Happy Birthday Kevin

We celebrated Kevins birthday last weekend with a group of us heading to the Napa Valley for wine tasting. A Limo Bus was hired for the day and 20 of us all dressed up in costume headed out onto the open road. I love dress up parties and everyone got into the spirit, as well as getting into the wines. The bus was laidend with bubbly and with beers, so before our first stop we certainly were under way to having a BIG day.

We were met by looks of suprise by the clientel of the wineries as we toddled in wearing oufits that ranged from punk rockers to Aussie football play, to box jelly fish to Spiderman and also Cartman from South Park. Of course after the day was over we hit the town still dressed in our finest.

Sao Paulo - Brazil

The trip is almost to an end, but after three weeks of moving around and hostel staying I am looking forward to getting back to San Francisco to be able to sit and mellow out. Sao Paulo for our duration has been fun. Firstly I get hit upon on the train when we all have our bags and trying to get to our Hostel. The guy was gorgeous to say the least. Big strong arms and shoulders, great legs and a perfect sized waist. Kate was trying to get in on the action but he didn't want to know her or Andy, just wanted to chat to me. The next day in the shopping centre while window shopping the same thing happens again. And then there was the shop assistant. My work this town is full of horny gay men. But alas I didn't follow through with any of them as I'm not that sort of girl.

I'd love to go back to Sao Paulo and people have raved about Fortaleza so I'd like to go there as well. Fingers crossed than one day soon I can.

Watch out Argentina night life, here comes Kate

It's Saturday night and after being at the falls on the Argentina side we settle back into the hostel for dinner and a few beers and vodka's, sitting around chatting to the other hostel residents. It's 11pm and Kate has this thought, lets go out clubbing in Argentina. Firstly I thought how ridiculous, how are we going to get transport across the boarder back into Argentina at this time of night and how would we get back. Now my close friends know that I don't hesitate and would normally say 'why not' and then do it. I have no explanation for my hesitation. But where their is a will there is a way and before too long Kate had organsied our transportation there and back as well as a free drink on entry and no cover charge. The girl is amazing.

Before too long the three of us and one of the other guys sitting around with us were in the back of a van crossing the boarder again and pulling up outside of this night club. It was packed to the rafters and I'm sure in an emergency no one would get out alive. But we had fun, Kate in particular. I think the fact that we look different with our lighter skin, hair and the fact that we have blue eyes and not brown, attracts people to us. Anyways Katie had boys eyeing her off and coming up and chatting to her. She felt like royalty.

On the way there Kate wanted to take a before and after photo in the van. Can you tell which is which?

Iguacu falls photos - Argentinian side

Iguacu falls photos - Brazilia side

Foz du Iguacu - Brazil

The Pantanal now done and complete it was time to head south to the falls that boarder Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. There was to be no flights this time, we were going to bus it. At first it sounded daunting and I wasn't looking forward to the 26 hour bus journey. But Kate assured me that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. With the help of our sleeping tablets it was suppose to be a piece of cake.

The bus from Cuiaba to Foz du Iguaca was pleasant. The air conditioning wasn't turned all the way up, I had the seat next to me open for the entire ride, the light over my seat was working, I had more leg room than a first class flight. Brazilians' are noted for their manic driving, and these bus drivers are no different. We were tailgating inches from cars and trucks, we would be driving on the shoulder of the road, and the best part......we would be overtaking other vehicles while the on-coming traffic would have to leave the road as not to be hit by us. I was thankful I was on the right hand side of the bus and I had my seatbelt firmly secured. I tend to only take half a sleeping pill at a time, but for this journey I didn't want to know a thing, so I took a whole one.

There's not really much more to say as I slept 90% of that trip. I was so zonked out I could have been tampered with inappropriately and would not have had a clue.

After arriving we made our accommodation arrangements at the bus station. It was a full service bus station where you could arrange almost anything. The hostel we choose was perfect. We had clean rooms, a large clean communal kitchen, free internet, a bar, a pool, large grassed areas where you could sit and read under the shade of trees, and it had a beach volley ball court. It was also close to the supermarket and public transport and also provided free breakfast.

The Pantanal Wetlands - Our farm stay

The people that run this farmstay were fantastic, the food in itself was amazing. We often or should I say regularly found ourselves going up for more than one helping. Every adventure was fun, the rowing through the rivers, the horse riding through open plains, the early morning walked to see the bird life, and my favorite, the fishing for piranhas. During the rowing we saw more of the crocodiles, birds, monkeys and large otters.

During the horse riding we saw goanna type lizards, a large turtle, plenty of bird life and more of those crocodile things. My horse almost walked on one as we went through a puddle. It sensed it there and got all defensive. It started to thump its left foot onto the ground and for a moment I thought we were going to rear up with me falling arse first off the back of the horse into the waiting open mouth of this mini crocodile. All this after the first horse they put me on was not wanting to play the game and was ready to race off with me on its back as though it was against Phar Lap in the Melbourne Cup.

The piranha fishing was fun, except for the extreme radiation coming down from the sun. I got burnt the previous day laying by the pool and playing silly games with Kate such as catch my ring and doing some synchronized swimming routines. I caught the smallest piranha for the day, but also the biggest fish, although we don't know what it was.

When our farm stay was complete, our 'no expense spared' transportation came to pick us up. As we left the rain bucked down and the windows of our 'no expense spared' transportation didn't wind up. Not only that, the demister didn't work and neither did the wind shield wipers. But alas, that didn't deter our pilot and co-pilot, who was Fisher, they just continued on at normal speeds along this pot holed filled dirt/mud road following the tail lights of the vehicle somewhere in front of us. I suppose our good fortune was that we made it through the rain safely and before we got our flat tyre.