Rewind.
seven full days I worked at Excalibur restaurant of the four star hostel of the Holiday Inn. Ryan, long lost traveling buddy, came to visit in Rosario. We hung out a bit, I showed him around, we ate some fish, I worked the days. On a Sunday, we left for Buenos Aires. We stayed in a posh area where his family lives, Palermo. We ate, walked around, talked a lot about existential crisis' we both had been having. And we saw Radiohead with Kraftwerk in a giant stadium. Think, thousands upon thousands of sweaty Argentinians and a few other sweaty Americans, pushing and moshing, and rubbing, and singing, and yelling, and stepping, and running, and swaying. awesome! highlights include songs High and Dry, Karma Police, and Sail to the Moon. Also, moments when the massive crowd would open and you could feel fresh air for a fleeting second, instead of smelling Body Odor from the entire sticky pit.
On a wednesday night, I came back to Rosario. It was the end of March. I quit my job the next morning.
Life seemed a bit boring with mere small activities, movies, running, food. The norm.
I got restless. I got an email from Ryan, the second week of of April. He was leaving Corrientes and heading to Iguazu to eventually cross the border into Brazil. I left Rosario. A twenty hour night bus got me to Iguazu on a saturday morning. ryan and I went to the spectacular waterfalls in Park Iguazu- deafening, enormous, mezmorizing, spectacular, dizzying.
Short hike, the next day to a lagoon in the park. then on Monday, we went and got visas at the consulate for Brazil. Tiny office that gets you a visa after two hours (US citizens must pay 130 USD to get into Brazil). Directly, we hopped on a bus to get through the border and into the bus terminal on the Brazilian side to get to Florianopolis, Brazil.
A twenty hour bus ride helped us arrive. Ryan asked to couchsurf there, but the host was full and suggested a friend of hers from the University - they are all film students. (Couchsurfing is a free website that helps put in contact people who are traveling and people who are locals of that specific city or town - either for accomodations, to meet for a drink or coffee, or just for suggestions about touring. check out the website: www.couchsurfing.com) Chico and Morgana picked us up at the bus station. I had not planned to couchsurf so planned to stay at a hostel. we went for great seafood by the beach Barra de Lagoa and I checked into a ritsy hostel with a bunch of Australians. That night we went to a bar, drank beer, and played pool with a bunch of Chico's friends - mostly cinema students in the beach town of Florianopolis.
Next day, amazing pumpkin and shrimp meal cooked by Morgana... I am still waiting for the recipe. Then beach day and birthday party at night with a bunch of great kids, good homecooked lasagne. Next day, more beach day, I checked out of hostel and crashed Chico and Morgana's pad. Next night, a fun themed graduation party of one of Chico's friends. ryan - karate kid, Chico - the red bandit, me -Tom Cruise from Risky Business. some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runamokschuster/page12/
Next day - beach day and bus to Sao Paolo overnight.
Sao Paolo. we arrived at 5:30 am. Had some breakfast and Ryan left. I was going to couchsurf but hadnt heard back from my host, Dayane, yet. So I left my bags and spent the morning walking around Sao Paolo. great subway system. I got all over the city. went to a cool antique fair and a photography exhibit in the MASP. Then got my bags and met up with host Dayane. We went to the supermarket, got some food, relaxed and then went out for the night to Carniceria with some of her friends. I by chance met two Ashkenazi Jews who hung out for a bit....
Next day, i did some more touring. Got lost on the bus system for two hours, finally made it to giant and overwhelming Parque do Ibirapuera. All the museums inside were closed for the day. I headed back to Dayane's work and we headed home. We drove to her home town Jacarai for a friends' birthday party. met her friends and family, taught to make a caipirinha, ate churrasco - the brazilian style barbeque and some other great goodies, played foozball, played pool, and crashed. Woke up next morning for breakfast with the fam, then cleaning up, and lunch with the fam. LOTS OF EATING - but great food. drove the hour and half back to Sao Paolo - I packed. we went to amazing sushi. I got exceedingly full. totally worth it.
That night I got on a bus to Rio. Stayed with couchsurfer Renata in the downtown area of Lapa in Rio. awesome area. I went to two great exhibitions - one at the cultural center, or CCBB of two twins who normally do graffiti art. The show was called Vertigem and was by Os Gemeos. Google Image search them - amazing! and also a show in the Museum of Modern Art.
That night we saw a screening of some new independent Brazilian shorts. Then there was a Cachaza party. Next day, we took it easy (I took the subway to check out Copacabana- tons of people and high rise buildings - intense). at night, we played pool, the Brazilian version called mata mata (kill kill) and sang karaoke in a gay bar. Renata and I did a rendition of "like a prayer" by Madonna. watched a loong interview of some ex-winner of Brazilian Big Brother who is gay and headed home. Woke up the next morning - Renata took me to the famous tiled stairs by the artist Selaron. she had to get to work, so left. The artist ended up talking to me for an hour. Eventually I bought one of his pieces.
I got on a bus, to take a ferry to Nitoroi to go with a friend to one of the beaches, that are supposedly better than Copacabana and Ipanema. We went to a fish market to buy fresh fish to cook for dinner, went to the beach - it was far away so we only got an hour of sun, watched the sunset and headed back to Nitoroi.
Cooked dinner and relaxed. I headed back to Renata´s place. Showered and packed. Met some friends in a bar in an area called Botafogo that only played Brazilian music. danced a bit of samba.
headed back to apartment and got on early morning flight to Buenos Aires, then taxi to bus terminal, then bus for four hours to Rosario, then taxi back home. Late saturday night, I got back home.
Play.
I am home. :)
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