I Amsterdam.

Okay so it has been a few days since the last update. Spent my last day in Portugal visiting Braga which is about one hour's drive north of Porto. I had woke up at 5 that morning to catch the bus back from Braganca so I wasn't feeling particularly energetic when I got to Braga. There is a massive church called the Bom Jesus up on the hillside that is a popular destination for pilmgrages. There were far more stairs than I was interested in climbing so I opted for the 1 euro trolly up to the top and then hiked back down.

The next day was spent in transport to Amsterdam. Amsterdam is great. I haven't really gone to any museums or exhibits etc... due to hectic schedule but I have enjoyed exploring the city on foot. I actually had a few blisters last night from all the walking. The curved streets and canals can be a bit confusing but fortunately the city center is all relatively compact. I have had a series of informational interviews with a few advertising agencies here in Amsterdam so I have had to fit in meals, and site-seeing around those meetings. Unfortunately my Danish mobile phone hasn't been working, which means I have had to keep checking my e-mail as meeting times and places have changed. One more meeting in 45 minutes from now and then I have a few more hours in the city before I collect my things and take off for Copenhagen!

Hitch-hiking in Braganca

Yesterday in Porto, the clouds opened up and dumped layers and layers of water all over the city (including the porch at my hostel where I had my clothes drying). Oh well, I learned that damp clothing certainly weighs more than dry. I interpreted the rain as a sign that it was time to escape from Porto. I had two cities I wanted to visit but opted for the one that was a longer bus ride figuring that maybe the extra 2 hours would allow the storm to pass. My plan worked perfectly.

I arrived in Braganca yesterday and relaxed with some Chinese food and a movie. This morning I woke up early and explored the old city center including the most picturesque castle tower ever created - it looks straight out of the movies. In the afternoon I wanted to hike in the National Park that runs a few kilometers north right up to the Spanish border. The only problem was that public trasnsportation is minimal in this region of the country. I ended up having to take a taxi into the center of the park and hiked from there. After a few hours I was back where I had started and expected to take a taxi back into town but there were none to be found. Most of the hike had been up hill so my legs weren't too interested in walking an extra 15 km so I resorted to hitch-hiking. A guy who was driving grains into Spain drove me a few kilometers and then a middle school Geography teacher took me the rest of the way.

Tomorrow I will take the morning bus back to Porto, drop my things off at the hostel, and then catch a train for a day trip to the city of Braga for the day. Then back to Porto to sleep and pack and in the morning it is off to Amsterdam for a few.

Port wine and football in Porto

The past few days have been excellent! I left the Knights Templar behind in Tomar and spent Thursday in the univerity town of Coimbra. The university is the third oldest in Europe and was situated atop a hill with great views of the surrounding valley. At night I met up with a few students and they showed me some of the popular student bars.

Yesterday I continued my journey north to Porto by train. It was my first train of the trip so far, and I had forgotten how enjoyable it is to witness the scenery drift by. When I found my hostel, two Australians were about to go across the river to do some port wine tasting. I dropped off my bags and joined them as we walked up and down narrow streets and pretended to look interested as we awaited the samples at the end. After wine tasting we squeezed onto a crowded metro train and went to a soccer match. FC Porto won 3-0 against another Portuguese team in what was an exciting game. Our seats were only 14 rows back from the field behind the goal where all the scores happened.

Today has been relaxing. Slept in past 8 for the first time in over a month, did laundry and then followed the river to where it meets the Atlantic and walked north along the ocean as the wind churned up a continuous batch of waves that pounded the shoreline.

Tomorrow I will take the train further north to the city of Braga that my guidebook describes as "the Rome of Portugal." On Monday I would like to go by bus to the northeast corner of Portugal and hike in the national park before returning to Porto to catch my flight on Wednesday morning.

The Knights Templar

Over the past few days, I have continued my journey through Portugal. I spent two days in the town of Tomar which is located about 2 hours northeast of Lisbon and was the headquarters of the Knights Templar. Yesterday, I woke up early and hiked of to the Templar's castle before all of the tour busses arrived. Spent the better part of 2 hours walking along the walls admiring the view of the valley below and imagining past battles and pondering world-changing commands that had originated from the castle and Covenant of the Christ I was walking through. It wasn't quite as breathtaking as Macchu Picchu, but the Knights Templar fortress was still extremely impressive. I will post pictures of the place soon (again I was busy playing with the self-timer on my camera in order to get some photos that are not just pretty scenery).

There wasn't much going on in Tomar on a Wednesday night so I went to the cinema and watched the Lake House - it was the only film showing. Anyone who has seen it - could you please explain how the 2 year gap between their lives suddenly dissapears at the end of the film?

Thanks Lauren and Dad for posting your trips around the world. I am still curious where other people would go. Here is what my next trip around the world will look like (tentatively scheduled to start in May 2007):

1) Japan
2) Cambodia
3) India
4) Madagascar
5) Egypt
6) South Africa
7) Morocco
8) Scotland
9) Iceland
10) Chile

What about yours?

Oh how I love Portugal

It didn't look likely when I arrived at the airport in Salvador, but things worked out and I was able to fly to Portugal a few days early! Even though the airlines had said there were "plenty" of open seats when I spoke with them the night before, I was discouraged to hear that those seats had been sold and that I would have to put my name on the standby list. If, big if, there was an opening I would need to pay 100 euros. So I chilled at the airport for a couple hours and then hovered around the check-in counter for a while as lots of stragglers showed up late to check-in. I was just about to figure out what the heck plan B was when they called my name (it was about 15 minutes before the plane was scheduled to take-off). I gave them my bags and then sprinted through the airport security, passport control and plopped down in my seat as the plane lifted from the ground. Well, it wasn't quite taking off yet, but everything did happen fast enough that the airlines forgot to charge me the 100 euros!

When touching ground in Lisbon, I wandered around the city for about 2 hours trying to find a hostel. I hadn't made any arrangements ahead of time for fear I wouldn't be on the flight. After 2 hours I was sweaty, exhausted (hadn't slept on the overnight flight) and decided to leave town. I took a bus to a town due west from Lisbon called Evora. It is a large town surrounded by walls, and filled with a maze of clean, narrow alleyways, a half-dozen churches, a Moorish temple and Roman ruins. I walked up hill into town from the bus station and was informed that I had arrived just in time for the festival. That was fine and dandy but it presented a problem because I went to at least 5 hostel/hotels and no vacancy. About ready to find a park bench to sleep on, I entered into a 4-star hotel and inquired about availability. They only had single rooms that came at a hefty price but I was desperate. Let's just put it this way - I can only hope that the hotel room I stay in for my honeymoon is as nice as this one! I felt obligated to take full advantage of it so I took a bath, christened the baday, etc...

I wandered through the streets taking in all the beautiful sites before a dinner and then passing out for the night (unfortunately I missed the festival). The next day, I went to another town in the countryside, this one called Elvas. It too is encompassed by a star shaped wall left over from the days when it was home to an Arabian castle. I don't know if it was because it is no longer high tourist season, or beaus it was a Sunday, but the city seemed deserted. I took advantage of it and explored the castle and numerous courtyards before buying a few Carlsbergs and watching the sunset from on top of the castle's walls. Relaxed back at my room and watched a soccer match... the Portuguese play an entertaining brand of soccer! I will try to see a match in Porto.

I returned to Lisbon this morning by bus and enjoyed the beautiful countryside with cork trees scattered throughout - many of them stripped of the cork while a new layer grows back. Today I meandered through parts of Lisbon I'd never visited before for a few hours (got lost in the process) and will probably do the same tomorrow before moving north.

I have no idea who is still reading my blog these days but I figure if you've read this far, then you are one of my loyal followers. I thought I would try to make this more interactive. If you were going to take a trip around the world, where would you go? You can go in any direction (east or west) and let's say you can have up to 10 stops. Post your trip plan in the comments section and compare your trip to others'!

Goodbye South America, Hello Europe

In an hour I will be leaving the hostel for the airport in Salvador to try to move my ticket up for this evening's flight to Lisbon, Portugal (one of my very favorite places). Brazil has been an excellent experience but I am done with Salvador. If I had to do it over again, I would travel Brazil for the same total ammount of tme but reallocate the days a bit with more time in Rio and Sao Paulo.

Salvador seems like a beautiful city and I'm sure it is great fun during Carnaval, but I haven't felt particularly safe straying far from my hostel and the touristy center of the town. Even within the center, I'm only half-assured of my safety because of the armed officers on every corner... comparable to the security presence in Moscow. The city is not diverse like most of the other cities in Brazil, so anyone with white skin sticks out as a gringo with a large sign on his back that reads "ask me for money." It's hard to enjoy what would probably be an awesome city with the constant attention from beggers.

I can't let the past couple days taint what has been a spectacular 3 weeks in a wonderful country. Overall, the people have been welcoming, the cuisine delicious and the beaches beautiful. Rio de Janeiro is stunning, Sao Paulo is a HUGE city with everything you could want available at your fingertips at any hour of the day, and the Northeast countless beaches that are more picturesqe than the ones on the default Microsoft screensavers!

Hopefully all goes well at the airport and the fee to change my ticket isn't too painful. If things go as planned, my next entry will be from Europe!

The wheels on the bus...

Okay so after spending 4 days relaxing in Recife while being spoiled by my friend Will and his wonderful mother, I was ready to get back to life on the road and was feeling quite ambitious. So ambitious in fact that I ignored all the warning signs and decided to forge onward to the point that I almost got in over my head.

Here was the situation:
-7 days remaining in Brazil
-Currently in Recife
-Must be in Salvador by the end of the week
-13 hours by bus from Recife to Salvador
-I thought I would break up the bus ride by spending some time in a city or two in between the two cities
-My guidebook has very little information or mention of anything between Recife and Salvador
-I have been repeatedly warned to be cautious as Brazil can be a dangerous country

So what do I do? I took a bus 4 hours south to a city called Maceio and from there thought it would be fun to spend time in a colonial town rather than in one of the large cities along the beach that are starting to seem interchangable in my mind. My book said Penedo was only 160 km south of Maceio so I figured it would be neat to see and also help me continue making progress towards Salvador. Somehow this 160 km trip took 6 hours!!! I expected to arrive with the afternoon to explore but instead arrived after dark as all the stores were closing up! I went to a couple hostels and although they were cheap, I didn't feel like I would survive till morning. There were lots of creepy people hanging out on the streets and I just wanted a place to sleep where me and my belongings would be safe. I ended up at a hotel for $30/night.

This morning I awoke at 5am and caught the bus to Salvador which was supposed to ONLY be 8 hours. Somehow that turned into a 10 hour trip! My butt has officially molded into the shape of a bus seat. I am relieved to finally be in Salvador and need a few bus-less days before I even consider venturing out of the city for a day trip.

Moral of the story: don't get too cute. If you're traveling alone in a "dangerous" country where you don't speak the language - stick to the main routes even if an alternative one sounds interesting.

Buggies, babes, beach and bumpin' beats

Wow... last night feels like a blur. Where to begin? We left Recife around 5 yesterday evening and drove to Porta Galhinas where the concert was being held. Traffic leading up to the beachside venue was horrific so we ended up parking the car and then hiring a dune buggy to take us the remaining 8 kilometers. When we arrived, the main singer had just begun to perform and there were thousands of Brazilians crowding the stage to get a better glimpse of the beautiful singer. Along with presenting a ticket, admittance was only permitted if you were wearing a yellow tanktop that was distributed with the tickets to celebrate the first concert of the summer! So picture thousands of people in banana yellow tanktops vigorously shaking their rears to a type of music called AXE (pronounced "ahjay"). It sounds a bit like a combination of Shakira and Ricky Martin's older stuff.

It was complete madness as people were shaking, spilling their drinks, tripping over empty beer cans and cocktail cups on the ground and trying to weave their way closer to the stage without losing track of their friends. Provided my non-existent cell phone, minimal Portuguese vocabulary, and everyone wearing identical shirts, I was determined not to get separated from Will and his friends as a reunion would have been next to impossible!

Today I am back in Recife taking it easy at Will's apartment. He and his mother have been extremely gracious hosts and have made me feel welcome. His mother has spoiled me and I think she is on a mission to fatten me up as she is constantly offering me cake and other goodies.

I have one more week left in Brazil. Over the next week I will work my way down the coast and end up in Salvador where I have a flight next Monday to Portugal! Brazil has been amazing thus far but I find myself really looking forward to a return to Europe. I have a feeling it is a combination of the language barrier, and not so many other travelers at my hostels, but Brazil would be more fun to explore with someone. Because Brazil is such a large country, like in the USA, a lot of tourism is Brazilians traveling around so English is not as necessary for people compared to Europe where there are so many smaller countries with different languages that English is used as the default. I'm not complaining, but at times it would be nice to have a partner in attempting to decipher Portuguese.

Brazil's 4th of July

Unfortunately no dolphins to report from the beach I found yesterday. It was a one hour trek just to access it and I had the added obstacle of battling the rising tide but the reward was worth the effort. I found myself on a 1 mile stretch of untouched beach with not even so much as a human's footprints. I didn't get to stay there as long as I would have liked due to the threat of being trapped by the tides but the water was a majestic blue color and the perfect temperature for swimming.

I spent the majority of yesterday swinging in the hammock outside my hotel room reading a great book: State of Fear by Michael Crichton. It's a novel that incorporates some interesting perspectives on the theory of global warming and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a steadfast believer in global warming as it will surely make you question what's reported in the media. I've been reading more lately because a) it's relaxing and enjoyable but b) it also means less weight in my backpack! I find myself racing through books for the sake of my back!

As for the title of this entry, yesterday was Brazil's Independence Day. Nothing too crazy happened other than loads of people came to Pipa and the beach. I was expecting a crazy party in the streets and fireworks but nothing. Oh well.

Today I am going further south to Recife where I will meet a guy named Will who is friends with Paula. He has planned for us to attend a concert on the beach in Porto de Galinhas. I have no idea who we will be seeing but am excited to be along for the ride!

Recharging the battery

Since arriving in Natal, life has slowed down a few notches (and I love it!). The crazy weekend in Sao Paulo in addition to the sum of the past month's exploring had left me dragging a bit and in need of some serious R&R. Fortunately, Natal and the northeast of Brazil is quite possibly the best place in the world to recharge for the next 3.5 months of life on the road. Yesterday I woke up early to go running on the beach at sunrise but didn't set my alarm early enough. I woke up at 5 and realized the sun was already up so then decided another few hours of sleep was the best thing to do. Got down to the beach a few hours later and brought water, cookies and a book and stayed there all day. I rented an umbrella and chair for a few dollars to help escape the wrath of the equator's mid-day sun. The beach and water were beautiful with the exception of being pestered by people selling everything ranging from coconuts to bookends to model ships. I was also surprised when a young boy plopped down on the sand next to me and started asking for money. I indicated that I had nothing on me, and he proceded to pull out a sharp nail from underneith his towel. The child was probably no older than 5 years old and I jumped from my chair more out of surprise than actual fright. I guess I made a scene because a bunch of Brazilian merchents nearby came over and told the kid to scram. I didn't see him again until I had packed up my things and was walking back to my hostel. He was throwing rocks in my general direction.

I don't know if it was the kid, my hostel along a noisy road or all the beach merchents, but I felt inclined to hop on a bus today and try my luck further south. I am now in Pipa which is about 1.5 hours by car from Natal. Pipa is a much smaller beach town and the beaches require a descent hike which the vendors seem to avoid. I'm staying in a nice room with a big bed and my own hammock! I didn't feel like sharing a large dorm room with other hostel-ers for the next few nights while I catch up on my book and rest.

Lately I've discovered a dining option that is helping me save some money on food expenditures. There are several buffets in each city that allow you to choose your food and then they weigh your plate before eating. This way a few strategic choices such as taking lots of lettuce or bread will fill you up without adding kilograms to the scale!

Tomorrow I am going to explore a beach that apparently is frequented by dolphins each morning. Off to read and then bed.

Map of Brazil

Here´s a map of Brazil for those who are curious where exactly I´ve been going.


Also, I sent out an email with a link to my photos. If you´re not on my list and would like to be please send me your e-mail address. Thanks!

Weekend in Sao Paulo

After leaving Rio, I took the bus 6 hours to Sao Paulo. I wasn´t terribly excited for the 6 hour bus ride but the bus turned out to be the equivalent of somewhere between business and first class on a plane! It made for quite a comfortable trip. Met up with my friend Paula at a McDonalds (our meeting point)and then went back to her university and hung out with her friends while she finished up class. I completely forgot how tall she is! She is at least 6 foot 4 and maybe even a bit taller. Went to the grocery store and she had me pick out all different foods I´d never tasted before and then we went back to her apartment to cook.

Saturday, we were joined by her brother and went to Sao Paulo´s Central Park (called something else). It was great to see EVERYONE outside riding bikes, playing soccer, walking, talking and enjoying life. That night, Paula´s university had a "white party." No it wasn´t a racist party. Instead, everyone wears white, and the venue has a ton of black lights to illuminate all the white clothing. There were 2 DJs, a band and an open bar included in the cost of admission. Plus there were over 5000 people there! It was truly a site to behold with so many folks all clad in white (the site would bring tears to Kuchulus´eyes). And the Brazilian girls.... don´t even get me started. Absolutely gorgious!

I wasn´t in bed until 7am Sunday morning so we really didn´t get the day started until about 3. Paula and her friend took me to a "young" neighborhood of Sao Paulo where people congregate every Sunday evening for drinks, food, to watch soccer, and most importantly, to discuss the previous night's happenings. Afterwards, we went out and had the best Japanese food I´ve ever tasted!

Now I´m in Natal in the northeastern region of Brazil (practically on the equator). I´ll post some pictures and a map in a bit but now it´s time for some breakfast and then the beach!

Flying over Rio

So first off, I have to admit that my impressions of Rio have turned a complete 180 since my last entry. I was a bit tired, had just been ripped off, it was raining and the beaches were empty. That night the rain subsided a bit and I decided to walk along the beach from Ipanema to Copacabana to get fresh air and stretch the legs. The beaches had flood lights shining down on them and I could see soccer goals set up for the usual night games though I´m guessing the sand was too wet to play on that night. The setting here in absolutely spectacular! Rio is situated in what is the most pysically stunning environment of any city I´ve ever been. The islands, dramatic peaks, dense, dark green vegetation, beaches and lakes make for a very special city!

Following a good night´s sleep I was elated to see the sun had returned, and began exploring the city with two Swiss girls from my hostel. We road a couple public busses around the city and it turned out to be the most economical and thorough way of sampling the city. Went down to the beach for a bit where winter winds were churning out huge wave after wave (comparable to a stormy day at Corolla Light for all you Breauxs who remember). At night I went out with 4 British guys whom I shared the room with and we saw this great cover band perform until into the wee hours.

The next day I sorted out my transportation legistics and then went swimming at the beach. The current was incredibly strong and it was impossible to relax without being pulled down the beach away from my belongings. In the afternoon I did what is quite possibly the single coolest thing I´ve ever experience. I hang-glided over Rio de Janeiro! I was strapped to a professional but the sensation of the whole thing was fantastic. Under normal conditions, you slowly descend towards the landing area on the beach after running off about half way up a steep mountain, but the windy conditions made it so that we practically shot upward after leaving the launch area. We flew along a steep cliff face where we could catch the sharp updraft and in several minututes´ time we were high above the mountain peak and everything else in Rio. I´ve been skydiving before but hang-gliding beats that experience by a longshot! The sensation is that of flying like a bird!

This afternoon it´s off to Sao Paulo to meet up with my friend. I want to say hi to everyone out in Colorado for Kristin and Aaron´s wedding. I truly wish I could be there but please know that I´m thinking of everyone there!