Forever young, I wanna be

Fellas: Before you get married, go to Rio de Janiero. (I think the same rule applies for Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Miami...get busy!). The culture is not afraid to show off humanity´s most prized but ashamed possession: sex. I´ve only heard of stories of Carnaval, but I know for sure, guy (and girls), it will be tough to enjoy it fully when you´re married. The nightlife is non-stop with some of the most beautiful people in the world, while during the day you can chill on Copabanana or Ipanema beaches playing volleyball and sand soccer, or just watch the athletic Brazilians run or rollerblade on the boardwalk all day.

Moving from Argentina to Brazil, our group needed to adjust from saying ´Gracias´ to ´Obrigado, ´ ´Muy bien´ to ´Moite bom,´ and ´Buenos días´ to ´Bom día´ (día sounding like ´Jia´). Upon arriving, the Brazilian people amazed us with their hospitality, professionalism, and the beauty of portuguese (it sounds so nice. This is a language I would definitely put the effort into learning). We were surprised how different portuguese was in conversation, although when we read it, it is 80% similar to spanish. After about 3 weeks in Brazil, I think our ears and tongues changed a bit!

The ´Iguazu Falls´ group went...in pieces...to Ilha Grande (Big Island), a popular weekend destination for Brazilians. Bram, Melina, Carlos, Marc, and I all stayed at Che Lagarto, a nice chain of hostels throughout South America. The nice thing about Che Lagarto is that they create a fun and social atmosphere for young travelers to meet each other. And the nice thing about this particular Che Lagarto is that...just outside of our room...was an ocean-side patio where we sat and watched the stars for many nights. The first day, we took a hike to ´Praia Plata,´ or silver beach. I think we were in the water for about...10 minutes...and then on our backs on the sand for about 3 hours. What a life! The next day, we took a nice boat to ´Lopes Mendes´ beach, by far the most beautiful beach on this journey. White sand that felt and sounded like flour...clear and warm water. We rented and shared a surfboard, trying to imitate the pros further down the beach. No success! I think our best time standing up was about 3 seconds, lol. Our third day saw us taking a snorkeling trip to the blue and green lagoons filled with sea life! We were going to scuba dive...but it was too expensive! By the time we arrived at the second lagoon, we gave up on the snorkeling and instead discovered our inner-child: doing backflips from the rear of the boat. Our last two days, we didn´t really know what to do...and were stressing alot about losing time. Then we woke up, realized we were in paradise, and thought to ourselves,´Damn, we are so freaking spoiled.´

Arriving in Rio de Janiero after Ilha Grande, we were mezmorized by the long streches of sand and people on the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Despite being nearly winter, Brazil is still forever a paradise...I don´t think we wore shoes the whole time we were there! We again chose Che Lagarto hostels on the Ipanema beach...ah yeah...different experience here. It was a completely packed 6 story hostel filled with some-cool some-not-so-clean/polite people. The bathrooms were definitely a whole new experience. My week and a half here taught me that I can be very flexible as to my comfort limits, as well as other lifestyles. Here, we met Michael, from England, and Daniel, a recent Duke-grad. Putting them together made for sweet daily 3 on 3 sand-volleyball games. One day, it lasted 4 hours! We went out...seemed like too many times. The big night is Friday night, where everyone passes under the LAPA arches and pumps it until sunrise. That night, we went to the club/bar where samba was born! Other highlights of Rio were riding up to Pao de Azucar (Sugarloaf mountain) to see the sunset, days just filled with soccer and volleyball and nothing else, fighting the incredibly powerful waves of Ipanema beach, enjoying SUCOS (Brazilian juices...the best in the world), morning runs/workouts/jump in that water with your underwear, and seeing the sunrise on my last morning. But the absolute best experience was just enjoying Rio with our group of friends, because they were just about the coolest people ever who understood youth and had a great sense of humor. The Brazil-part of my trip definitely felt more like vacation as opposed to ´backpacking.´

A big highlight of Rio de Janiero was our tour of the Favelas. A Favela can be thought of like a ghetto...but (in this time period) not as dangerous or poor. They were setup near the turn of the 19th century to house freed African slaves and recent war veterans. As you can expect, the government basically crammed together millions of the nation´s poor into one area. For many years, drugs and gang violence plagued the Favelas, however today most in Rio have been cleaned up by the police. The area of the Favelas is actually very small, so to accommadate for a growing population, the residents looked to the sky. In these villages, we saw a small apartment room on the ground...with maybe 10 or 15 more rooms stacked vertically above it! The alleyways and houses are extremely tight and sometimes completely vertical, while to one electrical pole 50 or more powerlines are attached to one sparking plug. Most of the residents are Afro-brazilian, just to hammer down the real effect that slavery can have on a population throughout many generations.

Our guide was a 17-year old saint by the name of Luiz Enrique. He lived in the Favela, but worked in the city as a water-cooler transporter. Thus, he had very big arms and shoulders. He took us to his friends (which was everyone in the Favela, it seemed), to his apartment (one small room with a big picture of a beautiful girl on the wall...his sister), and took us to the top of the Favelas to teach us how to fly a kite. He was a surgeon in the way he handled that thing! While we were trying to figure out how to steer! At lunch, we offered him beer and a smoke, but he refused. He paid for a little pool game after lunch (called snooker here, with very very thin holes). When we tried to pay him after the tour, he refused payment also. We were like,´who is this kid? So young, yet so full of warmth.´ We gave the money to his coworkers and hoped that he received it. Obrigado, Luiz.

Along with Luiz, the thing that gave me hope in the Favela was the youth center at the entrance. To reach the Favela from the city, one must take an elevator. At the top, there is a brightly lit and colorful youth center filled with dance classes, boxing, swimming lessons, soccer fields, internet, a modern library, and art. Even though the Favela looked so bad on the inside, this place on the outskirts was telling me that things were getting better. I hope so, because Brazil has one of the biggest problems of rich and poor: 1% of the population owns 50% of the land, and these Favelas are right next door to the rich and famous. Maybe we´ll see a Favela superstar in ND one day!

I sometimes forget what my daily life was before this trip...and now my biggest worry is, ´what hostel should I choose? Where should I eat? What´s over there? Do I have energy to go out?´Its realizations like this that really make me appreciate youth: all of its energy, fearlessness, curiosity, and perspective. At the beginning of my trip, I was thinking that the meaning of life is mystery. Now, I believe that meaning is pursuing that mystery with youth, no matter what stage in life. Life would be boring if one knew everything. I think it can apply also to responsible adulthood, always embracing what is different instead of shying away. And to do this, an element of youth always has to be present, to see an event as an opportunity to learn, grow, and ultimately enjoy oneself. Brazil is a country that is forever young. All along Rio, no matter what time of day, we see people of all ages beasting the volleyball nets, playing soccer with bottomless lungs, running and biking along the beautiful sunset, and having picnics on a Tuesday. I´m not sure how they are able to do this and still earn a living...but they do it very well. Maybe they´ve mastered how to stay young while being responsible. Or maybe its just the most beautiful places to live.

I´m in Rosario, Argentina, right now...the birthplace of Che Guavara! Unfortunately, my hostel´s computer does not allow USB connections, so I have to postpone posting Brazil pictures for a little bit! But I can say that this is the land of rebels. Everywhere, graffiti can be seen with ´Viva la Revolucion´ or ´Socialismo,´while guys of all ages proudly sport long hair. Rosario, though, is the most European city I´ve been to so far. A mini-Paris!

Don´t worry, Brazil pics are coming! If I can´t post them in Argentina, then soon...I´m only in South America for only 9 more days!

Now the real fun begins

Hey guys!

Its been an amazing 3 weeks since my last post. Apologies for the delay. Internet here is extremely slow and hard to access (especially in hostels where facebook is on 24/7). In exchange, here´s some of the highlights of Machu Piccu, the Atacama desert in Chile, and Argentina. I´m in Brasil now, on an Island called Ilha Grande...and will post pics/stories soon. Enjoy!

5 day Salkantay trek to Machu Piccu



Our guide, Rolando. Mr Superman.


Salkantay (we learned later) is one of Nat Geo´s top 25 most beautiful hikes in the world. And wow, it was amazing.

Oh man. Soccer in Salkantay, after 3 days of 10hr hikes. No fear!

Machu Piccu in the morning. We woke up at 4am...and hiked vertically up to the ruins!

We made it! Do your best conquistador pose.

The flying Dutchman, Bram Boerman, at 2900 meters

Pfresh lives at 2900 meters

Rockin´out. Let´s go back to Cuzco for a nice massage

Puno and Lake Titicaca.

Bram and Haemi

Floating islands! Puno is so extremely FRIOOO

Arica and Chile´s beach

Freezing water...but a perfect post-Machu Piccu experience

Sandboarding in San Pedro de Atacama Desert, Chile

Bram flying down the Pan-American highway

I really enjoy freedom

2 bikes, 2 snowboards, 2 23-yr old cowboys

Horseriding in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Desert Star-gazing with a crazy Frenchman

Argentinian Buses oo-la-la. They serve wine!

Salta, Argentina....topped with steak.

Carlos and Melina from Mexico

Iguazu Falls, Argentina side

With the proud Montreal-ian, Marc

All 5 of us, waiting to get drenched!! We loved it!

Tres Fronteras of Iguazu. Guess which one I chose?

So guys, remember my itinerary on my first post? Scrap that. I met some great friends, and traveling together and LETTING GO of my plan was the best decision I ever made. Yes, the sites are beautiful, but they are so much more when they are experienced with fun friends. Especially with the sandboarding adventure (ask me to paint you a picture when I see you), I learned that to fully experience anything, just LET GO....of plans, expectations, doubts, cost, and fears. Let life carry you to paradise.

I only have 3 weeks left! So far, I´ve been traveling for almost 4 weeks with Bram, from Holland, who is a very fun and optimistic guy. We met Carlos and Melina, from Mexico, in the Chilean desert...and all of us have been traveling together up until Brasil. In Iguazu, we met Marc, from Canada. We are all planning to head to Rio de Janiero together, go to Copacabana and Ipanema, and of course see a Brasilian soccer game. Its been so incredible so far...and I feel so extremely lucky to have experienced so much beauty. The stories I want to tell are way too complex simply to write in this blog. Even though I am a little sad that my trip is almost over, I cannot wait to see all of you and hopefully give you my same experience through conversations. You think you know...but you have no idea!! Until next time, ciao!