Girl From Ipanema

Since I last wrote, I have started the second leg of my trip, seen three completely different big cities, and been to Iguazu falls. In her last post, Caitlin updated you all on my travels so I though I would expand on that a bit. I am currently in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I have been here since last Wednesday, 5 days total. Before that, I spent three days in Puerto Iguazu, a huge waterfall on the border of Brazil and Argentina. Prior to Iguazu, I spent two weeks in Buenos Aires. I have been traveling with Maria and Michelle, two English girls that I met in Cusco.

Lima:
Even though it was more than a month ago since I visited Lima, I thought I would write a little bit about it. I went to Lima, expecting it to be a really horrible, ugly city, because that is what I was told. I decided to go anyways. I decided I needed a break from tiny Cusco, and wanted to see the capitol of Peru at least, before leaving the country. Lima turned out to be quite a surprise. I loved the area I was staying in, Miraflores, because it had an artsy and relaxed vibe. I learned how to use the public bus system and did sight seeing on my own by day, and at night hung out with my friend Patrick and his friend Jose who were also in Lima at the time. Some other friends from Cusco also ended up being in Lima for a few days while I was there, so Lies, Sarah A., Sarah M. and I also did some sight seeing together. I enjoyed everything about Lima while I was there, from my hostel, to traveling around on my own. I thought I was going to get lonely being by myself for most of the days I was there, but after living in a house with 21 other people for almost two months, it was relaxing to have some time to myself. Overall, Lima is a very cool city and I think many travelers don´t give it a proper chance.

Buenos Aires:
Buenos Aires is by far my favorite city I have visited during this trip. For me, there was nothing not to love. Buenos Aires is a beautiful city in all respects. The architecture is European and gorgeous, the people are not only polite and classy, but they are extremely attractive, there is a endless amount of shopping, and the city never sleeps. Cafes are open until two in the morning Monday though Sunday, and bars and clubs don´t close until the sun comes up in the morning. Everyday, Michelle and I explored the City and found all the nooks and crannies of the city, while Maria hung out with her dad who had come to visit. At night we watched tango, hung out in cafes, and went to a outdoor music festival, where I saw Calle 13, a Puerto Rican rapper who is really famous in Latin America. What was not to love? I´m sure I will be back when time and money provide!

Iguazu falls:
Iguazu falls took my breath away, literally. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and for me at least, was far more amazing and exciting than Machu Picchu. The waterfall is on the border of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Before arriving in Puerto Iguazu, the girls and I had planned to go to both the Brazil side of the falls, as well as the Argentina side. We ended up just seeing the Argentina side, because you can see all three sides from that side. The waterfall is massive and impossible to imagine without being there. The amount of water that is crashing down is unreal and it is not only high but also extremely wide. The photos don´t do it justice. I would have gladly stayed and watched it all day. We spent the day in Iguazu hiking around the park to see different view points, and ended our day by taking a boat ride under the falls, which was a perfect finish and left us completely drenched. Thanks to some friends who had gone a few days before us, we knew to take a extra change of clothes!

Rio de Janeiro:
Though I have been here for five days, Rio is so huge that I don´t feel like I have any since of the city at all. For the first few nights, we stayed in Ipanema. We are now staying in Copacabana. I have a good feel for both of these areas but in terms of the greater city, I haven't got a clue. We have spent most of our time here on the beach. The beach in Ipanema is much quieter, cleaner, and more beautiful than the one at Copacabana in my opinion, far superior. Ipanema, is a really nice part of the city. It is relaxed and full of chic boutiques and frozen yogurt shops. In contrast, Copacabana is busier and feels more like real Rio. I prefer Ipanema, but I'm glad I got to see another area of the city as well. On Saturday we went on a city tour with some people from our hostel, and saw the Christ on the hill, and quite a few other tourist attractions. We drove around the city and saw different neighborhoods as well, but I think in order to properly understand Rio as a city, I would have to stay for a longer period of time.For now, I am enjoying getting an ear for Portuguese and trying to pick up as much as possible!

The next few weeks:
Tomorrow, I head to Ihla GrandeFlorianopolis, and Maria and Michelle go to Sao Paulo, to catch their flight back to England. They are really looking forward to landing in -5 degree weather (Celsius) 23 degrees Fahrenheit. It's going to be really sad to see them go! In Florianoplois, I will be starting my job, working in a Hostel. Caitlin comes to meet me on December 22, just in time for Christmas! I'm extremely excited to see her! In January we start our Portuguese classes. I am hoping to have a basic grasp of Portuguese by that time, so hopefully my job will help immerse me in the language. I am picking it up slowly already!Well I guess that's all for now, but I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and doesn´t mind that my blog posts always come out sounding like letters!
Much love,
Cora