 430 am and i wake as we pull into the rodovieria and i ask the driver where i can buy the ticket to Itacare he explains i need to leave the station go up to the ticket office and come back down for departure and that it leaves a 530. This is perfect as i have time to get some money and a coffee. A guy asks if he can join me as he has to get to Itacare too. We leave the rodoviaro to go upstairs and buy our tickets and there are 3 cash machines all with people at them but they all say they are not working but Kuen has said hell give me the cash for his bus ticket. I grab a coffee and 3 buses pull in so once i work out which one is ours the guys put the baggage on the bus and we board. I sleep for the first couple of hours of the journey but im rudely awakened by the guy behind me who starts singing at the Top of his voice totally out of tune to which the girl beside him puts her music on loud speaker and i can honestly say i prefer hers to the singing. This kicks of the guy next to her who tells her to put her headphones on. She does this but then starts howling too. Oh i wish id brought ear defenders. We are half way through what should have been a 4 hour journey but were on five hours here. Eta has changed from 930 to 3 in the afternoon. We arrive in town just after 3 and take a taxi to the hostel where Kuen has reserved, first stopping at the bank. At last we have money😘 Feeling like i can now pay we book into the hostel for 3 nights. The place is perfect, with the best view ive had from room. We drop our bags and make straight for the water to be told we cant go in because they are using the beach to film a disney surfing film. We sit on the beach enjoying watching all the action with surfong dudes running up the beach being filmed with camera drones. It really is parAdise here. In the evening we go out and have a small snack in the bar before heading back to the hostel . As we sit out back the moon bounces of the sea bright orange its like seeing half sun half moon. I retire to bed feeling tired but happy.Les mer

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    Waterfalls and mountains

    21. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We wake early in the morning as we are going on the trek, But first we need to resolve the money issue. There is no bank here but we have been told that we will be able to get money from a little restaurant on the main street that apparently has a cash machine. We arrive at 8 AM in the morningwhich is when it is due to open but Brazil being Brazil this is not The case. There are a few guys outside the place who when i ask what time it opens tell us 830. They shout at the top of their voices repetatively until the guy opens the shop. I apologise and explain that we have a tour at 830 and we have no cash to pay but he asvises me that the machine only works with bradesco banks and i tell him i can use Bradesco, so he lets me in. It really is like a high ranked mission to get money here and when he shows me the machine its just a card reader and i know before i try thar this just isn't going to work. We make our way back to the agents and when we arrive she tells me it's not a problem and we can pay by card. I wish wed known this in the first place. We board the bus and its all Brazilians and a guy from Quebec called Paul. Our first stop is a 1 hr trek down the Mucugezinho River. Walking along the river bed our guide tells us that the river will become very fast soon as they have had 2 days of rain in the mountains and this will feed downstream. When we reach 3 km along the river is a beautiful waterfall. There is a huge pool here with a giant waterfall which is called Poco do Diablos and in years gone by slaves had been thrown in here as punishment for stealing diamonds. Mark swims under the waterfall where a beautiful rainbow is formed and i paddle my legs as its so cold. We trekk back to the bus and in the gift shop at the top they have a table and chairs made out of recycled lorry tyres. Its one of the comfiest table and chairs ive sat on, i was sad to have to get back on the bus. We make a short drive to a place called Gruta Da Lapa Doce. We trekked down hill for 10 mins before feeling the temperature drop and as we continued our guide pointed out tarantulas nests and webs. Then we saw one with a spider guarding its gate . I took a quick piccie but im amazed at how the wildlife here has such a way of camouflaging with its background. There is a cave here where locals actully still live and within the cave is a natural pool where the fish that swim here are opaque. We are allowed access to the other side of the cave created by the sunterranean river years ago. It was full of stalignites and staligtights, walking through the sandy path for nearly 2km each one having a story of what they look like. We are picked up by our bus and dropped back to the top of the cave where we hand in our torches and take lunch. The Next stop is gruta Azul another cave but this time filled with water so blue it looked like it was dyed with food colouring. For obvious reasons we are not allowed to swim here and the photo just doesnt do it justice it looks like someone has used food colouring in it. We walk back up the hill and back on the minibus to Gruta Da Pratinha where another natural pool of the clearest water this place is breath taking. We now have an hour to take a swim and have a beer so we indulge in both. Last stop is the sunset at Morro Do Pai we have a 40 minute climb but the views are unbelievable and its a perfect sunset. Ive set the phone up to do a time lapse and i think ive caught a beautiful video but the camera has blown in the wind and its filmed the top of the mountain. Back to town we collect our rucksacks and have a bowl of pasta before walking to the bus station where we have a 3 hr wait for the bus at 2330Les mer

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    Wonderful Waterfalls

    20. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We woke early in the morningand after having breakfast and we have a quick chat with a couple of kiwis that are staying in the same pousada. They are booked on the three day tour today and although a little bit jealous my back just really is not up to it.just before nine we make our way down to Paulos sister to have a bit of pampering. I havent painted my nails in months as the last time i tried it was so hot the nail varnish was drying before id actually put it on my nail. Its strange because here they dont paint accurately they correct after and use a sharp stick wrapped thinly with cotton wool and dipped in nailvarnish remover. Maek has gone to find the bank but when he returns there is a problem as none of the banks here accept our card, the woman tells us not to worry as sge has gone online and there is a Bradesco bank here, so she sends her daughter with us to find it. When we arrive the bank is closed but the owner shouts from over the road he will open at 8 in the morning so it shoul be in time to pay for our trip. Feeling like a new woman we walk back to the pousada to ger our hiking gear on and walk out of town towards the trail. There isnt actually much of a trail to follow as its just huge rock formations but our guide has told us to just follow the river. We wind our way up the river bed which is really dry, just a small river of water but as we reach higher ground it flows a little stronger. Within the rock formations are holes filled with water, some obviously deeper than others by the darkness of them. We carry on walking to the top whee there is a young lad selling beers. We buy one each and sit chatting to him and shortly afterwards another guy joins us who speaks perfect English. We ask the guys about going further up The Trail both advise us that it's not safe and with going on the trek tomorrow we finish our beers and walk back down to the town. We go back to the pousada and chill for an hour or so before showering and heading back down town for dinner. The town has even more flags all over the place now and theyre putting up figures similar to big guy fawkes. There are a couple of boards where you can pit your head through and a small house has been built with adobe and psalm leaves . There are lots of people working in the square as tonight there will be traditional music. Mark orders pizza which for Brazil is really good, but im not hungry and still feeling out of sorts. As Mark finishes eating it starts to rain and we make a run for the slaves market around the corner. They have a little artisan market here and there is a stall in here selling jewellry made from golden straw. It really is beautiful. A joint descision is made to head back to the pousada and my back is glad to be laid on a cool flat surface. Time for bed😲Les mer

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    Motorway Madness

    19. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We arrive in Salvador and after jumping of one bus we hopefully will catch our connecting bus within the hour. Mark grabs the rucksack and i go to find the ticket office. I queue for ages as the woman who is supposed to be working here is piddling about doing i dont know what rather than serve the people in the queue. Eventually i get to the desk and ask for two tickets to Lençois for the 7am bus but She advises me that they have none left and we will have to wait till the 1330 bus. We have no choice so i agree, and as shes processing them a guy on the desk is asking if he can change his 7 am tickets to the later bus. Its like a little miracle and with today being fathers day im sure he must be watching over me. Mark has gone to put our bags in storage but luckily i catch him before he pays. Hes having a turn because the guy on the baggage desk wants us to pay for each individual shoe thats outside the bag as its additional items so thank god weve escaped having to pay. We literally have time for a quick ciggie before boarding the bus.
    An hour or so into the journey we stop in a huge traffic jam and loads of people just get off the bus and stand at the side of the road and if you cant beat them , join them. So we stand around with motorbikes weaving around us until the traffic up ahead starts to move and everyone gets on the bus and were off. There is no hold up its just roadworks and when its our turn to ho everybody gets back on the bus or in their cars and drives through😂 This journey is doing my back no favours and im relieved its the last big one well make here. We stop off at a little lanchonete(motorway cafe but nicer and cheaper) and an hour or so later we arrive in Lençois. As soon as we step off the bus there is a guy here who has a tour company. We have arrived in town at the start of the festival and to be honest grateful to just get a bed. Paulo drives us up to our pousada and its perfect set a little way out of the centre but thats peerfect with the festival going on. We drop our bags grab a quick shower and head to the agency where Paulos sister works to book our tour for the day after tomorrow, but theres no one there so we walk over the bridge to the square where there are loads of flags being put up for tomorrow. We sit and have a beer and take in the atmosphere when we spot a couple of girls we met on the bus. They join us and we order a bite to eat that we all share. We share a couple more beers and there is a traditional ride out that brings farmers on their horses into the centre for a parade. The sau Juan festival is the equivalent of our harvest festival and is bigger here than Christmas. We finish up as im exhausted and call in to the agency to book. We see that she also does manicure and pedicures so we book in for tomorrow for a pamper and bid our goodnights. As we leave Paulo gives me some deep heat and when we get back Mark puts it on my back , but forgets to wash his hands before going to the toilet, the results are hysterical and i go to bed burning but also having a little chuckle to myself    Les mer

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    Mellow Maceió

    18. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I wake really early this morning and im really not feeling too good. Im in agony with my back and i feel really naseous. I decide to get up and go downstairs rather than wake Mark, but 20 minutes later he joins me downstairs. The breakfast is really good but to be honest the last thing i feel like doing is eating. I have a little bread and a coffee so at least i have somethong in my stomach to take some pain killers. We ask about getting some washing done and they say they can have it back to us in 40 minutes ....really??? I tell him theres no rush and we will be gone a few hours down the beach. We get our bag together and decide to walk to find a cash point first. We make our way towards centro walking along streets lined with beautiful coloniol buildings. We find the bank along the main road, here they have all the banks in the same road so i can usually find one that works with my card within walking distance. We cross the dual carriageway to the other side where theres a memorial. The walkway takes us down to a beach where there are lots if people working, either bringing fish in on little rafts laden with nets or seperating the fish into seperate baskets and weighing them ready for selling. The problem is the nets also bring in a lot of rubbish which is literally just dumped on the beach, its shocking how much rubbish is actually floating round out there. We walk back to the road to make our way to the "clean" beach and as we walk along the port wall it is totally covered with artistic graffiti. We hit the beach and after grabbing a couple of chairs and an umberella we head straight for the sea to cool off. It is so hot but the sea here is beautifully warm and clear a massive difference from the one around the corner. We spend a few hours just relaxing as we have to get a bus out of here tonight. At 3 we walk up to a small bar on the front and have a bite to eat before making our way to the hostel. I still feel really rough and they let me take a shower and lie down on the huge sofa. I drift off in a few minutes and Mark wakes me 3 hrs later so we can catch a cab. Still feeling off colour i pull myself together and we hail a cab. Mark has a bite to eat but i give ot a miss and we board the bus to Salvador.Les mer

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    Buggy Tour

    15. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We get up in the morning to a beautiful breakfast and shortly after go to reception to book a tour. We are goig on a buggy tour of the islands today and as Mark is a little hungover its a good job it doesnt leave till 130pm. Its good because this morning we can just chill. We bid farewell to he Brazilian guys and for the rest of the morning just hangout with Alexandro and Bruna by the pool. They have decided to stay one more night and the temptation to do this is understandable. After a much needed dip in the pool as it must be 30+ degrees . The guide picks us up on time and we wai a few minutes for he two Brazilians that will join us which means we only have to pay 5 quid each. I agree with the Brazilian girl we will exchange the front seat half way through the tour. Our first stop is at Praia do Cupe the longest beach here and excellent for surfing before making our way to Porto de Galinhas beach. As we drive around he back of the beach im astounded by how many Top end complexes there are , as well as how much construction is going on. When i ask the guide about the here being protected and that no building should go on he laughs and tells me money can achieve anything. We stay on the beach for an hour bahing in the natural piscinas and grabbing a quick cockttail in ttthe beach bar.Furtther along he beach we sit and watch the surfers before making our way back to the buggy to travel a little further along the coast to a small village. There is a huge empty building here which used to be a factory, but 5 years ago shut down and is now just lays derelict. Noone wants to build here as just a little further along the sea in the past 5 years has gradually come higher up the beach front and washed away beach houses. The seas line has increase by 30 metres up the shore and obviously has had a devastating effect for some of the locals. We can only drive to the start of Praia De Marcaipe and a short walk to Pontal De Marcaipe to watch the sunset . The River meets the sea here and it really is beautiful, ask Mark says its like a movie scene with the psalm/ cocunut trees dancing in the small breeze as the sky turns multiple shades of pink and purple we sit by the river and watch as the sunsets. Back at the hostel Mark and i are both knackered and hungry so we grab a shower and stride put for something to eat. We find a place that serves all you can eat salad bar meat and pasta for 6 quid so we opt for here. Full to the brim with food its back to the hostel for an early night.Les mer

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    Return to Recife

    14. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We wake early again as we have to pack, and through the night i have been eaten alive by mosquitos, my back my arm even my fingers and toes. We grab breakfast and our alternitivo (kind of illegitamate taxi) arrives right on time. We gave to go back to joao pessoa to get another alternitivo from there to Recife. We arrive in Joao Pessoa and the guy pulls up some side street ushering us to "his brother" who stands us in a line with numerous other people all waiting to go to various places. We wait for approx 15 minutes before asking when we will be leaving. There are 5 people now waiting to go to Recife and this obviously causes a problem as only 4 can go in the car, its decided that they will take us seperately so we are ushered to our drivers car. As we are loading the bags in there is a guy next to us randomly chopping up chickens and we all comment how we wouldnt want to eat them . The next part of the journey runs pretty smoothly and we arrive in Recife bus station only to find that there is no direct bus for us and Ursinas bus doesnt leave till 4. After a lot of confusion i buy our ticket for the first bus and eventually find where we need to leave from. We say goodbye to Ursina and as we step onto the platform we are greeted by a lovely lady who sees that i am a little lost she speaks with me and asks if im American i explain were from England and she says she speaks a small amount, but she literally speaks as much English as Mark speaks Portuguese we board the bus and after an hour we get off on the side of a motorway. Luckily there is a shelter so we sit inside and wait for our connection which is an hour and a half later. The guy inside plays a video on his phone of NFL and when i say were English he plays a video of Freddy Mercury . He asks which city and i say Liverpool and he plays a video of Liverpool football club followed by the national anthem its comical. A big guy pulls up with a bike and a polystyrene cool box attached to the front selling fresh juice and sandwiches. I purchase a juice and shortly after our bus arrives. We manage to put our rucksacks underneath and when we board the bus there is no seating space so we stand for the whole journey in a fist clench position holding on for dear life. The journey takes an hour and a half and i am so glad when we arrive. We jump of the bus and Lthough the hostel is only ten minutes we jump a cab. When we arrive there are a group of people sat outside as this is the only place we can smoke we dump our bags and head outside. Thet are from Argentina and Brazil , and so friendly Alexandro speaks perfect English and Bruna also speaks really well, but i am keen to improve my Spanish/Portugese. After sharing a few beers we head into town for a bite to eat and end up eating tapioca. I havent tryed it since being back in Brasil but its a really common dish her, it brings back memories of when i was a kid and served frogsborne in a bowl (sorry mum) . Its really good, cheap and filling. We then head down to the street and there are all stalls here selling artisan products with a small fayre going on. They also have different booths where you can dress up and take photos. We make our way down to the beach and sit in one of the bars drinking a few Caipirinhas with the rest of the group and make the short walk back. I end up getting locked up for the night !!!Les mer

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    Stranded

    13. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    I set my alarm for 5 am as i want to see the sunset. The sun doesnt set on the sea as we are now on the Atlantic but it rises here. The three of us get up and make the short walk to the beach . It is already light but the sun is still not up, its only a short wait though before it starts to rise and its beautiful. Me and Asia go back to bed but Mark stays up reading in the hammock. I over sleep as breakfast finishes at 10 ant its now 1030. One of the ladies that works here comes running up to the room and asks if we want breakfast so i literally throw on a top and make our way down. Shortly after i fancy a walk down to the other beach about 4 km along the shore bit Mark wants to just chill out so i set off on my lonesome. A little way down the beach i buy a coconut water and sit under a palm having a ciggie and my refreshment when i spot Wilson . This place really is quite isolated and not a tourist in site. As i walk further along the beach there are rocks and as i navigate my way over them i can spot people in the distance who must all be laughing as they watch me getting hit by the incoming tide. There is a lovely little bar here filled with local people and their kids and i ask them if i can walk right along but they say not until the tide goes out which is 4 oclock so i order myself a drink and just chill out myself. They have Sam Smith playing in the bar and im quite enjoying my own company. I sit on the shore with the warm water lapping at my feet, the sea here is actually warmer than any shower you will take before showering underneath the ornate shower at the bar to get rid of the sea water. I walk further towards Tabatinga and there are a huge pile of rocks blocking my way so i take out my wrap and sit on my own little beach for a short while reading my kindle. An hour or so later there is no way to pass still and as i walk closer i see a little trail i follow it for 5 minutes and arrive on Tabatinga. I walk the whole length of the beach until i reach Tabatinga 2 which is where the red cliffs are. I perch myself behind a huge rock and once again get out my book. A man selling ice cream strolls along the beach with his little trolley and i purchase a Strawberry lolly which when i get it out of the wrapper is illuminous pink and tastes of bubblegum, i ask the guy where i can get a moto taxi and he says i cant only in jacuma. The only way back is to walk but to be honest its so pretty i dont mind. I finish my lolly and just as im leaving a guy approaches me and we make general chat before he asks me would i like a drink i kindly refuse and continue on walking i finally arrive ar the bar where i was this morning and everyone is still there with a few extras but now they are playing the music on drums and once again i refuse as i think Mark may be a little worried as ive been gone over 6 hours. I arrive back take a shower and we head out for something to eat. On route back we stop at the taxi rank to price up getting out of here tomorrow morning and its ridiculously expensive to go to recife so we opt to go back to joao pessoa and catch a bus from there. An early night as im going to try and catch sunrise again tomorrowLes mer

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    Flying to Hong Kong

    13. juni 2016, Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Well it wouldn't be me if there wasn't drama. I manage to lose Mark at Amsterdam airport. There is the slight problem that I have both the passports and I've arranged to meet Mark at a totally different place. I eventually have to put a tannoy out for him , and he shows up just in the nick of time. We are ushered through passport control literally grab our bags and queue jump the long line of passengers waiting to check in luggage. The lady advises we are possibly too late and that our flight is already boarding I beg her with tears eyes saying today is Marks 50th birthday and this is a special surprise. Thankfully she loads our bags onto the baggage rack and we literally run to our gate and get there just as its closing. That is the closest I've got to missing a flight without actually missing it. On board I tune into some movies but a couple of hours in feel really sick. I put it down to the stress but feel rough for the whole flight. We touch down in bejing airport 8 hours later but the time difference is 7 hours in front, my poor body is still catching up from Brazil and the jet lag has more than kicked in its kicked ass. Mark and I have a ruck before were even off the plane so I spend the time in the airport crying in a hidden corner thinking about catching the next flight home. I grab a Starbucks and suddenly everything seems ok again and we board the flight for the 3 hours to Hong Kong with me wearing sunglasses to hide my red eyes.
    At Hong Kong I'm thankful to see our luggage as I always worry when I have a connecting flight that I haven't put it on there myself but it's arrived safe and sound and we make our way to the metro. We have booked a hostel whilst at the airport right near Times Square and when we get off the humidity hits me in the face like a wet flannel. This place is a crazy shopping haven with bustling streets and so many shops but I have enough baggage on my back so we walk to the hostel and check in. Our room is barely big enough to swing a cat in but still feeling rough we get straight into bed and wake at 9pm. We pop out and grab a bite to eat at a street seller before returning to the hostel and falling straight back into bed.    Les mer

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    Journey to Jacuma

    12. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We wake early in the morning and finish off packing before going for our final breakfast in Pipa. Rose has been the perfect host and im really sad to be saying goodbye to Pipa once again. Even though its become so much more touristy it still hols a special charm and a special place in my heart. We bid our farewells and Asia will join us for the journey to Jacuma. We firstly have to catch the bus from Pipa to Goianinha. The bus is of similar size to a small school bus in England with a seat at the front next to the driver so along with all the rucksacks i take my place here. The bus is pretty full with local people but i enjoy the drive out watching as Pipa looks more like it did 8 yrs ago as we head out of the centre. The bus driver keeps randomly shouting out to people and honking his siren like hornand when we actually arrive in Goianinha he puts on his police siren horn , i cant stop chuckling to myself that its like being on the magical mystery tour. We ask directions to the bus stop to Joah Pessoa and were told to head over the bridge which crosses a motorway road. As we drop down on the other side i notice a guy from Israel who had been to the hostel a few nights and he was also waiting for the bus. The bus stop was a couple of blocks of concrete with a corrugated There were taxis here and offered to take us for two hundred but we would only pay 35 each on the bus and this worked out a 50 each i told everyone that if we just wait he will reapproach us as he had already told us he had to go there to collect someone he came back at 40 each and i said no again and that we could only afford 25 each as we sit back down again a guy comes cycling past on a pushbike standing upright with his feet on the handlebars and seat heading thewrong way down the motarway in the fast lane. Did he have a death wish? The cars literally just manouevoured around him, it was incredible, and buy the time the entertainment had finished the taxi guy agreed to take us for 25 each. We all bulk our way into the taxi with rucksacks on our knees hanging out of the window, the journey takes just over an hour and drops us at the Rodovario in Joah pessoa where we have to cross the street and stand at one of 4 bus stops when we asked at each one they all said it was a different one and as were stood in the baking hot sun some guy comes up with a big shouty voice and is blatantly drunk and he say to mark have a safe travel Mark said obrigado and the guy shouted right up in Marks face its not obrigado im from Chile its Muchos gracias, his nose was as close to touching Marks but Mark laughed it off and we boarded the bus. This one had a turnstyle on, so once again i stood on the front of the bus with all the rucksacks. I helped the old woman on with all her pots and pans and then the old guy with all his fruit a boy scout leader and a guy dresses in a brazil shirt and brazil cowboy hat , this bus really did have it all. After 6 hours of travelling which should have taken 3 we arrive. We take a few minutes to gather ourselves and on the road down grab a bite to eat in the lanchonete before finding our hostel. We arrive and its really expensive and after haggling and just about to leave the owner turns up an older guy and says he can do it for 10 pound a night. He is from Manchester and the girst thing he says is we dont like people from Liverpool. We drop out stuff in the room and all 3 of is take a short walk down the beach and then grab a shower before heading for a bite to eat.ark and i order lasagne and when we go to eat it its horrible we pay the bill and leave. The hostel is just 30 metres from the beach so i head back get into my hammock listening to the sea crash on the shore nefore heading to bedLes mer

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    Onwards

    12. juni 2016, England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Travel Blog The web's original travel blog
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    Back to my 'Fiona.stobbart's Great Adventure' blog
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    Liverpool, United Kingdom
    Tuesday, July 12, 2016

    So after spending the past week at home we are making our way on the next part of our journey. This trip home has been extremely poignant and reassured me that what we are doing is definitely the right thing. It's been really hard to say goodbye a second time but was so nice to see the family and friends that I did.
    The first few days were spent in Liverpool enjoying time with Amber and my mum as well as the other few members of the family and the 2 Lindas who never fail to put a smile on my face and have hearts as big as a whale. From there I travelled down to my second home in Portsmouth spending time with Bex and Lily who even in such sad times managed to create a few extra memories although it was without my friend Darren.
    My return back made me realise a lot of things and for a change I slowed down and looked around me appreciating what a beautiful country we have noticing the butterflies and summer flowers and strawberry picking for the first time in years.
    Thank you everyone for making it so special I will miss you more than you'll ever know, but there is still world to explore and somebody has got to do it unless you can think of someone else more suitable ????? Thought not so will keep you updated dailyish xxxx

    What I saw
    Flagship Portsmouth - Historic Dockyard, Her Majesty's Naval BasePortsmouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom    Les mer

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    Praia de Amor

    10. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    When i get up for breakfast in the morning Rose the owner asks me if i enjoyed Marks karaoke last night i laugh as i didnt hear a thing and she says he was singing Coldplay, but whe i turned spotify off on the tablet hed been listening to Elvis. Rosie an i laugh when she is sure it wasnt Elvis. Mark totally misses breakfast an eventually gets out of bed at about just after 11. Once again we agree to go to the beach together with a Swiss girl called Asia that we have met in the hostel we sit waiting fot the Israelis but when they are ready they walk straght out the hostel so the three of us head back to the restaurant we ate at the other day and i enjoyed the best thai curry ive had here. We walk the remainding way to the Praia de Amor and take shade underneath the rock face, Mark makes a sand woman while i go and bathe in a rock pool along the beach where its totally surronded with rock with the sea just allowing in litlle waves. The sea on this beach is perfect for surfing but the pool is so warm that when i go into the sea it feels cold for the first time since ive been here. After a short while here we walk back to centro beach and the walk up to the mirador bar. Tonight we sit at a different table and the sunset is still amazing. This really is a special place. We walk back to the hostel and Rosies dog has had to go to the vet So we make our way down for something to eatLes mer

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    Praia de golfinhos

    9. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We wake in the morning and have a lovely breakfast and decide to book for one more night. There is something about places in Brazil that really draw you in but there are still a few more i really want to see x We meet three Israelis in the hostel and enjoy exchanging places weve been to and where we should go. They say they are heading to the beach and asked if we want to join them but when they arent ready in an hour we head out on our own and once again walk along praia de golfinhos to the far end but its not possible to walk across to madeiro as the tide is already in to far so we hire a seat and Mark stands back and watches as they toss the ball across the sand, desperate for them to ask him to join in. He even trys talking to the guys who are stood on the side line and eventually is asked to join the game. He stands on the touchline barking his orders and lets the young guys do the running , you would think he was the coach not a player, i have a little chuckle to myself and lie back on my sunlounger enjoying the view dipping in and out of the sea. We go back to the hostel with a few beers with Mark nursing his sand grazed
    Knees after going in for an immense tackle on one of the Argentinian guys who werent happy. Mark for some reason gets drunk really quickly but is adamant that he wants something to eat and on arriving back at the hostel Rosie exlplains she is imable to cook tonight, but will cook tomorrow so we will have to go out. Thank god for the food bar at the top of the hill cause Mark can barely walk due to the caipirinhas hes had throughout the day. They have a horrible way of coming in and knocking you off your feet. Burger and manioc chips bought is a stumble back to the hostel where i go to bed and Mark lies listening to his tunes with his earphones on.    Les mer

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    Prai de Pipa

    8. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We get picked up promptly at 930 for our trip of the pipa coast. Our guide Phillipe will take us to various beauty spots across the island. The journey doesnt start well when as we go to leave the road is shut off with dumper trucks so we have to reverse up the hill which with narrow cobbled streets isnt easy but phillipe was a really good driver for his age and had obviously been driving these streets regulary we pick up another couple who are from Argentina who are about our age and a really good laugh . our first stop we get off at gives us a cliff top peninsular view of the whole bay its stunning, we are joined by couple of guys from Natal and im so jealous they live so close to somewhere like this. We travel around to another part of the island where we bathe in the sea and further along tge coast bathe in rock pools. Phillipe then takes us to a place where you can actually swim under the rock and into the mouth of the sea it really is an amazing the coastline here with barely a person in sight at times you have the beach to yourself i sit myself in a crystal clear pool and let the warm water lap my body. Even though Pipa has got much more touristy but there are still places that you can get away from that in a short walk. As we get back on the bus i smack my head of the bar i really am the walking wounded. Still nursing my infected knee from Jeri and covered in bruises i look a fight sight. We get back on the truck A short ride further and we board a platoon and the truck is put on another then pushed across as the water is only waste high . Back on the truck and were taken to another boat, a catamaran, in a sense of the word, the guy was starting the engine with a thin rope which promptly cut out again so up went the sail and we glided across the water. As we went across i couldnt help but think how much my dad would have loved this. Literally as soon as we lamd on the island we are offered a buggy ride for 10 reals each less than 2 quid. All 4 of us opt to go and when asked whether we want to go slow or fast the boys insist on rapido . Perched on the back i hold on for dear life as the guy driving is more crazy than any other driver weve seen in South America and thats saying something. He takes some great photos and its back to the bar which is literally a bamboo hut i opt for an iced fruit and Mark of course has a beer. We pay the bill and as we come to walk out i forget to duck and smash my forehead of the bamboo pole full belt. The egg on my head is instant an the couple with us laugh at how accidental i am. We get back on the boat and drove to like a range where we eat dinner of beautiful fish fillets with mash and rice and salad washed down with a beer. This is heaven. A guy comes up selling minature fridge magnets and i buy 2 they are so beautiful.
    Our next stop is sandboarding, and i opt just to watch at first the way my accident rate has been i have to do a bit of risk assesment and when mark goes the whole way down i guess i should give it a go. How wrong could i be , a quarter of the way down im flat on my back and covered on sand. Not a quitter i give it another go an do a bit better and after a few attempts and a few fall overs i nearly have the hang of it we pack up quickly and drive to the crepe bar to watch the sunset. It is wonderful and so is my crepe. I finish up quickly as we will take the journey back to town as soon as the sun has set. We get dropped of back at the hostel. We sit for an hour or so talking to Rose the owner of the hostel who invites us to dinner tomorrow night. We accept an mark heads out and buys ice lollies for everyone and a burger for himself. The rest of the evening is spent with a young girl and her son who live in the hostel and before to long im ready for bed.    Les mer

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    Beach party

    5. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We wake in the morning and when we go to checkout the hotel offer us a beach front room to use all day until we leave at 1030 tonight free of charge. First thing we head out to purchase our bus tickets for tonight. We walk through the town and find the office to book our tickets and once reserved head to the small groups of shops in the centre to invest in a new pair of haviananas. In the shop I'm in heaven they are all so beautiful, I do love my havi's. There are a pair with popeye and another with olive on and I suggest we get them as a token of our anniversary, but Mark is having none of it, so I buy them anyway. Back at the hotel we move our stuff to the new room and chill out by the pool for a few hours. I feel guilty that at lunchtime we take a walk out to eat somewhere else because they've given us the room but Mark tells me not to worry and we venture to the bar at the end of the beach and it's a perfect place to eat. Its really busy which is always a good sign, and I have to say the food is really good. Back at the hotel we grab a quick shower and sit chilling out on the balcony for an hour before heading to the beach for tapas and a dj. We laugh as Mark has been Dj ing the whole trip from Brazil to Peru but the dj is playing some great tune with a Brazilian twist we sit here eating our tapas , listening to some serious tunes on one of the best beaches in the world watching the sun set. I put my ipod on time lapse as we don't have a camera anymore and just as the sun is dropping a guy comes in front of the I pod to talk to Mark and by the time he understands the sun is dead in the water, I don't mind as I get to see lots of sunsets but it's the first time I've seen time lapse as an option lol. We go back to the room the head to the bar for our last beer and a snack. The staff here have been so attentive and kind , I really couldn't pick one fault with this place ,it's been extraordinary. We bid farewell to everyone and take the short walk to the place where we'll catch the Jeep. There are quite a few people waiting and the guy tells us not to panic as there are 2 jeeps coming. Everybody aboard we make the very bumpy journey out of Jeri. The bus is due to leave at 1130 and just before we get to Jijoca the bus in front has a problem when I look the whole wheel shaft is broken and the other problem is our truck now has no lightsLes mer

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    Walking Wounded

    4. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We wake in the morning and once again take a beautiful breakfast. The plan is to walk to crab beach with Maria and her husband but I am still in agony with my foot. When Maria sees it she says I must get the thorns out and volunteers to help me. Armed with a needle and tweezers she starts the task of extracting the 20 odd needles from my foot. I have stood on a plant called a Cacanya which is a poisonous plant here, with a defense mechanism of shooting out little needles to its attackers. When I google a picture of it it looks like a harmless weed with a pretty little white flower on it. The process takes well over an hour, but the relief is incredible after the digging in my foot is completed. We have now nick named Maria "the butcher". After a discussion with one of the staff it is decided that the walk to crab beach is too intense, but Mark and I decide to still take a little stroll even if it's not that far. We walk for nearly an hour along the shoreline passing the huge dune and as we round the corner there is a natural pool waiting to cool us . The wind here is immense and it's like having a full on exfoliation session with sandpaper. I suggest to Mark we head nearer to the shoreline as at least we can be slightly protected by the water, and its so warm. We walk back to the hotel dipping in and out of the water and arive back take a shower and jump straight in the pool .
    Tonight Maria and Farvelo have invited us to join them for dinner at Hurricane which is one of the other beach hotels here. We play a couple of games of cards and instead of for money it for points in the bag so I now have the bottom bunk for the rest of the trip. We shower and dress for dinner, and a short while later Farvelo knocks the door to say they are ready so we head down to the bar to wait for the honeymoon couple. They shout down that they will be a little while and to go on without them so we head out the hotel and literally as soon as we leave the hotel there are 4 wooden bollards sticking up on the beach. With it being dark I don't see them and swing my leg full pelt into one . It knocks me straight off my feet and the oil I've put on is to keep my skin moisturised is now covered in sand . I look like a croquettes potato. I am once again in agony and mark is rolling on the floor laughing, i use my phone to assess the damage and am horrified to see on of the little branches has pierced my leg. We walk back to the hotel and I take a shower, and when I return downstairs the guys suggest we go to the pharmacy as my leg is pouring with blood. We purchase various items of antiseptic spray and creams and I insist we carry on for dinner. The hurricane is beautiful and once again we have a table on the beach. The food is pretty mediocre and when I look down the table cloth is totally covered in blood. I feel embarrassed but everyone says not to worry. As we walk back in the main square is a crowd of people various guys are doing a martial art called Coipara we sit and watch as they move to the music ducking and throwing their legs over each thers    Les mer

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    Pedro Furado

    3. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I'm woken early in the morning by my phone. I get the sad news that one of my longest friends has lost his battle with leukemia it's the news I wasn't expecting to hear.Today is our anniversary and the last thing I want to do is celebrate, but I know Darren wouldn't want me to be sad. After a few tears I pull myself together and join Mark at breakfast which is unbelievable. The table is adorned with an abundance of fresh fruit muesli yoghurt bread cakes honey everything you could wish for, and a table menu with eggs served anyway you want them. The last thing I feel like doing is eating but I force myself to eat something and we decide to take an easy day by the pool playing kalluki. A guy comes along selling his wares and after a few minutes he starts speaking in fluent English. We spend nearly an hour putting the world to rights. He really is a wonderful guy and we enjoy every minute. Mark buys me a token bracelet for my anniversary for a few quid and I couldn't have been happier if it was Tiffany. We finished our game of cards with me winning obviously and after a dip in the pool decided to head out for lunch. We only ventured a few hotels down, and gate crashed a table which was exclusive to another hotel, but after a discussion with the concierge we were allowed to stay whilst also getting an invite to dinner at there sister hotel Lasennza for a secret dinner. We would be served 7 courses but would not know what it was until placed in front of us, so we reserved our table finished our lunch which was delicious and made our way back to the hotel . After an hour by the pool I went to lie down for an hour. The sun here is so strong and im relieved to be in an air conditioned room. At 4 oclock we start our walk to Pedro Furado for the sunset. Its supposed to take 25 minutes, but we have come the scenic route following the coast line along the cliff edge. One of the first times we haven't brought water with us an needed it. Above us we can see people walking and I guess that thats the 25 minute way, because we've been walking for nearly an hour and still can't see it , however the scenic route is breathtaking. After an hour or so walking we can see below us the rock and a sand path going downwards that is quite steep but we attempt to make the decent downwards. About a quarter of the way down I scream out in pain and Mark let's out a shout to, I am crippled with pain and Mark says I have to get down to the water. It feels like I've stood on 100 nettles the pain is so bad I am sobbing. After a 15 minute struggle through sand that is like walking in a huge snow drift we reach the beach. Both of us head straight for the water and bathe our poorly feet, and when I get out and sit on a rock to access the damage it looks like I have 20 huge splinters in the heel of my foot. Mark gives me no sympathy and says he's in the same pain, but that we need to hurry up and get to the rock if we want to see the sun set. There is no option as the only way to get out of here is to walk. We purchase a small bottle of water take a few pictures and watch the sun make its final drop into the sea. This time following everyone's lead we take the normal path back to the top where there are horse and carts waiting to take people back to town. I don't care how much it will cost as there is no way I can walk and the pain is still really intense, so we hop in the back. Well if I needed something to distract me from the pain this is it. The horse is sped down the sandy path with me and Mark bobbing and bouncing around in the back like 2 little fishing floats on a good day. We try and take a photo but to no avail as we literally can't sit still long enough to get us both in the picture whilst keeping my arm still, we are now both laughing like school kids as we can't even speak the journey is that bumpy, and after a long 15 minutes we are dropped back at the hotel shaken but not stirred. The pain has subsided slightly and I go and grab a shower to freshen up for dinner .
    We arrive at Lasennza and it is truly wow all the rooms with a balcony have clear glass pools that spill into the infinity pool below. We are shown to a table in the garden overlooking the beach a really romantic setting, but there are a group of ten or so Brazilians who are so loud it's distracting. Half of them are in there rooms and they are shouting to the other half in the pool. Really not ideal, but we try to ignore it. We are greeted with a glass of champagne which is really good, so order a bottle to have with dinner. First course is a roasted vegetable terrine for me 2. Octopus with tartar sauce 3. Lobster with beetroot 4. Chicken in a spicy coconut milk 5 fillet mignon with celeriac 6. Sun dried beef with roasted vegetables and pudding was a coconut cake with caramelised pineapple and chantilly cream. I am absolutely stuffed , and we drink our last drop of champagne and settle the bill. They then bring us a big chocolate cake with a candle on , which we rudely have to take away, we make our way back to the hotel armed with our cake which we give to the staff. Ten minutes later just before midnight there's a knock on the door, and the barman is stood there with a bucket of chilling champagne. Unlike me I ask mark to stick it in the fridge for tomorrow, all I want to do is sleep.    Les mer

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    Arriving In Paradise

    2. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We arrive at Paranaiba on time as the bus drivers angry mood seems to have enabled him to drive faster, tthere is a couple of hours before we have to catch our bus to Camocim so we enjoy a couple of coffees and a few ciggies before heading outside to wait for the connecting bus. I get chatting to a couple of guys from Uruguay who explain we need to get another bus when we arrive in Camocim. Back on the bus it's only a couple of hours until we arrive and as soon as we're of the bus it's like we're in a ghost town. I stupidly ask the taxi drivers how to get to Jericoahcoa and they explain that they can take us to Jijoca in a taxi and from there we will get picked up in a jeep ro take us a over the sand dunes. The total journey including the Jeep is 30 quid so I agree and of we go. Its about 50 miles just to Jijoca and we arrive in town where the taxi driver says to just wait in the car until he sorts the Jeep. A few minutes later the Jeep pulls up on the side of the road and our luggage is transferred. All seems to be well until 5 minutes up the road the Jeep driver asks us for the money to take us to Jericoahcoa? ?? I tell him the journey has ben paid for but he is adamant that he doesn't understand what I'm saying and drives us round to a local taxi point. He has told us he wants another 20 pounds to take us, luckily at the taxi point the guy understands me and I explain he should have told us this while the taxi driver was here. In the end he says he'll take us for 8 pounds but I'm ranting and raving in broken Spanish and Mark is saying it's only 8 pounds, but it's the principal I'm being ripped off. We agree to pay the extra and then once again shortly after driving off he stops again, offering us a tour for an additional 20 pounds. So I kindly explain to him that he's only getting the agreed money and take us direct to our hotel. Your not having me off again sunshine🌞 I winge the whole journey about what a crook he was and how he should have said something when the taxi driver was there. Then we arrive and I shut my mouth. As a surprise for Mark (and me) I've booked us into a five star hotel for 3 days, it is absolutely stunning. We're greeted with cool flannels to freshen up and coco water. I have arrived in paradise with the man I love. Its been an amazing 5 months so far and we haven't felt the need to spoil ourselves as the journey itself is self indulgent enough for me, though I am well ready for a good bed as my body is still catching up from 51 hours on a bus. Our anniversary is not till tomorrow so after showering in our luxurious bathroom with warm water I am ready for a bite to eat. We grab lunch in the hotel but to be honest it wasn't great and then venture into town. We walked straight up the plaza and instead of turning left we went right, we walked the whole way back through the local part of town and back along the beach . The beach is set in a perfect location and boasts a huge dune next to it and an endless coast of the Caribbean Sea. With reggae vibes and a surfing and hippy community I'm in heaven. We bathe in the sea and then head back to the hotel to make the most of the facilities. After a shower and a dip in the pool we sit at the bar enjoying a cocktail with a lovely couple from Sao Paulo. There is another couple in the hotel who are here on honeymoon and invite all of us up to watch the sunset in the honeymoon suite. It is amazing with there own private pool overlooking the sea. We all drink a few beers and a glass of champagne as the sun goes down. The hotel has a buffet dinner with Luau dancing tonight and we all agree to go, by the time we've both grabbed a shower and got a change of clothes it's time to head back out again. The show includes an African Brazilian dance show, salsa and traditional music. Its fascinating to watch , and then it's time to eat. To be fair the food is really good but I can't do it justice as I'm so tired. We both admit to defeat and shortly after retire to our King Size bed with two pillows each. I'm asleep before my head even hits one of them.Les mer

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    Passage to Paranaiba

    1. juni 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We wak e in the morning with all great intentions of heading to all the places we wanted to see in Sao Luis, but after 10 minutes of asking aound we soon find out that none of them are open. We are out of season and they are closed, but when we do a bit more exploring we find an arts centre , with a varing range of different aged people all with different grades of talent with some being very vocal in their art.A few were exceptional, im so tempted to buy one but we still have a big journey ahead of us and i dont really fancy carrying it round for the trip. There is a really good market here that sells lots of strange and wonderful things all in homemade jam jars like gran used to make.We wander through the market and im unusually temted by a few litttle numbers in there and convince Mark that i need a couple of replacement dresses as the two i have ,have got holes in and i have spottted 2 little numbers ilike and they are only a tenner for the 2 Mark should think hes getting away lightly but moans at the fact of where im going to pack them hes got so practical on this trip. After a few hours walking round the beautiful streets we are ready for a bite to eat and head back to the restaurant we were in last night . The door was ajar and when i popped my head in to see if they were open the ushered us through to a small restaurant below. We literally had a few tapas and sat in there peoplle waching. It was a constant flow of locals working people with us the only tourists , sometimes here we stick out like a sore thumb but Brazilian people are so friendly that you don't feel awkward with it . We finish our food and opt to stay in the hostel where I plan to catch up on my blog. While I'm writing 2 of the French people who sailed the amazon with us walk into the hostel and after a brief chat we exchange some tips and bid each other farewell again until the next time. After a few hours it's time to bid farewell to Sao Luis and were boarding a bus to Paranaiba the journey is about 10 hours and a couple of hours wait before boarding the bus in the morning to Camocim. The journey starts with the most friendly bus driver who I think must have changed with another driver half way through as at 3 in the morning he's arguing with some poor old man bent over with arthritis about where he's dropping him off to a point where another woman on the bus gets up and stands up for the old man and shouts at the driver. This is all going on at 3 am really. i lie my head back down and hope for a litttle peace for the rest of the journey.Les mer

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    Saó Luis

    31. mai 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We are due to arrive in Saó Luis at 8am , but literally half an hour before reaching town the bus comes to an abrupt stop, it sounds like its run out of petrol, but the problem was a bit bigger than that, the fan belt had gone . We were stuck on the bus without any air conditioning on the side of a road where all the other lunatic drivers were flying past, a total recipe for disaster. The driver said that another bus would be out in an hour, but i had to remember we are on Brazilian time so it was very likely to be a lot longer. We asked to be let off the bus so at least we could have a cigarette to which the driver agreed. Even though we were stood in the sun it was still cooler than being on the bus. Just after 2 hours our bus finally arrved and we transferred all our stuff over to the other bus, it was so nice to have air conditioning again and even though on some buses it has been so cold today was different. We arrived at the hostel early afternoon and spoke with the woman on reception to book our trip to Lençois Maranhenses. Thinking all was confirmed she advised us the bus would pick us u at 4 in the morning so we did some hand washing and headed out to explore the city. The city here is beautiful with cobbled streets and old colonial buildings , some that are amazing and others that have just been left to rot and decay We were sadly dissapointed that everything we wanted to see was closed as it was Monday, and they work on a tuesday to Sunday basis here, we grabbed a bite to eat in a restaurant and i really fancied Pizza, but Pizza in Brazil is not the same as Italian Pizzaa and the attitude of the staff was really bad , so after a dissapointing lunch we made our way back to the hostel. On arrival, the lady on reception advised us that there was no space on the trip tomorrow so we would have to catch the local bus if we wanted to go. Today was turning out to be an absolute nightmare . I suggested to Mark that we take our bags and stay over and then catch the forwarding bus the day after from Barrinheas but he threw a fit saying that he was sick of moving on after a day and that this wasnt travelling just spending time on buses, so reluctantly we agreed that we would catch the bus in the morning and then return here that evening, and have the following day here before catching the night bus. With that agreed we headed out for a couple of beers, and as we went down to the square it was wonderful, a real buzzy atmoshere with families and people just sitting at various bars listening to live music. Mark refused to go back to the place wed been in the afternoon so we headed to one up the side streeet and ordered the same as the table next to us as it looked delicious. It was like tapas of sun dried meat dee fried with Salischaa which is a largeork sausage and fried onions and fried manioc. Wesat picking away at it with little cocktail sticks drinking ice cold beer people watching. A guy approached he bar making flowersss out of reeds , and Mark indulged me even though he moaned it would be brown in a few hours. The way this guy worked with a leaf was amazing and deserved every penny he earnt, In this part of Brazil here are too many people who just want to put their hand out and be given money, but everyone is capable of earning a crust. So after a wonderful end to a shitty day we head to bed to try and get some sleep before our long day tomorrow.Les mer

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    Lencois Marenhenses

    30. mai 2016, Brasil ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    So weve decided to go it on our own and we catch the bus at 6 in the morning to go and see the sand dunes. I have to say that when you see pictures of places there is usually a big dissapointment as the photo is generally done from the air or on a perfect day. We arrive in Barrinheas after a 5 hour journey and literally as oon as we step of the bus there is a crowd of touts trying to take you on the tour. We opted to just do the 3 lakes as we had already booked on the next bus out of there at 1840 tonight so had to be bak for that. It was 11am and the first tour to go out was 1400 that afternoon. We doubly confirmed that we would be back in time and agreed to do the tour. The cost is 80 real, which is about12 pound so we booked it. Having a few hours to spare we grabbed a drink and then went for a little stroll though town. This place has a real brasilcaribbean feel, and i can say that i could live here. We walk along the river beach where a group of young guys are playing football on the sand, diving into the water every 10 minutes or so to cool down from what must be nearly 40 degree heat. This along with the humidty is pretty intense, to a point where im struggling to walk let alone play football. We take cover in a small restaurant and take another drink before making our way back to the centre. There are lots of shops here and we pick up a few bits and bobs to replace things that now have holes in. Making our way back to the tour agency we stop at a small restaurant serving traditional local food and each buy a plate of food of various different dishes. Dinner is delicious and slightly full we take the 10 minute walk to the agency. We are picked up by a toyota jeep and driven a short distance before being told to disembark to cross the river.The platform is guided across by a small boat, as the current is really strong here, and within 20 minutes we were loaded and offloaded on the other side. The jeep then took us on an hours drive through the 1500km2 national park bumping over the sand and splashing through collective pools of mud, giving me a shake up good enough that the driver nearly saw what id had for dinner, until just in the distance we could see them. The dunes stand about 120 ft high and we were driven to the top where we looked down and just saw the most surreal landscape. The rainwater accumilates in the sand forming natural pools, where the water is crystal clear. This is like somehing out of a mirage where after walking through the dessert you see the most amazing site. There are actually 5 pools in total each one measuring at least 30 ft across . Swimming in such an amazing place hardly seems true and a guy from London says its the most amazing and beautiful thing hes ever seen. Its certainly in my top 5. We spend nearly an hour just bathing in the wonderfully warm water before strolling over the dune to swim in our next lake. This really is heaven on earth , and even though Mark decides not to come with me as his legs hurting i make my way over the dune to the next Lagua. I could literally spend all day here, but Marks boredam factor has kicked in, so after a quick dip in here i make my way to the next dune. The sand is so deep that it really is a struugle to walk, but i ersevere on and over the next dune is the lagua azul(blue lake) The water is turquoise and with the clear sun beatingdown on it, the colour is really enhanced.After a quick dip i make my way back to the first pool where i think Mark will be waiting, but hes decided to climb back to where the jeep dropped us, and when i explain we have another hour before we leave he makes his way back down. We spend nearly half an hour on our own having the whole natural pool to ourselves as everyone else is still at the others. As everyone makes there way back we start our accent up the hill Mark lies down in the virgin sand and makes a sand angel , flapping his arms everywhere sand flying in all directions. Once everyone has arrived we have the bumpy ride back home with a stop to wait for the boat. Women with their little stoves cooking tapioca pancakes for the waiting passengers. We are well in time for the bus back to Sao Luis and even have time for a hot dog as well . Mark and i get on the bus, and opposite is a woman who has a baby, who obviously isnt well, she is so young yet she cares for the little boy brilliantly. When we stop half way home Mark and i buy her a drink as she is unable to get off the bus, then when were least expecting it she tries to leave the bus without paying. The bus driver locks her on the bus and issues her a red ticket, she pays the fare and before we know it were in Sao Luis. A short taxi ride back to the hostel and were showered and tucked up in bed within minutes. What a truly amazing day and so glad we made the extra effort to do it.Les mer

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    Beautiful Belem

    29. mai 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We wake up shortly after 5 and we are still a little way out, but i am so glad as we are able to see the sunrise whilst still on the Amazon. As much as i was dreading this part of the trip due to my alergy to mosquito bites i can honestly say ive thouroughly enjoyed it, but relieved we didnt stick with the plan of the full 12 days . The port is a major export point for the soya beans in Brazil and altough this area is quite rough there has definitely been a major investment in the end further along, its very similar to the Albert dock with Brasseries and shops selling high end artisan. We have decided to not stay here as we have the full day to explore the city and we can catch a night bus tonight to be able to catch up on our sleep. so we drop our bags into Guardo volume and grab a quick coffee and a map, to make the most of our time here. The one place i really want to go is the botanical gardens as they have the worlds biggest water lillies here, so we make this our first point of call . Armed with our map we start to walk, and even though it looks close we walk for nearly an hour and were not even half way there, but we persevere constantly on the look out for a bank that will actually accept our card. This has been a little bit of a problem since arriving back in Brazil as none of the big banks take visa, but as were walking down the back streets i spot a 24 hour cash point advertised inside a pharmacy of all places. When i go to the door the woman say they will open in an hour, and we start to walk off. thinking it cant be in here , but after furter exploring we go back and i ask about the 24 hour cash point and she lets me in to use it. AT LAST IM NOT Skint!!Armed with our dinheiros we continue our journey looking for somewhere to grab a bit of breakfast but with it being Sunday everywhere is closed apart from a few places that are selling whole cooked chickens and to be honest i couldnt eat that at 8 in the morning. After much perservearance and nearly 2and a half hours walking we arrive at the botanical gardens. The entrance fee is just 2 reals 20p and we enter in, although there are no maps we literally just wander round aimlessly and can not find the water lillies anywhere. Even still the park is beautiful , full of huge trees monkeys and birds . We continue getting lost in here for another couple of hours before leaving to make our way to the terminal to buy our ticket for tonight. Its another good hours walk and eventually we arrive and do a little shopping around before finding the cheapest booth and reserving our seat. The station had air conditioning and was such a relief from the heat outside, it must be at least 40 degrees . When we come to pay for the tickets he told us that they were 130 each so i give him 260 and he gives me 55 change , dont know how that worked out, so when i checked the tickets to make sure everything was legit they had 100 reals each written on them, so i shut my mouth and made my way to the exit. Outside we asked directions for the bus to centro and were directed down a little side street, we jumped on the bus and i asked the ticket lady to tell us when we arrived ,which she kindly did. People in Brazil are definitely the kindess and even total strangers are always willing to help. We get off the bus, and were not far fron the boat terminal , and we casually stroll around the fort , through the market and around the historic ortal town. The cobbled streets colonial buildings and tranquil atmosphere make this place really special. Down on the harbour there are hundred of vultures all vying for the remnats of the fishing boats, and a little further along are old vintage cars . We spend a couple of hours exploring the little back streets before making a short walk to collect our bags. Even though its still early we have agreed that with the station being air conditioned it wont be a bad place to grab a bite to eat and awai our night bus. We jump a taxi to the station as Marks feet have given up on him,( its so hard travelling with an old man)
    When we arrive at the station, the air conditioning is no longer working , but we pay a quid and get a shower in the toilets ther, they even give us a towel. Freshly dressed we sit out the few hours enjoying a couple of beers and watching the football, with the occasional time out on candy crush. While we are sat here, Mark gets onto a young lad eyeing up my phone and tells me to put it away as hes definitely on the rob, so with everything packed up we head to the platform to catch the bus.    Les mer

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    River People

    28. mai 2016, Brasil ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We wake early in the morning, and yet again we are in a different port , with cargo being brought on left right and centre. Things are usually in great big cardboard boxes or Huge polystyrene crates. Once everyone is boarded, which really doesnt take long we are off again and i head down for breakfsat. Everything is pricedd individually so you can have as much or as little as you want. We didnt bring a lot of money on board as we believed food was included so i indulge myself with a cafe com leche and a bread roll with an egg. The coffee tastes as good as a starbucks and i really enjoy it, tempted o get another cup, but will save the funds for a coca cola tonight. As we sail along the river there is literally nothing to do and with the heat i decide to take myself back to bed for a little sleep. Mark wakes me a little while later and when i go outside the amazon has become a lot narrower and we are assing really close to the families that live on the river. Today must be washing day as every litle wooden shack has washing hung outside . There are young children rowing up to the ship in little boats and people on the ship are throwing out little floating packages and the children row out to collect them. Later in the afternoon the ship sounds its claxton and from nowhere ten or so litlle boats with outboard motors pull up to the ship full of shrimps and palm hearts the children in the boats literally scramble up the ship and make their way through selling their goods . It really is incredible to watch, and they are quite cheeky as they empty their baskets of their wares. After half an hour or so another ship pulls alongside and a guy is transferred from our ship to this one with what i can only gather is his whole house there is fridges stereos , literally everything but the kitchen sink, and i think moving house is stressfull. As soon as the exchange is done we ar off agin and the ship emtys of all these young kids of no older than 7 or 8 yrs old and they chase the remainder of there custom on the ship that we just met with. We sail along for another couple of hours and i enjoy being so up close and personal seeing how the river people live, some have their houses totally isolated whilst others live in a community where they even have churches
    We travel down the river to our next port and shortly before arriving here there are kids swimming in the river who race with each other to clamber aboard , im surprised they dont have an issue with stowaways on here. When we arrive in harbour i get a desire to want to get off, so with the French girl i make my way down to the lower deck, and wait for the gangway to be attached , underneath the jetty are 3 young girls in a little rowing boat, and i wonder how many of theses children the Amazon claims the lives of, as they seem to have no fear. After a 5 minute stroll around I get back on the ship as i cetainly dont want to be left here . We set sail again and that was our last stop so its full steam ahead. tonight instead of a sunset we witness a storm wher the clouds are literally filled with lightning that lights up the whole sky, at 9 oclock the boat slows down and a speedboat with no lights apart from a guy wielding a torch pulls alongside and takes of one of the passengers , im certainly glad it wasnt me. After a quick beer we head for our cabin as the ship is due to dock at 5 am I wonder whether to set an alarm as the ship might sail with me, but Mark assures me he will wake up.    Les mer

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