Come Saturday I was exhausted and I hadn't even done a full weeks work. I think it was just down to adjusting to the early starts which required me to set a 6am alarm each morning. It was nice to have a lie in though and after waking up thought I would take the day off to go and visit the Victorian village of Devonport, just a 12 minute boat ride across the harbour from Auckland's CBD. There are ferries every half hour to here and the area is popular with tourists and locals for its beaches and relaxing surroundings away from the city centre.
After catching the ferry across the harbour I admired the impressive view back of the city skyline, walking along the promenade lined with old buildings. I then headed up the high street and up to the summit of Mount Victoria, one of the many dormant volcanoes round the Auckland area. The views were great in all directions seeing many of the islands in Hauraki Gulf, the city skyline, and harbour bridge very clearly with it being a sunny day. When decending from the hill I headed over to North Head, another dormant volcano which was originally used by the military for coastal defence. The area had an array of old bunkers and tunnels which I explored, as well as some coastal walking trails which took me to the secluded and sandy Cheltenham Beach. The views on top of North Head itself were also as equally impressive.
After having lunch up the top, I headed down to the esplanade via the navy base which had a few ships on view. I then caught the ferry back to the city, where I just went back to the hostel and relaxed. Come Sunday I just had a relaxing day, although I moved hostels in the process, moving from the city centre to somewhere more out of town, in close proximity to Newmarket and Karangahape Road. I thought I would try somewhere different as the hostel I was in prior was effectively a party hostel which meant it was noisy.
Monday I was back to work at the university campus. It was a busy week which involved a lot of clearing people's mess up, and a fair bit of lifting and moving things about. A couple of people left the team and we gained a couple throughout the week. It appears the turnover rate is relatively high, although I'm probably going to stay as long as they'll have me as it's pretty easy money.
Come the weekend I decided I would visit Waiheke Island on the Saturday as the forecast was pretty grim on the Sunday. Waiheke Island is located about a 35 minute boat ride from Auckland CBD in the Hauraki Gulf, with a population of about 9000 people, and was last year voted last year by lonely planet as the fifth best region in the world. With sandy beaches, rugged terrain, and a climate warmer than Auckland city itself, the island is particularly famous for its vineyards and wine production. After a small lie in compared to when I have been getting up, I caught the ferry across, buying an all day bus pass as means of getting round the island.
When arriving I caught the bus straight over to Rocky Bay and the Wkakanewha Regional Park. This rugged beach had plenty of hiking opportunities and after following the coastline to a couple of the beaches headed inland and up through the woods to these small waterfalls. It was very humid inside the dense woodland, and after a couple of hours I ended up back on the bus to my next stop in Onetangi Beach, a 1.87km beach which was surprisingly quiet. From here I went to Oneroa Beach by bus which had some interesting rock formations and I followed this round, before walking across the island to the southern shores and inland up this hill where I got great views across the gulf. I then headed through woodland and down to Church Bay where I followed the coastline round, ending up on a cliff top path back to the ferry terminal. I didn't end up leaving the island until sunset!
The bus service on the island only serves the residential western half of the island, so I could potentially return plus a bike to explore the eastern more remote half as there was a lot to see and I only saw a small amount the island. When arriving back to Auckland I was hungry so I ended up getting a pizza before heading back to my hostel in darkness where I relaxed when returning. Come Sunday I once again moved hostels, this time back into the city. I wanted to stay at the hostel I was at but it was fully booked. To pass the time whilst transferring I went and got a few things for lunch at the supermarket and lay down on Auckland Domain for a couple of hours on the grass. It started to rain by afternoon however so I headed into the city to check into the hostel where I just chilled out for the rest of the day.
Monday, 27 March 2017
Sunday, 19 March 2017
Auckland
Friday was the day I finally said goodbye to South America, and what a trip it has been. I visited 7 countries over more than 4 months going to some places I never thought I would get the chance to visit. It's hard to sum up my highlights because there were so many, but I know I've met a lot of people who actually like me and they made the trip what it was. My flight out of Rio was around about lunchtime and I got to the airport in good time, catching a taxi which passed many of landmarks of Rio I had seen over my time there. When arriving at the airport I had lots of time to spare which just gave me time to relax.
To get to New Zealand required me to take a short flight to Buenos Aires, lay over there for 8 hours, and then take a particularly long flight through the night to Auckland. The first flight was pretty smooth despite departing a little late, although this just decreased my lay over time in BA which was a good thing. I even got a free sandwich on board the flight. The layover in BA was painful however, with just a few shops and wifi to keep me entertained. I did treat myself to a pizza for dinner though. In the end I managed to board the plane half asleep which departed at about midnight.
The flight to Auckland took longer than expected as we were apparently flying against the wind, although there was a decent entertainment system with plenty of films and games to keep me amused. Being by the window too also meant I got a pretty decent sleep during the flight. There were two meals provided on the flight which included some beef and potato thing for dinner, and an omelette thing for breakfast. With the flight crossing the date line, I arrived in Auckland on the Sunday morning as I effectively lost a day. Getting out the airport took a while however as there were massive queues, although once I got my stamp I had no checks and pretty much just walked out the airport.
Arriving in the morning meant I had time to kill, as I couldn't check into the hostel until 2. I therefore just walked down the harbour to see the iconic skyline, although it was very busy as some big race event was happening. Auckland itself is the largest city in New Zealand with about 1.4 million people living in the district, which is about 1 in 3 people of the entire population. With large numbers of Pacific and Asian immigrants, the city is very multicultural and diverse. Famous landmarks include the sky tower and harbour bridge, and the city itself is often referred to as the city of sails as it lies between two harbours. Within the harbours lie many islands, which contain some of the most ecologically diverse landscapes in the country. The city also lies on a volcanic field with about 50 volcanoes in the city. Many of these volcanoes aren't actually extinct, although there hasn't been an eruption since Rangitito Island was formed about 600 years ago.
I eventually managed to check into my hostel, and after dinner it wasn't long before I absolutely passed out with the long flight catching up with me! This did however mean I woke up at 3am with my body clock being 8 hours out of sync. The next three days nothing exciting really happened other than sorting things out which I needed to work in the country. The main thing I needed was an ird number which without one means you get taxed 45%. Applying for this required my national insurance card number which I didn't have which caused problems but it was sorted eventually. I also bought a cheap phone so I could be contactable throughout New Zealand with respect to work opportunities. Luckily the hostel had a person who was employed to help people find work so I got everything sorted eventually, including help writing a cv. By Wednesday I had everything sorted (except a wait for my ird number to arrive) to apply for jobs.
Come Thursday I thought it was about time to explore some other parts of city, after becoming extremely familiar with the centre over the previous few days. I therefore decided to visit Mount Eden which is the tallest of the volcanoes in Auckland, and also within an hour walk of the city centre. When getting to the top there were brilliant views in all directions of the skyline, both harbours and surrounding suburbs. There was also an impressive view or the 50m deep crater at the top which you could walk around. Decending down the other side I then headed to One Tree Hill, another of the volcanoes. The views here were as equally impressive. I then headed back to the city via Newmarket which I now know is the place to go shopping, and then across Auckland Domain which I visited when I came here 3 years ago. It was a pretty substantial walk in the end all done in flip flops!
On Friday I went out exploring again, this time heading over to the Auckland harbour bridge which I now know you cannot walk over. I was planning to go across to the other side of the harbour, but instead continued round the harbour to Ponsonby. This area had lots of restaurants and bars which seemed more high end and gourmet. It was a nice area to walk round. I then headed towards Karangahape Road which was more deprived but it seems like an alternative place for nightlife away from the city centre, and only being about a mile from the centre. I then headed back to the hostel and continued applying for jobs as I had heard absolutely nothing from the jobs I had applied for other than one text message saying the job was already taken.
With no luck in the jobs department I again headed out on the Saturday exploring, this time heading east along the harbour edge to check out some of the beaches. I passed Orakei beach which was home to the sea life centre, then Mission Beach which had a lot of affordable restaurants and fish and chip shops which is good to know. I then continued to Kohimarama Beach and St Heliers Bay which is as far as I walked before heading back. On the way back I went to Orakei domain which had some nice views over the harbour before heading back to the hostel.
On Sunday I actually got an opportunity for this job interview working as a bike taxi driver although when they explained what was involved I thought no. You effectively had to pay $200 to hire a bike per day and work whenever you want and then set your own prices to people and hope you make profit, which I thought too risky. Regardless I continued applying for jobs for Sunday, moving to a new hostel for a change of scenery in the process. Come Monday I went back to job search at the hostel I was originally staying at who referred me to another company.
On Tuesday a job which sounded suitable finally rang me for an interview, and I headed out to their office in Henderson about 40 minutes from the city that very morning. When arriving it was more a matter of when can you start than an interview. The company called tradestaff is effectively based all over the country and they give you contracts doing general labour work for clients all over the place. I did have to fill in various health and safety forms and even take a drug test which all went smoothly. I was then given a contract to start the very next day, along with things like steel capped boots and other safety clothing for the job.
Wednesday I was up bright and early to start the job, which was about a 20 minute train ride, then a 10 minute walk away to arrive by 7. After getting a health and safety training session I was ready to start. The job is on a university campus and they are attaching two existing buildings and renovating them to create a new 'hub' for the students. Set over three floors and massive area there were a lot of people on site. With the majority of people skilled trades people, I am part of a team of six who cleans up people's mess, moves things about, lifts things onto site, basically all the little things. I have however got to put up with a Spurs and a Villa fan in my team. By Friday when I was finished I was told by the client to come back Monday which was a good thing, so I should finally be making money for the time being.
To get to New Zealand required me to take a short flight to Buenos Aires, lay over there for 8 hours, and then take a particularly long flight through the night to Auckland. The first flight was pretty smooth despite departing a little late, although this just decreased my lay over time in BA which was a good thing. I even got a free sandwich on board the flight. The layover in BA was painful however, with just a few shops and wifi to keep me entertained. I did treat myself to a pizza for dinner though. In the end I managed to board the plane half asleep which departed at about midnight.
The flight to Auckland took longer than expected as we were apparently flying against the wind, although there was a decent entertainment system with plenty of films and games to keep me amused. Being by the window too also meant I got a pretty decent sleep during the flight. There were two meals provided on the flight which included some beef and potato thing for dinner, and an omelette thing for breakfast. With the flight crossing the date line, I arrived in Auckland on the Sunday morning as I effectively lost a day. Getting out the airport took a while however as there were massive queues, although once I got my stamp I had no checks and pretty much just walked out the airport.
Arriving in the morning meant I had time to kill, as I couldn't check into the hostel until 2. I therefore just walked down the harbour to see the iconic skyline, although it was very busy as some big race event was happening. Auckland itself is the largest city in New Zealand with about 1.4 million people living in the district, which is about 1 in 3 people of the entire population. With large numbers of Pacific and Asian immigrants, the city is very multicultural and diverse. Famous landmarks include the sky tower and harbour bridge, and the city itself is often referred to as the city of sails as it lies between two harbours. Within the harbours lie many islands, which contain some of the most ecologically diverse landscapes in the country. The city also lies on a volcanic field with about 50 volcanoes in the city. Many of these volcanoes aren't actually extinct, although there hasn't been an eruption since Rangitito Island was formed about 600 years ago.
I eventually managed to check into my hostel, and after dinner it wasn't long before I absolutely passed out with the long flight catching up with me! This did however mean I woke up at 3am with my body clock being 8 hours out of sync. The next three days nothing exciting really happened other than sorting things out which I needed to work in the country. The main thing I needed was an ird number which without one means you get taxed 45%. Applying for this required my national insurance card number which I didn't have which caused problems but it was sorted eventually. I also bought a cheap phone so I could be contactable throughout New Zealand with respect to work opportunities. Luckily the hostel had a person who was employed to help people find work so I got everything sorted eventually, including help writing a cv. By Wednesday I had everything sorted (except a wait for my ird number to arrive) to apply for jobs.
Come Thursday I thought it was about time to explore some other parts of city, after becoming extremely familiar with the centre over the previous few days. I therefore decided to visit Mount Eden which is the tallest of the volcanoes in Auckland, and also within an hour walk of the city centre. When getting to the top there were brilliant views in all directions of the skyline, both harbours and surrounding suburbs. There was also an impressive view or the 50m deep crater at the top which you could walk around. Decending down the other side I then headed to One Tree Hill, another of the volcanoes. The views here were as equally impressive. I then headed back to the city via Newmarket which I now know is the place to go shopping, and then across Auckland Domain which I visited when I came here 3 years ago. It was a pretty substantial walk in the end all done in flip flops!
On Friday I went out exploring again, this time heading over to the Auckland harbour bridge which I now know you cannot walk over. I was planning to go across to the other side of the harbour, but instead continued round the harbour to Ponsonby. This area had lots of restaurants and bars which seemed more high end and gourmet. It was a nice area to walk round. I then headed towards Karangahape Road which was more deprived but it seems like an alternative place for nightlife away from the city centre, and only being about a mile from the centre. I then headed back to the hostel and continued applying for jobs as I had heard absolutely nothing from the jobs I had applied for other than one text message saying the job was already taken.
With no luck in the jobs department I again headed out on the Saturday exploring, this time heading east along the harbour edge to check out some of the beaches. I passed Orakei beach which was home to the sea life centre, then Mission Beach which had a lot of affordable restaurants and fish and chip shops which is good to know. I then continued to Kohimarama Beach and St Heliers Bay which is as far as I walked before heading back. On the way back I went to Orakei domain which had some nice views over the harbour before heading back to the hostel.
On Sunday I actually got an opportunity for this job interview working as a bike taxi driver although when they explained what was involved I thought no. You effectively had to pay $200 to hire a bike per day and work whenever you want and then set your own prices to people and hope you make profit, which I thought too risky. Regardless I continued applying for jobs for Sunday, moving to a new hostel for a change of scenery in the process. Come Monday I went back to job search at the hostel I was originally staying at who referred me to another company.
On Tuesday a job which sounded suitable finally rang me for an interview, and I headed out to their office in Henderson about 40 minutes from the city that very morning. When arriving it was more a matter of when can you start than an interview. The company called tradestaff is effectively based all over the country and they give you contracts doing general labour work for clients all over the place. I did have to fill in various health and safety forms and even take a drug test which all went smoothly. I was then given a contract to start the very next day, along with things like steel capped boots and other safety clothing for the job.
Wednesday I was up bright and early to start the job, which was about a 20 minute train ride, then a 10 minute walk away to arrive by 7. After getting a health and safety training session I was ready to start. The job is on a university campus and they are attaching two existing buildings and renovating them to create a new 'hub' for the students. Set over three floors and massive area there were a lot of people on site. With the majority of people skilled trades people, I am part of a team of six who cleans up people's mess, moves things about, lifts things onto site, basically all the little things. I have however got to put up with a Spurs and a Villa fan in my team. By Friday when I was finished I was told by the client to come back Monday which was a good thing, so I should finally be making money for the time being.
Friday, 3 March 2017
Rio de Janeiro
Friday was our last ever day on Amber, although I accidentally woke up at the wrong hostel the other side of town getting woken up by the tour guide of Gus which was embarrassing. This meant I got ripped to shreds by my group when arriving back at my hostel with about 5 minutes to spare in the morning. With a relatively short drive we headed along the stunning coastline before getting into the built up outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. We arrived by lunchtime and were greeted by dragoman crew, and I fulfilled my duty of back locker for the last time. There were a few goodbyes here as well as some people were either flying home or doing carnival independently which was emotional after being together so long.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world. The stunning Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf) Mountain rises up out of Guanabara Bay and the sandy beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana cut beautiful curves in the shoreline, all under the watchful gaze of the iconic Art Deco statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The afternoon was free to relax in the hotel and I took advantage of the very good air con and equally good wifi, sorting out a few things which needed doing.
Come evening we had a meeting where we were briefed about the options for carnival, as well as meeting a few new people. The carnival package offered by dragoman is effectively a separate trip, although there were 12 of us from Amber doing it as well as a few members of Gus and Cameron, and also some people travelling with dragoman out of Rio. We were split into 4 groups with my group basically being Amber people, and after our brief we went out for dinner at this buffet place which was nice. After dinner we caught the metro to the Lapa district where I got my first experience of a Bloco, basically a street party, which was set beneath the imposing Lapa arches. With about 3000 people it was quite a good atmosphere and I stayed until about 11 before heading back to bed.
Saturday was when carnival really got started, heading out in the morning to the biggest bloco of the week. After a brilliant breakfast which included sausage, chicken nuggets, and bacon as part of a buffet, I caught the metro with a couple of others which was an absolute experience. Literally the whole train was rocking with people singing and drinking and it was only half 9 in the morning. The train even had a power cut en route which meant we were evacuated and had to get on an even busier train behind. I've never been on such a crowded train before.
When arriving at the bloco set on Copacabana beach it was relatively quiet, although I disembarked the train early which meant instead of following the parade from behind, the parade was effectively coming towards me. It didn't take long to be swallowed up in a crowd of people, and with an estimated 1000000 people who attended it's hard to describe the sheer size of it. Copacabana beach has 6 lanes of traffic and the beach is pretty wide. Within 10 minutes of being swallowed into the parade the whole width was solid to the point you couldn't move. It was a great party however although when leaving it was very hard work getting through the crowds.
It took me about 3 blocks in from the beach before I could actually breath again, and I went for a late lunch at a local restaurant with the person I was with. We then headed back to Copacabana which had eased down a bit but was still very busy, heading onto the actual beach for a few more beers. We stayed here until dark at which point there was considerably less people but still a great atmosphere. After leaving we headed back to the hotel and had a relatively early night as it was quite an intense days partying!
Sunday was a big day being EFL Cup Final day. Having contacted a Saints fan prior I was informed the best place to watch the game was an English pub in the Ipanema district. After breakfast I caught the metro there, taking a walk round the lagoon and along the beach to tie it in with the football. After a few beers down the beach I headed to the pub where there were 6 Southampton fans, as well as 3 members of my truck who came down to support us too. With it being the England Rugby match before too the majority of the pub were behind Southampton. It was a great atmosphere although the final result wasn't so good, but it was a good afternoon with some proper Saints fans.
After the game I headed to a bloco which was happening in the Ipanema district with a couple of the Saints fans and danced with the locals for a few hours which was a laugh. I didn't arrive back at the hotel until late, literally getting back just in time for our evenings visit at the sambadrome. The sambadrome is a highlight of the carnival, where local samba schools dress up in colourful outfits accompanied by impressive floats, dancing and singing along to local music. We were set at the end of the runway in sector 13 which is known for being popular with locals and having a good atmosphere. It was a great evening with lots and singing and dancing, and a very late night leaving in daylight!
Monday in the context of carnival was a far more chilled out day, sleeping in until lunchtime after not getting to bed until 8am the night before! When getting up I went for lunch at this buffet place with my roommate and we then went for a walk along this walk Rio route to see the Maracana. En route we saw the Selaron steps which are there famous colourful mosaic steps. There was however a bloco on the steps which meant it was busy. We also passed the jazz event near the Rio Scenarium as well as getting views of the Lapa arches and sambadrome in daylight. When arriving at the Maracana there was a bloco outfit although it was full of gay people. It was a solid walk in the end though arriving back at the hotel in dark, where I literally passed out with tiredness.
Tuesday was another free day, so I took a day to myself and walked to Botofogo Beach near the hotel which presented brilliant views of the sugarloaf. I then decided to continue walking round to Copacabana beach and then Ipanema Beach which made a solid walk, finishing with lunch at burger king! There were some great views en route including more views of the statue and beaches. I then decided to head back on myself and go up sugarloaf mountain which was near Botofogo. To get up top required two cable car journeys up to the 400m peak, which is literally like a massive rock sticking out the ground! The views up top were stunning, with the many hills, islands, and beaches round Rio visible, as well as a great view of the statue. Just breathtaking.
When heading down I caught a taxi back to the hotel and relaxed for a couple hours before my trip to the gay ball in the evening. There are various balls during carnival and dragoman offers this option as it's basically the last party of carnival. My outfit for the gay ball however was a tutu and unicorn horns! Me and my roommate prior headed back to the Rio Scenarium area which had the jazz event and we sat here and had a burger for dinner while listening to the music. We then found a bloco in the Lapa area and had a few beers here before meeting some of the others from dragoman who were attending, effectively our last night together. The gay ball is basically what it says with quite a few gays and trannies inside, although it had quite a lot of tourists like us too. With alcohol included in the ticket price too it was an interesting night although quite a laugh! We didn't end up leaving until quite late!
Wednesday was when I finally said goodbye to dragoman and many of the people who I've been travelling with, although it was exciting in terms of starting my next stage of travel alone. I also had a further two nights in Copacabana before flying out too, and after leaving the dragoman hotel in the Flamengo district, arrived at my next hotel by lunchtime. Come afternoon I met one of my old friends who was on Gus at one stage and we went out for lunch and sat on the beach all afternoon which was a nice and relaxing afternoon. I then spent the evening at the hotel before getting some much needed sleep after the night before!
Thursday was my last full day in Rio, and the one thing I still kind of needed to do was the Christ the Redeemer statue. Dragoman offered this as an option for $90 which I thought was ridiculous and I managed to do it self guided including transport for less than $30. Catching the local bus after breakfast, I got to the train station and caught the train up to the top. It was a very hot day however with some of the signs saying it was 38 degrees! When getting to the top it was a matter of climbing these steps before the statue finally came into view and was stunning, my 3rd modern wonder of the world I've now visited. The views surrounding it were as equally stunning with 360 views including that of the sugarloaf and the beaches!
After leaving the statue I headed back to the hotel, although my bus took ages as it went via the like Gavea and Leblon districts before actually arriving at Copacabana. I spent the afternoon relaxing in my hotel, before experiencing almighty thunderstorm in the evening. I then met one of my old friends once again for dinner at a local restaurant which was nice, passing out at my hotel when returning ready for my long flight to Auckland the next day.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world. The stunning Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf) Mountain rises up out of Guanabara Bay and the sandy beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana cut beautiful curves in the shoreline, all under the watchful gaze of the iconic Art Deco statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The afternoon was free to relax in the hotel and I took advantage of the very good air con and equally good wifi, sorting out a few things which needed doing.
Come evening we had a meeting where we were briefed about the options for carnival, as well as meeting a few new people. The carnival package offered by dragoman is effectively a separate trip, although there were 12 of us from Amber doing it as well as a few members of Gus and Cameron, and also some people travelling with dragoman out of Rio. We were split into 4 groups with my group basically being Amber people, and after our brief we went out for dinner at this buffet place which was nice. After dinner we caught the metro to the Lapa district where I got my first experience of a Bloco, basically a street party, which was set beneath the imposing Lapa arches. With about 3000 people it was quite a good atmosphere and I stayed until about 11 before heading back to bed.
Saturday was when carnival really got started, heading out in the morning to the biggest bloco of the week. After a brilliant breakfast which included sausage, chicken nuggets, and bacon as part of a buffet, I caught the metro with a couple of others which was an absolute experience. Literally the whole train was rocking with people singing and drinking and it was only half 9 in the morning. The train even had a power cut en route which meant we were evacuated and had to get on an even busier train behind. I've never been on such a crowded train before.
When arriving at the bloco set on Copacabana beach it was relatively quiet, although I disembarked the train early which meant instead of following the parade from behind, the parade was effectively coming towards me. It didn't take long to be swallowed up in a crowd of people, and with an estimated 1000000 people who attended it's hard to describe the sheer size of it. Copacabana beach has 6 lanes of traffic and the beach is pretty wide. Within 10 minutes of being swallowed into the parade the whole width was solid to the point you couldn't move. It was a great party however although when leaving it was very hard work getting through the crowds.
It took me about 3 blocks in from the beach before I could actually breath again, and I went for a late lunch at a local restaurant with the person I was with. We then headed back to Copacabana which had eased down a bit but was still very busy, heading onto the actual beach for a few more beers. We stayed here until dark at which point there was considerably less people but still a great atmosphere. After leaving we headed back to the hotel and had a relatively early night as it was quite an intense days partying!
Sunday was a big day being EFL Cup Final day. Having contacted a Saints fan prior I was informed the best place to watch the game was an English pub in the Ipanema district. After breakfast I caught the metro there, taking a walk round the lagoon and along the beach to tie it in with the football. After a few beers down the beach I headed to the pub where there were 6 Southampton fans, as well as 3 members of my truck who came down to support us too. With it being the England Rugby match before too the majority of the pub were behind Southampton. It was a great atmosphere although the final result wasn't so good, but it was a good afternoon with some proper Saints fans.
After the game I headed to a bloco which was happening in the Ipanema district with a couple of the Saints fans and danced with the locals for a few hours which was a laugh. I didn't arrive back at the hotel until late, literally getting back just in time for our evenings visit at the sambadrome. The sambadrome is a highlight of the carnival, where local samba schools dress up in colourful outfits accompanied by impressive floats, dancing and singing along to local music. We were set at the end of the runway in sector 13 which is known for being popular with locals and having a good atmosphere. It was a great evening with lots and singing and dancing, and a very late night leaving in daylight!
Monday in the context of carnival was a far more chilled out day, sleeping in until lunchtime after not getting to bed until 8am the night before! When getting up I went for lunch at this buffet place with my roommate and we then went for a walk along this walk Rio route to see the Maracana. En route we saw the Selaron steps which are there famous colourful mosaic steps. There was however a bloco on the steps which meant it was busy. We also passed the jazz event near the Rio Scenarium as well as getting views of the Lapa arches and sambadrome in daylight. When arriving at the Maracana there was a bloco outfit although it was full of gay people. It was a solid walk in the end though arriving back at the hotel in dark, where I literally passed out with tiredness.
Tuesday was another free day, so I took a day to myself and walked to Botofogo Beach near the hotel which presented brilliant views of the sugarloaf. I then decided to continue walking round to Copacabana beach and then Ipanema Beach which made a solid walk, finishing with lunch at burger king! There were some great views en route including more views of the statue and beaches. I then decided to head back on myself and go up sugarloaf mountain which was near Botofogo. To get up top required two cable car journeys up to the 400m peak, which is literally like a massive rock sticking out the ground! The views up top were stunning, with the many hills, islands, and beaches round Rio visible, as well as a great view of the statue. Just breathtaking.
When heading down I caught a taxi back to the hotel and relaxed for a couple hours before my trip to the gay ball in the evening. There are various balls during carnival and dragoman offers this option as it's basically the last party of carnival. My outfit for the gay ball however was a tutu and unicorn horns! Me and my roommate prior headed back to the Rio Scenarium area which had the jazz event and we sat here and had a burger for dinner while listening to the music. We then found a bloco in the Lapa area and had a few beers here before meeting some of the others from dragoman who were attending, effectively our last night together. The gay ball is basically what it says with quite a few gays and trannies inside, although it had quite a lot of tourists like us too. With alcohol included in the ticket price too it was an interesting night although quite a laugh! We didn't end up leaving until quite late!
Wednesday was when I finally said goodbye to dragoman and many of the people who I've been travelling with, although it was exciting in terms of starting my next stage of travel alone. I also had a further two nights in Copacabana before flying out too, and after leaving the dragoman hotel in the Flamengo district, arrived at my next hotel by lunchtime. Come afternoon I met one of my old friends who was on Gus at one stage and we went out for lunch and sat on the beach all afternoon which was a nice and relaxing afternoon. I then spent the evening at the hotel before getting some much needed sleep after the night before!
Thursday was my last full day in Rio, and the one thing I still kind of needed to do was the Christ the Redeemer statue. Dragoman offered this as an option for $90 which I thought was ridiculous and I managed to do it self guided including transport for less than $30. Catching the local bus after breakfast, I got to the train station and caught the train up to the top. It was a very hot day however with some of the signs saying it was 38 degrees! When getting to the top it was a matter of climbing these steps before the statue finally came into view and was stunning, my 3rd modern wonder of the world I've now visited. The views surrounding it were as equally stunning with 360 views including that of the sugarloaf and the beaches!
After leaving the statue I headed back to the hotel, although my bus took ages as it went via the like Gavea and Leblon districts before actually arriving at Copacabana. I spent the afternoon relaxing in my hotel, before experiencing almighty thunderstorm in the evening. I then met one of my old friends once again for dinner at a local restaurant which was nice, passing out at my hotel when returning ready for my long flight to Auckland the next day.
Wednesday, 1 March 2017
Brotas and Paraty
Saturday was an early start with a long drive towards the coast over the coming days, via the small town of Brotas. With it taking 2 days to get there we had a long drive day on the first day to allow us a more relaxing day after. Come evening we ended up camping in a service station car park on concrete which was interesting, being joined by the Tucan truck. I however accidentally stayed up all night drinking inside the service station.
Sunday was a much shorter day in terms of driving, although it was confusing knowing what time of day it was in the morning. We basically crossed the state border the day before which meant the clocks went forward an hour, but it turned out that that evening was daylight saving so they went back again. This meant confusion in waking up. En route to Brotas we stopped at a service station for lunch which sold lots of local Brazilian snacks. We arrived in Brotas by early afternoon which gave me time to relax by the pool, although it was ridiculously humid. Gus and Cameron didn't arrive until early evening, and after dinner which was chicken and rice we had a few drinks. It's nice because we're now paralleling all the way to Rio.
Come morning there was the option to go tubing or rafting, although I just decided to have a relaxing day after failing to make it to bed the previous night, instead sleeping under a tree with my inflatable crocodile in the morning. Lunch was pumpkin soup, and after lunch I just sat by the pool until dinner, where we also had a punch made. Dinner was lasagne which was really good, and after dinner we met the other trucks for drinks.
Tuesday was an early start for a relatively long drive to our next stop in Paraty. As I accidentally didn't make it my tent again, sleeping outside by the pool this time, I spent much of the morning asleep on the truck. En route to Paraty we stopped at Ubatuba for lunch and a swim on the sandy beach before arriving in our beachside hostel by late afternoon. Located on the Brazilian Emerald Coast, Paraty is part of a dazzlingly-beautiful strip of land sandwiched between the verdant green hills and the sparkling waters of the Atlantic. Tropical islands, deserted beaches and picturesque coves with excellent swimming and diving make it the perfect place to relax. Come evening we had a pizza buffet at our hostel before having an early night to catch up on sleep. I however slept so well I fell off the top bunk in the night and cut my right leg open which bloody hurt.
Wednesday was the day of the infamous Paraty booze cruise, a dragoman trip which my guide has never attended without someone getting injured which would also never pass UK health and safety apparently. We still attended however, leaving at 10. With free drinks on board it was an early start on the booze. The boat trip itself took us round local islands and beaches where we were able to swim and go on local beaches. It was very scenic and a right laugh and no one was injured which was good. After the cruise I continued into the town, pub crawling round the cobbled streets and having dinner at subway. After dinner we continued joining the locals on the square before heading to the beach to go stargazing.
Come morning I somehow woke up on the beach to an amazing sunrise, and probably also zika virus being exposed to the mosquitos all night. After the sunrise I found my way back to the hostel and slept for the morning. Come lunchtime I headed into the historical centre of Paraty walking round the cobbled streets grabbing some lunch at a local restaurant. I then spent much of the afternoon relaxing on the beach. Come evening we met our group for a farewell dinner to say goodbye, and I won the awards for most impressive fart of the trip, worst Spanish speaker, and the most likely to be attacked by an animal. We then met the other trucks for a few drinks to say goodbye to them.
Sunday was a much shorter day in terms of driving, although it was confusing knowing what time of day it was in the morning. We basically crossed the state border the day before which meant the clocks went forward an hour, but it turned out that that evening was daylight saving so they went back again. This meant confusion in waking up. En route to Brotas we stopped at a service station for lunch which sold lots of local Brazilian snacks. We arrived in Brotas by early afternoon which gave me time to relax by the pool, although it was ridiculously humid. Gus and Cameron didn't arrive until early evening, and after dinner which was chicken and rice we had a few drinks. It's nice because we're now paralleling all the way to Rio.
Come morning there was the option to go tubing or rafting, although I just decided to have a relaxing day after failing to make it to bed the previous night, instead sleeping under a tree with my inflatable crocodile in the morning. Lunch was pumpkin soup, and after lunch I just sat by the pool until dinner, where we also had a punch made. Dinner was lasagne which was really good, and after dinner we met the other trucks for drinks.
Tuesday was an early start for a relatively long drive to our next stop in Paraty. As I accidentally didn't make it my tent again, sleeping outside by the pool this time, I spent much of the morning asleep on the truck. En route to Paraty we stopped at Ubatuba for lunch and a swim on the sandy beach before arriving in our beachside hostel by late afternoon. Located on the Brazilian Emerald Coast, Paraty is part of a dazzlingly-beautiful strip of land sandwiched between the verdant green hills and the sparkling waters of the Atlantic. Tropical islands, deserted beaches and picturesque coves with excellent swimming and diving make it the perfect place to relax. Come evening we had a pizza buffet at our hostel before having an early night to catch up on sleep. I however slept so well I fell off the top bunk in the night and cut my right leg open which bloody hurt.
Wednesday was the day of the infamous Paraty booze cruise, a dragoman trip which my guide has never attended without someone getting injured which would also never pass UK health and safety apparently. We still attended however, leaving at 10. With free drinks on board it was an early start on the booze. The boat trip itself took us round local islands and beaches where we were able to swim and go on local beaches. It was very scenic and a right laugh and no one was injured which was good. After the cruise I continued into the town, pub crawling round the cobbled streets and having dinner at subway. After dinner we continued joining the locals on the square before heading to the beach to go stargazing.
Come morning I somehow woke up on the beach to an amazing sunrise, and probably also zika virus being exposed to the mosquitos all night. After the sunrise I found my way back to the hostel and slept for the morning. Come lunchtime I headed into the historical centre of Paraty walking round the cobbled streets grabbing some lunch at a local restaurant. I then spent much of the afternoon relaxing on the beach. Come evening we met our group for a farewell dinner to say goodbye, and I won the awards for most impressive fart of the trip, worst Spanish speaker, and the most likely to be attacked by an animal. We then met the other trucks for a few drinks to say goodbye to them.
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