WOW

As I had suspected, The Iguaçu/Iguazu/Iguassu (depending which part you are at) falls was one of the most epically specatular things I have ever seen in my life. Mere words do not begin to describe the shear mass of the thundering water plummeting off the 1 km wide 80 meter high drop. It has made all those past waterfalls into but a trickle feeding a puddle of a swimming hole. Nothing I should think will compare to standing at against the rail at the devils throat, staring down into the explosive foaming thunder of it´s stomache... nothing. Brazil on one bank, and the new adventures waiting on the other bank of Argentina. Just the perfect moment for the pouing rain being taunted down by the lighting and thunder above into the Thunder of the falls below to infeltrate my camera, rendering it useless to capture that moment of shear awe.
Oh well, I supose life goes on, or has gone on. The life has returned to my camera now so all is good. And we are about to wrap up our 5 nights of parties and cemetaries in Buenos Aires to continue south to the glaciers, whales, and pangiuns awaiting us in Patagonia.

Iguaçu

Florianopolis was amzing, big suprise eh:P we staying in a small apartment in Barra Da Lagoa for 5 nights. We spent most of that time exploarignt the surrounding beaches and town. On the 3rd day though we took a ferry from Centro Da Lagoa for only R$6 to Costa Da Lagoa. It´s a remote fishing village accessable only by boat or 3 hours hike (we were lazy). Once there we hiked up a small mountain bebehind it where we found a great picture point and a small water fall. Then next day we found a trail from near our apartment to what they call natural swimming pools. It was more just an area protected by some huge rocks where you could dive in and swim without threat of huge waves. None the less it was breath taking. then to wrap up a relaxing trip to Florianopolis we met up with one of Maddys rotary Friends, Felipe, and he took us to a local club. Which turned out to be a mostly gay club. It was a ton of fun, and relieving to know that those guys dancing with Maddy we´re not actually interested:P It wasn´t until they moved to me that it was time to take a break.
And now after another 14 hour bus ride we at the waterfall to put allother water falls to shame. we will not be able to see them until tomorrow, I am so stoked for Iguaçu Falls. And tomorrow is a big day for more reasons than that too. It will be our last full day in Brazil before crossing over to Argentina. Woooo, I am excited but will miss this country until My return in June.

Good Choice

Well our decision to remain in Rio for an extra 2 nights was a great choice. On the first extra day we made out way to the beach and just sat there for a majority of the day, very relaxing. Then that night the hostel hosted a bbq with all you can eat meats and drinks. So we got a pretty full and pretty drunk. Then after sleeping to noon we decided to mix things up and got to the beach that is 15 minutes walk from our hostel instead of the one 2 minutes walk. It was equally as relaxing. Then it was to Lapa! The streets were flooding with people becoming increasingly drunk. The music pumped so loudly out of the clubs that there was no point in even going in, everyone was just dancing in the streets. It was the most people I have ever seen in the same area just because it was friday night, no special event, it's just like that every friday and saturday night!
I love Brazil

Rio De Janeiro

After spending a few days bed riden in Salvador, me with food poisoning, Maddy with a bacterial infection, we caught a plane to Rio de Janeiro. And the air conditioning on the plane was so cold that I managed to catch a cold, and now my nose runs relentlessly. So health wise it has not been the best week. But despite all that, Rio is still amazing. This mornig we went to the beach for a couple hours near our hostel. We are staying right along Copacovada, and amazing beach. We then attended a 4 person tour of Corcovado (Jesus on the mountain), some artistic steps that hosted a music video by Snoop Dog, some huge cathedral, and Sugar Loaf Mountain. All of which were very impressive!
We were originally planning on leaving here tomorrow, but the locals convinced us to stay until saturday so that we can see that party district on friday night. So that should be interesting.

Straight to Salvador

After leaving the beautiful town of Itacare we buses over to Valenca, the fishing capital of Bahia. It didn't take long for us to descide that it wasn't our favorite place at all, so the fact that we have no solid plans came in very handy as we left after staying only for a single sleep. The bus departing Valenca to Salvador was about 5 long hours without airconditioning or a washroom. So instead to too a mere two hour mus to a ferry terminal and caught a super cheap one hour boat ride to Salvador. We caught a cab to the Pelourinho district (safe haven for tourists). It was comforting to see two armed cops on every corner. We exited the cab into quite the downpour so i got to test out the rain cover for my backpack, it worked. So with rain cover keeping my backpack dry but getting soaked myself, we headed out looking for the hostel we had picked out of my Brazil guide... such tourists. And after getting nearly tricked by a sneaky little kid into going to his parents hostel we made it. It's a really nice affordable hostel with english speaking staff, such a bonus. And we met 2 girls from Norway, 1 from California, a Columbian guy, and 3 from Brazil who we ended up going out with to a local live music thing and getting a bit drunk. It was a ton of fun.
Today Maddys rotary friend came and met us here then he and his dad showed all the nice areas within walking distance of here. Which was very nice. Unfortunately the rain continued so we endind up going with the Norwegian girls to the movie theatre to see the only movie playing, Love Happens... it was horrible. After that Maddy felt pretty ill, she had been feeling a bit off for a while but it got worse pretty quickly. So we went to the hospital. No one there spoke any english, but out of pure luck the doctor spoke pretty good french. Good thing Maddy took french emmersion. It was much quicker than we had thought and were out of there in an hour. Turns out she has some bacterial infection so the doctor gave her an anti-biotic prescription and intructions to take it easy and not drink for a few days.
well I guess that would bring you up to speed.
Laters

I failed to mention in that Previous post that tomorrow we are busing to Valença. So yeah, tomorrow morning we are busing to Valnça.

Next Destination

Well tonight is our last night in Itacare, and I´m spending it having a war with this stupid computer trying to upload photes. I am too lazy to put any on this, but if there is someone reading this than odds are you´ve got me on facebook. So you can check them out there.
I guess I´ll list the past few days events in order:
Yesterday I felt oddly motivated and got up at 6:15 to go for a run. The sun was already up and hot, so that mixed with the deadly hills on the one runnable made for a dehydrating heart pounding run. Maddy and I then walked to a nearby beach for a swim. I am getting the hang of body surfing, it´s possible to ride the powerful waves all the way to the sand without even needing a board of any kind. We then went back and I tested out the hammock for a couple hours while Maddy... well I actually don´t know what she did. Then last night we had some drinks at the bar and what not, nothing special.
Then today we had booked ourselves a 5 hour canoe trip up the river to a waterfall. It was amazing. Our guide, Goargia, didn´t speak a word of english and we told him we didn´t speak much Portuagese. But that certainly didn´t stop him from explaining everything rapidly... It made me very confused. Anywho, after about an hour of paddling (all Goargia just to be clear) up the main river we headed into a nerrow opening in the mangrove swamp lining the river. It was teaming with funny little crabs. Goargia explained (I failed to interprate) that they were very popular in the restaurants in Itacare. We came to a little trail where we ditched the canoe and walked for a few mintes until we came upon a... either a large stream or a small river... and eventually to the waterfall. At its base was a swimming whole where the three of us swam, as you do. Goargia then commenced to climb straight up the middle of the slippery rocky waterfall and he beckoned for us to follow. Maddy smartly refused amd took pictures along the trail that lead safely to the other swimming hole at the top. But of coarse I climbed, it was a bit sketchy but I´m still in one peice. On the way back to Itacare we stopped at a riverside restaurant for diner. It was beautiful and delicious. And nothing interesting has really happened since then.
Until next time, Tyson