More of South America

Paraty, Brasil

First of all, a belated Merry Christmas to all for whom those sentiments are relevant.

Right. Another day, another country. Well, actually I've been in Brazil (or Brasil, as it's known locally) for several days now, including a back and forth day between Brazil and Argentina. But I'm getting ahead of myself. When last we met, I was just leaving Peru.

My return to Buenos Aires was very enjoyable, if you ignore the raging thunderstorm when we landed (my plane was hit by lightning during the approach) and the confusion regarding my hotel (always exciting when arriving in a foreign country when you and your driver don't speak the same language to realize he's been instructed to take you to a different place than you though you were going). However, it all worked out in the end, and I was able to see more of the city than on my first visit. I went back to one of the neighborhoods I'd previously visited (San Telmo), in order to see the big antiques market that goes on on Sundays. I combined that with walking around the main plaza, and indulging in some Argentinian ice cream. You may not know this, but Argentina does ice cream very well indeed, no doubt as a result of the lovely cows they raise that give extra creamy milk (not to mention the incredible steaks), and the fact that there is a very strong Italian heritage in the city - a very significant proportion of Portenos, as residents of the city are known, have some Italian ancestry. I tried a flavor that was quite possibly the most decadent thing I've ever eaten - dulce de leche with brownie. Dulce de leche is kind of like caramel, but that analogy does it rather a disservice as it's much more intense, and sweeter, than what we all think of as caramel. This version added very large chunks of chewy brownies . . . truly wonderful. I did try some ice cream at other places recommended by the guide on my current tour, who is Argentinian, which was very good indeed, but somehow didn't quite reach the heights that this one did.

I joined up with my tour group last Sunday. I don't normally like to do group tours - they don't allow as much flexibilty as travelling on your own - but sometimes (like South America where I don't speak the languages and where travel can be a bit challenging), it makes sense. There are 16 of us: 6 Brits, 3 Aussies, 3 Kiwis (from New Zealand), 2 Germans, 1 Irish lady and me. As mentioned above, our tour leader is Argentinian. One of the first things we did was a city tour of BA, which unfortunately didn't really show me anything different from the one I had done the previous week (other than the inside of the stadium of one of the main soccer teams in BA, Boca Juniors), but then I had more time to walk around. I had read that the best way to see BA is to get out and walk, and I did my best to cover as much as I could. It is, however, rather a large city, so trying to see it all, or evern most of it, in the time I had available simply wasn't possible. However, as I've told myself many times on this trip, it's important to leave some things undone, so you have a reason to come back.

Our next stop was Iguassu Falls, which straddle Argentina and Brazil, and also abut Paraguay. It is a remarkable system of waterfalls that currently is running very high as there has been quite a bit of rain in the last few weeks. I've not seen Niagara Falls, or any of the other truly remarkable waterfalls of the world, but I must say these were absolutely magnificent. The pictures can't really do it justice, but I hope they do give you at least a feel for the power and beauty of the place. On the first day, we viewed them from the Brazilian side. As they're mostly in Argentina, this side allows you to view them with a bit more perspective - you get something of a sense of how big they are. The second day, we crossed back into Argentina, and got a much closer view of a number of the falls. Indeed, we manged to get very close indeed, during a boat ride that takes you right up to the bottom of several of the falls. Needless to say, we were all completely soaked, but it was good fun and actually rather refreshing on a hot day. One other thing I must mention about the area is the butterflies. They are numerous and varied and absolutely gorgeous. The pictures really can only give a sample of the variety as many of them simply wouldn't stop to have their pictures taken!

The last two days have been in Paraty, a coastal town between Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. It was built in colonial times, by slaves, but then kind of got lost in time until about the 1960s. I believe that at one point it was the second or third largest port in Brazil, but when the shipping moved on, the town lost in main reason for being. Thankfully, the buildings were left alone, and while they needed some restoration, by and large, the old town is as it was. I understand that the place recently was granted UNESCO World Heritage status, and it is indeed a charming place that is very evocative of the time when it was built (the streets still have the orignal, very uneven, cobblestones). Today, of course, the place is full of tourists (many of whom are Brazilian), but sometimes that's what it takes to maintain a site.

I won't spend too much time explaining that we spent Christmas Day on the beach and at a waterfall you can slide down (it flows over a rock that isn't too steep, and at only a couple of inches of depth) for fear of making the majority (if not unanimity) of you who are in cold, northern hemisphere countries unduly jealous. (If it makes you feel any better, it did pour rain for a time this afternoon.) We also had dinner at the home of the day's tour guide (or rather, at his parents' home, or so I was lead to believe). I'm not entirely sure what the purpose was, other than to give us a glimpse inside a home in this lovely town - unfortunately the parents don't speak any English, and the guide was busy helping with the serving, so we didn't have a chance to talk to any of them. Nonetheless, it was nice to see inside one of the houses, and the food was very good (barbecued meats and various accompaniments).

Tomorrow we're off to my last stop in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro. I will confess to somewhat mixed feelings. I know it's a lively, interesting city that many people are very enamored of, but it's not a place I was desperate to see. I'm perfectly happy to be going there, but have been a bit remiss in terms of figuring out what to see and do, so perhaps am not in the best position to make use of my limited time. Perhaps the reality will surprise and impress me, or perhaps not. Tune in next time to find out!