PS

Will this blog never end I ask myself? Even its unlikely anyone will read this, it seems to me the best place to put it. After seeing the film "Age of Stupid" in Bristol a week or so ago, I made the decision to cut the biggest aspect of my personal carbon footprint, by not flying again once I returned to Spain. So here I am, stuck! Well no. Fortunately there are many ways to get from Alicante back to the UK or most other places. The biggest drawback for me could be cost (ie. of train travel) since I have plenty of time, as a pensioner, but very little money. Walking or cycling are cheap. I have to get back to Bristol by 1st August for Fidel and Sharon's wedding. Perhaps I should start another blog......

thanks

sue..thankyou everyone who commented on the blog,much appreciated.I would reccomend this trip to anyone who wanted nature,diversity,and the wonderful warmth and curiosity of the s.american peoples......

"We were the fools who could not rest in the dull earth we left behind....but burned with passion for the south and drank strange frenzy from ill wind.The world where wise men sit at ease fades from our unregretful eyes,and thus across enchanted seas we stagger on our enterprise."



Sir ernest shackleton.1916,july.

LAST WORD

A final word now that no-one is looking anymore. The time here in Rio is almost at an end. We fly out on Sunday night and there is only the packing still to do. Mostly we have just been pottering about as its been very hot and humid the whole time, but we did make a couple of good excursions. One of these was up to the village on a hill in the middle of the city, Santa Teresa. We queued and waited (ages) for the ancient little tram, known as the "bondinho", where almost as many people hang from the outside as are inside sitting down on the little wooden benches. We went with Roman on his day off from college. At the top there is an old house which has been restored and opened to the public, with its own terraced gardens. The views all over Rio, sea, islands, mountains, the Pão Açucar and the Christ etc. All fabulous.
Then last night, Alamo and Roman took me for the promised game of football in the huge Maracana Stadium. It was a local derby between Botafogo (Alamo´s club) and Vasco. The stadium was not as full as it could be but still a good crowd and plenty of atmosphere under the full moon. A good game too, except that Botafogo lost!!
This morning I have been to the Jardim Botanico again, particularly to see an exhibition about the life and work of Chico Mendes. He was born and spent his life in the Amazon region of Acre, becoming a rubber tapper at age 15. He went on to be a strong union organiser and environmentalist, fighting to save the rainforest from destruction and for the rubber tappers and other forest dwellers to be able to make a modest living in harmony with the forest. However, in December 1988 he was murdered, as he had predicted he would be, and despite a 24 hr. police protection!! Now 20 years later this exhibition is to help continue to educate people with environmentally sound attitudes and to continue his struggle.
So ends my word. La luta continua! Although first I will go back to Spain to lie in my new hammock for a while.

HOME IN RIO

This may not be ´home´home, but it feels pretty good to be back here, in the comfort of the lovely flat in Leblon, with Roman and the family, where we have the luxury of a room each. Our 2 months on the road is at an end, and we are beginning to relax and chill out in a mere 33C as opposed to the torrid south at 38 - 40 C. I know we´re not supposed to grumble about the heat when you all, back in the UK, are suffering such a cold winter, but when you are melting like a blob of marg that´s been left in the hot sun, its hard not to have a little moan.

Enough of that for the moment, because this is also about the Argentine Iguazu, where we spent Wednesday. It was much more of a trek to get there that day, as we had to go over the Tancredo Neves Bridge between the 2 countries with all the border crossing formalities which that involved. When we eventually made it to the National Park itself we found it quite easy to get rid of the Argentinian Pesos we had saved for this as everything, especially the entrance fee, was so expensive. Once in we went on a little train to the start of the trail we had decided on - the low one with lots of jungly shade. Again the butterflies everywhere, especially hosts of yellow ones, and coatis (kind of racoon). These were much more in evidence on this side than the on the Brazil side. One tried very hard to get into Sue´s bag where it could smell her lunch pack. We saw others jump onto tables outside the cafe and snatch peoples sarnies and race away with them. We also saw a big lizard and several little ones, plus a cayman down in the river, and some lovely birds. After the jungle trail, which had several viewing points over a number of the falls, we got back on the train and went on to the trail leading to the Garganta del Diablo. This part was a little spoiled by stampeding hordes of tourbus tourists, who seemed to be in the mood for lots of pushing and shoving (perhaps on a tight schedule). In the end they passed. We went along a lengthy series of walkways, much out in the sun over the rapids, till we reached the huge "devil´s throat". We had seen this the day before, but not quite so close. Spectacular and overwhelming. No picture or film could convey the enormous power and magnificence on display. I wanted to go away and hide in a little hole and think about it, but no chance of that.
So the Iguaçu/Iguazu falls certainly provided us with a wonderful finale to an unforgettable journey.

SUE .We are going to continue with the blog for a few days longer.Hopefully,Roman will download lots of photos.Iguacu will stay with me forever,awesome,as will so many other aspects of our journey.It is good to be back in Rio though,just relax for a few days as we look back,remember ,and marvel at all the different aspects of this journey.

BIG WATER

We have now arrived back in Brazil after our very short visit to Paraguay. It was really not long enough to be able to make any sort of assessment, except to say that it arouses great curiosity.
It is a country on the edge of change it feels, with the new President Lugo just beginning to try and do some different things. There seem to be the usual extremes of wealth and poverty, especially visible in Asuncion where very posh shops and restaurants are just around the corner from the shanty town. So maybe a place to return to in a few years?

We had a bit of a shock yesterday at the end of our bus ride across Paraguay to Iguacu in Brazil, when the bus proceeded to leave Iguacu behind and gather speed across the countryside. We went to enquire of the conductor what was happening as we were supposed to get off there and a bit of a furore ensued. The upshot was though, that they had to turn round (it had been heading to San Paulo) and take us back. So here we are in this very hot place.

Today we went to the famous Iguacu Falls. The name is Guarani Indian for big water, and once upon a time they had this place to themselves. However, now it is the tourists, including us, who flock there. I am so lucky for this to be my second time, so I will leave it to Sue to tell you about it.

Sue:Iguacu is the nearest I have been to paradise.You reach the falls through rainforest,abundant butterflies,all sizes and colours,racoons hustling through the undergrowth,vultures wheeling overhead,lizards making a mad dash for cover as one approaches,and then there are these massive falls,all 275 of them,over a mile wide.Before this there are rapids for 3 km.You hear the falls before you see them,an enormous roar,it takes your breath away,the sheer power.I feel so priviledged to see them and experience such amazing nature.We are returning there tomorrow,this time to the Argentinian side,to get up very close to them,on walkways and in the forest.It will be difficult to leave.

We have decided to end our trip in style and been out and bought flights back to Rio,rather than take the bus for 23hours.Who can blame us.

RIDING HORSES / RIDING BUSES

Well I can tell you which is easiest..........definitely the horses! Went for a lovely all day ride in the most beautiful countryside above Salta. There was just me, Sue unfortunately still suffering in the tum, and a young guide who spoke sort-of English. He was great too and we got on very well. His horse was a feisty Peruvian, and mine was a very strong, quite old and a bit motheaten, ordinary Argentinian working horse. But he was very sure footed as we scrambled in and out of rivers and up and down quite slippery bits of mountain. We rode in the morning to a place in the hills where they cook the BBQ, and in the afternoon we rode back another way.
The countryside was pristine, being a huge old estancia, miles and miles of grassy hills and mountains. We did not see a road or a building the whole day, or another person. There were occasional groups of horses, mules and foals, and sometimes a few cattle. Lots of beautiful wild flowers and trees and many birds. The highlight was when we saw an eagle on a fence post and were able to get within a few feet to take photos before it flew off. We had taken the lunch with us, and Martin, my guide, got the fire going and prepared and cooked it all while I went off and took photos.

Now the buses. Yesterday afternoon at 3.30 we got on the bus for Clorinda, on the Argentine/Paraguay border. But by 7 pm bits had fallen off it. We were in a place called J V Gonzalez - not on my map - and there we stayed til 1 a.m. The driver had to get underneath along with a mechanic and they didn't seem to have hardly any tools. However it did get going again and we did arrive, but not till 1.30 pm today. We were entertained with 2 dvd's - The Mummy, and The Mummy Returns (twice), badly dubbed into Spanish, with an English subtitle only when the Mummy spoke.

Sue:gutted I couldnt horseride,but hopefully will make up for it in Brasil.Well we are in Paraguay.First impressions are that it is a very poor country.There are a large population of Guarani indians who appear to be extremely impoverished,some are squatting in the plaza over the way from where we are staying.Its saturday night and for the first time in s.america it is all shut down.We are used to it buzzing at the weekends,weird.And this is the capital city.So dont really know what to make of it,It is very hot and sticky,we are both fanning ourselves ,maybe it is good prep for Brasil.Leave here on monday for Iguassu,one of the highlights of our trip,the biggest waterfal in s.america.xzxx

DELHI-BELLHI

i have a dose of tummy trouble so will be brief.RE.the trip to Cafayte,I had an interpreter for this trip,a young man who could hardly speak English which made the going a bit hard,but I did ascertain that the old man and the llama ,that ros referred to were called Asterix and Obelisk for reasons best known to themselves.My interpreter kept pointing out various rock formations,such as the frog,and the Titanic with leonardo and Kate winslet at the fore.Obviously we werent on the same drug as he was,which brings me to the return journey.Our driver,who had been driving all the time as if his life depended on it,descided to turn on the passengers with coca leaves,and as several middle aged argentinian ladies,politely chewed,boisterous clapping and singing broke out,of local ballads.After about half an hour of this,they all descided that it was the two brits turn.Help.We racked our brains,then Ros eventually very bravely sang my bonnie lies over the ocean,and all the argentinians joined in with a resounding bring back,bring back my bonnie to me.And on that note,I am back to dry crackers and weak tea. love from Sue x