Beach Hopping in Brazil

Many people told me that if you speak fluent Spanish, you shouldn't have too much of a problem understanding Portuguese. Herein lies two problems. First, I don't speak fluent Spanish. Secondly, I didn't realise how very different the two languages are in a written sense.

So there I was, in Foz do Iguaçu bus station, staring at the menu in the small cafe for what must have been 5 minutes. All I wanted was a sandwich. I tried to order three times - twice I ended up with a small water, and the third time I gave up and ordered a pizza. Not the best start to Brazil, and I was only 3 miles over the border. Thankfully, it was all uphill from there.

From Foz do Iguaçu, I was heading to Florianopolis, touted as the party town of Brazil. But to be honest, after all the long South American bus journeys, I was just looking forward to lying on a beach, and doing nothing.

After arriving early in the morning, I then took a local bus to Lagoa da Conceição, and then another 30 minute bus to Barra da Lagoa. My hostel (Barra Beach Club) was a 120m walk uphill. I'd already seen some photos of the hostel online, but the view in real life was fantastic.

The view from Barra Beach Club Hostel, Florianopolis

A stones throw from the beach, free caipirinhas at 7pm, and a friendly, mixed crowd to mingle with. Brazil wasn't too bad after all.

Florianopolis was also my first attempt at playing beach football (after a few beers I might add). A team of me, two Germans and an Italian...you´d have thought we'd have done ok...which we did...for the first 30 minutes. Then it all went downhill.

Floripa (as the locals call it), is also a big surfer town, so after my surf experience in Spain back in May, I decided it was time to get back on the board. It was great fun! But it seems I'm not quite ready for a shortboard.

After finishing a course of antibiotics, Florianopolis was the place I got my energy back. It seemed the sun, surf and caipirinhas had given me my step back, so, along with a group of lads, I ventured into Lagao da Conceição, and to the Confraria club. What a place. It was celebrating it's 9th anniversary as a club - the music was great, the clientele was impressive and the beer flowed. As did the vodka Red Bulls. And the gin and tonics. And the mojitos. We eventually left the club at 6:30am...raded a nearly petrol station for food, and travelled back to the hostel with the sun coming up. Good times!

Unlike most people who stayed at Barra Beach Club, I eventually had to move on. But not before realising three English girls were travelling in the same direction, at the same time. It was the start of a fun group journey :-)

We grabbed a local bus and walked (well, 3 of us walked) to the bus station, and jumped on yet another long haul bus. This time we were heading for Paraty, another beach town, South of Sao Paulo. It was an overnight bus which took us 10 hours to get to Sao Paulo, and then another 5 hours down to Paraty. The girls stayed in Geko Hostel, and I (eventually) stayed in Misti Chill, the hostel next door.

What a relaxing part of Brazil. We had breakfast on the beach in the morning, beers, caipirinhas and BBQs on the beach in the evening. Bliss.

Looking out to sea from the beach at Paraty, Brazil

With so many islands dotted around the bay close to Paraty we all decided to go on a schooner trip to visit more beaches and have a swim in the sea. What a great relaxing day it was. Lounging around in the sun, jumping off boats, sunbathing, sleeping and drinking beer.

We were there for 3 nights before grabbing yet another bus transfer. This time it wasn't too long. 3 hours, followed by a 1 hour boat ride...to Ilha Grande. It was hottest day I'd experienced so far on the 5 month trip. Just before getting on the boat, we found out it was close to 38 degrees. Time for a beer, I thought.

Ilha Grande is a stunning island. No cars, lots of jungle, and you have to either trek or grab a boat to find the islands best beaches and sights.

The beautiful island of Ilha Grande

After exploring the small central town of Vila do Abraão on the first day, we set about a 2 hour hike to the infamous and stunning Lopes Mendes beach on day 2.

En route we came across a patch of bamboo, so it seemed only fitting that I grabbed a LOST-like photo before eventually walking out onto the beach.

Lopes Mendes beach, Ilha Grande

The next few days were spent in a similar fashion to the previous 8 - beaches, beers, hiking, caipirinhas, as well as enjoying a plethora (I've been wanting to use that word since I started this post!) of Brazilian food. Safe to say the tan was coming along nicely.

With 3 nights complete on Ilha Grande, it was time for me to move on - this time alone - to Rio de Janeiro. Before I left the UK, I had one highlight that I was looking forward to in each country. Cartagena in Colombia, Machu Picchu in Peru, the salt flats in Bolivia, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I took a boat back to the mainland, and jumped on a bus. It would be 2 hours before we reached Rio, so a little nap was in order. I woke up to a car horn blasting in my ear. It dawned on me that I hadn´t been in a city since Buenos Aires, 11 days earlier. It sounds strange, but it was a bit of shock to the system!

We whizzed through the busy streets, and I hopped off the bus 2 blocks from my new hostel, The Mango Tree in Ipanema. I dropped my bags in the 6 bed dorm room and headed straight for the beach. It was around 6pm in the evening, so the lighting on the beach was incredible.

Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro

It was a hive of activity. Beach football, beach volleyball, runners, swimmers, surfers, sunbathers, and in the middle of all that, there was me. Mouth open. Gawping (another awesome British word) at the view. I walked to the end of the beach towards the sunset, and all the way back. I had 6 days in Rio, and I was going to enjoy every single one of them.

Rio quickly became one of my top 5 cities in the world. I explored Santa Teresa, Lapa, Copacabana, Leme, the city centre, Christ the Redeemer...and loved it all. So much so in fact, that I decided to try and fit in with the locals on the beach. To try and improve my upper leg tan, I bought myself a pair of zungas, and strutted around posing for the final 3 days.

Looking up at Christ the Redeemer

The view looking East from beneath Christ the Redeemer

Lapa steps, Rio de Janeiro

Sunset at Ipanema Beach...which was followed by a round of applause from the whole beach

I thought about coming to Brazil for a short break a couple of years ago, but it never transpired. If you're thinking of a 2 -3 week break, or if you're travelling around South America, I couldn't recommend Brazil enough. It's a fantastic, laid back, fun country that I'm sure will host a vibrant World Cup in 2014. Just remember to scrub up on your Portuguese :)

Re-Cap of 2012

Just like last year, I've compiled a collection of my favourite memories, places and events that made 2012 such an amazing year.

I started writing this blog post back in January....think of it as a diary of sorts...and as 2012 comes to a close, it helps me look back on some great times, in some great places, with some great people.

Before 2012, I never really took this blog seriously, and never really made it personal or public. When I set it up back in 2006, it was designed as a test. A test for me to try writing online. Writing about personal things...but always with one eye on SEO, so it was never really about me. At the start of 2012 one person pushed me in the direction to make it more personal, and it is thanks to them that since my Camera+ post back in January, I`ve enjoyed writing almost every blog post since. I hope you´ve enjoyed most of them too.

So here goes. Here are my highlights of 2012! I hope you had a great year too, and I wish you all the very best for 2013 :-)

• Spent New Year in New York!...but missed the actual midnight clock strike. Ahem.

• Had probably my best work trip....to the Bahamas
• Discovered Bahama Mama - my new favourite cocktail
• Skiied in bliss conditions in Verbier, Switzerland;

• Became an uncle for the first time to a stunningly cute nephew;

• Turned 30
• Visited Ireland for the first time, Kissed the Blarney Stone (I got sloppy seconds after Karlie)
• Got really ill for a week in April, the first time since I was 8 years old
• Got locked in the office, saved by Twitter, and the story made the Metro;

• Lost my iPhone, a £400 mistake
• Attended 8 fantastic weddings, and 5 heavy stag parties
• Watched Olympic football with 80,000 others at Wembley Stadium
• Quit my job
• Scored 6 goals in a football season (for those who know me, yes it's true!)
• Visited the deepest canyon in the world
• Cycled the world´s most dangerous road;

• Hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu;

• Surfed in the UK, Australia, Spain and Brazil
• Had my 20 year anniversary of visiting Perranporth, Cornwall
• Spent 22 days living at over 3300m
• Found a new favourite country, with many favourite moments - Colombia
• Met some amazing, incredible people...as well as sadly losing one
• Stepped up my fancy dress efforts;

Took Camera+ on a 5 month trip around the world

Aprendo mucho Espanol!

Wore a Brazilian zunga for the first time (I know no bounds)

Will spend Christmas and New Years Eve in Sydney

There you have it. Have a great Christmas and New Year! See many of you in 2013 :)

Bolivia - Cycling The Worlds Most Dangerous Road

I was travelling with a Dutch girl across the Peru / Bolivia border when we first started talking about things to do in Bolivia. We opened her travel book and started reading about La Paz. "Are you going to cycle down the worlds most dangerous road?", she asked as I was mid-chew of a Sublime bar. "I'd prefer to live to be honest" came my mangled reply, and we spoke no more of it.

I woke up the next morning in my hostel in La Paz and decided to turn to Tripadvisor for inspiration on what to do. The first suggestion that showed up? Cycling the North Yungas Road - the worlds most dangerous road, also called the Death Road (El Camino de la Muerte). At that point I decided that you only live once. I'd come all the way to Bolivia, and given this opportunity was now on my doorstep, I thought f*ck it, I'm going to do this.

I got in touch with the Dutch girl, told her my plan, and within 3 hours the two of us (plus her two Swiss friends) were booked to ride the road the next morning.

We booked the cycle with Gravity, who are one of, if not the safest, most reputable company running the tour. Their bikes are top quality, are well maintained and cost around $3000 per bike, so they take it seriously. All the safety equipment was included, and you get a free CD, a buff, and a free t-shirt to show you diced with death. Not bad for 750 Bolivianos (about 75 quid).

I guess you might be wondering what makes this the worlds most dangerous road. I was curious too, so here's what I found. One estimate states that around 200 people are killed annually on the road. Around 18 cyclists have died on the road since 1998. Even though another (safer) road was built, the road is still used by buses and lorries, and most of the road is single track, making passing particularly bum tensing.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we were met by a mini-bus with mountain bikes loaded on the top. Every bike was tailored to each person, as front and rear brake set up varies from country to country. After a quick hour bus ride, we parked by the side of the road and the bikes were unloaded. Each bike had a name - my compadre for the day was called Barney. I thought that sounded cute, but aggressive. We put on all the safety equipment - helmets, knee pads, high vis jacket and gloves - and then it was time to have a first practice ride around the car park. It felt great to be back on a bike - Barney and me were having fun.

Meet Barney!

Team Europe

Next came the safety briefing. Given we were about to ride the 'Death Road', this seemed relatively important. We were told about the route, what to expect on the road, where to ride, what to eat, what to drink, when to drink, when to take photos, when not to take photos, when to piss, and generally how to enjoy the ride. This was all computed into my excited little head.

More importantly we were told that even though safety was of primary importance, there are generally three reasons why fatalities happen when people cycle down the road. 1) Bad luck - maybe the chain comes off the bike, bad decisions on places to overtake, hitting a rock etc. One person had a heart attack. Those things are difficult to control. 2) Riding beyond your comfort zone - once the adrenaline kicks in, many people ride beyond their ability, and when they lose control, they don't get it back. 3) The main reason for fatalities - riding "like a f*cking idiot". This involves racing one another, taking photos whilst riding, not riding in single file, stopping suddenly for no reason, doing wheelies...all these things end up with people riding over the edge, and not coming back. Safe, controllable fun was also computed.

With the safety briefing complete, it was time to saddle up and hit the road. We started in La Cumbre (4700m), and descended on the first stretch of road, which was all tarmac. This gave everyone chance to get used to their bike, gauge their own speed and get used to riding in single file. It was yet another glorious blue sky day, which meant the road was dry, so I wasted no time in riding at the front behind our guide. Even though it was only the start, this small section felt amazing.

We cycled on the road with amazing scenery (and the odd grazing llama), and made regular stops - one even being a drug check point. After this stop, the bus picked us up, and drove 8km uphill to the official start of the Death Road. From here it was all gravel.

View from the top of the North Yungas Road (Death Road)

Once the bikes were unloaded, we were given a second safety briefing. This time we were given tips on riding on gravel, over rocks, and what to do if we come across traffic on the road. Uphill traffic is given right of way, followed in rank by vehicles going downhill, and lastly cyclists. Rule 1 - don't pick a fight with a vehicle. The information was computed once again. Even Barney seemed to register the information, which gave me confidence.

At this point it's worth mentioning the scenery. We were about 4000m high, looking at snow capped peaks and Altiplano vegetation. The road is 64k long, and finishes at a small town called Yolosa at the bottom of the road that is 1,100m above sea level, with rainforest vegetation in the Amazon basin. That works out as a total descent of around 3600m. Spectacular on every level.

We made our way tentatively down the road, to get used to the gravel. The air was warm and the road was dusty, so it was important not to ride to close to the person in front, or else you got a mouth full of dirt. We were told to ride on the left side of the road (next to the sheer cliff edge) as it made it easier to spot any oncoming vehicles. Anyone who wasn't particularly comfortable lost their confidence over the edge of the road at that point.

Even though we were 100% focused on the road, the peripheral vision told us that the views were spectacular, which made the ride even more enjoyable. Throw in a few waterfalls and a couple of rivers running across the road, and it made a very fun ride indeed.

It was already warm at the top, and as we got lower, it got hotter and hotter. We took off so many layers, but it still scorching, so I was all set to suggest riding naked when the phrase 'Dusty Balls' entered my head. Given that sounded like a washed up old pornstar, I quickly rescinded the idea, and was more than happy to retain my lower clothing.

We stopped for another break lower down, and were told that the stretches of road would become longer between each stop, giving us chance to speed up or take in the scenery as we felt necessary. We were also told that we would pass a couple of small villages, and to watch out for chickens on the road. This was so common that there is an unwritten rule that if you hit a chicken, you can pay 15 Bolivianos and take it home for dinner. I'm still not sure if that's classed as roadkill.

I confess that for the last few sections of gravel, I was hurtling myself down the road. Barney and I knew each other so well we were practically married, and he was reacting well to all the bumps and turns. I was second in line behind the guide, and we flew down the road and eventually ended up in Yolosa. It felt like the ride went so quickly that I wanted to ride more. But it had been 5 hours since we set off from La Cumbra pass. I was hot, dusty and exhilarated. A celebratory beer was calling, so I hopped off the bike, took a quick photo, packed up all the equipment, and waited for the others to finish.

30 minutes later, we were at La Senda Verde, and animal refuge close to Yolosa. With monkeys, caymans and parrots roaming freely, we sat and enjoyed a cold, celebratory beer.

But sitting in the shade didnt seem like much of a celebration, given that we had just cycled 64km down the worlds most dangerous road, and survived. Once we found out we could take the beers and sit in the river in Amazon basin and soak up the sun, we snapped up the opportunity.

With the bike ride complete, food in the belly, and all of us smelling fresh after a shower, we were all set to head back. With Gravity, the way back is in the bus....all the way back up the road. Arguably, this was more dangerous than cycling down the road, but it gave us chance to take a few photos which we missed on the ride down.

After a couple of beers were suck on the road back, the driver kindly stopped and opened the door at one of the narrowest points on the road so we could take a photo. Even with beer numbing the nerves, I cannot tell you how scary this view actually was.

As the bus turned back onto the asphalt, there was a huge sigh of relief, and a new beer was opened. Not only did we survive the cycle down, we also survived the bus journey back up.

With our t-shirts proudly on show (and the beer bellies protruding through), we arrived back in Laz Paz, full of a sense of fulfillment. Only now was it time to let the family know I'd cycled the road :).

There's no doubt that the worlds most dangerous road is very dangerous, but I felt safe all the way down. As well as the salt flats at Salar de Uyuni, this was definately one of the highlights of Bolivia for me, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is coming to La Paz and is comfortable on a mountain bike. Just make sure you give Barney the love and attention that I gave him.