Iguazu Falls

Here is a post from one of the nicest places I have ever seen, The Iguazu Waterfalls. The waterfalls is a system of 275 smaller and bigger ones which makes it to the largest waterfall system in the world. The place is really amazing. In lonely planet is written that the falls produce some water radicals whatever ... :) which make people happy. I didn't believe, but it really worked. I laughed like a small child.

As I wrote in the last post. My camera broke down in Rio. Fortunately I met a Chris from London with whom i visited the national park on both sides of border in Brazil and Argentina. By the way argentinian side is better and cheaper.

Now I let the pictures speak.

This is the first view you see from brazilian side of Iguazu river. Von Iguazu Falls

This guy had bad luck cause lost his leg. Von Iguazu Falls

These guys were all around the park. They were so bold that even stole food from the table while we were eatingVon Iguazu Falls

One of the smaller waterfalls. Von Iguazu Falls

View on argentinian side. Von Iguazu Falls

Way to the devils roar. Von Iguazu Falls

Chris enjoying the view. Von Iguazu Falls

Here is the main attraction. Von Iguazu Falls

Here again. Von Iguazu Falls

From the top. Von Iguazu Falls

Would you say that swimming here is deadly? For my mom. I didn't swim. :) Von Iguazu Falls

The argentinian part of the park. Von Iguazu Falls

The good thing is that you get much closer to the waterfalls. Von Iguazu Falls

Like here. By the way if I want to commit a suicide on day, than here jumping to the mist. Von Iguazu Falls

This is a real natural beauty. Von Iguazu Falls

There are more photos from Iguazu. See them after double click on any of the photos.

Here is another good news. I got my camera repaired. It was a bit adventurous, but better then boring. When I got to the Argentina finally. The guys in the hostel told me that there are good bargains on alectronics and actually everything in Paraguay. In manner to save some money I tried to get there just couple of hours before my bus further to the heart of Argentina departed.

The first problem was the visa for Brazil and Paraguay. This area around Iguazu national park is three country region, where the police normally don't check anybody so I hoped that the guys are right.

After one hour of fear I got to the place called Ciuidad del Este. This is something between flea market and luxury malls one next to each other. Of course in front of each mall or better shop standed some guys with shotguns and some other light weapons.

I started to look for cameras and after one hour I found a shop, where one of assistants spoke english. He offered me one Canon camera for a good price. Then we talked a bit more and he got an idea to let his friend come and try to repair my old good ixus. I agreed and in five minutes the guy came and offered me reparation for 35 US dollars. We bargained and I got it for 20. This would be good so far. The only problem was the payment. I had only my card and 63 argentinian pesos in my pocket. There was no bank opened at three o'clock in the afternoon and in the reapair shop didn't accept credit cards. Well after another hour of fear I got my repaired camera back and I payed just the 60 pesos, which is around 12 Euro. They let me even three pesos for the bus.

Unfortunately the argentinian buses back to Argentina were all broken and I had no money to use another company.

Finally the right bus came and I got to Puerto Iguazu just on time to take another bus further to National Park de Ibera in Argentina.

Rio de Janeiro

Hey,

another big city on my list. There are over six million people living in Rio. Rich people living next to the beaches, many tourists, but really poor people in favelas as well. There are nice museums like Museum of National History, Museum of Conterporary Art and Museo Bella Arte. I´ve visited these and the best is at least in my opinion the Museum of Centerporary Art in Niteroi. This is quite a new one designed by Oscar Niemayer. This could by interesting especially for my dear sister studying architecture. I´ve spent there two and half hours even the building itself is quite small. I should add that one and half hour I slept on a nice smelling pillows :) But the view after getting up was perfect.

Niteroi MAC Von Rio de Janeiro 2

As you see, what I really liked in Rio was the architecture. Here we go some other photos of buildings.

Petrogas building. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Cathedral. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Another nice administrative building. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Museum of Bella Art. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Bif avenue in Rio. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Of course if one says Rio de Janeiro, everybody imagine beaches first. There nice Beaches in Copacaban, Ipanema and Leblon, but I wasn't fascinated by even one of them. The beaches are basically quite wide and what I really didn't like were the big waves and strong streamingwhich both did,t allow to swim really. Here are some pictures made on Copacabana:

Copacabana. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Copacabana again. Von Rio de Janeiro 1

Another attraction of Rio are the views from the Corcovado Mountain where the 38 m high statue of Christ the Redeemer stands, and the Sugar Loaf view of course. I enjoyed both although the price was high.

Chist the Redeemer. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Ipanema and Leblon districts. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Me and the Christ. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Centre of Rio. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Sugar Loaf with Botafogo district. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Maracana stadion. Here Pele played his last game. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Sunset on Ipanema beach. Von Rio de Janeiro 2

Unfortunately my camera got broken after Corcovado mountain and sunset on Copacabana, so I cannot provide any pictures from the Sugar Loaf and other nice places in Rio.

So it happend. The camera stayed broken also at my next stop in Sao Paulo. I didn't stay there for long, cause except of museums and nice views was Sao Paulo a bit boring. But not to be rude only, it's probably a very nice place to work and earn money.

My next stop were Iguazu Waterfalls. There are very nice pictures, maybe because it wasn't taken by my. :)

Chapada Diamantina

As promised here is the post from Chapada Diamantina.

Given its name after diamond rush in the middle 1800s Chapada became famous for its nature with green valleys and variety of flora and fauna.

After a long way from Salvador to Palmeiras we got out of our bus and took a car to the next valley called Vale do Capão. The original plan was to have a look on the second world highest waterfall called Fumaça ( Smoke Waterfall) and then take a Vale do Paty trail to the next village, which should take around four days.

Unfortunately it didn´t happen, cause I got sick after carneval and wasn´t able to walk more than four hours a day. This caused that we made only shorter trips around our camping.

Also my SD-card got broken after three days, so there are not so many images from this week :( sorry.

Still you can have a look at some ...

Chapada was built by force of water taking its way through the mountains. So there are a lot of waterfalls like this Von Chapada Diamantina

and this Von Chapada Diamantina

and this. Von Chapada Diamantina

Capão village, the place we stayed. Von Chapada Diamantina

There are not really good roads so horse is sometimes the best ... Von Chapada Diamantina

A view on castello mountain. Von Chapada Diamantina

Still there are cars on the roads ... overtaking each other. Von Chapada Diamantina

Here we stayed for one day when I didn´t feel well. Von Chapada Diamantina

The same place from another view. Von Chapada Diamantina

A beautiful sunset on the way home. Von Chapada Diamantina

Everpresent hardworking ants. Von Chapada Diamantina

Morning view from a tent. Von Chapada Diamantina

Begin of the trail to Fumaça waterfall. Von Chapada Diamantina

On the way to Fumaça. Von Chapada Diamantina

Not far from here the water is falling 380 m deep :) It looks very quiet. Von Chapada Diamantina

So thats it. Fumaça. Von Chapada Diamantina

Me looking down very shy ... Von Chapada Diamantina

and Javiera almost without any scare. Von Chapada Diamantina

After one week we went home happy and clean, with new power for further travel.

Now I´m staying in Rio de Janeiro, so look forward on nice pictures taken from Sugar Loaf :)

Carneval

Hello all readers of my blog,

after a long time I report from Brazil again. This time it will be a post from carneval in Salvador. Well not the one from Rio, but people from Brazil says, that Rio is for foreigners and Salvador for insiders who want to have fun. :)

So I chose Salvador of course. The Carneval is characterized by lot of preparations first on the streets and then in a wardrobe and gym to make the body perfect. This part didn´t hit me really :)

Basically there are three possibilities how to spend carneval. First is to spend money on secure "blocos", a portuguese term for an area around a truck with musicians going slowly through carneval way. Second variant is to buy tickets for camarote. It means entrance to the special for carneval built up clubs with a view on passing trucks and people. The last option is to stay in a popcorn how bahians say. This means stay on the side of streets and dance with others ( if it gets really crowded it really reminds of popcorn). This is of course the cheapest variant as well.

As I have a plan to stay here in south for couple of month more I spent most of the time in the popcorn. It was a very nice experience especially if it gets later and people get more drunk kissing is a very common activity. :)

It is quite dangerous to take camera to the carneval, because thieves are everywhere. I did only one night and here are some pictures:

On the first day we masked :) as it ´s carneval. :) Von Carnaval - Salvador

Complete gang ... Von Carnaval - Salvador

Here the pictures from other day are coming.

Preparation for a tough night in camarote. Von Carnaval - Salvador

So this is carneval on the street. :) Von Carnaval - Salvador

One of the trucks passing by. Von Carnaval - Salvador

A view from camarote waiting for another truck with musicians ... Von Carnaval - Salvador

... and one is coming here. Von Carnaval - Salvador

My friend Vinicius got a company :) Von Carnaval - Salvador

Other musician. Von Carnaval - Salvador

And here we go. Von Carnaval - Salvador

So that´s it.

After spending so much energy during first days of carneval. We decided better to go to the nature to the next mountains, Chapada Diamantina situated six hours by bus eastern from Salvador. This incudes the next post.