Parati, Brazil

Been on this beautiful coastline of Brazil for 3 days now.  Brazil is not like I´d imagined it at all.  The country is beautiful.  After 6 hours on our truck we all arrived at a wooden beach hostel by the coast with our very own private beach to go kayaking, snorkelling, mountain biking etc.  Parati is located in the mountain area and the town is cobbled with beautiful coloured buildings, loads of ice-cream shops and haviana flip flop shops.  Anywhere was a nice change from that last dive we stayed in Rio.

The place looks like somewhere in Italy - very European.  Some of my group spent yesterday on a jeep tour looking at waterfalls, so myself and another girl, Emma, decided to see if we could find a cheaper tour as we´ll be seeing the Iguazu Falls on both the Brazilian and Argentinian side soon enough.  We managed to get a local to take 8 of us out to the little islands outside Parati on a 3 hour boat trip.  It cost the equivalent of 7 quid..pure bliss, but someone has to do it.

The nights were spent drinking (no changes there then) as it gets dark around 5.30pm. We head off early tomorrow at 6am for a 2 day drive to The Pantanal, where we wild camp along the road somewhere...we all can´t wait to use a bush as a toilet and a bucket of water for a shower.

It wouldn´t surprise me if we all caught some form of dysentry by the end of this tour as the toilets have no soap and you´ve to throw your toilet roll in a bin beside the toilet no matter what you end up doing.  Not that surprised really as south east asia is similar.

After The Pantanal, it´s more travelling to a town called Bonito. Again, there´ll be no internet connections, so it could be a few days before I update again.  Weather is still roasting..bit like Irish weather. Will try and upload photos at some stage, but the internet connection is really slow.

Lovely hostels!!

Downgraded yesterday from my nice hotel into a hostel. The smell of shit greeted people as they entered the door.  Rooms were very basic ..just a bunk bed with a matress. Met up with the guys I`m overlanding with. 13 altogether.  Made up of Aussies, Belgian, 1 English guy and myself.  Of course, the aussies decided to go have some beers at 2pm in the avo and it continued on all night.  Great craic and a great bunch of people so far.  

We all thought it was a good idea to get hammered before sleeping on our beds.  Or better still, it would have been cleaner to join the tramps on the street!  We were all in the same room, but random people would come in and out at night, lift mattresses and clear off elsewhere.  One guy with dreadlocks the length of his ankles decided to kip in our room and snore.

Myself and Ryan woke up at 6am and headed out into Rio for some brekkie. Yummy chicken sandwich at the early hours of the morning.  We all head off in an hour on our truck bound for Parati.  5 hours driving so not so bad.  Lookin forward to the banter on the truck.  A few drinks en route with card games etc.  I can`t wait to play snap!!

Not sure if there´s internet connection where we`re headed, so could be a couple of days.. see ya later

Bem-vindo a Rio

Arrived in Rio - what can I say - this place is amazing!  I love it already.  After a long 12 hour flight and at least an hour getting through migrations & customs, I´d a 40 minute taxi journey to my fancy hotel!  I felt a bit like a tramp going up to reception with my rucksacks as the clientelle here don´t seem to be into roughing it at all.  Nevertheless the double bed which was more like a triple, was a welcome surprise after being caged up in British Airways economy class for a long time.

Met a lovely Scottish guy at the airport and we shared a taxi to our respective hotels & made a plan to meet up the next morning to do a bit of sightseeing.  I´ve already learnt that you´re never really on your own, as there are so many ´gringos´ (the name for foreign tourists travelling over here) out here by themselves.

After filling up (quite literally) at breakfast - I stuffed my face and my bag with a few things to keep me going through the day, I met up with Alex and we toured around the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.  The beaches are beautiful and we expected to see bronzed and beautiful bodies all over the place (like they show on TV) - how wrong!  There´s a mixture of more untoned bodies all over the place of every size and shape and it was actually really nice, as no-one gives a shit over here what you look like or what you are wearing.

Men of 70+ jogging along the seafront in their speedos - the fashion is wild, but I love it.  If you had two heads, no-one would stop to stare...such an easy going place with lovely people.  We walked for miles and it was 32 degrees (yes, it´s still winter)!!

After doing the beaches, I wanted to branch off and go to a favela.  I visited the ´Santa Marta´ favela which is located on the hillside of Rio.  Any Michael Jackson fans out there will know that he sang his `Earth Song´ here...you know the bit where he sings ¨They don´t really care about us´ bit...¨ that one, which is about that favela.  Wow, the favela was so not you would expect.  Everyone there is employed (but mainly in the low paid service sector) & their community is fantastic.  Houses built out of corrugated iron roofs and others on top of each other. Some poorer houses, along with a bit more wealthier houses squashed in between them.  They´ve their own shops, barbers, school, bars and a big samba hall, where they dance the night away.  Each house has their own TV and 20% of them have internet connection.  There are quite a few dogs and cats roaming around, so visitors have to tread carefully incase they tramp in poo.  I was trying to avoid the animals as I´ve no rabies injection and I can´t have them in general. The kids were cute too - the only English they knew was ´money, money´!

Again, you´re never on your own - I met the airhostesses from BA who were on my flight and heading out tonight with another girl from Norway for a few drinks.  The place is safe during the day and none of that aul shite of taking your jewellery off, not having cameras..all the tourists had them.  As long as you´re sensible and wary, you´re grand.  Follow what the locals do and never go out in dark on your own - taxi, taxi, taxi. 

Well, I´m only here really a day, and I love it...welcome to Rio.  Tomorrow, I downgrade into a hostel = meeting more people and more fun!!

Explore. Dream. Discover.



Packed and nearly on my way - there's even room left in my bag for wee Grace!


So much for not having any more alcohol until Brazil - that lasted all of one day. Endless goodbye drinks with the weekend 'Guinness Club friends', days out biking over the hills of Delamont & County Down -Cathy climbing that hill = priceless & Liza (just round the corner)..too funny, BBQ's that took forever to cook, continuous lunches, getting extra cuddles from nephews and nieces - never packed so much into a few weeks. Some funny memories of friends falling out of taxi doors, passing out, Cosh and her vivid dreams of Hanns from Norway or wherever, sharing eyebrow waxing, 'wise' words from people advising me of my security/bags/money/how to defend myself when I get mugged/my teeth kicked out! (like seriously people!!) and the usual craziness with you all. Can't understand all the fuss..I'm only away for a fortnight ;)

Once again, thanks to all my lovely friends and family. 

I head off into the skies tomorrow bound for London and then Rio de Janeiro. I'm very settled, calm and excited   Maybe that's due to the fact that it feels like a decade that this has been planned and now it has finally arrived. 

Luggage for 13 months has been packed into a bright pink (just incase the emergency services need to find a little lost Irish soul in the jungles/harsh terrain of South America) 90 litre duffel bag. Surprisingly, it only weighs 18 kgs.  A complete miracle, considering that a two week trip to Borneo last year weighed  over 20kgs and I always manage to get shafted by shitjet/Flybe or whatever aircraft carrier that flies out of Belfast.

That's it folks - the next time I'll get to blog will hopefully be in Rio,  after I surface from a bit of jet-lag.  It's winter over there and the temperatures in Rio are hitting the 'freezing' highs of 26/27 celsius - life's a bitch.  Oh and my hotel is just one block away from the Copacabana beach.  I do however, move to a crap hostel though after 2 nights of comfort. Then it's probably a tent/more zero star hostels for most of the journey across the continent of South America as I traverse from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.

Of course I'll miss you all. As Padre Fleck says, "It's not good-bye, we will see each other aaaaaa..... (altogether now)gain!" - Only my workmates will get that bit!

'Sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.'

Big hugs x

Saludos de Peru!

Well, the 'fro' has been straightened & de-fuzzed. 72 hours without moving it, getting it wet, any form of exercise nearly put me round the twist. But thank God, no more fuzz and hopefully less abuse!

Only 9 days left until I fly out and I've managed to sort out arrangements in Cuzco, Peru after I overland there in September.

I'll be working in the Nursery and Primary School for disadvantaged children from impoverished backgrounds, aged from 4-13 years...aww.. can't wait.  Duties will include playing with the kids, correcting their homework and teaching the oldest children.  Sounds a bit similar to what most teachers do normally on a daily basis, but the only problem is...me no hablo espanol. Like..nada/none whatsoever!

This should be some fun trying to communicate with them when my fluency level is: - hello, yes/no, can I have a beer please, where is the toilet and yariba, yariba, andale, andale (Speedy Gonzalez, the cartoon character taught me that), oh and..I don't speak Spanish.

The heading of this particular blog 'Saludos de Peru' was a header on a letter I received about my placement, so at least that's a start of my grasp of the Spanish language.  For all I know, it probably translates into 'Stay away from Peru!'  One other letter was in Spanish also, giving me directions of how to find my accommodation when I'm volunteering. I've tried to translate it myself, seeing if I can find any English sounding words in it...

It says 'Entrar por la Av. Universitaria y lo kioscos hasta el parque central voltear a la derecha en direccion de pasaje las Magnolias'...so I've translated it into my own style:- 'Entrance is near the University Avenue near kiosks in central park in the direction of the Magnolia passage (or maybe there are magnolia flowers/plants nearby or something)..Maybe some nice multi-lingual friends of mine can tell me how SO wrong my translation probably is.


Before the volunteering occurs, most volunteers get to spend a week with a typical Peruvian host family who will meet us at the airport & take us to a Spanish Language School where we will sit a 'placement test' in Spanish.  Apparently, this test places students in the right group and the right level - mine shouldn't take too long to mark and no doubt the Special Needs group will be receiving a new pupil for the week.

The itinerary states that classes start at 8:30am and one activity during the week will be cooking lessons. I'm quietly hoping that my favourite dish of mushy peas with vinegar, pepper & salad cream hasn't been introduced in Peru yet. Once the Peruvians/Andean people have tasted it, their staple diet may change to peas instead of potatoes. Apparently they have around 2000 different varieties which have been around for over 5000 years.  So the common 'spud' needs to be replaced.  There will also be dancing classes (!!!??), tours, visits etc for all the volunteers. I'm really looking forward to it already.

All partied out!

Carla asked some of my friends to dress up as "People Mary is likely to meet on her travels!!"

The 3 amigos & Linda!

Liz had a few too many shots!

Well, I can safely say that my liver has been completely ruined from farewell dinners,parties, lunches over the last wee while. So, I'd like to say a big thanks to all my family, friends & team-mates, who poured copious shots down my neck, dressed me up in ridiculous outfits, bought me cards/presents/money, covered me/my car in shaving foam, played drinking games/sang songs ('Sunset in Ardglass' with Debbie & Michelle will never be the same again!!) etc...  I had a ball & was really humbled, so thanks again.  I have now promised my liver that I won't drink any more alcohol until I reach Rio, Brazil...no doubt that promise will be broken after 24 hours rest.


Teaching has now officially finished for me for the next 14 months and my job has been filled, so no more bells telling me when to start/finish my working day. I will miss the children and my lovely friends & colleagues. Luckily for them, a bit of peace & quiet will return to the corridors of St Nicholas' Primary School in September!


Not long left until I finally head off, so am finalising a few things and really starting to get organised. The biggest on my list is to get my mop of hair chemically straightened. I was blessed with the 'afro-gene' & have been the brunt of many a joke in the past. I'm hoping that this 'miracle cure' will prevent me being lassoed and captured in Peru, as I fear I may be mistaken for a fuzzy headed llama!

The 3 amigos & Linda (dressed as a zoo!)

Normal ones who didn't dress up!

More shots

'Sunset in Ardglass' song - with Debs & Michelle!

Testing my 'bloggy wog!'



I put this up in the staffroom to annoy my colleagues in the next academic year!

WARNING: - You read this blog at your own risk - I tend to write whatever rubbish is in my head at a given time & place, so I'll try to behave myself as much as I can.  So, don't say I didn't warn you!  What you see/read is what you get!

Well, here I am with my very own 'bloggy wog' - check me out!

I'm not too sure how I'll get on with having a blog, but I'll give it a go.  Knowing me, I  will start off well and then probably not bother after a while.

Anyway, I'm starting my 'Round the World' travels on 20th July 2011 and this may be a good way of communicating with my friends/family/whoever else is interested in what I'm doing (which makes about 3 people then!).  I'm taking a career break from teaching, spreading my wings and visiting a few countries around the globe as I travel.

I'm starting my travels in Rio, South America and overlanding through Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. I'll be spending quite a bit of my time in Cuzco, Peru working with the street children.  I'm looking forward to testing out my fluent Spanish that I've picked up over the years of working with Mexicans in the 'Ugly Mug' restaurant in the USA when I was a student.

 

I then fly into New Zealand where I'm hiking & cycling both the north and south islands with a bit of skydiving/zorbing/sand boarding/whitewater rafting/glacier trekking/sailing (just to name a few)..basically adrenaline filled activities where my home will be in a tent.  The Rugby World Cup will be on, so the atmosphere around the country should be buzzing.

 

After NZ, then it's Australia, SE Asia and then hopefully China & maybe Mongolia.  That's the plan, but ya never know what may change in the future. I'll bore you with all the major details at a later date.

Obviously, I haven't given a link of my blog to my family/friends yet (but will do the day I leave) and I'm sure people can't contain themselves with the excitement of reading this (not). So, at the minute, I'm twittering away merrily to myself on this thing!

So...welcome to 'My Crazy Gap' (The 'gap' year will be an OAP style, in terms of age, as I'm not quite a student anymore, but mentally I probably am)year of travels/adventure/fun/freedom and whatever else is waiting for me out there. I hope you enjoy catching up with my antics abroad!  Feel free to comment and leave me a wee message if you like.