March 16, 2008

• Rodovaria in Sao Paolo

  3/15

  We're waiting for the bus to take us to Iguazu Falls. After checking out the falls from the Brazilian side, we're going to eventually figure out how we're going to get to Bolivia.

  This round the world traveling is hard work. Each time we get to a city, we need to scope out the accommodations. Then we need to get our bearings around the town. After we're done with the touristy stuff, we have to start our planning again. I miss having an organized dresser, instead of living out of my bag. Having a steady nightstand is also big. When spending time with someone, 24/7 patience is key. JC and I get cranky sometimes. I especially need to work on my mood.

  The packs are shedding weight. Firstly because we lost a few things. I lost my hoodie in Santiago, and in my obsession, bought it again off of ebay. It's probably on its way to my house in New York. A lotta good that will do me. As for other clothing, I went browsing for jeans in Brazil. It's easier for me to find a cut, but the last thing I want to do is add more weight to my pack. At our last stop, we got rid of a combination lock and the Brazil guidebook that we borrowed from a past hostel. And, to confirm, the Lonely Planet guidebook is USELESS in Brazil. Completely useless in Sao Paolo.

  I just finished reading my first ever smutty romance novel, "The Dangerouse Debutante." Admittedly, it was very entertaining. Now I get to shed that book too. I wonder if anyone in this terminal will pick it up. I'll probably bring it to the hostel and swap it for another book.

  One more hour to go. The departure time was 1800 hours, at 6:00pm, and NOT 1600 hours. The Sao Paolo bus terminal is my favorite by far. It's well lit, connected to the metro, and plenty of shopping. Almost bought a pair of Brazilian jeans, but these sweats from Target Argentina are doing me just fine.

  As for our experiences in Sao Paolo... you have to have a local take you around. (Especially since the guidebook is shit) We stayed in Liberdade, the Asian neighborhood and had a blast. My mild homesickness was cured by a wonderful spread of sushi and plenty of Asian foods. I bought a few red bean cakes and I'm super happy about. Of course, when you're waiting at a terminal for 4 hours, you can sometimes resort to eating out of boredom.

  Brazil can honestly hold its own as a first world country. And it's absolutely true, that Rio is like LA and Sao Paolo is like NY. We took the trains every where, but were a little lost as to where to go. The LP book kept pointing out builidings as points of interest. Grr. Buildings are interesting to a point.

  Ahead of us, we're looking at a 16 hour bus ride. It would be an nightmare if we were in the states, but South America has these cool sleeper buses that fully recline. Hopping on the bus at 6:00 will get is into Iguazu at about 10:00am. We get to save on a nights lodging that way. And after all the junk that we ate, I don't think we're looking to eat anything again. Hopefully there will be wifi access at the hostel we booked. Hopefully this will post soon.

  • 8:02 am
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