Uberlandia here I come!

I managed to stay one week in Rio de Janeiro and do nothing. No visits to the famous Corcovado, Pao do Azucar nor Santa Teresa. I didn´t even go out to any of the notorious samba clubs in Lapa. I managed to make it to Ipanema beach every day, though. And buy a skimpier bikini. And get very very dark brown. And get a crazy new haircut from an Argentine that makes me look like one of those old school Mobile action figures.

I also ran to the famous stadium, Maracana, with a crazy middle aged Israeli man from my hostel to purchase tickets off a scalper for the Rio Championship Futbol Cup between Flamengo and Botafoga. We didn´t sit with the thousands of fanatics that match (and by fanatics I mean beer-throwing, firework-laden, screaming, stomping FANS!), but the second futbol game I went to between Flamengo (who, by the way, won the Rio Championship) and some other team I definitely sat with the fanatics and it was definitely crazier!

By the time I left Rio, I didn´t mind it so much, but then again I didn´t really do all that much in Rio besides lay on the beach all day and go to futbol games.

After a week, I was ready to move on and headed to Buzios and Arraial do Cabo east of Rio de Janeiro for a little R&R. I managed to meet another Argentine who soundly convinced me I should come visit Buenos Aires for one week and he would make sure I had an authentic, sincere and memorable visit, including true Tango, Churriasco and a list of wines to try...hmmm...sounds like my kind of city. Plus his sister is brilliant and studies social politics at FLAXO with other brilliant minded persons. So I won´t be passing up this opportunity!

After a few days more of baking myself on some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen and getting fed up with rich Brasilian tourists that flock to Buzios, I decided to head to Uberlandia to visit friends.

Which is where I am at now. I am starting to feel a little harried from all the LONG bus rides and too-quick visits to places. I like taking it slow and getting to know places, especially after you´ve been on a bus for the past 15 hours cramped next to a burly snoring Brasilian. Uberlandia is quite normy--that is normal, non-touristy, on the verge of boring--and a good rest from the travel circuit. I´ll be meeting all the friends and family of my friends before going camping at some nearby water falls for a night. Then, if I can muster the will, I will head to Iguazu Falls on the border between Argentina and Brasil (about 30 hours by bus) before a last hurrah in Buenos Aires. Oumph. I am tired!