Brazil Part III - Jericoacoara suite

Looking to the future !

Feb 16th – Feb 19th
Jericoacoara suite:

Our last days in Jeri passed by very fast. I have been lucky with the wind conditions on the last three days and was able to go kitting with Jimmy and Greg. We had very nice sessions and I enjoyed a lot the downwind we did. While on the board, I could not stop thinking of these paradisiac conditions, hot water, nice wind and amazing sceneries.

Maria and I enjoyed some nice moments alone before returning to Campinas and Brussels. We saw some of the most beautiful suns set ever and talked a lot about our trip with melancholy. We realized how lucky we are to be parts of such wonderful families.

We are now enjoying the last days in Brazil before heading to the real life of Brussels. We will for sure miss this very nice life style we had those last 7 months. We loved it and would like to thank you for your presence and friendship.

We missed you all during this trip and cannot wait to see you all.

You will be informed of our next destination in due time !

Brazil Part II - Jericoacoara

Feb 10th – Feb 16th
Jericoacoara by Vanessa:

Our trip to Jericoacoara started at 3:30 am, when our cell phones woke us after only a few hours of sleep. Bodies hurting from lack of sleep, we lugged ourselves and our bags up my street in Sao Paulo in search of a cab. About 4 and a half hours later, after much debate about what nationality wore the most fashionable shoes and a misunderstanding about milho juice being good, we were spread out, each in our own row, in our Webjet flight to Fortaleza, Ceara. We got into the city five minutes after the bus to Jericoacoara had left so we decided to rent a car and driver so we wouldn’t have to sit around the airport for 5 hours until the next bus left.
Our driver entertained us for a while with his Calcinha Preta music (giggle) and stories about why him and his live-in girlfriend weren’t working out, but soon the three of us were drooling again. It was great to finally pull into Jeri at around 4 in the afternoon, in time to be greeted by Greg and Dimitri, the Beligian owners of the pousada we were staying at. After a quick change of clothes we wandered around town then headed off to the legendary Duna do Por-de-Sol (Sunset Dune) to see if we could catch the sun setting over the ocean but it was too cloudy. We comforted ourselves over “bobo de camarao” at the very quaint Chocolate restaurant and had an early night.
The next day we set out to see the Pedra Furada (Rock with Hole in it –can’t think of a better translation). We refused an offer from the first guide to get there but soon another guide had attached himself to us (likewise a stray white dog who at one point in the middle of the hike over the rocks got really tired and refused to budge, making Maria climb over him). The hike was pretty cool and not that easy, we really had to watch where we were going so we wouldn’t slip on the rocks. At the end of the 3 hour trip Luciano, our guide, charged us thirty bucks and offered to take us on another hike the next day to see a freshwater lagoon in the middle of the dunes. It sounded like a good way to get some exercise and be outdoors so we made a plan and then headed off for an agua-de-coco at a beach bar called Alexandre and then a swim back at the pousada’s pool (more like a large bathtub really) but refreshing nonetheless.
We don’t really remember what we did after lunch but we’re sure it was fun (we do remember lunch – shrimp with banana for me and fish for Maria and Aubry).
On Saturday Maria and I headed out with Luciano on our trek to Lagoa do Coracao and Lagoa do Paraiso (Heart Lagoon and Paradise Lagoon). Aubry had “preguica” to walk so he stayed back. The walk turned out to be an arduous 3 hour hike in the sun, in which we spent most of our time dodging horse poop (amazing how much of it there was) and feeling very hot in the sun. We were compensated when we saw our first lagoon, it almost felt like we were seeing a mirage! We tore off our shirts and ran into the water and enjoyed a swim. Since the lake had no name Luciano suggested we name it “Lagoa das Meninas” (Girl’s Lake), which we approved of heartily! Next on the trek was Lagoa do Coracao, where we enjoyed a rest on a hammock, butts skimming the water, a coke and a queijo coalho. Next was Lagoa Paraiso, which was huge and actually resembled an ocean more than a lagoon because there were lots of waves. It didn’t have the same charm as the Lagoa das Meninas so, after tanning for a half hour or so, we found Luciano and asked him where we could find the taxi-trucks he had mentioned as being easy to get. It turned out he had exaggerated a little and the trucks that drove tourists back weren’t quite that simple to meet up with. We walked along the sand, feet in water and dodging tree branches, for forty minutes before walking into this beautiful estate, which turned out to be owned by an elderly Portguese couple and their dogs. They were nice enough to point us to the road, where we walked another fifteen minutes before we found a restaurant where we could wait until one of the taxi trucks drove by. The bartender at the restaurant told us we would have to wait about 45 minutes so I ordered a caipirinha and a peixe na brasa (barbequed fish) and, of course, french fries for Maria! I might have been a little dehydrated because after that caipirinha I was more than a little tipsy! The two boys on the truck with us really enjoyed themselves watching me laugh hysterically why I tried to take pictures as the trucks bumped along the dunes. When we got back Aubry surprised us with a massage appointment for Maria and a “placa” with a picture of Jericoacoara for my collection!
After a loooong nap we met the Belgian crew of Elle, who were doing a photo-shoot in Jeri. We all went along to a Cevicheria, where we enjoyed an odd mix of guacamole and chips, ceviche and pizza. We also met 15 year old Thais (possibly the next Giselle?) who told us stories about injections and machines to lose weight and how much she travelled.
The next day we took it easy. I went for a walk on the beach while Maria and Aubry slept in. After an ok lunch in town we hung out on the beach a little then went back for a game of poker at the pousada that lasted into the night. Greg made us a churrasco that was very good and which we ate with the Belgium photo crew. Before going to sleep we wandered into town, where Dimi kindly treated the poker losers with a caipirinha. We also checked out the balada (still empty at midnight).
Monday was a very fun day as, after a great breakfast and heavy rain in the morning, we set out with a couple we met at the pousada, Marcel and Sandra, on a buggy to see a lagoa called Tatajuba, located an hour and half away. The buggy ride was really fun, Maria, Aubry, Sandra and I sat in the back, holding onto a bar for safety and getting up to feel the wind when it got too hot. We saw beautiful beaches, sand dunes and mangroves. After crossing on a very primitive ferry (we drove onto a makeshift boat and four guys rowed our car across the river!) we drove into a forest where the ground was all sand and we could see the roots of all the trees – it was very Blair Witch on the beach. We also stopped at a place where we got to see seahorses! Apparently they are very loyal mates – to the extent that they die if they lose their partners. How´s that for romantic?
At Tatajuba lagoon we swam and had lunch sitting at tables in the water (fish and French fries again but really tasty this time – very good fruit salad for dessert!) Marcel and Sandra were extremely fun and we were glad we got to know them. After we got back we swam, showered then tried to catch the sunset at the Duna do Por de Sol but we were a little late and the sun had already set (besides it was a little cloudy so apparently it wasn´t the best sunset anyway).
We had a very good Italian dinner in town and then I was on my way on the very festively decorated Jardineira (open bus that can be driven on the beach – it was so festively decorated that I couldn´t stop thinking that I was going to be dropped off at concentration camp) to the bust stop where I could get the bus to Forteleza. It was a long trip but fortunately I made friends with the girl who sat next to me on the bus and we chatted for the 8 hours between getting to the airport and our flight. Yes, it was a very long trip there and back, but definitely worth it, not the least because of the excellent company of Aubry and Maria, who I am confident will have a wonderful and lasting marriage and serve as an amazing example to other couples and to their children!!

Brazil Part I - Guarda do Embau - Iguassu falls

Jan 31st – Feb 3rd
Guarda do Embau:

In our program, we had decided to spend some days in our favorite beach of Brazil, Guarda Do Embau. We had gone there for New Year’s 2004-2005 and had excellent memories. After 24 hours of bus we finally arrived in Guarda. We stayed in a very nice pousada (Maktub) and I went to rent a surf board for the next three days. Once again our program was simple: beach, Brasilian food which Maria missed, walks and rest.
The place has not changed too much and we will for sure go back. It has kept its charm and is still considered one of the best beaches in Brazil!

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Feb 3rd – Feb 5th
Iguassu falls:

Every time I say that my wife is Brazilian and that I spend a lot of my holidays in Brazil, people ask me if I have been to the Iguassu falls. Maria and I had never been there and we could not miss this occasion to meet these fabulous water falls.
In order to arrive there we took, again, a long bus ride, 16 hours from Florianopolis! We arrived there at 6.30 in the morning and decided to rest a bit before heading to the Argentinian side of the falls. We walked some good 5 hours in the park and enjoyed a nice boat ride under the falls, an exceptional experience! Our taxi was waiting for us at the exit of the park and dropped us back at our hotel. We spent the evening there and went to sleep very early.
The next morning, we took it easy and then went to visit the Brazilian side of the falls. It is a completely different view which is also worth seeing. To be honest, we preferred the Argentinian side better because you feel closer to the falls, but everybody has a different opinion on that.
At night, we had our last bus to reach Campinas on Saturday morning. As it was our last bus ride, something had to go wrong. At the stroke of midnight, the back tire pops, but luckily the bus driver controlled the vehicle and saved us from an accident. We did however spend the next 2 hours waiting for another bus, going to the company garage and finally changing buses two hours before arriving in Campinas. At least we made it in time for the surprise barbecue for Maria’s sister’s birthday, Sol. The day was great; we caught up with a lot of people, enjoyed the family and let them in on some of our adventures.
From Saturday to Wednesday we stayed in Campinas, what a nice feeling to be home, have barbecues, play tennis, and rest in a nice bed…
Our backpack experience has ended. What a trip! We have met such amazing places, people and lived unforgettable times. We were lucky that nothing bad happened to us, we have never been stolen, we did not break any part of our body, no bad sickness… It was a wonderful experience that we recommend to everybody.
It helped us to understand how lucky we are, what beauty there is in this world, and it was no doubt a good way to start our married life together.
We are now in Jericoacoara, Ceara, for a week and will tell you all about it later on.

Uruguay Part II - La Pedrera - Punta del Este

Jan 23rd – Jan 30th
La Pedrera - Punta Del Este:

I am here in Jericoacoara, last stop of the trip in the North east of Brazil, in my hammock while Maria and Vanessa have ventured into a 2 hour walk to the Lagoa de Coracoa. It has been a while since we don’t update our blog and we apologize. We have a good excuse though, we were enjoying the last weeks of our great adventure. Now I have some free time and would like to share our experience of the last places we visited.
After a short bus ride from Montevideo we arrived in La Pedrera, small beach village in the north east of Uruguay. We stayed in the same hostel chain as in Colonia and Montevideo: El Viajero. Our goal was to stay in La Pedrera and enjoy the beach a few days and then go down to Punta Del Este to meet with Malena and Francisco. We were a bit disappointed by this place and therefore decided to go the next day to Punta.
At our arrival in Punta, we look for a hotel but were very surprised of the prices the hostel and hotels were asking; it was simply unaffordable for us. No wonder, there are no backpackers in Punta! We finally found a place in the basement of hotel Americana without any windows! That same night we met with Fernanda and Monica, two of Maria’s friends from Sao Paulo, and Ariel (Monica’s husband). Monica at the end of the evening offered us to stay at her parents, Vivian and Herby, which we did for the next three nights. We thank them a lot for their hospitality and friendliness. We were extremely happy to be in a great place in front of the water and took the opportunity to relax for three days, beach, pool, and window shopping.
On Wednesday, Malena and Francisco arrived in Punta and we met them in Barra, right next to Punta, at Carolina and Emily’s place, where we stayed for the next three days, along with Allegra ( Caro’s adorable little girl). Caro studied with Male and her parents are also Cuban. We were well taken care of again and were able to catch up with Malena who we hadn’t seen since our wedding. The programs in Punta were pretty simple: beach, great food, and rest. Their house, Varadero, was simply amazing, along with their friendly staff.
We loved Punta and hope we can make it another time, with my kite gears this time as it is quite frustrating to see a lot of them in the water when you are hopeless on the sand!

Uruguay Part I - Colonia - Montevideo

Jan 20th – Jan 22nd
Colonia and Montevideo:

On Wednesday we took a boat, Buquebus, for three hours from BA to Colonia in Uruguay. Thousands of Argentinians cross over the river to reach Punta Del Este and its surroundings for vacation. It is said that beaches in Uruguay are much better than the Argentinian ones. We could have gone further directly but we were told that Colonia was a nice place to visit, and indeed, it was wonderful, a small city full of charm and very calm. We visited the place on Wednesday and in the late afternoon watched the rehearsal of the carnival dance and drums of one of the group taking part of the defile. It looked like Brazil; we are very impatient to see the “real” carnival.
Colonia is a very typical city in which one can walk around for hours, from one street to the other, from one handicrafts shop to the other. It is very relaxing, even more after 7 days in BA.

Today, Thursday, we left by bus to Montevideo. We cannot visit the country without going to the capital. We had a great time visiting the city the whole afternoon. Tomorrow, we are off to the beach of Pedreda, further north. It is supposed to be very nice.
It is now time for us to enjoy the sun, the beach and the ocean.

Argentina Part III - Buenos Aires

Jan 12th – Jan 19th
Buenos Aires:

How to resume our stay in Buenos Aires (BA)? That’s a hard one because it’s been great: family and city wise, special thanks to Nicolas Copello (Maria’s cousin) for being the best host. Buenos Aires is another city Maria and I could live in easily!
We arrived in BA after a night in a first class bus. You will probably think that we are chique travelers now, but we need this kind of bus treats! Nevertheless, the road was awful because there was a huge storm in the North of Argentina. I was even rained on and had to change seats!
We found a hostel in the center of the city and then walked around the whole day. We discovered the center (the Florida Avenue and surroundings) and came back after a nice dinner in an Italian restaurant. Our first day has been pretty slow because of our bad night in the bus. We liked very much what we saw and were very excited for the next few days. We called all Maria’s relatives and arranged our schedule in order to see them all.

On our second day, we met Nicolas for a coffee in El Patio, near the Casa Rosada – Presidential office. This place used to be his old university and is in front of the national bank of Argentina, center of all debates at this beginning of year. We met again at night at his place as he kindly invited us to sleep over during our stay in BA. He lives with his family in a very nice apartment in the Recoleta neighborhood, and has a little turtle that we had to feed while he was out of town. We loved it! What a relief to be in a house far from the hostel noise and dirt. We stayed over until our departure to Uruguay. The first few days, we visited the different parts of Buenos Aires. We loved this city, there is so much to do, it is always sunny and hot and the people are nice!

Friday night, we met the brother of a friend, Frederic, who has been living in BA for about a year and a half and his Belgian flat mate William for a very nice barbecue on their terrace. We ate the best meat of the trip and discussed all night long.
Our life in BA was pretty much visiting the city, all the neighborhoods and seeing relatives of Maria and friends of her parents: Mechus, Gloria, Alex, Sofia, Clara, Santiago and all their families. On Saturday we went to San Isidro to meet with Clara (person who introduced Maria’s parents), Maria’s godfather Santiago and his family, Alex (son of Maria’s godmother) and his wife. We really enjoyed this afternoon talking about everything and the dinner we had with Alex’s friends.
On Sunday, we walked through the big fair in San Telmo. This is so much fun and full of people. We wished we were not backpacker’s so that we could bring some souvenirs home. After that we relaxed walking along the deck of Puerto Madera and went to visit the casa Rosada, exceptionally opened. On Monday, we walked around to places we hadn’t gone to and had a boat ride in the Tigre River overlooking beautiful houses. I also took the occasion to have a haircut later on in the afternoon. It had been a long time, since Cuba!

On our last day in BA, we wanted to visit the Andy Warhol exhibition but it was closed. Who closes on a Tuesday? Since it was near the Japanese gardens, we had a walk surrounded by bonsais and Japanese trees. I loved it, it reminded me of my two bonsais which are waiting for me in Brussels! At night we went to Mechus’ house for a good empanadas dinner with Nico and Santiago, we had so much fun and loved it, thank you Mechus!
Neither of us wanted to leave BA, we had one of our best week’s yet. The amazing food, streets, parks, and family will be greatly missed.

Argentina Part II - Tafi Del Valle - Mendoza

Jan 5th – Jan 11th
Tafi Del valle - Mendoza:

After Cafayate, there is another village that is not to be missed on the Route 40, Tafi Del Valle. We convinced Steven and Allard to join us there. It is only a few hours of bus from Cafayate, through a wonderful route that continues to Tucuman and then Patagonia. We arrived in the prettiest bus terminal so far in our trip; it looked like a Swiss chalet. From that moment on, we knew that it was going to be a nice place to stay. Indeed, it is magic, surrounded by very green mountains and full of charm.

We found a hostel in the center for the night and after we went to eat our first Argentinian cabrito (goat) that everybody talks about. To be honest, it is not as good as steak (bife de chorizo). The next morning, we walked around this very small place and looked for some activities to do. It was so hot out there that we had no strength to move, especially after the bad night we had. The boys were leaving that same night to Tucuman but we decided to treat ourselves to a nice room in one of the oldest farms of the village. We spent the whole afternoon relaxing in the garden with the lamas and looking at the mountains enjoying our picnic.

Sorry but we do not have pictures of Tafi, the photographer was on vacation!

Maria and I had a very good night, finally! We took a bus the next afternoon to Tucuman and from there decided to leave that same day to Mendoza, where we were meeting Steven, Allard being on the road to Iguaçu.

Two hours of bus to Tucuman and then 13 hours to Mendoza is a long way from Tafi Del Valle to Mendoza. This is the reason why we decided to travel overnight in first class, this means on a 180 degree bed! It was so pleasant to finally be able to sleep comfortably in a bus!
We loved Mendoza from the first minute we arrived. It looks like a city in South of France: warm, lively, big avenues with huge trees and lots of parks. We stayed there for 4 nights and we came to the conclusion that we could possibly live there.

Our first day, we met with Steven and walked around the shops and parks organizing our next day journey through the vineyards. The next day, we took the local bus to Maipu, neighborhood of Mendoza, with Steven and an Ozzie couple (Louise and Daniel) we met in Cafayate. The purpose was to reach Mr. Hugo, a bike renter, and ride across Maipu. What a nice day we had, from bodegas to olive factory … We tasted a lot of different wines and rode the whole day to come back to Mr. Hugo’s shop and enjoy a last glass of wine with all the people we met, a German, an English, another Ozzie couple (Amy and Andrew). We all went back to the city and ate in the park.

The day after, Maria and I rested well and walked a bit more through the city. The goal of the day was to decide if we were going to Bariloche or straight to Buenos Aires. We decided to go to BA and leave Bariloche and the South of the country for our next expedition because it would add to much bus to our trip, in total +/- 50 hours more! That same day we also subscribed to an excursion the day after. We went by bus through the landscape of Mendoza, the ski resorts, the Puente Del Inca, the Christ that separates Chile and Argentina, the Aconcagua mountain (highest of the continent 6850 meters) and other wonderful sceneries. To tell you how beautiful it is, this is where the movie 7 years in Tibet was filmed. For more details, please see the pictures.

On Monday, our last day in Mendoza, we met Picky and Lino, cousins of Gerardo from his mother’s side of the family, for lunch at their beautiful house. Picky prepared a traditional Argentinian lunch; milanesas, pure de papa and empanadas, so good! We talked for hours and swam in the quietness of the Lujan de Cuyo neighborhood. In the evening she dropped us off at the bus station. It is time to explore the big city of Buenos Aires!

Argentina Part I - Salta - Cafayate

Jan 2nd – Jan 4th
Salta- Cafayate:

Crossing the border to Argentina was beautiful, the scenery simply magnificent. We had a ten hour ride from San Pedro de Atacama, but it went by relatively quickly. We were very happy nonetheless to arrive in Salta and finally feel like we’d landed in a real city. We were all dying to have an Argentinean steak, so that night we chose a restaurant on the main square, 9 de Julio, and had delicious meat.

Unfortunately, the next morning we found out that the train to visit the skies, as they call it, left at 7am and only on Saturday’s, so we missed out on that, but the trip to Salta took us close to those mountains. It was raining a lot, however it didn’t stop us from walking around the city and researching the price for renting a car. It was absurd! So we’ll have to keep to our good old travel companion, the bus, which at least take’s the scenic road of Route 40 to Mendoza.
It’s great to be in Argentina, and Aubry is loving it so far. The food and wine are amazing, and the people very kind.
We really enjoyed Salta, known as Salta, La Linda. We took the telefaric up to the Cerro, and really liked the view.
From Salta we took another bus to Cafayate, along with Allard and Steven. It was also a very picturesque small town on the wine route. We found a backpackers hotel with a great deal and then ventured out to meet the city. We quite liked it. The next day, as it was very sunny and warm, we all decided to go to the nearby waterfall, which ended up being an extreme walk, climbing rocks and all for over 2 hours! The waterfall was nice, but not as spectacular as the one’s we saw in Cuba, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Chile Part I - San Pedro De Atacama

December 30th – Jan 1st
San Pedro de Atacama:

Arriving in San Pedro de Atacama was like instantly feeling that we were in a new country, as the border was much more serious and modern, and the climate very distinct as well.
We were with our friends from the Salar de Uyuni excursion and took quite a while to find an accommodation in the town as it was full of tourists who had come to spend New Year’s. Once in our hotel, we all decided to go have a nice lunch, as we had woken up that morning at 4am. We found a restaurant owned by a French cook, Michel, who prepared us a delicious meal. Later on we all rested and walked around the small village, which was adorable and very clean even though in the middle of the desert! At that point my stomach started working up and I could feel like it wouldn’t be maybe the best end of year, hihihi.
That next day, Aubry and the group went sandboarding, and I had to stay behind as was still very weak and ill with the stomach flu. It was a good opportunity to catch up on sleep. They liked their mini trip to the Valle de La Luna, except it was very hot and tiring to climb the dune each time. Their driver was also a character, as he drank beer the whole time. Luckily they didn’t have an accident or get lost!
On the last day of the year I was doing a bit better, so we both spent the day together remembering all the amazing things we had shared in 2009 and making plans for the year to come. That night we were going to eat again at the French restaurant with everyone and party together. It was nice to have friends to spend that evening with, however my flu struck again, and after midnight I had to go back to the hotel. Aubry stayed another hour with them and joined me shortly after. That next morning, we had our bus to catch to Salta, and I was so worried I’d be sick again. It was also time to say goodbye to Marion, Martijn and Clemence, as only Allard and Steven would be joining our travel plans. I must say we were both excited with the idea of finally reaching Argentina!