The road, or rather collection of roads, that lead you to Belem from Salvador, stream you through hills and valleys filled with grazing pastures, small villages, and amazing life...and death.
Here is a short list of what we saw from the road:
Ford factory
excavated forests
naked black boys bathing in a tub
flooded villages
women washing laundry in brown rivers.
Here is a short list of what we saw on the road:
Locals selling fresh fruit, coconut ice, and hammocks
herds of goats, cattle, donkeys, mules, dogs with cowboys
vultures eating the corpses of cows, donkeys, horses, dogs
six foot cobras and other Amazonian snakes jumping at the bikes
lizards racing across
10 inch grasshoppers
three semi-truck accidents
one dead body.
The small villages that sit between Salvador and Belem are filled with warm hearted people and tasty food. They do not see many gringos in this part, and the interest is pure and exciting. This is also the area where you see the real Brasil. An area without money and very little tourism, however, the culture is pure and includes the indigenous peoples, traditional foods, and plenty of truck stops. It was a very pleasant ride, although hot and humid, we rode into Belem with smiles.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Praia de Forte
We all have seen those Corona beer commercials, with the coconut palm trees and white sand beaches, calm surf and seclusion. Well, I am there. Or at least at one of those places. The beer here is called Skol though.
The sand squeaks under your feet, and you can watch the sand crabs run from their holes to the water as you walk. Fish swim up through the rocks at the shoreline and turtles parade the waters here. You can see monkeys in the trees and lizards on the ground, geckos in your room and parrots. Old wooden boats sit in the harbor, and are used daily for the fresh catch. Little black boys and girls run around in the sand, then do cartwheels and flips into the salty waters. The older boys practice Caiporera for the young girls to watch. Happiness lives here.
We rented a surf board today, and walked out over the 200 meters of coral where the surf was actually breaking. The runs were short, but had enough behind them to get up. I sat on the board, watching eels jump out of the water and the sunset behind the coconut palms. Praia de Forte is paradise.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Boa Praia
After Vitoria, we had nice rides through the hilly jungles of northern Brasil, where skin tones darken and poverty increases. There is a lot of history in these jungles along the coast line. The Portuguese in Brasil used slaves well into the late nineteenth century, and the living situations have not improved dramatically since.
Thursday night, we stayed in a cheap hotel outside of Euphanopolis, ate a big meal, repaired the bandages on Ted´s foot, watched the geckos climb the walls, killed hundreds of mosquitoes, and went to bed early.
The ride on Friday to the beach town of Guaibim was short and sweet, and the small town was deserted from tourists. We found a Pousada that was open and booked into a few rooms across from the white sand that squeaks when you walk on it. Coconut palm trees line the beach and the salty water breaks out from the shores, so surfing is popular here. The beach was beautiful, and the Brasilians are incredibly hospitable. It was difficult to push on the next morning.
Saturdays ride was a short 70 mile run to the ferry at Bom Despacho that took us into down town Salvador. Christi had been outside of Salvador in Barra, a beach suburb and hot spot, for a few days already. She directed us to a lovely Pousada a few blocks from the beach next to the lighthouse Farol da Barra. I took a walk and found some rocks that sat behind the lighthouse where the Atlantic came crashing in, and watched the sunset over the ocean.
You may ask, `how can you watch the sunset over the ocean from the eastern side of the continent?´ Well, Salvador and Barra sit out on a peninsula that raps around, so you can actually look across to the mainland and see the sunset to the west over the water.
Sunday morning was alive and beautiful as we walked through the historic streets of Salvador. The port was a major hub for slave trading, dating back to the seventeenth century, where bones of sick African voyagers are still being excavated around the peninsula. The Portuguese tax dollars were at work, when building the dozens of cathedrals that flood the two layered city. Half of Salvador is built on a bluff that overlooks the harbor, while the rest sits down below along the shoreline. Certain sections are known to be a little dangerous for tourists, and we were thankful for the number of locals who politely warned us before wandering off too far.
Returning to Barra, I took a walk along the beach, filled with sun bathers and male on-lookers. Coconuts with straws are a popular treat down here, and the milk is refreshing in the extreme heat. At the end of the day, the sun sets over the harbor, drums beat with Caipoera money handlers rockin´, and pink straws in coconuts rest in the sand.
Thursday night, we stayed in a cheap hotel outside of Euphanopolis, ate a big meal, repaired the bandages on Ted´s foot, watched the geckos climb the walls, killed hundreds of mosquitoes, and went to bed early.
The ride on Friday to the beach town of Guaibim was short and sweet, and the small town was deserted from tourists. We found a Pousada that was open and booked into a few rooms across from the white sand that squeaks when you walk on it. Coconut palm trees line the beach and the salty water breaks out from the shores, so surfing is popular here. The beach was beautiful, and the Brasilians are incredibly hospitable. It was difficult to push on the next morning.
Saturdays ride was a short 70 mile run to the ferry at Bom Despacho that took us into down town Salvador. Christi had been outside of Salvador in Barra, a beach suburb and hot spot, for a few days already. She directed us to a lovely Pousada a few blocks from the beach next to the lighthouse Farol da Barra. I took a walk and found some rocks that sat behind the lighthouse where the Atlantic came crashing in, and watched the sunset over the ocean.
You may ask, `how can you watch the sunset over the ocean from the eastern side of the continent?´ Well, Salvador and Barra sit out on a peninsula that raps around, so you can actually look across to the mainland and see the sunset to the west over the water.
Sunday morning was alive and beautiful as we walked through the historic streets of Salvador. The port was a major hub for slave trading, dating back to the seventeenth century, where bones of sick African voyagers are still being excavated around the peninsula. The Portuguese tax dollars were at work, when building the dozens of cathedrals that flood the two layered city. Half of Salvador is built on a bluff that overlooks the harbor, while the rest sits down below along the shoreline. Certain sections are known to be a little dangerous for tourists, and we were thankful for the number of locals who politely warned us before wandering off too far.
Returning to Barra, I took a walk along the beach, filled with sun bathers and male on-lookers. Coconuts with straws are a popular treat down here, and the milk is refreshing in the extreme heat. At the end of the day, the sun sets over the harbor, drums beat with Caipoera money handlers rockin´, and pink straws in coconuts rest in the sand.
BR-101 south of Euphanopolis
Boa Praia (Nice Beach) in Guaibim, Bahia
Guaibim, Bahia
Sunset over the Atlantic from Barra
Lighthouse of Barra at sunset
Historical downtown of Salvador, Cidade Alta.
Cidade Alta, historical downtown.
Plaza de Pelourinho, Cidade Alta.
Cidade Alta.
Graffiti art of Salvador.
Traveling with Ted
After a long ride through a very hot and humid Brasil, we made it to Vitoria late on Wednesday night, and decided to take a swim in the hotel pool. The night was alive and beautiful, with the smell of BBQ coming from the beach. Women were out running while their boyfriends walked the Shitzu-Poodle lap dog.
The swimming pool at our hotel had an infection, so they directed us to the hotel next door. So we walked over and entered the pool area, where people sat drinking cocktails and relaxing in the cool evening breeze. I dipped my hand into the pool and it was very comfortable. There was a lamp post that illuminated the pool about two feet from the edge, a brass antiquity that created a pseudo ambiance.
Ted grabbed onto the lamp post to dip his foot into the pool, and took the entire thing in with him. The bloke was submerged underwater with a brass lamp post and a live 220 volt circuit. He managed to jump out of the pool, shortly after seeing the X Ray image of his right leg that was being zapped by the cord. Blood started collecting all over the pool deck, as the night watchers watched, and hotel management was called. The lamp post was put into the ground with three rusty quarter inch screws and no breaker.
After bringing out my first aid, Ted told me I could not practice sutures on him, so I used iodine, gauze bandages and tape to get the bleeding to stop. With the stethoscope, I checked his heart to make sure there were no irregular rhythms, although he does have a slight murmur.
Speaking with the manager, he was quite sympathetic, and told Ted he would not charge him for the damages.
Later, I turned to Ted and laughed. When asking me why I was laughing, I told him if this were to happen in North America, he would be a millionaire.
Never a dull moment.
The swimming pool at our hotel had an infection, so they directed us to the hotel next door. So we walked over and entered the pool area, where people sat drinking cocktails and relaxing in the cool evening breeze. I dipped my hand into the pool and it was very comfortable. There was a lamp post that illuminated the pool about two feet from the edge, a brass antiquity that created a pseudo ambiance.
Ted grabbed onto the lamp post to dip his foot into the pool, and took the entire thing in with him. The bloke was submerged underwater with a brass lamp post and a live 220 volt circuit. He managed to jump out of the pool, shortly after seeing the X Ray image of his right leg that was being zapped by the cord. Blood started collecting all over the pool deck, as the night watchers watched, and hotel management was called. The lamp post was put into the ground with three rusty quarter inch screws and no breaker.
After bringing out my first aid, Ted told me I could not practice sutures on him, so I used iodine, gauze bandages and tape to get the bleeding to stop. With the stethoscope, I checked his heart to make sure there were no irregular rhythms, although he does have a slight murmur.
Speaking with the manager, he was quite sympathetic, and told Ted he would not charge him for the damages.
Later, I turned to Ted and laughed. When asking me why I was laughing, I told him if this were to happen in North America, he would be a millionaire.
Never a dull moment.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Miss Moneypenny, have you ever seen the sunset over Rio?
Ted on Ipanema beach one block from the hostel
The market in Ipanema one block from our hostel
Jesus designed by a Polish Brailian guy.
Carnival Museum with Ted and Carol
Christo at sunset from Sugar Loaf.
Copacabana and the Red beach at dusk
North Rio at dusk with Christo in the upper right.
Copacabana facing South
Copacabana facing NorthNot wasting one minute in Rio, we woke up early from the Favela Funk Party hang-over, and prepared ourselves for a city tour. This included the Christo monument that overlooks the city from the west, the Metro Cathedral, the Carnival street and Museum, and Sugar Loaf Hill on a cable car that overlooks the city from the east side.
I have dreamed of seeing Brasil since I was 16 years old, and happened to run by the amazing photos of the country while looking for pictures of naked women in the National Geographic. These parts of the tour were all staples of memory that enriched my hormonal mind and filled it with the idea of traveling.
The tour was wonderful, and it finished with Sugar Loaf Hill which overlooked the city and Christo as the sunset. Moneypenny would have loved it.
The next morning, we left after breakfast, headed north towards Victoria. We stopped by Copacabana as the sun came out, and so did the lovely brown brasilians in swimming attire, and took some pictures of the beach.
Heading north, we made it as far as Campos, where we took apart Ted´s carburetor and adjusted the intake to make up for the terrible alcohol flooded gasoline they sell here in Brasil at outrageous prices. Tomorrow, we continue north. I looked at a map today, and am not terribly sure that you all understand this, but Brasil...is a really really really large country.
I have dreamed of seeing Brasil since I was 16 years old, and happened to run by the amazing photos of the country while looking for pictures of naked women in the National Geographic. These parts of the tour were all staples of memory that enriched my hormonal mind and filled it with the idea of traveling.
The tour was wonderful, and it finished with Sugar Loaf Hill which overlooked the city and Christo as the sunset. Moneypenny would have loved it.
The next morning, we left after breakfast, headed north towards Victoria. We stopped by Copacabana as the sun came out, and so did the lovely brown brasilians in swimming attire, and took some pictures of the beach.
Heading north, we made it as far as Campos, where we took apart Ted´s carburetor and adjusted the intake to make up for the terrible alcohol flooded gasoline they sell here in Brasil at outrageous prices. Tomorrow, we continue north. I looked at a map today, and am not terribly sure that you all understand this, but Brasil...is a really really really large country.
Favela Funk Party
In the early part of the 19th century, the ruler of Brasil at the time decided to bring a wealth of hands from the country into Rio de Janeiro to help build new additions to the old capital. After the majority of the work was done, the people decided not to leave back to the country, but rather start their own communities up in the hills of Rio. In these hills, a large green plant we leaves called Favelas grew abundant. So, when the locals described their area of town, they would call it the Favela. This name has grown through the years, and has been taken over as the Portuguese term for `slum´. The name Rio de Janeiro was given by the Portuguese settlers who sailed into the bay and thought it was a river. Go figure, they came in the wonderful month of January.
The favelas in Rio have been hyped up a lot lately in news, movies and literature. There is a book, film and television series known as ´City of God,´ which is the name of a favela on the southern side of the city. The stories are mostly of gang violence, drug use and rape. Over the years, the favelas in Rio have become much more controlled with a great reduction in violence. However, like any large city, you need to be on the lookout in certain neighborhoods. So, Ted Carol and I decided we wanted a closer look, and signed up for the Favela Funk Party.
The bus left the hostel at midnight and headed south from Ipanema to the Favela. The discotheque was an old storage house painted black and vibrating from the bass of samba coming from inside. Walking into the club, we were patted down by security and warned not to buy drugs from locals. We were reserved the VIP balcony up top with its private cash bar selling 75 cent beers and 4 dollar whisky cokes, two of my favorites.
This place was bumping, and hot sweaty brown people were dancing with one thing in mind...sex! This samba Brasilian disco is a kind of hip hop and techno house mix where the dance moves are sexual gyrations. The women are stunning, piercing your heart with large brown eyes, amazing curvature, and little clothing. The traditional transvestites of Rio roamed the room looking for vulnerable males as the large gay bodybuilders waxed down an grinding each other, were stealing Carol´s attention. This place was hot, sexy and unlike anything in this world.
Fireworks lit up the room as 4,000 dancers grinded ass through the large warehouse. We all moved down stairs where the locals were making it happen up by the stage, as the fruity MC pulled 4 women and 4 men out of the crowd for a coitesque dance-off. One of the beautiful girls up on stage for the competition, was the same beautiful girl that came up to me, grabbing my crotch and asked me to buy her a beer. As I moved swiftly through the crowd for the bar, that is when the sparklers were lit, and she was invited on stage. What timing!
There is no way to describe the sexual appeal behind this night. If you know, then you know. However, the Favela Funk Party is unlike any party in the world.
Waking up at 10 the next morning after four hours of sleep, I looked down an notice that not one, but two of my testicles were a hue of blue.
The favelas in Rio have been hyped up a lot lately in news, movies and literature. There is a book, film and television series known as ´City of God,´ which is the name of a favela on the southern side of the city. The stories are mostly of gang violence, drug use and rape. Over the years, the favelas in Rio have become much more controlled with a great reduction in violence. However, like any large city, you need to be on the lookout in certain neighborhoods. So, Ted Carol and I decided we wanted a closer look, and signed up for the Favela Funk Party.
The bus left the hostel at midnight and headed south from Ipanema to the Favela. The discotheque was an old storage house painted black and vibrating from the bass of samba coming from inside. Walking into the club, we were patted down by security and warned not to buy drugs from locals. We were reserved the VIP balcony up top with its private cash bar selling 75 cent beers and 4 dollar whisky cokes, two of my favorites.
This place was bumping, and hot sweaty brown people were dancing with one thing in mind...sex! This samba Brasilian disco is a kind of hip hop and techno house mix where the dance moves are sexual gyrations. The women are stunning, piercing your heart with large brown eyes, amazing curvature, and little clothing. The traditional transvestites of Rio roamed the room looking for vulnerable males as the large gay bodybuilders waxed down an grinding each other, were stealing Carol´s attention. This place was hot, sexy and unlike anything in this world.
Fireworks lit up the room as 4,000 dancers grinded ass through the large warehouse. We all moved down stairs where the locals were making it happen up by the stage, as the fruity MC pulled 4 women and 4 men out of the crowd for a coitesque dance-off. One of the beautiful girls up on stage for the competition, was the same beautiful girl that came up to me, grabbing my crotch and asked me to buy her a beer. As I moved swiftly through the crowd for the bar, that is when the sparklers were lit, and she was invited on stage. What timing!
There is no way to describe the sexual appeal behind this night. If you know, then you know. However, the Favela Funk Party is unlike any party in the world.
Waking up at 10 the next morning after four hours of sleep, I looked down an notice that not one, but two of my testicles were a hue of blue.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Costal road to Paraty and Rio
California has highway 1, and I have never ridden on it, however, I expect it to be beautiful. Nonetheless, the coastal road BR-55 that goes from Santos (East of São Paulo) to Rio is curvy, mountainous, and absolutely breathtaking. We left São Paulo early and road through Santos, across a ferry, and onto the BR-55, headed towards Paraty.
The ride has mountain passes that overlook stranded beaches with the Atlantic blowing a nice breeze up the hillside. Sailboats and yachts poke around finding secluded spots to chill, while palm trees climb the mountains from the beach to the peak. The BMW moved swift and clean around the jungle lined curves and the tarmac was nice and gentle.
The day was long and a little wet, as we battled through a bit of darkness and rain as we road into Paraty. Our friends Pete and Carol from Canada were waiting on the main drag as we strolled into town. They set down their beers and showed us to the hotel around the corner through the cobble stone streets with lighted lamp posts gleaming across the wet surface.
The next day we spent changing fluids, head lights and adjusting valves. In the end, we had enough time to eat dinner and walk along the shoreline where the fishing boats sat beached with the tide hundreds of meters from the docks. Portuguese iron cannons lined the walkways along the shoreline and the Brasilian flag stood strong and proud through the soft sea breeze.
We left Paraty early the next morning (Sunday April 6, 2008) and headed north once again on the coastal road towards Rio. The skies remained a little cloudy, however, we made wonderful time as we strolled into the old Capital of Brasil. We were told to stay clear of the yellow and red lines of Rio, so we decided to stick to the coast line and go strait for Ipanema beach. Getting into the city was much easier than what we expected and after an hour we found a reasonable hostel a block from the beach. A cold beer was well deserved and the sign on the wall told of a Favela Funk Party that night. We knew we were exactly in the right place.
The ride has mountain passes that overlook stranded beaches with the Atlantic blowing a nice breeze up the hillside. Sailboats and yachts poke around finding secluded spots to chill, while palm trees climb the mountains from the beach to the peak. The BMW moved swift and clean around the jungle lined curves and the tarmac was nice and gentle.
The day was long and a little wet, as we battled through a bit of darkness and rain as we road into Paraty. Our friends Pete and Carol from Canada were waiting on the main drag as we strolled into town. They set down their beers and showed us to the hotel around the corner through the cobble stone streets with lighted lamp posts gleaming across the wet surface.
The next day we spent changing fluids, head lights and adjusting valves. In the end, we had enough time to eat dinner and walk along the shoreline where the fishing boats sat beached with the tide hundreds of meters from the docks. Portuguese iron cannons lined the walkways along the shoreline and the Brasilian flag stood strong and proud through the soft sea breeze.
We left Paraty early the next morning (Sunday April 6, 2008) and headed north once again on the coastal road towards Rio. The skies remained a little cloudy, however, we made wonderful time as we strolled into the old Capital of Brasil. We were told to stay clear of the yellow and red lines of Rio, so we decided to stick to the coast line and go strait for Ipanema beach. Getting into the city was much easier than what we expected and after an hour we found a reasonable hostel a block from the beach. A cold beer was well deserved and the sign on the wall told of a Favela Funk Party that night. We knew we were exactly in the right place.
High School Reunion in São Paulo
In Florianapolis, we met up with a couple from Western Canada, Pete and Carol. I had met the couple in Buenos Aires, while my motorcycle was getting worked on. They are very experience travelers, who have already ridden around the world once, and now are going from Alaska to Ushuaia and back. We decided to ride north together and ended up in Morretes, just outside of Curatiba, along the river. It was a very nice little town, with an old railway that passes through the jungle filled with birds and flowers.
Pete and Carol on the way to Morretes.
The river through Morretes, outside of Curatiba.
Pretty flowers with an amazing fragrence.
The next morning, we left Morretes early and the road led us through a national forrest filled where the hightway was built from cobble stone, which bended around mountain sides through forrest filled with waterfalls and giant blue butterflies. As we left heaven and moved onto the interstate, we split up from Pete and Carol, because they were not interested in São Paulo, and decided to meet up with them in three days. So Ted, Christi and I headed towards the big city on a hunt to see an old high school sweetheart.
Cobble stone highway through a national park.
We made it into Embu, on the outskirts of São Paulo, early in the afternoon this past Wednesday and enjoyed the outdoor market filled with artisans and craftsmen. We enjoyed coffee and cake as we waited for my good friend Pati (pronounced Pátchee) from senior year in high school, and her husband Edwardo, to get off from work and meet us. It was interesting, because it has been eight years since I last saw Pati, and I was not quite sure what she looked like. However, when she stepped out from the car it hit me, and senior year memories came back to me. They live in Baueri, and so we followed them with our bikes to their upscale apartment just outside the city.
São Paulo was fantastic. Pati´s sister, who also spent a year at Hutchinson high, gave us a city tour and took us out for a wonderful vegetarian lunch. Pati works at a not-for-profit agency in São Paulo that works with teachers in the public education system, Edwardo (aka Dudu) works for his father´s tomato sauce company (and he really loves tomatoes), and Pati´s sister Barbara is an actress in an underground theater company downtown.
We visited Pati´s work, toured an art gallery and enjoyed São Paulo´s famous espresso. It was a wonderful, but short trip to a great city, with a wonderful reunion.
Hanging out with Pati at her apartment in Baueri
Pati and here husband Edward (Dudu)...very cute couple.
São Paulo was fantastic. Pati´s sister, who also spent a year at Hutchinson high, gave us a city tour and took us out for a wonderful vegetarian lunch. Pati works at a not-for-profit agency in São Paulo that works with teachers in the public education system, Edwardo (aka Dudu) works for his father´s tomato sauce company (and he really loves tomatoes), and Pati´s sister Barbara is an actress in an underground theater company downtown.
We visited Pati´s work, toured an art gallery and enjoyed São Paulo´s famous espresso. It was a wonderful, but short trip to a great city, with a wonderful reunion.
Hanging out with Pati at her apartment in BaueriPati and here husband Edward (Dudu)...very cute couple.
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