Paraguay

October 5, 2016

Anytime we mentioned that our plan was to hop across the border to see Paraguay the response was the same 'why? There's nothing there!' We decided to go anyway. Truth be told there wasn't a whole lot going on, it's a country with a huge rich/poor divide and very few tourists go meaning that there isn't much of an infrastructure for backpackers.

We visited three cities in Paraguay; Ciudad del Este, Asuncion and Encarnacion. In Ciudad del Este we saw Itaipu Dam, in Asuncion (the capital) we wandered aimlessly in the heat and in Encarnacion (the nicest city) we visited the Jesuit Missions.

Despite the limited sights and flat landscapes I'm glad we visited the off the beaten track country. Many Paraguayans were among the friendliest people we've encountered so far, every meal we had was truly delicious and everything was cheap.

Favourite memories;

• watching the sun set over the vast river in Encarnación.

• discovering delicious bread sold on the streets and buses.

• the sweet and very trendy café in Asuncion.

• the Persian cat at the hostel in Cuidad del Este.

• chatting with James, fellow Brit who we met on the coach to Asuncion.

• exploring Jesuit Missions.

🎥 Paraguay and Uruguay video:

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Iguazu Falls

September 24, 2016

We've been staying at Tetris, a hostel made entirely from recycled shipping containers. There's a VW camper parked in the garden and a sweet little dog named Hurley bounding around the place. Anyone who knows me will understand when I say that this place is what my dreams are made of.

We've spent the last few days here as it's right by Iguazu Falls, one of the worlds most impressive waterfalls. On Tuesday morning we arrived at the hostel after a 14 hour journey and immediately caught a bus to Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side. The falls are on the border of Brazil and Argentina and need to be seen from both sides in order to be appreciated in full.

We arrived at the falls and were completely taken aback by their sheer size, the amount of water cascading was incomprehensible. We walked along the walkway that juts out in front of the falls, the mist soaked everything it touched. The sky was a flawless shade of blue with not a cloud in sight, rays of sunlight caused beautiful rainbows. We walked along the trail stopping to watch the quati' steal people's food and hear the rumble of water.

The next day we joined an organised tour to cross the border into Argentina and see the falls from another perspective. We caught a little train in the national park and found ourselves at the rivers edge. Thousands of bright butterflies were circling around, attracted to the minerals in the soil. We walked along a walkway over the river for 15 minutes until we were up close with Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat. The wind caused massive clouds of mist to bellow up, soaking everything including my camera. There were screams as the cold water hit people's bare skin. After, we walked along a trail over the tops of the falls, perfect rainbows gave a magical feeling to the area and each viewpoint offered something different. The falls were probably the most beautiful natural sight I've seen.

The cherry on top of a brilliant day was our boat ride to see the falls up close. The boat raced towards the mist and got so close that we were all completely drenched, a wave hit Craig square in the face, it was hilarious.

While staying in Foz do Iguaçu we also visited the Buddhist Temple which was beautifully peaceful and enjoyed the hostels sun deck and pool. Next stop: Paraguay.

🎥 Brazil and Iguazu Falls video:

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Florianópolis, Brazil

September 21, 2016

After twelve long hours on an overnight coach we finally arrived in Florianópolois, south of São Paulo. Two more buses and a short walk followed before we found our hostel - Gecko. Despite our tiredness we went for a walk along the Lagoa stopping for a picnic on the lake shore. We decided to keep walking, up and over a hill to get to Mole beach, a surfers paradise. The temperature was a lot lower than what we were used to, after watching the surfers and waves crashing we decided to walk back and had dinner at a vegetarian food truck that we found earlier.

On our first full day on the island we decided to join other hostel guests for a hike. We took the bus to Barra da Lagoa and started the trail, we were so lucky to see dolphins swimming just off shore. The trail was made up of steep sections requiring rope and walking through what felt like the jungle! We made it to the top of fantastic viewpoints and after a couple hours of walking we made it to Praia da Galheta; a pristine beach. After a beer and cocktail stop at Mole beach we headed home for dinner at the truck stop and had vegan burgers from Ahimsa.

On day two we decided to go on another hike to make the most of the clear weather, we found a trail along the Lagoa and walked for a few hours before coming across a waterfall. We dipped our feet in the freezing water to refresh then bought coconut and white chocolate sweets from a lovely lady's stall. After, we found a little pier and caught a boat back to town costing just R$7.50 each, under £2.00. For dinner we went to our favourite place the truck stop and indulged in more delicious food.

Rain, thunder and more rain. As predicted Sunday was a bit of a wash out. We had a slow morning then went to see turtles at a sanctuary a bus ride away, after feeding the turtles we headed back and booked the next leg of our journey, a 14 hour coach ride to Foz do Iguaçu. The next day we packed our bags and aimlessly wandered around the town and along the lake shore, gearing up for another long coach journey ahead.

🎥 Brazil and Iguazu Falls video:

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