Manaus II

Went back to Manaus to execute all of the events that we had planned the week before. Like any other business trip, it was totally exhausting but always a great time. One morning we were able to go out on the boat with the owner of Tropical Club to the "Encontro das Águas". This is where the rivers "Rio Negro" and "Rio Simões" meet. Rio Negro is much darker and Simões, drastically lighter. The incredible thing is that the two rivers do not mix. It is really a spectacular sight. For an enormous length of water, these two rivers run side by side, without mixing. The contrast is so definite it seems fake. So after a week of non-stop work, these few hours before catching our flight back to rainy São Paulo made the trip.

MANAUS

HUMID. hot. Work, work, meetings. Feel like a movie star with all the double takes amidst the city of indians at the shopping. Cupuaçu and açaí ice cream. R$25 for the worst internet. Best café da manhã at the Tropical. Meetings. Found internet at shopping. Computer dies. Meetings. Found lamanites at Papo Furado. Sleep. Sit around. Go to marina for boat ride. Broken trailer = no more boat ride. Longest ride around the city. takaká. Picanha. Sleep. Up at 5. Drive an hour and a half. Breakfast of Graviola juice, tapioca, and pupunha. Kayaking down the Amazon. Weird Amazonian guide sidekick drinking the river water. Danny falls in river. Ben falls in river with camera. More pupunha, farofa, and cupuaçu. Jumping off the bridge into the river. Ben hits arm with branch and left with bruise that looks like sweet under arm tat. Drive back. Guy is pissed at Greg = no more boat ride. Flamengo v. Vasco. More Flamengo fans than in Rio. Crazy crazy people at the praça watching the game. Ben and Danny are lost then found. Terrible flight at 1 am. Get in at 6. Rain and traffic. Get to the office at 9.

I think these pictures capture the beauty and the lack of beauty in Manaus. The city is nothing spectacular, but floating down the Amazon on a Sunday morning is incomparable. The city has the same sounds and sights of any city, but the sounds and sights found on our journey down the river can only be found there. The contrast is incredible.

Kayak launch
Houses on a part of the river
Amazon at sunset
Favela
Favela

Foz de Iguaçu

There is a reason that the Foz de Iguaçu are on the list for the 7 Natural Wonders of the world. Sooo dope. Fly to Maringá. diligent rental car man. the 4 1/2 hours to Foz with the Seu Jorge. Most intense set of falls, looks like this is where they got the idea for Avatar land. Required sunga photos. Rafting down Iguaçu River with Israel, spent more time in the river than in the raft. Ben finding some Japanese peeps and unintentionally stealing this dudes girlfriend. Cruise into Argentina, chill at a little table at Feirinha eating olives, cheese and salami. Snacking on delicious ice cream, then Argentinian Churrasco. Uber dope hostel, Casino without profit, intense dance club, 3 hours of sleep. Into Paraguay with fake pin drives, coffee grower outfits, people selling electronics and socks like they are the hottest thing. Terrible parking scam. Car searched at boarder. Back to Argentina, 7 kilos of herva. 4 1/2 hours back to Maringá. Always with Seu Jorge. Flight to São Paulo.

After Rafting
Up close


The whole set of falls is at least 7 times the size of Niagra Falls.

Floripa and Búzios

Work is crazy during the week, but we always make the weekends worth it. We went to Rio during Carnaval and didnt sleep for about 5 days. It was a great time and we met some super dope people. During this Rio trip we decided to rent a car and drive "2" hours to Búzios. Well the drive there was fine, but the drive back in a tiny car without air conditioning in 110º weather in stop and go traffic for 5 hours turned out to be what i imagine Hell to be like. Búzios was worth it though and the little stop in Saquarema was great too. The next week we went to Florianópolis which was incredible. I love Floripa. Great beaches, super chill, and great food. My favorite part was right after sandboarding we went across the street to shower off and the showers are run by this British dude. We start talking to him and he ends up telling us that he found the Arc of the Covenant in Floripa and that he needs our help. Also that he is being held prisoner by the reggae men and being forced to write music. Also that he has Star Wars dreams and George Lucas is a Prophet. He told us all of this while staring at something and plucking random strings on his guitar in his safari hat. So dope.

Where i live
Ben sandboarding in Floripa
Where we ate the best Moqueca in Floripa

Búzios


Yes, Búzios is gorgeous