Feb 2007

So rolled up into Fortaleza after a monster session on the bus of 24 hours and what were we greated by? Rain, absolute bucket loads of it, and it didnt stop for 3 days due to a major depression over the whole of the North East. It felt just like being at home.
We were in Fortaleza for Carnival so ended up checking it out. It was only a small one but my God was it odd. It was a small procession down a street with stands on either side, while at the end there was a band playing ska. Though I was impressed by the local police who went the full 9 yards to protect the audience by bringing in outside help.
Our caped crusaders kept an eagle eye over the nights events. However they soon disappeared, and then out came the ruddy pick pocketers. One tried to get me but all he got was a tourist map, at least he´l be able to find his way home. While ended up stopping one taking a drunk guys wallet.
However apart from that it was pretty cool, everyone was running around with this spray foam and we all got covered.
While we were dancing the local town tranny thought we might want to look at his thong, and then his dangly bits underneath. A tad strange, was funny when the local guys all descended upon him though, think he learned his lesson.
The next few days were just chilling as there wasnt too much to do, everything was closed for Carnival and it chucked it down all the time. Ended up planning the next move, Chris and Claire buggered off to Salvador and Im flying to Sao Paulo and onto Santos to crash with dad for a few days. Meeting them in Rio, how international is that! So got a few days here by my tod, however meet some other travellers so had a pretty good time.
It finally stopped raining for 2 days straight which was the cue to crash the beach.
Stayed at a hostel which was right on the beach so it was absolute quality, you could just walk straight out onto the beach. While the next day ended up walking a bit to check out what was down the other end.

So thats the North East of Brazil done and got flight in little over 12 hours to Sao Paulo, from there its Rio and then Iguazzu Falls.

So finally got the boat sorted and arrived first thing saturday morning for a 4 day boat trip to Manaus, slap bang in the middle of the Amazon. The vessel wasnt too bad, 3 decks, the bottom 2 full of hammocks and the top one had a few cabins and a bar.
Soon discovered that could have got a quicker boat as it stopped off at every single town down the river all the way to Manaus, be it 4 in the afternoon or 4 in the morning. Wasnt too bad during the day as got to check out some strange local towns that hardly any tourists see.
On the stop above manged to see a load of dolphins, even the pink dolphin which you only find in the Amazon. It was genuinly pink which was a strange thing to see.
Unfortnately there wasnt much to do onboard. Meet a few other travellers so ended up hanging with them. The average day on the boat goes something like wake up, play cards, bar, cards, lunch, bar, cards, bar, play the guitar, bar, bit more guitar, bar and then bed. Though if you sleep near the bar it streamlines the whole process, (theres the degree kicking in).

So anyway finally arrived in Manaus 4 days later, our wallets that bit lighter and our heads hurting that little bit more than usual. Ended up staying in a classy joint which also hired by the hour, for those times when you meet that special lady. However didnt spend as long in Manaus as had planned, which was a pity as it seemed quite a nice place. Decided to move on to Fortaleza, via a flight to Belem and then a 24 hour bus trip, fun!

After an 8 hour speed boat trip down the Amazon, the thing broke down twice. The last time it did we were drifting for a good 20 minutes. Finally got to the boarder region for Peru, Columbia and Brazil. The Peru bit, Santa Rosa, is little more that a Police hut and a few houses on stilts. So we decided to stay in Leticia, Columbia, just for the hell of it. Feck, Ive never seen so many military before, absolutely everywhere due to drugs, our friendly left wing rebels the Farcs and an equally nice bunch of seperatist rebels. Leticia itself is the nicer of the 3 places by far, though Tabatinga aint too bad.
Wouldnt even have mentioned it had it not been for the Biggest Muppet competition between Claire and Chris. Ended up having to nip over to Brazil to go the hospital there (a military one which was free and by far better than any NHS one Ive seen on my extensive visits of them back home) to check on Claires finger which shed banged before she came out. It was here that Claire took the early lead by having a mini tantrum with tears and everything when told she was gona need a blood test. Now I found this piss funny and was wetting myself, while as for the military doctor who most usually dealt with gunshoot wounds, he too found this funny. In the end had to go in with her. However Chris, unwilling to fall behind quickly caught up when it turned out was a tad bit of a hypocondriac. Manged to convince himself he had malaria while stood out in the corridor. A worthy attempt but Claire was still in the lead. Yet.... wasnt until the next day that Chris came from out of no where to take the lead. The easiest way between the two places is by a little moto-caneo. On the way back to Columbia the next day Chris was getting out, one foot on the jetty and one foot on the caneo, only the caneo wasnt tied to anything. Sure enough he went straight in, soaking his passport for the second time and gave the taxi drivers something to laugh at. Absolute quality!!
Anyway from there we got the boat which was 4 days long down to Manaus, but thats a different story.

Had a quality birthday down in Cusco, me and Previn ended up having Guinea Pig, it was by the far the funniest thing I have EVER eaten. The thing comes out whole and its just sat there staring at you before the waiter breaks it up. Claire, the vegetarian, wasn´t best pleased when we started playing with the things head and made her dead hamster come back from the dead to talk to her. She actually had to leave but me and Previn were in tears. Anway, after that went out after the hostel forced me to down Sambuca and beer, nice... Lets just say I had a good night.
Arrived in Iquitos the next day, holy crap this place is wierd. When we were flying in it was dark but the sky kept lighting up with the thunder and lightening, it was amazing to see. Iquitos itself is a strange place, a city in the Amazon which is completely landlocked. The only way here is by plane or boat. For the first night me and Chris satyed in this right pile of poo hostel called the River Fox, woke up to find a mysterious puddle in the middle of the room the next day, Dark Water or what! Luckly manged to check into this sweet place which is nice and quiet.
Anway Chris and Claire buggered off to do a Jungle Trek, would have joined them except I discovered I hate camping, creppy crawlys and things which go bump in the dark. Also wanted to save some $ for diving. So me and Previn had a couple of days before he buggered off to Trujilio on the coast.
We heard about this butterfly farm and so decided to check it out. Weren´t too impressed by the butterflys however, there kinda boring. However it did get better, I ended up getting the unwanted affections of a female monkey.

The German guide found it quite funny, "she likes you yar". Actually was quite funny and thought nothing of it. Anyway got shown this Jaguar then these Guinea Pig looking things which we were told was used as live food for the Jaguar. Pity we missed feeding time. However by this time the monkey had decided it was madly in love with me and wouldn´t actually let go of me. These two keepers had to pri her off me, then when we were walking out it started to run after me. What can I say, its the Lynx effect.
Got a picture of the boatride back, this is the Rio Amazonas which flows all the way down the Amazon till it reached the sea at Belem in Brazil.

The next day I ended up meeting some Isreali girl from our hostel called Anat who was also waiting for her mates. Decided to check out this beach we´d heard about. Wow, thats all I can say. Its a massive lagoon in the Amazon with an artifical beach. All I can say was that it was amuch needed swim. Though kept thinking about all the snakes and stuff while I was swimming.
Well we´re making a move tomorrow down river to the tri-border area of Leticia (Columbia), Santa Roas (Peru) and Tabatinga (Brazil), before catching the boat down to Manaus for Carnival!!
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