The last four days in Rio has been wonderful. Nice hotel at the middle of Copacabana. Sun, fun and relaxing.

The first day was spent walking on Copacabana trying to figure out what to do for the next days and soaking up the people and sights. Quite a few of the people I traveled with wanted to go hangliding in Rio, but the wind Gods didn’t seem to like the idea and it wasn’t until the last whole day that someone actually was able to go.

Later the same day we went to the Samba drome and had a look at the “Carnival”  in Rio. One of the biggest and best samba schools, people from the favelas, had their practice  run leading up to the real carnival in a few weeks. Not a lot do fancy dress up except for some of the lead dancers who looked dashing. But people were dancing and the music was playing. And the stands were filled with fans. Going to these practices are free for everyone to attend so I guess a lot of locals take the opportunity since I guess getting a seat for the real carnival must be expensive.

The second day we went on a tour of two favelas. A trip that wasn’t quite as expected. I’ve seen mentioned that the favelas on Rio are slums, with no running water, electricity or proper buildings. But the favelas we visited, Rocinha and Vila Canoas, was not like that at all. The last few years the government has done a lot to get water and electricity into the favelas. And the buildings seems to be in decent conditions. People in the favelas seem to take pride in the houses they have built and whenever there is extra money they modernise and upgrade.

Both the favelas we visited had no visible clues to any drug trafficking either. Rocinha has recreantly been cleaned out by large forces of police and military to try to get rid of the drug dealers, a program that has lasted a few years and seem to work so far.

Our guide told us that only a few months ago you would be able to see the dealing of drugs in Rocinha and you couldn’t take any photos because then you might have gotten shot. When we were there we had no problem doing photography.

The second favela we visited have never had any drug related issues, it’s small with only 2000 people living there and with only two exits into the main road it was not a place for criminals to hide and escape. And the narrow “streets” going up and down around the houses was nice and clean. And there was a lot of music being played.

All this actually leave me with a very good feeling about the places we visited. Of course the people living there is the poor  part of the population, but still it seems a quite happy life.

After the trip we got the driver to drop us of at the hippie market on Ipanema where we had a look around before going up to Santa Teresa, the old part of town. Here you have the oldest buildings and some nice small cafés.

In the afternoon we had our end of trip celebration dinner and ended up at a bar on the beach afterwards.

The third day was out last whole day in Rio and I started out by visiting Corcovado and the statue of Christ The Redeemer. When we started out on the train toward the top it was actually covered in clouds but it cleared by the time we got up there. But still the view was a bit hazy. After taking in the views and a few photos we went back down and had lunch in Lapa. The people I was with hadn’t been to Santa Teresa so we went there for a coffee before going back to the hotel.

I had planned to be on the Sugar Loaf hill to watch the sunset but as we drove toward it it started raining and heavy fog rolled in, but some of us still decided to go up there. Now and then we were able to see parts of the town but mostly we were shrouded in thick fog. Some gave up and went back down.

The few who was left was greeted with some nice views as the fog suddenly lifted right around sunset. So all in all it was an success.

Yesterday I spent a few hour on the beach before we had to get our packs and head for the airport.

This has been an incredible nine weeks on the road and I really looking forward to my next trip.

Better start planning and saving.

The last two nights we have been in Parati. During lunch today we emptied the buses and cleaned everything, ready for the next group going south. I just wish I could continue.

Yesterday we hired a boat and went swimming and snorkelling of Parati. A great day on the sea, warm weather, warm water and just relaxing on deck in between.

At the last beach where we anchored we got a but of pouring rain, but that didn’t really matter at all.

The last few says had been blessed with hot sunny weather, above 40°C in the daytime and with temperatures around 30°C at night. Which for me meant sleeping on a sun bed by the pool with just my sheet and mosquito net. Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep like that for the rest of the nights on the bus.

It tend to be a bit cramped on the roof with nine mattresses and eighteen people.

The first day some went to see the falls from the Brazilian side. I went into town to have a look around, later we tried going to the falls but were stuck to long in the bird centre that is located just outside the national park. But it was worth it.

The main attraction in Foz de Iguaçu is the falls, so one day was spent going from out camp and back into Argentina since most of the falls are located on the Argentinian side if the boarder.

We left by bus in the morning and our guide took care of all the paperwork getting back into Argentina and we went in to the national park. There we had a few options to choose from, a few walks on top of the falls and a boat ride.

Most of us did the boat ride. That trip started out with a eight km guided drive through the jungle and then we got into the powerboats.

Travelling up river with the pilot playing around in the rapids was great fun and then we got proper drenched in the falls before heading back to dry land. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking the trails and looking at the different falls.

Back at the camp we spent the afternoon at the pool.

On our last day we planned to go to a big water park that we saw on the first day, but when we got there we found it to be closed on mondays for cleaning. I ended up going into town for lunch and to get some supplies for today.

Back at the camp the pool beaconed do that’s where we ended up. Getting our first glimpse of what Rio might hold, fake boobs and all.

The last two days had been spent driving from Salta to the boarder, a 1120 km drive in the heat.

Coming to Argentina had been such a change from the other countries we have visited, in many ways.

Driving from Potosi before Christmas we did our first boarder crossing without Marco, which except for the long wait in queue on both sides of the boarder worked like a charm. We drove on for a few hours in the dark and set up our first bush camp in Argentina. We got a but if rain during the night, and still being up high it was a bit chilly. The next day however we descended quickly and the weather became hotter and more humid.

Other changes are also obvious, the retain is lush and covered in threes and grass. Buildings are completed and look more finished. And when you look around people here are more individual. Looking at people in Peru and Bolivia most tend to look similar and dress similar. Argentina is much more like home, and the first afternoon in Salta some of us ended up siting in a restaurant, eating good, drinking good and watching people go by on the street. And for me this was pretty much the thing I did in Salta.

We stayed at a large campsite in Salta, with Argentina largest pool. But the disappointment was great when we rolled into the site only to discover the pool empty. They started filing the pool on the last afternoon, but it wouldn’t be full in less than three days. So no relaxing in the pool for us.

On New Years Eve we had a barbecue and a part and greeted the new year in the middle of the dry pool.

On our third day in Salta some went horseback riding and rafting, but I spent the day just relaxing in town.

In a few hours we’ll be in Asuncion, Paraguay and we’ll see what that place had to offer.

At the Argentinian side we had to line up again, in alphabetical order for some reason. At least we didn’t have to do a lot of paperwork here. When we finally came to the counter it was just a matter of getting a stamp and we were in. Or so we thought. We just had to grab our backpacks and then go to have them  ”searched” which in my case meant that the officer stuck his had into it and said ok.

After the boarder we drove for about an hour before we set up our bush camp. It was a bit chilly that night but we survived. I guess from now on it’s going to be the other way around.

Yesterday we got to Salta where we are spending a few days, we are staying at a public camp site with Argentinas largest pool, unfortunately it’s empty. Big disappointment to everyone since the weather here is nice and warm.

I guess it’ll be filled just as we are leaving on the third.